The buck halted it kicking and laid looking at its attacked while panting, not daring to look away from this girl in the body of a beast. Not wanting to wait for the next attack, the elk attempted to gain its footing, but Ella was not willing to let that happen. Running in a curve to the left behind him, she pounced on his haunch. The elk slammed back to the ground. Without wasting skipping a beat, Ella moved to clamp her jaw on the animal's lower thigh on the back left leg. Biting hard, she wrenched her head hard against its Center of balance. The buck cried even louder now, louder than it had in Ella's first attack. Taking a mouth size bite of flesh, she leaped back again, she chewed her prize, taking in the rich flavor of the elk's meat. Ella's prey laid its head down and painted hard as blood poured from it's two ravaged legs.

There was no use for caution and restraint now. Ella had won. Walking around and stared her prey in the eyes. The elk looked back at Ella. She lunged one last time. She clamped her jaw down on its throat and bit hard.

The elk kicked lethargically but soon turned limp as all life faded from its body. Never before had Ella killed something so substantial in her hunts, she stood over her prize with pride. The smell and taste of the blood drove her impulse even further than before. The more she had tasted the prey, the more she felt herself lose control.

Overwhelmed with the lust to feed, she tore into her prey's chest and fed wildly, as she ripped and chewed chunk after chunk of meat. She ate her way past flesh and sinew and tell she found the elk's heart. Without hesitation, she swallowed it whole. With every bite, she seemingly needed more and ate more with no thought of any other thing, not even herself. She felt herself slip away.

The blackness faded slowly as her mind returned, she could not tell how much time had passed from now, and the beginning of her frenzy. The elk's body laid hollow from chest to navel. It had become a husk with the stomach and intestines seemingly thrown aside. Her stomach was burgled and overfull to excess she had never felt before. She saw no reason to linger now. She had spent most the night out on the hunt, and it would be a race to get back home before the first signs of light. Sniffing the air, she picked up the faint scent of her father still on the jacket. She was off. Filled with meat from her prey, she felt more energetic and faster than before. All the trees and logs seemed no trouble for her now.

In a short time, she found herself back at the old oak where she left her clothes.

Standing straight on her four legs, she closed her eyes and thought genuinely about how it felt to be human, walking on two legs, the feeling of using her hands to grasp and shape the world around her. Her heartbeat slowed as she felt her body shrink. Bone popped back in place for a human form. Her ears and face slowly turned back into the face of a young woman. The thick fur that blanketed her and tail turned thin and short receding under her skin. Opening her, she found herself on her hands and knees, gripping the mossy ground firmly, she was her human self again. Standing up, she bushed all the moist dirt off, and reached into the hole under the tree to pull out the jacket and nightgown she hid away, she dressed with haste. Looking up at the sky, she saw the slight hue of blue over the eastern mountains. She had no time to waste.

Dodge any obstacles in her way Ella ran. She found herself in sight of home, propping herself against a tree and checking if anyone was within sight, she was clear. She was so close now all she needed now was to slip back in her home, and she would be safe. Coming to her window, she pulled herself up into her bedroom. In a rush, she made her way to the front door, darting past her parent's room and hung her father jacket back on its peg near the front door. peeking in her parent's bedroom she saw they still asleep. She was in luck. Quietly she made her way to her room and crawled back into bed, closing her eyes, Ella smiled.

"It was a good hunt"