Aftertheblood - 1. Chapter 1

Jason Warner never realized how deserted the streets of Bedford, Ohio could be at times. He ran nonetheless, knowing that he would be home in a matter of minutes. Is that monster still back there? He could no longer hear its horrid growling, but at that moment he didn't care why. He still couldn't believe his four best friends were all dead, ripped to shreds by that…that…werewolf? Where did that thing come from? The five of them were just having a little fun, how'd it turn into this nightmare?

Almost there, Jason thought as he turned a corner onto his street. Two more blocks and he would be home. This is all nothing but a really fucked up dream, he kept telling himself. His dreams usually end with him getting exhausted and going to bed; before long he’d wake up next to his Jessica Alba poster and none of this would have happened. He ran harder. The cold March air stung his lungs, but it no longer mattered since he was now in the driveway. His mom's car wasn’t there yet; she must still be at work.

Jason got his keys out of his pocket as he approached the back door (where his mom preferred people enter). He suddenly heard a loud denting noise and glanced upward. His gaze meets the silver eyes of the enormous human wolf, hunched on the awning above the door. Jason was too stunned to even scream. With inhuman speed, the monster leapt upon Jason and sunk its claws into his chest. The monster raised a clawed hand in the air for another slash, when it was shot in the chest by a third party.

The creature reeled in white-hot pain from the bullet, then looked up to see a mysterious figure in a white hooded trench coat. A glowing sword was in one hand and a pistol in the other. The monster threw a stray cinderblock at him and took off into the night, still ridiculously fast despite the bulletwound.

The hooded man dodged the brick but chose to see to the victim rather than pursue the monster. The victim’s shirt was a shredded, blood-sodden mess. The hooded man said a quick prayer, laid his hands on the youngster’s chest, and channeled his healing powers. It was no use however, for the boy was already dead. The hooded figure signed himself and began to pray for the victim, when he heard a police car pull into the driveway.

“Put your hands in the air and get up slowly,” a police officer ordered.

The hooded man looked startled, then released a blinding light. When it faded away, he was gone. The cop and her partner tried to chase him, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Damnit!” the lady cop said. They noticed the bloody body lying in the grass.

“Kid’s dead,” the second cop confirmed, shaking his head, “Just like the other four, looks like they were mauled by some animal. What the hell is going on?”