Victor, Victorious

Chapter One

Even though the full moon glowed bright, Victor Villa blindly ran along Huntley Park's bike path, his heartbeat outpacing legs.

That.

Seemed.

To.

Move.

In.

Slow.

Motion.

An impenetrable fog wall concealed a gnarled tree root that reached up for him from beneath crumbling concrete.

Victor's bare foot (in his frantic state, he had of course lost one of his shoes) caught the root, and down he went. Hard. He cushioned his fall with his face, nearly jarring a couple of his teeth loose.

Dazed, the teenage boy paused for a moment, tasting blood, quickly deciding he would make a lousy vampire. Somewhere very nearby, a monster howled.

Now, Victor screamed.

"Help me! Please! Someone! Anyone!"

Which only drew the awful beast that much closer to him. Duh.

What was he doing out so far past curfew? He was smarter than this! He was the last person who belonged in this horror movie scenario!

Victor stood, winced, realized that he had definitely screwed up his ankle. He steadied himself against a tree trunk. He was done for. A midnight snack.

A terrible stench, like a bathroom jammed wall-to-wall with wet dogs, filled his nostrils, found its way down his throat. He gagged, held back vomit for as long as he could. Which wasn't very long at all.

The fog parted, and before him, maybe fifty feet away, was a giant wolf the size of a small car. The creature had crimson eyes and grey fur. It snarled, revealing switchblade teeth.

"No, help me!" Victor cried. It was worth another shot.

Suddenly, two police officers appeared in the grassy patch across from him. Their guns were drawn, aimed at the werewolf.

Officer #1: "I hate these things!"

Officer #2: "Yeah, I'm more of a cat person myself!"

Victor smiled, until he saw that their weapons were gripped in shaky hands.

The impossible animal turned its hungry gaze to the men. It growled and took a step in their direction.

Officer #1: "Freeze!"

The werewolf did not freeze. It took another step toward the cops. Another.

Perhaps it was thinking, Mmmmmm. Bacon.

Officer #2: "Yeah...um...stay where you are! You have the right to...um...remain silent!"

The werewolf howled. It charged at them.

The officers fired round after round into the beast, but it remained unfazed, a locomotive with dripping jaws.

Officer #2: "When are they gonna give us silver bullets?!"

The werewolf leaped onto #1, which surely made him do a #2. He screamed in terror as the monster slashed at him with fangs and claws, gouging into his Kevlar vest, trying to get through to his internal organs.

His partner removed a can of pepper spray from his utility belt and hosed the beast down with the stuff. Annoyed, the creature smacked the man's hand away. The officer accidentally sprayed himself in the eyes. He fell to his knees, crying out in agony.