These Long Nights: The Beast

Max paced the room. His encounter with the doctor hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped and he was keyed up and on edge.

Soft moans from outside caused him to slow down and peek past a heavy curtain to the Asylum's grounds. Wind played the trees like harp strings shaking leaves free and scattering them. Awkward lurching movement like some kind of beast caught Max's eye. It was man-shaped but hulking and misshapened. The arms were too long, the legs too short and it's head was thick and wide. It ambled out onto the grassy field and gazed up at the sky, scanning back and forth. Then it let loose a long trilling cry that lodged a shard of ice into Max's stomach.

Oooooohooooohooohooohoohoohohoohoohoohoo.

The creature cocked its head as if listening to a reply and then stumped past a tree and out of view.

The door to the sitting room opened and Max swirled around, fists in front of him.

Standing there behind a trolley stacked high with papers, the doctor's assistant raised one stern eyebrow. “Soomthin' amiss?"