Costly Obsession: Animalize

  *****

  Aaron grabbed his stun gun and fired at the monster, still blessedly unaware, but the torrents of electricity had little effect. The thing only peered down at the electrodes attached to its fur, then looked to the man holding the pathetic weapon. The only evidence the device was working was the foul smell of burning fur, but it did accomplish one thing; it distracted it.

  Before the creature could notice, Gary had crept up behind it, flinging the medallion over its head and franticly knotting the leather strap then dodging the oncoming onslaught. He danced backwards as quick as his feet could carry him, reaching for his gun, but with the beast between him and the light he failed to see the splayed remains of Harold Pintac and tripped. In one great motion he plummeted backwards, whipping his pistol from its holster, aiming it before him, then landed with a scuffled, painful thud, his back to the rocky wall, and a click of the safety.

  The beast twisted towards its assailant, ripping the taser controls from Aaron’s hand, but Gary had escaped from its monstrous reach only seconds before.

  There it was, the demon child, seeing only its outline in the silvery glow of Aaron’s flashlight, poised to shoot at the shadowy mass, but instead Gary paused. Common sense and training took over. Words and phrases like, ricochet, ear splitting, reverb, and most importantly; human, stayed his finger; but for how long?

  Gary and Aaron both held their breath in anticipation, but by grace or fate they couldn’t see all that happened next. Poised and calculating, the beast stared at the flesh that was Officer Carpell, studying him intently before glancing down at the graven image resting on its furry chest... and understood.

  *****

  Aaron was frozen, desperately trying not to shake, holding the light on the creature in front of him as steady as possible. Was this what Michael had become, was this what he’d turned into, but that was impossible. Michael had still been screaming in Gary’s grip when they first saw this thing rising in the dark. It couldn’t be him, so why didn’t Gary shoot? If it’s not Michael who could it be... and then the dots connected.