Snippet #2071441

Conall

A wholehearted sigh permeated through the crisp, country air. Sunlight rained down upon the cherry-coloured wood of the quiet town. To the man who stood amidst the town center, the site was peacefully satisfying. Tiny fires burned here and there, their orange embers nearly blending into crimson surroundings. A crooked grin ghosted the young man's lips as he took notice of them, surprised they were still burning. Finding a suitable place to rest, he plopped down and stretched, careful not to snag his newly donned, over-sized clothes on the debris from last night. It had been quite a night and a weariness still clung to him. He hadn't had such fun in a while, not with so many people. Though, always up for a party, he was happy things had died down. He could now take his time and enjoy the sites and his solitude.

A groan corrupted the silence, however, and the young man turned to the disturbance with a frown. Slowly, he stood and carefully made his way towards the source of the noise. Sobs and grunts of effort reached his ears as he neared a corner, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins. Cautiously, he peeked around the corner and saw woman, dragging herself across the ground. Obviously, there was something wrong, judging by the bloodtrail she was leaving behind. He rushed towards her and knelt down to where she lay. Her screams surprised him as he gently laid hand hand upon her shoulder and he stumbled back with a start. Upon seeing the young man, the woman's screams instantly turned to sobs and she threw herself upon him, twisting her fingers into the bagginess of his pants.

"P-please," she sobbed, gripping his leg tightly, "Please help me. W-we need to get out of here!"

Regaining his balance he rests his hand upon her head, brushing his fingers through her hair. "What happened to you?"

She pressed her face into his leg, seeming to calm at his touch. "I-I'm not sure. There was a beast. Some kind of dog," she paused recalling her attacker, hysteria once more creeping back into her voice, "It killed. It killed everything! We have to leave! It could-"

Her sudden rant stopped abruptly when the young man clasped his fingers upon her mouth. She tried to wiggle out of it, but stopped upon realizing the vain of her efforts and looked up at the man with fear and confusion. He sat still, rubbing his eyes with his free hand, as if plagued with a sudden headache. "A dog, lady?" he stated before looking down upon her, "Really?"

He then stood and walked over to the wall of the building, carefully stepping over the blood trail the woman had made. His fingers traced the large scratches in the wood, before fleshing out the markings into a comprehensible word. He chuckled in disbelief before turning back to the injured girl, trying to overcome the annoyance brought on by her state. Pain and fear had rendered her silent and still- so much for enjoyment. He frowned and knelt beside her, cradling her face in his hands. His voice was soft, but firm, "You can read, right? Please tell me, you plow-pushers can at least do that." Her eyes remained fixed upon the wall as she slowly nodded in response, a new wave of tears wetting her cheeks. "Good," he said tossing her aside, before standing to leave town, "Make sure whoever comes to your rescue knows what they're looking for," he stopped and turned so she could see the horribly toothed snout pushing out from his face, "Hopefully, you're still alive by then." Laughing at her sudden scream, his face once more takes on human appearance and he walks out of the dead town, howling happily to himself.