Picnic

[Sky]

At the arrival of the unexpected visitor, the figure whirled around, temporarily releasing his tight hold on Christine. With a snarl, angry at having been interrupted in the midst of his plan to slit the girl's throat with his sharp claws, he stalked toward the figure in the doorway. Growling, he asked, "What do you want?" And then, a slow smile spread across his face for what he saw pleased him immensely. Perhaps he wouldn't have to kill him off before getting around to the girl - because the figure in the doorway wasn't a person. It was someone just like him. Except for one little thing . . .

Leaning in closer, he lightly sniffed the air around his visitor. It smelled of . . . humanity. His fellow werewolf still hadn't lost all of his humanity. But that could be fixed. He just had to show him how wonderful it was to prey and terrify the innocents.

His eyes glowing, he took his brother's arm and led him deeper into the cabin as he whispered, "You're like me, young fellow. You can't deny what you want - you want to kill. I was like you once - wavering in between this and what I once was, but I've accepted what I am. And you should too. And tonight, I can show you how to do it." Bringing him to a stop before Christine, he finished, "Her. Kill her and you'll see how wonderful this life can be."

-----
In his astonishment, Sky allowed himself to be tugged into the cabin, his mind ceasing to process what exactly was going on around him. It was all so much . . . Christine . . . this other one who was just like him . . . this other one who was going to kill her. She was going to die. Die. Unless he did something.

Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Sky jerked his arm away from the dark figure. Taking advantage of his opponent's surprise, Sky slammed his full weight against him, sending him sprawling across the ground. Continuing to pummel his 'brother,' Sky's mind went blank to the point that he barely realized what exactly he was going. So focused on bringing down this horrible beast was he, that he also didn't notice the dark fading away in the sky to be replaced with a faint pinkish-orange. And he most certainly did not realize that his opponent had begun to change in appearance. That he had begun to look very much like a normal person.

[Chris Strongheart]

Christine just huddled in a corner, watching the whole scene transpire. She barely moved, barely said anything. She just watched. She just waited - waited to see what was going to happen to her. Her blue eyes were wide and nearly glassy from shock, fear and pain.

[Random NPC]

With a strangled cry, Karel's body writhed against the floor as he tried desperately to catch his breath. But he couldn't - not with the other fellow's hands clamped tightly around his neck. Feeling as though he was on the verge of passing out or dying - he wasn't really sure which - he tried one more time to choke out some words. In a hoarse voice, he begged, "P-please. Please, let me go. I can explain everything . . . p-please . . . just let me breathe."

[Chris Strongheart]

Christine's eyes slowly lost their shocked glaze and she gave another small whimper, almost in an attempt to draw Sky's attention to her, and away from the man he was currently strangling. Her voice came out in a weak, barely there squeak, "Sky?"

[Sky]

As the haze cleared from his mind, Sky looked down at the person he had pinned on the floor in horror. Feeling sick to his stomach at the thought of what he had just been doing, he immediately jerked his hands away from the man's neck as though his skin had been scorched. Rising to his feet and backing away, Sky demanded in a strained voice, "Who are you?"

[Chris Strongheart]

Christine crawled over to Sky and settled next to him, leaning her head against his legs. Her ankle throbbed but she said nothing - didn't want to alarm Sky. She reached up and grabbed his hand, lightly squeezing it with her own.