Awakenings
by Carole
Disclaimer : They aren't mine. They belong to Laurell K. Hamilton.
***
The full moon gleamed down on the houses in the city below. Despite
the night's beauty, there was a sense of dread amid the inhabitants.
During the past few nights, people had been attacked. There had been no
survivors and the police thought that they might have a rogue werewolf on
their hands. That was of no concern in the quiet house were John and
Donna lived with their eight year old son Peter and his younger sister,
Becca.
"Mom! Can't I just stay up a bit longer?"
"Listen here, young man. It's past your bedtime." Donna said,
putting on her sternest face.
Reluctantly, Peter trudged towards the bedroom. After all, going to bed
didn't mean that he had to go to sleep. He had managed to stay up half
an hour later than usual anyway. The boy climbed under the covers
after turning off the light. He'd manage an hour tomorrow, he vowed before drifting off.
***
He awoke to his mother's scream. Running as fast as he could, he could
see the shattered door that had guarded his house from the evils of the
world. His father had his gun aimed at the monster, a horrible
creature that seemed both wolf and man. His father had shown him how to use
that gun and he knew that it was impossible that his father would miss,
but in a blur of motion the thing moved.
The crack of the gun was the last sound his father heard before having
his throat torn out by the beast. Peter was in shock. This couldn't
be happening, not to Dad. Then "it" turned on his mother and he raced
for the gun knowing that it couldn't, it just couldn't miss a second
time.
Perhaps in another world, Peter was fast enough and his mother was
saved. Perhaps the next horrible event didn't happen. Peter raised the
gun and fired at the creature that had just destroyed his family. It
ignored him, thinking a boy to be no threat. It was too late for the
monster, but it had also been too late for Donna.
***
Peter's young life had been shattered in an instant. His aunt Cindy,
whom he had never met before, but always sent Christmas presents, was given custody of him and Becca. Then they went to live with her in
Alaska, where he ended up devoting his life to becoming a bounty hunter.
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