Werewolf Of Marlby Woods

Andy Harrison was a werewolf. I was sure of it. For months I had watched him as closely as I could, slowly collecting the evidence to confirm my suspicion. My private notebook was full of little details. Taken by themselves they meant nothing, but all together they added up to proof, at least as far as I was concerned. And that`s what mattered.

Werewolves, as you probably know, are people who change their shape at the time of the full moon, transforming from ordinary folks into ravening killers. That`s what the movies and comic books tell you anyway. In fact, many werewolves can control their changes and do not need to hunt human prey at all. They can survive quite happily on raw meat bought from the supermarket. And if my researches are valid, then most werewolves are not limited to the few full moon days of the month – their powers are always there, waxing and waning with the moon`s phases on an endless cycle.

All of that made my investigations more dangerous, to be sure. But more exciting as well. What my efforts had taught me was that the cleverest and most powerful werewolves were the ones that survived the longest. They kept their secret selves under the strictest control; releasing their wolf spirits sparingly, staying in the background of the community so that no-one, not even their immediate families, would suspect them…

For lycanthropy, the spirit of the wolf in human flesh, is not passed on from parents. Werewolves multiply through the venom of their bite – an essence injected directly into the blood. So it is that they keep their numbers carefully balanced; one or two of them for every town of ten thousand human folk. Not too many. Just enough. And the ancient stories tell that when mankind has run rampage across the planet and through his warring and madness has plunged himself into oblivion, then the wolfkin will gather from the four corners and make the world their own.

*

October brought colder winds from the east and north, and the darkness came early. I had watched Andy since the summer and come to know his routines and his habits. I had even spoken to him once or twice, though he showed no interest in me. And why should he? Although I was no plain jane, I wasn`t the prettiest girl in the school. I was the quiet sort too, keeping myself to myself, whereas Andy I knew liked the outgoing types, the ones people noticed at parties.

The fact was, my interest in Andy had become something more than curiosity about his darker side. I guess you could say I was falling for him, and I had come to the point where I had to know, one way or another, what he thought about me.

The time had come to make my move.

It was his habit, I`d found, to go jogging three or four times a week to keep himself fit. He used the same route every time, across the park and along the cycle track (that was the old railway line) and then through Marlby Woods, before looping round to take the regular roadway home. And it was in the woods that I waited for him on this particular night – the night of the October full moon when his transformation would be the most obvious, and proof of my suspicion would stand undeniably in front of my eyes.

I heard him coming long before I caught sight of him; the unhurried pad-pad-pad-padding of soft running shoes over rain flattened leaves. And the moonlight folded among the marbled clouds gave me good vision down the straight stretch of path. I saw him then, fading in and out where the shadows hid him and a moment later the moon washed him in silver.

He stopped dead and his eyes went wide in surprise when he saw me. I stepped out boldly in front of him, unafraid because I had studied my subject well: the silver knife was within easy reach, tucked in my belt, and my pockets were stuffed with wolfsbane, that can blind and confuse even the most rage-maddened and powerful loup garou.

" What the…Ellie? Ellie Martin is that you?"

For a moment it seemed as though he would dodge round me and go on his way. But I began talking quickly, quietly, revealing all I knew of werewolf lore, feeling the excitement of the revelations pulsing along with my blood.

But Andy`s expression barely changed. There was still that look of startlement on his face, and then a growing confusion. I began to realise the awful mistake I had made, and I felt foolish before him. He wouldn`t give me a second glance from now on.

" Look, this is a really cool joke Ellie. But I`m kind of busy…I have studying to do… Yeah, and I`m meeting up with the boys later to listen to music…Um, maybe I`ll – uh – call you some time…"

I knew he never would. I`d ruined things between us. He thought I was crazy. Shame, because he`s a good looking guy…And he`d thank me, I knew, when I gave him a life he could never ever have dreamed of.

He gasped as I lunged forward and shrieked when I changed. He must have feared I`d tear out his throat. But I nipped him just enough, just enough to slip the ichor into his veins. And tomorrow –

Tomorrow we can go hunting together!

*

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