Lycanthrope

A widow struggles with reality, while trying to enjoy the time he has left with his daughter.

1.

  Faded, glassy eyes are looking into my own. The body sprawled out on the dirt before me is void of all life.

  Did I do this?

The dim light of the train station only just touches the scene. My hands are cramped. The man's neck is bruised. 

  The darkness surrounds me, like it's supportive. 

I'm comforted by it.

  How did I get here? 

2.

  A stream of water's shooting from the tap - slamming the kitchen sink. The sound. The sight. I'm pulled into a realm made only of those two things.  

  It's hypnotic.

But something - a voice, is trying to break through the bubble of white noise I'm locked inside.

  '...a...'
Someone. Female? 
  'D..a..'  
In the kitchen with me?

  'Dad!' I pull out of my trance and face my twenty five year old daughter, who's still wearing her revealing pajamas.
  'Where did you go?' She asks, radiating with joy. Such a bubbly, happy girl. It brings a smile to my face. 

  I did something right.

'I uh.'

  'Were you thinking about mum again?'

I force a smile, and look away (acting as if she caught me off guard). I wasn't thinking about her mother. We were two friends that got together, had sex and ended up with a beautiful little girl.

  We weren't soul mates.

We were lost.

  'I know it's hard dad, but remember, you have me,' she says. The sun light filling the room plants a twinkle in her eye, and streaks her auburn hair.

  I smile again, genuinely. 

'That I do. And I love you more then anything - you know that right?' Beth tilts her head and smiles, like I'm a child. 

  'Of course I do. I love you too.' She takes my hand from the edge of the cupboards and I'm filled with warmth. As if we're connected, and she's transferring her love into my own weary soul.

  'But maybe you should consider getting out a little more, you know? I'm only here a few days, here and there.'
  Her words sting.

'I wish you could stay.' The urge to break down amplifies and takes me over, but I hold it, as her happiness evaporates. 

  'I wish I could too, but.'

'I know, I know. They'd fall apart without you.' I force another quick grimace so she knows I get it.

  'I was thinking about going out. Maybe getting some groceries for you?' She says, sweetly.

  I let another smile grace my lips - glassy eyed - and say okay. 'Just put some clothes on first, alright?' She giggles and wraps me in her embrace.

  The safest place on earth.

3.

  The man in the trench coat slams into the brick wall clutching his neck with blood slathered hands. It's still spilling out of the wound - slowly taking his life from him.

  We're alone.

The alley's cold, and barely lit.

  The knife is in my hand.

I look back at the man, as he falls to the ground and stops fighting.

  His wide, bulging eyes, slowly losing life.

I crouch down.

  I want to see this.

I need to.

4.

  I'm running through long grass, quickly evading trees in my path. Sirens are whining in the distance, and I feel as if I've been running for hours - but I'm in no danger. I push past two more trees and step into a clearing. Down the small slope is a long, winding river, glistening with the light of the moon.

  I stumble down to it.

I feel like a monster.

 

5.

  Beth's gentle, soothing tone wakes me peacefully.   

It feels like the middle of the night. 

  'Dad?'

I groan in response. She's sitting on the side of my bed, like she did when she was little, after a bad dream.

  'Are you okay? I've been worried. Where did you get to?' I groan again - unable to calculate a response.

My head hurts.

  I must have been drunk.

'Dad I'm...' Her tone cracks and shows me her fragile state. It hurts, so I roll over immediately. My love for her is all that's exists within my heart. I take her hand and look her in the eyes. I hate that I've hurt her because I can't put down the bottle.

  'I'm so sorry Beth. I'm so....'

'I... I understand. I guess. You had a drink - you were thinking about Mum.' I nod slightly and stay silent so I don't break down and weep pathetically. She leans down and holds me for a moment before retreating.

  'I'll be just down the hall okay?' She asks, from the door. The light from the hall's surrounding her with light.

  My angel. 

My lip trembles and the words escape me: 'I love you Beth. I love you so much.'

6.

  Laughter slips out of me, in response to Beth's story. My mouth's full of bacon, but I don't care. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard - or felt this good. 'And then it all went out the window!' She proclaims, joyfully wiping tears away from her eyes.

  Breakfast with my daughter.

Sunshine filling the kitchen.

  Orange juice.

Her smile.

  Life is good.

I laugh a bit more, to get it out of my system and soak in the euphoria.
  'Oh. Poor Lucy,' I say.

'I know right?' She takes a deep breath and smiles, still beaming.

  'This was really nice Dad.'

I quickly take a bit of a toast and grin.

  'I know.'

'It sucks that I have to leave tomorrow, but we'll do this more often.'

  Her words flick off a switch.

7.

  Once, twice, three times. The knife slides out of the man's stomach, spraying my shirt with blood. His blue button up shirt's sopping up the blood.

   I'm full of rage - monstrous to the core. But he's mine, here alone on the ground. I take one more stab and look to his eyes.

  So scared. 

So desperate.

  His hand twitches.

I re-grip the knife and plant it hard where I imagine his heart is. He goes rigid, and as the light leaves his eyes, I feel the life leave his body. The satisfaction fills all of my empty spaces.

  But I'm still here..

With this..

  Nightmare.

I pick myself up and head back down the alley, unwilling to stop. Two young, slender men enter the alley, and I paint on a terrified expression.

  'Oh bro! Is he okay?' The blonde one asks.

'I don't know man! I just found him and-' I swing the knife into his stomach and before the other has time to react I pull it free and slice his corroded artery. The second falls into the brick wall and collapses, while the other grunts and squirms before me, on his knees.

  I feel like a spider catching flies.

In total control.

  I lean down and place my hand over his mouth.

He grunts at me - powerless. I bring the knife around to his neck and cut, quickly. Warm blood spills out - covering my hand. I pull away and push him onto his back. 

He struggles helplessly grasping his throat, but finally, the light leaves his eyes and I get my release.

  I take a deep breath, feeling satisfied.

I can breathe.

  Cars moan distantly.

I step forward and the world spins around me.
  I fall into the wall and desperately try not to come down on my victim.

What the f**k? 

  '...a...'

A voice.

 I don't know it.

  'Da..!'

'F**k.'

8.

  'Dad!'

I'm upright in my entrance hall, covered in blood, and powerless.
  I'm falling.
Everything's a blur.
  I hit the floor with a thud and break into an uncontrollable fit.

'DAD!' 

  Beth.
Her beautiful face slips into view.
  My girl.
I want to break - I want to weep until I can no longer. 

  I'm dying. 

I must be.

  Everything goes cold, and dark.

  

9.

  Knocking. Loud, assertive knocking.

It's morning. The cold has me shivering already. 

  Beth.

I worried her - she was upset.
  I fucked up.

'Be..' It comes out like a croak. 'BETH!' The knocking doesn't stop. I slowly pick myself up off the ground, feeling like an eighty year old man, and stumble to the door. My head's killing me.
  I rub my eyes for a moment.
'Uh, yeah?' I ask, opening the door. 

  'Sir,' says a tall man with five o'clock rust. 'I'm - f**k. ADAMS! Look.' The two men stare at my shirt and I quickly realize why.
  In the space of a five seconds they've drawn their guns and are shouting: 'DON'T F****N' MOVE!' 

  Their anger rolls off me. 

I'm not scared.

  'I won't,' I say. How calm I am surprises me. They man handle me at the door and handcuff me - before shutting the door, and forcing me to the cruiser.

  I don't want to wake my daughter, so I stay quiet.

10.

  'Where were you last night Mr. Porter?' The black, lady detective gives me her best intimidating tone, but she smells of McDonalds. It's hard to be afraid of someone who's been hanging around Ronald McDonald. I try to find the memory however, but all I get is my nightmare.

  So many nightmares.

'I told you, I don't remember,' I say. 'I was probably working on things.' 

  'Quite a lot of blood on your clothes a*****e.' Without meaning to I giggle.

  'Look,' I say. 'If you call my daughter, I'm sure she can verify my whereabouts.'

  The detective stops and thinks it over.

'Your daughter?'

  'Beth, she's at my house. I didn't want to wake her. Sometimes I drink you know? After my wife died, I... She'll tell you where I was.' The detective looks at the table and then back at me.

  'One minute Mr. Porter.' She stands abruptly and leaves the room - leaving the door wide open. I watch as she's joined by the men who brought me in, and then they leave. 

  A minute later they return and analyze a file.

The detective looks in at me, with a fearful expression on her face. She heads back reluctantly, as if she has to break some bad news. Fearing the long day ahead, I return to my breakfast with Beth and smile.

   A memory I'll hold close.

'Mr. Porter, I'm sorry. We see now what kind of issue we have.' She's feeling nervous? Embarrassed maybe? The sudden change intrigues me. 'We have someone on the way to evaluate you.'

  'Evaluate me?'

'Yes.'

  'What he f**k do you mean "evaluate me?"'

'Analyze you.' A serpent slithers around inside of me, looking for a reason to strike.

  'You're getting a shrink?'

'A doctor.'

  'What? F**k, call my daughter. Just-'

'We can't do that.'

  'WHY THE F**K NOT?!' The woman hesitates, and silence fills the room.

  'She's dead Mr. Porter.' 

Cold weightlessness washes over me. All sense of my reality is draining. My heart, is slowly breaking.

  But I don't cry.

I can't.

11.

  The "doctor" pulls her long dark hair back neatly, before continuing. 'It's multiple personalities,' she whispers - as if I were no longer around.

  'His mind couldn't take it, so he kept her alive. But that wasn't enough.'

  The detective looks at me with disgust, and then at the doctor.

  'What?'

'His mind passed the grief on to a separate version of himself.' 

  'A killer.' 

'Someone who could deal with it for him. Who could vent for him, without shattering his delusions.'

  'F**k me.' The two of them glare at me like I'm an alien.

  'I'll have him committed.' The doctor looks at me again, unsure of who she's looking at exactly.

  I don't know who's looking at her.

I don't know who I am without Beth.

  I don't know how I got here.

Author's Note

I was asked to write something dark, so I gave it a go. It's the first draft, so it's likely riddled with issues, but please, tell me what you think :)

Reviews

[AprilRN1210]

The title threw me off, I admit... Another well written story sir.. I admit, this one didn't flow like the others from you I have read.. The shifting of ideas and scenes throughout wasn't as seamless as it could have been and ended up confusing me sometimes.. It made more sense when I got to the end and saw the "mental break and multiple personalities", but while reading it really made it difficult to keep up with at times... The storyline was interesting, entertaining, the scenery was vivid and the details were well done... I loved the scenes with him and his daughter, you could feel the love and affection.. you have a way of writing, that is affecting and captivating... I was excited to hear that you had added another story as you are one of my favorite to read.. I thoroughly enjoyed this story sir... well done...

one thing I noticed...

"acting as if she caught me of guard." (did you mean "off" guard?)

[Nic Archer]

I certainly see what you mean, and I'm flattered that I'm a favorite!
I'm also glad the heart of the story came through. If it's not there, the story simply has no life and isn't worth reading (or writing). It began as an experimental piece, but I think it deserves a re-write. Perhaps I can fix up the flow, so it's easier to digest.

Thank you very much for the review.
I appreciate it :)
And, yes I did - I'll fix it up.

[AprilRN1210]

you're welcome.. and if you do edit, don't forget to send me RR so can see:)

[Mark]

I really enjoyed this Brian, had me following, watching it all play out, then found myself guessing anticipating looking for the clues, had ‘Memento’ in my head for some reason, wondering if it was partly playing backwards.. trying to explain the delusion (I enjoyed that, I think on reflection it helped with the misdirection), then the ending hit… just saying… I didn't see it… when is the next one coming? :)

[Nic Archer]

Hey Mark, I'm glad you liked it.
I was a little nervous about posting this one (because it ventures into dark territory) but I felt like there was something there.
And, I have a few I'm working on, so I may have something else up soon.
I appreciate the review :)