Emboldened by the bravery of your comrades, you decided to pursue the thing yourself! As you veered off the path, disappearing into the thickets, the sounds of footbeats faded behind the crunch of dry grass. The woods bordering the graveyard were darker than you expected, but you weren't deterred.
Still, even as you got further and further away, the rank scent of bodily effluvia followed close behind and grew stronger, like death itself was following you from its domain. Pushing your shirt over your nose, you-
There was something on your neck.
Your shoulders- there were hands on your shoulders. Panicking, you spun around, but it was too dark to see anything! The jaws locked around your trapezius didn't let go. With your jerky movement, it ripped out a thick mouthful of the muscle, pulling you to the ground!
Gripped by panic, you could only fill your lungs so much. There was only so much air you could scream with. You shoved the butt of your palm against the creature’s head as it lunged for your throat, but it took that as an offering, jagged teeth crunching your phalanges.
Someone must’ve heard. They had to. Some brave hunter caught wind of your scuffle and got the others. Choking, you resisted the creature the best you could, but it just wasn't enough. Not strong enough, not fast enough…
Pushing through the dense shrubbery, Ida looked down at the picked over body of the traveler like it was a coat missing a button.
Drawing her weapon, she grasped the back of the creature's skull and brought the dagger down on its neck with a sickening crunch. She examined the severed head with a shrug.