A lonely figure stood at the
entrance of the cave, her red eyes peering into the thick darkness.
Strong winds blew all around her, cold and dry, they fought against
her thick jacket and pants for her warmth. A wail came from the
cavern, deep and long, almost like a desperate plea for mercy. It
rose and fell to the wind's whims, changing pitch and length at the
drop of a hat and casting the cave into a much darker light. Still,
the girl glared into its depths, her brows furrowing as time passed
and nothing happened. She glared at the cave, one foot tapping
impatiently against the ground. Five more minutes passed with only
the wails to keep her company. The girl kicked the snow that had
gathered over her black boots while grumbling under her breath. her
hands tightening into fists before she stomped her way to the cave's
entrance. She took a deep breath and shouted into the cave, her voice
echoing on the walls. She waited a couple of minutes for an answer,
straining her hearing for any answers. None came.

The girl cursed softly under
her breath and glances back to the way she came, worry seeping into
her scarlet eyes. She shakes her head and whispers to herself
reassuring words. A gloved hand fixes her scarf, pulling it up until
it covers her mouth, while the other pulls out a metallic cylinder. A
soft click can barely be heard over the raging winds before a ray of
light pierces the darkness. Flashlight in hand and ready, the girl
steps inside the cave with careful steps. Even so, the girl had a
hard time walking on the slippery floor of the cave, a thin layer of
frost turning every step into a potential disaster.

Minutes passed with the girl
performing this precarious dance, her free hand seeking support from
any surface it could grasp. Her flashlight casting sinister shapes
all around her with every move. At times the girl would look one way
and see claws as large as she was closing in on her, then she would
turn the other way where a hunched form seem to burst from the
ground. But whenever her light fell upon these sights, there would be
nothing but rocks and ice, always forcing a nervous laugh from her as
she blamed it all on her nerves. She never saw the icy blue eyes
following her every move, nor the huge body they belonged too. And so
she went deeper and deeper inside the cave until the tunnel opened
into a wide room. The soft sound of running water reached her ears
but no matter where the girl pointed her light, she couldn't find
the source. There was only gray lifeless rocks standing guard all
over the place, twisted and menacing.

The girl lifted her light
towards the ceiling only to watch the darkness absorb the yellow
light without revealing its secrets. She called out once more, first
as nothing more than a whisper, then with more strength in her voice.
She called and called, her voice echoing against the walls. No one
answered her. The girl stood there alone in the darkness, her breath
coming in white puff of condensation. Her legs were trembling and her
free hand rubbed her arms for warmth, the cavern was cold, somehow
even colder than the outside the girl thought. She called out again,
her throat struggling to form the strange name of her friend, the
same one that had brought her here. A low rumble was her only answer
and the girl felt like it came from all around her at once. Then she
heard it, it was barely above a whisper and came from behind her. The
sound of claws scrapping stone. Slow and deliberate, the sound
extended for long seconds before it was gone. Silence invaded the
cavern once more, its weight forcing the girl to hold her breath. She
heard it again then, the same scrapping sound, only it was louder.
No, she realized, it wasn't louder, it was closer.

She turned around, shivers
running down her back while she pointed her flashlight frantically
this way and that. Stone and darkness were the only thing she saw.
She stood frozen in place, her senses stretching to their limit to
catch any hint of what caused the sound. The sound came from her
right this time, closer and clearer, followed by the distinct sound
of heavy steps. The girl's voice caught in her throat, her eyes
staring into the darkness with a desperate glint. She started to walk
backwards, her flashlight tracing arcs of light as she searched for
the source of the sounds. She let out a gasp the moment cold stone
touched her back, the touch both reassuring and unsettling in equal
parts. Her hands were trembling, her breath coming in shorter
intervals as her body prepared to face the threat.

She heard the crushing of
stone and aimed her flashlight at the source, barely seeing a giant
hunched shape jump from one of the rocks into the darkness. The girl
tried to follow it yet the beast seemed to be one step ahead of her
at every turn. She could only follow it as it grew nearer and nearer
to her. Cold sweat ran down her body, her muscles clenching and
unclenching in time with her breathing, her heart beating like crazy.
She heard a growl come from behind her, claws scrapping the surface
of the rock she was laying against. Slowly, she brought up her light,
her hand trembling with fear and excitement. She would finally lay
eyes on the beast, the dreaded monster that had hunted her so. A
scream building up in her throat. Until it wasn't.

The silence that followed
matched the surprise on the girl's face, her eyes wide as platters
not out of fear, but of disbelief. There, in front of her was a giant
wolf with charcoal black fur. Its head big enough that she though it
could eat her with one bite. Its blue eyes shining with an eerie eye
of their own. A thick wild musk hanging from it while a savage growl
came from its throat. It was a terrifying sight no doubt, or at least
it would be, if the same beast wasn't wearing a baby blue sleeping
gown covered in stars and a fluffy hat resting on its head. The girl
flicked the wolf in the nose, the big beast jumping back with a
pitiful whine. She stood up and glanced at the beast with furrowed
brows, her hands resting on her hips and a growl of her own coming
from her throat. Only one thought held the girl's mind "All
that work for nothing."