One

Kat made sure the doors to her vehicle were locked, turned toward the building, and froze. Someone was not-so-casually clearing their throat to get her attention.

Two men stood right across the street, hiding in the shadows, and they were watching her, waiting. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, her heart skipped a beat. A movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention.

Two more men on her side of the street came up the sidewalk toward her. They were closer to the entrance of the building than she was. Judging the distance, she wasn’t sure she could make it inside before they got to her. The men across the street stepped forward.

Kat stepped backward, her legs moved without thought. Fight or flight kicked in and all instincts within screamed, run!

Her foot slammed into a puddle and water splashed her jeans. From the brief rain earlier in the day, many were scattered along the cement, which made it hard not to land in one. None of that concerned her as she barreled her way through the darkened streets of the city.

Her breath came in quick gasps and she went as fast as her legs could carry her. Not a hundred percent sure from what she ran, the fear in Kat’s belly told her she needed to keep going, because whatever was behind her was not something that needed to catch up.

Her legs burned, her feet stung, she struggled to breathe. Her throat was raw and she wanted to stop, but fear propelled her forward. The fear combined with the sounds of wolves she could have sworn she heard behind her.

Running for her life through the cold, dark city streets, fear boiling through her veins and her soul, wasn’t something she thought she would be doing earlier in the evening. It wasn’t something she ever thought she’d face in her life.

Having dropped her purse a while ago for speed, she turned a corner and cut through an alleyway with no idea where she’d go, or where she was, but she knew she needed to keep moving.

“Here kitty, kitty. . . .” Taunting voices called out in the dark. They sounded like they were all around her and she couldn’t pinpoint a location. She prayed they were behind her. They sounded much closer than before.

An entryway appeared in front of her, and Kat ducked into the corner of it. The moment she was out of sight, the men entered the alley behind her.

Kat’s heart pounded in her ears, it took every ounce of courage she owned not to scream.

They pounded on the dumpsters, calling out, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Rude laughter followed as they passed.

She fought to control her breathing, lest the men hear her and come back. Once positive they’d passed by with enough time to spare, she slipped out and headed back the way she’d come.

Kat rounded the corner, back to the street, and halted when she came face-to-face with a man wearing a preacher’s outfit. All black from head-to-toe, with a white collar around his neck, or what looked like a white collar.

Her heart thumped in her chest. What she saw wasn’t what one would call a man. She studied the creature in front of her. No hair, his eyes were cold and empty, reddish black, his ears were longer than normal and pointed slightly at the end. They showed when he turned to look back down the alley from where she had come.

Kat wasn’t sure whether or not she should be afraid. Was this one of the men who chased her? Had he been watching her as well? She didn’t know, and couldn’t know for sure. She figured it was, but the way he looked down the alleyway—

“M—e—o—w. . . .”

Kat turned toward the sound as she heard the long drawn out taunt from the alleyway behind her, and her heart picked up the pace. Shadows loomed against the brick; she thought she’d have a heart attack. A monster was coming, one she didn’t want to face.

She turned to look at the creature, man, thing standing there and knew she needed to get away. His hand swept across her line of vision, and in a single moment, blackness enveloped her world.

As she passed into unconsciousness, she heard him whisper, “It will be all right. You are safe.”

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