BYSTANDERS WATCH IN HORROR

DOT bursts outside from their apartment, running with her soda and chips.

 TYRELL:

“Hey! Where you going so fast!? You going to shake up the soda!”

DOT (over shoulder):

“I’m ‘bout to share with Totti!”

She disappears around the corner.

—

Across the lot — ADHAR pulls in a parking space. He sits for a moment, trying to clear the fog from his brain. He knows it's something about the store he should remember… but, oh well.

He exits his beat-up Saab. A gang argument escalates in a nearby field. Voices. Pushing. Shoving. A punch. Tussling. Fists start flying. Tyrell gets knocked down onto a tree stump.

He looks up — about to jump back in the fight.

Tyrell freezes. Dread creeps over him.

Tyrell stares. Mouth open. Pointing.

Adhar notices Tyrell, the kid from the store pointing. Not at Adhar. At the roiling clouds on the ground that just revealed a creature. Adhar stands frozen with his briefcase.

 Swirling Smoke. Crackling blue arcs. Snapping sounds. Then — PULSE. A HOWLER. Fully solid.

Pale translucent skin. Muscle. Impossible jaws. Claws. Fangs. It lunges.

Adhar doesn’t even scream fully before he’s torn open. The Howler lifts its head to screech. A deafening sonic blast. Everyone grabs their ears. Bodies lock. Eyes flash white.

Bystanders suffer short violent trances. Nerve damage. Delirious. Shake it off.

Try– to– shake– it– off!

The creature slow pulses on & off.

It eats Adhar quickly.

It finishes with Adhar. Looks around. Pulse.

Smoke form. It glides and drifts like smoke.

Pulse on — full form. Menacing.

It streaks ten feet closer to the gang.

Pulse off — Smoke-like. Almost invisible.

A gangster named "Rowdy" fires a revolver.

Three shots. Smoke absorbs the impact.

Pulse on — The Howler is so close it's too late.

His forearm is bitten off, gun included.

The crowd starts screaming. Onlookers

questioning. Commenting. Frozen in fear.

More gunfire erupts. Some automatic.

Tonight, it didn't matter. It was Total Chaos.

Half the gang tries to flee across the parking lot Half toward the field. The Howler slaughters both groups within minutes. Bystanders watch in horror.

Pulse. Smoke. Pulse. Closer. Sonar Clicks. Click. Click. Pulse. Closer. Click. Click. Click. Looking for another victim while the crowd is frozen in terror. No one dared to move. Smoke swirling.

Pulse. The creature streaks across the field.

It stops in front of Tyrell.

Inches away.

Sonar clicking.

Head tilted.

Reading Tyrell’s aura. Sensing.

Pulse. Smoke swirling. Lightning arcs sizzling and popping.

Tyrell sobs.

Frozen.

The Howler swipes a claw through the air.

Deep gash across Tyrell’s ribs.

Then — SCREECH from the creature.

Skull-splitting.

Everyone stiffens. All eyes in the vicinity pulse white. People shake, and tremble from the trance.