Beast

The sun was setting, making the woods look eerie. I stood at the edge of the forest. I kept waiting and waiting. My head knew he was never going to return, but my heart kept him alive. Soft footsteps were heard behind me. I turned my head slightly, keeping the woods in my vision. My grandmother stood there with a tight smile on her lips. She held out my cloak to take from her. I gave her a grateful smile and took it.

“Its getting colder since winter is on its way,” she mentioned, her voice soft.

I sighed. I knew she wanted me to go back inside. She wanted me to stop my foolishness and realize I wouldn't be able to see my wolf friend again. I covered myself with the cloak and tightened it around my body. I looked out towards the woods once again before shaking my head. I had to let him go. I turned on my heels, turning my back to the place I used to be in love with, and followed my grandmother into the cottage.

The cottage was small, but it fit our needs. We both had our own rooms, there was a kitchen, and we had a bathroom. What else did we need? A town that was actually in walking distance. I had a bike, so it wasn't that hard to get the groceries and necessities.

I glance over at my grandmother. She was a plump woman. She was absolutely beautiful. Her hair was beginning to gray and she didn't have many wrinkles, only around her eyes. She was a sweet woman and I appreciated everything she's done for me. Three years after I was born, my parents decided to leave me with her for a short time while they went on a trip. They never came back. I grew up with my grandmother and I loved being with her.

We walked into the kitchen right as the kettle began to whistle. Grams rushed to the kettle and poured out the tea into two cups. She passed me a cup before she put the kettle back in place. I sipped the green tea and closed my eyes in bliss. The tea swam through my body, warming me up almost immediately. I opened my eyes to the bright kitchen. Grams wasn't in the room anymore. I shrugged it off. She usually went into the small den or her room. I strode over to the pantry and opened it, disappointed. It was nearly empty.

“Note: Go to town tomorrow morning,” I muttered to myself.



Pulling up into town was nothing new. There was nothing that changed. It was nine in the morning and residue of the fog was beginning to fade away as the sun dominated the sky. The air was chilly, but my cloak kept me warm. My bike sped along the streets as I looked around. It was quiet out. It wasn't busy in the mornings. The main reason why I'd rather come out to town in the morning: not too many people are out.

I took a right on Ash Avenue and slowed down to a stop. There was a small coffee shop on this road. I placed my bike on the bike rack and locked it in. Walking into the shop, I pulled off the hood of my cloak. I ran a hand through my messy hair. The coffee shop was warm and cozy. Two worn out couches were in the corner. One couch was occupied by two boys no older than thirteen. I smiled at Daniel as I stepped over to the register. He smiled back, making his wrinkles more prominent.

“Hello, there, Demi,” his voice was old and kind. “I haven't seen you here in quite some time. How's your grandmother?”

He added a little wink. I laughed and shrugged. He was always out to get my grandmother, but she never left the house often. It was a rare sight to see her in town.

“She's doing well,” I answered. “Grams hasn't been into town for a while. Maybe, I'll take her out.”

His smile widened. “Well, aren't you a dear.”

I laughed again and shook my head. “I try, here and there. But, anyway, can I get the vanilla blend again? We ran out at home.”

Daniel nodded and walked over to a corner. He came back seconds later with my little bag of coffee beans. I smiled and handed him the money.

He looked around, as if to make sure no one was listening, before he spoke. “Did you hear, Demi?”

“Hear what?”

“Someone moved in,” he answered, brows raising. “To the old house, just outside of town. On the east entrance.”

My brows knitted together. “A family moved in? How long ago was this?”

The bell to the door rang. The both of us looked towards the door. A boy – no, man, strode into the coffee shop. I've never seen this person in my life. He wore all black; pants, shirt, leather jacket. He pulled off the bad ass look better than anyone I've ever seen. He wore dark sunglasses. He had tan skin and seemed to move like a predator. I didn't like this guy already. I looked over at Daniel and he just shrugged it off.

I glanced back at the man and narrowed my eyes at him. He crossed his arms over his chest, leather stretching. I turned on my heels and stared straight at him. For a moment, his cocky smile was gone. But, it quickly came back.

Then, he snickered. “Is it Halloween already, Little Red?”

My eyes narrowed even more. My hands clenched, but I took a deep breath in and smiled. I grabbed my bag and walked out of the coffee shop before I did anything stupid. I turned my head slightly and saw him watching me. My eyes widened and I looked forward. Just who was this guy?