Moon Wolf: RED (Closed for Yeishia)

While dusk decends, the forest seems to spring to life. A storm is rolling in, and all the wild life can feel it. A woman with long auburn hair kneels between a pair of mighty trees, her chin raised to the canopy above.

Elswhere, a deer raises its head befor bolting deeper into the woods, aware of the oncoming storm.

The woman's skin is damp with a sheen of sweat as she draws a deep breath.

In another part of the forest a wolf sniffs at the air before shaking from head to flank and slinking into its den.

The woman moans deeply as she reaches out to brace herself against the trees. A shaft of moonlight finds its way through the treetops, bathing her in its silvery light. She wears only a silk nightgown which curves lightly over the round of her belly, heavy with child. She rocks slowly back and forth, her hands grasping at the bark of her silent guardians. The shaft of moon light casts her shadow, long, behind her as she sways. The shadow shifts with her as she howls to the moon.

Then, a newborn baby cries...

"Thats how I was born. At least, thats how my grandmother, Gamma Den tells it. Hi, my name is Roseline Eldie Denning, but you can just call me Red."

Red...

That seemed like a life time ago a silly nickname perpetuated by a fanciful grandmother. Roseline had listened patiently to the old stories simply to indulge the wonderful caring woman who had raised her yet she had never truly believed them. As a child they had intrigued her, as a young teenager they had been romantic fairy tales to mull over at bed time, as she grown to womanhood they became an encumbrance; something to be tucked away in the corners of her mind especially now that she was embarking on a new phase of her life.

Her world going forward would be one filled with indisputable facts. Roseline had no time for anything less. Memories of the wayward romantically inclined girl known as Red would remain nestled in the bosom of her Grandma Denning safely ensconced in her rambling cottage amongst her fanciful tales of a time when the full moon heralded more than just the dawning of another lunar cycle.

Today Roseline was standing in her new dorm room, she had been accepted to study Anthropology; bones could be relied upon, they told no lies, if she could get her hands on a bone from one of her grandmothers’ mythical creatures she would have proved her wrong in an instant. The young woman who would be turning 21 in less than a year stared at her image in the mirror, it belied her need for order. Standing 5ft 7 inches tall she could only be described as willowy. Slim and supple, she was all long legs and soft gentle porcelain curves. She looked like a small breeze might bend her. Her looks belied the inner core of steel which now stood hidden.

The hair she was trying to subdue hung in a riotous perfusion of soft waves to her waist. Frowning she wrestled it onto one long braid still wondering why she simply didn’t cut it off and be done. As a child it had been the bane of her existence working well with her nickname red. Luckily as she had matured her fiery silken locks had darkened until they had become a rich auburn from which that hated red merely peeked out occasionally like the rays from a surreal Serengeti sunset as if they knew that to step to the forefront would incur heir owners ire.

Now that is fanciful, she told herself, grinning at the image in the mirror through her huge almond shaped eyes, eyes that by her coloring should have been green but unpredictably we the most startling shade of colbalt blue encircled by an astonishing ring of pure onyx.That’s the wolf in you, her grandmother had often reminded her, hair from your mother, eyes and perhaps more from your father. For a brief instant Roseline could have sworn that it was Grandma Denning's eyes staring back at her and not her own, she shook her head banishing the image. Her Gram seemed to be invading her thoughts and even her dreams more and more of late. Was she perhaps feeling guilty because she had chosen to leave the small country estate where she had been raised to pursue her own destiny one dictated by herself not some crazy legend? Roseline had been determined to put the nonsense of her supposed legacy firmly behind her, this was a new beginning one that she herself had fashioned by hard work and diligence... Still she dearly missed her beloved Gram.

Feeling a headache coming on she knew she needed to run it off, she would run until she dropped exhausted into the small bed she had been assigned. Maybe then she would sleep soundly undisturbed by the dreams which had like her grandmother’s warnings had become more insistent of late. Pulling on some shorts a tank top and her running shoes and she was ready. She had chosen this college because it was surrounded by acres of beautiful woodlands which would allow her to indulge her love of running free.

The dorm was co-ed Roseline had requested a single room but they were at a premium and so she was on a waiting list, she wondered who she would be rooming with maybe she would get lucky and they would simply fail to show. Roseline was a bit of a loner and was keeping her fingers crossed, though to be honest over the past week since she had arrived she had gotten the distinct feeling that she was being watched even in the privacy of this small room and as a result was beginning to look forward to the arrival of another. With a last look around the austere room she was off to take her much needed run.

The evening was beautiful, dusk was just setting in she smiled drinking in the earthy smell of the primal living wold in which she was about to lose herself. A warm up and a tentative look around and she was off flying free her mind clearing with every mile, her fears all but forgotten as her long legs ate up along the meandering pathways. Roseline didn’t carry an i-pod as most runners did she preferred to listen to the natural music of the woods, she found it more soothing than some artificial beat. The hair she had struggled with became unloosened flowing out behind her like in glorious abandon; soon she was simply a blur of red flashing in and out of the trees and foliage.

If there was indeed a big bad wolf he would have a hard time catching this coltish beauty as she became one with her surroundings as if she actually did belong there!

Martinez Alvares:

Martin, as he prefered to be called, was hanging out in the park by the college he had just transfered to. He was 24 and his family was very well to do. Being that they were so rich, there was significant pressure on him to make something of himself, preferably following in his fathers foot steps as a lawer. He had no great desire to do so though, in fact, as he wiled away the last several years bouncing from major to major, he found nothing really drew his interest. It was a classic case of having everything he could possibly want when he wanted it, so life was... Boring.

*Flashback*

That was, until two years ago, the night he went to a New York bar called The Deviant and all hell broke lose, litterally, and he got a glimps into a world not meant for mere mortals. Martin still can't pin down exactly what happened, but he remembers sitting at the bar talking to the tender, who's name was Joe when a grey haired man walked in and promptly burst into flames.

Customers scattered and ran for any exit they could find without causing any damage to the place, almost as if they were used to doing so, like it was just another high school fire drill, but on crack.

Then, a beast, all gnarled muscle and savage teeth sprung from the second floor, shattering through a pane of glass while making a horrendous sound, like a twisted mockery of hyena laughter.

Martin was down on the ground in an instant, ducked and covered as he was showered by glass, a peice sticking painfully in his cheek before he could fully cover himself. He flopped to his side and covered his face, peeking through his fingers. The man who had burst into flames had wings... Wings made of fire, at least that's what Martin saw as the man swatted the laughing beast away from him as though he were a fly. The beast flew across the dance floor, toward the game room in the back of the bar, but suddenly stopped short of crashing into the back wall, only to hover in mid air for a moment.

A man with long brown hair, glowing red eyes, and... Fangs? Came through the broken pane of glass on the second floor as casually as ever. A young woman in the room behind the man began to giggle with her hands balled into fists in front of her mouth. Where her eyes should have been there were just empty black pits and terribly furrowed scars marred both of her cheeks. The long haired man waved her away and produced a rather impressive two handed sword, the likes of which should obviously have been in a museum somewhere, which he brandished easily in one hand.

From the game room another man appeared, he looked much like a younger version of the long haired swordsman but with much more pleasant facial features. This man's hands were out as though he were holding somthing, but they were empty. The beast still hung in the air snarling and making that horrible laughing sound when the man behind him jestured as if to throw a hand ball. The beast flew directly at the fiery winged man while the swordsman leapt down into the fray.

Thats where things went hazy in Martin's memory. There was a fight, but the rest of it all is little more than a blurr in Martin's memory. Afterwards, the swordsman, the beast, who had somehow turned into a man, and, for lack of a better term, the mage surrounded Martin where he lay, in a trembling fetal position. They explained that they were the bar's owners and made sure that Martin was alright, at least physically. The swordsman, who they called Val excused himself and charged the younger man, the mage, who he called William to take care of Martin. They never said the beast-man's name. Martin was sure what Val meant, was to kill him, so he scrambled behind the bar, forgetting all about Joe, and started lobbing whatever he could get his hands on William.

Joe, the bartender caught Martin in an armlock and held him still long enough for it to become apparant no one was going to kill him. William took care of Martin's cheek with the wave of his hand, seemingly by magic. He still has a scar from it though. There was no sign of the guy who had started the fire, or any sign of fire at all, for that matter. Martin freaked out on William, whom, to his credit, calmly and matter of factly explained: Monsters exist, all of them.

Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons, mummies, ect... They're just damn good at hiding.

Martin found one other thing out that night, he can see them now, all of them. It keeps him up at night.

*Back to present.*

Martin shook his head to clear the memories from his mind. He was leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette when he noticed a college girl with long auburn hair running toward him. He pushed himself away from the tree and put his smoke out absent mindedly against the bark of the tree as he smoothed out his long black leather trench coat and pants. He also wore a a studded leather belt which was sinched in a loop rather than with a pin and a tight white t-shirt which showed off his work in the gym. He would have worn his black fedora, but thought that might be just a little bit over the top, and just might clue the 'monsters' in on him being a 'hunter'.

He was going to wave and say hi to the girl with auburn hair as she ran past him, but what he saw next caught him off guard and caused him to choke out the smoke he still had in his lungs. Her hair as she neared him became more like a mane of fur and her frame seemed to grow and expand around her, she was still normal, but it was like a ghost image surrounding her.

Her petite frame passed within a foot of him, but it felt like he had just been run into by a body builder. He hit the tree, then went down to his hands and knees, hacking and coughing as he did. "What the hell, lady?!" He shouted between coughs as he rose to one knee.

When Rosaline ran she lost conscious touch with her surroundings, running became an almost out of body experience for her as if she were no longer restricted by the physical limitations of her human body. It had been a while since she had had the luxury or the space to indulge the way she was this evening. The stress and uncertainty of the last week was gone, her head had cleared and she was delighting in the wind which flowed around her body as she simply let go…

She supposed it was the endorphins everyone spoke about and so Roseline had never questioned what almost amounted to a transformation from woman into something else entirely when she ran.

Instinctively she had slowed her pace when she had entered the more landscaped areas closer to the campus yet somehow she had failed to notice the student she has somehow managed to mow down in her passing.

. "What the hell, lady?!"

At his angry words she halted, Roseline had barely felt the impact yet the evidence was irrefutable there he was on his hands and knees coughing his lungs out. Lord she couldn’t have hit him that hard could she? Nevertheless she bent down to assist him almost immediately backing off her nose crinkling with disgust, he smelled awful! Rosaline had an incredibly enhanced sense of smell another legacy she had inherited from her father she supposed; he smelt of stale cigarettes and something more that she wouldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Ì ..I am soo sorry I hadn’t noticed you…Are you ok?’

Dispute his imposing build privately she thought he must be some sort of weakling she had barely grazed him of that she was sure. By his dress she assumed he was a student, by the gothic look perhaps a drama student. He was quite handsome even the scar running across his face didn’t distract from that. If he had not been on his hands and knees hacking he might have carried an air of menace.

The campus was well lit, still it was later than she had intended to be out and he did look in-proportionately angry given the small tap she had given him, maybe he was ill? Roseline took another step backwards.

“I am a student ...New here … Roseline ... Can I get help… Are you truly hurt?”

Martin looked up at the girl who'd just knocked him down. She looked normal again, no more beastly aura surrounded her. "Yeah..." Martin muttered, giving his shoulder a quick rotation to see if he really was okay before getting back to his feet with an annoyed grunt. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. Boy, you sure must like your wheaties, that's one hell of a shoulder tackle you've got there." Martin quipped, in an attempt to break the tension.

He looked her over, now that he was up on his feet again. She sure was pretty, he thought, too bad she was some sort of monster... He gave her a look of distaste before he could stop himself. When she took a step back from him and stammered out her name, Martin shook his head and gave her a slight smile. "Hey, sorry, its just... I'm not used to being run over by beautiful women... My name's Martin, Martin Alvares, Its nice to meet you, Roseline..." He offered her his hand.

"No, no, I'm fine. I'll be fine, I'm sure." He replied to her offer to got get help. Roseline... The name was familiar. "I'm new here too, just transfered. Wait, your last name wouldn't be Denning, would it? I think we are in the same dorm room!"

Rosaline continued to stand a few paces away dearly wishing she could complete her cool down and return home the last thing she wanted was to wake up sore tomorrow. She watched him solemnly as he got to his feet, the hackles rising along the back of her slender neck Roseline knew that she should probably help him to his feet but was loath to get that close to him again. He is quite the drama queen, she thought as he rotated his shoulder. Rosaline didn’t understand his wheaty reference but she did feel clearly his intense dislike of her it oozed from his every pore and for a second it was shown clearly on his immature face.

She gave him credit, he covered fast throwing out what he probably thought of a compliment but the girl impatiently standing before him was not fooled "Hey, sorry, its just... I'm not used to being run over by beautiful women... My name's Martin, Martin Alvares, Its nice to meet you, Roseline..." He offered her his hand.

Once again she declined to touch him. “I am pleased to meet you too,” she lied, “forgive me if I do not shake your hand, mine is sticky from running.”

Roseline was dismayed when she learned he was to be her dorm mate, perfect I shall be sharing with a male who reeks of tobacco and dislikes me to bout! The feeling was obviously mutual there would be no love lost between the pair.

“Well as you appear to be alright I must finish up my run, I will see you later at the dorm,” she smiled weakly and was gone in the direction of the campus.

The dorms were divided into small cells each with four small bedrooms; the occupants of each cell shared a small living room and even smaller kitchen. Each floor comprised of five such cells and an even smaller one comprising of 2 bedrooms which Martin and herself were sharing. That made 22 students per floor, who all shared two same sex communal bathrooms and a study hall. Roseline made it home without incident and was able to shower eat and retire to her bedroom without bumping into her new dormmate.

Sitting in the middle of her small bed brushing out her hair she vowed that tomorrow the first thing she would do would be to buy a lock for her small bedroom. Does he dislike me personally, she wondered, or was it red heads or perhaps the female population in general? Whatever the reason the feeling was clearly mutual. They barely knew each other but for some reason Roseline couldn't fathom she didn't trust him... not at all!

The yawning Roseline shivered, once again getting the creepy irrational feeling that she was being watched her eyes strayed to the mirror and for a second she thought saw the face of her Grams. I really miss her,she thought resisting a most compelling impulse to wedge the high backed chair from her small desk under her door knob.

Turning out the small lamp beside her bed she snuggled down under the covers despite her tension Roseline Eldie Denning was soon fast asleep.

Martin noticed how Roseline kept her distance from him, like she was ready to bolt at any sign of danger, or something. She turned down his hand shake, giving him kind of a lame excuse, and when she learned that they were dorm room-mates she seemed taken aback by it. Martin was at a loss for words and completely clueless as to where her obvious dislike of him was comming from. She ran into him, and he'd done his best to be nice to her.

He stood there with his mouth open, a look of hurt and confusion on his face while she excused herself as politely as she could and ran off. A moment after she'd left Martin muttered to himself. "Sticky hands? More like hairy, I bet." What the hell was she, he wondered as he made his way toward the campus computer lab. He needed to get some info and he knew that his friends on Hunter-Net could help him out.

Ever since the incident in New York, Martin had scoured the internet for stories similar to his experience, which led him to several conspiracy theory forums. Martin shared his story on them, but everyone thought he was full of shit. Yeah, the guys who claim they were abducted by aliens were telling him that monsters don't exist... Go figure. Anyway, it wasn't long before he got a pm from some guy named Father_Grief. He assured Martin that he believed him and invited him to join 'their' site, Hunter-Net.

Martin walked into the computer lab and took a seat in a seculded corner. Bringing up the log in page for Hunter-Net, he began to type.

User name: Vigil
Password: **********

Vigil: Hey guys, I've got a bit of a problem...

Goemonster: Hey Vig! Really? Whats up?

Father_Grief: What is it, Vigil? Always here to help.

Jedimasterlothos: Hey Vee! WB!

Vigil: Yeah, so, my second sight kicked in again today. I was just hanging out at the park by the nature trails when this gorgeous redhead comes jogging along. I was gonna hit on her but then I notice there's this big, bestial aura surrounding her. Then, BAM, she ran into me with her shoulder, but not her shoulder, the aura's shoulder. Man, it was like being hit with solid brick! Threw me back against a tree and everything...

Goemonster: Sounds like a werewolf.

Jedimasterlothos: Maybe she was a wookie in a past life!

Goemonster: Shut up, lothos, you retard, we're being serious here!

Father_Grief: Hmm, Goemonster may be right, it does sould like a lycanthrope.

Vigil: Okay, and get this, she's my effin room mate! Any idea how I should proceed?

Jedimasterlothos: Get a different room?

Goemonster: Yeah, like that's going to stop her from eating him... You need to kill her before she kills you, buddy.

Father_Grief: No, no killing. Vigil, get yourself something made of silver. If she is indeed a lycanthrope the touch of silver will cause her pain.

Jedimasterlothos: I thought silver was for vampires...

Goemonster: No, you idiot, silver's always been for werewolves!

Vigil: Okay, thanks for the help guys. I'm going to go see if I can find some silver.

Martin logged out and left the computer lab. It took him forty minutes in a menards to find out that most stuff that claimed to be silver was really only silver plated. That might do the trick, but Martin wanted to be certain what he got was made of real silver. An older lady suggested that he might have better luck finding real silver at an antique shop.

Another twenty minutes and Martin found one and when he walked in he asked if the owner had anything made of silver. The owner gave him a funny look before pointing out a heavy looking crucifix hanging on the wall. It was about two feet long, a sulptured Jesus hanging from it. "Real silver?" Martin asked as he went to admire it. "Yeah, you interested in it?" The owner asked. "Sure, how much for it?" "Five hundred." "Done, here you go." Martin dug out his wallet and pulled out a hand full of hundred dollar bills.

His purchase made, Martin rushed back to his dorm room with the crucifix. It was almost heavy enough to be a club. "Hello... Anyone here?" He asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the beast, if it was sleeping. If he was going to go into the beasts lair and confront it with his silver cross he knew he would have to just do it before he psyched himself out... So, Martin went over to the door to Roseline's room and turned the knob slowly, so as not to make any noise. The door opened inward, brushing the carpeted floor of Roseline's room with a hushed sound.

Martin cringed a little and went still, listening for any movement. There was only the sound of Roseline's steady breath as she slept. He took a step into her room, the beat of his pulse suddenly filling his ears. He swallowed quietly as he went into the room another step. The hint of movement off to his left startled Martin nearly out of his skin. It was just his reflection in a floor length mirror in Roseline's room. He closed his eyes and took several quiet breaths before taking another step.

Then he heard a voice, distant and echoed from his left. "Beware." It hissed. Martin's breath caught in his throat and he frose in place. Slowly, he turned his head until he looked in the mirror once more. There, standing framed within it was an elderly woman whos deep set eyes glowed red.

This was way too much for Martin, and he screamed at the top of his lungs in terror, throwing his crucifix into the mirror, shattering it into a million peices!

Roseline has awoken the exact moment her door had moved inwards. Martin! what on earth was he doing in her room? Her first instinct had been correct she should have jammed her door closed. Her whole body readied flight or fight whichever was necessary. She had yet to use her Tae kwon Do outside the dojo but would do whatever necessary to prevent him from touching her or worse.

She could smell his fear it over powered his natural scent of stale tobacco and to her amazement it seemed to be growing in leaps and bounds as he progressed in to her room. She tried to catch a glimpse of him through her mirror to somehow ascertain his true intent. Her eyes widened he was hunched over menacingly...Jesus he was holding a huge ornate crucifix! What the hell! did he think she was a bloody Vampire …

The now truly pissed off female was about to simply climb out of her bed covers and give him a piece of her mind when she too heard the ghostly "Beware." Low and sibilant it was enough to strike terror and had the desired effect she froze in mid motion. Jesus was the dorm haunted, was that why he was sneaking around in the middle of the night with a crucifix, did he fancy himself a ghost hunter?

Roseline saw the image in the mirror at the exact same time as Martin did, all residue of sleep vanished and she moved with lightning speed, the startled girl was in his arms almost before the huge crucifix left his hand and shattered her mirror into a million pieces.Fingers gripping his shoulders Roseline eased them closer to the door; she was holding him in a death grip and knew that she was shaking or maybe it was him. He had stopped screaming and that was good. Her mind was already processing what she had witnessed, the beast in the mirror had looked familiar somehow she couldn’t put her finger on it…

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed as if a switch had been thrown! The danger had past. How Roseline knew this she couldn't explain, she forced herself to relax trusting her instincts. Embarrassed she extricated herself from Martin's arms suddenly realizing that whereas he was fully dressed she was wearing nothing more than a skimpy camisole and tiny sleep shorts. Roseline forced her eyes to meet his still terrified ones.

“Martin why are you in my room, what was th..that thing in the mirror, is this place haunted? “

As she released him he fell to the floor and began to babble, Roseline barely paid attention to his words turning to the mirror her eyes scanning the many particles strewn around she continued to speak almost as if to herself her voice becoming steadier by the moment. ” No it couldn't have been be a ghost, they don’t exist there must be some other more plausible explanation?”

As she had been speaking her thoughts out loud she had picked her way through he shards of mirror to where the crucifix had fallen. She picked it up, it felt almost warm to the touch, before turning to face her intruder who to her surprise was still cowering on his hands and knee face hidden by the hand he held before it. His demeanor, his body language might have been comical if Roseline hadn't been so upset!

“Martin is this some elaborate hoax, a freshman initiation of some kind?" Roseline half expected the rest of the dorm to come piling in any second but the hallway remained silent. ”Come clean or I am calling campus security you almost gave me a heart attack and now I have a mirror to pay for too...."

"Martin answer me!” she asked again her voice raising an octave.

Roseline stood there in her skimpy sleepwear her glorious waves a tumble around her shoulders. She was the picture of outrage, her startling eyes almost glowing with an ungodly energy of their own, clutching his heavy crucifix in one hand not unlike a weapon, as she awaited his reply.

Had she not been so angry Roseline might have asked herself the question, if this was merely just a hoax then why does he look sacred half to death.

Roseline sprung from her bed and threw herself into Martin's arms just as he released the crucifix, on its way to shattering the mirror. He felt his heart miss a beat and feared that he might have just pissed himself. The thrumming of his heart beat, once it returned, in his ears, was deafenning. He couldn't even hear himself screaming any more, or had he gone mute with terror?

As Roseline let go of him, Martin collapsed to the floor, whimpering. "Please... Please don't kill me... Oh, oh, oh, please..." He looked up at her, still terrified, on his hands and knees. "I was... Your mirror... Oh God! Test... Test! It was only a test! I mean... No! Don't touch that! It will BURN you!" Martin warned as he watched Roseline lean down to pick up the crucifix. He winces and threw his arms up, turning his face away, as though he were about to witness a her going up in a gout of flame, or something.

When she didn't, he peeked at her through his arms. "Huh..." He muttered. "It didn't work..." And the fact that she was just standing there, angerly glaring at him, and not ripping him to pieces helped to ease his fears, but only just a little. "I... Almost gave YOU a heart attack?! I thought you were going to tear my throat out with your teeth, the way you jumped on me! And I'm not the one hiding ghosts in my room!" He shot back before wincing as though she would strike him with his own crucifix.

When he did speak Roseline was stunned by his reaction he actually peeked at her between his fingers. "Huh..." He muttered. "It didn't work..." What didn’t work she wondered. . "I... Almost gave YOU a heart attack?! I thought you were going to tear my throat out with your teeth, the way you jumped on me! And I'm not the one hiding ghosts in my room!" Then it hit her for some reason he was afraid of her. She had been correct in her first assumption he had been out to get her when the eyes in her mirror had spooked him. Eyes in the mirror ... a ghost? She pushed that thought from her mind she would deal with it later.

Roseline lowered the crucifix a fraction her mind busily processing what it had hitherto ignored. His "Please... Please don't kill me... Oh, oh, oh, please..." He had been talking to her!... She had sought refuge in his arms he has seen it as an attack... "I was... Your mirror... Oh God! Test... Test! It was only a test! I mean... No! Don't touch that! It will BURN you!" Roseline tried to stop herself from laughing, he did think she was some form of Vampire Oh Lord. She couldn’t stop it... the laughter gathered force in her belly and bubbled upwards with its own momentum all of its own, the more she tried to stifle it the stronger it became until it simply had to have its way. Roseline began to laugh so hard tears began to stream f down her beautiful face. She managed to pull herself together with difficulty

“I am sorry for laughing Martin this is just too funny, you think I m a Vampire? Obviously you’ve been drinking, come I’ll make us some strong coffee and we can talk, we can worry about this mess later. If you drink your coffee like a good boy I’ll even let you examine my teeth, munch on some garlic or whatever else will ease your mind that I am just a student like yourself."

He still seemed spooked so Roseline moved to the door giving him a wide birth stopping only to push the huge crucifix across the carpet to him. ”Here bring this with you if it helps.” She stifled another bubble of laughter. At the door she turned her face deadly serious.

”Do you need my help getting up?” She held out her hand and serenely smiled at him her voice now low and soothing.

As Roseline lowered his crucifix, Martin relaxed a little bit more, but kept his arms up, defensively as he still sat on his knees, looking up at her with fearful caution. Then she began to laugh... Laugh hard, so hard in fact, her eyes began to tear up. Martin dropped his arms to his sides and just stared at her, no longer in fear, but rather, with a look of perplexed indignity.

She was laughing at him for thinking she was a monster... But she was, he was sure of it! "I am sorry for laughing Martin this is just too funny, you think I'm a Vampire?" She asked. "Werewolf actually, you can't be a vampire, because you were outside during daylight. And you'll forgive me if I don't find this quite as funny as you... Between throwing me into that tree, jumping on me just now, and that freaking ghost in your mirror... Well, lets just put it this way, the girl next door, you sure as shit aren't! Unless your home town happens to be Twilight-ville, USA!!!"

Martin leaned back on his knees, his incredulity over being treated as a joke giving him boldness but not much. His stomach fluttered, his hands were shaking and he kept edging away from her. "And I'll have you know that I never drink while on a hunt! Wait..." He paused as she offered to let him examine her, completely missing the condiscending tone in her voice. "Really? You'll agree to testing?"

Martin considered bolting for the door when Roseline gave him the chance but when she slid his crucifix back to him across the carpet, curiocity got the better of him. Wrapping his fingers around that crucifix was like having his confidence restored. "Okay, I'll go along with you, but if you try infecting me with your lycanthropy, I warn you, I have no reservations about using this silver on you." Martin said, his voice shaking as he spoke.

He flinched at Roseline's deadly serious look, but then she offered him a hand. He took it, hesitantly, expecting it to feel rough and hairy, but instead her hand felt warm and smooth to the touch. "Huh... You're softer than I expected... Your hand I mean..." Martin said in wonder, instantly realizing how stupid that must have sounded. How stupid everything he had been saying must sound, he followed up with. "Heh, yeah, I guess A cup of coffee would do me good right about now..." He shrugged his shoulders and hung his head in nerd-shame.

Roseline was thinking about what he said as she preceded him to their small but functional living room. He thought she was a werewolf, ludicrous as it was it of course touched a nerve hadn’t her own grandmother told her the self-same thing?

She watched as he sank onto the only single chair still clutching the crucifix to his chest while she made the coffee, he was some sort of self-professed hunter, but why was he hunting her? He certainly didn’t look very imposing and wait wasn’t it silver bullets that he should be hunting with and if the werewolf stories were true shouldn’t they be housed in a bloody big gun of some sort. It might be time she did a little more thorough research of her own, she grinned, if she was to be hunted even by bumbling idiots then she supposed that she had better learn exactly what to expect!

Rosaline shook off her rather silly thoughts blanking her facial expression before finally depositing 2 mugs of coffee, some milk and sugar onto the coffee table.She curled up on one end of the sofa furthest away from him oblivious to the fact that she was still wearing her skimpy sleep attire. How to handle this? Roseline always trusted her instincts and decided to simply cut to the chase and voice what was uppermost on her fertile mind.

“So Martin tell me more; how long have you been hunting werewolves, what does the testing you spoke of entail and more importantly why do I have the dubious honor of being on your hit list for tonight?”

As she awaited his reply she sipped carefully on her cup of coffee concentrating hard, she was determined no matter what his responses might be that she would not burst into laughter again like she had before, she would do her very best to appear to take his concerns, no matter how insane, as seriously as he appeared to do.

Martin was a bundle of nervous excitement as he sat, grasping his crucifix so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It didn't help, the way Roseline watched him, his gut kept telling him to run before she wolfed out and ate him. It was obvious, however, that she thought he was nuts and was just placating him, but he KNEW what he saw and he would PROVE it to her!

While she was making coffee Martin started up his laptop and logged into Hunter.net. He sent a bulletin asking for help from the guys just as she returned with two mugs of coffee. Martin lowered the screen so that she couldn't peek and looked up at her as she curled up on the sofa. He started to look away, then did a double take. She reminded him of a Frazetta painting, the way she lounged so casual and oblivious of her sexuality.

Martin shook his head and cleared his throat as she spoke, asking him about hunting, the test, and why she was on his 'list'. Even though he had cleared his throat, he still stammered over his first few words. "You're my first... Werewolf, I mean!" He practically covered his mouth in embarassment over the way he had worded that, lowering his head he peeked at his computer screen, looking for responses to his request for help.

"Well, I'm not sure, you see, I've never done this before... Test, I mean! Not... You know..." What was wrong with him, he wondered. This was serious business, and he was acting like a sweaty sixteen-year-old on a first date. "come on, guys, show up, I need some help here..." He whispered under his breath, rubbing his sweaty hands against his thighs.

"When I saw you running through the park it was like seeing a vision of raw power, and then you struck me, like a mack truck. Knocked me litterally off my feet, and I knew there was something special about you, and I just had to find out what it was." Martin said nervously, looking up into Roseline's eyes, his own filled with sincerity

Martin's laptop chimed, indicating that a chat session was just innitiated. "Oh... Um... I hope you don't mind, but I got some of my.... Ah... Associates online to help me through the testing process. If that's okay?" Martin asked as he lifted the screen back up so he could type. There were several replies already on screen before he had a chance to reply.

Goemonster: Dude! No way, you seriously have IT in the room with you?! Ballz man! Serious ballz!

Jedimasterlothos: Quick! Stake it with the silver cross before it can get away!

Goemonster: Stakes are for vampires, and their made of wood, you moron. Seriously, why did we ever let you join hunter.net?

Father_Grief: Stop, the both of you, Vigil asked us here for help, not to listen to your insipid arguing! Vigil, you have the subject present, and she is willing to participate in a test?

Goemonster: Oh! Turn on your web cam! We gotta see this! You know... For posterity and shit!

Father_Grief: Yes, Vigil, with your gift of Illumination, I would have to agree with Goemonster, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

After reading the replies, Martin looked up rubbed the back of his neck, giving Roseline a sheepish grin. "Um... They're asking if it would be alright to turn my webcam on for the test."

Roseline looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup he was almost endearing in his sincerity as he stumbled over his words; my goodness was this hunter blushing, because of her?

Suddenly self-conscious she sat up straighter concentrating on the lap top he was clutching rather than his face. If she allowed him to do his test then she could silence her grandmother once and for all and get on with her life without feeling guilty all the time, her headaches would stop! And if you are a werewolf, a voice in her head taunted cruelly. Roseline ignored the intrusion concentrating instead on her impression of the man before her. She would have fancied a hunter would be more self- assured he wasn’t at all what she had expected, was there really such a test , would he have the guts to actually perform one? His next words interrupted her musings and her eyes returned to his,

“Knocked me literally off my feet, and I knew there was something special about you, and I just had to find out what it was." he looked so sincere, he believed at least. Special? If she was a bloody werewolf it would be a curse and nothing less!

The lap top chimed and Roseline jumped. Martin was bringing in reinforcements to secure the big bad beast …her. Roseline kept her face impassive to prevent herself from bursting into laughter again at the ludicrous thought while trying unsuccessfully to read what was coming up in the small chat screen.

After reading the replies, Martin looked up rubbed the back of his neck, giving Roseline a sheepish grin. "Um... They're asking if it would be alright to turn my webcam on for the test."

Roseline did grin at his request she couldn’t help herself, but tried her best to keep a somewhat serious demeanor nevertheless.

“That’s fine Martin just let them know I am NOT removing my clothing and that if they are a bunch of pervs sitting around stark naked clutching their dicks I am out of here pronto… do you understand me?”

To punctuate the meaning of her words she glared across at him in her best big bad wolf imitation!

"Oh... Oh god no! Its... Nothing like that!" Martin nervously assured Rose as his cheeks turned bright red. "We will perform this test with the utmost decorum, I promise you." Martin lowered his head, his cheeks still burning and activated his computers camera, letting the rest of the hunters veiw. He did send Lothos a private message not to make any lewd comments, no matter what, just to be safe.

"Okay..." Martin said as he sat up straight and fixed his eyes upon Rose, trying his best not to blush. A moment passed as he just stared.

Another moment, and he cleared his throat. "Sorry, it might take a moment..." He said, barely above a whisper. "Need to focus..."

Finally, a moment later, he began to see a shimmer surround Roseline. It was like a lens had snapped into place over his eyes and he was seeing... Differently. "Beyond sight," as Father Grief would say it. They all saw Rose, the lithe young woman, as well as the monsterous werewolf that encased her.

Goemonster: What the fu

Goemonster has logged off.

Jedimasterlothos has logged off.

Vigil: guys? Where'd you go? Uh, guys?

Father_Grief: Stay calm, young Vigil, everything will be alright, just don't make any threatening movements...

Martin didn't notice it, but he was begining to glow, the better he could see Roseline's true form, the brighter he became. Martin's head was lit up like a glow worm, but he was oblivious to it, just as oblivious as Rose was to the fact that he and the hunters could see her werewolf form, surrounding her.

Martin didn't know what to do next, he had no idea that Rose could not see what they saw, nor, that he was lit up like a roman candle with some unexplainable internal light. "What do I do now?" He whispered, his eyes locked on Rose.

As if in response, the aura surrounding Rose began to shimmer and fade away and the light comming from within him began to dim.

His girlish blushes reassured Roseline more than anything else, virgin and a hunter quite the combination! The intrigued girl changed her position to sit cross legged straightening her shoulders in preparation for what might happen next her attention divided between him and the people on the camcorder which he had activated.

She watched astounded by how seriously Martin and his cohorts were taking this, mystified as the young hunter began to concentrate...on what Roseline had no earthly idea!

Suddenly everything changed Martin began to glow!

Shit! Roseline thought, HE was the monster! As if to prove her right several of his friends went pale as if they'd seen a ghost and without ceremony simply logged off!Roseline reacted without conscious volition, she jackknifed off the couch reflexly grabbing the huge crucifix that had lain forgotten between them.

Placing the couch between her and Martin she half crouched holding the heavy silver object out towards him as if it would indeed ward him off. Astounded Roseline began to shiver... she could feel his electricity surrounding her like a living entity, this was no joke..what?

She didn’t believe in the power of the cross but its weight as a weapon made her feel marginally safer nonetheless.

"Where'd you go? Uh, guys?"

“They’re fucking afraid of you …Jesus you’re the bloody monster... Martin y..you’re glowing!" It was a testament to her distress that she had uncharacteristically sworn

."What do I do now?" He whispered, his eyes locked on Rose.

“You stay the hell away from me,” she told him firmly not realizing he was talking to the sole person who had remained online.

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed, his glow was gone and the feeling of her skin returned to normal. It was if a light switch had been turned off!

“”Explain w..what just happened!” Roseline demanded her serious eyes darting from the man on the screen to Martin. She remained on guard fully prepared to fight should he turn into something even a tiny bit less than human... she'd bash his brains in with the cross if need be!

When Roseline jumped from the couch and grabbed the crucifix Martin went rigid with fear.

"Wha? Who? G-glowing?" Martin mumbled dumbly, raising his hands partly in surrender and partly to see if he really was glowing. Of course, to his eyes, he was normal.

"No, I'm not... You're the one with the aura of a monster!" He shot back, immediatly cringing back, it probably wasn't a very good idea to argue with a werewolf, especially when it thinks YOU'RE the monster!

Martin kept his hands up, as though Roseline was pointing a gun at him as she told him to stay away from her. "Okay, just don't hurt me, alright?" He asked nervously. "I mean you no harm."

Once things had returned to normal, or as normal as they could be considering, Roseline demanded an explination. Martin started to mumble when his cell phone began to ring.

"M-may I?" He asked, keeping his hands up while pointing toward his pocket, where the phone rang from.

Roseline grew even more confused by his reaction, aura of a monster, Jesus he was certifiably nuts or something was seriously amiss…with one of them.

"Okay, just don't hurt me, alright?" He asked nervously. "I mean you no harm."

“Hurt you……” The bewildered girl couldn’t finish her sentence. It was almost a relief when she heard his phone begin to ring.

“Answer it and if it’s one of your hunters I want him put on speaker phone! “

She took a step closer to add weight to her request but lowered the crucifix she was holding slightly; her body language spoke volumes Roseline was clearly ready for whatever might happen next!

The whole situation was laughable really but something deep within her gut was telling her a very different story!

From Roseline's reaction Martin gathered that she really must have seen something. Maybe his power of Illumination worked both ways, in a strange way, that did seem only fair.

"Oh, thank christ!" Martin whispered under his breath when Rose gave him permission to answer his phone. He immediately lowered his hands and reached into his pocket. Retrieving his phone, he looked at the display. It was a call from Father_Grief, as of yet the man had yet to offer his real name, and Martin knew better than to ask. Hunters best weapon was anonymity after all. "Heh, guess I fucked that one up pretty good." Martin thought to himself as he hit the button to answer the phone, then put the call on speaker.

Not sure how the handle the situation though, Martin cautiously sat the phone on the table and backed up a couple of steps, raising his hands again. "Hello? Father_Grief, this is Vigil, I've put you on speaker phone."

"Very good, Vigil, just remain calm, and we will get through this... Now... Miss? Can you hear me alright?" The man's voice was calm and had the hint of a british accent. "My name is Terrance Beck, and like the young man before you, I am a hunter. Now, I assure you that we are no monsters."

Roseline wasn’t sure what to expect it certainly wasn’t the cultured voice of the older gentleman who calmly introduced himself as if this meeting were an ordinary everyday occurrence, it could have been one of her professors except for the accent he sounded alarmingly normal.

Roseline glanced at Martin unsure now which one of them was feeling more foolish at their predicament him or herself

She forced her voice to sound calm. “Well I am not a monster either Mr. Beck.”

Roseline sought for gravity. “We non-monsters Martin and I are in a bit of a Mexican standoff I’m afraid. I am holding him at bay with his huge handy crucifix, which if it doesn’t melt him will certainly bludgeon him to death and he it seems has only you and his ability to glow.”

Unfortunately she took that moment to glance across at Martin who still looked frightened half to death as if at any moment he might wet his pants. Roseline couldn’t help it she began to laugh, and once she started she could barely top, struggling for composure while still holding tightly to her weapon... until finally with a hiccup she was silent.

“My apologies Mr. Beck I am not sure which is the more laughable, that you both fancy me a werewolf or that Martin is indeed a hunter!”

"Of course not, miss, we do not mean to insult you... But perhaps there is more to you then you are aware of?" Terrance offered, diplomatically before Roseline broke into a fit of laughter.

Martin let out a nervous laugh as he shrugged in confusion and embarassment while he and Terance waited for her to compose herself.

"I can assure you that this is no laughing matter..." Terance replied in a serious tone. "Now, I know that Vigil is young and inexperienced, and perhaps prone to some measure of exageration at times, however, I am not. Believe me, you are more than you appear to be."

As Roseline digested his words, once again she had the distinct feeling that she was being watched and her eyes darted nervously towards the only mirror in the room. “Martin,” she whispered making a gesture with her head in the direction of the wall on which the mirror hung.

As she motioned the feeling was suddenly gone, Roseline colored with embarrassment...that she was being willingly drawn into this fantasy world of theirs so easily.

"Alright, I've almost had it;" she removed her cell from the pocket of her shorts and flipped it open. “Mr Beck I have my cell phone in my hand, campus security is on speed dial, you have 5 minutes to explain exactly what you mean. If your explanation is to my satisfaction I will stay if not I will press their number and this conversation will be over.”

Roseline looked confident but her insides were in a turmoil the young girl really wanted to believe that they were both nuts, but if she were the tiniest bit honest with herself honest of late she had been feeling…and her dreams, plus the feeling of being watched had started even before Martin had even arrived …confused she shook her head to clear it.

She tossed the cross to Martin sheepishly grinning. “If it turns out I’m a werewolf if you try and hurt me I can always gobble you all up now can’t I?"

Her face turned deadly serious,

“Your time starts now Mr. Beck.”

Martin quickly looked in the direction that Rose had pointed, seeing something flit past the surface. He jumped and glanced behind himself, but nothing was there that could have shown in the mirror. He did his best to stifle a whine of fear and edged slowly away, so that Rose was between him and the mirror.

He was caught off guard when Rose turned and tossed him the crucifix. He fumbled the cross and yelped in surprise before turning red himself. Martin laughed nervously, inwardly hoping that whatever Terance said would be enough to convince her. Besides, there was this whole 'ghost' thing that they would need to figure out next...

Terance cleared his throat. "Something tells me that you already have an idea of what you are, Miss, else you would have already hung up and called security by now... All I can tell you is what Martin and I, as well as the others saw... You... Are... More... Than... Human."

At his response Roseline's heart skipped a beat...

She glanced down at her hands ...no claws... no fur... what?

She looked across at Martin her eyes suddenly somber.

"Wh...what exactly did you all see?"

Her fingers balled into fists at her sides and she took comfort in the nails which dug into her tender palms as she awaited a response from one of them. If she was indeed a werewolf ..was she dangerous? Roseline simply couldn't project beyond that thought..how could she be dangerous ...she was ...oh my God!... what if she really was a....!!!

"Rose..." Martin began, his voice cracking. "I... I don't think we could discribe to you what we saw... But, I could draw it, would that be okay?" Martin asked as he scratched the back of his neck. "And, uh, while I'm at it, I could draw what I saw in the mirror too..."

"Very good, Vigil. Rose, I do appologize that I was not of much help. However, I do have the feeling that if you simply take a look back, into your past, there you may find many of the answers you seek. Perhaps you have some close family you might be able to approach with your questions? If anyone were to know anything, it would seem to me, that they might? Just my friendly offer of advice. Oh, and Vigil, perhaps you could learn a thing or two from this young lady... Stick close to her, if you can." Terance said while Martin went to work drawing in his sketch pad that he'd left on the table, beside his computer.

(OOC: He draws a picture similar to the one in the OOC thread.)