Chapter 2 - Prologue.

8 March 2040.

Coventry, Chenago County,

New York City.

The ten year old finally stopped screaming. The beast studied the boys' eyes, intoxicated with the urge to pluck it from the socket.

The beast loved looking at it's victims' eyes, for it showed the one thing the beast loved the most; fear. It basked in it. Lived for it.

It took pleasure in looking at the child's face while tearing up the remains of his mother.

It knew that the boy could tell. Its miniscule reluctance, its jerky struggling movements. It was struggling to remain in control, to move, to breath.

The man inside it was putting up a good fight against the beast's inner consciousness. But the beast still stood, devouring the poor boy's mother.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, followed by a bang. Then a high pitched screech which faded and builded up again, like a never ending echo. It grew louder and grating each time started, and the beast was becoming agitated. It let a low growl escape from its lips before turning, and sprinting towards the door.

The screaming had started again, but it was louder this time, and now the boy was screaming too.

The beast - at this point - had become irate. It jumped high, reaching the roof, and landed swiftly on all fours against one wall. Then leaped to the opposite wall, repeating the pattern. It was close to reaching the door - which it would have broken through in its mad dash to escape - before it turned back. The screaming had stopped, there was no threats apart from the little boy, who was no threat but prey.

Prey...

It thought

Every inch of its body willed it to move, apart from the twenty three old man within it.

It would have to take a lot more than that

In less than a millisecond it was dashing towards it's prey, not noticing the man concealed in the shadows. Leaning against the wall.

"Begone"

The voice of the man the beast heard in the softest yet deadliest whisper it had ever heard. Without warning, it felt a blade pierce through its back like a thousand of needles, its skin melting with the acid coating the blade.

A Gerenuk Caster!

It thought, growling with anger at its defeat.

It was then that it saw the man emerge from the shadows however, at that point it was too late. The poison had started to work its way through its body and it was splayed on the ground, gasping for air within seconds.

---

The engineer heard the petrified monsters menacing but helpless roar and sighed.

At last

He thought.

He couldn't help but want to punch himself.

How could he let it take control?!

He knew it would come on this day, yet he feigned ignorance. Now a woman was dead.

All these thoughts swirled in his head as his vision started to blur, his ears starting to ring.

- Ugh - He forgot that he would feel pain when the Gerenuk is stabbed. A wave of nausea hit him.

Shit

He thought.

He could barely hear anything apart from the noise of the men outside. The last thing he saw were flashlights, the terrified boy and massive pools of black goo.

He felt another wave of nausea hit him, and as he collapsed, he knew one thing.

He was dying.