October Falls

He had no idea what he was. The thought struck him as hard as the searing pain that tore through his body like wildfire. An agonized growl escaped past his lips and he winced at the inhumanness of it. He’d never made a sound like that before in his life, but he’d never been in this much pain before either. Never felt as though, every fibre of his being was tearing and breaking like every part of him was being destroyed to make way for something much bigger, more powerful, more dangerous. Shaking on all fours he stared at the protruding veins on his arms watching the color of them deepen until they were a thick, hideous black like an infectious web living under his skin. His fingers burrowed into the dirt beneath him, and he could feel the nails were thicker and longer. What was happening to him? He could vaguely remember the past few hours, and couldn’t remember anything past the burning bite in his shoulder and the waves of endless pain that had followed it. He felt like he was dying. He felt like he was being reborn into something else. Something wicked and wrong. A sharp crack of his spine forced a howl of pain from him, and he felt himself surrendering to the agony. Surrendering to the darkness that was invading his every thought, clouding his judgement and rationality leaving only bloodthirsty instincts in its place. His head bowed and in the haze of torture, he glimpsed at the swaying pendant on his neck. Remember. He chanted to his disjointed being. Remember her. If anything could save the very fabric of his humanity it would be her. And he held onto her memory as hard and fast as he could. Her sweet, musical laugh; her large chocolate toned eyes that always stared at him with such mischief. He could never forget her. Hope surged through him, that if he could keep her memory a part of him not all of his humanity would be lost. The best part of him would still remain, the part of him that was her. Remember. Her. When the darkness choked him completely, his collapsed form rose anew. Strength and power vibrated through his being with every breath and danger radiated out of every pore. He was no longer the weak, two-legged human male he’d been born. He was more now. Much more. Coherent thought was lost to him and he was hit with instincts. He could scent prey. A human male. He was downwind and at an advantage. He took lithe, predatory steps through the dark cover of the trees around him, knowing without hesitation what he needed to do. The hunting instinct awoke within him as naturally as breathing, and he wouldn’t fight it. He moved like a shadow, one with the darkness and the earth, and he crouched low to hide his enormous form from the unsuspecting human. But as he pressed his large body onto the ground he felt an unnatural, irritating prodding in his chest. A prodding that hadn’t come from a rock or twig. He tilted his head down and caught the sway of a strange object around his neck. It confused him. This shouldn’t be a part of him. He was a natural hunter of power and instincts; he didn’t need this. But there was a delicate smell attached to it that intrigued him, that stirred something within him. He breathed in deeply and a thought assaulted his mind – Her. A low growl hummed from his chest as a vision of a smiling human female entered into his mind. She was a bright light that penetrated the dark fog in his mind, and with it, she brought back human thoughts. He broke out of the tense crouch, unwinding the locked muscles that had been ready to pounce and took a step away from the unsuspecting human. An age-old command in his mind demanded he stalk and chase and hunt, but he was no longer under the haze of darkness. He remembered. But her memory brought forth a different pain to him. How could he trust himself not to hurt her? He was different now. Changed. Deadly. He had been a fool to think her memory could save him. No one could save him, it was too late. He was already a monster. ~*~