Assumptions

Melissa did not know why she was running after Adrian. All she knew was that he had screamed Patrick’s name, and was apparently addressing the monster as he did. She had kicked off her heels and was sprinting through the cemented path in just her stockings. A few seconds later, Christian caught up with her. He seemed all right, although very pale. They glanced at each other, nodded, and proceeded to run after Adrian.

Lucky the moon was full and bright tonight, making Adrian (who was at least fifty yards away) easier to spot and follow. Melissa was a fast runner, one of the fastest in the school’s track-and-field team, but Adrian was running impossibly fast, the hem of his coat trailing after him like a superhero’s cape.

Every now and then, a large shadow would blot out the full moon and disappear in the distance. Adrian would follow, shouting Patrick’s name after it.

Adrian took a sudden sharp turn to the right—so sudden that Melissa thought he had vanished into thin air. She stopped on the spot where she’d lost him and looked around. They were right beside the local playground. Illuminated by moonlight and the feeble street lamps, she could see its gate bent and broken, as though something had smashed into it.

In the playground, amidst the merry-go-round and the swings was Adrian, standing with his back to them, his heavy coat barely swaying in the midnight breeze. He gave a startled twitch when the ruined gates groaned as Melissa and Christian entered the playground.

Without turning around he hissed, “What are you doing here?”

Melissa did not answer; something in the darkness of the park caught her eyes. There were two glints of light under the metal slide. It was farthest from the entrance and the streetlamps and was therefore cast in the darkest shadow. Something large was moving in the darkness.

“Why did you call that thing ‘Patrick’?” Melissa whispered.

“Shush,” Adrian hissed. “If you two do not want to die, be silent! ”

“Issa…”

The three froze at the sound. Although it was something only a human would have been able to make, it did not sound like it was made by a human mouth. It sounded like a growl turned to words, muffled by a tongue not intended for speech. They fixed their eyes on the shadow under the swing. The glints of light stared back at them. Melissa had this wild thought that the creature was actually calling for her…

Adrian raised an arm at Melissa and Christian, gesturing them to stay put as he advanced toward the swing. He made no sound even as his step-ins crushed the damp, short grass underfoot.

“Patrick, come out,” he said in an imperious tone, walking slowly. “Enough of this nonsense.”

Silence followed his words, and then…

“Issa…”

Adrian turned towards Melissa and Christian, who were frozen on the spot. Melissa could see that his expression was of someone suffering physical pain. He looked at her.

“Call for him,” he said, almost imploringly.

“What?” Melissa hissed, afraid that the monster would hear her.

“It would seem that he would respond to no one else,” he replied, a note of annoyance in his voice. “Please? The sooner we are out of this park, the better. Doubtless, the local police have received phone calls about a large creature running amok. And it would be foolish to believe that the playground does not have CCTV cameras around…”

Melissa remembered how carefully the creature had approached her earlier, how it had seemed determined to show her that it meant her no harm. Was it really Patrick? Quavering slightly, more from the cold of the night than from fear, she stood beside Adrian.

“Call for him…” Adrian whispered, stepping behind her. Melissa had the thought that he was preparing something.

“P-Patrick?” Melissa said carefully. The shadow shifted, and Melissa saw a large, long-fingered hand appear from the darkness and paw its way into the moonlight. Its pair soon followed, and then the dog-like face…

A chill ran up Melissa’s spine. She had not noticed it earlier, but in the muted light, she could see that the creature had Patrick’s warm brown eyes. It regarded her unblinkingly, slowly padding its way toward her.

As she had done back at the gymnasium, she raised her hand in front of the creature, and allowed it to rest its head against her palm.

“Patrick…” she murmured as the dog closed its eyes in contentment at her touch. “It is you, isn’t it?”

There was a low rumble from the creature’s throat, as though in assent. Under the moonlight, she could just make out the long, glistening lines of old scars traced across his face.

“What happened to you?” Melissa asked.

Patrick’s black lips quivered, it seemed as thought he wanted to say a lot of things. But all that came out was: “Issa…”

“Yes…” she nodded. She suddenly felt pity for Patrick; the torture he must feel to be unable to say anything else…

“Come,” Adrian said from behind her, “Call him over here. We need to get him out of this playground…”

“We?” Christian said. If he had not spoken, Melissa would have forgotten he was there. “What do you mean, ‘We’?”

“I mean, the four of us,” Adrian said impatiently. “Quickly, Melissa. Here”

From where he stood, pale yellow light danced among the grass. Melissa could see glowing lines had been drawn on the ground, forming an ornate circle. She held her hands out and took several steps back. Patrick followed her.

“But why the four of us?” Christian demanded. “Why can’t it be just you and that fucking monster?”

Adrian gave him a sharp look. “I will thank you not to call him that,” he said icily. “Patrick won’t come quietly if Melissa isn’t with us, and you have to come because I need to fix your wrist—don’t pretend it’s not broken. Now come, you need to be within the circle, too.”

So Christian, falling silent once more, stood beside Adrian in the glowing circle. Melissa came in shortly after, leading Patrick. The moment his large hands touched the golden lines, a whirlwind of color took their breath away. Melissa felt her feet leave the ground for a split second then feel it rest upon solid floor.