Eerie Ridge

Eerie Ridge

The climbers topped the first ridge. As they took a breather, Brad scanned his surroundings.

“Looks like what they say about this ridge is true,” he commented.

His companion Carter asked: "What do you mean?"

“Everything is eerie,”

“Looks normal to me.”

An otherworldly sound split the air.

“I’ve never heard that before,” Brad said tensely.

“But then again you’ve never been here before,” Carter said.

“You mean you have?”

“Of course, it’s one of my favourite climbs.”

Brad shivered.

“What’s the matter, Bradster? A little atmosphere too much for you?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing. How far to the next ridge?”

“Which one?” was Carter's reply as multiple ridges broke through the cold mist. Something else broke through as well, causing Carter’s voice to change.

The full moon rose in the sky. Carter fell forward onto all fours and began to change into a wolf. He turned his fierce yellow eyes on Brad.

“Any other questions, climbing expert?”

Terror filled Brad’s mind. Blindly, he ran toward the next ridge, instead of getting down off this one. Carter tracked him visually. The others had not yet arrived, so Carter lifted his nose to the moon and began to howl.

Soon his pack was milling around him, anxious to begin this night’s hunt. As the alpha male only he could direct it. With a final ululation from him, they were off en masse in the direction Brad had gone.

They tracked him through the night until they lost his tracks. Then they saw a shooting star. But Carter knew it wasn’t that at all. It was a ship from the Dog Star whose occupants had beat his pack to the kill. Again!

“I must stop their predations here on earth, but how?” he thought.

300 WORDS DAILY FLASH 9/27/2024