Prologue:

Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!

Run faster, damn it!

I wasn't entirely sure that that was physically possible, to tell the truth, but I somehow managed to draw on a reserve of energy buried deep within me and pushed just a tad more speed out of myself. This was bad, real bad. I had no idea where I was going, and I had absolutely no idea what I had done to--

Oh, wait. That fucking cat, that was it. The cat had recognized me, how could I not have noticed? Damn it, I thought the cat just hated everybody and hissed at everybody. I hate cats. I really hate cats.

Ah! For fuck's sake! I skidded slightly when I saw the bullet flying past me and hitting the tree just inches to my left. Making a sharp turn to the right, I wondered absently how much longer I could keep this up without getting shot. But yeah, that explained it then. My neighbor's cat recognized me, and that's why my neighbor was currently sprinting after me, trying to shoot me with that goddamn revolver of his.

"I'm going to get you, Bitch!"

"For the love of God, Samson, what the fuck is going on!?" I cried out as innocently as I could, pulling on my earlier years of drama classes to try and make my voice as believable as possible. Dodging a tree to my right and leaping over a branch lying across the leaf-covered ground, I sighed in annoyance, muttering under my breath about how much endurance this asshole had. Seriously, he had been tailing me for eleven minutes now, and judging by the curses and promises of my demise that he kept shouting at me, he didn't appear to be growing tired at all.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know exactly what you are!" he shouted proudly, huffing sightly as I leapt off a small cliff and sprinted sharply to the right, no doubt breaking his aim.

Scowling at his words, I tried again to bring up my speed, even just a little bit, but I could only run so fast in a situation like this. "What? A dog trainer?" I offered just as innocently as before, trying my best to lace my words with the sharp fear that any normal human would have been experiencing. "German? WHAT? What did I ever do to you, Samson? Come on, if you leave me alone now, I'll be gone by tomorrow morning and the police never need to know about this!" I offered lamely, my last thread of patience straining to stay intact.

I never got a reply; instead, I felt the air swish to my right as yet another bullet narrowly missed my head.

Inhaling deeply and barely maintaining my composure, I continued to weave back and forth between trees. "Samson, you're starting to piss me off now," I warned loudly, all sense of fear draining from my voice as anger splashed over me in great waves. "I'm going to give you one more chance. If you don't stop tailing me, I'm going to have to hurt you. I don't want to do that. If you drop this now, I'll be gone in the morning and you won't ever see me again," I offered, my tone dangerously calm despite the fact that I had to shout to make sure he could hear me. "I'll count to three--"

"I don't let you're kind go!"

Fool.

"One."

Come on, Samson, don't make me do this.

"Two."

For fuck's sake, man, I was going on six months of not having to hurt anyone!

"Three."

Alright then, enough playing nice wolf.

A vicious snarl ripping its way out of my throat, my gaze narrowed and I leapt into the air. I felt my body change quickly, effortlessly, and just seconds later I was once again running along the ground, this time with four paws carrying me at a much faster rate. I pushed forward with all my power, making sure to slip out of sight quickly. As I leapt over a small bank, I turned sharply, stopping silently and watching with a predatory gaze as my neighbor jumped over the bend and continued darting in the direction he assumed I had gone.

Launching out of my hiding spot, I leapt after him.

I snarled.

He shouted in terror.

The forest was quiet again.