Bite Me

Gnashing lethal fangs with a ferocity only an enraged canine could muster, an imposing dog-like creature advanced, accelerating as the scent of a human grew closer. A human! Not every day was there a human to hunt, to bite, to kill. Large and imposing, the four-legged beast raised its long, jagged snout to the overhead moon that hung low and dangerous in the sky with the pure roundness of a full moon; like a silver dollar waiting to be stolen by a greedy thief, it hung. The lifted mouth opened, and from it came a sickening howl to the overhead satellite.

A distance away, a little boy stopped his play, turning to slowly gaze at his friend. She, too, had heard the howl, one that to a young wizard such as Remus Lupin only meant one thing: a werewolf. He glanced back at his home, with a soft glow emitting from behind a part way open cotton shade. Silently, Remus stood, beckoning that his friend should come with him. She did not move, and when Remus glanced at the woods behind his home, he saw a flash of yellow, two eyes peering at them with animal emotions.

"Arty, get indoors!" Remus said, urgently. Artemis Kan shook her head, her glossy black hair glinting in the yellow light of evening as she stared with Oriental eyes at the creature in the woods. Remus moved in front of his friend protectively, with all of the courage any six-year old could muster. He held out his arms in a protective shield of the crouched Arty, and he narrowed his own eyes as the werewolf in the woods did the same. A growl emitted from the back of the canine's throat and it shook out its head, fur rustling. Remus held his ground.

Without any warning at all, there was a sudden outright howl that made the hairs on the back of Remus' neck stand up on end. He almost unconsciously felt Artemis stand and back away, then turning and fleeing towards the house, crying out for Remus' parents. The wolf angrily pounded the ground with oversized paws, quickly gaining on the young girl. She screamed, and Remus ducked instinctively as the wolf leapt over him with ease and a maddening grace that made him sick to his stomach. "Artemis!" he screamed. Remus' tawny eyes widened as she screamed, overcome by the lycanthropic beast. Remus heard shouts inside as his mother tore open the curtains with such strength that they tore off their supports, and his father came out with his thick wand raised, pointed at the wolf.

But the spells were easily dodged by the lithe, slim creature that held the foul breath of something who has not eaten for more hours than most likely bearable. Staring straight at Remus' horrified father, the wolf placed a paw down upon Artemis' chest and leaned over, biting into her flesh as she screamed, then went limp. The lycanthrope almost pulled out a piece of flesh, but then the man who had hesitated now spoke a spell. "Stupefy!" he roared with anger as Remus saw his mother fall, limp, behind the window.

The wolf once again dodged, coming straight at Remus, who still crouched. He felt hundreds of thoughts running through his mind, too much for him to bear. He turned, and with a speed so great that the wolf gave a snarl that almost matched Remus' own. He flew into the woods, the moon's slivery light giving even the smallest saplings a glow that made everything seem like ghosts. Remus, though, was not daunted by the frightening images that he saw, cast by elongated shadows and shining lights from far away. The stars hung ominously close, and Remus wanted to reach up and grab one. Instead, he reached down as he ran and nimbly plucked up a rock.

Not even looking over his shoulder to secure his target, Remus hitched the sharp stone over his shoulder, almost tripping over a root in his haste. A satisfying cry of pain echoed through the trees, bouncing back from the rough bark. Remus heard the werewolf slow in his flight, and he took the opportunity to use his lightning speed to leap up with an agility that surprised even him onto an overhanging branch in his path. It was light, and without thinking Remus quickly grasped onto a higher, thicker branch. The wolf was almost upon him when the branch he stood on cracked and fell down slowly, then speeding up. Remus had already pulled himself onto the next branch, using his litheness to his own advantage.

The wolf, furious in its animal way, growled and snapped its teeth at Remus, whose eyes widened. "Mum," he mouthed hoarsely. "Dad." The wolf came up on its front paws, drawing great, deep lines in the heartwood with the long claws that decorated its paw. Remus searched for another branch, farther away from the monster. He saw that a quarter-way around the trunk was a branch that looked quite sturdy, and he angled himself to jump. In his frenzy, he did not notice that the wolf hunched down, and he quickly leapt across, grabbing the branch with his legs swinging free.

A feral howl signalled the werewolf's vault. Remus tucked his legs under him, and only a sharp tooth grazed his leg, drawing blood. But he knew the implications of it, though it did not fully register as he swung himself up despite the pain. He looked down upon the wolf, and noticed with horror that the edges of it were fuzzing up. Remus felt himself gripping tighter onto the branch, the roughness of the bark cutting into his smooth, small hands. The wolf faded in and out of vision, and then it looked up and howled louder than Remus could stand. He gave out a cry, and covered his ears with his hands. Just then, his legs gave way as he clumsily pushed himself back with them along the branch, towards the trunk, and he tried and failed to keep himself stable.

Unthinking, Remus grabbed hopelessly at the bark on the trunk, feeling just before the shattering impact the long, deep cuts in the wood made earlier. Breathless, Remus felt the wolf's breath over him, and had he the strength, he would have covered his nose from the metallic smell of blood. But now, he only had the strength to stay conscious. He felt the strength melt away as he looked straight at a set of sharp teeth, opening to consume their prize. Remus felt the whole world sink away into blackness just as he heard a shout, and the teeth pull away to be replaced by a weight that hung over him as he felt an animal body pressed against his own.