(Fifteen years ago)
John Bosman, Pete's next-door neighbor, came running towards the farmhouse. Yelling as he came closer.
Pete stormed out the back door, his granddaughter not far behind him. "What the hell are you yelling for? With this racketing of yours, my chickens won't be laying any eggs!"
John stopped in front of the steps. He bent forward and put his hands on his knees, while catching his breath.
"Darlene, get the man some water!" Pete called out.
"You have to come!" Still out of breath, John stood upright. "You have to see for yourself." Jerking a thumb in the direction of his house and bending over again, hands on his knees.
"I can't just leave everything. I'm a busy man you know!"
Darlene came back with a glass of water and handed it to John. He gulped down the cool water and gave the empty glass back to her.
"Are you coming?" he asked. Turned around and started walking back the way he came.
"Yes, wait up!" Pete chased Darlene into the house and ordered her to watch over her ten-year-old brother. "I'm going with Uncle John. I won't be long."
They hurried over the lawn. Stumbled through tall grass. When reaching the fence, they crawled through it and made their way towards the chicken coup.
A creature lurked in the bushes nearby. The pair of dark eyes staring at the two men approaching.
They stopped in front of the chicken coup.
"I'm staying here. Go around to the back. It's there."
The dark eyes glanced at the torn flesh behind the coup. It's been weeks since he had human flesh to eat.
He was on his way to the river with the half-eaten body, and dropped some of it. When he returned to collect it, the farmworkers already gathered around and called the farmer.
Pete emerged from behind the coup. "Oh, my god! What the hell is that?" His face pale white. "Did you notify the police?" He took out his handkerchief and wiped the drops of sweat from his forehead.
John shook his head. "No, I wanted you to take a look at it first."
The creature glanced at the two men marching up to the farmhouse. The workers were gone, too. This was his chance. He scanned the area and leaped out of his hiding place. With a quick movement, he grabbed the flesh from the ground. Dragged it into the bushes and trotted down to the river nearby. Ripping pieces off and consuming it while running.
Pete rushed to the bathroom, while John phoned the police.
He wetted his handkerchief, wiped his face and took place on the side of the bathtub. Feeling a little queasy after the shocking discovery. He sat there until he felt better, before he exited.
"They're on their way," John said when Pete joined him in the living room. "I wonder what the hell is that?"
"Human remains, if you ask me."
John's eyes enlarged as he gaped at Pete. "It can just as well be animal remains. A wild animal killed its prey and ate it there. Then left when it had enough."
Pete shrugged. "I better get back home. Darlene and Gareth are alone."
He left through the back door and strolled back to his farm. The image of the red torn flesh – definitely human remains –kept flashing through his mind. He grimaced. What the hell did that?
Tired from the long walk, he sat down on the steps at the back of his house, before going inside.
Darlene noticed her grandfather was back and ran to him.
"Something wrong at the house, Gramps? Uncle John seemed very upset."
"He thought there was a burglary," he said, looking back at his neighbor's farm. The house not visible, except for the top of the pointy rusted red roof.
Darlene frowned as she glanced at her grandfather. "Why did he come to you? Why not phone the police right away?"
Pete rolled his eyes. "Isn't it your bath time, Missy?"
"No, Gramps!" Darlene chuckled. "It's only two o'clock! It's too early!"
"Well, run off, and entertain your brother then!"
Darlene peeped at her grandfather as she stood up. Why was he so grumpy all of a sudden?
Pete gazed at his granddaughter as she scurried off to where her brother played under the big old maple tree. What if Darlene was right? A wolf dwelled on the farm. But a wolf wouldn't be able to do that to a human being? Whatever tore that thing apart was not from this world.
***
Koray reached the river and finished the remainder of the meat, before he morphed back into a human. He stepped into the cool waters of the Crocodile River and cleansed himself. Floating on his back in the water, he smiled. He felt revived. The human flesh did him well.
Nobody would even miss the woman. She was a drifter, and he had his eyes on her for a week.
His wife always nagged at him not to kill humans. He couldn't help it. Their flesh was sweet and tender. Juicier than animal flesh.
He made sure he was free from any human blood or residue before he got out of the water and walked to a big rock nearby. Lifted it up and took out his clothes from underneath it. He always looked for a safe place to hide his clothes before he morphed into a werewolf.
Before going home, he stopped at the corner café and bought a packet of cigarettes. He lit one as soon as he stepped out and inhale a huge breath of smoke. The only way to disguise the human flesh on his breath. His wife smelled the difference between human and animal flesh, but since he took up smoking, she wasn't able to, anymore.
He threw the cigarette butt on the ground. Stepped on it with his shoe and gave it a twist with the ball of his foot. He sauntered towards the front door and smiled before going in. If he ate human flesh once a month, he would be fine.