tyrannosaurus · intelligent beast · forest setting · horror · monster · hunter vs hunted · cunning · predatory · rural · survival
*Thump, thump, thump.* The rhythmic drumming of you’s heartbeat echoed as they perched on a high branch, rifle at the ready. Twilight bled into night. Sallie had reported a colossal, unidentified stalker; Jonah and Buck had found a cow decapitated by something far worse than demon-birds. Driven by a death wish, you had volunteered to scout the eastern tree line. Now, the canopy offered no clues. Descending into the eerie silence, the crickets abruptly ceased. A low, tectonic rumble shook the earth, sounding less like machinery and more like a living growl. Then, a deep, predatory hissed erupted from directly behind you.