A Wolf's Tale Read online

helped me get to this point quickly. As I looked at the wooden building, I wondered if anyone was in there at the time. I could even smell myself inside. That day just got more and more stressful as time went on. I had decided to leave things be and not check the home, mostly due to me not wanting to risk seeing a dead human. Yep, I already had that mindset. By the way, I wouldn’t have been able to smell the humans even if they were dead. My own scent is far stronger than any human’s was.

  Once I passed the cottage, I could tell I was close. Luckily, there were only small trails around and no roads. I had made my way back, and had gotten dressed, all before noon. I had made a few pit stops before for food. Running at that speed would make anyone hungry. I packed everything up, including the now broken chains, and headed home. I guess my first night went better than it could have. I still don’t know if any humans were living in that home but then again I never bothered to look into it. I may be a monster now but I want to try my best not to be the stereotypical one that feasts on humans. I guess either way I have no say in the matter. I didn’t choose this. Thinking of that night had made me remember about my arm. I had nearly forgotten about the scratch. It was just a scar now. Now that is what I call a curse, a symbol to remind you that you were forced into your new life. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers. All that was left to do that day was to figure out where to go from there and to quell a seemingly never-ending hunger deep inside.

  Hunger

  You would think that after eating so much, I would be beyond full. If only things were that simple, though, this hunger was only a bit different from a human’s hunger. I could have an empty stomach and it wouldn’t affect my energy. It was also the hunt a part of me wanted. At least it only lasted a week or so.

  Anyways, I had returned home and decided to pack up and live out in the wild for a bit. I didn’t want to endanger anyone around me. I had decided to try to stop by the junk yard to get more chains. I thought that more chains would increase my chances of protection. Take it from me, a werewolf; there is no containing a beast of the night. Once I finished packing what I could carry, which was quite a lot, I headed out of town on my own. I had no plans on where to go but it really didn’t matter. I had a new sense of smell so I could just sniff my way to a town if I really needed to.

  I ended up camping in the same area as last time and I spent that whole week just safely breaking in my new self. Although I kept waking up in a new and unknown location, I was beginning to get used to it. I was even beginning to like the fact that I was seeing new places. My worry for any nearby humans began to diminish.

  The hunger for the hunt was one of the strangest things I felt. It’s like being at a cheap carnival and having to choose between riding the zipper or the teacups. Most choose the safest, and the safest path for me was to give in and satisfy my primal needs. If you chose the zipper, you like to test fate. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t hunted for that first week. Either way, my new life was going surprisingly well. There was a point though that confused me. I was in the middle of hunting a white tailed buck when out of nowhere it got itself caught in a trap I had fashioned to try to catch side food for the next wolf-out. So there it was struggling when I suddenly lost interest. It was still a successful hunt but part of me no longer wanted it. Even today, I don’t know why it happened. I can only guess that the wolf in me wanted the chase more than the food. I ended up letting it go. Oh and if any of you are wondering if anyone saw me, yes, there were a few hikers that caught me hunting. They asked me why I was hunting that way and I just told them that I like to get back to basics sometimes. I swear you humans are so gullible. Sorry but it’s true.

  I think I hunted enough to feed an entire school of 2,000 in that week. I had never paid attention to how lively the forest is until that week. It was brimming with life. Makes you wonder how something so beautiful could have a dark side. During the day, you will see so many cuddly creatures and then at night, all the predators make their move. It’s a grim reminder of where humanity stands in the food chain. If some of you don’t know, it’s not at the top, well not technically. I like to think of it as a bracket. Humans are eaten by many different predators and many predators are eaten by humans. From this, you can draw lines through each and connect them. I really need to stay on topic.

  This hunger lasted the week but then would only return close to a full moon. I guess it was good as it acted like an early warning system. I guess you could also an internal time clock. Aside from the jokes, the warning meant that I could return home and even go back to work or get a new job. No longer could I stand being a paper pusher. I would have rather live out in the woods but I don’t own a cottage. I still had to deal with ridiculous bills. At least hunting was also a good stress reliever. As you can guess, I was still a paper pusher for a while longer. So, not much had changed, or should I say changed yet. I’ll tell you about how I got out of that little ditch later on but first I feel like telling you a little bit more about the wolf and the moon. I’m sure some of you have wondered what the point of the full moon was and why only when it’s full we change.

  The Moon

  Many religions have many different beliefs about the moon. Take the Pagans for example. They believe it holds magic and boy were they right. They also believe that it’s connected to our insight and knowledge. They would celebrate this passing phase each month with an Esbat. It’s a time when they can cast their spells and communicate with the Divine. Now although I am no longer human, I just don’t believe in that. Certain things I will believe while others I do not.

  Now from what I got from my research, I just gave you a quick summary of what I got, I believe that the curse that is spread from wolf to human lies mostly dormant until it can harness the magic needed to make such a large change. From that, I also figure that the slight alterations that are made beforehand make the change less painful or try to anyway, to the host. The excess hair, which I think was rubbish info, the hunger before the change, the keen sense of smell, the speed, and the feral side, are most likely just lasting effects. Now that I think about it, the curse sounds like a disease. If it weren’t for the blackouts and changing back, I would think it was.

  The moon is another one of those beautiful things that holds a dark side to it. As I have said before, reality is harsh. Nevertheless, we still go on enjoying life. Now that you have learned a tiny bit more about the moon, and without the extra stuff that does not pertain to my story, you should be able to surmise that the moon bit in other stories isn’t a cliché. Most things in monster stories have truths to them. Therefore, the next time you watch a horror movie, or read a book about other werewolves and vampires, and no I don’t mean that Twilight trash, no disrespect, you’ll be able pick out things that relate to the monster and the real world. I know this little bit I told you was short but remember I did say a little bit more. Besides, my story gets better after the next bit I tell you. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick some silver in my eye. By the way, the silver part is surprisingly true. I guess it has to do with how pure silver is. I don’t know. Certain things are still a mystery to me.

  Control

  For months, I was trying to think of a way to take control when I transformed. I was nearly caught one time when I woke up on the side of the road. If it hadn’t of been for the road being in the middle of nowhere I would have been either caught transforming or lying there naked. I think I would have rather dealt with being caught. There are certain things human eyes should not see and that is my naked body. Anyways, I returned safely to camp. I had decided to live out in the wilderness for a bit, mainly just to get away for a bit. Everyone needs a vacation from time to time. I was still working at the same job but I got a raise for how quickly I was getting my job done. It seemed that besides the wolf-outs and waking up naked, my life was getting better. I could deal with the hunger and weird cravings for red meat. Those were easy to hide. Many men tend to prefer fresher meat. When questioned I just tell them I like it a
s fresh as it can get besides it going moo, oink or cluck.

  Do you know how they say you can control your dreams through meditation exercises? Well, that is true. I did some meditation exercises in the woods and at home until I was finally able to create the perfect dream. I was outside of a mansion. No, I do not mean the Playboy mansion. I was wearing a blue silk robe, and had a mug of coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other. I prefer third person dreams to first person. I just like the larger view you get. Also, if you are trying to remember a specific thing about a room or a piece of scenery, imagine yourself in third person. Your memory recreates the whole scene down to the tiniest detail. It may take some practice but its well worth it.

  Look at me going off again. I really do need to stop. Then again, I do have my reasons. Now where was I? Oh, yes. Now that I could control my dreams, I could test out my theory. I figure that you’re asleep during the whole ordeal and if the wolf is a part of you, you should be able to control it through your dreams. The first few times were a bust but the fourth try I had finally done it. I was in