A contented sigh pushed raven black bangs out of lake blue eyes. His gaze wandered the beautiful night sky, clearer than usual. He didn't even need a telescope to see Jupiter tonight! His lips moved of their own accord, naming constellations and individual stars as soon as his focus landed upon them. Finally, his eyes landed upon the moon, brighter than everything else in the pitch darkness of the night, gracing the earth with her elegant glow. He wasn't sure how long he had spent staring at the moon, the grass tickling at his neck and bare skin as he took in how gorgeous it was when full before it happened. The sound of a heavy footfall broke through his reverie seconds too late.
As he rolled to his side, something big black and fast slammed into him. His back hit the ground and pain blossomed across his shoulder when countless knives dug into his flesh and he let out a cry of pain. His knee connected with its gut while his fist met incredibly solid bone and skin. Three strikes to the face later and he was on his feet, moving as fast as he could to the trees between him and home. There was blood, warm and gooey and gross, dripping down his arm but he didn't care. A sound that put movie monsters to shame disturbed the stillness of the night and he felt a shudder run up his spine. He weaved through the trees and jumped over a log, letting out a curse when he tripped on a root.
He blessed the tree the root was connected to when he saw the mass of dark hair - fur - and glowing red eyes land in front of him, having gone inches over his head. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the right, then back towards the lights of the city. Seconds passed where all he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears and the sound of branches snapping, feet striking the earth and fear struck him like a bolt of lightning.
He broke through the tree line and made it onto the sidewalks of his home, the few people actually out at his hour moving out of his way as though he were on fire. It felt as if his shoulder was, the adrenaline and the speed of his pulse probably pouring blood from his wound like a waterfall.
When he got home his mother was waiting in the living room, turned to him and gasped in horror at his wound. "Danny! Baby, what happened?"
"Something... bit me," he managed between panting breaths as he collapsed against the wall. "Something big."