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Scene #51
All she wanted to do was run. Run from the humiliation. Run from
the hurt and rejection. Run from everything and everyone. She
needed to get away. The fifteen year old girl, Elaina
Lupo-Donato, pushed out the rear gate and hit the alley at a dead
run. She put her heart into it, and before long she was blocks
away and headed for the nearest city park and the bicycle paths
that meandered throughout the wooded area. Elaina had been
running for about twenty minutes before she realized how late it
had gotten. It was almost full dark in the small forest track.
Although her eyes seemed to adjust to the darkened area, her brain
began to function again. What was she thinking? It was after dark
and she was a young girl jogging alone down a dark city park
pathway. Even Elaina had more common sense than that!
Jersey Park was a full four city blocks wide and fostered a full
nature path for bikers and joggers which meandered through the
thick forested area. The wooded area was carefully patrolled by the
City Police foot and bicycle patrols during the daytime, however
after dark the more sinister elements seemed to take over the
closed in spaces. Regardless of knowing this, Elaina didn’t
slow her pace. She did take a closer look at her surroundings
though, surmising that she was at the far end of the meandering
lane and about another quarter mile away from the nearest exit
point. If she pushed herself now, she could probably make in
little time at all. Yet with the realization of the potential
dangers, her stride faltered and her breathing began blowing out in
uneven, shallow gasps. Crap. I have to get out of here before I
get myself into trouble. Her newly acquired fear sent a shot
of adrenaline through her and her legs seemed to fly into motion.
Her vision tunnelled, and her mind started to drain of fear, to be
replaced with the euphoric feeling of freedom. This was what she
was born to do! It could have been someone totally innocent
of any maliciousness, but when Elaina rounded the next bend to find
the path blocked by a dark-hooded figure, she followed her
instincts and dove forward into the underbrush. It happened so
quickly that she couldn’t quite mark the change in full, but before
her hands had hit the grassy forest floor, they had turned into
padded paws with nails that seemed to sink deeply into the earth
beneath. Strength flowed through her and the natural gait of the
wild animal pushed her into the run of her life! Within seconds
she had reached the next loop of the bike path and then she was
back in the darkened forest. For the first time in a long time,
Elaina felt ‘right’. That was until she reached the next pathway
intersection and nearly leapt right onto the three guys standing
there! She didn’t know who was more freaked...the
leather-clad men who began to scream like little girls, or herself.
She didn’t wait to find out though, as she forced her body onwards
towards the safety of the trees beyond. Panting, Elaina forced
herself to stop her run and let her mind catch up. What just
happened back there? Her breathing slowed as she forced her mind
around the fact that she had just been running like a dog on all
fours. She was still crouched on the ground as her sides heaved
and her eyes scanned her surroundings. Her hearing had sharpened
and she could make out the sounds of distress coming from the
startled men she had passed. Wondering how she must have looked to
them, Elaina took another moment to look down at her body. She was
covered in fur patches sticking out of the ripped and torn remnants
of her white blouse and black slacks...rust red fur! OMG...I look
like an animal too! What is happening to me? With this
revelation, Elaina felt herself begin to tremble with fear and
confusion. How could this be happening? Her life was no storybook
fiction. What was she? An animal? Before her fear could
completely incapacitate her, a high pitched scream ripped through
the quieted area. Elaina’s mind snapped to alertness and her
nostrils flared as the smell of fear drifted to her from her left
where the now muffled squeals were coming from. She didn’t think
further, just reacted. Turning towards the sounds of
distress, Elaina bounded towards them. Not twenty feet ahead she
spotted the source. A young woman was being held by one man as
three others circled her...taunting her with crude words and
groping hands that ripped at her clothing and tore at her pale
skin. She was fighting, but her capturer had a firm grip on her
arms with one of his and his other hand cupped her mouth
effectively pining her to his chest and opening her front up to the
vultures circling the pair. Fear seemed to ripple off the
girl in waves. Each time she struggled, the anticipation
heightened for her attackers and somehow their disgusting thoughts
and feelings seemed to penetrate Elaina’s own mind. Elaina felt
frozen...sickened...and then it happened...a red haze of anger rose
inside her. A fire seemed to explode inside her mind and she
launched herself at the group. A feral howl exploded from her
chest and her mouth seemed to stretch out with a snap that freed
her jaw to open wider than that of a mere human. The slight pain
and taste of tangy blood from her gums was barely noticed as
Elaina’s teeth pushed down to reveal an impressive set of canines -
sharp, long, and prepared to rip out the throats of those tainted
souls now frozen in stunned disbelief and terror at the mere sight
of her. Fight or Flight? What would Elaina choose?
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