Today’s #StoryPromptOfTheWeek photo was taken back in 2021. We were relaxing in the evening at one of my favourite campsites. The moon rose, perfectly framed by a notch in the branches of a tree. Needless to say, the only camera I had available was my phone, so the image doesn’t really reflect what I saw, which was much more dramatic.
Twigs snatched at my clothes as I ran headlong through the midnight forest. Thorns grabbed at my bare flesh, scoring bright lines of pain across every gap in my unexpectedly patchy fur. I stumbled over a tree root. My half-formed lupine legs struggled for balance while my still-humanoid arms failed to help. The evening was not going well.
I could hear the crowd of angry hunters following close on my trail. Somehow I could tell that my hearing hadn’t sharpened as much as last time.
When I had changed before I had become fully wolf. Well, no. That’s not quite true. I’d been far too big for a normal wolf. A dire-wolf, some might have called me. My senses had expanded with it. Hearing that could pick up the softest breath a mile distant. A nose that knew all who had passed by in the last day. My mind sharpened too, in a way. The senses hadn’t overwhelmed me. Instead I had been able to choose what was of interest and push the rest aside. Despite this sharpening the soul behind it was still all me. None of the ravening monster from legends that were told in hushed voices around a fireplace.
Those same legends were the reason for my current difficulties. Some of the less sharp lads from the village got it into their heads that I’m a werewolf. In fairness, they’re right. Kind of. Yes, I am a werewolf — as in I can change into a wolf by the light of the moon, I’m stronger than I should be, and I’m all kinds of awesome. But they mean werewolf. As in a slobbering beast with no impulse control and a lack of personal hygiene. I’m not that. Okay, yeah, I’m in a bit of a state at the moment, but in my defence, they started it.
That was lame. I owe myself better than that. That’s a weak excuse. Just the facts then: for whatever reason the lads decided I am a werewolf. Reasoning with them hasn’t tended to go my way in the past, so I took off. When I was safely out of sight I’d tried shifting form. Yeah. It didn’t go well. Somehow the transition ended half way through and I got stuck in this unfortunate state. Even worse Sandy McAllen, who’s the worst of the lot of them, saw me just as I was cursing my luck. Now I’ve got a proper murder-posse on my tail. Pitchforks and burning brands and everything. So back to the running. Now we’re all caught up.
The trouble is, running wasn’t working. It’s never a long term solution anyway. Sooner or later trouble always catches up. I had to be smarter than that.
So, let’s put some things together then. The half-moon hung above the trees, bright in the winter night sky. Half a moon and half a wolf-out. I imagine the two are connected, yes. So only half my powers then. That still made me stronger than I should be. Better hearing too. Not full wolf level, but no one’s perfect. My night vision was more acute than it should be too. Not that I’d need it. In the forest I could practically smell the clearest route. A part of me noticed that now I’d started thinking and let my inner wolf do the running my balance had straightened out and I’d managed to get further ahead of my pursuers.
I couldn’t keep running forever. The world just doesn’t work like that. A better plan then.
I slowed my pace and circled back to come at them from the sides. Sneaking up wouldn’t be a problem. They were making so much noise they’d never hear me. I went quietly anyway.
Five of them had made it this far. Presumably the others had gotten bored at some stage. Things were looking up. I slid in silently behind them.
Jer Bales was at the back. The youngest and smallest of my persecutors. He was carrying the rustiest double handed tree-saw I’d ever seen. No idea what he planned on doing with that. I grabbed him from behind pinning his arms with one hand and covering his mouth with my other. Noiselessly I dragged him away from the others. Poor guy wet himself in his terror. I don’t think he could have made a sound if he’d tried. I gagged him and tied him up anyway.
I took the next two the same way. Sandy and his sidekick Tom must have heard something when I took the last one. When I returned to them they were standing back to back.
“Show yourself, coward!” shouted Sandy.
I stepped out onto the path where they had to turn to see me.
“Nothing to say for yourself?” said Sandy.
I shrugged. What was there to say. There was no persuading them. I had to end this once and for all. I leaped forward at them.
The two lads ducked aside and clumsily swung their makeshift weapons. I was too fast for them. I darted through the gap between them as their weapons tangled on each others. I spun in place and knocked their heads together and threw them to the ground. Kicking their weapons aside I tore off their belts and tied them up as securely as I could. Next I dragged the others over so they were all huddled together. After that I gathered the necessary rocks and branches and built a small fire on the path nearby. All that remained was to hunker down and wait. I kept my half-wolf form on.
Sandy and co. came to while the moon was still high. They shrieked like frightened kids when they woke up and saw me. I sighed.
“Look, if I’d meant you harm it would have already happened,” I said.
“What do you want, then?” asked Sandy.
“To be left alone. Okay? That’s all.”
I reached forward and removed the gags from Jer and the other two. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy their whimpering as I approached. But I wasn’t going to take it further. Who would that help.
“Look,” I said, “if I harm you then I become the monster that you’ve decided I am. If I kill you all,” more whimpers, “then more will come until eventually someone gets lucky.” I hunkered down next to Sandy. “So I need you to think for once and understand that I’m not the monster here. Okay?”
Sandy whimpered and nodded. I think there were tears.
“Good, then.” I turned to leave. “I’ve left some signs for folks to follow. I’m sure someone will come get you in the morning.”
I walked off without a backward glance to find myself a new life.
Brandon Lim 