Macabre Dreams

"You wretched creature," the man spat inside my enclosure.

Baring my teeth, giving him what he wanted, I growled. Low and guttural, causing a frightened little girl to grip onto her mother's pant leg.

"Let's go Diana, I don't want you having nightmares," the mother said, a grimace painting her lips.

Watching as they walked away, the girl looked back. Eyes wide in terror. I never asked to give innocent children nightmares. I never asked for this enclosure. I sit here alone. Bruises decorate my body, trash fills my enclosure. Isolated from all those around me, before I ever got the chance to know hope. As the only captive werewolf in this godforsaken kingdom I am a mystery. Even to myself. Not quite human. My threatening form too dangerous for the streets, but too human to euthanize.

In the days in which I am human, I have more privacy. Though with chains rubbing against my wrists and burly men at my side, I am locked away in the palace dungeon. If I want to live, I want to be free. No chains attached. No people watching my every move. I want to disappear off the face of the earth because if she can't live, I don't deserve to either.

I need them to believe me when I say it was an accident. The night that destroyed my heart and stopped hers. I winced, suddenly remembering her agonizing screams. And I still hadn't stopped.

"Lazaro," she had whispered, "They'll never believe a monster. You need to escape." Her breaths were short, and rushed.

I saw the blood dripping from her mouth, eyes darting everywhere unfocused. "I know it wasn't you."

Back in my human form I stared in terror, shaking my head. "I didn't mean to, Celestine, please-I need you!"

Blood spat from my mouth. Her blood. I forced the hot bile in my throat down, forcing pressure on her wound. The metallic taste filling my senses as I faced the consequences of my feral actions. I stared down at her mutilated body, eyes unseeing pointed towards the sky. Towards Heaven.

I hadn't been human when I did it. But that would never be an excuse. If I caused her death, I would have to be the cause of my own.

The sirens were slowly approaching. Wailing.

I started to run, tripping over branches not stopping when I heard a soldier shout, "Stop in the name of the royal court!"

I kept going. I had no choice. I couldnt live with myself after what I'd done. I would never forgive myself. I spat, trying to rid myself of her taste. From when my fangs punctured her flesh, tearing away at her like a slab of meat from the butcher. Sobs racked my chest. Relief washed over me when I saw the cliff approaching.

I flung myself off the edge-too late.

The soldier's net caught me, dragging me back, tangled and defeated. Since that day, I was condemned to a life of self pity and agonizing hatred. Stuck in a cage like a dog in time out.

Slumped against the cobblestone wall, exhausted with myself, I heard a knock on my enclosure.

"You have a guest," a harsh voice rasped.

Great, I thought to myself, more journalists.

But the woman who rounded the corner was younger than I expected. "Mr. Oscura? Hi, I'm a reporter for The Observer, and I just wanted to know your side of the story. I know everyone says you're this beast, but, I'm looking at you now and...you're just a man. You're ordinary. Please, will you talk to me?"

She held a voice recorder in one shaky hand. Her short dark hair whipping at her face in the breeze.

"I'm no man," I said. "I'm a monster. I am a werewolf, and I have been since I was twenty, when I first got bit." I sighed and took a step closer to her, impressed she didn't flinch like the other reporters.

"What exactly do you want to know?" I asked.

"Tell me how you met our beloved Princess Celestine, may she rest in peace."

I thought about it, a moment before answering. "I knew we were destined for something terrible when I met her in the palace dungeon. I was working as a guard down there before I got bit."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Ironic how now I spend most of my life behind bars there, instead of working. Anyway, we...we would see each other late at night to talk. Then, my mistake was taking her into the woods for a walk. I had the stupid idea, and was so distracted, I forgot that night would be a full moon. We had a picnic and fell asleep. When I woke up...," I flinched, as if I was going to start turning again. "It was already the middle of the night, and my beast returned. I turned on her. Chased her through the woods. I couldn't control myself! I lose my mind when I transform, it's like a haze. I-I finally caught her and...took hold of her torso. Just as I started to ravage her, the sun came up. She was exhausted from screaming and running. And with the taste of her own blood in my mouth, I realized what I'd done."

I turned away from the young reporter, ashamed.

"Mr. Oscura?" her soft voice crooned.

I wiped a tear from my cheek. Since that night, I haven't eaten meat. The carnality in a simple act of eating, disgusts me beyond compare.

"Call me Lazaro. No need for formality. I'm the creature that stole Spain's precious princess."

"She met her end far too soon, I'm sorry. Is there anything you wish for, instead of being stuck in this-this jail cell?"

I looked up at the warm, cloudy sky. "I hate that they make profit off of her death. Parading me around for money. 'This is the thing who killed our princess!' If only I could suffer like she did to truly understand the enormity of my wickedness..."

"What if I could help you?"

I turned to face her. She was serious, face deadset, recorder stashed away.

"What?"

"What if I help you escape?" she asked simply.

"What's in it for you?"

"My newspaper will become more well known. No one has much faith in a young female reporter. But if I write about my experience with you-your escape-I get known. And you, Lazaro, are a free man. Fugitive, yes. But free." She wore a sly smirk, arms crossed in a feisty manner.

I pondered her quid pro quo. "What's your plan?" I grinned.

We started immediately, although in broad daylight. My enclosure for viewing wasn't open yet. She worked at my lock quickly. I didn't know how she got the guards to let her speak with me alone, but she did. With a click, the first lock gave way. Then the second.

I ran.

She gave me a head start before screaming. She threw herself on the pavement as planned, pretending I shoved her on my way to escape. I was fast. Really fast. Diving under the fence, I was finally free. I ran into the woods, weaving through trees, the canopy above streaked with sunlight.

My heart thundered. Looking behind me-nothing. I was free. I started to slow my pace, running on pure adrenaline.

Then it hit me.

A burning pain bloomed in my abdomen with a loud crack. Shot after shot. I stumbled, turning just in time to see the firing squad. They got their prize. To see me fall. To provoke me until I give them a reason to shoot. After craving death for so long, I could only think of one person. Celestine. I would be with her soon.

"You foul thing! Rot in hell," a guard roared, his boot pressing on my chest.

All my hope faded, mouth filling with blood at the realization, "That's not where she is."

I am no Saint. I am not morally good.

Afterall, why would a princess love someone tainted with death? Whose heart belongs in hell.