The Cruelest of Atrocities

The dark forest smelled of moss and mildew. Streams of of glowing moonlight filtered through the pine needles and lit the forest floor with ghosting slivers of light. The light bent and bowed with the rising of the wind. Nighthawks flew through the trembling branches in search of a meager meal. Small mice burrowed through the wet dirt. Then all was still.

The wind ceased to blow and all the animals disappeared into their homes. There was no noise but the soft sound of clawed feet on earth. A creature stumbled into the shadows. The darkness all but hid its features but as moonlight darted over its body it was clear that the creature had a human form. The pitiful creature curled in on itself and turned its face into the rough tree bark. Its body shook with pain and fear. A beam of moonlight fell across the creature's face. It's eyes were amber and unmistakably human, but the skin around it's eyes were dotted with pale green scales.

Suddenly two children crashed through the brambles. The creatures eyes turned from soft amber to harsh, florescent green with slitted pupils.

"Father!" the young boy shouted as he tried to run towards the creature. his sister held him back. The creature paced slowly towards the two children leaning slightly on it's arms. The creature walked up to the horror struck girl until it was eye to eye with her and it screamed. The girl ran away wither her brother in tow.

The flesh of the creature had been entirely dominated by scales. They swished together like sequins when the creature moved. Still shrieking, the creature lunged after the two children. The boy broke away from the girl and made his way to a pile of huge boulders. He quickly managed to climb so he could see the creature.

"Father, please, try to think," he called down to the creature. The creature stopped shrieking. It faltered a little as if it were actually comprehending it's son's words. Then it bolted onto the rocks, scraping it's long claws against the hard granite. The boy squeaked and tried to get away but not before the creature made it to the top of the rocks. The creature started to growl, a deep guttural sound from the back of it's throat. The boy backed away in terror. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and turned his head awaiting the almost certain death. But suddenly the creature turned away. Across the clearing the boy's sister was standing among the branches of an ancient oak tree. She yelled and the creature lept down from the rocks and started to stalk towards the oak tree.

The girl looked like an ancient hero, blazing in glory. Her eyes were bright and she stood tall and proud. But, shining heroes quickly fall. Once the creature had reached the base of the tree truck it began the shriek again. Instead of a high pitched scream, like a banshee,it was more of a roar.

The creature lunged up the tree trunk, claws cutting the dark bark leaving long lateral scratches. The creature mad it's way to the branch where the girl was standing. her eyes were cast straight ahead and she stood stoic even in the face of a fearsome enemy. She did not move, not even when the creature had reached her branch. She looked strait into it's eyes and she did not waver, never. She seemed to be a disembodied angel until the last second, when the creatures claws cut her skin, when she screamed.

The boy could only watch in paralyzed horror as he saw his world end. Any hope of survival now would be lunacy. Suddenly a man walked in to the clearing. His hair was filthy and his hands were stained with chemicals. His eyes glowed, but less like stars and more like dying coals.

The boy turned into half the monster his father was. He launched himself down from the rocks and towards the man. With all the might his small body could muster, he hit the man. His thin arms and small hands scarcely made a bruise on the larger man but never the less, he hit him until his knuckles bled. The man looked, at best, amused. He took the little boy by his collar and threw him aside. The creature, still on the tree branch, looked over at the two and growled. It's eyes had changed from the vicious slitted green eyes back to the frightened amber eyes. The creature slowly lept off the tree and began to walk towards the man.

" You did this," screamed the little boy, "You changed him, you killed her, you did this."

The boy was afraid and trembling, "and we will die because of it."

The creature reached the place where the two people were standing. Without a sound the Creature lunged at the man. The man dodged the skilled attack and countered with a blow to the creature's flank. While the creature was incapacitated for a moment the man grabbed the boys wrist.

The creature made a noise. At first it sounded like disgruntled choking but then the meaning became clear. "Forgive me." he said.

The creature rose to his feet once again and looked angrily at the man who held his son. His scales were quickly melting back into flesh and his claws were shortening. In a matter of seconds the creature was a man on his hands an knees.

" You," he said fiercely to the other man, "You.. you use me... to hurt my family, and you expect to escape." his eyes were alight with internal fire. " You turned me, and other innocent men into monster for what. Fame? Fortune?" He sneered. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

The other man said nothing. There were only two loud shots. All was still.