283 Macabre Monstrosity

The wendigo's menacing gaze pierced through the mist, its towering form casting a chilling shadow over me. It was a grotesque mockery of nature as it stood on its hind legs, its elongated arms ending in razor-sharp claws. The creature's skeletal frame was a macabre sight to behold, its skin stretched taut over bone, the glow of its red eyes screaming of hunger. 

A boy was cradled in its grasp, limp and seemingly lifeless, his body battered and bruised. I hissed sharply at the sight, breathing in a large mouthful of the foul odor as a result, my eyes watering. Yet, the subtle rise and fall of the boy's chest told me enough. He was still alive, and that was all that mattered.

I brandished the weapon in front of me, eyeing the monster as it stared back. It surprisingly made no move to attack, but its grip on the boy tightened. A small whimper left his lips, and I bit my bottom jaw.