Narrator

It made a sound like a human laugh.

Not perfect, but close enough that my stomach flipped.

A rough, breathy chuckle that rose and fell in the same shape as Glenn's.

Glenn's smile vanished.

The younger man stiffened.

Tessa whispered almost to herself, oh hell.

For the first time, the men looked genuinely unsettled, like the thing they'd been hunting had just reminded them it wasn't a dumb animal.

And that was the moment we should have run.

Instead, we hesitated.

Because humans hesitate when they're trying to understand, and predators don't.

The creature on the far bank stepped out fully.

It was taller than any man I've ever seen.

Not just tall, thick.

Its arms hung long, hands large enough to wrap around a trunk.

Its hair was patchy in places, matted in others, and its skin showed through in grayish areas like old scars or mange.

Its face was heavy and dark, eyes deep-set.

when it moved it didn't sway like a bear it moved with a grim deliberate balance that looked almost human it looked at us then looked at glenn's rifle then looked at tessa and it made a sound that i can only describe as a warning a low rising bellow that made the creek water vibrate

Glenn, despite everything, lifted his rifle again.

Tessa lunged.

She didn't try to wrestle him.