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Introduction

This is for Sam Spinelli's "More Howls for Halloween!" challenge, which you can read about and enter here:

The first song is "Steppenwolf" by Hawkwind

"Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon

T-r-a-n-s-W

He hates London, but it was the only place he could find work. He was a misanthrope and antisocial. It was not a good place for him, but he needed to have somewhere, so he had a small ground-floor rental with a backyard in a run-down part of Battersea.

Life was a very long way from perfect, and he did not know what perfect was.

He hated going to work, hated everyone in his office, but he had no option. He had to live, but this was no life. He hated his acquaintances and work colleagues who suggested he try a vegetarian diet.

He needed meat.

He loved the taste, and he had given up cooking it. He now ate everything raw. He could not eat with others, and anything but bloody red meat made him gag.

He was carnivorous. He was an animal. He still had some intelligence and called work to say he needed some time of as he was ill, he should be fine for next Monday.

He ate meat, even caught some cats and rats and ate them raw. He broke into the local butchers and stole enough meat to keep him fed til he went back to work.

He stopped shaving and didn't bother washing. His hair had been long anyway, and he had a beard; there was no more grooming, and his hair was stained with the blood that came from the things he was eating.

On the television was "An American Werewolf In London", and he started seeing himself as not so much human, but more like a wolf.

He ate raw meat and became bloodier and hairier. He realised that he would no longer be able to use public transport, as people may see him as a threat (which he now was).

Also, his looks needed to be hidden as he walked to work, so he dug out his hooded greatcoat, which would make him look a little less suspicious. He looked at himself in a mirror and was almost frightened himself, his descent from humanity to animal, and had been remarkably quick, although he suspected he had always been part wolf in his mind and personality.

Monday morning came, and he took the back alleys to work, so no one would see him.

He got to work, and the security guard let him in. There was no barrier, and he attacked the security guard, ripping out his throat and then stopping to feast on his flesh. He was hungry.

A secretary saw him and immediately pressed the emergency button and the fire alarm. She ran and locked herself in the ladies' toilets.

He didn't chase her. Two other desk workers met the same fate as the security guard before the police smashed the door and saw him feasting on human flesh. He glared at them, seeing extra meals.

They retreated and brought in handguns.

Five minutes and five bullets later, the blood-soaked creature was dead on the floor.

Someone remarked that he almost looked like a wolf. Was it a werewolf?

Concluding Statement

The autopsy on the dead man showed that he had been suffering from a rare case of rabies, which, among other things, made him crave live flesh, as well as sending his anger through the roof, making it impossible to stop himself from doing these awful deeds.

As well as human flesh, there were traces of animals such as cats, dogs, rats and pigeons which had all been killed and eaten alive. His house also contained some unfinished animal remains.

These are being tested for traces of the rabies virus, as they may have been the source of his infection.

The worrying thing is, if we cannot find the source of the infection here, there may still be creatures out there with the virus, and that means others may be bitten and infected.

We have not identified an infecting bite on his body, but his arms and torso were covered in bites, some his own. When he was shot, part of the skin was damaged, so the infecting bite may have been destroyed.

If you see any animals that you suspect of having the virus, please call the police, and if you are bitten by an animal, get yourself to A&E immediately.

THIS MAY NOT BE OVER