SOMETHING VICIOUS

Something Vicious
By
Eric Z Fox
I



It stalked the city like it stalked the world for thousands of years. The terrain that lay before him was hues of reds and grays. That allowed him to hunt in day and night.
Presently he was focused on a pretty black girl. She'd been in the library an hour and a half and was ready to leave. She was finishing up some report or another and getting some books to enjoy. He knows this somehow. He always did. Sometimes by scent others by feeling. Who was he to care; after all didn't it have to be some God who placed him here on earth all those eons ago? He never could remember whom, just that they did it out of fear and jealousy.
She strolled carelessly out of the old marble library. And yes it was old, yet not as old as he was not nearly. As she moved, her braids bounced in perfect time away from her skull. Instinctively he smelled the air and euphorically, she smelled like peaches. Which he knew was her lip-gloss. Oh, how wonderful she'll taste, he thinks. Quickly she stopped, froze. And how he loves it when they do that, he thinks again.


I I

Maria had a book called David Copperfield, that sister told her to get, and the Outsiders, plus two notebooks. She was skipping along thinking of Usher. When that funny prickly feeling went down her spine.
She stopped looked left than right, then before she had decided she was off and running. She didn't know what was after her but she knew it was something.  The buildings moved by like giants on the stroll. She couldn’t hear the muffled noise her shoes made all she could hear was the thump, thump, her heart made in her ears. All too quickly though she was there, the 14th Street subway entrance.



I I I


She ran, yes, yes he thinks to himself, she's running. Oh how delicious. His alien claws scratched loudly on the pavement, cha-chunk.
"Yes a hunt." He whispers to no one. She ran into the subway. Good, just where he wanted her.



IV

The subway was pretty dead for 8:30 at night. Its dirty floor tiles glowed, while the florescent lights flickered as if possessed by some unseen hand. A group of about 13 teenagers stood near the bathroom. Different groups of twos and threes stood talking. Near each beam stood single people. So Maria ran to the safest looking person. He was black with gray stripes in his beard. He wore a round hat like her grandpa and coat to match.
"Help please... It's after me Mr. ... please!" softly she cried as he bent down.
"It's OK honey," he said as he lifted her. "No one will hurt.."
Loudly the door swings open to the train she hadn't even noticed was there. The bad man, who she knew was bad, stepped out first. He was tall and dressed in black and already the silver gun was up. She heard the shots and thought of thunder. Until her and the old man fell and the world faded out.


V

He was standing behind the two when the shots rang out. The man was struck in the face and the girl through the abdomen. About 30 people saw the assassin but none saw the monster. Even if he willed himself to be seen most couldn't even notice him. She fell to the ground in the arms of the dead man. Blood welled up through her mouth swallowing the peach Lip-Gloss.
Ferociously he walked up and looked his prey in her eyes. A quick and competent EMT might have saved her but he was there. Her eyes widened and she tried to speak, but only more blood came bubbling out. She sees me he thinks, how wonderful. He sticks two claws sharper than razors in to her wound.
Viciously he throws his hideous snout in to her. Quickly it's done ripping veins and organs. Chewing through little baby abdominal muscles to find her soul and swallow it. He then triumphantly raises the blood-incrusted muzzle and roars. It is a curdling roar that no one hears