Facade

Chapter 1

I was being watched.

I didn't see anyone, but I felt the heavy weight of someone's gaze as I walked down the street. It was like someone ran a cold finger down my back, making me shiver and my muscles tensed in anticipation. My work clothes were too thin to provide me any protection against the biting wind and I shivered slightly as my breath clouded in the air.

One of my daggers was strapped to the inside of my boot which I couldn't reach without stopping but I slid my other out of the padded area of my bra, ignoring the slight crinkle of bills there. Although I did well today I didn't focus on anything else while my eyes swept the shadows warily. Tilting my head to shield my face with my hair I tightened my grip on my dagger.

The sun was setting, brilliant gold and red dulled by the haze of fog and pollution that hung around the city. It flashed through the building and I eyed it worriedly, knowing that it was a dangerous time to be on the streets after it had set. I only had a few blocks to go and if I took a shortcut then I would be safely locked away before anything like the Vilkacis or the Ragana came out to play.

Pausing at the mouth of the alley that cut through the block I looked around one more time. The unnerving feeling of being watched hadn't fled but if I didn't make it home on time then I would have a whole other set of problems to deal with. Releasing a short sigh I entered the alley cautiously. 

I regretted that action immensely.

I was part way down before I heard a low growl behind me and I spun around and paled at the monster that emerged from the shadows where it had been crouching. I'd seen some pretty strange creatures in the Den but this one was downright grotesque. It was only slightly taller than me but it seemed to fill the alleyway.

It was a monstrous mix of wolf and man, a distortion of limbs and coarse fur. Madness lurked in its eyes but they held an intelligence that betrayed it was a human in that skin of an animal. Pointed ears tapered down into a snout and it's red eyes seemed to glow against its black fur. It's limbs looked like they were stretched, tendons standing out as it stood, slightly hunched forward and it's unnerving eyes fixed on me. 

It huffed, it's nose twitching as saliva dripped from large jaws as it panted heavily. The beast moved, taking a step forward; and my attention was drawn to large claws that glistened with blood in the weak rays from the lamppost at the end of the alley.

"Good doggy," I blurted, backing away slowly and immediately wanted to smack myself in the face. Out of all the things I could have said or done I went with 'good doggy'? It let out a large snarl and swung and me and I let out an embarrassing squeak before dropping under the swing, narrowly missing getting slashed by its claws. "Okay clearly that wasn't that the right thing to say. Is there no chance of you going away if I say shoo?" 

The wolf-like monster let out an even bigger snarl and slashed at me again and I jumped out of reach, holding my knife threateningly. It didn't look like either of the paranormal races; more like some kind of horrific hybrid. I didn't know if my knife would burn it but it was blocking the entrance and I would be stupid to try to turn my back to run for the other side.

It kept trying to grab me but I was light enough on my feet to keep ducking and dodging which only made it more frustrated. I didn't want to get close enough to test my knives in case it was somehow immune and I got shredded into sliced human with a side of blood. I was almost half way down and it hadn't touched me yet and I was trying to think of something to do.

Then I tripped over a rock.

Pain lanced down my spine as I smacked into the dingy alleys floor with a thud and my knife clattered out of my hand and the bangles on my right arm broke when I landed on them, I dimly registered the beast leaping at me and threw my left arm up blindly on instinct. Teeth sunk into my arm and blood splattered my face, half-blinding me. 

I cringed when the beast let out an inhuman howl of pain that echoed off the walls as my bangles cracked and splintered in its mouth, causing it to let go as it backed away. I snatched my knife back up and cradled my arm in my lap as I scooted away from it. Even with my adrenaline pumping the alley was slowly going dark as my head throbbed and my arm screamed in pain as I tried to staunch the blood flow.

But the monster only turned and looked at where blood was staining the thin material of my top and she detected a flash of triumph in its eyes. The sun's last rays seemed to reach into the alley as it sank past the horizon and she watched incredulously as the monster seemed to fade with it. The only sign thing it left behind was a jagged clump of bloodstained wood on the alley floor.

I blacked out.