The Witching Hour [site event]

Thumpthumpthump . . .

Ryan shot awake at the sound of something hitting the rooftop. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and for a moment, he thought he'd just dreamed it.

Thumpthumpthump . . .

He threw off his blanket and stood up, glancing around the dark longhouse. It was musty and crowded in here, more like a barn than a cabin, but it was all this village had to offer them. Ryan snapped his fingers, a small flame jumping to life from his thumb like a lighter, casting a small glow over the room. When he strained to listen, he swore he could've heard something scurrying around outside, too heavy to be rats...

Thumpthump . . .
Thumpthumpthump . . .
THUMPTHUMPTHUMP . . .

The sounds were multiplying. Dust sprinkled down from the rafters. That wasn't his imagination.

A chill crept up his spine as he began to run, leaping over sleeping and waking bodies, and burst out the doors into the outside, greeted by a blast of cold air. The earth itself seemed to rumble the moment he stepped outside, vibrations like an incoming stampede as a distant howl split the air. He sucked in his breath, running further out into the snow, when he heard it. A growl, and then something pushing off against the wood.

Ryan whirled around, flames enveloping his hands, as a black shadow sprung off the rooftop and lunged straight toward him. Pale white eyes glowed in its face, staring down at him from a pig-like snout. It was too big and too grotesque to be called a wolf, and its matted gray fur reminded him more of a bat than anything. He threw himself backwards into the snow as it slashed toward him, its claws as long as sickles.

Before it could land on top of him, a leg kicked out, catching the monster in the ribs. That thing must've weighed almost half a ton, but it went crashing away through the snow, yelping like a kicked puppy.

"How unsightly. Don't trouble me."

Her black sundress rippled in the biting winter wind. Even when it was below freezing, she was dressed like that. The woman with no name stared out with a dull expression, eyes the color of rubies looking out from behind bangs that had lost all their color.

The beast clambered back onto its own four paws and shook its head, loosing a howl into the air. With eyes on its newest prey, it stood up, towering over the both of them, and bounded forward with less than three yards between them. That thing will kill us. That was the only thought that crossed his mind, his body screaming at him to just jump out of the way. When that monster closed the distance between them, it'd all be over quicker than a heartbeat. Instinctively, he held out his hand, a fireball forming in his palm, but it'd all be too late. He knew that already. Time crept by in slow motion, and even in all the chaos, all he could hear was his own breathing.

She moved faster than he could blink. If he didn't know better, he would've thought she'd teleported. The monster was convulsing where it stood, blood drenching its matted fur, and the woman stood there with her arm plunged elbow deep inside its chest.

The woman ripped out her arm, leaving a dark gaping hole behind, and crushed its heart in her hand. It popped like a ripe fruit. She turned around as the monster slumped to the ground, lifeless.

"Disgusting." She shook her hand, flicking off some of the blood and gore from her fingers in the same way someone would try and shake off mud.

Ryan was still sprawled out in the snow, staring at it. His brain wouldn't work.

CRACK. What looked like a bolt of ice went streaking through the air toward her head. She flicked her head to the side, letting it fly an inch past her nose and shatter against the wall. Without looking up, she pulled a gun out from behind her back and fired it in the direction the attack came from.

A villager went tumbling down a rooftop and fell into the snow headfirst with a wet smack, staining the snow red. "Worms," she murmured in a disinterested tone, strolling past where Ryan was laying without looking at him. "Too revolting to eat."

Adam felt the vibrations from across the village after taking a late night walk, but by the time he had gotten to the two people, the creature was already dead and so was the man from the rooftop. He approached the two and crossed his arms. The boy motioned towards the creature. "So uh, what the hell is that?" he asked the two. His face twisted in disgust as he noticed the huge hole in the creature and the blood of the creature pooling near it. He tensed up as he felt similar vibrations from a short distance behind him. "I think there's another one coming behind me." he said quietly, so he didn't alert the creature that he knew it was there.