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When Pip first arrived in South Park, he was warned of the creature that stalked the woods, with its gnashing teeth and razor-sharp claws that could slice a man in half in mere seconds. A feral, merciless creature, only a fool would enter its domain.
Yet here he stood trembling at the mere thought of encountering the beast. At this point, he knew what little safety the faraway town provided him out on these isolated hills would vanish the minute he set foot into those woods.
He knew that he might be dead before dawn, nothing more than shattered bones and torn flesh, but Pip knew he had to stay strong, so many of his sheep had been lost to this savage monster. Now his favourite sheep had disappeared, the sheep that he had hand-reared since birth, and he was not about to let it die at the claws of the beast.
After a moment of drowning in his thoughts, Pip steeled himself, taking a tentative step across the marked boundary into the woods. Still he shook ever so slightly as he slowly crept through the darkening trail.
The very thought of the welcoming light of the moon was quickly wiped from his mind; scraggly branches blotted out the chance for moonbeams to shine through. In the ever-growing darkness, mere harmless roots that sprouted from the ground seemed to be plotting for Pip’s literal downfall. It was like the very forest itself wanted him dead, not just the beast that lurked within.
It was kind of funny, the blonde thought as he traversed the terrain of the treacherous forest, at least his corpse would bring a good laugh to the denizens of South Park. He nervously stifled down his own laughter, scared that whatever lurked behind these trees would surely hear him.
Still, his mind spiraled at the thought of his bullies. They had never liked him, whether it was from his accent, or his quiet demeanor the blonde could never be sure. What he was sure of, though, was that if any of his peers were to find what was left of him, they would have a bloody good laugh over his inability to heed their warnings. He gave a self-deprecating chuckle, trying desperately to relieve himself from this tense moment.
A sudden echoing bleat tore him from the pit of his thoughts. It sounded like it could only be a few meters away from him.
Forgetting his fear, forgetting the potential dangers that awaited him, he sprinted as fast as quaking legs would carry him, desperately trying to avoid the overhanging, claw-like branches. The pitiful bleats became louder and more desperate as he approached a clearing in the trees. Pip took a deep breath, his movements slowing, before he burst out into a small clearing lit by blinding moonlight.
He spotted his sheep almost immediately, cowering towards the edge of the clearing, bleating in pain as it was pinned by a set of sharp claws and… ah… There it was, the immortal menace.
Towering over his pitiful sheep, sharp claws digging their way into the creature’s fur as its mournful wails echoed around the clearing. The beast’s fire-like fur gleamed from simply the gleam of moonlight, or grease; the blonde couldn’t be sure.
Its eyes were wild, dog-like in nature; the only sign of humanity in this monster was the green ties in its greying fur, seemingly done in vain, as most of its fur covered its eyes. A small stutter of hope filled Pip’s heart. Maybe he could leave this place in one piece, he thought to himself; he just needed to be careful.
Sensing imminent danger, he reached for his knife residing on a worn strap on his thigh. Sadly, for him, his nerves got the best of him. The sweat turned his hands to butter; his hands desperately grasped at the knife, but it fell from his fingers, clanging on the mist-infected ground.
Instantly, the creature’s head shot up from the sheep, its mouth quickly forming into a snarl. It let go of the lamb, which quickly scattered, then turned towards Pip; its paws trudging heavily on the grass, leaving behind pawprints that would surely last for centuries to come.
Paralyzed with fear, Pip’s mind screamed incessantly at him, ‘Run, you stupid fool!’, but his body worked against him. The only thing he could do was stare ahead at the approaching beast, which some of the residents of South Park described as the ‘Wolfman’.
The thing growled, leaping at Pip, making him fall down to the ground below, with little struggle. The blonde’s heart hammered against his chest like a rabbit in a trap, and as the wolf's claws dug into his chest, clearly seeking out one of his most vital organs, his mind finally broke free from the paralyzed state of his body.
His fingers scrabbled on the ground for a second as he desperately tried to push off the dog while trying to reach his last hope. As he gripped the handle, his quivering heart swelled. This was it. His only chance. Pip quickly swiped at the creature’s left leg, making it yelp and fall back.
It quickly recovered, however, and the two tussled for several minutes. Adrenaline rushed through him. He had the beast pinned; he would be the talk of South Park, a hero, the slayer of this apparent ‘immortal beast’; all he had to do was cut this wretched dog’s throat.
There was a moment of silence. Pip’s eyes stared into the creature’s own, surprised to find no fury behind them, only acceptance.
The wolf had closed its eyes, clearly waiting for the finishing blow. Pip could do this; all he had to do was a simple twist of the blade, and this legend would be forever gone. He could do this. He could do this!
He couldn’t do this. He dropped the blade from the beast’s neck, his hands shaking as he tried to move away. Sadly, he felt an immediate sharp pain in his stomach, the pain causing his vision to swim.
Beyond the white patches in his gaze, he could see the beast towering over him; its razor-sharp claws dug into his gut, blood already seeping out from the wound.
This was it, he was going to die, a sad and lonely shepherd, torn to pieces like so many others in these dark woods.
His gaze travelled again slowly up into the creature’s eyes. Pip’s vision was blurred, but he could swear he saw a sliver of remorse in the creature’s eyes. Pip couldn’t tell. Maybe it didn’t really matter that this monster had some humanity in it; he would still be dead anyway. The dark surrounded Pip’s mind as he slowly gave in, letting everything go black…