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Description
A flash of lightning illuminated the Creature's wet fur. The pouring rain soaked it further as it moved in for the kill. A terrified girl trapped in a corner with no escape except facing the beast.
The girl could not see the Creature clearly because of the darkness that surrounded them, but she could see its fangs and claws glistening in the moonlight. Fangs and claws that could tear through flesh as easily as a knife cuts through butter.
Against the beast, the petrified girl had no defense. She was only six, which meant that she was not fast enough to slip past it, or Strong enough to keep it at bay. She didn't even have a weapon. But what did it matter? It had just killed everyone. So whether she had a weapon or not did not affect the situation. There was no doubt that the young girl would die. The situation was hopeless.
So the young girl did the only thing she could. She waited for the death that she knew was to come. Although she was absolutely terrified, she decided to be strong in her last moments. She stood tall, shut her eyes tight, and waited for the Creature to kill her.
The Creature crouched down for a pounce. It had her, and it knew it. Blood lust raged in its eyes as it prepared to pounce on and kill the girl. But something held it back. Curiosity. This child did not smell like the others. Nor did she act like them. She did not cower in fear as the others did. Instead she was prepared for her death. The Creature could sense her fear, yet she stood bravely in front of what was to be the death of her. In that moment, the Creature gained respect for the child. Not only that, but the Creature had to know why the child was different. It had to know why it suddenly had the feeling of utmost respect for her. So, the creature made a decision. The Creature was going to keep the child. At least until its curiosity was put to rest. In an effort to show its respect and sudden change of heart, the creature bowed its head to the child in a display of both respect and surrender.
The child, unaware of this unheard of display, was still standing tall with her eyes shut tight waiting for death. It wasn't until the Creature whimpered in order to get her attention that she opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't going to die.
The girl, uncertain of how to respond to such an act, took a small, cautious step toward the Creature. The Creature, in reply, stepped forward and gently licked the child fingertips. The child, delighted to have made a new friend, giggled and scratched behind one of the Creatures gigantic wolf-like ears, already forgetting the horrific scene she had witnessed only moments before. The scene of a brutal massacre. A look of pure joy and excitement took over her face as the Creature crouched down in an offer to climb upon its back.
The child climbed up, ignoring the crimson blood stains in the Creature's dark fur. When the child had settled, the Creature took off at full speed toward its den where it had decided to keep the child.
The child was clearly different from the rest of the cowardly humans the Creature had just enjoyed ripping to pieces. Even after she had witnessed the horrifying scene of the Creature's massacre, she had faced what was sure to be the death of her with courage.
This is what kept the Creature from enjoying the taste of her flesh and the sound of her agonized screams as it did with the others. The child was different. And the Creature now realized that the child not only acted different, but that her scent suggested she wasn't even human. Her scent was that of a fellow Creature. But she looked and sounded human. How was this possible?
The curiosity of the Creature is why it had let the child live. The Creature needed to know exactly what the child was and the Creature would stop at nothing to find out.

REWRITE

Lightning flashed, illuminating the creature's blood soaked fur.  The fading moans and whimpers of its victims were barely audible over the pouring rain.  Its hunt was a success.
Only moments before the village had been celebrating a very prosperous harvest, overjoyed with the amount of food they would have stored for the wintery months to come.  And then the creature had come.  Now the village lay in ruin.  The roofs of many houses were caved in, walls permanently etched with deep gashes from razor sharp claws.  Mangled and beaten bodies lay scattered on the ground, the crimson blood from their wounds soaking into the dirt.  The decorations and food from the great feast were lying on the ground, anything edible now completely ruined.  Not that it mattered; no one was left to enjoy it anyway.  The creature had killed everyone, just as it had set out to do.
Or, so it had though.
A faint whimper echoed from a small ally way and the creature's head whipped around to face it.  Had someone escaped?  It made its way over to the ally, peering inside for the source of the sound.
There, in the corner, was a small child.  It was a girl, around six years old.  Blood soaked her small ratty dress and matted blonde hair.  Her crystal blue eyes were filled with tears and her pale skin was spotted with light freckles.  When she spotted the creature, she pushed herself back into the corner, desperately trying to make herself as invisible as possible.
But, of course, it didn't work.
The creature's powerful muscled rippled beneath its fur as it made its way over to the small child, lips curled back to reveal its bared fangs and a low growl rumbling deep in its throat.  And that was when the child did something completely unexpected.
Instead of cowering in fear or screaming for mercy as the others had done, she stood up, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.  She didn't try to run, she didn't try to fight.  No, she just stood there, completely acceptant of her fate.
Now this confused the creature.  Why didn't the girl run?  Was there something wrong with her?
The girl stood for a shot while longer before opening her eyes slightly to look at the creature.  Why wasn't she dead yet?  It had killed all the others; she had watched it do it herself.  So what exactly was it waiting for?
The creature sniffed the girl, nose wrinkling slightly.  She wasn't like the others after all.  Her scent wasn't even human.  Normally the creature would have killed her anyway, but this girl smelled like a fellow creature.  That definitely wasn't normal.
Now the creature had two choices.  It could kill the girl now as it had planned, or it could spare her in hopes to satisfy its curiosity.
In the end its curiosity won out and it bowed its head down to her level, looking her in the eyes.  Piercing silver met a soft blue and they both just sat there for a minute, looking at each other.  After a while the small girl smiled and reached out to pet the creature.
Normally the creature would have killed her for trying such a thing.  A human, touch it?  No, it was unheard of.  But just this once it would make an exception for the brave little girl.
She gently stroked the side of its head, ignoring the blood that rubbed off on her fingers.  Her smile broadened when it made no attempt to stop her and she stepped a bit closer.
The creature observed the child, trying to think of a way that it could keep an eye on her.  It couldn't stay with her; it was much too big and would certainly be noticed by the other humans.  But, maybe she could stay with it.  If it kept her in the same way humans kept pets, it would not only be able to keep a very close eye on her but also keep others from hurting her.  It wouldn't like to lose its prize after all of this.
Ignoring her shout of surprise, the creature bit the back of her dress and picked her up, its strong jaws keeping a hold of her dress collar.  Now to take its new pet home with it.
The girl didn't struggle as expected, but simply let herself be carried.  She seemed to understand that the creature meant her no harm (at least not at the moment) and stayed perfectly still.
Now that the creature had its prize, it could go home.  And now it would stop at nothing to find out exactly what the child was.
Even if it killed it.

Description
A flash of lightning illuminated the Creature's wet fur. The pouring rain soaked it further as it moved in for the kill. A terrified girl trapped in a corner with no escape except facing the beast.
The girl could not see the Creature clearly because of the darkness that surrounded them, but she could see its fangs and claws glistening in the moonlight. Fangs and claws that could tear through flesh as easily as a knife cuts through butter.
Against the beast, the petrified girl had no defense. She was only six, which meant that she was not fast enough to slip past it, or Strong enough to keep it at bay. She didn't even have a weapon. But what did it matter? It had just killed everyone. So whether she had a weapon or not did not affect the situation. There was no doubt that the young girl would die. The situation was hopeless.
So the young girl did the only thing she could. She waited for the death that she knew was to come. Although she was absolutely terrified, she decided to be strong in her last moments. She stood tall, shut her eyes tight, and waited for the Creature to kill her.
The Creature crouched down for a pounce. It had her, and it knew it. Blood lust raged in its eyes as it prepared to pounce on and kill the girl. But something held it back. Curiosity. This child did not smell like the others. Nor did she act like them. She did not cower in fear as the others did. Instead she was prepared for her death. The Creature could sense her fear, yet she stood bravely in front of what was to be the death of her. In that moment, the Creature gained respect for the child. Not only that, but the Creature had to know why the child was different. It had to know why it suddenly had the feeling of utmost respect for her. So, the creature made a decision. The Creature was going to keep the child. At least until its curiosity was put to rest. In an effort to show its respect and sudden change of heart, the creature bowed its head to the child in a display of both respect and surrender.
The child, unaware of this unheard of display, was still standing tall with her eyes shut tight waiting for death. It wasn't until the Creature whimpered in order to get her attention that she opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't going to die.
The girl, uncertain of how to respond to such an act, took a small, cautious step toward the Creature. The Creature, in reply, stepped forward and gently licked the child fingertips. The child, delighted to have made a new friend, giggled and scratched behind one of the Creatures gigantic wolf-like ears, already forgetting the horrific scene she had witnessed only moments before. The scene of a brutal massacre. A look of pure joy and excitement took over her face as the Creature crouched down in an offer to climb upon its back.
The child climbed up, ignoring the crimson blood stains in the Creature's dark fur. When the child had settled, the Creature took off at full speed toward its den where it had decided to keep the child.
The child was clearly different from the rest of the cowardly humans the Creature had just enjoyed ripping to pieces. Even after she had witnessed the horrifying scene of the Creature's massacre, she had faced what was sure to be the death of her with courage.
This is what kept the Creature from enjoying the taste of her flesh and the sound of her agonized screams as it did with the others. The child was different. And the Creature now realized that the child not only acted different, but that her scent suggested she wasn't even human. Her scent was that of a fellow Creature. But she looked and sounded human. How was this possible?
The curiosity of the Creature is why it had let the child live. The Creature needed to know exactly what the child was and the Creature would stop at nothing to find out.

REWRITE

Lightning flashed, illuminating the creature's blood soaked fur.  The fading moans and whimpers of its victims were barely audible over the pouring rain.  Its hunt was a success.
Only moments before the village had been celebrating a very prosperous harvest, overjoyed with the amount of food they would have stored for the wintery months to come.  And then the creature had come.  Now the village lay in ruin.  The roofs of many houses were caved in, walls permanently etched with deep gashes from razor sharp claws.  Mangled and beaten bodies lay scattered on the ground, the crimson blood from their wounds soaking into the dirt.  The decorations and food from the great feast were lying on the ground, anything edible now completely ruined.  Not that it mattered; no one was left to enjoy it anyway.  The creature had killed everyone, just as it had set out to do.
Or, so it had though.
A faint whimper echoed from a small ally way and the creature's head whipped around to face it.  Had someone escaped?  It made its way over to the ally, peering inside for the source of the sound.
There, in the corner, was a small child.  It was a girl, around six years old.  Blood soaked her small ratty dress and matted blonde hair.  Her crystal blue eyes were filled with tears and her pale skin was spotted with light freckles.  When she spotted the creature, she pushed herself back into the corner, desperately trying to make herself as invisible as possible.
But, of course, it didn't work.
The creature's powerful muscled rippled beneath its fur as it made its way over to the small child, lips curled back to reveal its bared fangs and a low growl rumbling deep in its throat.  And that was when the child did something completely unexpected.
Instead of cowering in fear or screaming for mercy as the others had done, she stood up, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.  She didn't try to run, she didn't try to fight.  No, she just stood there, completely acceptant of her fate.
Now this confused the creature.  Why didn't the girl run?  Was there something wrong with her?
The girl stood for a shot while longer before opening her eyes slightly to look at the creature.  Why wasn't she dead yet?  It had killed all the others; she had watched it do it herself.  So what exactly was it waiting for?
The creature sniffed the girl, nose wrinkling slightly.  She wasn't like the others after all.  Her scent wasn't even human.  Normally the creature would have killed her anyway, but this girl smelled like a fellow creature.  That definitely wasn't normal.
Now the creature had two choices.  It could kill the girl now as it had planned, or it could spare her in hopes to satisfy its curiosity.
In the end its curiosity won out and it bowed its head down to her level, looking her in the eyes.  Piercing silver met a soft blue and they both just sat there for a minute, looking at each other.  After a while the small girl smiled and reached out to pet the creature.
Normally the creature would have killed her for trying such a thing.  A human, touch it?  No, it was unheard of.  But just this once it would make an exception for the brave little girl.
She gently stroked the side of its head, ignoring the blood that rubbed off on her fingers.  Her smile broadened when it made no attempt to stop her and she stepped a bit closer.
The creature observed the child, trying to think of a way that it could keep an eye on her.  It couldn't stay with her; it was much too big and would certainly be noticed by the other humans.  But, maybe she could stay with it.  If it kept her in the same way humans kept pets, it would not only be able to keep a very close eye on her but also keep others from hurting her.  It wouldn't like to lose its prize after all of this.
Ignoring her shout of surprise, the creature bit the back of her dress and picked her up, its strong jaws keeping a hold of her dress collar.  Now to take its new pet home with it.
The girl didn't struggle as expected, but simply let herself be carried.  She seemed to understand that the creature meant her no harm (at least not at the moment) and stayed perfectly still.
Now that the creature had its prize, it could go home.  And now it would stop at nothing to find out exactly what the child was.
Even if it killed it.