Darkmoor by Victoria Barry

throughout the forest and the lifeless trees creaked violently.
    Then at the edge of the forest, encircling them rapidly, like a lion hunting its prey, that all too familiar fog formed.
    “Nobody make a move,” Sam ordered with her arms wide apart shielding Matthew and Catherine.
    “Why? What is it? What’s going on?” Catherine whispered, darting her eyes between Sam and Matthew.
    Slithering like a snake across the ground, the life form fog rapidly closed in on its prey. Gliding over the barren forest, the fog breathed its breath upon the trees causing them to stretch their limbering branches. The hungry thick fog rampantly swallowed up everything in its path, as it engulfed the whole surrounding area.
    Unable to retreat, unable to run, Matthew, Catherine and Sam stood frozen. Thankfully at that moment the creeping, slithering, hunting living fog became still. Slowly it calmed down and settled softly like snow upon the ground.
    The trees returned back to their lifeless being, their limp branches once again hung loosely down by their sides, their roots buried themselves deep into the life draining mud. Not a creak or moan could be heard, only the heavy breathing of Matthew, Sam and Catherine. Frightened of reawakening the fog, the three of them stood motionless.
    Matthew poured with sweat. Catherine fought back her tears, and Sam gazed intently into the forest. The fog, slept.
    Unfortunately however, it didn’t settle for long. The relentless fog rose back to life, springing up high to create a thick towering wall. Matthew, Catherine and Sam watched on in awe. In the shape of a gigantic dam, the curved wall of fog revealed a small gap in which the darkness peered through.
    Matthew’s heart raced in his chest and his throat tightened, but still he stood there staring through the gap, waiting in anticipation.
    They didn’t have to wait long before a deafening chorus of howls erupted out of the dam. The smell of death rushed more aggressively through the open gap.
    “Wolf-lizards,” Matthew whispered to himself, then suddenly realising his own words, he screamed out, “wolf-lizards!!”
    “Now we’re dead!” Catherine bellowed.
    “Calm down you two, we have to remain quiet,” Sam whispered trying to calm the two frightened youngsters.
    “Calm down, how can you say that? They will kill us!” Catherine panicked.
    “Listen to me, Catherine listen, we have to remain quiet, then with any luck they won’t notice we’re here. Wolf-lizards will only kill if they sense your fear, so calm down!”
    But just as Matthew had feared, out of the unforgiving fog the sound of those deadly wolf-lizards howled.
    “Shush, if we stay still they might not come through,” Sam said trying her hardest to reassure Matthew and Catherine.
    From the other side of the dam wall, they could hear the monsters lifting their snout-like jaws up into the air, and sniffing in the night sky.
    Then, another bout of howls rose up getting closer and closer. Hearing them sniffing their way along the other side of the fog wall, Matthew, Sam and Catherine could make out the wolf-lizard’s shadows.
    Sam lifted her finger to her lips, reminding them both to remain quiet, but those sensitive snouts weren’t for giving up. Smelling the hint of sweat and fresh pounding blood, one by one the wolf-lizards poured through the gap.
    Their bulging eyes filled with joy as they discovered hidden on the other side, three tasty treats.
    A panicked stricken Sam ordered fearfully, “Quick, run!!”
    The three of them set off racing through the forest, stumbling over broken tree branches and jumping over the reaching roots.
    The howling of the wolf-lizards echoed through the sky, as the blood thirsty monsters rejoiced in their hunt. Shooting out their fiery tongues, red flames sparked against the baron trees, causing flashes of fire down around the three intruders.
    “Quick, I know somewhere we can hide!” Sam spluttered, without question Catherine and Matthew