"Flanna, we need to get out of here. We don't know what that thing is- but it's blocking the way we came in! How else do we get out?" I ask, backing toward the lake slowly, grabbing Flanna's wrist.

"We can't go through the woods! It's blocking the path! I don't know how to get out! What do we do?! What do we do, what do we do, what do we do?!" Flanna panics.

Whatever that is, it creeps closer, edging out of the bush. It's large- and dog-shaped, but too big to be a wolf. I think. Its fur is black as night, and its maw is dripping with drool, teeth glistening and sharp. It growls.

I panic, and step into the water a bit- it laps violently against my heel, cold and wet. I'm trapped.

It steps forward, golden eyes glinting in the sun- and I swear I can hear is chuckle.

"Two little fools- trapped out together. One by themselves is enough to tempt anyone- but two? Two is a treat- a treat to eat."

"Flanna- did- did that thing just talk?! Am I hallucinating right now? You heard it, too, right?!" I exclaim, looking over at her for any sign of reassuarance. She stares straight ahead, frozen in place and shaking like a leaf.

"No- no- I heard it. I heard it, too. I don't- I don't know what's happening. I don't know, Edlynne! We're trapped- and it wants to eat us! And it's talking?! But it's a super-wolf! But it's alone? I don't- I have no clue!!" She exclaims frantically, staring the beast down.

We need to get out of here- but I'm sure it's faster than us. We can't make a run for it- it's still blocking our way out. We need to fight it. It's our only shot. But I can't fight it with my bare hands. I don't know how! I need a weapon. What could I use? A knife!! I have a knife in the basket!

"Flanna, this is gonna sound crazy- but I have a knife- okay? We need to fight it- we only need to slow it down a bit, okay? We need to get out of here."

"Fight it?! Are you crazy? We'll die!"

"We're going to die either way! We just need to last a little longer than we would by surrendering! Even by a few seconds!" I shout back, and she leans away from me, eyes watering.

"I- I, yeah. A few more seconds." She agrees, wiping her eyes. I grab the knife.

The creature chuckles.

"Silly. It won't hurt me. You won't live to find out what will!" It lunges. I let out a scream and run at it, adrenaline and instinct taking over.

I slide across the grass, dodging its bite. I slice its hind leg. Flanna punches it in the nose, and I can hear her muttering to herself.

"Survive. A few more seconds. A few more seconds." And, despite the chance to run, we don't. It snaps at her and I stab it in the side. I feel the knife slice through its muscle. The beast howls and I rip the knife out of its side. It's pained howls deafen me, and I know I can run, but my body won't. It won't run, no matter how much I want to. I keep going. I keep stabbing. Flanna keeps punching and kicking. The beast does nothing but howl and scream. It bucks around like a bull, trying to shake us, to just somehow get free. It wants to get away, but we don't let it. Flanna's screams join that of the beast's at she hits and kicks. She's crying, and I don't think she can see, but she's attacking it anyway. Her hair's all over the place and she's scratched and bruised. There's blood smeared on her clothes. She looks feral like someone dragged her out of the woods after she had lived there for years. My arms are tired, and I take a page out of her book. I kick the beast in its balls, and it whimpers. It turns and snaps at me, just barely nicking me on the arm. It doesn't hurt, I don't feel it at all. I take the chance. I slice its throat. The fur I feel beneath my fingers is sticky and matted.

The beast falls to the ground, and I realize just how bad shape I'm in. My clothes are torn and I'm smeared with blood. And Flanna is, too. She's ragged and panting, her hair a wild mess, and her sweater torn.

And then the beast explodes. A cloud of dust and glitter, and then nothing, just two teeth on the ground. The beast's largest canines.

Flanna falls to her knees. She's crying and bleeding.

"We won," I state, and fall down beside her. I hug her. I don't know why. My shirt is wet with her tears, and I see it. It got her. A huge gash on her leg, bleeding and dirty.

I sit Flanna back up and take off my deep blue crop top- leaving me in my lime green tank top.

"Sorry," I say, taking a handful of water, and gently cleaning the wound. Flanna shouts, and she cries some more. I tie it up as best I can with my shirt. "Can you stand?" I ask, and she nods, using me to help herself back up.

"Sorry for your shirt, Edlynne." She says, wiping her eyes. All it does is spread the dirt.

"It's okay. We won." I hand her one of the teeth. "We'll make matching necklaces from them."

"A trophy. We're creature killers now." She lets out a weak giggle, and I pick up the knife, and the basket.

"We should go home."

"Yeah."

There's no one in the streets on our way home, and it's dead silent, too.

"I guess this means the shadow-creatures are real," Flanna states as we walk down the road.

"Yeah. We need to be careful." I agree.

"It was scary- I don't know how you kept your face so neutral, Edlynne."

"I don't know either," I reply, tracing the scar on my stomach. "I guess my subconscious knew that showing how scared I was would give it the advantage."

"We should stick together. I think it'd be safer that way."

"Yeah- maybe tomorrow you could come over? And show me how to make those delicious pies of yours?" I suggest.

"Yeah! And you could teach me to ballroom dance!" Flanna exclaims. "I think we're going to be good friends, don't you?"

"How could you not be friends with someone who helped fight- and kill- a shadow-creature that talked? That's not the sort of thing you just part ways after."

"How would you know? Have you done this before?" Flanna asks jokingly, staring me down for make-believe tells.

"Never. I just think that that's the way it works. See you tomorrow, Flanna."

"Wait! I'm no good with making jewelry! Do you know how to turn these into necklaces?" Flanna exclaims.

"Yeah, I'll give you yours tomorrow, okay?"

"Awesome! You're the best, Edlynne!" Flanna exclaims, handing me her tooth before running inside her house.