009/365

I never would have guessed it.

They say many things walk among humans, but I never really thought much about the possibility of that. That is, until I found myself in a dark alley with my hands trying to plug a large hole on the side of her neck with my bare hands. Somewhat futilely, I might add, since her blood was still seeping through my fingers.

Her golden blood.

The colour of her blood was the least of my worries, though.

I looked up at the growl and squinted at the dark corner of the alley where I thought it came from. Another growl from the right and I turned to find mysel staring straight into the glowing red eyes of – was that a bear?

A bear in a dark alley in the middle of the city?

I wanted to run, really wanted to run. But even if I hadn’t been frozen in fear, I couldn’t leave her. Sure, she may already be dead but I’m not about to leave her body to get eaten.

Of course, with that thinking, we may both end up being monster chow.

Wait. Did the bear just turn into a wolf? A wolf that’s now stalking slowly toward us, as if knowing it can take its time.

Frantically, I looked around for a weapon. Nothing. Not even discarded shoe or a broken haribrush. Just nothing.

I looked down at my bloody (gold blood!) hands and, without thinking, flicked one at the…wait, it’s…I’m not even sure I know what creature it’s turned to now.

It shrank back.

Huh.

I flicked my hand again, this time harder. It moved back again.

I scooped up a bit more blood and flicked it again and again, while the…let’s stick with monster…tried to get closer but moving back whenever the golden blood splatters to close to it.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

I looked down at those words and saw surprisingly clear brown eyes looking back at me.

“I…it seemed like the thing to do.”

She smiled, reached up to take my hand off her throat. Her now smooth throat. “I knew you were a bright one.”

I moved back as she slowly stood up, stepping forward to put herself between me and the monster. Then she looked back at me, smirking , and I’m struck dumb by her sheer, otherworldly beauty.

“Hang on,” she said. “I got this.”

It was both terrible and beautiful.

When we first met she told me her name was Mayari. I just never thought she was The Mayari.