An Uneasy Accord

Chapter 39 - Pain

The video store clerk was covering the closing shift for a sick coworker. He didn't mind as it was more money to fund his weed habit which was the reason why he had taken on more shifts when they came up. It was late Saturday night and the normal rush had long since left, well, with the exception of a few stragglers wandering in for the off shoot titles that nobody wanted.

His thoughts wandered to when the clock hit 11 and he could imbibe the waiting roach out in his car.

"Damn it," he noticed one of the fluorescent tubes going out. Fetching the ladder and a replacement, the clerk locked the ladder in place before daring to place his overweight body upon the light aluminum. As he fiddled with the shielding and burnt tube, the door swung open then closed. The motion sensor detected the movement at the door and he looked over to see nobody there.

Shrugging it off, he went back to popping out the bad bulb.

The ladder was swept from beneath his feet, sending him crashing to the floor. The clerk yelled in pain as his elbow swelled and head smacked the video case behind him. The low menacing growl echoed from the left as the hot puffs of breath hit the top of his head. The clawed hand ripped through the warm tender flesh liberating the sweet thick copper ambrosia from its fleshy prison. The clerk couldn't yell as the gurgling in his throat cut off any attempts for him to cry for help.

The Alpha heard the approaching car before the glare of the headlights danced across the walls and glass. It ducked into the darkness as it heard the male and female arguing for a few minutes before the male got out in an angry huff and stepped inside.

"Hello? Can someone help me find The Notebook?"

Jackson was greeting with an unsettling tension. The phone continued to ring unabated as he sighed partly in frustration and partly in irritation.

"Is anybody working here? Hello!"

Figures….Damn minimum wage slob…

He looked around but something pulled his eyes down and across the room where a pair of legs were stretched out in the aisle. Carefully he approached, unsure if the person was hurt or sick. The ladder and bulbs were to the right with one dangling out from the ceiling.

Probably sleeping…..Lazy worthless …

Jackson peered around the corner and soon discovered why there was no movement. The clerk was on his side, dead from the three gaping slash marks along his neck. His eyes and mouth were frozen in sheer terror as the vacant orbs stared up as his mouth was agape. Jackson felt the sickening feeling growing in his stomach as he stumbled backwards into the ladder, knocking it into the lighting which sparked and cracked before the rest of the store went dark. His breathing morphed into short panicked breaths as the feeling of something watching him slammed Jackson like an opposing lacrosse player. His head turned despite the fear threatening to petrify his body and saw the glowing crimson eyes from the shadows.

The lighting hummed and buzzed as it flickered like something from an old horror flick. Jackson couldn't see the entire outline of the thing sizing him up but he wasn't about to let it turn him into an easy meal. The teen darted behind a shelf as he battled to calm his frayed nerves.

The Alpha raced between the shelves, toying with the hapless human. He caught a glimpse of its coal toned body as it rushed around once again. It could smell the fear and hear his heart spiraling out of control as it raced despite the human's desire otherwise.

Several DVD's toppled off the shelves, frightening Jackson even further. The Alpha ran by one last time, knocking the shelf over causing the others to follow like dominoes. Jackson heard the crashing hurling towards him but he was caught in the debris and pinned beneath the heavy wooden stacks. The Alpha hovered over him, taking in the human's strong essence as it blended harmoniously with adrenaline and fear. He knew the teen could see him from the corner of its eye as it lay there, helpless and feeble. But something made it draw the collar down and expose the marks embedded in his skin.