Animus

Chapter 2

Jerina was a small town from the beginning, the smallest event was talked about for weeks. A new water tower could draw a crowd of observers numbering in the hundreds, there was simply so little going on in the town to talk about.

Except for the rumors of course...

Of course, Viktor had been seen before. This sparked a small mythology in the town, one centered around the creature that so little is known of. Some say it's a military experiment, others a ghost bent on revenge. The stories weren't unknown to Viktor, he did his best to keep from new sightings occurring, staying in the shadows, remaining silent, diverting attention from himself by throwing something into an alley or at a tree while the "advanced cryptozoologist" chased around birds with his dirty mullet bouncing around, no doubt cooking up new ridiculous conspiracy theories while he did so.

That man was asleep in a lawn chair outside the entrance to the grocery store Viktor needed into and he obviously wasn't going to move. The manager scolded him for a half hour for making her business look bad. As if regular thefts and bad profit isn't enough to do that...

Looking for an alternative entrance, Viktor searches the back of the store. A camera is present, sweeping the area, one wrong move could mean disaster, it wouldn't just be a uneducated man who spends too much time suspecting authorities of ridiculous actions after him...

Real scientists with real hunters to back them up would swarm the area, there wouldn't be a speck of hope for Viktor, he'd be put under the knife, tests would be run daily, the disease that did this to him would be replicated...

He would be a weapon...

Timing his approach, he ran at the back entrance, breaking the lock quickly and getting inside before the camera could look back at the door.

"Good... no problems so fa-"

A noise...

The source of the noise is the twenty year old niece of the shop manager, tasked to guard the store in case the town fool makes any stupid decisions. She wasn't awake, but she shifted slightly and mumbled something.

"Too close... this is just not my day, is it?"

Quietly, Viktor walks to the main section of the store, taking a backpack hidden under a vending machine and begins filling it with food and basic supplies like matches and cleaning supplies.

It was a big backpack, he got it from the house of some veteran that lived in his town, he couldn't quite remember the man's name, just that he served and left behind almost everything he owned when he left his home...

They called him the Angeleton bear, either because if his brute strength or unnatural amount of body hair.

"Ok, just one more can of dog food and I should be good"

The labels were always difficult to read in the dark and Annie was pretty picky about what was in the food.

Suddenly the whole aisle is full of light, light from a flashlight...

Looking to see who's spotted him, Viktor sees the niece of the manager trembling in fear of what stands before her.

"Please don't scream, please don't scream, please don't scream..."

She hasn't moved a muscle, still in shock of seeing a monstrosity.

Slowly Viktor starts to back away, praying she stays silent about what she sees before her...

But of course, Viktor isn't the luckiest man on earth...

Shrieking, she runs for the phone

"SHIT!!! I GOTTA STOP HER!!!"

Rushing after her, Viktor starts to gain on her, getting ready to lunge and put her on the ground.

"How can she be this fast?!"

"SOMEONE HELP M-"

He finally manages to take her down

"SHUT UP!!! If you haven't noticed I'm trying not to dr-"

A loud crack is heard and Viktor falls limp on the woman, a snickering can be heard.

"I knew it, I knew you is real!!! I done bagged me a scarlet demon!!! Now they're gonna believe me since I got living... proof..."

Looking at where his prize was, he sees neither Viktor, nor the woman.

"DANG BLASTED!!! YOU AREN'T AS LUCKY AS THE SASQUACH, SCARLET!!!! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!"

Throwing the baseball bat to the ground he rushes to gather his "evidence" on his "high tech equipment".

Of course, Viktor was smarter than your average hillbilly drunk.

The tape recorder was turned off, eliminating any solid proof that Viktor exists...

"I think I got a smart one..."

This of course was said many times, in pursuit of many "legendary creatures".