( Enjoy my fellow Horror Lovers(; )
February 21st, 1987, Wimberely, TX.
"It was a Saturday, the day it happened, I recall" the petite girl proclaimed, her blonde curly locks in a tangle around her face, her blue eyes bright and wide, as if she was a deer in headlights. Her name was Joanna Hardfort, and she was my next door neighbor, 17 years of age, and claiming to have encountered the worst thing in the world. A werewolf. Even at the thought of it before, I would have giggled, laughed so hard I cried even, but something about Joanna's story struck a chord in my heart, playing it like a harp. She seemed genuinely hurt and scared. So today, February 21st, year 1987, I, Marlee Fardexcent decided to interview her, and see if I could actually get to the bottom of her problems.
You see, for years Joanna had been messed up, wandering about at night like a fool, getting into trouble in her sleep, and occasionally, even smashing in windows. Everyone had labeled her the 'Wimberely Wanderer", and would just scare her on home to her deranged and worried parents each and every night it seemed. Her parents were shamed of her, and would always lock her up in her room, but every night, she found a way out, and no one quite knew how. But anyways, since Joanna was 15, she had been doing these crazy wandering acts, and no one knew what to diagnose her with. She didn't act crazy or violent, no signs of her illness were evident. That's exactly why I'm here. No one had been brave enough to actually sit down the single person who could help. Joanna herself.
I cleared my throat, and looked at the wiry girl, brushing my brown hair aside awkwardly. Me and Joanna hadn't talked since she went off the deep end. You see, we attended the same village school building, and participated in the same grade or class. We used to be close, but now, it seems as if Joanna didn't even recall my name. I was lucky she even agreed to sit down and speak, seeing as usually, her mouth was sowed shut. She continued to give me this blank look, but by the look, I knew she was there somewhere inside and would speak when spoken to. So here it went. "Saturday, right Joanna?" she nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing up and down like a trampoline with extra springs. "And this was 2 years ago almost exactly?" I questioned, and she turned her head slightly, and peered down at her feet. "Yes" she whispered, her voice croaky and unused, the sound hurt my ears, but it was necessary.
Preparing myself to ask something else, before I could, she stood up and pressed her hand to my mouth, and before I could start to struggle, she whispered to me. "Shhh, shhh. I will tell you all, just be silent" she quipped, and slowly let loose of me, and let me sit back down, but the stare she set on me told me that if I didn't listen, I would obviously face consequences, so I was silent, and listened intently as she started.
"1985, February 24th, only a few miles from here" she stated, a new intelligence about the wired girl, scary almost, as if it was her old self speaking, recalling it all. "I was out to get some sap that pa had drained earlier from a tree out in the woods bout' a mile or so from my house. It was a normal thing, but never at night. Never." she said, emphasis on the 'Never', and it sent chills down my spine. "I wasn't scared, it was too busy in the village for the wolves to be lurking, and nothing else in the forest could threaten me, it never had." she said, biting her lip harshly. "Until that night. No one believes what happened, you'll believe me, right Marlee?" she questioned, her sudden knowledge of my name tearing deep into my heart, grabbing me and steeling me for the rest. "I was a few feet from the tree when I heard the leaves crackling behind me. I laughed, thinking it was my dear father out to scare me, or one of the town's boys playing a silly trick like always. But after it kept on for a few more minutes, I started to get frustrated, and then it started. The growling, the wretched, deep throated growl that bit into my very soul, it ripped at my ears and tore at me, keeping me still as I heard whatever it was getting closer. As I saw it come to my peripheral vision, I could see dark, bristled hairy fur, long white fangs, pinned back ears, and a thickly muscled body portraying a beast in top shape. But this was not just any forest beast." she said, taking a break, looking at me, narrowing her eyes to see if she could read my emotions. Obviously satisfied, she continued.
"His eyes were a blank yellow, so eye catching, I couldn't look away. His shoulder was even above me head, and at that time, I was already 5'6, he was the biggest thing I had ever set eyes on. Of course I was scared, but I couldn't run, and before I could try again, it spoke" she stopped, and then took on an unnatural tone, one certainly not native to her own body. "Joanna, you have finally arrived, you have. Such a pretty little girl, you smell so sweet, like the roses by your window, am I right? The soil underneath your window is soft as well. It is where I was born, and have slept for the past 15 years of your life" it chuckled, getting a few inches closer, it's hot breath in her face, puffing clouds into the arid night. "I bet your scared, little Joanna. Don't be scared" it said, its smile crude and crooked, it's uneven teeth jaggedly set around it's mouth. "I just want to be your friend" it stated, looking deep into her eyes. And that's when her voice returned, and she shook her head. "I don't remember anything after that. But I know that's when I lost it. That's when I started my wandering and odd speech. I knew I would never be the same." she said, biting her lip, and then she looked dead at me. "You know, Marlee, he made me promise to only tell my story to one person, and I told it to you" she said, covering her mouth, giggling slightly. "You know what he also said? That whoever I told would perish" she said, her laughter turning into a cackle now, screeching at my ears.
My heart was in a full blown panic now. I didn't want to believe Joanna's scary tale! It couldn't be real. We were 17 for goodness sakes, with a town around us, I had to get out of this barn and get back to my house, and leave this demented girl here. I should have never asked to talk to her. I ran past her, her laughter still a screech, as I sprinted to the large barn doors, flinging them open, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Strewn throughout the streets were bodies. And only a few feet away I saw my parents, ripped and tore apart, they had obviously tried to make it to me. But from what? That beast couldn't possibly be real. To commit this kind of damage, a whole pack of hungry, deranged wolves must have taken over the village. Blood was coating the ground, and if I stepped even further, I would be submerged in a pool of it. Gulping, I plugged my nose, the smell of death violently assaulting me. I walked carefully, trying not to slip on the carnage, the guts and body parts all around me misshapen.
I made it past the last house, and almost to my family's barn, where our horses were stalled. I planned on taking one and riding into the next village, to get help, but before I could open the doors, I heard it. The rustling of leaves behind me. I would have tried to play it off as if it was just someone tricking me, but everyone was dead. Brutally murdered, at that. I gulped, and slowly turned my head, only to freeze in place when I saw it was only Joanna standing there, humming to herself, her hands covered in blood. She was holding the heart of someone, who knew who. I was about to scream at her to drop it, when she lifted it up to her face, and took a bite out of it, blood spurting everywhere, and running down her chin, soaking into her pretty little green dress that her mother had knitted for her awhile back. She dropped the heart and grinned at me, opening her mouth, and blood gurgled out, splattering down her chin like a baby without a bib. But this baby wasn't innocent or sweet.
At that point, I started to figure she was the beast herself, but I then felt the hot breath on my neck, and staring at Joanna, I could see the large smile plastered onto her face. "Enjoy Marlee" she simply said, and turned away, skipping through the strewn blood and guts, jumping over people here and there, and then resuming her happy go lucky advance, leaving me with whatever it was. I stood stock still as it came into my line of vision, the thick bristly coat, the laid back ears, the stench of death and decay accompanying it with every step. Its shoulder was above my head, and it's head was as round as a barrel. As it opened it's mouth I could see protruding white canines, saliva steadily dripping from it's fangs. "Marlee Marlee Marlee" it said, as if it was scolding me like my mother used to do. "You must be scared Marlee" and before I could nod, it smirked, and said something else. "Good. Scared always makes for a better meal. The rest never saw it coming, they didn't taste that great at all. Bland really, if the adrenaline had been running through their veins like it is in yours, mmm, dear Marlee, maybe I would have been satisfied enough to save you for another day, but who wants to live without their mummy and pappy? I certainly know you don't" it winked, it's petrifying yellow eyes animated almost, like dancing yellow flames, keeping me calm almost. And before I knew it, it was over, the wolf's steel jaws snapped like a trap around my neck, beheading me, and in the last few seconds my brain worked, I could see it smile viscously, my blood soaking its jaws, dripping off it's chin like juice. And then it was dark.
The tale is told to be true, that if you ever visit a village, or even live in one, and there's that one odd girl, run, run like your already dead, because if she chooses to speak to you, or even open her mouth, everyone is doomed, because she's the wolf's only friend, and no one can take her away from him. Their secret must be kept. Shhhhhh.
Thanks Inkeyu
