Mystery Noir

Little Monsters Part 8

My mind was so occupied by doubts and theories that I missed the faint set of tire tracks leading up my driveway until the large SUV parked in front of the cabin came into view. My foot hit the brakes, and the mustang slid diagonally, before coming to a stop several feet after I wanted it to.

My heart raced until I realized I recognized the vehicle, and I parked beside it and cut the engine, climbing out as I glanced around for Enzo. There was no light on within the cabin, and I had locked the door when I left, but I didn't see him in his vehicle or waiting on the porch and the faint coating of snow over his vehicle told me he had been there at least a few minutes before me.

Part of me was annoyed that I had been followed or traced here and knowing that I didn't have time to look for a wayward shapeshifter who liked to stick his nose into my business. Another part of me was grateful. I was independent, but I was out of my depth and with Penny's wellbeing on the line, I would accept as much help as I could get.

I could only hope that a couple centuries of life would mean more knowledge about the weird symbols in and the door that I supposedly had to open to go to the home of the little Urisks to get Penny. 

I grabbed my bag, slinging it on one shoulder before picking up the box and book, and gently kicked my door closed before walking around the SUV to my front steps. There, sitting on the top step, was a neatly folded pile of clothing, with a pair of boots sitting beside it, protected from the falling snow by the porch.  Surprisingly, there were no footprints leading away from the steps.

Not from Enzo's boots, nor from his feet after he supposedly stripped his clothing off and decided to go for a run. I snorted and turned to look out into the dark woods, though I didn't expect to see anything.  "I suppose that's one way to kill time."

Something moved in the darkness, right to left across my field of vision within the treeline, barely more than a shadow or outline for broken moments that my eyes could pick up. It appeared to be on all fours, though even from the distance I could tell that its shoulder was above my head height and its body was longer, almost feline. My mind couldn't classify what kind of animal the form could be, as it looked like anything from feline to canine to something closer to a bear depending on what angle I saw it at.

My track record for the day was already poor when it came to responding to surprises, and I was no better this time, freezing in place and gripping the box tightly in front of me. My mind tried to figure out how to grab my knife or if it would be useful to run, all while telling me that shapeshifters were supposed to shift into natural shapes.

A few excruciating seconds after it had disappeared into the darkness, I managed to force my legs to move, back pedalling up the first two porch steps before there was the sound of a twig breaking to my right.

I had been staring left, searching for the animal, dumbly.

Of course it had circled around behind me.

I jerked as I turned, almost stumbling off the steps before I realized Enzo was standing a few feet away, stark naked but very human, grinning to me. "You alright?"

I had expected the ridiculously well defined muscle. His clothing fit him well enough that one could tell that being a supernatural meant that he was in prime physical condition. What I had not expected were the scars covering great swaths of skin. Some looked like teeth and claw marks, but others looked more akin to blades and lashes.

"Nina?"  Enzo cleared his throat, still standing there, naked in the snow, watching me ogle him.

"Was that you?" I nodded out toward the woods before turning and fleeing up the stairs.