Prologue
The night was quiet, the silence disrupted only by the soft click-clacking of a woman's shoes as she made her way down the streets of a residential area. The barren trees swayed in the fall winds while the woman shivered and pulled her scarf closer to her face. I can't believe that I got caught up in work, she thought. Kara is going to be so mad at me... I promised that we would hang out tonight because I couldn't make it to her play. But, money is so tight this month, I couldn't resist the extra shifts…
The woman sighed and hurried along. Maybe I should pick up some ice cream for her t—
Her train of thought was derailed as the woman bumped into someone.
"Oh my! I am so sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you ok?" she asked but was surprised to see that she had run smack into a small boy.
He was messy looking, with clothes that hung loosely on his little frame. "I'm sorry," he muttered.
The woman gave a soft smile as she crouched down to the boy's eye level. " Hello, my name is Jill. What are you doing out here?" she asked.
"I can't find my way back home... c-can you please help me?"
"Of course I can, kiddo. Do you know your address?"
"Yes, I live on Mihlgan St…"
"That's pretty close by. I'll take you there."
As the woman took the little boys hand in hers, she whispered a silent apology in her head.
I'm sorry Kara. Just a bit longer...
*******
"This—this is where you live?" the woman asked incredulously. After a bit of walking, the boy had brought the woman to a large alleyway. It was empty aside from some large dumpsters.
The little boy shook his head before whispering, "it's down this way."
"Are you sure," the woman asked. The boy nodded and said, "just a little farther." The woman sighed and followed the boy down the alley.
The woman's breath screamed in her ears as their footsteps echoed all around. The pair rounded a corner behind a building and came to a stop in front of a dead end.
"What is this?" the woman asked. She looked down at the boy when he didn't answer, only to find him crying silently.
"What is it? What's wrong?" the woman asked.
The boy shook his head and backed away from the woman. "I'm sorry...I'm really sorry", he whispered tears streaking his face.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I had to... I had no choice... I'm so so sorry..." the boy said, backing away even farther. He was almost to the corner of the building, the one they had just walked around.
"What do you mea—" the woman was cut off when a man, dressed in black, appeared behind the boy.
"Good job kid. You did well", the man said as he walked in front of the boy. "Well, well, well, we finally get to meet, Jill Nolman..."
"What!?," the woman exclaimed, startled.
"How do you know my name?," she demanded.
The man smirked and walked up to the woman.
"Oh, we know everything about you, Dearie. Where you live, what you do, even what you had for breakfast. And of course, we know your little secret too..." the man whispered into her ear.
"I don't know what you are talking about," the woman said flatly.
The man chuckled; "Really now. You know, it's rude to lie..."
His eyes fixed on something behind the woman before he said, "Hold her."
STOP
This next part has some violence and murder in it. If you wish to skip, then scroll down to where it says summary and you can read a short description of what happened. If not, then just carry on. Thanks!
The woman struggled as a pair of hands reached out from behind her and wrapped around her arms and neck. They held fast, more like steel than flesh and bone, leaving no chance for the woman to break free.
"What do you want from me?" the woman spat.
The man paced in front of her, his steps slow and deliberate as if he had finally cornered his prey. "Nothing much Dearie. I merely want the extinction of your species, that's all," he said, his tone deadly in its calmness.
"Besides, your fur is quite valuable in the black markets."
"Like I said, I don't know what you mean," the woman said through clenched teeth. The arms had tightened around her body, making it hard to breathe.
"Tut-tut...Still lying I see. I guess I'll just have to show you."
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small switchblade.
"I know a lot about your kind. Honestly, I'm quite surprised that you have managed to keep your ears hidden even under all this stress. Unfortunately, I can't kill you until you show your full animal form. Silly, I know, but it's the Head's policy. So... let's see how far I can push your limits until you break."
The man stood in front of the woman, grabbed her wrist and bared her forearm. He raised the knife and placed it on the soft skin of her arm. The woman grunted and turned her head.
"Oh, that won't do. I want you to watch this. Nos?" the man said.
The hand around her neck shifted and pushed her face so she was looking at her arm. The man smiled at the woman before turning his eyes back to the knife.
"Now, let's carry on, shall we?"
The woman released muffled screams, writhing in her binds of flesh.
"Damn," the man cursed," your a strong one. Well, what if I do..."
The woman released a deafening scream.
"That," the man finished. He smiled as he brought the bloodstained knife to his lips and ran his tongue up the side of the blade.
The man watched the woman a moment longer, but nothing happened. The woman hung limply in her cage of arms, breathing heavily, her arm soaked in blood.
The man growled, frustrated.
"Maybe if I…."
The man raised the knife again, angling it towards her head.
The sound of the man's laughter rang throughout the alley, mixing with the sound of the woman's screams. Then suddenly, the woman went silent, her head hanging limply against her shaking chest. Her trembles soon became large, jerking motions. The arms that bound her loosened and the woman fell to the ground. In a flash, the woman's body was replaced with that of a wolfs.
"Finally. You broke," the man grinned and dropped the knife and ear. "Alright Nos, shoot it."
SUMMARY
the woman is restrained and the man tells her he wants to kill her "kind". the woman denies any knowledge of what he is talking about. he tortures the woman until her body transforms into a wolfs. the man then kills her. (sorry if its bad, but it serves it purpose).
The man turned his back as a gunshot rang through the alley. He padded up to the boy, who had stood there that whole time. The boy's eyes had glazed over as he stared at the bloodstained animal. The man placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can't thank you enough kid. As promised, here is your money", the man said, digging his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a large wad of cash and forced it into the boy's arms.
"Now remember, you never saw us. Just go on back to the orphanage and tell them you got lost. Alright?"
The boy didn't move. The man sighed and turned around. " Grab the body, Nos, wrap it up and put it in the trunk. We can deal it later."
The two walked off to a car that had been hidden in the dark. The engine revved. The boy watched solemnly as the car took off. When the silence returned, the boy walked over to the puddles of blood on the ground. He kneeled down and picked up the knife. He turned it over in his hand. There, partially hidden by the woman's blood, were the letters "WB".
The boy stayed there the rest of the night, staring at the bloodied knife in his hand, whispering a phrase over and over again.
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry...
Sorry...