Niszczyciel

"Nisa..."

I followed the sound of Roman's voice. It was dark and wet, and I could feel the softness of the damp earth between my toes. I was dressed in nothing but a red nightgown that ended midway down my thighs. I was cold and I could smell the wetness of the earth around me, but other than that there was no indication to where I was.

"Nisa..." Roman's voice called out again, almost mockingly. It was dark, but I finally made out Roman's tall figure in a clearing. A bright light lit up behind him revealing the silhouette of a pair of large, angel like wings.

I stopped in my tracks, afraid to approach him. He was still for a moment, watching me as I shielded my eyes from the light before lifting his arms to his sides.

"Don't leave me!" Roman screamed suddenly, causing me to stumble backwards a little.

"Why?" I called back, "what's happening to you?"

"The same thing that's happening to you." Roman's voice had become eerily calm as he reached his arms out towards me, "stay with me." He was trying to grab out for me just as the wings folded in around him.

"Roman!" I'd barely gone to lunge for him when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, holding me back as I struggled to get to him.

"It's too late." Roman uttered as the wings grew steadily tighter. Unable to help him, I watched on in horror, but before he disappeared completely I was spun around by the set of arms holding me back.

It was Peter.

"You need to stop, Little Red." Peter whispered, pulling me into him. "Before it's too late."

"I've tried." I breathed, wrapping my arms around his torso. He felt warm, safe, everything I hadn't felt since the accident. It was all I should have wanted, but I couldn't ignore Roman. I had tried and it was simply too hard, the hunger was too strong, or I was just too weak.

"You need to stop!" Peter grabbed hold of my arms tightly, shaking me as he screamed. "You're going to kill us, Nisa!" I stared at Peter--horrified--as bits of flesh began to fall from his face.

I wanted to scream, but the sound was lost in the back of my throat. I pushed hard against Peter's chest in vain, trying desperately to get away from his decomposing face. He was too strong, inhumanly so it seemed.

"You're going to kill us all!" I felt the tears welling up as Peter's face continued to fall to pieces until there was nothing left. All that remained beneath his unruly brown mop top was his skull; bloody and exposed.

Finally Peter let go, his arms falling limply to his sides. I backed away and tripped on some unseen debris, my red night gown riding dangerously up my thigh as I clawed through dirt. I couldn't tell if Peter was watching me as both of his eyeballs had fallen away with the rest of his face, but he didn't move as I continued to back away.

"Only suffering can come from such evil." The voice that had come from where Peter's mouth had once been was not his. It was too deep, demonic.

"It's okay." I found my voice and had gone to scream as Roman's voice sounded in my ear. His hand came around from behind me to cover my mouth, silencing the scream before I could even produce it. I flailed in his grip as his left arm wrapped around my torso just beneath my breasts, lifting me from the ground.

Roman held me close to him, keeping his hand over my mouth as he rested his face beside mine, still facing Peter.

"Shh," Roman whispered, his hand sliding up the front of my nightgown. "We'll kill them together."

"Miss Newlan!" I awoke with a start, sending my notebook skittering across the floor. "Would you care to pick up where we left off, since my voice appears to be boring you." I didn't even remember falling asleep, let alone where we'd been in the chapter. I had never found Wuthering Hights particularly interesting to begin with, but I'd spent much of my weekend researching blood cravings so I was running off of two hours of sleep tops. Not to mention, tonight was the full moon and Peter had promised I could watch him as he knew I still didn't totally believe him and why didn't I? Peter being a werewolf was no stranger than whatever the hell was happening to me.

Glancing around the room, I flipped open my copy deciding to wing it and just start reading from a random page. It must not have been too far off because no one said anything and though my mouth spoke aloud the words in front of me, my mind was elsewhere.

I was genuinely surprised that nothing had seemed to change between Peter and I. After Homecoming night, there was a brief period of about a day where we both wondered about what had conspired between us and whether or not that made us friends with benefits or just friends that had happened to sleep together one time. We ended up deciding on the latter as we'd later gone skinny dipping in the pond by his home and ended up slinging mud at one another rather than screwing again. Not that the 'screwing' hadn't been pretty fantastic.

There may have been some part of me that wanted Roman, but there was also a part of me that needed Peter. These nightmares were beginning to really take it out of me and I couldn't understand them. It seemed before Roman had only ever been a sex symbol in my dreams and now he appeared more like an angel, while Peter was... what was Peter? A zombie? Whatever it was, it was horrifying and the thought sent a shiver down my spine.

The rest of the day passed slowly, and I'd caught Peter talking with Roman twice. Neither time would he tell me what it was about and I didn't like how much Roman seemed to warming up to Peter. I couldn't tell if his motives were genuine or he was using him as a means to get to me or if Roman just simply liked the attention he got from talking to Peter. Everyone in town still seemed to think Peter was the culprit, simply because he was a Gypsy and the werewolf rumors didn't seem to help the matter much. I was still a loyal friend though, regardless of the looks I received from talking to Peter, and I didn't like Roman's new found interest in him. Peter was mine.

As I'd pulled to a stop outside of Peter's, I could hear him in Lynda arguing all the way from the street. I'd rarely spent much time at home as of late since my dad was always working, but I was beginning to second guess my decision of coming straight over. As I got closer, I could make out some of what they were saying, though still not enough to understand much.

I gave a gentle tap on the door which was followed by immediate silence.

"It's me," I called just before the door was pulled open. I didn't normally knock when I came over, but I'd also never heard Peter and Lynda argue.

It was Peter who had pulled the door open for me from his seat right beside it. Lynda was standing in front of him looking worried about something, but managed a small smile for me as I made my way to my usual spot on the sofa.

"Did I--I mean, should I come back later?"

"No, no you're fine." Peter seemed to brush off the notion, running a hand through his hair. Lynda let out a sigh, walking over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I hope those balls know what they're doing." She said with a sigh before heading into the kitchen, leaving Peter and I in an awkward silence.

"Everything alright?" I wasn't sure what to expect, I'd never seen Peter during a transformation.

He didn't say anything, but he gave me a tight smile as he raised his eyebrows in a manner that said, 'sure let's go with that' before taking a deep breath. Snatching off my beanie, I fidgeted with it in my hands, deciding it would probably be best to just wait in silence. Unfortunately in the silence my mind wandered back to my dream from class this morning.

"You're going to kill us all!"

I jumped as there were three sudden knocks on the door. I knew this was supposed to be a private matter, so immediately my mind raced to the worst case scenario, which was the cops. Peter, on the other hand, didn't seem as bothered by the new arrival, but Lynda shared a glance with me before focusing back on the door.

"Hey." I felt my heart leap into my throat. It was Roman.

"Hey," Peter responded after a slight pause, "come in." No wonder Lynda had been pissed earlier, it was as if Peter was practically handing out tickets to some show.

Clearing my throat, I sat up a bit straighter. I hadn't told a soul about what had happened between Roman and I at the dance, not even Peter, and I'd hoped to keep it that way. But Roman was here, which meant Peter must have trusted him just as much as he trusted me and what exactly did that mean? How long had they even known each other, really?

Roman's eyes found mine and they lingered for a moment as I searched for the courage to at least say 'hi', but when nothing came out I settled with a wave before moving towards the opposite end of the sofa. Roman's mouth opened as if he'd meant to say something back, though me must have felt as uncomfortable as I since his gaze suddenly shifted towards the shrine behind me.

"Are you Hindu or something?" I didn't mind the change in subject, anything was better than an awkward stare down. Besides, I was here for Peter, I needed to suppress whatever feelings I had towards Roman, especially now.

"Sit." I looked up from the spot in the rug I'd been focusing on to see Lynda motioning Roman towards the sofa. I went rigged as he took a seat beside me, struggling not to look over at me. No one else must have noticed though as I was sure Peter would have normally commented on our strange behaviors.

"Milk?" Lynda offered, pouring a glass.

"Sure." Both Roman and I answered in unison. I didn't want milk, I didn't even like milk, and Peter knew that. I wasn't sure what had made me say I wanted some, but it was too late now as Lynda had poured me a glass. My eyes shot up to meet Peter's who was giving me an odd look.

"Honey?" She looked over to Peter.

"Lactic acid." Peter said, waving her away before giving me another look from behind my glass while I struggled to keep a straight face as the sour tasting liquid seeped down my throat. It probably wasn't sour at all, but that was just the taste milk gave off to me, I couldn't stand the stuff.

Roman grabbed his own glass and I could feel his motion on the seat beside me. He was close enough to touch and I wanted nothing more than to slide my leg across him as I'd done to Peter only a few nights earlier. It was Roman whom I'd wanted, it had been since I'd first laid eyes on him and probably wouldn't change, but he was dangerous, we were dangerous. Homecoming night proved that.

The hours passed slowly, but with each passing moment I could see a change in Peter. It was little at first, strumming his fingers along the table beside him, then his foot as he became more fidgety. He'd now begun tapping a small stone against a glass ashtray and the sound alone was threatening to drive me insane.

"He gets nervous beforehand," Lynda informed Roman and I as she placed a gentle hand on Peter's to help calm him, "hormones."

Roman, who had been looking at his watch every few minutes since he'd sat down beside me looked up between Lynda and Peter. "I have a tranquilizer," he informed them.

"No." Peter replied, tossing a hand up. Roman looked to Lynda, who seemed to think about his offer for a moment.

"Yes. Just a little to wet my whistle. Thank you." She was beginning to look as nervous as Peter, which was understandable I suspected as it was her son. Roman looked to me as he reached into his jacket pocket, raising a brow as he pulled out a little tin peppermint container.

My mouth went dry.

"No, thanks." I breathed, taking a deep breath and focusing my attention back on Peter who had begun taking off his jewelry.

"Does it hurt?" Roman asked through the silence. It hadn't even occurred to me to even ask.

Peter gave a faint smile before responding with, "you wouldn't notice if a bus hit you." I didn't like that response. Peter was my friend, I didn't want to think of him being in any amount of pain over something that he had no control over.

"Are you still...you?" I tentatively asked, almost afraid of his answer. Peter just gave a smile, that smart ass smile he gave right before he made a smart ass comment.

"What's the matter Little Red? Scared of the big bad wolf?" I mouthed, 'fuck you' as he attempted to laugh, though he was in too much discomfort so it came out as little more than an amused cough.

"He's a good boy." Lynda stated, reaching over for Peter's hand. "He's my handsome little honey bun."

More minutes passed and Peter was now soaked in sweat. It was dripping from his hair and down his face. He'd already peeled his shirt off, but when he'd gone for his jeans Roman shot me a look.

"Do you think you should maybe," I turned to face Roman, "I don't know, look away... or something?" I couldn't believe the look on his face, Roman didn't want me to see Peter naked? Though I may have felt shameful to admit it, a part of me liked it.

"Nothing I haven't seen before." I said loud enough for only Roman to hear as I stood up, following Lynda's motions for us to move outside. I made sure to flash Roman an innocent smile before giving Peter's naked body one last look as I stepped outside. I knew it was wrong and I knew I probably shouldn't have hinted towards anything, but I wanted to see how Roman would react to the fact.

Roman's jaw clenched, his body went stiff, and as quickly as he'd shown any sign of emotion, it was gone. I wanted to know what it meant, was he angry with me? With Peter? Or did Roman truly just not care? I knew how I'd felt the day he'd come out of the girl's bathroom and just the memory of it pissed me off all over again.

We stood side by side outside as Peter came out of the trailer last, breathing heavily. Lynda stood between Roman and I and we watched. It was as if he couldn't seem to get enough air, like when you get too hot and your breath just escapes you. He was dripping sweat, panting, walking in circles, already like a dog almost.

"What's the 'G' stand for?" Roman noted, motioning towards the tattoo on Peter's torso.

"Go suck an egg." Peter managed through heavy breaths. It was nice to know he wasn't in too much discomfort to not be an asshole. I gave a small smile, sliding my beanie back onto my head. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed his tattoo before, though in my defense it had been pretty dark the last time I'd seen Peter naked.

After giving me a look, Peter spit into his hands, using the saliva to slick his hair out of his face. A cat I hadn't previously noticed was purring viciously against Peter's legs. You could see him slipping, as if his mind was trying to go somewhere else, apart from this very moment. Our eyes locked and I wanted to embrace Peter, I wanted to help him, to somehow absorb all the discomfort he was feeling. And then Roman snapped his fingers and I was back,

"Ah, darn."

"What?" Lynda asked, not taking her eyes off of Peter.

"I forgot to bring a Frisbee." Roman said through a smile. Peter's body had begun to shiver slightly, but he managed to lift his middle finger high enough to tell Roman to fuck off.

Even Lynda smiled at the comment, though she added, "don't joke."

Then it grew silent, with the three of us fixated on Peter. The first few snaps seemed surreal, but as Peter's body doubled over a realization seemed to wash over me; this was actually happening. Roman's once crossed arms were now at his sides as he took a slight step back. Lynda hadn't moved.

Another few cracks and Peter somehow managed to stand upright again, letting out a few pained chuckles and for a moment I thought maybe it had all been some elaborate prank, he'd gotten one over on me, until it happened again. Peter's neck snapped back and he let out a painful groan before his body collapsed onto the ground in an echo of snaps and cracks. I lurched forward, wanting to catch him, to help him, but Lynda's arms were around me before I could take another step.

"It's alright baby girl, watch." Her hands rubbed slow circles around my upper arms. She was trying to soothe me, but I wasn't frightened. I wanted to help him, I needed to help him, Peter needed me. "Just watch."

More snapping, more breaking, Peter was screaming out in pain as his eyeballs were literally pushed out of his face and onto the ground in front of him. Roman was silent, I'd given up trying to rush to help, what could I have done? The wolf was literally growing out of him, ripping Peter apart from the inside. Patches of fur were now exposed through enormous tears in Peter's flesh as his yells were being replaced with growls and snarls. His teeth were next, popping out one by one as a snout extended from where his mouth had once been. In one final shake, whatever was left of Peter's skin had been flung off of his black fur leaving only the wolf.

I hadn't even realized my mouth had been opened until I closed it. It had been the most beautiful yet horrifying thing I'd ever seen, the birth of this creature. He watched us as he ate the skin that had once been his, careful to leave no evidence of what had happened. When he'd finished, his yellow eyes fixed on Roman who'd crouched down a bit so he was near eye level with him.

"Peter?" The wolf's head turned a little to the side as if in acknowledgement before turning on me. All I could do was smile, because it made sense. Peter was a beast, just as was whatever was growing inside of me. Maybe this had been the reason I'd been so drawn to Peter, how we'd become such close friends in such a short time, maybe the monsters were attracted to each other.

Turning on us, Peter suddenly took off into the woods leaving us alone to absorb everything we'd just witnessed. I found my attention, however, being drawn to Roman. Peter was clearly supernatural, as was I in some manner, so what was it in Roman that I wanted so badly? Peter was a werewolf, what exactly was Roman Godfrey?