It was an unusually warm October night, as Ricky stumbled through town. The sun had just dipped below the horizon. Ricky was well known throughout the small rural community as the town drunk. Even though it was a Wednesday night and he had work the next morning, he still couldn't refuse a few shots of whisky. He shambled into a wooded section of the town park, he sat down at the base of a tree on the verge of passing out. Little did he know he was being stalked by a savage, unearthly predator. His eyes were just about to close when he heard a stick break. He looked up and blurted out "Is someone there?" No answer. He felt a strange feeling in his gut, as if someone was watching him. He got to his feet, "Who's there?! Come get some!" In the corner of his eye he spied humanoid shape. He turned to face his observer only to find nothing but black night. The feeling got stronger, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. Humans, like all mammals have the ability to detect when a predator is hunting them. He decided it was best if he got out of woods, he turned to leave when he stopped dead in his tracks. Standing about fifty yards away among the trees was a tall figure, shrouded in shadows. Ricky couldn't get a good look at what he thought was a person. "What are you lookin' at? You're lucky I'm to wasted, or I would come over there and kick your ass!" His threat had no effect on the figure, who continued to stand and survey him. This was strange to Ricky, usually when he made a threat or insult, the person receiving would spit something nasty back at him or simply walk away. The figure standing its ground frightened Ricky to no end. He began to run for the other side of the park, he made the critical mistake of turning his back though. This is what the creature hunting him lived for; the thrill of pursuing prey. Ricky bolted out of the woods and onto a deserted highway. He looked back, the figure was nowhere to be seen, the feeling he had slowly dissipated . Confident he had lost whatever was chasing him, he began to wander home. The street lights above him began to flicker, before slowly shutting off one by one until they road was completely black. Then the street lamp directly above him turned on, as if Ricky was standing in a stage spotlight. The feeling came back, twice as strong as before. He stopped walking, his heart furiously pumped blood, saturated in adrenaline. "w-who's there?" He yelped, his voice cracking from fear. A black, snake-like, arm shot out of the shadows and grabbed Ricky by the ankle. It dragged him screaming into the darkness, his ear-piercing cries of agony were soon replaced by a gargling noise, then silence.
A few hours later, a car came rolling down the road. A young man in the passenger seat nudged the driver. "Look out, there's something big lying by the side of the road." The car slowed down as it passed the object "It's a person!" The driver exclaimed. The car stopped, the driver and two other occupants got out. The driver withdrew a flashlight from the glove box, he shown the light on the body which was lying face down. "Oh my god… It's Ricky, the bastards probably shit-faced again" He chuckled. "Hey Ricky! The road ain't a good place to nap!" Another one of the young men teased. "We gotta get this dumbass home. Ed, give me a hand will ya?" The driver said. Ed, the occupant of the passenger seat nodded and approached Ricky's still body. The driver glanced at his watch and said "It's 8:15 on a week night and you're already passed out in the street, get up ya damn drunk!" he said to the body. Ed gently kicked the body, "Wake up!" He grabbed Ricky's shoulder and turned him over, upon seeing the other side of Ricky's body, Ed jumped back in shock. Ricky's lower jaw had been completely torn off, his chest cavity had been split open, his still beating heart and lungs completely exposed. Deep, wide puncture wounds also pocked his face and neck. There was a traumatized silence, as all four men took in the horror. Jay, the driver was the first to break the silence. "Call an ambulance for Christ's sakes!" His words causing the others to snap out of their astonishment. All three fumbled for their phones, trying to dial 911. To their dismay, none of their devices worked. "Shit! Mine's dead!"
"Mine too"
"Does no one have a working phone!?"
"What do we do?! Is it safe to move him?!"
"Moving him might kill him! We should let EMTs do it!"
"They'll never make it here in time!"
As the young men franticly thought of what to do, the creature watched tentatively from the shadows, curious of the new prey which had just appeared. The creature yearned for a challenging kill, having only gone after prey such as homeless people or in Ricky's case: drunks. Something about these young men struck an interest in the tall, skinny marauder. In the corner of Jay's eye he thought he saw a lanky person, watching them. "If someone's there we need help! A man's been seriously injured!"
"Who are you talking to?"
"I thought I saw someone in the woods" Jay said
"I don't see anyone! Quit wasting time and think!" said Rich, another occupant of the car.
The men finally decided on getting Ricky to a hospital, they carefully picked up the body, and put him in the car. The car sped off to the closest medical center, leaving a large puddle of blood and the other worldly hunter behind. As the taillights of the car faded into the distance, the slender being nodded once, it had decided who its new victims would be.
