It wore the darkness like a cloak as it leapt from the shadows and raked inch long claws across the policeman’s stomach. Dark fur and eyes that glowed amber were seen in a flash before it was gone again, leaving the man to scream and scream.

He collapsed to the ground, one hand pressed to the gaping wound visible between the shredded clothing over his waist while he reached for his radio with his other hand, bloody fingers scrabbling to hold it as he screamed for help.

I wanted to step forward, wanted to rush out and help him but I was frozen in place. Fear kept me rooted to the ground as every nightmare I’d had for the last thirteen years came back to flash through my mind. It was real!

The creature appeare, leaping from the darkest shadows to rake its claws across the arm that held the radio and then it disappeared again. It was playing with him, as a cat with a mouse. What manner of creature would derive such pleasure from tormenting another?

Flashes of light in the distance, near the front entrance to the park, indicated that help was on its way. I silently willed the poor man to hold on, to stay alive and fighting just long enough for that help to arrive.

That ever growing pool of blood beneath him told me that it would be too late no matter whether they arrived in time or not.

A low growl issued forth from somewhere, somehow audible other the sounds of the barking hounds and the pain filled shrieks of the dying policeman. Then it appeared again, leaping the full width of the fountain to land beside the wounded man.

It lowered its muzzle and sniffed at his wounds, uncaring of those others that were running across the park, too slow to be of any real help. It bared long fangs as it raised its head and glowing eyes seemed to pierce me to the bone.

I ran. Without hesitation or thought for the poor man whose cries cut off abruptly behind me. I ran as though my life depended on it because I firmly believed that it did.

Arms pumping, I cast aside all pretence of staying hidden and made straight for the side entrance as a howl sounded off to my right. The howl of a wolf as it chased down its prey. Me!

The gate slammed shut behind me and I hesitated a moment, indecision clear on my face for anyone to see. To go left, back towards the police and the crowd of people one street over or go right along the silent street and hope to find somewhere safe.

I set off running to the right. The police would all have abandoned the main entrance to respond to their fallen comrade’s call for help. If I went to the left, then all I would be doing was bringing the monster to a fresh group of defenceless victims.

A dark blur sailed over the iron railings further along the street and I skidded to a halt beside a parked car. The hounds had all fallen silent on this side of the park and I could well imagine them cowering in terror, hoping the creature left them be.

It stalked forward, the top of its head almost level with the roofs of the cars. It was huge and had an overpowering presence, a sense of impending violence in every step it made. A promise of death in those glowing eyes. It was going to kill me.

That was inescapable. I realised that straight away as it bared its fangs in what I took to be a grin. It was enjoying itself and while it wanted me to know that I would die, I had the sense that it wasn’t going to be quick.

Evie had been right. I should have just let it go, gone back inside to the party and had a drink. Maybe talked to someone new, made a friend, found a lover, actually had some fun and managed to get over the past decade of hell I had been living. But no. I’d needed to find out what had happened, to finally get the proof I’d been searching for that the monsters in the night were real.

I’d found that truth and it was going to kill me.

The creature stopped barely five feet from me. I could smell the rank odour of its fur, the foul breath as it exhaled made me gag. Its eyes narrowed, mouth opened just enough for me to see each of its razor sharp teeth, stained with the blood of the policeman.

I desperately wanted to weep, to scream, anything but stand there like the sacrificial fool as I was doing. Terror held me fast, barely daring to breathe. I couldn’t take my eyes from it, couldn’t stop imagining what those teeth and claws would do to me.

It crouched low, muscles tensing and a silent scream sounded in my mind as it leapt, front paws outstretched, claws extended.

For a moment it seemed to hang in mid-air before it was thrown backwards, a shining length of silvery metal embedded in its breast.

“Move,” a rough voice snarled as I was shoved backwards.

The beast scrambled to its feet, a whine sounding low in its throat as smoke rose from the wound. It swiped at the silvery metal with one paw and growled with pain, wisps of smoke rising from its paw whenever it connected.

I stumbled back, away from the creature as a man stepped into view, a long bladed knife in one hand and an old wooden crossbow in the other.

“Better run kid,” he said as he rushed forward.

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The creature tried to leap over the parked cars alongside the road as it saw the man approach but in its weakened state it crashed down on the bonnet of a red Vauxhall and dropped from view over the side as the man followed.

He slashed down with the knife and it yelped in pain before lashing out with one paw and knocking him back several feet to land on the road. He rolled and was back on his feet in one swift movement. He dropped low as it rose up on its hind legs to swipe at him, his blade sinking into its side.

More smoke flowed from the fresh wound along with blood and a yelp of pain from the creature. He pulled free the blade and raised it again as the beast turned and ran.

“Damn,” was all he said as he set off to give chase.

I had no idea what was happening or what to do. The proof I’d been seeking for so long was running for its life from a man with a knife and a bloody crossbow of all things. Moments before, it had been about to kill me.

The police were likely on their way, they’d have heard the noise and lights were being turned on in the nearby houses. Curtains being pulled aside as anxious faces peered out, wondering what was happening. I did the only thing I could think of and that was set off running after the man and monster.

You’re an idiot! You’re gonna die! Ran through my mind again and again as I ran. I couldn’t help it, though, something inside of me needed to know what was going on and the man with the knife had shown himself more than capable of looking after himself against whatever the hell that monster was.

For several minutes I ran, turning down one street and then another, the man and beast staying an even distance ahead of me. The creature was struggling, that was clear, its pace slow as it stumbled against cars, weaving across the road and unable to keep moving in a straight line. The wounds made by that man had done a great deal of damage.

The creature turned a corner and seconds later the man followed. I was not far behind and stopped as I realised it was a dead end. A large stone wall blocked off the end of the street and if the beast couldn’t jump a car, it wouldn’t make it over the wall.

It seemed to understand that as it turned to face the man, bloody saliva dripped from its snarling maw and it stood, crouched, waiting for him.

He moved slowly, laying down his crossbow and stalking forward with knife extended. “Come on then beast, let’s be done with this,” he said into the silence.

With a snarl, it leapt and he swayed to the side, slashing with his knife as it went past. Blood sprayed and smoke burst from the creature as it howled. He didn’t give it chance to pause, as soon as it crashed down to the ground he was on it. His knife flashed once in the moonlight and then it was done.

The man looked up from where he knelt on the body and his eyes met mine. A grunt came from him as he pushed himself to his feet and pulled free his knife, wiping it on the dead creature’s fur before sliding it into a sheath beneath his long brown coat.

He picked up the crossbow and nodded once as he walked past me. I looked over at the dead creature and quickly pulled out my mobile phone. It wasn’t great, just a cheap model, but it had a camera with a flash. I took a few pictures of the dead creature and ran after the man.

“Go away,” he said as he heard me come up behind him. Somewhere in the distance sirens could be heard moving closing.

“What the hell was that?” I asked. “Who are you? I think you just saved my life.”

“Werewolf, none of your business and you’re welcome. Now piss off.”

“You’re joking! A werewolf?”

He grunted and kept walking, the crossbow kept low and to his side, so that it was at least partially hidden from view.

“Are you just going to leave it there? Won’t people ask questions?”

“Coppers will clean it up. A few people might question but the papers will just say a dog attacked and savaged some folk.”

“If it’s a werewolf won’t it turn back to a human?”

“No,” the man said and a slight smile appeared on his wrinkled face as his eyes flicked towards me. He was considerably older than I’d expected after seeing how agile he was.

A police car appeared at the end of the street and I glanced nervously at it but the man just kept walking, the crossbow held at his side to make it as unnoticeable as possible. As it sped past, the driver looked our way but didn’t slow down.

“That was incredible,” I said. “You saved me. How did you kill it? It was so fast, why did it smoke when you hit it?”

“You have a lot of questions kid, that’s understandable, but bugger off and leave me alone.”

Admittedly I hadn’t expected… well, anything that had happened in the past hour or so but if you’d ever asked me what to expect after being rescued, it wasn’t such an unwilling rescuer.

“I need to know,” I said.

“No, you don’t.”

“Screw you. I’ve lived with this every night for the past thirteen years,” I said, voice rising. “No one believed me when I said what happened but this, this is proof.”

He stopped and he turned to look at me fully for the first time. His eyes had an appraising look as though he were weighing me and finding me wanting.

“Something happened?” he asked and I nodded. “Something bad?”

“Yes.”

“Welcome to the club,” he snapped. “Now get over it and forget it. Live your life kid, you don’t want to know.”

He set off walking again at a brisk pace and my steps faltered. I could almost feel the anger behind his words and had the undeniable feeling that he had his own dark memories to live with.

I couldn’t do it, though. Not now, when I was so close to finding out what had attacked my parents all those years ago. If a werewolf was real then maybe, just maybe, he could tell me what had killed them.

“Something killed my family,” I said. “No one believes me when I tell them even though I have the scars to prove it.”

The man stopped in his tracks and he turned back to me. A different, unrecognisable look on his face and one that scared me almost as much as that creature had.

“Scars?” I nodded and he gestured once with the hand that held the crossbow as his other reached for the handle of his knife. “Show me.”

I hesitated a moment, a blush colouring my cheeks and he gestured impatiently as I said, “I’m not wearing anything under this.”

“I’ve seen tit’s before girl,” he replied with a grunt. “Yours are not what I’m interested in.”

With a silent curse I lifted my t-shirt and stared at him as defiantly as I was able, heat colouring my cheeks as I exposed myself. He barely glanced at my chest though. His eyes instead, drawn to the old scars that ran down my body, starting on my left side, just below my armpit and trailing down over my belly and hips, ending on my right thigh, just below my groin.

He traced them with his gaze, staring intently at my ravaged skin and nodding slowly, thoughtfully.

“Perhaps you should come with me,” he said. His voice had lost its rough edge and he appeared almost puzzled. His hand moved away from the handle of his knife though which was an improvement. “I think you need to tell me about what happened.“

The sudden thought occurred to me that perhaps it might not be the best idea to wander off with a man I had just seen kill a werewolf with the long knife he carried, but his thoughtful stare seemed to promise answers… or at least the possibility of some answers, finally.

“Okay,” I said.