Curse of the Transformation

Jacob and Daniel stumbled through the dense forest, their breaths ragged, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. The cold night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint, metallic tang of blood that still clung to their clothes. Every shadow seemed to shift, every rustle of leaves carried the promise of another horror. 

"We can't keep running like this," Daniel panted, clutching his wounded arm. The makeshift bandage Jacob had wrapped around it was already soaked through, blood dripping onto the forest floor. "We need to stop, find a place to hide." 

Jacob glanced over his shoulder, his grip tightening on the pipe he still carried. "Stopping isn't an option. Not yet. We don't know how far his reach goes." 

"He's not chasing us," Daniel argued, his voice tinged with desperation. "Why would he let us go?" 

Jacob didn't answer. The truth was, he didn't trust their apparent escape. Narkos wasn't the type to simply let prey slip away. This was a game to him, and Jacob couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking straight into the next stage of his twisted plan. 

---

The forest grew darker as they pressed on, the trees towering above them like silent sentinels. The path was uneven, littered with roots and rocks that threatened to trip them with every step. 

Finally, they came across a small clearing. In the center stood the crumbling remains of an old cabin, its roof partially caved in, its walls covered in moss and vines. 

"Better than nothing," Jacob muttered, motioning for Daniel to follow. 

They pushed the creaking door open and stepped inside. The air was stale, thick with the scent of decay. The floor was littered with debris—broken furniture, scattered papers, and the remnants of a fire long extinguished. 

Daniel sank onto an overturned crate, wincing as he adjusted his arm. "We can't keep going like this, Jacob. If we don't stop and figure something out, we're dead." 

Jacob paced the room, his eyes scanning every corner for anything useful. "We need weapons. Supplies. And we need to figure out what the hell's happening to the world." 

Daniel let out a bitter laugh. "You saw that thing back there. There's no fighting this. The women are turning into monsters, and Narkos—he's not even human. How are we supposed to fight that?" 

Jacob stopped and turned to face him, his jaw tight. "We don't have a choice. It's either fight, or die." 

---

As the two men argued, the forest outside grew eerily quiet. The usual chorus of insects and distant animal calls had vanished, replaced by an oppressive stillness. 

Something was watching them. 

Jacob felt it first—a prickling sensation at the back of his neck, a weight in the air that made his skin crawl. He turned toward the cabin's broken window, his grip tightening on the pipe. 

"Did you hear that?" he whispered. 

Daniel frowned. "Hear what?" 

Jacob raised a hand, signaling for silence. The two men held their breath, straining to catch any sound. 

Then, it came. 

A faint rustling, barely audible over the pounding of their hearts. It grew louder, closer, until it sounded like something massive moving through the underbrush. 

"Stay here," Jacob ordered, moving toward the window. 

"You can't be serious," Daniel hissed, but Jacob was already peering outside. 

The clearing was empty, bathed in the pale light of the moon. The trees swayed gently in the wind, their shadows shifting across the ground. 

But then, he saw it—a figure standing just at the edge of the tree line. 

It was a woman, or at least, it had been. Her body was grotesquely twisted, her limbs elongated and bent at unnatural angles. Her eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light, and her mouth hung open, revealing rows of jagged teeth. 

She wasn't alone. 

More figures emerged from the shadows, their movements jerky and unnatural. Some crawled on all fours, their spines arched like feral animals. Others stood upright, their heads twitching as they sniffed the air. 

"They found us," Jacob muttered, stepping back from the window. 

"What? Who found us?" Daniel asked, panic creeping into his voice. 

Jacob turned to him, his face grim. "We need to move. Now." 

---

Before they could act, the creatures began to move, their twisted bodies surging toward the cabin with horrifying speed. 

The first one slammed into the door, its claws tearing through the wood like paper. Jacob swung the pipe with all his strength, striking the creature's head and sending it sprawling backward. 

"Out the back!" he shouted, grabbing Daniel by the arm and dragging him toward a broken panel in the rear wall. 

They stumbled into the forest, the creatures close behind. The sound of snapping branches and guttural snarls filled the air as they ran, their legs burning with the effort. 

"Where are we even going?" Daniel yelled, his voice hoarse. 

"Anywhere but here!" Jacob snapped, ducking under a low-hanging branch. 

---

As they ran, the forest seemed to shift around them, the trees closing in like a living maze. The creatures were relentless, their glowing eyes cutting through the darkness like beacons of death. 

Just when it seemed like they couldn't run any farther, Jacob spotted a faint glimmer of light ahead. A river, its surface reflecting the moonlight, offered a chance to lose their pursuers. 

"Head for the water!" Jacob yelled, veering toward the bank. 

They plunged into the icy current, the shock stealing the breath from their lungs. The creatures hesitated at the edge, snarling and snapping but unwilling to follow. 

For now, they were safe. 

But as Jacob and Daniel climbed onto the opposite bank, shivering and gasping for air, they knew this was only the beginning. 

> **What lies beyond the river? And how long can Jacob and Daniel survive in a world where safety is an illusion?**