It’s cold and dreary as I walk the cold stone path that goes through the industrialized area of the Pilsen neighborhood. There isn’t another soul in site except for the occasional scurry of a rat crossing my path. I look around for a street sign or a landmark that’ll lead me to my destination, but all I see are boarded up warehouses, a car here and there, and the dull glow of the streetlights.

You wouldn’t have believed me if I said this neighborhood is close to downtown Chicago by how silent it is. It’s almost an eerie silence that resonates within you so deeply that there is sound.

I rub my bare hands together to combat the chill in the air. You’d think me crazy for not wearing gloves around this time of year, but I always lose them so I never bother with them. I push my face into my scarf a little more before continuing my trek. It’s been about fifteen minutes since I’ve arrived and have yet to encounter the warehouse where my friends said there was a party being held.

Impatient, I stop and pull out my phone to ring a friend. I don’t get an answer. Briefly I close my eyes and look up at the sky as I sigh. The only thing right about this night is the beautiful luminescent orb hanging in the sky. It looked almost seductive with how the clouds were barely covering it.

There was a loud clang behind me that pulled me from my lunar trance. In a swift motion I turn to see where the noise came from.

“Hello?” I say with a raspy voice.

Of course there was no answer. At this point, going back home was looking like a better option than roaming around looking for a warehouse among warehouses. My friends wouldn’t miss me anyway.

Unfortunately, the way back to where I catch the bus was past where I heard the noise.  A chill slipped down my spine effortlessly as I continued onward. That’s when I heard another clang, and this time it was on the side of me.

Instead of investigating, I quickened my pace until I heard a voice.

“Where are you going so quickly?” it said. It was seductive and low, but loud enough to get through my slowly rising panic.

I no longer felt the bite of the cold air as my fear increased drastically. What stood before me on hind legs was so grotesque that it was beautiful. The drool that dripped from its open mouth gleamed in the moonlight. Razor sharp teeth were displayed in what looked to be a smile on the creature’s face. Its black fur looked more blue in the lighting, and its claws were long talons that looked like they could rip through anything.

But what terrified me the most was the look in its golden eyes. It was almost as if it was laughing at me. Laughing at my fear. My legs wouldn’t will me to run as my instinct was sending alarms for me to do so.

“What…what are you?” I asked in a whispered voice. Tears began to fall aimlessly down my face as I stood staring at the creature.

“You know exactly what I am,” it said. It hasn’t moved since it first got my attention.

“What do you want?”

It turned its head to the side as if looking at me quizzically before answering, “You.”

“Me?” I squeak out.

My legs collapse and I hit the ground. Even with my weakened knees I still was unable to move my legs, so I started to crawl. I tried to move as fast as I could while dragging myself down the path to where there would be other cars and people.

Its laughter rang loud in my ears, and I piss myself. It was now right next to me. Its snout brushed against the back side of my head.

“You cannot escape me. You are mine,” it said before forcing me around unto my back.

It leaned over me, and pressed its pelvis into mine. A hard mass poked me through my jeans, and I couldn’t help but scream. Or at least I tried to right before it ripped my coat off and bit into my left shoulder.

The last thing I remembered before blacking out was the pale full moon in the sky overlooking my dismal situation.

Image: Sound Track of a Photograph by Robert Doyle