(working title and story in progress)

Riley Bristow peered around the side of a nearby pine tree at the barren field that stretched out before her, nearly all of her body hidden by the surrounding shadows as she considered the best way to approach. Her breath came out in loud huffs as she tried to catch her breath. Sneaking around the woods at night--with a flashlight, no less--couldn't disencumber the creepy vibe the woods were giving her. The prospect of searching the woods at night might not have been the best of ideas, but she had no doubt those baleful cries that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end belonged to a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a werewolf. And Riley was going to be the first to prove it!1

Her long blond hair, which she had swept back into a ponytail, slapped against her back as she pivoted, swinging the beam of the flashlight into the shrubberies behind her. 2

What was that?3

She could have swore something had disturbed the leaves on the bushes. Maybe, all the hype she received from her lengthier friendships had finally gotten to her head. 4

"Werewolves are not real, Riley. It has been scientifically proven that the means are not equivalent to the facts. Your theory, yes I said theory, is just not justifiable without proof. It is an idiotic thought and nothing more." Even now she could hear her friend's sarcastic voice as he shot down her dream. 5

But it had been her, idiotic, dream. One that she'd spent most of her life time trying to prove, and just like the rest of her superstitious family she would continue the tradition until she discovered the worlds' first werewolf, for the sake of her family name and her career as a writer, she had too.6

Riley clutched her hand bag against her chest as she crept to the next closest pine tree, minimally concealing the clanking of items. Thinking for once before acting, she had assembled a danger prevention pack, which consisted of a can of mace, hand mirror, and small pocket knife. 7

They won't come to any use inside the bag. That is if anything relatively dangerous should approach. There isn't anything like that around, with all the noise being made anything in the immediate area should be spooked and have ran off. 8

..."Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting"... "Jeez, thanks for the reminder of all things creepy and ghoulish Poe!" Riley whispered under her breath. 9

The darkness was an impenetrable, inky blackness that seemed to swallow the shallow flashlight beam as Riley made her way closer to the edge of the tree line. The broad pine trees were so abundant and compact that their branches intertwined with its brothers, isolating the forest floor from any traces of moonlight. Riley strove forward almost blindly, hands outstretched in front of her face, now encouraged by her subconscious to escape the darkness and everything it hid from her view. 10