Moon Shadows

Grims dropped it with a single shot. The bullet entered through the cat's open maw and exited through the back of its skull, causing the creature's head to vaporize in a mist of blood, bone, and brains. The mooncat hit the ground barely two feet from where it had begun its leap, sprawled now across the corpse of the Korpsky kid. Grims winced at the sudden recognition of the unfortunate pun, something he might have found darkly amusing any other time.

The remaining two mooncats had split up, having identified Grims as an immediate threat. One moved to his right, the other his left, moving into positions where they could easily flank him.

"Clever beasts," Grims grumbled bitterly. He chambered another round in his rifle as he attempted to track both cats. "Too damn smart for your own good. Or mine."

He pivoted slightly to his left as a flash of green fur shot past him, then realized his mistake the moment a large form crashed into his right side, sending him sprawling and knocking his rifle from his hands.