Page 1 of Monster. Me.

MARLOW: PROLOGUE

The ground practically disappears beneath my paws as I run as fast as I can. Pain and hope are tightly tangled together inside me, so I let myself focus only on what my shifted body feels, on the physical sensations of the ground beneath my paw pads, the scent of earth, stone, and wind. Everything is always a little different in this form, simpler somehow, more fun. The world seems to slow down while I speed up, slipping through it like a shadow, racing across fences, rooftops, and backyards…

Now I'm approaching a narrow, busy street that's a little risky because the only escape routes are blocked by tall fences.

I take a corner around a brick wall, but the sound of a massive garbage truck rolling toward me and filling the entire lane makes me change plans. Two jumps later, I'm scrambling up a wall and vaulting over it.

I don't like jumping into places I don't know. Sometimes you land in a yard with a Rottweiler who's decided some random cat would make a great snack.

This time, though, I get lucky.

I end up in a pleasant little garden behind someone's house. Sunlight spills across a small lawn, and beyond a tiny cute patio, I spot an open door with soft music drifting out from inside.

I wander around the side of the house at an unhurried pace, following flower beds overflowing with hibiscus, bougainvillea, and plumbago. Someone clearly put a lot of effort into this garden, and I love it. I’m a sucker for flower-filled yards and cute white houses drowning in color.

When I reach the front of the building, I'm hoping I'll find a way back onto the street from the other side of the block.

Sure enough, there's an open gate and a white gravel path running beside the driveway.

Then I realize it hasn’t been left that way by accident.

Mounted above it on a round illuminated sign are the words:

MONSTER SHOP

And underneath, in italics:

Halloween Costumes & Disguises

Below that, in much smaller print:

Everything you need for Halloween, Christmas, and school productions. Santa Claus, Wizard Gandalf, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frankenstein, Hulk, Spider-Man, and many more.

Come visit us!

I had no idea there was a store like this around here, even though I know the neighborhood pretty well. The dorm I’m still dragging my feet about leaving, despite graduating from veterinary school a month ago, is only about fifteen minutes away.

Curious, I turn back toward the house. The door is open, and since I don't hear anyone nearby, I decide to sneak inside.

Wow.

It's actually kind of a nice little shop with the vibe of a family-owned business.

I look around at mannequins dressed in elaborate costumes and weave my way between them. They're genuinely impressive. For a moment, my eyes are drawn to a set of colorful, shimmering fairy wings meant to be attached to costumes. Wow, they're truly beautiful, ethereal, almost luminescent. Somebody's got both the eye and the skill for this kind of thing.

I pass a large superhero display featuring OmegaCat, one of my favorite cartoon characters from childhood. Somebody gave the mannequin beautiful green eyes. Curious, I circle the silhouette; I want to see the tail they attached to the costume. OmegaCat's long tail is basically his trademark.

Then I freeze.

Right behind him stands an entirely different monster.

A huge figure.

The mannequin is massive, obviously meant to represent a purple alpha. The most massive and powerful subtype among them. But the face is the strangest part. It looks like somebody left red-purple splashes across it from below and partially from above, or as if he’s wearing face paint that resembles an open, jagged-toothed maw etched directly onto his skin. Deep red ‘bite’ marks cover the thick neck and shoulders as well. The intense purple eyes seem to glow as they stare straight at me, and the fangs… are doubled, the teeth dense and sharp.

I take an involuntary step backward as a strange shiver runs through my body.

The thing feels almost alive.