The Beloved Beast

Part 5-At The Park

 Tanya came out of the trial room hesitantly. Neil was leaning against the counter and his face lit up to see her. The knee-length dress was a perfect fit and the emerald green color complimented her skin tone. She had never looked better. "We will take this," he told the salesgirl, silencing Tanya's protest with a wave of his hand. Half an hour later she walked out of the shop in her new dress along with matching high heels and a clutch. Tanya felt as if she was a new woman and with Neil's hand at her waist, she walked with confidence. She found out soon what he had planned for the evening when she found herself at the theater. A musical was playing there which had received some rave reviews from the critics. Neil had already booked their seats and they took their place in the foremost row.

The play was engrossing and Tanya was soon lost in the plot as the star-crossed lovers poured out their misery in the songs. Towards the end, she felt tears pouring down her cheeks at the tragedy. Neil gripped her hand in comfort. They exited the hall and Tanya noticed the elegantly dressed women. In her new dress, she did not feel out of place at all. Leaving the theater behind, they drove to a high-end restaurant. Amid bites of delicious food and wine, they discussed the play. Neil was an interesting companion, his conversation, whatever little he spoke, was totally riveting. "I don't believe in happily ever afters. Life is not really a bed of roses. It often poses troubles that have no easy way out," she remarked. "Well, I am an eternal romantic. I believe in everlasting love," he countered. "You?" she was astounded. "You seem so....so....reserved," she uttered, searching for a better word. She could not very well tell him that he appeared emotionless and cold. "Being a romantic doesn't mean that I have to act the fool," he retorted. She nodded understanding. He was basically an introvert, she thought, not comfortable in company. She was fortunate that he had considered her worthy of being his friend when there were so many other girls in college who would be ready to give their all to him at his single gesture.

After dinner, Neil turned his gaze towards the dance floor where couples were already swaying to the dreamy music. He got up, holding out his hand to her. Shyly, she took his hand, accompanying him to the dance floor, where he put his hands on her waist and drew her near. She put her head against his shoulder and followed his lead. He was a superb dancer and though Tanya's experience was limited, she knew that few men would be able to dance like that, be so nimble-footed. Later, they walked hand in hand to the parking lot, getting into the car. The glowing dial showed it was well past midnight, almost the witching hour. The time had seemed to have flown while she was with Neil. He put on the late-night news and Tanya let the voice of the newscaster wash over her as she sank back in the seat. Her reverie broke at the shocking words. "In a bizarre incident, a woman sitting near a bush in the City Park faced an attack by an unknown animal in which she sustained serious injuries. It is reported by our correspondent, who interviewed many people at the site, that the woman was sitting in a secluded corner of the Park which is densely wooded. It was dusk when she felt claws gouging her back. She screamed for help and a couple of men who were strolling nearby rushed to the site, but before they could see or catch the animal, it had disappeared in the falling dusk. No one could identify what kind of animal it was." Tanya sat up straight, her heart beating. "Did you hear that Neil? What a strange incident! I never knew that there were dangerous animals in the Park. The most I have ever seen are some harmless deer." Neil pulled her near to him, comforting her by stroking her back. "The park stretches for miles Tanya. If there are deer, there may possibly be predators too," he explained and she had to agree with his logic. "Just imagine, we were there a few hours ago," she shuddered, hiding her face in his shoulder. His palm stroked her head gently. "Don't worry dear, you were never in any danger. I was there with you."

He dropped her in front of her door with a goodnight kiss and Tanya opened the door of the house softly. Her mother had a night shift and would only be back in the morning. She tiptoed towards her room so as not to wake up her father, but it seemed that she was out of luck. He got up from the couch, and for once he wasn't so drunk as to not notice the time. His eyes widened when he saw her fancy clothes. "Where are you coming from? Who were you with?" his voice was hard, his eyes narrowing with anger and speculation. Tanya's mouth went dry with fear. "I....I....was with a friend at a party," she stuttered. "Which friend?" he barked out. "Mo....Monica...." He neared her with menacing steps. "Do you take me for a fool? These clothes cost a fortune. From where did you get that type of money, girl?" "My....my....friend gifted it....." she whispered. The slap landed on her cheek with a resounding crack. "You are no better than your mother.....both hookers," he spat in her face. Tanya did not wait to hear more. She ran into her room and slammed the door, locking it for good measure. Sinking on the floor with her back against the door, she cried her eyes out. What felt like hours later, she got up to change her dress and hang it carefully in the wardrobe. Then she washed her face, before sitting down on her bed. Her cheek was stinging from the blow she had received. She wished that she had not returned home. She would have been better off with Neil. He was kind and gentle. Not an abusive alcoholic like her father.

Neil stood in his room, looking at the bloodied handkerchief in his hand. There was some blood on the cuff of his sleeve too, but it wasn't very noticeable on the black cloth. Slowly he brought the handkerchief to his nose, sniffing the heady smell of blood. His mouth watered. He had been so close today. He should have to be more careful in the future. He could not just give in to the impulse to kill. It was only his unnaturally fast speed as a werewolf that had saved him today. In the blink of an eye, he had been away from the spot and well hidden among the trees. Then, dressing up again, he had wiped himself clean of any traces and walked out among the crowd. He threw the blood-stained piece of cloth into the dustbin. Then taking a quick shower, he lay down on the bed. His mind went to the rest of the evening. He was making quite a headway with Tanya. She was a simple, innocent girl. That is why he had chosen her. She was just right for him. He would have to hurry though. The potency of the curse was increasing day by day, so much so that he was almost losing control over himself. His hunts had increased and now nothing satisfied him except human blood. The scream of his victim in the throes of death gave him a high. He remembered the ear-piercing scream of the woman in the park, almost growing ecstatic at the memory. He had moved into the city just for this. Killing the others of his kind had entailed battles and although few could match him in his prowess, he being an Alpha, it had been a messy business and also brought him a bad name in his pack. He had it much easier here in the city, but now he wanted to break the curse and there was only one way of doing it. He sighed, thinking of the distasteful business ahead of him.

Tanya got up late. She had forgotten to set her alarm and the night's event had made her weep well into the wee hours. Getting ready for college, she made an effort to hide the ugly bluish-green bruise on her cheek. It covered the better part of one side of her face. She applied a little makeup, which she otherwise hated doing first thing in the morning, then tried to hide it with her hair. At last, satisfied that she did not look a sight, she came out of her room. Her mother was making breakfast, and Tanya could see from her face that she was dead tired. Tanya rushed forward to help her by putting on the kettle and making some tea. Her father was nowhere to be seen, so mother and daughter sat down, for once savoring their tea. Tanya tried her best to hide her bruise from her mother. Anyway, her mother was too tired to notice much. She was literally falling asleep in her seat. With a wave of her hand, Tanya walked out of the door. She would have to rush if she wanted to catch the bus. If she missed it she would have an hour-long wait before the next arrived and would miss the first class.