Sobs and teardrops dripping to the forest floor called to the beast. She ran with frightening speed through the dense woods, leaping over dead logs and weaving between the trees in pursuit of the sweet smell of fresh heartbreak. The hellcat ran across half the forest in less than an hour, just a blur of orange and white fur to any observers. Almost indistinguishable from a tiger, she still possessed short fingers, considerably more flexible than paws, and no tiger could run as fast as she did now. Her face was also different, not quite as round and full as a true tiger, but this difference was fading with every kill.

As she approached the distraught girl, Teculah leapt high up into the trees. She found a comfortable perch and watched the girl for a short time. There was nothing particularly special about her. She was wearing a plain dress and simple shoes. Dozens of flower petals lay at her feet, most likely in an attempt to convince herself some boy actually did love her, despite an open rejection of her affections. The girl started into another fit of tears. The noise grated on Teculah’s nerves. She needed to end this. Now.

The girl’s sobs were replaced by screams for only a moment before the hellcat ended her misery. Victory was hers once more, and the forest became quiet as she tore into her prey. She chewed slowly, searching around for any threats either to herself or to her new meal. Satisfied none would dare challenge her, Teculah took another bite of the girl’s head, enjoying both the crunch of her skull, and the brains and blood as they dripped over Teculah’s fuzzy orange and white streaked chin. She could feel the knowledge and fears of the girl’s life flow into her, mixing with the memories of the other dozen girls and hunters recently consumed. The orange and white fur covering her body glistened as forest magic fused the girl’s life-force with her own. She took her time eating every last morsel before turning her attention to the rest of the body.

With each new memory, Teculah’s hatred of women grew. They were weak creatures, incapable of living without relying on a man. The fondest dream of the girls she attacked was always the same; marry a rich prince and give him lots of babies. She was doing them a favor by killing them before they found out how fleeting love is or how cruel the nobles were to their wives.

The beast thrust her three inch claws into the girl’s chest, cracked it open, and pulled out the girl’s heart. She gazed at it a moment in her paw. The most potent part of the human body, this lump of flesh held the strength of the human will. They tasted best when they were still beating, but this one was at least still warm.

She took her time in consuming the delicacy, taking one small bite after another, letting the taste linger on her tongue. With each bite her muscles shuddered, expanding from the magical fusion. She felt the strength of the girl’s will flow into her. She had been a strong willed person as a child, but the girl had sacrificed her independence to become a young woman. She had been foolish to come so far into the dangerous woods, knowing the tales of the hellcat who lived there. Consuming the rest of the corpse, Teculah’s already fearsome body became even larger, stronger, and faster. On the increasingly rare occasion when she stood upright, she was over six feet tall, a full foot higher than she’d been just six weeks ago.