The air was thin and bitingly cold, the night sky a stark black canvas beneath a waxing moon.The wolf circled the firepit. Only smouldering embers and charcoal-infused blocks remained of what was once a carved black walnut sculpture. Abruptly, the animal stopped, raised its head, and unfolded into the raw, naked form of a man. Long black hair fell past his shoulders. His fixated black eyes peered into the dark sky, his head slowly arcing to scan the surroundings.I maintained a steady view through my field binoculars, the camera rolling. He snapped his gaze directly toward me and blinked.I gasped. My composure broke just long enough to snap the focus ring. When I looked back, he was gone.Nothing remained of him beside the smouldering embers and wisping silhouettes of smoke curling toward the waxing moon. Trembling, I switched the binoculars to video replay. The screen flickered, capturing the impossible transition: wolf to man, and then, with a sickening lurch, to bat. I leaned back against the rough bark of the tree stand, my heart hammering against my ribs. Slowly, I lowered the binoculars and raised my rifle. Through the scope, a three-foot bat clung to a tree across the clearing, its unblinking eyes seemingly locked onto mine.It emitted a sharp, metallic click. Before the sound could fade, a thousand shadows erupted from the darkness. A deafening swarm engulfed the tree stand. The sudden, violent weight and flurry of leathery wings jarred my arm. My finger twitched on the trigger. The gunshot cracked through the night, striking empty air as the recoil slammed me backward, plunging me into darkness. When I came to, the pungent stench of guano choked the air around me. Then the darkness pulled me under once more. TBC.
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