The sea lay calm like a broken chain lost beyond the horizon.
The sky at that moment bloomed across the vastness like a painting woven from red and yellow threads.
But in the hearts of those standing on the shore, there was no such peace.
Daniel, Francis, Juliet, Arthur, Daril, and Peter had gone deep into the forest searching for food.
But their journey had not been fruitful.
They had gone hoping to hunt a large boar.
But what they returned with was a small rabbit and a few wild fruits.
Tired and anxious, they made their way back to the beach.
No sooner had they arrived than a woman named Mary Fernandez, who had been at the shore, came running to Daniel in a panic.
Catching her breath, she began to speak.
"Daniel... four people are missing."
Daniel looked at her, stunned.
"What are you saying? Four people are missing? Who?"
"Charlie, Barry, Harry, Edward… they've been gone a long time now.
We have no idea what happened."
While Mary said this, her daughter a little girl named Max tugged at Daniel and said she had something to tell him.
Daniel knelt beside her, ready to listen.
Breaking her silence, Max softly began:
"Barry, Harry, Edward, and Charlie I saw them go into the forest this morning.
I heard them say they were going to see a waterfall.
I was hiding and listening.
They told me they'd be back soon.
That's why I didn't tell anyone until now.
But I've been really scared…"
Daniel placed his hand gently on her head.
"you don't need to be scared now.
You did the right thing by telling uncle.
Now leave the rest to me.
Don't be afraid, okay?"
As he said this, the weight of responsibility hit Captain Daniel heavily.
Determined to find them, Daniel set off into the forest, taking Francis, David (the police officer), and Arthur Barry's close friend with him.
With torches in hand and their small weapons ready, they disappeared into the jungle's shadows.
A forest with no paths...
Rugged wilderness, primal, and proud nature's true face.
Daniel and his three companions walked slowly, one step at a time, through that dominating jungle.
Without the help of the dim beams from their flashlights, they couldn't see anything ahead.
Every tiny sound in the forest stirred fear deep inside them.
After walking for some time, the four of them finally reached the large waterfall.
Under sunlight, the waterfall had worn a dazzling, joyful smile
But now, in the suffocating darkness, it had become something else.
A black smile.
A smile of death.
That same waterfall now pulled all four of them into the very peak of terror.
They began shouting the names of those who had gone missing, calling out around the waterfall.
They circled it carefully, scanning the surroundings.
After a while of searching, they finally found the missing group
Inside a large hollow of a tree.
"Barry!" Arthur called out loudly.
Recognizing Arthur's voice, Barry and the others slowly climbed down from the hollow.
"Arthur… the moment I saw you, I felt like I was saved,"
Barry said, hugging his dear friend with visible relief.
There was relief on their faces
The kind of relief that comes from being rescued.
But deep within their eyes…
There was a fear that still hadn't left.
Francis looked around, counting them.
Then he realized
Harry wasn't among them.
"What happened, Barry?
What happened to Harry the one who came with your group?"
Francis asked, his voice hurried and concerned.
Barry remained completely silent.
That's when Edward stepped forward and began to explain.
"We saw the waterfall.
It was beautiful… breathtaking, actually.
We swam for a while just enjoying it.
But then… just as we were getting ready to leave,
This terrifying creature appeared behind us."
"It wasn't fully human…
And it wasn't fully beast either.
It was something in between."
"It came straight for us.
We couldn't fight it.
We ran and climbed into a huge tree nearby."
"But Harry he wasn't fast enough.
He couldn't climb up in time."
"The beast got him.
It dragged him away.
We were too scared to come out of the tree,
So we just stayed inside until you all found us."
Edward's voice trailed off as he finished speaking to Francis.
Everyone who heard the story now realized
This was going to be far more dangerous than they ever imagined.
"We shouldn't stay here a second longer.
Let's head back to the shore now,"
Daniel said urgently.
The group shaken and afraid began walking quickly back toward the beach.
.....
Time: 9:45 PM
The darkness of night continued to thicken.
When they finally returned to the shore, those who had been waiting had almost dozed off in exhaustion.
Daniel stepped forward and shared everything that had happened with the others.
After hearing it, the people at the shore fell silent for a moment.
A wave of fear washed over everyone's hearts.
What terrified them most was the thought that the same creature might come for the shore next.
But just then, breaking the silence, Robert spoke up with his usual calmness.
"Everyone, come on... the food is ready. Let's eat."
"Robert is right," Daniel said.
"There's no use standing here, frozen in fear.
If that creature comes this way, then we need to prepare to fight it.
We have to be strong.
This isn't the time to be afraid.
Only 23 of us survived from that whole ship.
If we could survive that, we can face this too.
So first, let's all eat."
Even after Daniel said that, the fear didn't leave their hearts.
Still, they all sat around the campfire and started eating.
After finishing their meal, they gathered once more around the fire.
Now, it was time to plan
To figure out how they could defeat it.
At that moment, an elderly woman in the group Sarah spoke up.
Hearing this, everyone turned their attention toward her, curious to hear what Grandma Sarah had to say.
Sarah, the elderly woman, began speaking softly.
"What I'm about to tell you isn't just some information it's a story… A story about that giant human-wolf creature you all mentioned."
"The Werewolf or the man-wolf more than just a mythical creature known through stories, it's the source of fear and nightmares for many. A being that can tear anyone apart… a creature capable of sudden transformation. That is the werewolf."
"But some others believe that a werewolf is actually a mutant combination of a man and a wolf. (A mutant combination is the genetic merging of two or more beings animal, human, god, or even biological elements resulting in a new entity. Its appearance, abilities, voice, behavior, and overall essence would be completely unpredictable.)"
"Still, from what I've understood through folktales a werewolf is a terrifying creature that craves human blood above all else. The man-wolf is not an idea unique to just one culture. The concept of a werewolf exists in many countries in Asia, America, Europe almost every land has its own stories about the man-wolf."
"It's a horrifying wolf with razor-sharp claws, able to stand on two legs like a human, with fingers like human hands and strong muscles a beast that attacks humans, devours their blood and flesh."
"According to legend, anyone bitten by a werewolf will themselves become one before the next full moon."
"In Egyptian mythology, there is mention of a god with the head of a jackal and the body of a man. But the first time humans came to know about the werewolf was through Greek mythology."
"There's a particular story in Greek mythology that most people believe in. The story of King Lycaon. That is the story I'm going to tell you now."
To be continued...