"Betrayed By The Moon" by Victoria G. ´Vix´ Olmstead

Slowly stalking down the darkened alley, he was searching for rodent prey. He was unwilling to feed off of the human infestation, especially since he himself was once one of them. Though his kind saw all humans as a threat to their way, they actually did convert a few humans, forcing them to join. Most of his kind fed off of humans, turning only one or two every hundred years or so.
Suddenly he caught the scent, the enticing smell. He tried with all his might to force himself away, but he was famished. He needed to eat. She had just happened to wander into the wrong place at the wrong time. He tried to hold himself, to control his urge, but he was so enticed. His meal was standing directly in front of him, seemingly begging for him to bite human flesh, for the first time.
He slowly moved closer. He moved until he was but a few feet behind her. Her scent grew stronger and stronger as he drew nearer to her. He willed the transformation that squirmed under his skin, he freed the beast within. He would feed on her. Human flesh something that he had forbidden himself for so long.
Inching closer, moving towards his meal, his unsuspecting prey. He moved so quietly only those among his own kind could have possibly heard him. He approached her, drawing closer and closer. He opened his mouth, which watered because the aroma of her had grown so strong, and bit down hard. He tasted her blood flowing over his tongue. He felt her squirm under his bite. Suddenly she pulled away and flipped him on his back.
Lying there looking up at his prey. She was a slender girl with black hair adorned with red streaks. She was dressed in dark blue jeans and a black shirt. No look of fear marred her slim face. It appeared as though fear hadn’t even entered her mind. Unexpectedly, her hand reached behind her back and pulled out a long silver blade with a pure silver handle. She held the pure silver blade against the skin on his face. The blade burned as if on fire when touching his face. She pulled it away and revealed a mark burned into his face. She grabbed the ankh around her neck. “You, beast, have fed off of your last human. You have fed for the last time. You truly were chasing the wrong prey at the wrong time.”

She moved so she was standing at his feet. She seized his shoulder and held him so tightly he couldn’t move. As she held him, she pulled back her blade so that it shined in the light of the full moon. “No beast of your kind will live on my watch. No more will be turned into one of you on account of you. Goodnight.”

X           X            X            X           X

“I was not being irresponsible or reckless! I was doing my job! I was the bait and the hunter. He no longer lives. The beast is no more. It’s fine.”

“He bit you, Abby. Bit You!”

“Yes. And? What about it? He is dead. I’m fine. And no beast will live while I’m alive.”

“You will change. You will become one of them; you will become a beast. Then what will you do? No beast shall live while you are alive you’ll be alive but you will be among their kind, one of them.” He became more urgent.

“No worries, Fyre. I had my charm. I will not change.”

“Abby, that charm may not protect you. This may be one too many times you’ve been bitten. I can’t allow you to hunt anymore. I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger any longer. I will take over.”

Abby glared angrily at Fyre. He returned her gaze. His eyes flamed with gold and red. That was how he got his name when he was born. She looked at Fyre. He was tall, around six feet even with a slight tan. He had a scar running from the outside of his left eye to the corner of his mouth. His eyes were gold at the top and red at the bottom. His hair was spiked red blonde. He was obviously worried about her.
“You cannot take over. It is my job plus you cannot fight another beast look what the last beast left you with.” She pointed at the scar on his face. “Why would you want to go through that again? Let me handle it. You know I can.”

“Abby, I know you can. I have no doubt in your abilities. I know you can handle many of those animals, but I doubt your methods. You cannot be both the hunter and the bait. As I see it, you cannot be the bait at all.” Fyre worriedly replied.

“I have my charm and as long as I wear it I will not suffer the transformation that is worse than death. The charm will protect me. And I need to be the bait. I won’t risk anyone else’s life especially if I don’t know then can move as fast as me. The beast may hurt them where it cannot hurt me. The charm makes me a safe bet as bait. As long as I have my charm I am safe and no beast shall feed off human flesh.”

“What happens if you lose the charm? What happens if it gets broken or cut or lost or anything else in one of those oh-so-quick fights you plan? Then what? What will protect you when you are without your precious charm?” Fyre spoke harshly trying to impress upon Abby the importance of the safety he spoke of. He began to raise his voice, imploring her. “You cannot rely on that charm. You need to be safer, be more careful. Don’t rely on that charm. At some point you may be without it.”

“Okay Fyre, you win! I’ll be more careful. I promise.” She said as she stormed out in a huff.

X           X            X            X           X

“How can he think I’m reckless? I was only doing my job. Kill the beasts, that was the job description last time I checked.” Abby screamed to herself walking down the empty road.

Abby wandered along the abandoned roads. She wasn’t hunting or making herself bait, she was simply meandering, but she was terribly alert. She was prepared for an attack. She was almost willing to go searching for a fight. After her talk with Fyre, she wanted to hurt something. But instead she decided to turn around and find a punching bag; she needed to let out aggression. She needed to vent. She figured searching for a fight would just cause more problems than it might have been worth. She may have wanted a live opponent but a swinging bag would have to do. Abby neared her apartment and sensed someone following her, hunting her.

“No fights, not right now. I’m not in the mood. I’ll win and get called reckless. So not right now!” she shouted to the seemingly deserted street. She stood clutching her ankh and prepared for an attack. Her muscles tensed waiting for the apparent nothing.

“Hey Abby!” He bounded out of a dark alley and jumped on her shoulders. “Long time no see! Did ya miss me? I bet you did. And I bet you’re going to beat me up right now, aren’t you?” He stepped out in front of her and smiled.

Abby let down her guard. “Shock, you know I could have seriously hurt you just now. I could still seriously hurt you. What are you doing here?”

“I get no hi? No hello? No hugs? Wow, time really must have flown. By the way I’m no longer known as Shock. No one calls me that anymore.”

Abby smiled then hugged him. “Good to see you except I could have and can still hurt you. Oh and by the way, I’ll still call you shock.” Abby replied sarcastically.

“Same old, Abnormal. So can we move from the middle of the street or must we stand here until we are hit by a car?” Shock smiled.
Abby was beginning to forget her anger and allow her need to punch things slip away. They walked towards her apartment. Abby glanced at Shock. He’d grown since the last time she had seen him. He had spiked brownish black hair instead of his previous blonde surfer style hair. His eyes were no longer covered by golden yellow contacts; his eyes were showing their true hazel. He was now six feet, two inches tall and dressed in black and metal spikes. Abby was amazed by how much Shock had changed.

“It’s been a long time, a year now. What have you been doing? Why are you suddenly here?”

“Well, let’s see,” Shock smiled, “I have been traveling the country with a band of monkeys fighting crime. What do you think I’ve been doing? Duh, I’ve been hunting just as you have. Thing may change but they don’t change that much.”

“Right. Do you still have the charm I gave you or should I be hunting you next?” Abby asked worriedly.

“No, Abnormal, I still have it. It’s not worn on top of my clothes but it’s still worn. I’m here to help with your effort, your hunting.”

“As you know from previous experience, I don’t play well with others. I hunt alone.” Abby stated bluntly.

“Abby, there’s a danger you may not be prepared for. There’s an evil coming that you can’t hunt alone, you won’t be able to handle it.” Shock braced for a punch or a tackle, he had just stated things Abby wouldn’t stand to hear. She would never admit there was something in the world she couldn’t handle.

“Look, Shock, I can handle things just fine and I’ve got a partner who’ll help and watch my back. So go back to your town. Go now. Fyre has got my back and I can handle enough that I can handle this, whatever it is. And I don’t have to worry about Fyre literally turning on me. I’m going to bed. You can have the couch or you can leave, do what you like. Night.” Abby stormed down the hall.
Shock was so intent on warning Abby that he hadn’t even noticed when they had entered her apartment. “Who’s Fyre?” Shock questioned himself and the empty space Abby had previously occupied.

X           X            X            X           X

“Abby! Abby!” Shock was chasing her still. “Abby, wait! Let me explain!” Shock screamed urgently.

Abby whipped around violently, shooting Shock gaze that could kill. “What! What will you explain? Explaining how you lied to me? Explain that you threw away your charm? Explain it to someone else, I’m not listening! I will hunt you because it’s my job. You may be my oldest friend but I will not let a beast live. That charm saved you the first time. Suppressed your animal side, but without your charm you are unbridled and dangerous.”

“Abby, how can you talk? You are the same thing I am, pure born werewolf. I’m betting your friend, Fyre, doesn’t know the true reason you have that charm. He doesn’t know why after all the times you’ve been bitten, you haven’t changed. If he knew you were a wolf would he hunt you? Would he try to find you a new charm? If you can’t answer these questions, we could tell him and find out.”

Abby gripped the ankh around her neck, her charm. Instantly she pounced to attack. The first punch landed on his cheek with a loud smacking sound. Shock threw a punch. Abby easily dodged it, but it wasn’t even aimed at her. He was going for the charm’s chain and he caught it. He ripped the charm from her neck.

“Too long, Abby. Too long have you been hiding behind this charm.” Shock dropped the charm to the ground and pounded it with his foot, grinding it to dust, powder under his boots. “Now go see Fyre, go deal with the truth you’ve been hiding from for far too long. Find out what Fyre will do. How will he deal with this little bit of information? I wonder if you’ll soon be running for your life. Go now. Hurry! We want to start the chase early now don’t we?”

Abby shot another angry glare at Shock. Her hand slipped behind her back and gripped her pure silver blade. Shock didn’t recognize her fighting stance, he didn’t know it. Abby’s hand burned against the blade’s hilt. “I will never allow a beast to live.” She pulled her blade forward as it scarred and blistered her hand. Abby attacked Shock with full force. “You are a beast, Ryan and you will not live. Not as long as I have a say and I continue to breathe.”
Shock looked at Abby with astonishment realizing that she’d used his real name. He wasn’t prepared for her attack. Abby grabbed him. She held his shoulder tightly as she had the other wolf. She held the smoldering blade to the skin on his face and arms scalding marks into his flesh. He squirmed and writhed trying to free himself from Abby’s grip and the silver she held too near to him. Abby had him too tightly for him to break free. Abby pulled the blade back and jammed it into Shock’s heart. The blade steamed and burned Shock from the inside out leaving him as dust on the ground.

X           X            X            X           X

Abby sat up scared and confused. “How on earth?” she muttered nervously to herself. Her dreams were usually premonitions especially when they contained people from the previous day. That dream was horrifying. Abby got up from her bed and crept toward the bedroom door. Her charm clanked against her other necklaces as she made her way to the door. She gripped her ankh and moved into the hallway. Shock was sleeping on the couch. She knew he wouldn’t leave, he never did. Abby stood over him staring down at his sleeping form. From where she was, she couldn’t see his charm, but to her that meant nothing. She had to be sure about whether or not he wore it. Abby pulled back his cover and there it lay on his chest, the chain wrapped like arms around his neck. He was still wearing it. For the first time her premonition was wrong. Abby was looking down at shock as a thought formed in her mind and a smile crossed her face. ‘He didn’t lie to me.’

Shock opened his eyes slowly, glancing around then up at Abby. “Abby, it’s three in the morning and you’re visiting me on the couch. You know a guy could take this the wrong way.” Shock displayed a sly smile. “Or should I take this the wrong way?”

Abby smiled then attempted to cover it. “Some things don’t change, do they, Shock? I had to come out and check on you. I dreamt and it wasn’t good.”

“You dreamt about me? Well now, things just may be looking up for me.” Shock smirked then instantly became serious, “OK, so what happened in your premonition?”

“Well, you hadn’t been wearing your charm. You were dangerous and maniacal. I was forced to--“Abby cut herself off. “I was forced to give you mine.” Abby slowly stated. She grabbed her ankh and looked down at his.

Shock knew she was holding something back. “You’re lying. I know you, Abby. You wouldn’t have had to come and check on me if all you had to do was give me your charm. Tell me the truth. What were you forced to do, kill me or something?” Shock looked straight at Abby expecting her to return his gaze. When Abby turned and looked down, Shock knew he had guessed something. “You did, you had to kill me, didn’t you? It’s understandable. Don’t worry though I still wear my charm and in your premonition I didn’t so it’s ok. You won’t have to kill me.” Shock was unsuccessfully trying to comfort her.

“Shock, you know my premonitions. You know they’ve never been wrong. I don’t often dream unless it’s a premonition.” Abby was obviously worried.

“Don’t worry, Abby. It’ll be ok.”

X           X            X            X           X

It was all playing out just as it had in her premonition. Abby was being chased by a screaming Shock whose face pleaded. He chased Abby claiming he could explain. The first punch was thrown as in had in her dream. Shock caught the chain to her charm and pulled it. The chain moaned and snapped. He dropped the ankh to the ground and destroyed it under the heel of his boot. Her premonitions were never wrong, no matter how she tried to change things. Something in this scenario had changed. It wasn’t the same as her premonition, something was different. Suddenly, as she was preparing to attack Shock, Fyre appeared at the end of the short alley. Fyre quickly ran down the alley towards them. “What’s going on? Do you know this guy, Abby?” Fyre quickly shot questions at her.

Abby was shaken from her thoughts of her premonition and killing Shock. “Guy? This? Oh, yeah, this is Shock. He is a… um… good friend; he’s an ex-boyfriend.”

Shock smirked devilishly. “Must you always add ex-boyfriend? You did visit me on the couch last night, don’t you remember? You know it was around 3 am, at your house?” Shock turned to Fyre still smirking. “Ryan, good friend, knows the truth. Thanks for stopping by and interrupting her. Abby, here, was in the midst of planning my death. I get the feeling slow and painful was the thought crossing her mind.” Shock grinned and put his hand out for a hand shake. Fyre simply glanced at him and then at his hand.

Fyre turned to Abby, “Wait, ex-boyfriend? There’s a story about a couch last night? What went on? Wait, what truth? What’s going on? Abby, fill me in here because I’m a little confused.” Fyre returned his attention to Shock, knowing he’d get Abby’s answers sooner or later. “If Abby was planning your slow, painful death, I’m betting you have done or will do something to deserve it. I’ll be here to help her when you do.” Fyre glanced quickly at Abby and grinned at her.

Abby’s thoughts remained on Shock. He couldn’t tell Fyre her secret. Fyre would hunt her down. Fyre would have to kill her. There was a bigger problem at hand. She needed to procure another charm and she needed to do so as fast as possible. Her family had given her two charms, one went to shock since he shared her interest in being human and she loved him, the other charm she’d worn until a few moments ago.
Fyre waved his hand in front of Abby’s fixed blue-green eyes. “Hello? Anybody in there?”

Abby snapped to, blinking crazily, and bombarded Shock with an array of questions. “Shock, what changed in you? How did it change so quickly? If you’ve not been wearing your charm for months now, why did you suddenly put it back on last night? Why did you destroy it this morning? You once had aspirations to be pure mortal, pure human, what happened to them?”

Fyre was stunned. “Abby, what are you talking about?”

“The animal changed in me, Abby. It didn’t change quickly. It was a gradual change. A year is along time and it started before that. It started before you left. I tried to keep it subdued. I took off my charm six months ago; last night was the first time since that I’ve worn it. I wore it because, Abby, what was last night? That’s right,” Shock continued answering his own question. “Last night was the full moon. If you were visiting a wolf hunter, would you will the change in their very own home? Didn’t think so. That’s why I wore it. I destroyed it this morning because I figured I’d either get you on my side or we’d battle and just so you know I really don’t want to battle. I’m counting on my powers of persuasion here. But either way there was no point in having that charm anymore. Plus life happened, I found out more about our kind, shock turned and looked at Fyre, “That’s right OUR kind. They explained that we are meant to hunt, to feed, to kill. We were, I was and you still are, holding back our true nature. Well, I’ve ‘fessed up to mine and sooner or later, you’ll have to acknowledge yours. Possibly sooner, considering you no longer have your charm and there are no more charms throughout the entire world. Abby, you’ll have to pick a side; you can’t hunt us and be one of us. Things don’t work that way.”

Fyre turned to Abby, the confusion drawn across his face. “One of us?” He began to raise his voice. “One of us, Abby?” With all of your hatred of the wolves after what they did to your parents? You are a wolf?! How? When? Why didn’t you tell me you are a wolf? Has anything you’ve ever told me been true? Did wolves really kill your parents, or was that a lie too?”

Shock held Abby’s painful gaze and scoffed at Fyre’s line of questioning. “First, Abby’s parents are alive and well. Second, one of us means yes, she, little miss lying thing, is a werewolf. The only reason Abnormal has for her hatred of wolves like me is because she is one. It drives her mad. And I believe she didn’t tell you because she was afraid you’d kill her. Well now that you know let’s see how you react.” Shock smirked as Abby shot a glare at him that could hit like a cannonball. She then immediately began a staring contest with the ground.

“Abby, is he telling the truth? Is this some sort of game?” Fyre questioned looking as though he was going to be sick and simply hurt.

“Yes, it’s true that my parents are alive and well last I check. It’s also true that I as well as Shock am a wolf. Shock was my first love, born like me, pure blood werewolf. He was the only one who understood the wish I had to be human. He wished for the same thing. He had a charm identical to the one I had. I had given it to him. When I was younger, my parents saw my desire, my need, my longing to be human. They gave me two charms that would still the change so that I could live a normal life or at least the life I wanted to live. I met Shock a year later and he so desired to be human. And he understood, so I gave him one charm and kept the other. You wondered why after all the times I’ve been bitten I haven’t changed. Well, I’m already a wolf of the purest blood. The charm just keeps that side subdued. This is no game I can’t give up my wolf side as much as I wish to and now, thanks to Shock,” Abby sarcastically commented then stared fiercely at Shock. “I have no means of keeping that side restrained.”

“But why the lies? Why couldn’t you have told me? You know I would have tried to help you.” Fyre pleadingly tried to explain.

“But you can’t help, Fyre. You may want to, you may be willing to but you can’t. Now, no one can. I’m a wolf. It’s a problem I was hiding and fighting.”

Fyre turned unable to look at Abby. “You just won’t try to fight it any more, will you?” He slowly walked away without looking back.

“Shock, You… You… How could you? Why did you? You can’t have come here just to make my life horrible. Did you expect I was just going to accept the wolf within, which I’ve been trying to get rid of forever, and say ok, let’s go out and kill?”

“Abby, don’t tell me you’re that attached to him. What happened to your first rule of hunting, don’t get too attached, you never know who you’re going to have to kill? I wonder if he’s been told, if he’s attached. Well, we’ll find out who he’s willing to kill and who you’re willing to hunt.” Shock smirked, winked, and walked down the alley way leaving Abby to stare at the powder that once resembled her charm, her ankh.

X           X            X            X           X

Fyre crept behind him, his brownish black spiky hair and metal spikes glimmered in the pale moon light. Fyre kept trying to put himself at ease about killing him. Fyre thought about Abby and the beast within. He was put completely at ease with his plan when Shock began to transform. Fyre paused for a second holding his breath, worrying that Shock may have heard him. A rush of adrenaline pulsed through him as Shock turned in his direction. Fyre pulled his pure silver blade from its sheath hidden at his side. Shock maintained his position, staring in Fyre’s direction. Shock willed the transformation. Fyre jumped from his paused stated toward Shock. He was lunging with the blade straight out in front of him. Shock returned the attack diving at Fyre. Fyre swiped with the blade. Shock grabbed for Fyre’s arm, his claws digging in. Fyre muffled a moan as Shock’s nails caught his arm. Fyre slashed with his blade catching the beast’s face. The blood sizzled on the knife. Shock’s face burned and stung: the blade cut from the side of his left eye to his chin, seemingly mimicking Fyre’s scar. Shock grew angrier and angrier. He growled and snarled at Fyre. For a moment, beast and hunter were tangled. Claws caught human flesh as the blade dug into the beast’s abdomen. Some how Shock managed to gain the upper hand.
Fyre lay under the fur covered claws. Shock growled and bit into his arm. “I’ll give you a choice, you can either be changed right now, become the beast you truly hate, or you can have Abby watch you die. What have you chosen?” Shock sneered into Fyre’s ear.

X           X            X            X           X

Abby opened her apartment door. “That’s odd. I swear I locked this.” She whispered to herself. Suddenly, there was a crashing noise coming from the bedroom. “What the?” Abby moved slowly from the foyer, preparing for an attack. She skulked into the living room. There he was laying on her couch, blood dripping from cuts on his arms, stomach and a gash on his face. “Shock! What happened? Are you okay?”

Shock opened his eyes little by little. “Chill. Wait for the regenerative stuff to, you know, regenerate. Fyre and I were having a little fun. Well, I had fun.”

“Fyre? Shock, I will personally kill you if you hurt Fyre.” Abby screamed worrying.

“Oh! No sympathy for me? Right, well, I did piss you off today, so I guess I understand. Fyre is in your bedroom, you tell me if he’s ok?” Shock grinned, lifted his hand slightly, and pointed acting as if Abby didn’t know where her bedroom was.

Abby walked gradually down the hall to her room as she grew nearer to the room there was another loud crashing sound. Abby turned the door knob as quietly as she could. The door slid open with a creak that ran shivers up her spine. ‘Shock is such a sadistic—‘she thought to herself. A growl from inside the room stopped her thoughts. “Fyre!” Abby moved inside the room. That’s when she saw it, the beast. There was no question in her mind about who the beast was. It was obvious that the animal was Fyre. Abby’s face turned completely white with amazement.
The beast lunged at her. Abby drew her silver blade from behind her back and prepared to fight. Fyre almost tackled her to the ground. Abby fought and stabbed with her blade. Finally she caught the beast shoulder from behind. She pulled the dripping blade up and gripped him tightly. “I’m sorry Fyre.”

She jabbed the blade through his heart. Instantly he began to burn from the inside out. Standing over the dust of her partner, Abby began to cry. The longer she looked at the dust the more her childish whimper transformed into maniacal laughter. Abby turned her head toward the door. She willed a full transformation. Abby’s beast form filled the entire hallway.

“Oh, Shock.” She snarled attempting an innocent growl, free of whimpers and laughter.
Shock sat up and wiped the left over blood from the healed wound on his face. Pain shot through his body from the cut on his stomach. ‘Hmmm… She doesn’t sound pleased.’ He thought sarcastically. Shock stood next to the couch with his shirt off, showing his wounds and scars. Blood showed on his jeans and was caked around his newly formed scars.

“Shock, you turned him! Why? What made you think he needed to be a beast? Were you attempting to hurt me or was that just luck!?”

Shock returned Abby’s angered gaze, “I wouldn’t hurt you unless you attacked me.” He frowned. “In that instance I was trying to hurt Fyre not you.” He grinned, “I gave him two choices, he could become a wolf or have you watch him die. He wanted to die. So I turned him and had you watch him die. Abby, I told you, you’ll either join our kind finally or you’ll destroy me. I’m just making your choice easier. Now you have no attachments to anything but me.”

Abby shook her head, “Who said I have an attachment to you?” She showed the blade that she held in her beast like claw. Shock willed his own transformation. His wounds steamed and burned during the change.

“Damn, silver.” Shock muttered. When Shock had fully changed, Abby appeared small in her beastly form. Abby held the blade out ready to attack. Shock picked up Fyre’s blade which was marked with Shock’s own blood. “Abby, I don’t want to hurt you, you know that. Be reasonable. Fyre had that coming. He attacked me, stalked me. You couldn’t have expected me to give him a gigantic hug since his blade was already drawn and slicing into my face.” Shock barked.

“And you can’t expect sympathy after you turned one of my friends into a beast, made him one of us.” Abby growled her reply as she lunged at him. Instead of swiping at him with the knife she threw the blade to the ground in front of his claws. Shock jumped back a few feet and swiped with Fyre’s blade.

“I told you I wouldn’t hurt you unless you attacked me.” Shock became angry. “I don’t want to hurt you! But I will protect myself.”

Abby growled predatorily and tackled Shock angrily. “You turned my friend!” Abby grabbed her knife from the floor and swung. She swung hard and fast. The blade caught Shock’s beastly arm. He growled in pain and held the side of Fyre’s knife to Abby’s arm.

“Abby, I don’t want to swing this blade at you. Please, don’t make me.” Shock whine in a bestial voice.

Abby growled. “See, Shock, now it’s my turn to be sadistic. You harmed me when you turned my friend, making him a beast and making it so I’d have to kill him. Apparently I’m hurting you by not being on your side. You expected me to understand, to see your side. I don’t and I never will.”

Abby swung her blade again. Shock caught her hand and twisted the blade out. He knocked it across the room. Abby tried to reach for the sliding blade, but Shock still had her claw.

“Abby, I really don’t want to hurt you. Please, heed my warning.”

“Your warning, Shock? You may not want to hurt me, but you already have.” Abby growled and bit into Shock’s wrist. The bit sent pain shooting throughout his entire beastly form, forcing him to release her claw. Abby began tearing at him, leaving cuts on his already wounded chest. Shock lifted Fyre’s blade, which he still held in his hand, to Abby’s side. He held it there attempting to burn her, to stop her clawing.

Suddenly, Abby lunged for her blade. She lunged into the blade Shock held. Abby stopped her movement, all movement including her breath. “Abby?” Shock was startled. “Abby, No! I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want to.” Shock looked at the blade still in her side. He began to whimper as the blade began to burn her from the inside out. “I’m so sorry, Abnormal.” Shock whined. A tear slid down his partially fur covered face as Abby fell to dust.