The city was perfection, darkest in its alleyways and lit with neon and street lights everywhere else. It was New Orleans at its finest, busy even with out Marty Gras. But it wasn't why she had come here, no Elizabeth Storm had come to escape the nightmares she left in Ohio.
Even now, his face haunted her and she felt the ice creep over her heart before it dropped like a stone in her stomach. There is say, weighing her down with fear. Elizabeth was no one special so far as she was concerned, an average built woman of about 5"2 and 130 pounds. She was curvy in all the right places, so who or what-to be more correct-stalked her in her dreams and why?
That was the question on her mind, why did he want her. She could remember it like it was yesterday, she was making her way through the carnival rides as she venders began to close. She saw the tall dark figure briefly, he was a beast of a man, hairy face, cold predatory stare that seemed to strip every article of clothing from her.
Just his presence made her shudder and the alarm in her head go off. It took all her effort not to run from him even then but she now wished she had run for her life. If she knew then that he truly was a beast, she would have run as fast as she could from him.
'Beth' remembered him stopping momentarily and she realized that she had stopped too-caught in his stare like a bird in the eye of a snake. It wasn't until later she would realize he had been circling her through out the night like a large cat and later still she would realize the irony of this.
She remembered nervously tucking a strand of her raven hair behind one ear, yet never being able to break her gaze from his. It was like he was commanding her silently with that stare. Her blue eyes stayed locked in his-maybe it was fear that kept her-for whatever reason, Beth could not move.
That was until her half smirked and she say one of his cat-like canines glisten in the flickering carnival lights. In that moment she broke the stare and moved quickly for her truck-most of the crowds having been gone for a while now-almost at a run.
What she failed to notice was that strangers cat-like claws on his hands or the way he lifted his head to catch her scent as she left. The tingle of her fear tickled his nostrils and he grinned even wider. His ears were still warm from the pound of her panicked heartbeat-that frantic heart that drowned out the carnival sounds. He smirked an evil tooth filled smirk. How long had it been for him?
All Elizabeth remembered was finding her truck and then hearing a scream just before all the lights went out. She made her second mistake that night because she dropped her keys in the dirt. Then they were behind her the boot steps that covered the distance in no time at all. She did not try to get her keys one she stood straight, something kept her still-although she begged her legs to move-they stood solid.
Out of the corner of her eye she now saw those claws as they extended before dragging deep into the hood of her truck. Beth sucked in a breath, her exhale shaky. She had no idea what this man could or would do to her and she cursed herself for not being smarter.
When he spoke, his voice was deep, strong, powerful and carried a cynical undertone.
"Little late to be out here isn't it?"
Beth searched his words for any underlying meaning. But he seemed to be honest or he was just playing mind games with her. She knew she had to answer him anyhow.
"I was just leaving."
Her words came out in a rush, probably giving her unease away. She could feel him just behind her, his body heat caressing her back, he towered over her. The more he spoke, the close his mouth got to her ear.
Apparently, what she said was not the answer that he was looking for because his voice dropped and became more serious.
"Oh no…stay a while, we could have some fun."
Although she was not an avid Christian she found herself praying silently to get out of this whole thing alive. She tried to stay calm as she could feel him almost pressing his chest into her back.
"I really must be going, I can't stay."
When she started to move, he grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her back into him. Now Beth could feel his strength pressed against her back and she bit her lip as she could feel something else just as powerful.
"Heh," He grinned, "Maybe you didn't hear me…I said stay."
"Please just let me go."
He cocked his head briefly to the left before speaking.
"Oh, I can't do that…I need your help with something."
Beth felt one of those claws drag down her neck, drawing a like of blood-tears welled up in her eyes. She could feel herself starting to shake. She closed her eyes tight and prayed harder.
Before the man could do anything else, Beth heart a noise like ruffling papers and then a voice, not the stranger but a different voice-so she opened her eyes.
"Victor, I thought I'd find you here. Let that girl go."
"Heh," He grinned his evil grin. "What this?"
He leaned in and sniffed her hair, fully taking in her scent.
"Every cat needs a toy."
"Now you're just pissing me off."
Beth looked over finally and spotted a very out of place black cowboy. She tried to beg him with her eyes to get her out of here.
"John," He shook his head." Stay out of this."
"That's it man…now I'm gonna haft a kill ya."
Next thing she knew, Beth was free from Victor and the John guy had her. She was close enough to her truck to just grab her keys and hop in it, but she was safer.
John was then gone and next to Victor, his ring covered fist connecting with his face. The two of them as they fought slowly migrated away from her truck and she made a break for it. By now, she knew what they were-mutants-and she stood no chance against that monster.
She got in her truck and drove as far as her truck could carry her. When she hit New Orleans, she figured she was safe and could hide. But he followed her in nightmares, plaguing her dreams. Even now she absent mindedly stroked the scar on the left side of her neck.
It was an ugly reminder of a day she hoped to forget and ever since that day she made a point of avoiding mutants altogether. The little time she had spent practicing, she could spot them pretty well and avoid most even better. That was until she decided to walk into Bourbon Street Bar one night.
