Carron Park, Southport, New Jersey.....
Like clockwork, Victor Harlowe made his way toward Carron Park on the outskirts of Southport, New Jersey. It was near midnight as he stood amid the cool air and open grass. This time he elected to leave the tweed suit behind as well as the non-prescription glasses as the ruse of being just another random mortal served no purpose here. He was dressed from head to toe in black even wearing a black men's tank top with his broad shoulders and evident muscle mass exposed as he watched and waited patiently in black loose trousers and heavy equally black boots. He knew all too well that the beast he sought would show, its need for combat and blood much too great to ignore. As a precaution, Victor kept his father's silver crossbow on hand, but he knew it would do little good against this werebeast whom he had discovered when initially hunting it down, was immortal.
Still, he held it anyway wondering deep in the back of his mind if this would at last be the day he'd get his secret wish, to rejoin his long-dead wife in the afterlife. Victor held off his self-destructive tendencies more or less out of love for his daughter, after all, he was of course only a man living, but not alive. It was a crisp cool night, one that warranted caution to any who had not been aware of the significance of the full moon and who had loomed about prowling the park in search of its next kill.
Victor's weary mind traveled back to his daughter, Savannah, who was his whole world and he for a time had been hers. To do her the disservice of being killed before she had a chance to grow and establish a family of her own wouldn't have been anything that Veronica had wanted and as such, his promise to her remained he'd see to Savannah living well and let it be so.
The rustling of bushes had slightly distracted Victor's attention, shaking him from his thoughts as he focused on the task at hand. The low rumble of a growl had put him on his toes and he readied his fists. The beating of his heart and his poised movements must have been enough to set the beast off and just like all the nights of the full moon before, he found himself being charged via a slobbering mangy beast with eyes of orange and razor-sharp teeth as it leaped into view from the bushes and prowled the park in the dead of night.
Victor could see its fur, a dark brown coat of thick coarse hairs as it pounced on him his fists flying as it tagged the lower jaw of the beast who seemed content to take the hits and keep on coming. The Wolf Hunter rolled and maneuvered his way back to his feet tossing out rights and lefts as a means of fending off the beast.
There was a reason Victor's line was that of wolf hunter, he'd been as agile and as ruthless as a beast when locked in combat and his senses were at an all-time high along with the rapid beating of his heart as he dished out more and more fists connecting with the rabid creature as it slashed back intent on catching the swift mortal before it.
Blue eyes met glowing orange as they continued to tussle, The beast was not nearly as interested in killing Victor as it had once been. It seemed they had come to an understanding about their constant clashing in the middle of the night.
Victor dashed past a swipe of the monster's sharp claws missing a fresh scar to have to explain come morning. He continued to put up a fight, but his mind was wandering to the dark place that had been the undoing of so many like him despite his best efforts. The beast seemed to sense this and ended the fight.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING!" shouted Victor angrily as he attempted to leave. "COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME!"
The beast snarled and swiped at Victor this time catching him along the side and pushing him onto the ground where he lost consciousness when his head hit and the beast rushed back off into the distant shadows never to be seen until the next full moon.
It was just as well.
Victor had not been able to continue the fight after his fall anyhow.
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Elsewhere.....
It was all so strange, Victor knew he'd fallen onto the ground but he felt as if he'd been falling still. He turned his attention to his surroundings once his eyes opened to reveal a hazy place of smoke and clouds as he moved about a looming sky of the deepest black surrounded him as he made his way toward an alleyway where an oddly familiar shadowy figure caught his notice. He knew as he began to straighten up that it had been a woman. A beautiful woman with long black lined dreadlocks in her hair and a dark complexion that he placed all too well. She wore a black leather jacket and black jeans as she moved in equally black boots as she hurried toward the alley.
Victor followed running at a full sprint as he attempted to catch up to her. He stepped into the alley finding himself alone and the bitter sting of disappointment filling him as he searched for the answers his heart had been crying out for.
"Veronica!" he said as despair filled him and his heavy heart sank into the pit of his stomach.
"You don't have to shout." said a familiar voice as his tear-stained eyes caught sight of his weary heart's desire.
"Veronica," he said shocked as she approached not a day older than she'd been all those years ago and with a vibrant white smile that lit up even the darkest night.
She approached him nearly throwing herself into his arms as he caught her their kiss a long awaited and desperate one as he held her close to him the hot tears still streaming down his cheeks.
"My love...how can this be?" he said in confusion.
"You're dreaming sleepy head," she replied with a smile. "I've told you about always hitting your head."
She touched his face with her hand and he closed his eyes.
"Then this is one dream that I do not wish to awaken from," he replied meeting her gaze once more while clinging to the woman whom he'd longed for ever since he laid her in the ground via her funeral.
She sighed with a sad expression and touched his face once more before kissing his lips for the final time.
"Our daughter needs you," she said sadly. "Savannah needs you...you must wake up."
"Veronica...." began Victor whimpering in sadness. "Ronnie...I.."
"I know," she replied with another sad smile as she gently touched him along the face once again. "I love you too."
In an instant, she was gone leaving the heartbroken Victor to awaken screaming her name in the darkness of the park alone.
"VERONICA!" he bellowed tears streaming down his cheeks as he took note of his surroundings before wiping them away.
She had left him again.
He slowly got to his feet and collected the silver crossbow before heading back to his car.
Daybreak had been not too far behind as he climbed inside and drove away from the park in relative silence.