Yellow Eyes

The biting chill of the night air pulled me from my restless sleep. Slowly, I sat up, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes and licking my cracked lips in a futile attempt to restore some moisture. As I shifted, I felt something beneath me—my phone. I pulled it out and pressed the power button. Dead. Of course. I wasn't even supposed to be out here. With a sigh, I guessed the time—probably 1 or 2 a.m. I hated not knowing for sure. Shaking off the last remnants of sleep, I turned to gather my things, shoving them hastily into my bag before tucking the blanket away under the rocky overhang that I had made to protect my belongings. Satisfied, I switched on my flashlight and started the trek back to the house. Each step crunched against the damp earth, the cold seeping into my bones. It was colder here than back home. Snow was one thing, but the unrelenting mix of rain and frigid air made everything feel wet and miserable. I hugged myself tighter, shivering as I walked, my thoughts drifting aimlessly—until I heard it. A rustling behind me. I froze. My breath hitched. Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder, scanning the darkness. Nothing. But the noise persisted, growing louder, closer. My heart picked up speed, my feet following suit. The faster I walked, the more urgent the sound became, until I was outright sprinting through the trees. Branches lashed at my arms and legs, tearing my clothes and leaving stinging cuts in their wake. My boots pounded against the forest floor, but another set of footsteps echoed mine—chasing me. My lungs burned with each gasping breath, the cold air like needles in my chest.

Then, disaster struck.

My flashlight flew from my grip, and in the sudden blindness, my foot caught on something. I hit the ground hard, my body skidding across the wet earth. Silence, save for my ragged breathing. I scrambled onto my back, the adrenaline numbing the pain—for now. But then, I saw them. The hungry eyes of a predator. Fierce, glowing yellow, locked onto me like a predator savoring its next meal. A massive gray wolf emerged from the shadows, fangs bared, saliva dripping as it let out a low, menacing growl. Tears burned my eyes. My chest tightened. Is this it? Is this how I die? The wolf circled me, eyes never leaving mine. My body refused to move, paralyzed by sheer terror. It lunged.

I braced for agony, for the tearing of flesh—

But it never came.

The same brown and white speckled wolf, even larger than I had imagined, came crashing into the gray wolf, locking onto his neck, tossing it aside. The gray wolf stood, shaking off the bite. They snarled and snapped, circling one another like rivals fighting over prey. Over me.

My paralysis shattered.

This was my chance.

Heart pounding, I launched to my feet and ran. My legs screamed in protest, but I pushed forward, fueled by raw survival instinct. The house—just a little farther. Behind me, the sounds of battle raged on, but I didn't dare look back. I cleared the tree line and stumbled onto the back porch. Wasting no time, I yanked off my boots, carefully sidestepping the creaky floorboards before slipping inside. Only when the door clicked shut behind me did I let myself breathe. My hands trembled as I pressed them against my mouth, muffling the sob that tore from my throat. I couldn't tell anyone. No one would believe me. I numbly crept up the stairs the reality of the situation not yet weighing on my mind, but as soon as I reached my room, it came crashing down. Dirt and blood streaked my skin. My clothes hung in tatters, barely holding together. My hair was a tangled mess, full of leaves and twigs. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. Stripping down, I stumbled into the shower, not even waiting for the water to warm before stepping in. The icy spray shocked my body, but I welcomed it. Anything to wash away the grime, the fear. I scrubbed at my skin, but no amount of soap could erase the memory of those yellow eyes. Even as the water turned scorching hot, burning the cuts littering my body, all I could see were those eyes. Watching. Hunting. I stayed under the spray until my skin felt raw, until exhaustion threatened to pull me under again. After drying off and throwing on an oversized shirt, I plugged in my phone and checked the clock. 3:26 a.m. Sleep should've been my priority, but I knew better. Those wolves would haunt me the moment I closed my eyes. Those hungry eyes piercing through the darkness of my eyelids. Instead, I grabbed a book and curled up in my bay window, pulling a blanket tight around me, trying to bring myself some sort of comfort. I tried to read, flipping page after page, but my mind refused to focus. Every time I blinked, those glowing eyes were there. Watching. Hours passed, as I had eventually settled into the book. I reached the end of my chapter my eyes drooping in protest of being awake. I glanced out the window, my gaze instinctively drawn to the tree line. And then—I saw them. A pair of yellow eyes staring back at me from the darkness.