• The moon rose quicker as the day dragged on. And its pale coloring turned blood red as day turned to dusk. On the ground his seemingly lifeless body laid sprawled out,
    "Where am I?" he slowly stuttered out.
    His vision cleared, but just before he was able to look at the sky, a scorching pain seared under his skin. The sound of stretching skin enveloped the grove. In agony he grasped his head.
    "What do you want with me? Relieve me of this curse!" he scornfully spat.
    With unlikely compliance, the pain seemed to lift temporarily. As he looked to the sky, he noticed clouds drifting in front of the blood red moon, thus changing it in to a shade of sanguine. Blackened drops of water fell from the sky, drenching him and the soil in the grove. Each drop that hit him smeared with a crimson glow. An inescapable howl jutted itself from his throat. The blood red skies see to shift and wane with the howl, releasing the moon from its cloudy prison. A much more intense pain flowed through him now. The torturing sound of skin tearing muffled his cries of pain. Skin peeled as it split, leaving a thin coat of a dark gray fur. His face became malformed and unrecognizable, putting him between man and beast. Another howl escaped his throat, shaking the branches of the surrounding willows. Splayed out on the blood drenched grove, the beast body finally lost shape of man, its writhing had died down. The beast slowly etched itself to its feet. His senses ran wild, smells were sharper, sight was better, and he could even hear the nearest village. Peaked, his ears searched for the direction of the village and the exit to this sacred grove. Wind trailed next to and behind the beast. The crisp smell of blood still soaked through its fur, into its skin. The beast was fueled, hungry and lustful. His human inhibitions have left, leaving only primal urges and the need to feed.
    He slowly crept upon the village, still bright with the few souls daring enough to face darkness. Slinking into the shadows, the beast stalked a young woman who had just fetched some water. The beast moved closer ready to pounce, when suddenly a snap was heard. The woman turned around with fear deep within her eyes.
    "Who's out there?" she whimpered. "Who ever it is, this isn't funny."
    No time to waste now, the beast jumped and landed on the winded woman. The beast gored its teeth into the soft succulent flesh of the innocent woman. Her sweet mahogany blood flowed swiftly into his awaiting mouth. He drank greedily until the blood stopped and his sanguine addiction had subsided. A blood-curdling howl shook the houses and simultaneously the doors of the surrounding houses flung open.
    "What is going on out-?" said a farmer as his eyes locked to that of the beast.
    The farmer, armed with a rifle took aim and fired hitting the beast in the arm. He winced but retaliated with swift swipe of his claws. The man's rifle skirted across the barren ground. The surrounding villagers charged the beast with pitchforks and hoes, all in which had barely averted its attention from the farmer. The beast grabbed the helpless farmer by his throat and threw him at the villagers behind him. The beast jumped on to a neighboring house with super human like ability. With one last howl the beast fled into the night.