Animal

when Mykah's ey

llness of her bladder pressing insistently against her abdomen, or a chill curling

ght was

moment she lay there in mild bemusement, listening to the cadence of her br

she began to d

ness shifted

rown arms that pinioned her to the bed as she watched from her periphery the sha

atory. A pair of amber eyes peered out a

t of light against the man's figure. He stood at the corner like a sentry tha

m in his eyes wa

mouth

. And there was blood, red and red and redder still dripping from his canines which elongated beyo

dth of his chest which had more claw marks and blood still. A vicious macabre

s a ni

ing else had taken over and it seemed to w

rate h

hey said. I'm

was walking

rough mud or something thick. His movements were not as fluid as bef

speak but somehow the sight of him

did she catch a glimmer of his i

he cold smile never once wavering from that stiff face. The cl

he sp

oo

sweat. The fabric of her shirt defined the frail muscles on her back and that soli

agging on fear from the horrible nightmar

tains still drawn to shade her from

n in her dreams had

sten for the sound of him, but there was none. He must have

cross the hallway and into the bathroom where she cupped a handful of water from t

to make her way back to the bedroom when she found hers

to the stairs the

ed her b

as w

pausing every five steps to adjust the crutches whi

ered pausing on the bottom step and blowing at the curl that had fallen

plate placed by the table covered in foil. Skeptical, Mykah paused b

e plate had been intentio

er the array of food curiously. A small bowl of pinto bean

pon opening after a few hard t

behind her ear, like a gentle hand

chair and raised a fork to the beans, lifting it t

ke a ghost, flicker

homever was listening. "Protect this food. Disso

she

aming coffee, burnt to a crisp smoky delight, then proceeded on with the to

e forgot about

uth split apart. About those pitch b

gh, blinking slowly and lazily at the windows and cabi

felt

sat, everything was within view. It lingered on the shelf wh

itant at first, then altogether electr

one crutch, pausing to catch her breath befo

s. A few vegetables, a block of cheese, milk, eggs, a can of

aps it was her preconceiv

he co

guished through seeking out the answers. But altogether hi

opened it again and reached for the bottle of milk

t twelv

s bra

purchase it

thinking t

are

Picking and putting things back exactly where they should be, pausing to readjust their

hat particularly ca

would have easily passed off for a human bei

ething which set him apart. So

here the pickup truck was gone. Beyond that just a little to the lef

what's

rcasses

red, but her gaze linge

hanging low and a line formed between her brows as a d

nowing, it was raining. It seemed a gloomy un

ing only at the sight of amber eyes watching her from the corners of he

ly blinked away the last dregs of sleep, rubb

with knowing just how at his mercy she was, unable to perform even the mo

rested on the foot then the shelf against the wall. She measure

a came

e had that nightmare, and grew at a steady pace

n a cast thoughtfully. Willing

Who knows how long until

's a

re you con

led loudly, "Well, it's not li

le stretching and working out. How can you b

nally her cast. With a deep breath, Mykah reached for her cr

r studiously. And then she was leaning her weight onto her good foot while the other hovered just an inch off

claim my car and head home." A multitude of reasons for trying so

t

cast on the ground but still did not shift her weight onto it, rather swayed sl

he window where the d

ck at t

six s

h leaned her weight onto t

ed up her body. No clenching of muscles. And she began to ease he

nkle was not

t like the lycan that

her waking in her small compact one-bedroom apartm

yb

a little to

ch slowed her reaction as her weight shift

boneless mou

arp

it and her scream which tore her lungs into shreds. Pain exploded up her leg in blinding wav

. That God had somehow had mercy in her terrible

wasn't i

light was no di

e lights

tr

el wa