The night froze in the space of a breath and all was still in the wastelands. Clouds rolled by overhead, silent and broiling with veiled power and impending darkness. The sky split with a sigh as water began to cascade down in fine sheets. The dry, choked earth ran with liquid, the surface of the ground shimmering with flowing waves, like fine silk being tossed about in the breeze, and slowly, ever so slowly, the river rose. Swirls of mud engulfed the floodplain as the water continued to run, dredging grass up as the earth crumbled into grey-brown sludge. As the river’s black water swelled, its girth expanding ever so much, a slip of black rose onto the land. Water splashed and mud stirred as the shadowed figure struggled forward through the downpour. Mud sucked its forepaws like cold, fleshy maws, making every step a struggle which sent a deluge of water and mud into the air. The mud and freezing water clung to the black wolf’s fur like a second skin, shrinking the majestic form into a gaunt lupine shell as mud plastered the normally fluffed fur to its skin.

Finally, the black wolf emerged onto stable ground, its paws sinking only a fraction as far into the muddied earth. The rain continued its onslaught, issuing forth from the sky, but the wolf knew that it wouldn’t last the night, much less the next hour. Suddenly, it shook itself in a hopeless gesture, flinging water and mud into the air before raising its head to Howl. Its voice echoed over the land, punching into the tumbling drops of water only to be muffled as its strident spirit swelled into the sky. The sky remained silent but the wolf added its own foreboding call, proclaiming the predators return. This howl held no subtlety, no secret meanings or fluid dance through concept; it was perfectly clear. Long Fang had returned, returned to an empty land, but one which was his.

He had left after seeing his friends fade deep into whatever paths they had decided to begin upon, all moving away from the territory and into some other part of the world. They all had their troubles, the kinds of troubles which lurked on the edge of nightmares and glared through their eyes; the kind which rested deep in the heart and in the shell of the skull, driving towards some insidious fulfillment or consumption. But they had let it consume them and drive them in fear onto whatever course they now moved along and out of their home. Of course, Joseph understood this drive only too well. He had let it drive him away but it had only been for a time. The difference was, Joseph had been fleeing this consumption, this drive, for a long time and was finally running it to ground. A flash of memory ran through him as his paws hit concrete once more, bringing back the Shadow of the Past...

…


A sharp pain jarred through Joseph’s footpad and sent him hop-skittering forward. A low growl escaped from the young wolf’s muzzle as he lay down in the shadows to investigate it. A second later a piece of glass fell onto the ground with a small tinkling as his body repulsed the unwanted shard. He huffed quietly and quickly sprang onto his paws before running onward. It was things like that which made him miss being in the woods: the noise, the stink, the trash; it all brought an unpleasant taste to his mouth. But, there was still some part of him which thrilled in being back in the city. The abundance of water, light, and bathrooms were all still very appealing and made the city boy in him content.

The rough concrete, however, wasn’t as much of an improvement over the soft forest floor but the lack of brush made moving ten times as fast. Now that was something to thrill about; he would be able to reach his den in no time at all. Suddenly the smell of vomit and alcohol washed over him as he rounded the corner. Shying slightly he slowed his pace and sat in the shadows for a moment, listening to the faint sounds ahead. Yellow light, like a putrid film of mold, spilled from some naked light bulb a block away and the buzz of neon and throbbing pulse of some obscene bass caused his ears to flick in annoyance. The cracked and stained brick of the walls around him suggested a very old, un-kept neighborhood, but in this part of Portland the old meshed with the new in a strange display of graphic contortion. He was by a club, but aside from that, and the fact that there would be other clubs around, the neighborhood could have anything. The sudden wrenching sound of dry heaving, however, brought his ears snapping around and he slowly crept forward, picking out the sound of a panting female.

The rough concrete was wet here and many puddles dotted the area. Moss grew in between patches of trash and the smell wasn’t exactly pleasant but the smell coming from upwind was even worse. As he approached, light spilled from multiple sources now and shown in shades of bright pink, green and that warm, spoiled yellow against the brick walls and a pair of dumpsters along the clubs back wall, illuminating the scene for Long Fang. A young brunette leaned against the wall, standing over a small pile of liquid vomit, and muttered disappointed curses as she tried to regain her senses. She wore a short black skirt and a tight midnight blue top, undoubtedly stained now, and her trim figure filled the outfit out in intriguing ways. Joseph crept into a shadow and watched her, wondering if she was alright. She seemed to be, a moment later, as she stood up and began walking down the alley with a bit more surety. Her gait was bit too loose, displaying just how drunk she was, but she seemed so assured of walking that he almost didn’t notice.

The door of the club opened up with a squeal and a tall man in a leather jacket stepped into the alley. Shooting a glance down the alley he spotted the girl and jogged after her.

“Hey Ronnie!” he called, “Hold on!” She stiffened for an instant and slowly, almost unsteadily turned to the man. The glare she gave and the smell from the man told Joseph just how he treated her and exactly what he wanted from her; not that it would have been hard to figure out. He wasn’t a charming rake, that was for sure, but he didn’t seem to know that. He kept moving closer until Ronnie couldn’t back up any more and her back hit the wall. He put a hand against the wall, right beside her head, and leaned against it, trapping her and still trying to cajole her into coming home with him. She wasn’t having any of it, but neither was he. He didn’t get louder, though. His voice dropped to a threatening rumble as he became increasingly hostile.

“Listen up, bitch, you’re going to have to come see me sometime. After all I’ve done, how long I’ve waited, you owe me something. I’ve been nice this whole time. You think I’ll let you guzzle down half a Bens worth of drinks and just walk away. No way. You better come with m…” He didn’t get to finish what he was saying before Ronnie slapped him, hard, across the face. Finally, her courage had pierced the intoxicated fog surrounding her brain but the look he shot her stopped her cold. Growling he lashed out and caught her before she fell. Roughly shoving her against the wall and still rumbling obscenities he pinned her and began ripping at her top.

Joseph felt something stir in his breast as he watched this happen. Something came awake in a great rush, a great furry and anger, driving warmth through his limbs and filling him with the nee to act. The anger bubbling in his chest needed an outlet and as the rage threatened to cloud his vision he moved forward. His own growl reverberated through the alley as he stepped into the light. His fur bristled along his spine, standing out like black spikes against the lit alley around him. His massive fangs glinted dully in the light as he stalked forward, shoulders rolling with pent up aggression and the need to spill blood. His black eyes sparkled like ice in a shaft of grotesquely pink light as his gaze met hers. Terrified green gems framed by her long dark hair burned into his mind in the instant before he pounced. The man didn’t make a sound as started trying to back away, trying to shove the girl towards the mad beast confronting him. He didn’t get the chance, though, before a mass of black fur, taught muscle, and flashing fang bore him to the ground.

Flashes of crimson dotted the brick walls and concrete of the alley floor as Long Fang ripped at the man. Teeth met flesh and ripped it apart like rotten fruit. Blood flew as his thrashing muzzle bore into the man, tearing his face, his throat, his chest into tatters. His flailing only rent his flesh more under the great fangs of the wolf and his cries died in languid gurgles of deep red. In moments the man was still and the black wolf backed off of him, slowly, but no longer growling. Blood matted its fur and traced patterns as it ran towards the ground in trails of red on black. The girl sat frozen on the ground, having fallen as her assailant was thrown to the ground. Her face shone with crimson droplets and trails of blood, highlighting her glittering eyes and red lipstick. Her eyes practically bugged out of her head as she stared at the now passive beast, her mouth opening as she worked for a scream. Her foot lashed out suddenly, catching Long Fang in the nose, and she scrambled to her feet, bolting down the alley as her screech pierced the air. Joseph leaped away as the blood splattered girl in a half torn shirt ran onto the sidewalk.

It took days before Joseph felt right again. The taste of the man’s flesh stuck in his mouth, tasting horrible and wrong and yet oh so enticing. Flashes of the event played through his mind constantly and he felt the anger and rage bubble in him as he remembered the girl being struck and shoved against the wall. He caught his lips pulling back from his teeth in a snarl several times as he flashed back. The feeling of blood on him was perpetual and he could almost swear he saw it staining his clothing in little spots of dried brown. Yet even greater still, he remembered the girls terrified, sparkling eyes, fever bright and glittering with a sense of…innocence. He could see her ignorance of violence die in that moment when their eyes met and he could feel the snap of recognition as her eyes brimmed with horror. He met her gaze everywhere he went, always just out of the corner of his eye, just for an instant. It followed him in the mirrors of the bus, the puddles on the ground, the glare off storefront windows, and even at the edge of a crowd. He almost began to wonder if he was unconsciously stalking her but whenever he looked he saw no evidence that she ever had been there. But it kept haunting him until finally he caught it again…across the breadth of a crowd.

He was in one of the many live music clubs in Portland, trying to get those eyes out of his head when he met them once again. The throng on the dance floor surged with people like an undulating tide as the music blared out across the room. The light was dim and the air was heavy with body heat and sweat. His nerves were keyed up, being surrounded by all this moving pulsing flesh, but he enjoyed the delicious feelings of life. It was like being electrocuted and massaged at the same time. Beer in hand he had sat back to enjoy the show, observing the swell of the music through the people. As his eyes traveled over the crowd he caught a glimpse of bright green eyes sparking in the faint light. The world seemed to suddenly rush into focus as he stared out into the crowd, hunting for another r glimpse of green. The sounds and smells blended together and he could feel something stirring inside as he finally caught gaze. From across the club their eyes met, icy blue and emerald green in the throng of human ebb and flow. The rest of the night seemed to be a blur. The movement of the crowd, what he drank or even said all seemed to meld into one sensation of light, sound, and drink. He remembered tracking the girl through the crowd and finally cornering her at the bar. They had left together to go to somewhere less boisterous and despite a great deal of nervousness on her part they ended up having a great time, Veronica and Joseph. It wasn’t the last time, either. As painful as it was for Joseph, their relationship wasn’t physical, yet, but it filled some gap that had felt like a great yawning hole in his chest for the past year…