'Moon Shapes'

Chapter 25: It's Always Someone's Dirty Job (Talek)

I looked back to her, just before disappearing around the corner; relieved that I didn't have to worry for her safety any longer than I had already led on. I couldn't help the feeling – I had the strongest impulses to be there for her; to ensure some primal form of protection.

Call it what you will, but I simply was instinctively mesmerized by her every action. If it were quite possible, I would have been mistaken for a gentleman swooned by his enchanted suitor.

Of course, beginning to throw the word 'love' around would be too presumptuous; yet, the feeling is there in all its fated glory – whether it be a downfall or a heavenly rise – it is hard to give a reasonable answer so soon.

This thought blanketed usually, calculated eyes; and thrown them into a head-on collision of inner conversation.

One can only be so strong for such a creature of her magnitude, aware beyond the means that she is one-hundred percent capable of taking care of herself – after all: she was 'the one.'

It wasn't quite a full second before the tenacious fumes slapped across my cheeks to re-focus (lack-there-of) attention back towards this unfortunately –

wrong place, wrong time – deceased individual.

The mess that comes along with being completely shredded to pieces; it came to slowly dawn on me that: what if I had been the one to deliberately dismantle this human being – after all, it appears I've not fairly retained the greatest track record for holding in some quite frantically homicidal rages; not to mention the origins of that blood rosy on my mouth.

Abruptly as the fear stroked my potentially wounded pride, I couldn't help but get a fully equally fearing idea – I've gotta know.

I whimpered a rough throated sigh, not particularly amused at how the hell spontaneity pours into my brain at the least expectant times.

If this were a test – blank, blank, blank – nothing but chirping air would feel the space between these two elephant ears.

Taking a deepened breath, and greatly exaggerating an eye-roll, while cursing my own stupidity – I went in, tips first.

Planting hands on the pried torso, intertwining fingers between the open rib cage, I lifted the fleshy remains near my flared nostrils with possibly apprehending some hint of a smell for either my own pheromones or that of another assailant.

Yet, as one gulp of rotting flesh entered beyond the holes of my nose, my own insides instantly rolled, with another minute being expelled out and onto the glossy grass. Dry heaving a few extra efforts from an obviously empty stomach, spitting what was left of dinner out by swishing a bit of saliva to catch any remaining bits.

I stood, wondering what I was going to do.

Then an incredible burning licked at my shoulder.

A sudden pass of fingers across the shooting spot turned to panic as my index finger skimmed length wise over an object protruding out of a torn area of t-shirt.

What the hell? I tugged at it, sending an awful ache spiraling down my shoulder blade and into my toes. Like a band-aide... yank it in one swoop!

Yank I did as the ache increased to razorblade stabbing, the thing had come out successfully. Although, as my eyes came face to face with it, I'd wished that I had not bothered to know.

An excessive amount of the stringy fur. The same friggin' fur I pulled from Dannity... yet this clump's tips were smooth in crimson waves in its freakish presence. Am I awake? Did I just rip this out of my own skin?

My head circled over and over with any explanation: the fuzzy hair in Danni's hair to the flashes of the wood scene whirling by my thoughts.

Her... him... err... me... Danni's aroma... The hound!

A hound had howled at a great distance as I began running and desired to get to Dannity faster.

Was it because I heard it...?

Because it had been there...?

Because it had been near me...?

Because I had wished to get to her quickly...?

Is that even possible?

A sudden snap of a limb... or twig... sent my anxiousness towards the intruding by-stander. Shuffling the black and grey mottled fur to the ground.

"Dude, what the hell kinda crap have you gotten into?" Jensen asked stepping out under the lamp post's light.

His posture was off putting as he wandered closer to the 'murderous' scene displayed before him and I.

Stunned in a frozen uneasiness, as if being caught by a mother walking in on you – taking care of certain needs – I wasn't prepared for his calm nature oozing from his pores.

"This isn't what it appears to look like – Jens." I protested.

Hands flaring up in surrender. Remembering, to keep Dannity completely omitted, "...the scaffolding collapsed as I was walking out... the security guard – Rick, came raining down along with it... I'm completely baffled as to who or what, could've done this."

Jensen seemingly bought my explanation as he came and knelt next to Rick's decapitated head.

"I didn't take you as the library type Talek." He prompted.

Tilting my head in slight perplexity by his statement. "This wasn't done by me!" I roared.

"His main sector for patrolling is the campus library, and since I'm there for most of the day studying myself... I haven't exactly seen you there... well... at all." Pressing his lips as he raised his perfectly manicured eyebrows in assurance for his deciphering; for what I could only conclude was he had somehow 'got me.'

"Look, I just told you what happened... why are you playing detective with me?" I spat, irritated at his smirk-y dispositional hypothesis.

Surprised dominated his facial expression. "Whoa there psychology..." His hands portraying my own surrender from minutes ago. "... I was only pointing out, you must have to be an insomniac or quite the early bird during lunch to have known this security guards name – that's all."

I rested the incrustation from my resolve. "Sorry." I murmured.

"Apology accepted bae." He reputed.

"So, why were you smelling the torso?"

The relaxed resolve I began to feel quickly faded.

"You're one of us – aren't you?" He promptly added.

My eyes burned from the sudden quaking building from behind them; mechanically wanting to protect myself as again letting anyone in on these hidden talents; yet, as well to give in to my own incredulous, and tell anyone who would understand the utter hell that was beginning to plague my body – was Jensen the one to do this with?

His face shuffled to sympathetic. "No need to answer."

He gathered his gaze back at the mess of this guard, and the numerous bricks scattered. "Let's get all of him out of here, before the rest of the campus security... not to mention night students, get a whiff of this stench."

"The bricks are easily explained, but he may be of an issue." I added.

I pondered about his suddenly helpfulness, but for now, I could stand to take some of his aid.