Terrified

My hands tremble as I reach for the glowing door handle, the strange light casting flickering shadows along the walls. Feral noises echo beyond the door, snarls, growls, something primal and very angry. The sounds grow louder with every second, and my heartbeat pounds in time with them. Each pulse reverberates through my chest, rattling my bones. The air feels heavier, oppressive, and thick with an impending sense of doom.

I hold my breath as I push the heavy door open, the ancient wood creaks under the strain. The room beyond is plunged in dark shadow, and a bone-chilling cold seeps into my skin as if the very air itself has frozen. My breath comes out in shaky, uneven puffs, visible like fog in the darkness. My eyes dart around, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

Where am I?

My thoughts scramble for answers, but all I find is a void. An aching emptiness in my memory. It’s like the threads of reality have unraveled, leaving me standing on the edge of something I can’t quite comprehend. Panic gnaws at the edges of my mind.

Suddenly, my gaze locks onto something ahead, it’s a figure, crumpled on the cold stone floor. A woman, lying motionless. But that’s not all. Towering over her is something massive. I squint, trying to make sense of the hulking shape. Then, my blood runs cold as I see it clearly, it’s a giant wolf, with black fur, matted and thick, muscles ripple under its skin, and it has eyes that glow an eerie blue in the dim light.

My body freezes. Every instinct screams at me to run, but my legs refuse to move. The wolf’s growl rumbles through the air like a low, vibrating thunder. It’s standing over the woman, almost in a protective way, as if guarding her or waiting for something.

What the hell do I do?

My mind races, thoughts colliding together in a chaotic mess. How did I get here? How do I stop this thing? But no matter how hard I think, it’s like I’m trying to grasp smoke, nothing sticks. I can’t remember anything, not even my own name. It’s as if my entire existence has been wiped clean, leaving behind only this horrifying moment.

And then I realize: the wolf… it’s gone. I blink, scanning the shadows, but it has vanished, melting into the darkness like a phantom. Only the woman remains, her face partially obscured by her long, tangled hair. There’s something about her… something unsettling and familiar.

I take a tentative step forward. My heart pounds louder, and an icy dread creeps up my spine as recognition slowly dawns on me. Wait… is that… is that woman… No. It can’t be. That’s impossible.

Is she dead? The thought strikes me like a punch to the gut. Her skin is pale, almost too pale, her body unnaturally still. I inch closer, each step is slow and deliberate, my legs are weak, threatening to give out beneath me any second. The silence presses in, thick and suffocating, broken only by the frantic thudding of my pulse.

Without warning, I’m yanked off my feet, my back slamming into the stone wall with a force that knocks the breath from my lungs. I gasp, struggling to make sense of what just happened, but before I can react, an overwhelming pressure clamps down on my shoulders, pinning me in my place. My muscles scream in protest as I try to move, but it’s like fighting against an iron grip.

Warm breath washes over the top of my head, and I force myself to look up. My heart nearly stops when I meet the creature’s eyes—glowing, piercing blue, burning into mine like twin flames. They are ancient, intelligent, and filled with a raw, terrifying power. They seem to see straight through me, almost as if they can read my every thought, my every fear.

A low growl rumbles from its throat, and I catch sight of its teeth, they’re massive, sharp, and glistening in the dim light. They’re so close, inches from my face, ready to tear me apart.

I am paralyzed with fear. I can’t scream, I can’t cry, I can’t even breathe. All I can do is stare into those monstrous blue eyes and wait for the inevitable. My fists clench at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I brace for the end.

This is it.

The moment I’m about to die…