The sidewalks were endless gray highways in the city night. It was twilight, and the last colors of the sunset had faded into a velvet darkness. The air held a slight chill, and a mist was forming, swirling in a thick, smoky fog that blotted out the remaining landscape. Lampposts, stationed like soldiers, glowed eerily. And a lone figure huddled beneath their strange light. Not much could be seen of him, a trench coat covering his more casual dress, a hat tipped toward his brow so his face was hidden in its shadow. He hunched forward to light a cigarette, and the smoke swirled toward the light above, blending with the mist that created the walls of his world. He raised his head, exhaling long and hard. A twisted smile turned his mouth into an animalistic snarl. A few quick inhalations, and he tossed the unfinished cigarette, stooped low to all fours, and trotted down the gray highway in his new form. The grayness of his coat blended in with the mist. His pace quickened. The hunt was on.
He took on the pace common to wolves, head low, level with his back, legs moving at a quick pace, as silent as a shadow, a deadly gleam in his eyes. No one. Not a solitary figure could be seen. He stretched low and quickened his pace to a lope, ever watchful, ever searching. His senses were keen. Somewhere ahead...no, over to the left. Not much farther. He slowed slightly, ears turned forward, alert to the slightest hint of sound in the silence of the mist. There, a light giggle. It was a young couple, embracing in the dim light of the streetlight. Their voices were soft, mere whispers, but he could see them now. He came to an abrupt stop. Clutching hands, they raced up the steps toward a house, up the steps and out of the mist. His lips turned up as he emitted a low growl. He lost them.
Wheeling round, haunches low and bristling, head and tail extended, he tore silently down the misty highway, a lean gray shadow that floated over the mist covered sidewalks. His wolf run carried him far to the other side of the city at something just short of phenomenal speed. His breathing never even quickened. He slowed his pace once again as he reached the stretch of the city known for its nightlife. He usually avoided this strip, preferring the quieter areas of the city. Too much going on here. It was harder to focus. Music blared from inside most of the buildings, neon signs flashed, their colors cutting sharply through the fog, turning it odd shades of red and blue. He curled his lips back in disgust. A line of cars whizzed by him, never noticing the creature whose existence was entirely hidden in the mist. A horn blared, and someone shouted to another driver. He snarled in response. He hated them. Hated them all. They were mundane creatures, judging this by the superficial behavior he was forced to witness, brushing their clothes down, primping their hair. ogling at themselves in mirrors, laughing boisterously with friends. This is what he saw in this part of the city, and he hated them for it. Hating them mostly because they were free. Free. Now that was something that he actually envied them for, but the envy turned to hate, and this hate bred a hunter, and this hunter hung within the mist that was his prison, waiting. Waiting for one of them to enter his domain. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, though he found himself pacing nervously. Soon, he reassured himself. It was getting late. But the mist was thick and would probably last till the morning sun. He had time.
It was a good hour before the music died in the club across the street. And it was another hour still before the people staggered out the door. They were still laughing and carrying on. One of them was having a difficult time walking, and needed to be helped along. They were drunk. Bah! He hated the scent of alcohol. It was sharp and stinging, and interfered with his senses. He waited patiently while they ambled off to their respective cars. The street grew quieter with their leaving. One by one the neon lights stopped their flashing, and the mist returned to its soft silver color once more. He started out again at an easy pace, alert and undistracted. The walls of his world were strong tonight, there was no real need to hurry. So he continued his smooth gait from one city block to the next, self assured by his primal instincts, one block melting into the next as the end of one and the beginning of another were obscured by the ever thickening mist. He swung to the right at one of the intersecting side streets away from the city's main strip, ears forward, senses alert, eyes blazing with increased excitement. The hunt had resumed. His body stretched longer, and lower to the ground, not losing one pace, not once breaking stride. Footsteps clicked on the sidewalk, discordant and unsynchronized. How many were there? Two? No, there were three. He was sure of it. He could quicken his pace and be upon them , taking one down for sure, but the others would surely run, and he would lose them. No, he had to use his wits this time. As if in answer, the wind stirred softly in a chortle, swirling the mist further out, increasing the span of his world to the side by at least another fifteen feet. And the creature took full advantage of this, darting off the concrete path he had been following, racing low to the ground, past the group, now ahead of them, leaving them a small distance behind. Two were males, the other a female. His plan was already taking form. A bit of a challenge, but not too hard.
A streetlight glowed softly in the encompassing mist just ahead . And as the threesome neared it, they saw a solitary figure standing beneath the light, his back leaning against its post, hunched forward slightly as he tried to light a cigarette. They were just past him, just stepping out of range of the streetlight and back into the dark mist, when they heard him swear softly, incoherently, to himself.
"Hey buddy, you got a light? Mine doesn't seem to be working." He raised his head just enough to see one of the males put his arm across the young woman's shoulders, pulling her closer to his side.
" Let's go," he whispered in words too soft for any human ears to perceive. But the strange figure standing beneath the streetlight heard it quite plainly, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a wry smile.
"C'mon, can't you help a guy out? I just need a light." His senses still alert, he listened as two sets of footsteps quickened, but the third set slowed, then stopped. He had one.
"Yeah, I got a light. Hold on." The others still spoke in hushed whispers, encouraging him to keep moving.
"I'll only be a minute, guys." A single set of footsteps could be heard retracing their way towards the streetlight, and a lone figure soon appeared out of the mist. "Here ya go, buddy," and he extended his hand to light the cigarette still clamped between the two thin lips of the stranger.
The wind blew slightly, stirring the mist, causing it to rise upward, blocking all but the faint glow of the streetlight from any watching eyes. And two pair of eyes were straining to catch sight of their friend who had gone back there. The mist was so thick now, they couldn't see anything. And the silence was unbearable.
"Yo, Bob. We gotta get going. C'mon, hurry up." But the night was silent and gave no answer to their call. Their feet shuffled nervously, as they waited for their friend to reappear. They were impatient, and the nervousness was quickly turning to fright. Long minutes of silence passed before they slowly inched back down the sidewalk toward the streetlight. The mist parted before them as they walked, and soon they stood underneath the soft glow of light. But their friend was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the strange man who had beckoned him back. They stood there, calling his name, but to no avail. There was only silence, an empty sidewalk, and a lingering mist that curled devilishly around the light that was their only source of comfort. Beyond the light there was only thick mist and incomprehensible dark, and they shuddered in unspoken fear of it.
Sarah broke the spell of silence in a thin, trembling voice, "So what happened to Bob?" She paused for a moment, pulling at the ends of her long, auburn hair until some of the strands were twisted hopelessly around her finger. " Where'd he go? And that other guy..." Her trembling voice broke off, and they were surrounded by silence once more. Clinging tightly to each other, they sought comfort in each other's arms, and though left unspoken, they both felt the same fears - they were afraid for their friend, afraid to stay where they were, and afraid to leave what small bit of safety they felt in the streetlight's glow. So they remained as they were, unsure of what to do. Had they looked down, they might have seen the cigarette lighter laying carelessly by their feet. Had they looked closer, they might have seen the wispy fingers come out of the mist, stretching towards them like a proffered hand. But like the lighter, this gesture passed them by unnoticed. And as the mist thickened around it, the fingers seemed to fade into an ordinary curl of mist, then disappear altogether. A sound not unlike a sullen moan seemed to ride upon the breeze that carried it further into the darkness. A shiver ran down the young couple's spines simultaneously.
"Let's get out of here." Sarah jerked her head in a nod of agreement, and, hands still clasped, they raced down the sidewalk, so caught up in their flight and thoughts of safety that they never noticed the gray shadow running alongside them. Though the humans ran with all the effort they could afford, the wolf like creature floated effortlessly along, as light as the mist he traveled in. Keeping pace with them was no challenge, though. This was a hunt, after all, and he should bring closure to it. So extending his body, he lengthened his wolf strides, increasing his speed to leave the couple far behind. He ran just far enough ahead that it would take them some time to reach the spot where he now stood waiting, yet kept them still within range of hearing in case they changed direction. They didn't. The clatter of their running feet drew closer. It was time to begin.
Sitting back on his haunches, he raised his head upward, closed his eyes till they were mere slits, drew in a breath slowly and deeply, then exhaled the same way. The mist responded, growing thicker around him, so dense now he could not be seen. It grew thicker still more, spreading out till it reached its boundaries, then rising in ominous curls to the dark sky above. Tired footsteps were approaching. He stood up, grinning in a malevolent sneer. The footsteps were steadily slowing as they drew nearer. He was ready.
They didn't understand why the fog was so thick, just that it was getting harder to see. And as they felt their way through it, they noticed the faint smell of cigarette smoke. A shadowy figure moved in front of them, becoming clearer as the mist settled lower around him. He spoke in a sharp pitched voice that bit through the silence, "Hey, I finally got my lighter to work!" Sarah reeled backward at the shock of seeing the strange man again, letting out a short shriek. Instinctively, her boyfriend stepped protectively in front of her, confronting the stranger.
"Who the hell are you? What did you do to Bob?" There was more that he wanted to say, but while he stood in front, keeping Sarah protectively behind him, he was unaware of the change in the mist. Long fingers were reaching out behind Sarah, grasping her just above the ankles, shadowy arms wrapped themselves about her waist, pulling her further back into the mist. She shrieked in surprise once, and the mist swirled thickly around her. She screamed frantically as she lost sight of her boyfriend. She cried out to him, sobbing, as she felt herself becoming lighter, and getting pulled further and further away.
The young man spun around at the sound of her first shriek. The sidewalk behind him was a thick cloud of fog. And there was no sign of Sarah. He cried out to her, his voice loud, hoarse, and desperate, "Sarah! Where are you?...Sarah!" He ran back down the sidewalk through the fog, calling out the entire time. Her voice that had called out to him grew fainter and fainter, until it could be heard no more. Still he looked frantically for her, running in the direction from which he last heard her call. She was nowhere to be found. He stood in the midst of the fog, arms hanging limply at his sides, anxiety forcing his breath to release in short gasps. He was helpless and perplexed. What could he do? It was the same with Bob. There was no sign of them, yet they had to be somewhere. His eyes searched through the mist surrounding him. A sudden movement just ahead made him jump. He could make out the shadowy outline of someone, and that someone was coming toward him. The shadowy figure was quite close before it became clear enough to recognize. There was a strangeness about him that the trench coat and pulled down hat could not hide. He stood no more than three feet away, then raised his head slightly, just enough to show his wry smile.
"Give up, Jonathan. You won't find her. She's not here, you know."
Anger welled up inside of Jonathan so strong, he pulled back a fist ready to attack. He had no idea how it was that the stranger knew his name. He only knew that he was somehow responsible for the disappearance of Bob and Sarah. And he was going to pay dearly. The stranger took a step nearer and looked him full in the eyes. Jonathan froze in the icy stare. He had never seen eyes like that, so cold, so vacant. And as he stood frozen, he noticed that the mist seemed to emulate from this strange being, small wisps curling out from the open trench coat, encircling him before they crept skyward, and his hands seemed almost translucent as if they were made of the mist itself. Still he was unable to move. It was as if invisible hands held him in restraint.
The hunt was nearly over. Actually, he could bring closure to it right now and have it done with. But that wouldn't be very sporting now, would it? So he turned and walked away, his prisoner staring in wide eyed wonder as the man seemed to dissipate into a downward swirl of mist. And where the trench coated figure had been standing before, there was now a wolf , his silver coat the same color as the mist, his shaggy fur curling and twisting in all the same manner. Jonathan watched as the creature slipped off, melting into the mist, and disappearing from sight. He knew he should run, he should try to escape, but his thoughts kept slipping back to Sarah. He didn't want to abandon her. She had to be somewhere. He had to try to save her. His thoughts were broken when a breeze stirred within the mist, and he felt fingers pulling at him. They seemed to be everywhere, and he ran to break free of them. The wolf 's eyes gleamed with pleasure. The final hunt was on.
Jonathan's footsteps fell heavily on the concrete as he fled down the sidewalk. If he could just get out of this fog so he could see. He tried to veer off the sidewalk toward the street. The wolf appeared at his side, white teeth showing from behind curled lips. He ran the other way. Icy fingers touched his shoulder. He ran faster. Shadows were slipping by him, and he swore he could make out hushed voices. His heart was racing, and his breath came in short gasps. He had no idea how far he had run, or exactly where he was. But he would run till he found a way out of the mist. But instead of thinning, the fog grew thicker until he could barely see where his next step would fall. He didn't seem to notice the creature running at his heels, feeding the mist with every breath it exhaled. Instead, he stumbled forward blindly, hoping for an escape from this madness. But escape would not be allowed.
Perhaps this game had gone on long enough. The wolf let out a low snarl. Instinctively, Jonathan swung a quick look over his shoulder. The crack in the sidewalk came as a surprise, just enough of a crack to catch the toe of a shoe, and Jonathan felt himself falling. The wolf leapt through the air above the sprawled figure, Jonathan looking up just in time to see an unearthly transformation take place. The shaggy creature seemed to dissolve into a thick cloud that moved and swirled , rearranging itself until it held the semblance of a face, with a large, malevolent grin. Two hands reached out towards him, and Jonathan dissipated into a misty cloud, much as the wolf had just a minute before. There really was no pain, just a lightness of being, and a feeling of emptiness. He joined hands with the others who now pulled him to their world, and the figure on the sidewalk was no more.
The man leaned back against the lamppost, exhaling the smoke from his cigarette into the night sky. A low mist cowered at his feet. Beneath the pulled down hat, was an expression of complete satisfaction. It had been a good hunt after all, very rewarding. The walls of his world had grown by three. Night would come to an end soon, probably within the hour. He tossed the remainder of his cigarette toward the street, and walked off. With each step a strange mist seemed to flow out from beneath the trench coat, forming a wispy cloud that swirled where the figure of a man had been. It rose slightly, lingering for just a short while, then took a spiral path to the ground below, disappearing without a trace. And the sidewalk was clear once again, stretching like an endless gray highway along the streets of the city.