“An extraordinary creature indeed.” Doctor Zvikas stood but a few inches away from the cage as he gazed upon the beast within it’s steel bars. The once human woman now transformed into a creature of fear and destruction, an abomination to most who seek only to destroy that which they don’t understand, and yet to others, like Zvikas, an evolutionary wonderment. The creature’s amber eyes glowed with an intensity and fervor that would be considered a warning to anyone who approached the cage. A warning that a swift and gruesome death was coming for them. However, Zvikas had lived enough life times that his fear of death, no matter what the cost, had all but vanished and was replaced with an unquenchable thirst for the truth of their existence. Ghosts, Wraiths, Demons, Werewolves, and even the creature most disliked by the Werewolves, the Vampire. Zvikas was one such vampire, a rare species indeed, as most vanished into hiding or a final death over the countless centuries passed. Their bloodthirsty urges, pursuit of power, and general reckless abandon caused his kind to fall and crumble into the dust whence they came. The doctor, however, chose an unlife of service and creation over his time as an immortal, rather than discord and destruction, keeping himself more human-like as to better blend in with those he co-labored with on a day-to-day basis. His experiences with the supernatural were rather sparse, much of it undocumented, but the intrigue had never departed from him nonetheless, and with a new species of werewolves to study, he hoped to discover a secret hidden away since the beginning of time. The beast slowly paced the cage, continuing to lock her gaze onto the doctor, perhaps seething over the possibilities of ripping his throat out, but seething regardless. A werewolf doesn’t do well in confined spaces, especially not a cage built to withstand the raw strength and power they can unleash. The bars themselves were slightly bowed outward, and patches of dark fur scattered on the ground, an indication that the wolf had attempted, but failed to escape. Zvikas lifted his clipboard and scribbled down a few notations for later, namely to be present during the creature’s physical regression to a human woman. How long was the process? What did the body go through in order to process all of the shifting and reforming of bone, muscle, and tissue? Was there a way to control the change?... “You may not be able to fully understand what I am saying to you, Miss Novikov, but know that you’re safe here for as long as you cooperate. Miss Denver, on the other hand, I am unsure about as her escape has proved to be a rather unforeseen variable.” The doctor lowered the clipboard and crossed his hands in front of him, stepping one pace closer to the cage. “There are those who wish to harm [i]our[/i] kind, you see, out there in the world. Hunters...who would stop at nothing to ensure that we never exist again.” Zvikas paused for a moment, exhaling a deep forced breath and collecting his thoughts before continuing. “You and Miss Denver are not the first werewolves I’ve encountered. There was another, many years ago, who escaped this very facility and was never seen again. He had become a friend of sorts during his stay, as we shared a common unnatural curse, but his intentions were beyond these walls. He spoke of uniting against the established resistances, of destroying the foundation of the human hunters and their followers. But it doesn’t have to be this way, as I’ve learned to live amongst the mortals for more years than I can remember, and if I’ve learned anything about them, it’s that they fear what they do not understand. The humans need to be made to [i]understand[/i] and exists side-by-side with our kind, not destroyed to preserve it.” Another pause came, slightly longer than the first, before concluding. Soon, Miss Novikov, I will need you to seek him out, and you will then gain the freedom you are entitled to...” ------------------------------------------ The brisk chill of the morning air crept gently up and down Kelly’s skin, causing a tingling sensation that woke her from the undetermined amount of time she was asleep. The breeze passing through the tall dense forest, rustling of multi-colored leaves that blanketed the ground, water rushing through the nearby river, and the chirping of various species of birds all created a symphony of sounds which her senses picked up with precision. The familiar scent of bacon assaulted her nose as well, causing her mouth to salivate and stomach to churn as a hunger and thirsty previously unmatched grew within. Amongst her senses, however, her head swirled and ached from the side effects of the tranquilizer agent, likened to a hangover three times worse than any she had experienced. As her eyesight and hearing focused, refined, and adjusted, two male voices, those of young boys, were heard close by. Skinny and reddish-brown hair, they looked to be brothers, the younger about twelve and the other at least a few years older. Both had on light outdoor clothing for cool weather, and holding fishing rods, tackle boxes, and bag slung across their back. “I don’t know dude...maybe she’s dead?” The young kid’s voice took on a worried tone. “No you idiot, I saw her moving just a minute ago” The other, slightly older voice stated matter of factly, taking another bite of his breakfast sandwich. “Um...so why would a black naked woman be down here near the Taunton River at seven o’clock on a Saturday morning?” The older kid reaches into his pocket and holds his phone up with the camera lens pointed toward Kelly’s location, with the sound of a camera shutter following. “I don’t know, but this shit is going up on Facebook.” “Kevin, no! We need to tell Dad so he can call the police.” The young boy said, his voice sounding even more worried as he sniffled a few times. “I don’t like this...” “Fine you chickenshit, you go run and tell Dad and I’ll stay here...and, um keep watch.” The smaller kid ran off down the decline in the direction of the river below, as the other stayed, staring at his phone and punching in something on the screen. “Dammit.” He grumbled. “Frickin’ internet service out here sucks…” [@Xandrya]