What God and Cats Know
The alleys were dark, dank and smelt like fresh urine. I ran
down one, paused at an intersection then turned on my heel to
charge down the other, feeling the hot breath of a Hunter on the
back of my neck. He growled once, letting me know he wasn’t in
a rush to finish the hunt. A claw reached out, ripping the shirt
from one arm while I dove into another alley, searching for a
way out. The moon was full in the sky over us and filled the brick
walls with misty shadows and misshapen shapes.
He smelt like garbage, old jeans, sweaty underwear and mouldy
cheese dipped in turpentine, which drifted past me in waves. I
coughed and wanted to stop to throw up, the nausea building in
my throat. If I did, then he would be on me and that wouldn’t be
a good thing.
Skidding around yet another corner, I lost my balance and
slammed into the wall, hard. My foot went numb as I struggled
to my feet and tried to limp away. The roar grew closer, the
scent stronger in my lungs as he approached. All I could do was
flatten myself against the wall and hope my first strike would
disable him, maybe even kill him.
He leapt out of the shadows at me, smashing me into the wall.
My shoulder popped out of its socket, leaving my arm numb as I
fell to the ground. The Hunter was on me before I could catch
my breath, straddling me with little effort. I stared up into the
feline face, trying to recognise it even while I strained to force
myself to Change.
The mouth opened, the canines dripping with hot saliva. His
tongue flicked out once to wet his lips then retreated as he
pinned me effortlessly to the ground. Arching his back, he
screamed at the sky above us then dove down, aiming for my
exposed neck.
I had nothing. Not even a whisper of extra strength, my weak
human body nothing more than a shadow of what it could be. I
still had my senses.
Lunging forward, I smashed my forehead into the feline face.
His nose, more delicate than a human’s, could be a liability in
close fighting.
The tactic worked. Releasing my arms, he brought up both
hands to cradle the injured and hopefully broken nose, roaring
his disapproval and pain.
Then I woke up.
He was still there.
down one, paused at an intersection then turned on my heel to
charge down the other, feeling the hot breath of a Hunter on the
back of my neck. He growled once, letting me know he wasn’t in
a rush to finish the hunt. A claw reached out, ripping the shirt
from one arm while I dove into another alley, searching for a
way out. The moon was full in the sky over us and filled the brick
walls with misty shadows and misshapen shapes.
He smelt like garbage, old jeans, sweaty underwear and mouldy
cheese dipped in turpentine, which drifted past me in waves. I
coughed and wanted to stop to throw up, the nausea building in
my throat. If I did, then he would be on me and that wouldn’t be
a good thing.
Skidding around yet another corner, I lost my balance and
slammed into the wall, hard. My foot went numb as I struggled
to my feet and tried to limp away. The roar grew closer, the
scent stronger in my lungs as he approached. All I could do was
flatten myself against the wall and hope my first strike would
disable him, maybe even kill him.
He leapt out of the shadows at me, smashing me into the wall.
My shoulder popped out of its socket, leaving my arm numb as I
fell to the ground. The Hunter was on me before I could catch
my breath, straddling me with little effort. I stared up into the
feline face, trying to recognise it even while I strained to force
myself to Change.
The mouth opened, the canines dripping with hot saliva. His
tongue flicked out once to wet his lips then retreated as he
pinned me effortlessly to the ground. Arching his back, he
screamed at the sky above us then dove down, aiming for my
exposed neck.
I had nothing. Not even a whisper of extra strength, my weak
human body nothing more than a shadow of what it could be. I
still had my senses.
Lunging forward, I smashed my forehead into the feline face.
His nose, more delicate than a human’s, could be a liability in
close fighting.
The tactic worked. Releasing my arms, he brought up both
hands to cradle the injured and hopefully broken nose, roaring
his disapproval and pain.
Then I woke up.
He was still there.
Excerpt Two