THE WOODS (A Bury Farm Wolf Tale)

11: Prowling

Running and rushing, allowing animal instinct to take over because there was no other choice.'He had to get out.'No longer thinking like a man would think and unable to do the things a man would do, able to hear what was taking place inside each of the apartments he passed, he wanted what he'd lost.'Young fresh flesh?'The beast wanting the chase, began to run. Running into the fire door which opened when hit by the vast bulk of what refused to be stopped.'Outside?'The sound of the alarm hurt as it enter deep inside sensitive ears.'What was happening?'Outside, almost falling from the fire escape, he hadn't expected to encounter what was high, steep and felt slippery, should he go up, or could he go down?'Steps?'Four legs struggled and needed to take more care than two when navigating hard and narrow steps.'Unaccustomed to staircases?'Down, out and away, when free the beast ran.When outside traffic should have been the only sound, it was after midnight and the city should be winding down.'Stop singing, please stop singing.'To hunt outside the city was what he needed to do.'I want to pass.Please be quiet.Why can't you shut up.'Ahead lay a maze of side streets, back streets, high streets and the normally deserted alleyways.'Closing time?'Throwing out time at the local pubs and bars, he'd never set out so late.The strong aroma of stale alcohol mixed with fish and vinegary chips filled the chilling night air.'Where had they come from?'From where had they staggered? Drunk, sizzled out of their tiny male minds, singing and shouting at the top of their drunken voices, loud pitiful voices.'Why hadn't they allowed him to go by?'

"Wow! Is that a dog."Seth Tinker gasped?

"Is it real?"As each spied the large toothed, sharp clawed, dirty grey canine figure standing like a soldier waiting to attack, none could be certain of what they were seeing.Stood, blocking the entrance and only exit to the cold, dark, damp alley in-which the men had relieved their full, aching bladders.'He couldn't help himself.'When transformation was complete, instinct became as wild as his appearance and those instincts indicated hunger.When in the form of the beast, the need for flesh took precedence.'Why had they gotten in his way?'Why weren't they running away?

"Wow!"Bob Potter also gasped upon closer inspection of their unexpected admirer.

"Yeah,Wow!"Seth repeated.The drunken mob of four continuing to stand their ground, left the beast no choice but to take its' stand too.

Two different women, two different weddings, two different men who enjoyed two perfect days.

"Sounds wonderful."When leaving out the prejudice and forgetting the absentees,Trixie had to agree her wedding sounded much like any other."I have taken up enough of your time."Sally sighed.Checking her watch."Your husband likes putting in the overtime."She commented upon standing to leave.

"Sometimes he stays over."Trixie smiled.Aware of the suspicious glint in her new found friend's eyes.

"Bob will only worry if I'm not waiting in the marital bed, eyes closed and nightdress up.A beer swilling traditionalist is my husband."Escorting Sally to the bolted front door,Trixie saw her neighbour out into the corridor."Maybe you and Jax would like to come over to us for a meal one evening?"She invited and Trixie said she would ask."We're not into wife swapping."Sally mistook the anticipation in Trixie's voice as fear, when in actual fact it was due to her questioning the likelihood of her and her husband being able to accept her kind offer.

"I'm sure Jax will agree, be nice to get to know the neighbours."She nevertheless smiled.Not wanting Sally to see her as ungrateful.It would be nice to mingle and good to have someone to talk to.'Trixie longed to be like other couples.'Nights out were few and spending time with others never happened unless necessary.

"You be sure to tell that hunky husband of yours to lock the door in future and find a home for that bad cat before it wrecks you and yours.Either that, or old Mrs. Harrison at number eleven finds out and gets you evicted."Sally warned.