Greykin Valley

| 39 | Metamorphosis

⥐ ⋞ ☽ ⋟ ⥐

| Jackson |

The creature had no face.

Each time it peered out from behind the tree it hadn't moved from, Jackson saw just a little more of it.

Its human-like body was at least seven feet tall with lanky arms and grey, slimy-looking skin. The only orifice on its face was a gnarly, rounded mouth which stretched from its chin to where its nose would meet between its eyes if it were actually human, and inside were several rows of razor-sharp teeth.

When it leaned its body out from behind the tree again, the creature let out a shrill, rhythmic wail...but it almost seemed curious. It didn't attack, nor did it roar or growl as if it thought the pack was a threat. The thing just...stood there.

Jackson's feeling of fear lingered. It clawed at him, urging him to flee. He was petrified—he had no idea what that thing was or what its intentions were—but he needed to fight his terror. He'd not freeze up this time, nor would he let anyone else suffer.

He swallowed the spit which pooled in his mouth and looked at Damon. "W-we need to get the hell away from that thing," he whispered.

But...no one moved. No one spoke.

Jackson set his eyes on the monster, and when it backed behind the tree, he looked at his packmates. "Guys?" he asked worriedly. "We need to move!"

Still, no one moved or said anything. It was like...they were frozen with fear. But they didn't look afraid; they looked...mesmerized. Entranced. And when Jackson stared closely at Damon's face, he noticed that his iris' had swirling black patterns inside.

It looked as though everyone had it—even Wilson...and Sebastien.

"Wilson?!" he insisted quietly, moving in front of the tiger.

What the hell was going on?

Was that creature doing it to them?

Jackson turned to face it again and watched it peer out at him. It made another sound...clicking quietly as the teeth in its mouth slowly twisted around. He didn't know what it was waiting for, but Jackson wasn't going to wait and find out. He had to do something...but what? How was he supposed to snap everyone out of it?

He stood in front of Damon and nudged him with his paw. "Damon? Damon?!" He then shoved his side, and the Alpha stumbled, but he didn't snap out of his trance.

The creature suddenly chirped...and several chirps replied, echoing through the trees.

There were more of them, and they were coming.

Jackson's heart started racing as he rushed and stood in front of each of his packmates and tried to wake them up, but it was useless, and when he looked back at the creature...it wasn't leaning out from behind that tree anymore.

He frantically searched for any sign of it, but then distorted chirps started echoing from every direction, and Jackson began to feel so overwhelmed with fear and confusion that all he could do was stand there, tremble, and stare at the place he'd last seen the monster.

Footsteps crunched in the snow beside him.

Jackson turned to face the sound, but then it came from behind him.

He swung around, his breaths stifled, and his body stiff.

The creature's clicks came from behind a rock, but when Jackson looked over there, the snow to his left crunched—