WIP Wednesday

In this week's post. I introduce a new character. Well he's not exactly a new character; he played opposite Azra Barsonus, my main character in "Lovestruck Succubus."
In this scene, Leonidas has received news of his father's passing. Naturally, he's not too happy about it and, furthermore, feels terrible that he wasn't there when his father died. His emotions out of control, he shifts, and finds himself hunting within the confines of Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Raif Lungren snatched the microphone from the holder, and responded to the call.

"This is unit thirty-four. Whatcha got, dispatch?"

"Got a call about some kind of wild animal running through Piedmont Park."

Raif looked at his partner, sitting in the passenger seat, stuffing a chicken nugget in his mouth.

"You wanna take this, McClinton?"

McClinton licked his fingers. "We're close enough, why not?" He said, spitting little chunks of chicken nugget out as he spoke.

Lungren clicked the button on the microphone, "We're in the area," he said. "We'll take it."

"Roger, thirty-four," the dispatcher's voice resounded through the car's speaker system. "Animal control is on their way, if you'll do some crowd control until they get there."

Lungren flipped the switch turning on the lights and siren, and weaved through traffic. He turned off the siren before reaching the North parking lot of Piedmont Park, but left the lights on to warn any lovers parked in the dark. He didn't really feel like processing a bunch of late-night lovers and giving citations while waiting for animal control.

"Holy shit," McClinton said as Lungren turned the squad car into the middle of the small parking lot.

Lungren looked through the beam of the headlights in time to see a huge beast standing in the light, looking at them.

"What the hell is that?" Lungren said.

Lungren understood why dispatch just said it was a wild animal running through the park. There really was no rational explanation of what he was looking at. The thing standing in the beams of the headlights was more like a bunch of animals put together like some kind of weird medical experiment. It didn't even move from the light. It just stood there motionless, looking at them with a kind of snarl forming across its snout; and they looked back, equally transfixed, from inside their squad car.

"Is that a wolf?" Lungren heard McClinton unsnapping his holster as he spoke. "Or, maybe it's a bear."

It was hard to tell. The thing was standing on its hind legs like a bear, or a man, but it looked like some kind of huge wolf.

"Wait," McClinton said as he pulled the door handle, popping the passenger door open just a crack. "It's a man in a wolf costume. Gotta be. It looks too much like a human."

"Wait," Lungren yelled at him. "I don't think so." But it was too late. McClinton was already pushing the door open, and stepping out of the car as he unholstered his weapon.

As soon as McClinton stood outside the door, the animal charged. Lungren wanted to yell for him to get back in the car, but the animal moved too fast. In the next instant, it closed the distance with his partner, and had him by the neck, ripping at him and dragging him toward the edge of the parking lot into the darkness. The animal only moved about twenty feet back but had already left pieces of his partner in a trail from the squad car. McClinton's arm lay by itself just feet from the car, his lifeless hand still gripping the handgun. Lungren didn't think, simply reacting to the violent display in front of him. The beast moved so fast, McClinton didn't even get a shot off. Lungren was not going to make the same mistake. He felt his face burn with rage. He wasn't just going to let this beast drag his partner away and tear him to shreds. He didn't know what the hell this thing was, but it was no human. He opened the car door and jumped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. The noise got the animal's attention, and he dropped his partner, looking squarely at Lungren.

Lungren raised his pistol and fired. He saw blood spray from the animal's shoulder. The beast barely flinched before launching itself toward him. He fire again, three times. The beast flinched each time, signifying a hit, but it didn't stop. Lungren tried to step backward, pulling the trigger until he heard the click of the hammer on an empty chamber. Just as the beast launch itself at him, he tripped over something and fell backwards. The animal flew over him, landing somewhere out of his field of vision with a thump and a growl. But the beast was back, and ripping at him before he could move. He felt his own skin ripping from his chest as the thing tore at him, felt large canines cupping his arm and clamping down until his bones snapped under the pressure.

Darkness closed in on him, moving from the corners of his vision until it was inside him. Everything slowed down, as if time itself was tormenting him, making him live in this brief moment for an eternity. He saw the beast all over him as if looking at snapshots in time--the shiny glint of eyes and bloodied teeth flashing in front of him. He felt the animal's mouth close around his throat, and he could do nothing to stop it. He could not even feel his arms or legs. He was not sure if they were still attached, or laying somewhere in the parking lot like the parts of his partner. Suddenly, he was weightless, as if flying through the air, suspend but out of the animal's reach. Then, just as suddenly, he hit the ground. He heard his head crack against the asphalt but could do nothing. A brief flash of pain, and darkness overtook him.

An immeasurable amount of time passed in darkness. Flashes of light and voices from strangers momentarily brought him from the darkness, but it was fleeting. He heard someone telling him to hold on, telling him help was on the way. He was still alive, he knew that much, and the words somehow sank into his brain and his heart, giving him permission to let go. It was a feeling of relief really, being able to let go and let nature take its course. A sharp stabbing pain brought him back briefly as he felt himself being lifted.

"Hold on, officer." He heard the voice as if it was already inside his head, as if he were talking to himself. But the voice was soothing, and he let go, allowing the darkness to take over him once more, like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Hope you enjoyed this scene. If you would like to get to know this new character, Raif Lungren, you can find him as one of the main characters in the aformentioned story.

Also, I am in the process of outlining a short story involving Raif, his transformation, and promotion to Police Detective. I would offer this story free like my historical fantasy about Azra in China "The Fifth Beauty."