Luna

One

Screeching filled the police station as the figure was dragged thrashing towards the cell.

It had been a long night and Murphy was certain there was a full moon.  He'd glanced up when he'd arrested the last guy for streaking, but the dark clouds blotted out any indication of the heavens.

He was in his sixties, almost ready for retirement and had seen it all.

Drugs.  Drugs were the biggest issue and had been for as long as he could remember.  

When he'd joined the force it had been to make a difference but two ex wives, a string of kids and more emotional scars than he could imagine had made him harsh and indifferent to the plight of the city.

 Neptune wasn't a city for the faint of heart.  There were nice areas, but they were outweighed by the crime.  On the surface Neptune looked like a bustling city full of life, art and everything a citizen could want, but wipe away the paint and the pretty flowers and you found darkness, danger and fear.

The young constable who was on his second shift had paled but was doing his best to appear unfazed by the young woman; if she could be called that.

Her dark hair covered her face, but he had glimpsed her eyes and although he didn't know what she was, he knew she wasn't right.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone like her, but he told himself it was the drugs that made her skin pale, the lights that made her eyes glow red and some people just had sharper looking canines than others.

"Let me go!"  She shrieked, followed by a long spray of profaninities no woman or man should know.

"It's not what you think.  I was trying to stop that guy from attacking.  He's been treating the city like a buffet.  You must have noticed."  Her voice was far more sane than her actions and he found himself looking at her thoughtfully.

As though compelled, he found himself moving closer to her as the officers stuffed her into the cell and locked the door.

Murphy moved closer.  All sounds around him seemed to fade into the background and all he could see was the woman behind the bars.  A buzzing filled the air and the old detective was sure he could hear her heart singing to him.

A faint smile crossed his lips and he moved closer to the bars.

She stood like a statue, messed up dark hair hanging around her shoulders like a halo; she was more than he ever imagined and everything he could ever want.

Reaching for his belt, he felt the cold metal of the keys he'd held in his hand countless times as his warm fingers reached for the one that would free his new love.

She was beautiful; dangerous but completely bewitching.

Her body was perfectly proportioned, her eyes deep blue under the redness, the circles under her eyes just added to her mystique.

Her clothes were torn and bloody, but it didn't matter.  He would take them off and hold her close and make everything okay.  He would know what it was like to feel a woman against his cold skin again.  He would let her do what she wanted... when she wanted.

He jumped back in shock when she looked at him and hissed.  Anger filled her expression but he realised she wasn't looking at him but behind him.

Like waking from a nightmare, Murphy felt a presence behind him and shook his head as if to clear it.  He looked around in shock and realised he was holding the key to the cell in his dry hands.  Was he about to open it and let her out?  Why had he felt compelled to do so?  Was he tired?  Dreaming?  He didn't know.