Chapter 2: The Lead

Allen rose from the wooden bar stool at the back of the pub. “Werewolf.” He repeated, as if the word fit perfectly into the puzzle in his dazed mind.

Although, the possibility of such a creature being the culprit behind his grandfather’s death had crossed his mind prior. Allen had eliminated them from his list of suspects, on account of them being pretty self-aware. Not uncommon around the outskirts of Ineset, they mostly kept to themselves and rarely showed aggression towards humans. Only socializing within their packs, werewolves typically shied away from the noise and crowds in the city. It was unheard of that one should appear here now, much less in broad daylight.

Resolute that this must be the answer he was searching for, Allen walked purposefully toward the door. Blocked by the beefy vendor as he threw his body across the entry “Don’t go out there, Son.” He said, the whiskers of his thick moustache bristling.

“Let me through.” Allen demanded.

Firm in his stance the man shook his head, imploring him once more to be more reasonable “You don’t understand that thing is out of control! It’ll tear you up limb from limb kid, just let those guys from the Alliance take care of it.”

Annoyed, Allen glared at him. Placing a hand on the butt of the pistol on his belt he growled a threat “Don’t make me shoot you.”

“Boris, let him out if he wants to get himself killed, that’s his own damn business.” The bartender hollered irritably from behind the counter.

Backing down, the man allowed him to pass. Stepping out onto the street, Allen removed the old pistol from its holster. His heart pounding and thoughts a mess, he sprinted into the direction people had fled. Abandoning fear at some point on that bar stool, he raced towards the square driven forward by the simplistic desire for retribution after the pain and suffering he had endured.

Pushing against the frenzied flow of people and ducking through multiple alley ways in a steady rain. Allen arrived at the scene. Only to discover that a solitary person stood in the empty square. Drenched by the shower, it took a while before Allen recognized the familiar figure draped in the same ragged black cloak he had seen before. Although their hood was drawn, Allen could clearly see the person’s haunting snake like yellow eyes flash in his direction.

Their hands covered in fresh blood he felt the color drain from his face in an instant. Regarding them in horror as he noticed another person laying on the ground behind them. Their lifeless figure sending a shiver down Allen’s spine. However, still resolute in his purpose here, he fixed his gaze on the cloaked figure. His repulsion at the unnaturalness of their presence evident, he asked “You did this?”. The accusation implicit, Allen’s hatred began to bubble inside of him.

Rather than receiving a response, he watched as they brought up a slender hand to brush away a long white strand of hair from their face, leaving a trail of blood smeared across their pale cheek as they regarded him fully now.

Standing his ground, Allen raised the pistol. Squarely fixing the villain within its sights, his fingers trembled slightly on the trigger. Still uncertain whether this was culprit behind his grandfather’s death or a coincidence, he questioned further “Did you kill my grandfather too?” His words inspiring a malicious grin to form on their small face. The rest of Allen’s doubts soon dissolved once it twisted into as smile. Erupting into villainous laughter, it echoed in the dismal deserted square. Before it was cut short by the ringing of a gunshot.