27th December 2023 — 11:09 PM, Wednesday
"Hello, Mum… Yeah, I'm on my way. You're sending the driver, right? Oh—wait, I see him now."
A teenage girl stepped out of a bustling bar, her heels clicking on the pavement. "Bye, girl!" someone called after her.
"Yeah, bye!" she replied with a wave, walking briskly toward the parking lot.
"Miss Sunmi, over here!" a man with a thick Calabar accent called out. The girl turned to see a middle-aged driver leaning against a black SUV. She climbed into the back seat, pulling the door shut behind her. The driver adjusted the rear-view mirror, stealing a glance at her.
"Small madam," he said with a grin, "traffic dey ooo. E be like say we go pass short cut."
Sunmi nodded absently, scrolling through her phone. The car rumbled to life and merged into the night.
After about fifteen minutes, they veered off the main road onto a narrow, dimly lit path surrounded by dense trees. The night seemed to thicken around them. Sunmi glanced out the window.
"Where are we?" she asked, her brows furrowing.
"We dey—"
Screeeeech!
The car skidded to a sudden stop.
A large tree lay across the road, blocking their path. The driver stepped out, muttering under his breath, and walked toward the tree to see if it could be moved.
Then came the growl.
Low. Deep. Inhuman.
Before he could react, a thunderous crash echoed through the forest, followed by a scream—a blood-curdling shriek—and then silence. A splatter of blood hit the windshield like rain.
Sunmi's scream tore through the night.
She flung the door open and bolted into the dark woods, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Behind her, something massive landed on the car with a metallic crunch, flattening it like paper. She turned, just for a second—and saw it.
A monstrous black wolf, eyes glowing red like dying embers, fangs long and gleaming.
It turned to her.
And charged.
"Help! Somebody help me!" Sunmi screamed, branches whipping her face as she ran blindly through the forest.
But her legs felt heavy. Her vision blurred. Her knees buckled beneath her.
The creature was close. She could hear its footsteps closing in.
And then—
Darkness.
---
Thursday, 28th December 2023 — 1:45 AM
The rhythmic beeping of machines hummed softly in the sterile room. Sunmi stirred, blinking against the harsh lights above her. She sat up slowly, her body aching, her mind dazed.
A hospital?
Before she could process anything, a nurse entered and gasped. "She's awake!" The nurse quickly stepped out to get the doctor.
Moments later, a doctor arrived and began checking her vitals.
"You're lucky," he said gently. "You were found unconscious in the woods. No major injuries, but we're keeping you for observation. We've notified your parents."
A few hours passed.
Then, the door burst open.
"Sunmi!" Her mother rushed in, eyes wide with worry, and pulled her into a hug. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mum… just a little dizzy," Sunmi replied, managing a faint smile. "Where's Dad?"
As if on cue, her father stepped in. He ruffled her hair lightly. "Oh, darling, you gave us quite a scare."
A policeman followed him in, holding a transparent evidence bag with a familiar phone inside.
"Mr. Akintuyi," the officer began, "we conducted a thorough investigation at the scene. Oddly… we couldn't find the vehicle. No tire tracks, no sign of the crash. Just this phone."
"What do you mean no vehicle?" Sunmi's father asked, visibly confused. "It couldn't have just vanished."
"We're still searching, sir," the officer replied. "But there's no indication the car ever left the forest."
He excused himself and left the room.
The silence was thick.
"Dad…" Sunmi whispered, "who brought me to the hospital?"
Her father cleared his throat. "After you called your mum and didn't arrive within the hour, we got worried. She called you several times, no response. Eventually, she alerted the police. We tracked your phone's location and found you lying unconscious in the middle of the forest."
He paused, eyeing her carefully. "Sunmi… what happened?"
She hesitated. "After Mr. Akpan picked me up, he said there was traffic and we'd take a shortcut. Then something blocked the road—a tree. He stepped out to move it. Then… something attacked him."
"Something?" her mother asked. "What do you mean?"
"I… I don't know. I didn't really see it. I just heard him scream and I ran. That's all I remember."
Her parents exchanged a worried look. Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest, sweetheart. We'll talk later."
---
2:07 AM
The door creaked open again.
A tall girl, about Sunmi's age, walked in with urgency. Her long braids bounced as she rushed to the bed and enveloped Sunmi in a hug.
"Bestie! Oh my God, I came as soon as I heard you were awake."
"Tolu!" Sunmi gasped. "I thought you were at your grandma's."
"I was, but come on—I couldn't stay there while my best friend's in a hospital bed!"
Sunmi chuckled weakly. Tolu sat beside her, brushing a braid over her shoulder.
"Girl, what really happened?" Tolu asked. "I heard rumors… some people are saying it was a ritual, others think it was a cult."
Sunmi's expression grew tense. "I… I haven't told anyone this but you. I was scared and confused. But… I think it was a wolf. A massive one."
Tolu blinked. "A wolf? Like, an actual wolf? Or… are you saying…"
Sunmi looked away. "A werewolf. I know it sounds crazy."
There was a pause.
Then Tolu reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I doubted you. You wouldn't make something like that up. I believe you."
Sunmi let out a shaky breath. "Please don't tell anyone. I'm only telling you because I trust you."
Tolu nodded solemnly. "You have my word."
---
Absolutely! Here's a polished and enhanced version of your Chapter 1: "The Girl Who Cried Werewolf" with improved grammar, flow, and added intrigue—without violating content guidelines:
---
Chapter 1
27th December 2023 — 11:09 PM, Wednesday
The Girl Who Cried Werewolf
"Hello, Mum… Yeah, I'm on my way. You're sending the driver, right? Oh—wait, I see him now."
A teenage girl stepped out of a bustling bar, her heels clicking on the pavement. "Bye, girl!" someone called after her.
"Yeah, bye!" she replied with a wave, walking briskly toward the parking lot.
"Miss Sunmi, over here!" a man with a thick Calabar accent called out. The girl turned to see a middle-aged driver leaning against a black SUV. She climbed into the back seat, pulling the door shut behind her. The driver adjusted the rear-view mirror, stealing a glance at her.
"Small madam," he said with a grin, "traffic dey ooo. E be like say we go pass short cut."
Sunmi nodded absently, scrolling through her phone. The car rumbled to life and merged into the night.
After about fifteen minutes, they veered off the main road onto a narrow, dimly lit path surrounded by dense trees. The night seemed to thicken around them. Sunmi glanced out the window.
"Where are we?" she asked, her brows furrowing.
"We dey—"
Screeeeech!
The car skidded to a sudden stop.
A large tree lay across the road, blocking their path. The driver stepped out, muttering under his breath, and walked toward the tree to see if it could be moved.
Then came the growl.
Low. Deep. Inhuman.
Before he could react, a thunderous crash echoed through the forest, followed by a scream—a blood-curdling shriek—and then silence. A splatter of blood hit the windshield like rain.
Sunmi's scream tore through the night.
She flung the door open and bolted into the dark woods, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Behind her, something massive landed on the car with a metallic crunch, flattening it like paper. She turned, just for a second—and saw it.
A monstrous black wolf, eyes glowing red like dying embers, fangs long and gleaming.
It turned to her.
And charged.
"Help! Somebody help me!" Sunmi screamed, branches whipping her face as she ran blindly through the forest.
But her legs felt heavy. Her vision blurred. Her knees buckled beneath her.
The creature was close. She could hear its footsteps closing in.
And then—
Darkness.
---
Thursday, 28th December 2023 — 1:45 AM
The rhythmic beeping of machines hummed softly in the sterile room. Sunmi stirred, blinking against the harsh lights above her. She sat up slowly, her body aching, her mind dazed.
A hospital?
Before she could process anything, a nurse entered and gasped. "She's awake!" The nurse quickly stepped out to get the doctor.
Moments later, a doctor arrived and began checking her vitals.
"You're lucky," he said gently. "You were found unconscious in the woods. No major injuries, but we're keeping you for observation. We've notified your parents."
A few hours passed.
Then, the door burst open.
"Sunmi!" Her mother rushed in, eyes wide with worry, and pulled her into a hug. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mum… just a little dizzy," Sunmi replied, managing a faint smile. "Where's Dad?"
As if on cue, her father stepped in. He ruffled her hair lightly. "Oh, darling, you gave us quite a scare."
A policeman followed him in, holding a transparent evidence bag with a familiar phone inside.
"Mr. Akintuyi," the officer began, "we conducted a thorough investigation at the scene. Oddly… we couldn't find the vehicle. No tire tracks, no sign of the crash. Just this phone."
"What do you mean no vehicle?" Sunmi's father asked, visibly confused. "It couldn't have just vanished."
"We're still searching, sir," the officer replied. "But there's no indication the car ever left the forest."
He excused himself and left the room.
The silence was thick.
"Dad…" Sunmi whispered, "who brought me to the hospital?"
Her father cleared his throat. "After you called your mum and didn't arrive within the hour, we got worried. She called you several times, no response. Eventually, she alerted the police. We tracked your phone's location and found you lying unconscious in the middle of the forest."
He paused, eyeing her carefully. "Sunmi… what happened?"
She hesitated. "After Mr. Akpan picked me up, he said there was traffic and we'd take a shortcut. Then something blocked the road—a tree. He stepped out to move it. Then… something attacked him."
"Something?" her mother asked. "What do you mean?"
"I… I don't know. I didn't really see it. I just heard him scream and I ran. That's all I remember."
Her parents exchanged a worried look. Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest, sweetheart. We'll talk later."
---
2:07 AM
The door creaked open again.
A tall girl, about Sunmi's age, walked in with urgency. Her long braids bounced as she rushed to the bed and enveloped Sunmi in a hug.
"Bestie! Oh my God, I came as soon as I heard you were awake."
"Tolu!" Sunmi gasped. "I thought you were at your grandma's."
"I was, but come on—I couldn't stay there while my best friend's in a hospital bed!"
Sunmi chuckled weakly. Tolu sat beside her, brushing a braid over her shoulder.
"Girl, what really happened?" Tolu asked. "I heard rumors… some people are saying it was a ritual, others think it was a cult."
Sunmi's expression grew tense. "I… I haven't told anyone this but you. I was scared and confused. But… I think it was a wolf. A massive one."
Tolu blinked. "A wolf? Like, an actual wolf? Or… are you saying…"
Sunmi looked away. "A werewolf. I know it sounds crazy."
There was a pause.
Then Tolu reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry I doubted you. You wouldn't make something like that up. I believe you."
Sunmi let out a shaky breath. "Please don't tell anyone. I'm only telling you because I trust you."
Tolu nodded solemnly. "You have my word."