Chapter V

Maria

Now was the long-awaited moment when I would search for the werewolf. I confess I'm anxious, but at the same time, a bit apprehensive because it's a werewolf and not something or someone harmless. I've heard a lot about werewolf legends, and I must admit they can be a bit frightening, but a good exploration and caution should handle that.

I look around again to see if anyone is nearby or not. I can't be too careful. I don't want anyone to know what I'm doing, especially since I want to surprise everyone with my discovery. I'm sure the person who will appreciate what I've done the most is Cledir because he was the one who told the legend, and capturing a photo of a werewolf might leave him impressed or even proud.

Breaking away from my thoughts, I yawn and my eyes were tearing up. I was tired, but I could stay alert in the forest, especially since my senses would be more acute in the pitch-dark environment.

I entered the forest with a camera in one hand and a flashlight in the other. I brought a flashlight to help me navigate and locate myself in the forest. Although I've been here many times, I've never come at night, and I felt a bit nervous about it. I encountered various nocturnal animals like owls and bats, and I could hear the croaking of frogs. There was a pond nearby, and I could hear the frogs clearly. Besides, crickets were also chirping in the midst of the frog croaking. It was a symphony of nature, as I like to say. I've always enjoyed listening to the sounds of frogs, crickets, owls, and all the animals that inhabit nature because the best sound a human can hear is that of nature. Unfortunately, the Amazon is not going through a good time, but I believe things will work out.

I was still using the flashlight to light my way through the forest. I was always on alert because I could end up encountering a werewolf, and just to be safe, I would be ready to protect myself. My grandmother always wanted me to be a woman who could defend herself, no matter how or from whom, and here I am, honoring what she taught me.

I yawned again, but I also sneezed. Because I was in the middle of the woods, temperatures were lower, and I was wearing summer clothes, which made me more prone to sneezing.

Suddenly, I heard something resembling thunder, but I don't believe that's the sound, especially since there were no clouds in the sky. I looked up to confirm this, and indeed, there were no clouds in the sky except for a beautiful constellation. The stars shone in an unparalleled way. I loved that.

However, this thunder-like sound grew louder, and I began to feel a little scared. I knew it wasn't thunder; it was something much worse, the werewolf I was searching for.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of bushes rustling, and I became even more fearful. I took my hand off my camera and grabbed the knife. I held the flashlight in one hand and had the blade in the other.

After a few seconds, a creature jumped over my head. It stopped on the other side, and I was even more frightened by its appearance and presence. It was very large and muscular, with gray fur and crimson eyes. There was a scar around its left eye, and its fur stood on end, indicating it was angry based on its expression. I was frozen in fear; I couldn't move because of the fear. What do I do now? Do I take the photo or attack it directly? If I kill it and take the photo, would that be a good idea?

Suddenly, the werewolf started growling at me, and without thinking, I began to run and used all my strength for it. I felt the werewolf running after me, and I could hear the sound of its claws scraping against the ground. My God, I can't believe I'm going to die like this. I didn't have time to react; all the plans I had come up with were simply thrown away as if they were worthless. Now what do I do?

Suddenly, I found myself in front of a cave. It wouldn't be a good idea to enter it, as the werewolf might want to do the same, making it even more complicated, as I wouldn't know where it would be, and it might find me.

I quickly turned around, and the werewolf was drooling, ready to attack me.

"My God, what now?" I said to myself, and I started letting tears fall to the ground. My feet hurt because I used a lot of force to run, and I wanted to avoid the worst, but I failed. Why was I so selfish? If Heloísa were with me now, we could think together about how to resolve this situation, but I'm alone, and I don't know what to do anymore.

Suddenly, the werewolf attacked me, and I instinctively counterattacked, swiping the blade at its arm. Because of this, it started screaming in pain, putting its hand on its arm. I just looked and noticed that its arm was burning, and its bristly fur was decreasing. It seemed to be returning to normal, and I could only observe that. I realized that it was a young man, about 21 years old. He was shirtless and only wearing torn pants. He was barefoot, and I realized he was handsome. He was blond, had blue eyes and fair skin, but how did he get to the point of transforming into a werewolf? There was something more to this, but for now, I was just confused because I didn't know what to do next.