Vincent Albright was at the top of his game. He had achieved fame, fortune, and the love and adoration of thousands through his artwork. After a falling out, however, he sought haven on Charlie's Isle, a small, low populated island off the coast of...
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By the time I left the hospital it was maybe 2 o' clock. I knew I needed to get back to Vinny's and tell him about what I'd found out, but the thought of his disappointed glare was beginning to make me think otherwise.
I doubt he took his nap, I thought, trying to reassure myself that I had done the right thing.
I tightened my grip of the paper under my arm as I turned the street corner. It was unusually cloudy today, making it darker than it normally is at this time of the day. A breeze was blowing in from the harbor behind me. A streetlight ahead flickered, as if to add itself to the eerie feeling of the scene. No one walked in thin streets of our town like what would be normal for a Sunday afternoon. I decided to cut down an alley to get back to Vin's street faster.
It was the wrong decision.
As soon as I got to the conjoining street the sound of glass shattering hit my ears. It was close by. Frightening silence followed until a man's shout flew past with the breeze. My knees were shaking in anticipation, and before I had time to rethink what was definitely a stupid decision my instincts shot my legs forward towards the commotion.
The noises had surfaced from Mr. Kay's, the bookstore at the corner turning to my street. Mr. Kay and his wife had been running the place for 40 years and he always said hello and gave me a lolly pop when I was a child. Right as it came into sight the front window shattered as something came flying out and hit the street. It was a book.
I looked around quickly. The street was absolutely deserted. This street was mostly businesses, which must have all closed early because of the impending storm.
I sprinted for the door of the shop. Just as I threw the front door open the weight of it was thrown back against me and I tumbled backwards. Flying for it again, this time it opened but hit something.
"Mr. Kay?" I called into the small place.
The shop was only one small room, normally stacked from floor to ceiling in used books. However, now it looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic video game. Books were thrown everywhere, pages torn out and destroyed. The one light in the room had been broken down from the ceiling and the wires still sparked with electricity, leaving the room dimly lit from the large window near the door. The freestanding bookshelves had been knocked down like dominoes.
I was so taken aback by the scene that when the door moved in my grip I jumped out of my skin. Hand shaking, I pulled back the door to see a dark shadow slumped in a pile between door and wall.
"Oh my God." I breathed as I took in the sight of the unconscious panther.
Perhaps not so unconscious. The beast was coming to, tossing and turning every few seconds. It was trying to get up.
"I- Ivy Wilder?" I heard a creaky voice say quietly. I whirled around to see Mr. Kay peering from around the checkout desk at me, his eyes full of fear and one of them darkening with a black eye.
I looked down at the cat again. It had gone still.
"Mr. Kay, what happened?" I asked as I walked over and crouched next to him. He was shaking, "Where's Mrs. Kay?"
"I- I locked her in the back. To keep her safe. W-What is t- that thing?" He choked as he pointed weakly at the panther.
Mr. and Mrs. Kay were both humans, totally unaware of the panther world. The only humans who knew about us were those who absolutely needed to. A select few hospital workers, for example. Or a few in law enforcement.
Before I had time to answer, the panther had regained full consciousness. I turned to see it rise, and our gazes met.
Its eyes were just as Mr. Harper had described. Wild. Inhuman. There was no recognition there and I certainly didn't recognize it. It's eyes were about as black as its fur, like a doll's dead, glassy stare.
"Who are you?" I asked the beast. I knew when in panther form it wouldn't be able to respond unless I were shifted too or we were mates, but I was looking for some sort of human-like gesture. Nothing.
Instead of talking it out the panther stalked forward, ready to pounce. I got off the floor. You're going to get yourself killed, a voice in my head screamed at me. Instead of listening I too crouched, still in human form.
We jumped at the same time. I knew I wouldn't be able to push it backwards, causing the panther to fall on top of me. I held an arm over my face. The monstrous panther snarled and I could see all of its teeth and clear down its throat. My arm wouldn't hold him back forever.
I gripped the back of its head with my other arm, pushing all of my strength into flinging it across the room. The panther landed on the pile of fallen shelves and I heard a few cracks of ribs snapping.
While he was down I lifted both arms towards the broken front window, closing my eyes for a moment's focus. I opened them again and through the window crept hundreds of vines. I used the Earth to tie up the panther's limbs as he tried to get up again. From the vines bloomed beautiful purple flowers, with several around its mouth which was now in an organic muzzle.
"That's nightshade," I told the wild panther as it writhed and struggled against my affinity, "try biting through that and you're dead in a second."
"That's not p- p- possible. How did you do it?" I had gotten so caught up in surveying my handiwork that I had almost forgotten about the Kays.
Shit. I had used my affinity in front of them. I had fought an animal three times my size with only my hands. He had probably seen my claws and fangs sharpen. Shit.
I was about to try explaining the unexplainable when sirens could be heard wailing in the distance. They soon grew close, and before Mr. Kay could ask anymore questions the shop was being illuminated in flashing white and blue.
Two officers raced in the already open door, guns raised. "Stay down, hands in the air!" One shouted.
Mr. Kay and I both threw our hands in the air.
"It's alright!" I shouted nervously above the sirens, "It's okay now."
Both officers surveyed the shop before lowering their weapons and going to the panther. It was out like a light.
"What happened here?" One officer said as he turned to me. His eyes were glowing orange and red in the darkness. A Were.
"Hands behind your back." Said the other.
"I- Wait, what?"
"You're under arrest. You have the right to re-"
"Do you actually think I did this? I stopped this! The evidence is right there!" I shouted, gesturing to the panther still wrapped in foliage.
I yanked at my handcuffs, willing the metal to bend and snap, but they didn't. Affinity-proof cuffs.
One officer read me my rights as the other gripped me firmly by the shoulder and practically shoved me into the back of the police car.
What is going on? I thought to myself as we zoomed towards the police station, lights and siren blaring into the stormy night.
