The silence

The snap of a twig caught Aubrey’s attention. She turned looking off into the woods beside the narrow road. The moonlight reflected serenely off the new fallen snow. That coupled with the silence that now surrounded her created an otherworldly ambience. She brushed her raven hair out of her eyes, scanning the darkness.
“Nothing there, I must have imagined it.” She said out loud, needing to hear something besides the rapid beating of her heart. Her words broke the silence for but a moment before it drew closed around her again. Nothing stirred in the woods, nothing stirred anywhere. She was alone. Somewhere up ahead her friends were having a party, there would be drinks and laughter and warmth.
Warmth…She shivered a bit as she shattered the silence yet again. “Guess I better get moving.” She muttered softly, feeling somewhat silly about her fears. What could possibly be in the woods on a night like tonight?
She trudged on towards the party, leaving the scene behind her. The sound of her breath and her soft footfalls on new fallen snow followed her keeping the eerie silence at bay. The full moon illuminated everything brightly as she crossed over to the gravel driveway that led to her friend’s house.
The drive was lined on both sides with oak trees, their branches crossing overhead casting large patches of shadow in her path. She paused a moment her heart skipping a beat. Aubrey had walked this many times, but never had she ever had the sense of foreboding that filed her tonight.
Steeling her nerves she walked on slowly, glancing up at the moon for reassurance, its soft light guiding her along, almost seeming like a guardian angel overhead. She smiled at this and her nerves calmed a bit, the shadows losing their icy grip on her heart. Until she heard the howl…
Her heart leapt up into her throat as she whirled to face the noise. Her green eyes searched the shadows which seemed to come alive, as if they were stretching out clawing at her. Her eyes flitted up towards the moon almost praying to its guardian light, but it had retreated behind the clouds, hiding from whatever terrors lurked unseen in those pools of darkness that lined the drive.
Aubrey struggled to control her fear, listening for any hint of the sound. Only the eerie silence ensued. Had she dreamt it? She wondered, or maybe it was the wind. She looked around through the trees, no leaves were moving… No definitely not the wind. Her mind was still grasping wildly for answers when something in the shadows moved.
She would have screamed if her breath hadn’t caught in her throat, as if her lungs were unwilling to relinquish the air. A pair of crimson eyes appeared, glowing brightly in the darkness. Cold and unyielding they seemed to pierce her with their vile gaze.
She watched as the moon peeked out from behind a cloud, placing a shaft of light between her and the creature that slinked through the shadows, Slowly it slid into the light, its head moving into sight first, ivory fangs set on a long canine snout. It sniffed the air as if searching for something. As the rest of its head came into view she looked at the grizzled hair that covered the beast, which was matted with something that had turned to a rusty hue…
Blood, she realized, it was blood. Screaming she turned and ran towards the safety of the house. With a howl the beast leaped after her. She could hear the snow crunching under its massive feet. The trees fell away as she reached the yard, lights shining from the large house up ahead, spurred her on faster as she sprinted towards her salvation.
For a brief second she realized she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her. Had it given up? She mused, but that thought was not long for this world as she realized what it had done. She felt the massive paws shoving into her back with phenomenal force. It had pounced on her like I lion on a gazelle, she tried to turn as she felt those fangs sinking into her shoulder. Crimson spewed across the pale white snow, melting it with its warmth. As she screamed she flailed violently, managing to strike one of the creaturs glowing eyes. It released her with a yelp.
She leaped to her feet, adrenaline taking over, and her fear spurring her forward wildly. She heard an angry growl behind her but would not stop. She reached the porch, not bothering to knock flinging open the door and slamming it shut behind her.
She panted heavily, a moment, before she realized, that that was the only sound. Her eyes raised to the room. Blood pooled in puddles about the bodies of all of her friends. Looming over them, more of the fangs and glowing eyes…
She saw them come towards her, but did not scream, even when their teeth sank into her flesh. She simply closed her eyes and gave herself to the silence…