Chapter 1
Crystal turned bloodshot eyes towards the clock, for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, or morning as it would seem, the red digits read 2:49. Once again she flopped over burying her face in the over stuffed pillow, releasing a muffled groan.
Rolling back onto her back, she stretched her arms and legs, forcing herself to yawn, attempting to convince her racing mind that it was tired. There was no real reason she could not sleep, nothing she could pin it down to. Her rent was paid, school was out for the summer, she was off work for the next three days, all of her moms financial problems were six-hundred miles away in St. Louis, the only thing that picked at her brain was band practice the next day. This didn’t concern her much though, band practice had been a regular Thursday night affair for the last three months, she’d never particularly worried about it, and this night was no different. There wasn’t even a gig scheduled for the next month.
With another frustrated sigh she sat up, hanging her legs over the edge of the queen-sized four-poster bed, resting her head on her knees. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she rose and walked into the kitchen. After a long moment in front of the open fridge she grabbed a bottle of water and moped into the living room.
Scooter was happily scurrying in his exercise wheel, a squeaking sound that Crystal took much comfort in, as she gave a quick glance toward the hamster’s cage before the window. The chubby little rodent stopped, looking up at her, silhouetted by the street light right outside the second story window.
Crystal flopped down in the window seat next to the wire cage, “don’t stop on account of me,” she whispered, “you might inspire me to get in shape too.” She pinched at what small amount of belly fat that she had.
Setting in the dark for a few minutes, her hand eventually found its self on the neck of the acoustic Gibson she’d gotten for her last birthday. She pulled the classic style guitar onto her lap, absent mindedly strumming some open chords, looking out over the park across the street.
The cool breeze of the summer night flowed through the opened window, along with the sound of the fountain that heralded the park entrance, just beyond the padlocked gate. Her fingers pulled softly at the nylon strings, tuning herself to the whisper of the summer breeze, and the soft gurgle of the fountain.
Closing her eyes she slipped away into her music, humming to herself, her head rolling back as it swayed to the melody. Her fingers walked down the fret board, incorporating familiar riffs, such as the intro to Paint it Black, and the solo from Hotel California, something she often did while practicing alone, simply letting the music flow from her, playing towards what she referred to as a musical orgasm.
At long last the melody climaxed, her humming ceased, a D major hung in the air. It was then that it stuck her, a soft somber howl in the distance.
Crystal cocked her head gazing out over the park. The soft howl died away moments after the dying of the note.
“I really need to get some sleep,” she told Scooter setting the guitar down, while she poked a finger into the wire cage caressing the hamster’s stuffed cheek.

As the toilet flushed, she stepped to the sink, turning on the water, she pumped some soap into her hand. She hummed softly, the melody she’d played still fresh in her mind while, she examined her face in the bathroom mirror. Her hair hung lank and disheveled, the look of some who’d been up all night. Her skin was pale and fairly clear, with only a few faint zits. She’d washed up and, brushed her teeth only a few hours ago. Her eyes, one of her favorite features about herself, were as large and lively as ever, a brilliant almost unnatural kelly-green, showed no signs of sleep deprivation. She’d expected them to be bloodshot with heavy dark circles hanging sleepily, but overall she found her reflection to be refreshed as any other morning.
Passing through her bedroom, the red digital numbers on the clock read 3:57. Once again she resigned to the fact that she wasn’t getting to sleep anytime soon.
In the living room she channel surfed through infomercials and soap reruns, coming to rest for a moment on a sermon by Reverend Thomas Fallon, “Satan’s evils are all around you,” he barked, pointing at the viewers, “shamefully most don’t realize it til they’re in his grasp!”
Crystal felt her hand grasp the golden cross her mother had given her, that hung on a silver chain around her neck
“Who is your savior,” Reverend Fallon managed to get out before the latest invention by Ron Popeil appeared on the screen.
Crystal cruised once more through her fifty channel, deluxe $59.99 package before flipping off the television and letting darkness once again envelope the room.
She settled once again in the window seat, gazing out over the dead streets of the rural college town. The breeze had picked up a bit causing the mini-blinds to rock slightly above the half-opened window. Moths danced idly about the streetlight, occasionally buzzing up towards the window.
The clouds slowly cleared away from the face of a white full moon, Crystal seldom remembered seeing it so bright and clear. Thinking that perhaps the full moon was the cause of her insomnia this night, remembering an article or T.V. show that had mentioned the full moon having a strange effect on the human body. Something along the lines of people being seventy percent water.
Without much thought on it she again pulled the Gibson onto her lap, picking up the melody she’d strummed just moments ago, but this time keeping her eyes locked on the fullness of the moon, while a few stray clouds raced across its face in an effort to catch up with the rest.
Shortly into the melody she heard again the soft distant howling, and though she kept playing, she listened closely to the somber sound. A howl unlike that of a dog, more wolf-like, but almost human. It was a sad and lonely sound, yet on key with the chords of the Gibson. Crystal played and listened as the howl grew nearer.
The landscape of the park was clear now, in the light of the full moon, obscured shadows crossed the grassy expanse as more stray clouds sailed through the night. Then Crystal’s eyes locked on another, smaller shadow. It moved against the wind, against the flow of the clouds above. Moving from tree to tree, disappearing beneath the shroud of leaves. For a long moment she was sure her eyes had deceived her, but then it moved again. The somber howl rang clear from she shadows of the tree under which the shadow had last vanished.
Terror struck her, her breath was caught in her throat, a sour note twanged from her guitar and she sprang from the window seat.
Standing a few feet back from the window, she leaned in, looking out over the park. Scooter had decidedly taken cover in his hamster hut, the mini blinds tapped softly against the frame. The night was otherwise still, and the park appeared once again vacant.
Slowly Crystal moved towards the window, kneeling in the window seat, she sat trembling, waiting, and watching for the shadow.
Crystal considered herself a rational girl, but it seemed to her that all reality had taken a reprieve for the night, the only thing left that to reality was the racing heart in her chest, pounding from fear and disillusion.
Her mind wrestled with the thoughts that had come into her head, coupling the bright, full moon with the strange howling, that she had quaintly noted as human-like a moment ago. No time was left to question this reality as the shadow appeared once more, standing tall before the fountain, in the faint glow of the street light just outside her window. A large, black, beastly figure, masculine arms hanging at its side. It’s sharp ears were peaked, and its narrow muzzle directed at her bedroom window.
Crystal’s mind battled with her frozen body, her legs had gone rubbery and useless. Her sweating hands gripped the sill, her fingertips touching the screen, the thin screen, the worthless screen that served as her only protection from the monster outside.
A moth fluttered by, reminding her assuredly that this was no dream. It was then that she felt the need to scream, it grew down in her throat, but unbridled fear held the sound at bay.
Moonlight caught in the beasts eyes, giving them an inhuman shine, leaving no doubt that they had locked upon her. Her will crumbled in those eyes, and she was caught unblinking as tears welled, blurring her vision. Reason and reality blurred a swirled in a kaleidoscope of unanswered pointless questions. The why’s and how’s didn’t matter it was happening and she was seeing it. Dizziness overcame her and she felt herself swoon as blackness closed in.

Chapter 2
“So what? You gonna sleep all day?”
Crystal opened her eyes, she was still cradled in the window seat, Scooter next her, snoozing in his hut. Trish her heavily pierced bass player, looked down on her from the doorway, her bass strapped across her back, a lit cigarette in her hand.
After a moment of confusion the events from before she blacked out poured into her mind. “Did you, did you see him?” she stammered lifting her heavy head towards the window.
“See who?” Trish asked coming up behind her, gazing out the window at the sunny afternoon. Children scurried about the play ground, a ways back, and a couple in sweats power walked along the pavement. Where the beast had last stood before the fountain, a couple of college kids sat passionately kissing one another.
No sign of the shadowy creature, now in the light of day, the whole incident seemed vague and dream-like.
Trish laid a hand on her shoulder, Crystal noticed as always her fingers were clad with silver rings, her nails painted black.
“No one,” she said smiling up into Trish’s blue eyes thickly lined in black, “just a dream I was having.”
Trish smiled back, leaning her bass by the door and flopping onto the couch across from the window, “oh,” she laughed, “someone sexy then?”
“More like a nightmare,” Crystal sighed, rising to a sitting position.
“I didn’t mean to just let myself in, but I buzzed like a million times, I knew you were here cause your cars out there in the lot. You should really lock your door.” Crystal stared at the floor, only half hearing what was said. “I can go if you want, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No,” she paused thinking for a moment, “no its fine.”
“You sure? You know you don’t look so good.”
“Just had a hard time getting to sleep is all,” Crystal gave her another reassuring smile.
“You know it’s no wonder you have nightmares, sleeping all wadded up in the window. Especially after we spent all that time wrestling that big ugly bed up here.”
Trish walked to the still opened door, dragging her heavy Crate amp into the apartment, holding her cigarette between her black lips.
“I wish you wouldn’t smoke in here,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes, and my bed is not ugly.”
“Sorry,” Trish crushed the butt on her heel and tossed it into the hallway. “What?” she asked, Crystal just shook her head and walked into the bathroom.

“So what brings you by this fine morning,” she asked washing her face at the sink.
“Morning?” Trish laughed, “maybe for you. I always, come by an hour or so before practice. . . You sure you’re feeling alright?”
“It’s 5:00 already?” Crystal toweled her face off, opening the door to find Trish laying on her bed.
“Twenty after according to you’re clock. Man you must have totally crashed, the noon bells only two blocks away, and your window’s open.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, setting on the bed, staring off with a troubled look on her face.
“What’s the deal girlie?” Trish asked, making to light a fresh cigarette between her lips, but putting it back upon reflection. “You look like you just found out your place is haunted the hard way.”
“Something like that,” Crystal agreed.
“Really,” Trish exclaimed with a wide smile, “wanna do a seance? I’d love to meet a ghost.”
“It wasn’t a ghost,” Crystal said with a sigh.
“Then what was it? Some sexy vampire. One with jet black hair and a European accent, tapping on your window in the middle of the night?”
“No it was. . .” she thought for a second, recalling the black silhouette standing before the fountain, it’s lonesome howl echoing in her head, “it was nothing, just a really bizarre dream. Do you mind waiting in the living room, I gotta get ready.”
“Mind if I have a smoke?” Trish asked holding up the cigarette she’d nearly lit a moment ago.
“Just blow it out the window huh. I’ll be ready in twenty” Crystal moved to her dresser as Trish walked to the door.
“You know, if you wanna talk about it, bizarre is kinda my thing,” Trish said over her shoulder as she passed through the doorway.
“Maybe later,” she hollered back, pulling off her pajama shirt. Moving before the dressing mirror she gave her hair a quick comb. Standing before the full length mirror she looked over her body with scrutiny, sucking in her stomach while sticking out her chest. She considered the prospect of taking a jog in the park after practice, hoping maybe Trish would join her.
Her eyes drew upon the gold cross hanging from her neck, placing her hand softly over it she continued to examine herself. After a few minutes more, checking herself from every angle, she pulled on a pair of black jeans. After long debate she picked a blouse and pulled it on. Grabbing her purse she went out to find Trish smoking in the window seat.
“Wow that was fast,” Trish said, crossing the room to grab her bass.
“Yep,” Crystal agreed, “some of us don’t need a few gallons of makeup to look good,” she smirked playfully poking her friend in the ribs as she opened the closet by the front door, “you ready then?”
“Yep” Trish smiled, lifting her heavy amp, “gotta haul this heavy ****er down the stairs, though. Let’s rock.”
Crystal followed Trish into the hall, locking the door behind her.