He looked at his hands.  He had killed before and he knew he would have to do it again real soon.  He studied them in the dim light provided by the kerosene lanturn.  His nails were broken and dirty.  That distressed him. 

A voice bleated over the walkie talky.  "Your needed in sector one at the infirmiry."  

He got up and left his quarters, quite squalid by his standards.  He was glad to be out, to have a mission.

With grim determination he walked down the shanty town that was his home.  The sun was out and bright this day, a little too bright for his liking.  And everyone else' for that matter.

Awnings spanned the streets trapping the stench of garbage and human waste that was accumulating everywhere.

He said very little but everyone knew of his deeds.  It was like a shark swimming amongst a school of Herring, they parted, tried to stay away, yet show respect. 

A toothless man raised a mug of beer and said "For the good of the community!"  Everyone else cheered in unison. 

Grimly he continued on, the infirmiry was nearby.  A preacherman dressed in filthy cloaks begged him not to enter.  He was brushed aside. 

Only fimilarity braced him for what was inside.  This was a place for the hopeless, the dying.  It was Dickensonian of the worst magnitude.  No electricity, primitive conditions. 

He scanned the room and found his quarry.  A small group of people were huddled in a corner.  A young woman was on a gurney, dead.

A man.presumably the husband held something in a blood soaked blanket.  He walked over, everyone looked at him with pleading eyes.

Not one for formalities, he said curtly, "Give it to me."

He yanked the bundle from the babbling father, and proceeded to walk outside. 

Whatever it was began to struggle as the sun hit it.  Stronger and stronger the fighting became that he feared he would loose control of it.  He flung it to the ground in front of him. 

There in spite of all of his experiences he had never seen anything quite like it.  Perhaps two feet tall, it was humaniod, yet different. 

Huge, pupilless eyes dominated the head.  There was no mouth and tiny slits where the nose should be.  The limbs were overly long and fully amblitory.  One hand had delicate looking fingers, the other consisted of two talons. 

It regarded the cowering towns folk and then  turned to him.  Suddenly it lunged.