In a matter of minutes, the rain had gone from a slight drizzle to a torrential downpour. Cyril was soaked to the bone even through the hood of his jacket that he had pulled over his head when it had started raining.
Cyril could hardly see a foot in front of him with the combined power of the rain and clouds blocking out the sun and obscuring the path from view. He began to consider turning around and seeking shelter in the market to wait out the storm.
It might be safer than trying to get back home through the storm. The bike's wheel suddenly hit a rock in the path, causing Cyril to swerve erratically to keep from falling over.
He backpedaled and pulled on the brakes, putting a foot to the ground when the bike rolled to a stop.
Screw this. I'm going back.
Cyril decided that it was getting too dangerous to continue the ride home and turned his bike around.
Cyril peddled back the way he had come, though it was hard to tell which direction was which right now. He was thankful that he could at least easily stay on the muddy dirt road to stay on track.
Too concentrated on staying on the path, Cyril didn't notice that he wasn't alone until a large form came out of the woods and shot right in front of Cyril's bike.
Ahhh! Cyril screamed and jerked his handlebars to the left. He lost balance and fell hard from his bike.
Cyril landed hard on his side, pain shooting up the arm he had put out to catch himself. Cyril's heart was pounding in his chest as he looked up to see what had run out in front of him, only to find nothing there.
What the heck?! Where did it go?
Cyril looked side to side, but saw no traces of whatever animal had just been there.
I guess it already left. Maybe it was a deer?
Cyril figured that was a logical explanation since a deer would probably be very skittish and could have reasonably fled before Cyril had picked himself up off the ground.
Cyril turned around to pick up his bike when he saw it.
As a bolt of lightning illuminated the surroundings, Cyril caught a glimpse of it then. Standing behind him, just outside of his field of view, was this thing.
The first thought that flitted through Cyril's mind was BEAR! But this was like no bear Cyril had ever seen before.
The creature was round and bulky. Its fur, if it even was fur, was hanging off it in thin, tangled strands. It had four thick legs with paws that ended in razor-sharp claws. One of its front legs was lifted up as if in preparation to take a step.
The neck of the creature was elongated and its face showed off its long, serrated teeth in a grisly mimic of a smile.
Cyril's body locked up in fear when he saw the creature, but his view of it disappeared as the glow from the lightning faded. A rumbling crash of thunder seemed to shake the ground and another lightning strike lit up the night.
Cyril hadn't moved his eyes from the spot where he had seen whatever cursed beast that was, but when he regained visibility of the area, it had already vanished.
What the hell?! What was That?
With every lightning strike, Cyril looked around him, but he was unable to spot it again. Dread coiled in his stomach the longer Cyril went without knowing where that thing had gone.
Cyril quickly tried to get on his bike, wanting to leave the area as fast as possible; however, when he attempted to pedal, Cyril noticed his bike's tire was flat. Rather than risking another fall, Cyril tossed the bike to the side and started running back towards the market.
He thought he may have heard the snap of branches behind him, but it was hard to hear over the thunder and rainfall. Cyril didn't look back and kept running as fast as he could.
The puddles of mud and rain that had formed on the ground clung to his shoes and splashed up the sides of his legs. Cyril kept running.
Finally, Cyril spotted the wooden fence that surrounded the Market and then the doors themselves. Cyril sprinted up to the door and tried to jerk the door open, but it was locked.
No! They can't be closed! I was literally just here!
Cyril frantically tried to shake the door, trying to get it open. Then knocked on the door hard several times, hoping to get the attention of Mr. Smith, who must still have been inside.
"Mr. Smith! Open the door! There's something out here! Mr. Smith! Help!" Cyril shouted, but there was no answer.
Tried to peer in through the gaps in the shutters covering the window, but it was too dark to see anything. It was clear that nobody was inside, though, or if there was, they either couldn't hear him or were ignoring him.
CRACK!
A loud sound came from behind him near the tree line that definitely wasn't thunder. Cyril backed away from the market's door and ran to the next shop. Upon trying their door, it was also locked. Cyril kept running from shop to shop in the town market, feeling it was more dangerous to stay put than keep moving, but it seemed as if the whole place had shut down.
Cyril reached the last shop and tried the door, his hand shaking and his breathing quick and short from both the exertion of running and the fear coursing through his body.
The door was locked.
Cyril felt hopeless and trapped as he began banging on the door and screaming for help. There was another sound behind him and this time, Cyril whirled around.
There, illuminated by the strikes of lightning, just beyond the treeline, was the monster. Cyril pressed his back against the door, attempting to be as far away from it as possible. His legs felt weak and he was sure that at any moment, he would collapse in a heap and be attacked by that mutated bear or whatever the hell it was.
Then, from the corner of his eye, Cyril saw a path that he hadn't noticed before. It was a cobblestone path that led into a set of stairs that disappeared from view in the woods just to the left of the shop where Cyril was cowering. The creature remained where it was on Cyril's right.
Not quite ready to lie down and die just yet, Cyril broke into a dead sprint for the path.
A yowl heard from behind him only spurred him on, hoping that this path would lead him to somewhere safe.
At the end of the stairs the path opened up into a clearing. In the center, there was a two-story building. There was a sign above the double wooden doors that was illuminated by two flame lanterns. It read 'The Apothecary for the Bizarre and Unusual'.
Cyril only hesitated for a moment before running up to the door and tugging at the handle. The door swung open easily and Cyril stepped into the dark interior, shutting the door behind him.