Isabella Torres was a hip-hop dancer known to most as Izzy Drop, although most people just called her Izzy. The nickname evolved from one she had earned as a little girl… Dizzy Girl. Izzy Drop meant drop the D, and the girl shit while you were at it. Izzy was a talented dancer and was in a crew that ranked high in national competitions. As part of her persona she had developed plenty of attitude over the years, but it was all an act, a way for her to let loose and feel free. She was really a sweet soul, the nicest person you’d ever want to know… if you were a animal, a child, a gentle stranger, or her elder… but if you were friends with Izzy, she’d always let you know exactly what she thought. In fact, most times you didn’t even have to ask her, and the attitude was “no extra charge” she would say. But it was all part of her charm, everyone knew it was in good fun. Izzy had always tried to balance between good manners and her playful nature, at times she even seemed to have a split personality, but she knew who she was and how to act proper. She was reserved when she needed to be and crude when she didn’t, but always in good spirits. She loved engaging with people, making new friends, and getting everyone’s attention.

It had been a long time coming but Izzy would be turning 25, so she finally decided it was time to give away her stuffed animals. She had collected them ever since she was a little girl. Each one had a name and a birthday, which they had personally told her when they were ready. She was very patient about it, sometimes she would ask and ask for months before they’d warm up to her. Angelo, a white lion cub, was the most difficult. Everyday for almost four months she would ask him, “Are you ready to tell me your name today Mr. Snow Bear?” she delighted in teasing him this way, it was like a little joke just between the two of them. Angelo was the last one she’d loaded on the truck this day, the last goodbye to the memories of the little girl inside of her. From this day forward, she told herself, she would be a woman head, heart, and heel.  By this she meant she would walk the walk, embrace the life she’d chosen, and think the way an adult had to think to get what they wanted out of life, and she knew exactly what it was she wanted. She had prepared herself to sacrifice whatever it took, her treasured memories were but a symbol of that commitment to the struggle that might well lie ahead of her.

The animals were all in great condition, and she could of sold a few of them for quite a bit… not enough to open her studio, but enough for a few nice outfits and good meals. But no, she’d decided to donate them in the hopes that they would find homes with children who really needed them, this was her penance to the little girl she left behind. But none of that would matter to the creature stalking her, watching her give away her precious treasures as if they meant nothing, as if they no longer held value to her. No, Hollas was seething with resentment. He had search all over for people most deserving of his ire, people who had truly priceless treasures which they were all too eager to part with. For Hollas this meant a large collection, just as he had once possessed. He’d been tracking the donation trucks for months, causing accidents here or there, but he had yet to unleash his true punishment. He knew, if he was persistent, the trucks would lead him to something truly appalling, and at long last he had found someone truly deserving of his wrath. At least in his twisted eyes, so filled with venomous malice that they could inflict untold pain and suffering on the victim of their gaze.

Hollas knew what he must do, and wasted no time in liberating the plush white lion from the confines of the offensive vehicle. He showed himself in the driver’s side view mirror as he began to round the corner, his red eyes piercing into the soul of the man looking back at him. Terror and pain soon overcame the man, as he lost track of which side of the street he was on, and the placement of the pedals beneath his feet. His foot slipped to the floor,  then he searched for the brake only to find himself mashing the accelerator. The feeling that his skin was literally on fire, coupled with a inconsolable bottomless despair, had made it impossible to focus on anything else… he was essentially stumbling in the darkness. His partner quickly grabbed hold of the wheel and spun it to avoid the compact car they were barreling towards. But the vehicle lurched to the side, all the weight from the earlier pickups and the bodies of the two men occupying it had shifted, it was enough to tip the vehicle over and send it sliding out on its side. The doors flung open, contents pouring over the street. The little car narrowly avoiding the tail end as it swerved off the side of the road. Everyone ran out of their homes to see what was happening. The confusion and spectacle of it all was so great that no one even notice a small plush white lion cub scurrying off the street.