I need to feel something press against me to know this world is still real. It seems as though I’m numbed to everything a normal human would feel. My emotions are intact, but I have found a dark corner to lock them away in. I used to reject what I was, this demon, this monster I have become. It offends what I once was, a human, and yet I have grown numb to that too. I look as you do though, if you saw me on the street you would never noticed something different about me, and yet if you perhaps saw me in the right light or lack-there-of you might better understand.

A small two-story brick building, perhaps once used as a business’ office space, stands in dark rippling shadow. The front door hangs on one last hinge, half open it casts darkness across the sidewalk and street. The windows are either blown out or haphazardly boarded up. The wall facing the building next to it has been blown apart showing the anatomy of the building. The second floor has begun to collapse and only the floor closet to the pillars of the first floor remains intact. A frigid breeze blows over the streets, its frosted breath dragging away what little warmth was left on this forsaken street. There is a shuffle in the darkness and the night air stirs again, with the knowing that something has awakened.

Luminescent eyes burn through the shadows of an abandon building; they are a terrifying azure hue set against a pale brown frame. Smooth tan skin covers the powerful frame of perhaps what once used to be a man, but the snow white hair and glowing eyes are more than hints that this creature is anything but human. It moves with liquid grace around the debris that liter the ground, its effortless movements only serve to further quicken the pulse of anything watching it.

As it strides from the shadows into the pale moonlight and its muscles on its powerful chest being to ripple as the milky light illuminated. A primal growl rolls from its throat, if there was ever something that could physically embody terror, it would be this creature.

———

I feel the cold assurance of the moonlight on my skin; I’m starting to feel the repercussions of every sin as the night-time is setting lose the chaos within me. It starts at my chest as it always does; a dark knot covered in thorns where my heart once was. The knot begins to twist and unfurl, the vines of the dark bud begins to spread over my body. I feel my skin burning as the pigment is stripped away and replaced by a pale blue and white hue, where brown once lay. A growl tears free from my throat as the burning, piercing pain spreads as if the thorns were real enough to cut me. I gasp for breath as they spread down my chest and across my arms; they make a wicked path around my waist and twist their way back up my spine till they form a collar of thorns around my neck. Now with the pulsing with dark obsidian light and writhing markings, my nocturnal transformation has been completed.

A sigh rolls from my lips as i stretch my sore and aching arms. The world around me is transformed through my nocturnal eyes, the aquamarine hue gives this foreign  world and an even more alien appearance. A few deep breaths bring me back to focus, i close my eyes and fall deep into my mind, the tendrils of my conscience roll out of my mind blanketing the world around me. I probe and feel searching, I’m always searching, this time though i find something i do not wish to find.

“Skrael…” the half growled word rolls from my mouth dripping with malice and hunger.

It been so long since I’ve fed and the Weavers have managed to find my latest abode. Crouching low i crawl back into the shadows of the buildings beams. The alley way has only one entrance and exit, access is allowed from the street, but as it stretches back along the building a think wall springs up into the pass blocking off any exit. A hungry grin spreads across my face, the thorns writhing has increased to the pace comparable only to wild fire, their wicked tips and their vines have completely consumed my finger tips in anticipation of what is to come.

The Beasts moved with their typical swiftness, their agility and strength allowing them to bound over the fallen poles and slabs of buildings long abandoned that block their path. Their movements though are filled with an exasperation that betrays their nervousness and excitement. The Weavers had said they would find him here, and so far all the signs were pointing to the validity of their prediction. Their leader, Nellek a towering 6 foot 7 inch male, lifted his hand for a halt of their progress. He dug his fingers into the black earth, the force of his molestation of the earth sent a wave rippling out like a bat would send out sound for echolocation.

“He’s near,” his voiced was filled with blood lust. “He killed three beserkers two weeks ago, he’s beginning to understand what he’s capable of.”

Jared the strongest of the four of them turned and said, “I’ll tear his arms off, the weavers said they wanted him alive, they said nothing about unharmed.”

Nellek turned around and snarled ” Do not under estimate him, we will work together, he will need to be corralled and held down. He has not fed in a few days, he will be weak, but he will consume you the first chance he gets.”

The other two nodded the consent to their leader’s plan. Jared growled in disapproval but nodded his head in agreement. They proceeded to crawl steadily towards the mouth of the alley. The opening was like a gaping maw of some unknown beast, the pale moonlight illuminated the streets smooth stones and cast and serene glaze over the opening of the building within the alley. The scent of rain was in the air as a few storm clouds rose over the horizon of the buildings, their shadow’s powerful presence drives the four men forward toward the opening. Nellek was the first to enter the alleys opening, as he peered into the buildings soul. Jared and his two companions followed closely behind him, as began their search in the shadows for a demon none of them hoped knew they were there.

I knew where they were, i felt them crossing the threshold of my territory, the blanket my mind had cast over the territory was send back ripples of information to me. I monitored their every step, their nervousness was easy to see, it was their willingness to walk into my open arms that delighted me. My hand flexed in anticipation, i could feel the lust pulsing in my veins as the thorns fed off my anger and my violent hunger. I stepped steadily towards the nearest body that pulsed with precious life, and i began my assault, a crusade against everything they were that i couldn’t be any longer.

I swept out of the darkness, and descended upon them with a violent hunger, of such power it buckled my reason and released something primal within me. The first of them to fall was a smaller male, most likely a nameless one in the group, even insignificant followers have their place. I swallowed him in an embrace, as one might embrace a brother or long lost friend. My muscle wrought arms wrapping around his waist and upper torso pulled him in close, so close i could feel the frantic beating of his heart and feel the precious warmth of the soul within him.

At first all i could feel was the feeling of my cold cruel skin pressed against the warmth of his but as i dragged my arms across him they came to life, the thorns and vines took on a more physical state. They lashed with the power of a taskmasters whips, finding holds everywhere they struck and they tore out him what i desired, they tore his fear, his passion, his pulse, his very soul and with their dark obsidian light they pulled it back into the heart of thorns on my chest. His scream was stifling, but then again mine matched him with a primal roar so fierce the other member of his party were dropped to their knee’s. Despite their bravado, despite their hate for me they could do nothing but stare as consumed the very fibers of their companions being.

The smell was overwhelming and the blood lust was not sated all i wanted was to kill to feel the rush of my preys life flow up into me as i consumed them. The worst part was the desire, the actual act i could live with out of necessity, but the fact that i desired to murder and slaughter and tear apart a person down to the very basic levels of their beings, it haunted me.

My mind snapped back at to the task at hand, my primal self knew only one goal, defend my territory. I was hell bent to make them suffer for even thinking they could bring me back to their pathetic leaders. I could feel the intent, the will imposed by their so called “weavers”, seeping from their minds into every move they made.

Their leader and the obvious rival to his authority straightened up the fastest. They moved swiftly to surround me and cut off any escape, but i had no intention of escape, this was my home and they would pay for defiling it with their presence. Nellek, the name swept over me like a rolling tide, my limbs sprung into motion. I dove over the pile of flooring from the second story that lay between me and the towering Skraeling, snarling as i flew threw the air towards his imposing figure. He moved smoothly to intercept my hunger-blinded assault and drove my arms to the ground, refusing to allow my arms purchase on his vulnerable skin. His massive hands clamped down onto my wrists and held my arms tightly together.

I turned and twisted half expecting the other two Skraelings to swoop upon my exposed back side, but to my surprise i felt no movement near me, it seemed as though the other “follower” had fled in fear. It appeared as well as though, Jared was him name according to Nellek’s thoughts, the remaining companion seemed content seeing what he could possibly gain from this situation.

Nellek drove my arms to the brick floor, he swept his powerful knee up under my chest driving the air from my lungs and causing the world to spin for a moment. As he direct my body the remainder of the way down i flexed my forearms breaking his hold of my wrists and twisting my arms free, i absorbed the remainder of the fall in a tight tuck and skidded to a halt. I turned around to find myself face to face with the mans full, muscular frame in motion and our bodies shuddered together with the impact of his charge. He slammed me into the wall, it cold grating brick at my back, and the smell of rain on earth as the sky unloaded its tainted water onto the outside world. I unload a full force double kick into his chest and he staggered back for a moment. I panted to catch my breath, my blood drunk rage had worn off, all that was left was determination and survival instinct to drive me.

As we recovered, i noticed the figure still lurking behind the beams of the building, he was waiting to make a move when the opportunity arose. I was determined to give him no such option. Nellek roar in defiance as a thin grin spread across my face and his muscles swelled with power no average man could match, its a good thing i am anything but average. He drove a fist at my upper chest and i danced away allowing his awkward blow to push him off balance. i swept a leg up into his chest as he stumbled by and the thorns ripped across him, leaving bloody furrows and replenishing my energy.

He stumbled to the ground with a groan and his chest and back heaved with apparent pain and unease. He began to tremble, whether from fear or shock from so much blood loss i could not tell.

With the fresh taste of blood coursing through my body the blood lust returned with even greater fervor. Roaring with a primal rage i stalked across the brick flooring towards the massive mans hunched form, i slammed my fists into his back driving the spikes deeply into his exposed back and i felt him being absorbed into me. The coppery smell of his blood wafted through the air, i could feel the horror of his companion echoing in my mind. I could not turn to hunt him though, i was so fixated on the feeding i left myself vulnerable, stripping away all of the humanity and living particles from the mans body.

A primal guttural roar was stripped from my throat and echoed into the cavernous insides of the stripped and ruined building. The pulse of life running up my arms was almost unbearable, i could feel a shiver from the human part deep inside myself as i feed, soon there would be nothing left but the shell of this tainted man. In my primal fury i had forgotten the danger at hand, the beasts companion stood towering powerfully over my vulnerable frame. There was nothing i could do until my disease had sated its hunger or left this man as nothing but a husk of what he once was.

Jared stayed calmly and silently in the shadows; pacing as he observed the destruction of what used to be his superior. The hunter inside him screamed for vengeance, for total release, for retribution, but most significantly for blood. The logical part of him convinced him otherwise though, despite the beast’s vulnerable state it was blood drunk and in a rage. He bolted, straight through a gaping hole in the once dense brick walls, the moonlight cast an eerie glow on the suburban landscape. Jared’s feet pounded on the long-abandoned streets, a screech crashed through the night air. He ran harder.