The Freak of Society

Prologue

~Love is a fiend, a fire, a heaven, a hell, where pleasure, pain and repentance dwell. ~

Richard Barnfield - The Shepard's Content St. 38

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Part One

Where was he? Was he still on her trail? The young redhead thought her ballooning lungs would burst if she continued running like this, at the end of the school day when the autumn chill began to take its toll through her flimsy sweater.

Her racing feet led her to a bustling square, somewhere safe with too many witnesses for the man to do anything; she had to lose him before evening.

The girl quickly turned around: there was no trace of the man except for the sound of chuckling that pricked her ears... he was watching her.

Should she tell the police? No, they wouldn't care. No one would believe her story of a shape-shifting man chasing her, absolutely no one. But was she really seeing things when she saw those pair of ears?

Crap, calm down Erika. You're probably hearing things... there's many people here, so maybe you're hearing someone else?

She certainly hoped that was the case. But her heart sank as she saw that familiar blue-haired male... with those ears, casually leaning against a wall smirking back at her. Panic encased her very being, and she made a mad dash for it, once again... so much for the busy streets.

She followed another street that ran from the square that was just as busy. Few people looked at her, but went on their own way, blissfully unaware of the girl's problem: a creature was chasing after her.

"I'll see you soon, my sweet." He said. She was the only one who heard his words, almost as if he were right next to her... with those eyes... eyes so blue she seemed to completely lose herself in those captivating depths.

The street eventually gave way a dead-end, one side was wider but with less traffic, the other narrow and quite busy there was no more room even for a girl as small as she. The sixteen year-old chose the former, sprinting as fast as she could, losing breath with her muscles and will weakening.

Erika collapsed on the cobbled isolated street, as the sound of fall's last leaves swirled around her with an empty plastic grocery bag joining the troupe. The man's form was casually catching up with her, hands in pockets... with those mesmerizing eyes.

She trembled as she tried to ease herself away from him, to get away from this... this thing. This man wasn't human - not with those silver animal ears and a tail that swished itself into her memory. This girl saw the way he transformed from a wolf to his man-like appearance and seriously questioned her mental health. She was seeing things, this wasn't real. It couldn't be!

The man slowly squatted down with an outstretched hand, his eyes softening by only a bit. This action made the girl move away even more.

"What are you?!" She whimpered. "Please, leave me alone."

"Don't be afraid of me, I'm just a harmless wolf." He took that hand he offered to her, and gently stroked her cheek. "I don't intend to harm you," Erika jerked her head away and found herself up against a wall when she stood. Down the street, no one was even paying attention.

"Go away! I beg of you... leave me alone. What do you want from me?"

The man, standing at six feet took in the lovely glow of her face, the fear in which he could taste with his heightened senses. "Come now, do I really look that shallow? I don't intend to molest you, if that's what you're thinking."