The door to the dingy offices creaked open, jolting her awake. Bleary eyes squinting in the light of the computer as Shobha startled at the noise. Catching up with paperwork was a creepy task out here in the Highland town of Erebor. Everything was dark, and quiet. It was only nine at night, but it seemed everything outside was dead. Even the rural community hospital was dead. When she dumped her job in a big teaching hospital and life in London to take on a new challenge, she hadn't expected this in the slightest!

There were only four other doctors that worked there. Oin, was the clinical director, Gorin, was a general physician, and Elgar was a family physician and Lisella was a paediatrician. Gorin was from another highland town called Iron Hills, and like her stayed in their doctors accommodation. In fact they lived in the same house! It wasn't so bad, given they only needed to share a kitchen. But he hardly spoke a word to her. Even though he was a terrible housemate and a less than friendly colleague, she appreciated the company. Their house was only a ten minute drive from the hospital, but was outside of the town itself, so very remote. There were no street lights or frankly any sort of lightning around their house. The nearest normal town was in the valley of Dale, which was an hour's drive through desolate fen land. But they had a few quaint old pubs and inns, and a small market. Erebor itself was a much more affluent town, built into he mountains, with pretty stone cottages, a rather large, old fashioned market, and large library.

Finally making it to her car, she sighed with relief. This was not something she planned to repeat again soon. Only three weeks in and she missed home terribly. She picked up her phone, half wanting to call her parents in tears, only to curse, seeing the absent cellular signal.

"I don't know why I bother keeping you charged!" She grumbled, throwing her phone in her bag and buckling her seatbelt. "There's no bloody signal anywhere here!"

At least there was no chance of her ex-fiancé Mike contacting her here. Although there should have been nothing that tied them together anymore. One of the last things she did before accepting this job was to return his ring back, and pawn all the gifts he lavished on her. This was her fresh start. Her new life. There were no sad looks from colleagues, family or friends. And no bumping into any 'mutual friends' or any of his family!

The drive back to her accommodation had become an automatic one. Parking up her car, she turned off the engine. Apparently even Gorin wasn't home tonight because the house was dark, and outside the only light that was visible was the faint light of the stars, that shone between the clouds.

If anyone or anything attacked her now, she would not see it coming!

Grabbing her bag she jumped out of car, fully intending on running to the door. But as she shut the car door, she could hear rustling from nearby, which made her freeze momentarily, contemplating on heading back to her car only to conclude that she needed the get inside and lock the doors.

Continuing to walk the few metres back to her house, the pale gravel crunched under her heels, making her curse. She had only dressed up today because some of the town council were carrying out their annual visit to the community hospital!

Her steps were halted again by an eerie howl that shattered the complete silence, making her blood curdle. It sounded like a wolf, and yet there was something more to it, a strange human quality. Twisting around out of sheer terror, she dropped her keys.

Shobha was immediately on her knees searching the gravel frantically in darkness, fingers cut and scratched at by some sharp stones before her fingers connected with the familiar item. Then standing she stumbled before reaching her front door. The sound of blood pumping in her ears as her heart beat out of her chest, almost drowned out the unmistakable growling that came from right behind her now.

This was not how she imagined she would die – being mauled to death by some ungodly beast in the fenlands near Erebor.

Attempting, desperately to make the final steps to the door, she found her heel stuck in the gravel.

"Oh God!"

Slipping her foot out of her shoe, she could only back away, as out of the darkness emerged a large wolf like creature. It's fur was as black as the night, as it approached her, growling, its sharp, white teeth glinting in the briefly visible moonlight as the clouds passed across it.

The creature reared up on its hind legs, almost as though it walked like a biped.

She would never outrun this thing, and it was unlikely she could fight it off. There was no doubt she was to end up as its starter, main and desert tonight.

In a final attempt she threw her bag at it and lunged at the door, but it merely bounced off the creature, as it knocked her to the ground, it's claws burying itself in her dress as she heard the tearing of fabric. Expecting death, the final thing she saw was the creature's eyes. They were a brilliant blue. Not like a wolf at all! The beast stared directly back into her eyes too, as though it came to recognise something in her own gaze… but it was too late, as darkness swallowed her.

…

Lunchtime had arrived and there was still no sign of the council members due to visit. Clinics, and lists were all much lighter today to accommodate, so it had been perfect for her to begin catching up on her paperwork.

Leaning back in her chair, and turning to face the wall, away from her desk, she looked through the patient notes to find her writing.

"I remember now…" she hummed to herself, irritated. Usually she dictated her letters immediately, but for whatever reason she had missed this set.

"I reviewed this pleasant, fifty six year old gentleman with his wife today. He presented with two small actinic keratoses on his forehead approximately four millimetres and five millimetres in diameter on the left and right sides respectively. I have given him a course of fluorouracil cream for treatment over two weeks, after which he is to expect the areas to become red and inflamed. I have also given him advice on applying simple moisturiser and massage once the scabs to the areas have fallen off to help with softening the scars, as well as advice on using SPF. We will review again in six to eight weeks times to assess his progress. Yours sincerely," she spun back, shutting the notes and setting them on her desk topped with her dictaphone. Then she turned to the pile of letters to read and sign, but as she reached for the pen it tauntingly rolled off her desk.

Pulling back on her chair, she checked under the desk. She couldn't reach it from this side, so standing up she moved to the front of her desk and groaning got down on her hands and knees, pulling her hem up to her thighs so it wouldn't get dusty from dragging under her. Then lowering her face to see where the pen had rolled to, began to reach out, completely oblivious to the stranger that had walked through her door.

He stood there silently, watching as she retrieved the pen, on her hands and knees. She popped it on the desk and bent over to dust down her knees. He couldn't even help himself. A pervert, was not something he considered himself to be, but he just couldn't help himself at this point. He took another step closer, making him quite precariously positioned behind her. There was almost something suggestive about it.

And then seeing the shoes behind her, she suddenly spun round after standing, trying to suppress a squeak of surprise at finding herself no longer alone.

"So, you must be the new doctor…" he offered his hand, still observing her with great amusement as she leant back on her desk. "You are quite talked about."

"Oh gosh! Nothing bad I hope." She shook his hand. "Shobha."

"Fili." He smiled, dimpling his cheeks as he gently stood back giving her space to steady herself again. He wore a tweed jacket and matching cord trousers. And his blond hair was much like the other Ereboreans, worn a little longer, with a few braids in place. It had taken her a couple of weeks to get used to how the men in Erebor looked! They all had beards that were trimmed short or stubbly, and combined with the hair, they looked like former highland warriors that had been slightly modernised! "Oh no! All very good things, I assure you."

He winked cheekily, making her blush. There were so few outsiders in Erebor. And she looked very different to even the people from the nearby town of Dale, it was hard to miss her. They didn't have visitors or tourists at all, strangely. So she had been talked about by everyone since the day she arrived! His Uncle, Lord of Erebor, had been wholly against it, as had Lord Dain, from the Iron Hills, but Oin had particularly taken to her from the moment he interviewed her! Bofur, the manager of their mines and advisor, had been treated by her on one of her first days, and he had gone on about her endlessly at dinner since! So when the opportunity arose for this visit, Fili couldn't help but satisfy his curiosity.

"Would you like a walk around, maybe?" She asked, unsure of what else to say. She had never had to deal with important visitors to hospital before. "Not that I can tell you what has changed since last year. Maybe you could tell me what has changed."

She chuckled.

"My Lady, that sounds like an excellent idea." He moved to the door, where he bowed his head and made a gestured for her lead the way.

…

Light flooded her eyes, as her usual morning alarm rang on her mobile. Reaching over, she found it on her side table, and immediately hauled herself up onto her elbows as memories of last night's attack came flooding back.

She lay on top of her duvet, in just her underwear.

How on Earth had she escaped the creature, alive? And what had happened to her clothes! Scanning her room she spotted her bag on the floor by her dresser and her keys on top. These were not their usual places. Somehow she couldn't imagine Gorin bringing her in and undressing her!

Where in the world was her dress?!

She studied her skin carefully but there were no signs of claw marks, scratches or bites anywhere. It was almost as though she had hallucinated the whole thing. But that was neither a hallucination nor a nightmare!

Her dress! It would hold evidence of the attack! Claw marks, hair… anything, in truth!

Quickly getting up, she found herself searching frantically for the dress that morning, to no avail. Her dress along with any evidence was all gone!

Partially annoyed, she quickly readied herself for work. She had no intention of staying late again tonight!

…

Dear All,

Welcome to my new crazy story… let me know what you think xx