FicWad

Grief.

Chapter 1: Midnight.

It should never have happened. Not to him, not to anyone. It could have been avoided. I could have stopped it. Should have. I would have stopped it, had I known all those years ago, what would happen. Had I known, that a simple walk in the woods, could spell disaster.

I have spent the last twenty eight years of my life, living in grief, pain, and fear.

Grief, for the loss of my twin brother, Romulus, and for my parents leaving.

Pain, from the constant, and unbearable changes, that even now, I am still forced to endure. And Fear.

Fear, for what I am, for what I have become. Fear, that someone may find out, may see me, as what I really am: A Monster.

This grief. This pain. These fears. All have driven me to how I live today. Alone. I have always been alone. Ever since I was eight. Almost nine.

It could all have been changed, avoided. But no. And now, because of my mistakes, my naivety, I am alone.

Haunted, by pain, fear, and grief.

I sat alone on the edge of my bed, waiting for the time when my brother would come and get me from downstairs. I glanced at my bedside clock. The time read half way to twelve, midnight.

I knew it was a bad idea. Our parents had always said never to go out after dark. They'd never said why. Even if we asked. We assumed it was just because they thought we'd get lost, or were worried we'd get mugged, or abducted. It had happened.

I was still worried, as I heard my brother's footsteps up the stairs, from his room below. It was twenty-five minutes to midnight.

There was a soft knock at my door, and Romulus entered the room, just pulling on a thick brown jacket, over his pajama top.

"Hey Remus? You up?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, throwing on my old black Trench Coat. It had been my dad's, years ago, and it was a bit big. But it was warm.

"Rom, I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Look, don't worry Remus, we're only going for a walk. Besides, we won't go far, just into the edge of the woods and back."

Had I known, all those years ago, what was to happen that night, and on a night just one year later, then maybe I would have been a lot more worried. Wouldn't have gone. I did.

We left the house quietly, closing the back door behind us, a slight breeze, ruffling my brother's short brown hair, identical to mine.

"It's cold out here."

"I know. Let's get moving. Come on, we can be back in a few minutes. No one will even know we've gone."

We walked quietly across the yard, towards the woods out back. 'Romulus was right. It was just a walk.'

The full moon shone brightly overhead, lighting our way, until we got a bit further into the woods, where the trees were thicker.

"Rom. We should go back now. It's gotten darker, and I can't see where I'm going." Romulus kept walking ahead. "Come on, I just want to go a bit further."

I checked my watch again. It now read ten minutes to midnight.

Ahead of me, the bushes moved, and a few twigs cracked. I looked around.

We had come to a small clearing, in a part of the woods in which I'd never been. "Wow. I've never been this far before," Romulus said, as another twig cracked nearby.

i Eight minutes to midnight. /i

Romulus turned around, to face me. "Remus. What was that?"

"I dunno. An animal maybe. A cat, or a dog. A Badger maybe."

I felt a sudden, creeping chill up my spine, and a cool wind whipped the ends of my coat.

i Six minutes to midnight. /i

There was a feral growl from behind a bush, and another twig snapped, the now visible moonlight, catching the glint of bright animal eye-shine.

I stepped back, to warn Romulus, tapping him on the shoulder. "Romulus," I whispered, pointing. He nodded, and turned to leave.

i It was four minutes to midnight. /i

A loud, angry howl rent the air, striking us still with dread, chilling us to beyond the bone. Angry, menacing. Hungry.

I stood frozen, still in fear, as the bushes before me parted, and something leapt, snarling angrily, from the bushes, and into the clearing. Towards us.

"Romulus! Run!" I cried out, suddenly regaining my voice, and the use of my limbs. We ran. Pelting for our lives, back towards the other side of the clearing, towards our home.

Behind me, Romulus tripped and fell, slamming face first to the ground, and let out a strangled yelp, as he tried desperately to regain his feet.

I ran back, grabbing his wrists and pulling him up, as the now distinctly dog-like creature lunged again.

"Romulus! Get out of here!" I yelled, pushing him out of the way, towards home. "Go!"

Romulus stopped. "Remus!"

"Just go!" I cried, and he began to run, just as I was hit hard, from behind, shoved roughly forward to the ground.

I twisted, and rolled over in time to see something large, and hairy come crashing down on top of me, snarling, sharp claws digging painfully into my shoulders.

I cried out, in a mixture of pain, and fear, as I caught sight of the sharp, yellowing teeth, and smelt the foul, putrid breath, wafting over my face.

In the distance, a clock started to chime. i One minute to midnight. /i

The creature above me growled, raising a thin, Wolf-like muzzle to the sky.

The animals cry went up, sharp, and loud on the night air. A strange, low, haunting cry, that seemed to silence even the most prominent of noises. The sound was so cold, and unforgiving, yet so full of an emotion that seemed almost heartbroken, but at the same time, a cold, merciless hatred. Triumph.

As the creature lowered its muzzle, the cruel, faintly humanoid howls still rang in my ears, and I felt a sharp, almost paralyzing pain shoot up through my neck, and to my spine.

As a profound, and deathly darkness claimed me, the last, long chime from the clock echoed across the silent grounds, like a final, closing ring for the condemned. The end. i Midnight. /i