David’s breath hitched in his throat as the fog rolled over the Yorkshire moors like a thick, grey shroud. Beside him, Jack was already shivering, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. They were miles from the Slaughtered Lamb, the pub where the locals’ eyes had followed them with a mixture of pity and warning.
"David," Jack hissed, his voice cracking. "Did you hear that?"
"Stay on the road," the old man had whispered, his hand trembling as he gripped his ale. "Keep clear of the moors."
Then came the sound—a low, guttural growl that seemed to vibrate through the damp earth itself. It wasn't a dog, and it certainly wasn't the wind. It was something heavier, something ancient.
Voices drifted through the mist as the men from the Slaughtered Lamb appeared, their faces grim as they lowered their rifles. David lay on the cold ground, gasping for air and clutching his shoulder. Jack was shaking but pulled himself toward David's side. As the locals gathered around them, a strange, pulsing heat began to radiate from David’s injury, a sensation that felt far deeper than a simple wound. The moon, though hidden by clouds, seemed to exert a sudden, heavy pull on his very soul, marking the beginning of a nightmare that would follow him all the way to London.
Before David could answer, a howl ripped through the silence. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated hunger, rising in pitch until it felt like it was tearing through David’s skull. They froze, peering into the gloom. For a moment, the fog parted, revealing a massive, shadow-drenched shape crouched on a nearby ridge. Its eyes glowed with a sickly, yellowish light, fixed squarely on them. "Run!" David yelled, grabbing Jack’s arm.
