Yet the creature seemed oddly calm. Its massive shoulders rolled beneath a thick pelt, and every so often, it paused as if waiting for Mike. Fear still gripped him, but a flicker of resolve took shape. He swallowed hard, forging deeper into the moonlit wood.
He reached a small clearing, where moonbeams poured through the treetops. The forest floor was uneven, tangled with roots and rocks. Mike nearly tripped twice, haunted by the possibility that a sudden predator might leap out. He wished he had a flashlight or some protection.