It was weird. Back home she could never have time like this. A quiet moment by the fire reading a book in peace. Mabel had enjoyed it the first few days in her new home. Now, it felt too quiet. Usually, her mom or sister would talk over the book she was trying to focus on, and it annoyed her to no end. Yet now. She wanted someone around. Even if they didn’t say anything it was better than being alone.

She let out a big sigh and shut the book, her focus lost. As she headed to her room she took one look at his door and wished him good night. Not knowing he heard her every night she did so.

Once he heard Mabel’s door close he snuck out and went down to the kitchen to find his dinner already on the table. Ever since Mabel moved in it began to feel more and more like an actual home. No one had ever been this nice to him, or really, just nice to him. Maybe I should do something nice for her. He had tried to avoid her all this time thinking he’d scare her. But she made him dinner and always wished him goodnight. Maybe she won’t run. Once he was done he went back into his room.

Mabel tossed and turned in her bed the whole night. She finally gives up and checks her little marked calendar. It's been a month already… She sneaks out of the room and into the bathroom as quietly as she could to not disturb him.

He’s awakened by the smell of blood. Her blood. It’s intoxicating and a long-forgotten part of him comes back. He walks out of his room and waits in the hallway for her.

Mabel is startled to see him, barely seen in the darkness, standing in the hallway, staring at her with bright white eyes. She steps slowly toward the Creature only hearing the pounding of her heart.

She’s close enough that her scent is strong and tempting, “Is everything ok?” She asks cautiously. He’s silent and still. Silently watching her. Wanting to break the silence she risks reaching out for him. He grabs her wrist before she can pull back and brings it toward his fangs. 

He’s going to kill me, isn’t he? She feels his warm breath over her wrist for a moment and then he lets go. Dashing down the stairs in a blur. Mabel runs after him and stops when he growls at her pleading, “Don’t follow me!” She watches as he begins to transform into some sort of 4-legged monster.

Mabel kneels on the floor and stares out into the woods, “What the hell?”

She isn’t able to sleep the rest of the night so she makes breakfast and waits at home for him. Hoping that whatever happened last night, just happens. I mean, of course, he’d try to eat me and then run away telling me to ‘stay away’ for some goddamn reason. This probably happens every month. By the time she’s finished the household chores the worry in her chest has built up to the point that this wasn’t something that happened a lot. Mabel snatches her duffel bag and preps herself for a trip in the woods.

I don’t know what I will have to face but I have to prep myself. Resolved in her mission she takes a step out of the house and is greeted with thunder and lightning, “Are you frickin’-” More thunder cuts her off, and she yelps, running back inside to cover her ears.

Mabel takes a deep breath and steels herself once more. She was determined to find him, worried he might have hurt himself, or others. She goes back to her room and retrieves a pair of earplugs to dull the sound.

Now armed with earplugs and a rain cloak she goes back out into the woods to search for him.