Mermay Madness

You hadn't really expected anything like this to happen. Really you hadn't. You were just traveling on your way through ocean's outskirts towards the middle of the territory. You weren't really anyone important. Just a traveling human who occasionally sold a few wares. Noone important enough to start a fight with yet normal enough to get some attention. Perhaps that's why you found yourself in the predicament of being chased by a werewolf hoard-

The moon shined red as blood tonight as shadows moved.

Quiet night. Unholy night of beasts. Feasting their sights upon the stray women who dare stay out at night when the full moon rises, lighting the pathway for the beasts to claim their prey. Gnashing teeth, snarling fangs waiting to take a bite into innocent flesh where the terrible claws miss. Waiting to snatch you away down into their dark abyss never to return. She was none what so ever concerned about traveling alone tonight. She had better places to be and anyone who dared be foolish enough to tangle with the night would never be heard from again. One look at it would deter most creatures away. But hier business was not with them.

You shivered in the wind that picked up clutching your phone and the small bouquet of flowers closer as you rubbed your shoulders in a vain attempt to bring what limited warmth you had back to your body.

Partially through what was left of the limited moonlight, you passed by some wild trees that made your stomach flip but it came a different feeling.

The feeling of being watched.

It didn't start out that way. At first it was just an aspect in the back of your mind you brushed of as paranoia of the manor's old ghost stories echoing in your mind. The feeling first came around when the sun had just started to set and it wasn't strong enough to warrant anything more than a two second thought and hand waving them off. However thing's changed. The sun soon disappeared over the horizon to be kissed good night by it's counterpart, the moon, and the walking woman was glad that it was a full moon, for it brought moonlight strong enough for you to see the pathway as your feet continued to walk. With it came the feeling but tenfold. You've only felt this way before back at Zephyr University whenever someone wanted to get your attention, that same feeling also returned with the feeling of being followed, but every time your head snapped over your shoulder towards the Darkness behind you....

There would be nothing.

Literally nothing. Nothing but the cold wind starting to pick up. You brushed it off as just your paranoia getting the better of you and you set your jaw against the wind. There was nothing there anyways so what did you have to worry about?

You shivered letting shaking your head. It's just shadows in the dark and your mind playing tricks on you. It urged you to walk faster and faster.

"Come on, Y/n." You thought to yourself with a shake of your head and a deep inhale. "You're just being irrational is all. You need to get your barrings and figure out what to do with a clear head."

It was probably just an animal. Yeah. The world was full of animals so they must've been a deer. Footsteps fast approached you from behind as you walk. Just a deer. A very BIG deer! You picked up the pace walking and walking soon turning to sprinting with the fast footsteps right behind you following you through the dark forest until you got to a clearing. You ran until you made to the middle of it before sharply stopping and snapping around-

Only to be met with nothing.

Your lungs heaved as you stared at the dark trees behind you with nothing but limited moonlight and shadows. You heaved at the silence other than the rustling of wind through the leaves. Nothing was behind you. No footsteps. Nothing was chasing you. Just..Nothing was there. You inhaled before giving a large sigh of relief before turning around.

And your shriek echoed throughout the night as you were met with five pairs of eyes.

A. GIANT. WEREWOLF. HOARD. WAS. STARING. AT. YOU!!!

Instantly whom seemed to be the leader screeched out like a dog being murdered and pointed it's claw at you.

She didn't hesitate for a moment. Not even a second. Not when the woman turned around and RAN.

Every runner knows that the first warning sign of danger is a sense of dread, a feeling of impending doom. You are about to run away from a monster. But how do you prepare for this? Y/n had always hated dark forests with its lumbering tall trees. It was a place where she felt fear. The dark teased like taunting bullies, each sway of a branch creaking it's maniacal glee and every whistle the wind whipped by your ears whistled their sick pleasure in watching her panicked state of mind. THUD, THUD, THUD!! Went the sounds of her feet against the GROUND ground and curling tree roots, like spiderwebs under her feet, ready to snag her and make her join the abyss any moment. The darkness caged you in with the mockery of noises, a canopy of night shrouding the way out. But for now you only knew one thing.

RUN.

Your body felt light, only being able to feel every time your feet slapped against the ground which would surely be sore later, but you didn't care. You could be hurting for the next ten years for all you cared! Please gods just let you get away! Your eyes darted around for any signs of escape only being shown endless darkness instead. Your only hope was to get back to Taylor! Or to get back to the manor! A place you could at least take refuge. Your arm were partially extended in front of you, to push and swipe down any bush, branches, and other plants in your way as you ran, other hand holding up your dress in a vain attempt to keep from tripping. Stumbling and half tripping over large tree roots and clumps of grass in your wake, but still making good distance. Until the burning in your lungs threatened to make you drop, and you were forced to start slowly down step by step until you were hugging the side of a tree for life, your arms desperately gripping the rough bark until the imprints were deep in your palm and your knuckles were deep white, forcing your body to step around the tree until you reached it's front and you hid yourself behind it from the direction you just ran from. Your back hit the hard tree and your head tilted towards the heavens, hands clutching your pounding heart. And there was silence other than the mockery of wind and branch creaks. Your throat and lungs were on fire. Your heart pounded almost painfully in your chest. And you did not dare move in fear of seeing those MONSTERS somewhere behind you.

You stood there, shaking harder than a tree in a tsunami in dead of winter. Other than the gasps of air your body forced you to make, you dared not make a sound. Not a noise. The whole time you stayed perfectly still as ever so slowly your heart rate decreased the longer the silence went on and the longer nothing appeared. Slowly your lungs and throat's fire extinguished with the help of the cold wind you swallowed, and what was left behind was just a dull soreness. The rapid beating of your heart calmed slowly until it was just a little above what it would normally be beating. Your eyes slowly regained focus from the sheer panic. And your body calmed down but not your mind. Your mind still raced in fear from what you just saw and you stared straight up at the creaking branches of the tree you hid behind. The panic still clear and making you do nothing but listen in anticipation, like a rabbit hiding from a pursuing fox. But still...nothing but silence. And when your eyes slowly looked to the right and your face followed until your cheek and side of the face was pressed against the rough tree bark awaiting for any sounds, but nothing still came.

It was a stupid decision...A bad one really but-..

You slowly scraped your back against the back of the tree slowly inching your way to the side of the tree, and ever so slowly, poked your head out. Not all the way. Just enough to look out at the direction you ran from and saw...nothing. Nothing but darkness and trees. And that made you pause. There was...nothing? Nothing at all? Slowly you pushed your head fully out to see better, and took your time grazing your eyesight around the darkness, straining your eyes in the limited light that seeped between the leaves and branches. Quietly listening for anything running after you, but still nothing came. ...You-..You must've lost whatever that was. You exhaled a shaky sigh of relief and slumped back against the tree. Eyes closing as a wave of relief washed over your tired body.

But that relief was shattered when another howl cried out and footsteps thudded out through the brush towards your location.

''What am I doing!? Don't just stand there like an idiot!! RUN!!''

You listened to your inner voice, you turned on your heels and began running again taking the opportunity given to you by the gods. You didn't care if you got lost this time, you only cared about living. And so through the darkness the abyss had to offer, you again ran. Not which direction you were heading. Not sure who you'd run into or if you got more lost, but you were darned determined to not be killed by werewolves. Your feet clicked against the ground which would surely be sore later, but you didn't care. Your f/c eyes darted around for any signs of escape only being shown endless darkness instead. Your arms were partially extended in front of you, to push and swipe down any bush, branches, and other plants in your way as you ran. Stumbling and half tripping over large tree roots and clumps of grass in your wake, but still making good distance. Until the burning in your lungs threatened to make you drop, and this time the roots claiming your feet snagged onto a particularly large root, and a few feet you went tumbling.

Your screams of tumbling over a few feet were cut short as it felt like you hit every single root, rock, and hard spot on your way down. Pain exploded everywhere your body made contact with the ground until finally with a final thud, your body fell hard onto soft grass. Knocking the air out of your lungs and you gasping for air on your side. Your body was in pain from everywhere your body hit the ground and you were sure it would leave bruises and scratches later. You coughed and gasped for air, lungs burning but you nearly stopped breathing again when load crashes came from above you.

Not again! Adrenaline kicked in now as your body wobbled and felt so light, not to mention hurt, as you forced yourself to stand and start walk-running away, swaying as you still gasped for air but your panicked state didn't care about the pain or anything as you somehow quickly got your balance back and started running through the dark. The sounds and darkness of the forest blocked almost all moonlight as you blindly ran to try and get away from the giant beasts, to keep from being eaten. You ran...and ran...and ran blindly in the dark with your hands in front of you. Branches and other plants hitting your legs and face as you did, the sounds of the things behind you disappearing as you kept running. At one point you had the brilliant idea to look behind you to see if anything was following you-

"AH!"

Your foot once again got caught on something. You screamed as your body went tumbling head over heels down a hill in the dark. Your already sore and hurt body becoming even more so as you rolled and rolled and rolled until you finally came to a stop at the bottom of it onto your back, with your body facing the sky. Your vision swam and your head spun as you stared up dizzily at the sky as your vision slowly went around and around and around until it focused. And you gave a cough as your burning lungs heaved against your chest. Your heart feeling as if it'll explode any moment it was beating so fast, you couldn't stop it! You just sat there gasping and panting and clutching your chest. Your brain felt foggy. No...No. Don't black out now! Get up! COME ON GET UP!! Muscles burnt. Barely able to breath. The dirt and grass felt stinging cold and burnt your skin as you turned on your side to weakly lay on your stomach, your face gasping the sweet scent of grasses for a moment as you laid there for a sweet few silent seconds, before you allowed yourself to look up and you stopped..gasping heavily and staring at what was before you.

The sight of at least five werewolves crashing their way towards you. You shot up to sore feet backing away from their fastly approaching. Backing up and up until there was no more ground beneath you.

And then there was a splash.

You weren't too sure what happened at first. You remembered a wolf's angry scream and then the ground gave way beneath your feet leaving you to yell- A yell which ended when a even more terrible sound replaced it.

A splash.

You were expecting a hard solid ground, probably cold too considering the weather. It was still cold, a freezing cold that sent your body frozen in shock for a moment. All at once, freezing cold enveloped you. Not from the hot water but the shock and dread. And there was silence. Numb, peaceful silence. No sounds to be heard. Just zapping cold the further and further you went under the water, looking up and seeing the sun above the moving surface. It was then your brain FINALLY snapped to attention and took noticed of what happened. OH SHI- YOU WERE UNDER WATER!! On instinct your panicked mind made your panicked body kick and thrash your arms and legs wildly. Current of water and bubbles bathed in red made way through the water and you managed to push your head up towards the light breaking the steaming water's surface to garble out a word-

"HELP!!"

Before the heavy weight of the wet dress dragged you back under leaving ripples where you surfaced for a moment. Red dancing in your vision as you reached out towards the sun rippling on the surface. Silence slipped by as the darkness started to seep in-

And then there was another splash.

You barely registered the sudden hands on you until you were suddenly finding yourself being pushed out of the water until you breached the surface a second time. The first thing you did was instinctively cough out the water from your mouth and gasp for breath from whatever force was pulling you out. Arms desperately clawing against the rushing river's water to try and get to safely. Instead Your hands reached to grab at the thing that pulled you out and when you opened your eyes, you were SHOCKED to see not what but WHO had done the heroic deed.

"You alright? That was quite a tumble you took off that cliff."

You looked up at figure you were holding on to and nearly died from the sight of red clouding your vision. Holding you bridal style was a merman. A very HANDSOME merman with long black flowing hair and dark black eyes. He looked annoyed down at you but didn't loosen his grip. A few screeches had you jumping in his hold and looking up at the cliff side. Five angry werewolves were screeching and stomping their feet angry that their prey had gotten away from them.

"Tch. Dam dogs!"

"W-What happened?"

"You fell off that cliff side into the river." He answered before looking you over again. "Let's get you on dry land."

You said nothing but hung on tightly to his shoulders as he easily held you with one arm and swam on over to the nearest shore, heaving you up and setting you down on the wet bank of mud and grass carefully, your body giving a wet sound as you were set down. You were absolutely soaked through from your hair to your feet. You took a moment to cough and wipe at your face.

"Not that it's any of my business but are you fine?"

"Im fine." You looked back up towards the cliff side. It seemed the monster's were tired of their temper tantrum and had started to skulk off back where they came from. That was a relief. "I was just lucky those MONSTERS didn't catch up with me."

"Yes. Dam dogs. You're just incredibly lucky to be fast enough to outrun them."

Shakily you slowly began to stand up. "N-Not really. I think i was just lucky to be able to get away. Speaking of lucky, thank you for saving me from the river. I'm afraid I'm not a very good swimmer. What are you doing out here anyways?"

He rolled his eyes and you could finally make out his gigantic lower body. It was of a Manta Ray. "Tch. I was delivering my goods up the river! There's people who actually pay me for my craftsmanship you know!"

"Oh. I don't doubt that " you held up your hands. "I sell things too. Mostly just blankets or homemade trinkets I sell."...You slowly bowed. "But thank you for saving me. Im very grateful."

He rose a brow at you before turning his head away. "Don't thank me for something anyone could've done. Maybe now you'll just think twice before traveling alone!!"

A real charmer wasn't he?