The creature peered from the darkness. A meer shadow waiting for his meal. Red eyes stared out of the darkness where he lay in wait for its victim appear. Only then will he reveal himself to snatch the victim and ravish the body with his sharp skilled teeth, and a tongue that could already taste the warm still blood.

The creature counted the seconds that turned into minutes amd quickly into hours. Impatience burned through his blood as he stood there and waited.

The night disguised his location. The weeping willows provided extra protection. His first thought was to hide in the alley, but the smell repulsed him. The rats would have surely given him away as they scurried about looking for food.

The predator inside was getting restless. It was hungry and wanted to eat. It knew it had to be control itself. On nights like these it was difficult to do so. No one on the streets meant a longer wait for a meal.

Of course there this time alone he was able to think of how it was before and how food was pleantiful.

It was once a man like every other man he knew. He was born into a predominate family who was never in need of money. When the Great Depression hit, his was one of the few of the lucky families. When his father, eventually, lost his job he spent a lot of the money on gambling and drinking. Although he wasn't an abusive drunk his few friends left for better company. His mother turned a blind eye.

When he turned eighteen a change had come over him. Within a few months of his birthday he had began to feel more animal than human. One night as his parents slept peacefully he crept into their room. Although the lights were out he could see perfectly through the darkness. He attacked them as they slept. He ripped at their throats so viciously that blood spurted on the clean white sheets and wood panelled wall.

He chewed at their flesh without remorse. The taste was like a carefully prepared gourmet meal. The blood was the fine wine. He gnawed until there was nothing left but shells of bones. He had even sucked the precious marrow out of what remain of his parents.. When he was finished he disappeared into the night never to return.

No one had explained what was happening to him. He had to learn to control his curse confused and alone. After a few years of wandering around, lost in his own mind, he learned to control the demon inside that was constantly trying to come out.

Lately the crime rate had risen and people were afraid to leave their homes at night. Even the pimps kept their women behind locked doors with a sign that read: INVITATION ONLY.

He wasn't sure if they were normal human criminals or others like him that had frightened everyone into hiding. He couldn't be sure because he had never met another like him. He knew there had to be more creatures. but like him remained hidden. Was it to possible that they were so rare or was it they to be solitary creatures for their own protection? Perhaps those like him would attack each other waging a war that would wipe their species from the planet. He began to think that it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

The stillness bothered him. Not even a breeze blew or sounds could be heard close by nor in the distance. He didn't like the quiet. The silence gave his mind the freedom to think and sometimes be remorseful for the vile things he had done to survive. Maybe he didn't need to survive. He could stop killing and commit suicide by starving himself. He had already decided not to father children. He didn't want the curse to fall upon the shoulders of the next generation.

His appetite grew as he waited, unmoving, in the shadows. Time went by slowly. He didn't know the time. The only thing he had to go by was the surrounding darkness.

Out of the night he heard faint footsteps approach. He crouched ready to strike. The foot falls stopped directly in front of him.

With his keen eyesight he could tell the person was a woman. She was petite with slim features. Her brown hair fell just below her shoulders in a wave of curls. She was probably on her way home from a party or a late night at work. He guess work by the blue pant suit she wore.

He reached his long arm out and yanked her into the shadows. His other hand covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. His red eyes glowed through the darkness taking her beauty before he killed her.

He laid on top of her so she couldn't move. She tried to struggle, but he was too strong for her to do much but squirm lightly under his own body. A lot of men would have found her movements arounsing, but he was there for only one purpose, and that was to feed.

He dipped his head down and tore at her throat like a vicious lion eating its prey. It didn't take long for death to take her leaving her body for him to do what he pleased. The warmth of her blood covered his face as well as his chest. He wanted more than anything to roar in satisfaction, but he didn't want to take a chance of being heard. He ate until there was nothing but a broken skelaton. When he was finished with her he ran off to disappear into the darkness only to return another night.