Thud-thud. Thud-thud. I ran through the woods. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. I have to get away. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. It’s following me. Closer and closer. Louder and louder. I turn to face it. Fangs. Claws. Pain.

"A body has been found in the forest early this morning. Police urge..." The TV flickers onto the music channel. I turn back to my pancakes. It's happening even more now. People disappearing into the woods and coming out dead. They used to think it was animal attacks, but then people started disappearing from their houses in the middle of town. Everybody is frightened. Nothing ever happens in this small town and now police is talking about a serial killer. Children don't play in the streets anymore. Teenagers are drove to school instead of walking with their friends. Adults are locking the doors and bordering the windows. It's turning into a ghost town.
"It's the McGregor's boy. Daniel I think his name was." Whispers drifted over from the table next to me. I choked on my food and forced the tears back. "Found him this morning. Such a shame. He was a good athlete. Such a waste of talent."
I couldn't believe it. I ran out the Diner. I heard the owner yelling behind me, asking for my money. I didn't care. I've known everyone that has died. It's a small town, but none of them have been important to me. Yes I was sad, but it had never been Daniel. Thinking of Daniel dying makes me feel like my chest has been ripped open and I choke on my tears as I run up his drive. I have to make sure.
I bang my fist on the door. Please answer. Please make this entire thing a mistake. Please be OK. He has to be OK.
His mother answers and I look up at a face of someone with a broken heart. I saw the redness under her eyes and nose and the tissues that she clutched in her hands. I broke down. It was true. He was gone. My best friend is gone. She opened her mouth to say something, but I was already running.
I didn't try to stop the tears anymore. I just let them flow. My mother was waiting for me as I ran through the door. I didn't stop. I barely even glanced at her before I was upstairs, slamming my bedroom door and collapsing on my bed. She left me to my sorrows. It felt like something was tearing me apart. I took great gulping breaths and tried to calm myself down, but his face kept appearing. His beautiful face that I would never see again.
There are so many things that I should have told him, so many times that I took him for granted. I just wish I could have said goodbye.
Why did it have to be him? I suddenly realized how all those families must have felt when they found the body of a loved one. Sadness. Regret. Anger. Hate. I was angry and filled with hate for this killer. Never mind saying goodbye, I wish that this murderer got what he deserved. He should suffer for all the pain he has caused. If I knew who he was I'd kill him myself. If only I could find out who it was. I could find out who it was.
Like I said, it's a small town. The police are no use. I could look around a little.
It could be dangerous. A small voice in my sub consciousness squeaked. I paused and then dismissed it. He killed Daniel. I'm going to find out who it is.
I wiped my face of tears and slowly walked back downstairs. First thing to do was to try and find a link between the deaths. I walked to the library with my head down and hoped no one asked me what I was doing. I went to the back of the library and pulled out all the recent newspaper articles starting at the first killing.
I photocopied and highlighted and listed each murder. I spent the full day behind the desk and I still found nothing linking any of them together apart from they live in this town. They were all different ages, genders and racial backgrounds. I couldn't find a reason anyone wanted to kill any of them, especially Daniel. He was the captain of the football team. He had volunteered at the pet shelter. He was kind to everyone. No one hated him. It must be an act at random, that’s the only explanation.
It was getting late so I packed the newspaper copies into my bag and began to walk home.
I live at the edge of town and when I saw the forests I had an idea. All the bodies were found in the forest so maybe I could catch the killer out there. I ignored the little voice of my sub-consciousness once again and began the trek into the forest.
I used to spend hours playing here as a child so I know it pretty well. It got dark very quickly and I did start to get slightly scared. I carried on walking. I had to keep walking. There was no going back now. Then I saw him. The only problem is that he saw me too. At first he was just a dark shadow against the trees. Then he began to walk closer and closer. I was frozen. I couldn't move. The air around me felt almost electric. There was something about this person, something ancient and scary and magic.
He got closer and closer and then suddenly he started to change. His body seemed to shudder and vibrate. Growling noises came from in his direction. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening yet I was still rooted to the spot. The shuddering stopped and a loud ripping sound came from where he stood.
But, he was no longer stood there. In his place was a ferocious beast. They were right in the first place. It was an animal attack, just a shape shifting one. A werewolf.
I came to my senses and ran. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. I ran through the woods. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. I have to get away. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. It’s following me. Closer and closer. Louder and louder. I turn to face it. Fangs. Claws. Pain.
"A body has been found in the woods. A young girl. By the contents of her backpack, it looks like she was trying to investigate the recent murders. Police urge" The TV flickered onto the music channel. Daniel McGregor turns back to his pancakes. People had mistaken the body of Daniel McGowan and rumors had spread quickly. He couldn't talk to Holly about it. He always felt sad when there's another victim, she never seemed to understand.
"It's the Jason's girl. Holly I think her name was." Whispers drifted over from the table next to him. Daniel choked on his food.