If there's no such thing as werewolves then why are all my friends dead? A werewolf is preying upon the denizens of a small town. The only people who know what it is, who understand what is happening, are children. A group of third graders isn't exactly the most credible source of information, especially when it comes to the fantastical. They grow up being ridiculed, shunned, bullied and mistreated by their peers and the broader community. Years later it returns, but this time Thomas and his friends are prepared for it. As the body count rises and the tension mounts throughout the town, only The Freaks (as they call themselves), have come to terms with what it is. After all, they have seen it before. They have seen the blood it spilled firsthand. Nobody is above suspicion. Not even family members. Thomas and his friends cannot trust anyone, must suspect everyone. As children, they learned the truth. As grown werewolf hunters, they must use every bit of courage they have to face the monster. Nothing short of killing it will suffice. Inspired by horror stories and movies from when Werewolves were actually scary. When shifters had fangs. When monsters spilled blood and guts, and nobody cared how nice their abs were. An homage to Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf and movies such as An American Werewolf in London, and the Howling series, The Beast will curdle your blood with fear. A quick read, this novelette is intended to be devoured in one or two sittings. In the tradition of Edgar Alan Poe, this story should take just between one-half hour and one hour to finish. Primarily it is a reaction to the lack of good werewolf stories out there on the market today. With speculative fiction taking some very bold, yet unnecessary turns in the twenty-first century, The Beast is an attempt to seize on something purer. Sure, weredragon, alien invasion, sci-fi may be doing great and dominating today's ebook market, but there is something to be said for the kinds of stories that were popular when I was a kid; the kind with fangs, the kind that bite. "The Beast is one hell of a wild ride. One of the best horror stories I have read in a very long time. I had forgotten just how scary werewolves could actually be. An instant classic." - the author's totally biased friend.