#1

I actually started this story back in August or July of 2006, I think. I went back through my blogs and found it. I can't believe I wrote this- well, I can, but I had forgotten the twist I'd been going with and am really interested in picking it back up. So later today I'll add a new section and I'm going to write a new section in a new blog, everyday. (Who knows, maybe it will become a blovel- a blog novel, get it?? hahaha.. I am so funny) Anyway, tell me what you think.

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Standing there listening to her mp3 player, oblivious for the moment to everything around her, she could almost believe that everything would be okay. That there weren't monsters that prowled the streets at night, eagerly awaiting a chance at a passing human, starving for blood. The same anxiety and fear she felt every night she went out sat in her chest like a lead weight. Her adrenaline was pumping madly, her heart at once racing and pounding in her ears, yet still and stone cold. Her fingers twitched at her side, hungry for the grip of her sword.

Her hearing was incredible, and could focus on the music in her earphones and hear everything moving on the ground below. She could hear animals rustling the trash cans in the dark alley to her side and people walking, driving, talking in the well lit streets of the city. She was waiting for the right moment to strike.

There, in the alley, she heard it. An indrawn breath, the first soft beginnings of a scream for help then cut off. Silence.

Dropping to a crouch, she perched on the edge of the roof, peering into the darkness below. She could see almost as clearly as though it was a gray cloudy day, when a few years ago it would be like daylight for her. A bad knock on the head had damaged her vision. She could see the white legs of what she assumed to be a woman, lying next to a dumpster. A dark figure was huddled close to the woman's torso.

Waiting no longer, she jumped. Her coat flew up behind her, though it made no sound to alert her prey. She landed with a soft thump a few feet behind him with barely a change in her stride. She reached over her shoulder and gripped the pommel of her sword.

"Hey," she whispered. The thing, manlike in it's size and shape stood up, turning away from the woman on the ground. It was bald, and it's skin white and paper thin. She could see blue and black veins threading it's face and skull. The clothes it wore were filthy, covered in dirt, shit, and stained with blood. It gave off a terrible rotting smell. It's eyes, staring at her with barely contained rage, had black pupils and irises; the usual whites of the eyes were so lined with red and black veins that it appeared almost totally black. It opened it's mouth and growled, a low, threatening sound that would make anything's hair stand on end. Except her.

She faced it squarely, drawing her sword from it's sheath. It advanced on her while she stood her ground, taking strength from her dominant position, rooted to the earth. It gave one last growl followed by an inhuman scream full of hate and anger and fear. It knew who she was, and was terrified of her.

It approached, it's mouth hanging wide and emanating a horrible smell of death and decay. Most of it's teeth were rotten away, but the ones it'd managed to keep so far were obviously sharp and angular. Soon, it wouldn't need them anymore.

She listened to it's hunting sounds, letting them fuel her rage. It attacked, leaping forward and at the last second changing tactics from directly attacking her to ducking down, attempting to grab her legs and force her to the ground. She moved nimbly out of it's grasp, and when it fell forward past her she simply struck it down in one slice of her sword. It's upper and lower body hit the cement in two separate pieces. However, it was still writhing on the ground. It's upper body began pulling itself towards her, still trying to kill her.

Knowing that killing this thing would require fire, she reached deep within herself, feeling for her inner fire that was constantly burning, always trying to consume her. She kept it in strict control, releasing it only when needed. As she let loose her reigns on the fire, she felt it building up inside her chest, struggling to break free and cause chaos and destruction. Turning toward the thing's pieces, she released the fire upon it, feeling it singe her face and hair. Always it tried to turn itself back on her, but beyond a discomfort with the heat, she was immune to any fire, including her own.

After just a few seconds, she fought for control again, pulling the fire back and putting it in it's place. The pieces were just a black stain on the ground now. Sheathing her sword and shutting off her mp3 player, she approached the woman's body, and saw that she was unharmed, but knocked out. Seeing she was ultimately okay, she had been about to leave her there, but heard the discussion of a few homeless men further away down the alley, out of sight as yet but they were heading this direction and would come upon the woman's body still unconscious. She didn't want the men to have the chance to take advantage of her and have that on her conscience.

Grabbing one of the woman's hands, she lifted her easily and carried her to the street. It was very late night and aside from the usual night crowd, only a few people were wandering around nearby. She dropped the body by a shopkeep's locked door underneath a street light. She would wake in a few minutes, she could already hear the woman's breathing and heartbeat picking up their paces.

Walking quickly away, she reached a dark corner on the street. Another alley way. She stepped into the shadows, continuing to watch the woman from her hidden vantage point. She could sense the rising sun already. It was only an hour or so away. After a few minutes and she could see the woman moving, and sitting up with a frightened look on her face, she felt she was free of her obligations to her and began to leave.

Turning away from the street, walking deeper into the dark alley, she took off her coat. The early morning air felt cool and crisp on her skin. Her top, cut to allow her as much free movement as possible, bared most of her back to the sky. She stopped, and felt the breezing blowing across her face. Tilting her face to the sky, she unfurled her wings, spreading them wide behind her. They were leathery and thin, but incredibly strong, able to lift her weight in human form and much larger in her other form. They stretched out a good five feet either way behind her.

Holding her jacket close to her body, she lifted her wings, and in one smooth motion had taken off the ground and was now flying towards home.

copyright 2007 Shanna Wynne, all rights reserved