Twas the night before hallowed
And all through the wood
Not a creature was stirring
Not even the good.
Twas their duty that night
To protect and prevail,
But where were they now,
Had they run and fled tail?
Between their legs, screaming and howling,
Letting the darkness flood in,
Creeping and growling.
Twas this very night, when the guard were displaced,
That a young rascal turned
Into the disgraced;
He battled and bled on that cold stony floor,
Til the goodness gave out,
And he soon was no more.
Still. He lay still. And quiet. Pale face, eyes opened up to the heavens. Nay, to the stars and the moon; that full full moon, smiling down at her children. To her sons and daughters spread out across the night, and to her new one lying spread eagle on the street, blood glistening on the cobblestones.
That's how they found him. Later that night, it is said the town drunk ran into the pub screaming, looking more off his rocker than any other given night, but still only few paid heed to his blubbering words. They say he gasped between each spiel of nonsense; eyes bloodshot, quivering, and darting back and forth. They say there were long pauses filled with muttering and moans, all until someone had the sense enough to knock him out. Then they sent one, maybe two men to look for the cause of the man's outburst. Soon all the pub's occupants were out, as well as the majority of the small village.
They brought the boy to the Nurse who was staying in the village for that night, upon visiting her sister in the next town over. They say she took one look at him and demanded that they leave. Leaving the body, of course. That's right, she didn't consider him a boy enough to call him such; even though she pronounced him alive "or somewhat so" she muttered, though hardly anyone heard.
Nobody knows what she did to the boy that night. Fore, when she told the villagers to go they did; it was well known that she was a respected nurse in the esteemed wizarding school of Hogwarts, therefore she ought to know what she was doing. The sad truth of the matter was that she didn't. No one in the town did, or could have done anything to prevent what happened.
The Nurse died that night. The villagers nearest to her cottage recount that they heard nothing until "Maybe 1…no, 2…yes I guess it must've been 2 in the morning we heard her. Poor woman, it was a terrible end she met". They heard her screaming and shouting and there seemed to be a commotion going on inside the little cottage, and all the while they heard a low growling vibrating from the place. It never seemed to stop. That is, until the screams did. They say that then there was only silence.
Her neighbours didn't dare go out. It couldn't have been a robber; the guards were out on full patrol, protecting the village once again so no one could come in. They say that no one should have been able to go out either. In other words, they were scared. So scared that they all waited, cooped up in their homes like children with a nightmare that won't go away no matter how hard you pull that duvet around you, or squeeze your eyes shut against the darkness that won't lift itself off you until morning. That is how they felt. Everything single one of them. It could've been a warmish night, had your fire been burning; had those flames been leaping amongst their cage, their fingers licking the stone walls, had they been feeling powerful enough to conquer that darkness. But nothing is more powerful than the dark. Not even hope.
At morning, when the sun awoke and the night had departed, only then did the villagers stumble from their beds, many kissed their children's heads, softly whispering lies. Many left their cottages with pitchforks, just in case the "monster" had somehow had the feeling that "yes, maybe I should stay for the night". This is said with sarcasm of course, fore most know that a deed is better done in the dark, when it is easier to slip away, than in the light when the living make you stay.
And when those select villagers did have the courage enough to come to the front of the cottage, the sight that they met was not one for the light-hearted. They say that the Nurse's head had been the first body part (shall we say?) to be spotted, then from then on it was hard to say what was what. They say that the little place stank like a wet dog, but they were too stupid to take that into account.
The villagers tried to keep all the children locked away, tried to shield them from the horrible terribleness that lay on display in the Nurse's cottage but I saw. I saw it all. And trust me, I wish I hadn't. The door to the place had been…demolished somewhat. Many say that it looked like it had been forced upon and splintered from the inside rather than the out, meaning that only someone within the cottage had done it. Yet everyone, even I was baffled as to how that could've been possible. Stupid, stupid we were. Everything was right there for us to see and we let it slip!
Though I only saw the house for a moment or two, I saw enough. Enough to know that I didn't want to meet what had done this to the Nurse, enough to have me scared out of my wits and to run screaming to my Mother, who held me fast until the tears stopped. But that didn't stop the nightmares. The fear that that creature, for I know it had been one, would come for me, and do exactly what it had to the Nurse but to me.
That fear lasted for many a year, though I stopped being scared after a while once I found out what it had been. Once I asked Father, and though he didn't quite go into the details of it all he told me what little you could to a child.
"It was the boy", he would say, and I being the curious girl that I was would poke further and ask "What about the boy?" and he, not wanting to scare me but not wanting to lie either, would say "That night, you remember that night don't you?" (here I nod, and wait for him to continue) "Well, that night they found the boy lying in the street. He was alive, but barely-looking at the amount of blood he had lost. We took him to the Nurse, thinking she would know what to do…" and he would go on and on about the facts and information that the Aurors had found when they had come to inspect, and I would sit and listen to it all. Over and over and over again. Because I had known that boy, and I wanted to be ready if he ever came back.
The Aurors put him down as a werewolf. I didn't believe Mother when she first told me, it just didn't seem like the thing that would happen to someone in our village. But I was young; I didn't know that there were bigger and more dangerous things than forgetting to do your homework.
…...
10 years later (well, not exactly but let's go with that)
It's a Friday and it's Halloween. I mean, when has it actually been a day that you can stay up as long as you want to without having that daunting thought that you MUST attend school the next morning? Like, almost never! It is so totally unfair!
I don't care anyway. I'm too old for trick-or-treating, and all that costume stuff that little kids feel they need to dress up as bumblebees or whatever for; I am mature, thank you very much. Which I guess is why I signed up to the guard this half term. I felt, I don't know, useless. I mean, I'm nearly an adult, and I know all the spells I need to know (well, most of them) so I guess I wanted to help out a little.
Anyway, it's not that bad having to wear a cape and walk round the town like you rule the place, which we kinda do. It is our (it's more than just me, thank Merlin) job to protect the town and prevail in every way possible. Which is a bit much if you're asking me but eh, I don't make the rules.
Looking on the bright side, I only have to do this around Halloween; yeah, I know it's kinda weird, but from my understanding the parents are just a bit…paranoid, I guess. So…yep that's why I'm here. In the dark. And I really don't like the dark. Which sucks.
But that's all quite negative, and if-CRAP! CRAP!
Thank Merlin he didn't ask anything. Sorry, that was the Sir (aka Mr Macho ovaa dere) (of whom I sincerely dislike). I think I'm daydreaming too much. Or nightdreaming, cos it is night time isn't it? Yup, the moon's out…OMG it's a full moon! What, why….grrr. Okay, now I seriously dislike this Halloween.
It's slowly getting colder; I can feel that light tingling in my fingertips as the temperature begins to drop. I draw my hands into the folds of my cloak, though it's hard to keep them fully away from the cold when the wind is threatening to run off with my cloak altogether.
I look to my right, and see the pillar of blue flame that Daniel has constructed beside the guard hut. It won't burn down; we've already tried that many a time to get out of working. I wish I could have that heat, but for some reason the Sir just doesn't trust me with responsibilities. Therefore I'm cold and thoroughly not enjoying myself.
My feet are numb. I'm bored. Oh hey look there's a star. Well this is a lot of fun isn't it? (sarcasm much).
I wake up. Look towards the tumbling darkness of the forest. I heard something.
Grabbing my shaft from the misty floor, I struggle to stand with the wind whipping my cloak, and its brethren pushing and shoving me back. But I do manage to get up, even if my only hope at keeping the heat is ripped from my neck and tossed into the darkness. Damn.
I don't dare take a step forward, towards whatever might be out there, so I stare intensely into the dark, my eyes beginning to hurt. I see nothing. My hand goes to my cloak pocket to fetch my wand but alas, that's gone. Now I'm scared, cold, and helpless. And there's something out there.
I turn to the right, to the direction of where Daniel and his flame are, and run. I can't see where the hell I'm going because no wand=no light=me, smashing into something. I scream, one of those seriously girly screams, but my wailing is cut by a hand clamping over my mouth. Struggling, I lash out (though this results in nothing but my fist swinging through air), but am immediately pinned down by something strong. I twist myself to try, rather unsuccessfully, to break free, yet this results in a tightening of the hold.
Suddenly, my capturer's wand lights up. Thank Merlin, I've never been so happy to see Daniel in all my life.
We break apart, shuffling awkwardly away from that tight and clenching embrace. I turn myself away, weirdly trying to hide my blush of embarrassment in the dark. I'm gazing into that giant expanse of nothing, and abruptly the remembrance of what awoke me from my slumber hits like a ton of bricks (to my face).
I swing back around to where I had momentarily left Daniel, to find him glaring at me, wand raised. Wait no, at something behind me. I'm about to turn around to see what's making him act so strange when he speaks.
"Don't" Daniel whispers, so I obey. His hand is quivering, the light from the wand sometimes catching me, its gaze bright enough that I look away. Into the bright yellow eyes of the darkest monster. I hear Daniel slowly come up to stand behind me, his breath quickening, the warmth from it making the hairs on my neck stand on end.
The monster stood maybe a few paces away, close enough for me to see the few wisps of breath escape from its cavernous mouth. I can feel its eyes locked onto me, those unblinking yellow holes burning straight into my soul, and I have the desperate urge to run. I try to move my body, to move my feet but am blocked by Daniel; he grabs my waist and turns me back to face the monster. I want to yell at him, scream, shout obscenities, but I don't; that would mean certain death for both of us.
My eyes creep back up to where it is, that thing. Now I get a better look at it, for Daniel's blue light his wand emits has illuminated the monster. It has fangs; I can see the saliva dripping off them, that colourless disgust slipping past the sharpest blades I have ever seen. My gaze slips, I don't want to see anymore; I don't want to see those teeth stained red with the blood probably spilled from his previous victims, those teeth that would have gnashed down on flesh and splintered bone, that hover so close I could reach out and touch.
It growls, and I can feel the vibrations rattle up my spine, shaking my very core. I'm scared, oh Merlin I'm so scared; not even Daniel's normally reassuring blue light can help me now. Then it takes a step forward, and I swear all hell breaks.
Daniel rushes forward, yelling, wand raised and starting to glow, and I am painfully pushed to the side into the darkness. I stumble and fall, rolling down down and deeper into the forest that I don't know. Branches scratch my clothes and hair and face as the darkness draws me closer to her embrace. Then it all ends. I open my eyes and see the moon. Full moon. And realise that Daniel is fighting a werewolf.
I don't know how long I lie still for, but it is all for reason; it hurts too much to move. The fall into the forest was like a roller coaster without a seatbelt, I feel battered and bruised in practically every area of my body, even breathing is a pain. I want to get up, to go help Daniel, but I bet even that heroic action would be in vain. Something tells me he wouldn't have made it out alive of that fight with the monster-sorry-werewolf. But I can't know for sure because I hear nothing, no yelling of man nor growling of beast. I am alone. Save for the moon.
I don't want to open my eyes and feel her gaze. Oh c'mon it's just the moon NO IT'S NOT you don't understand, you never understand, well I don't care just open your eyes. Do it. WHY WON'T YOU BLOODY DO IT YOU FILTHY MUTT YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT-
I am wracking with pain; it feels like drinking fire, something that hot slivers up my throat and…I am retching. The acid continually flowing from within me, forcing itself out with a force so hard I gasp and swallow and it backtracks. That fire, that fire begins to burn inside me and I scream. Oh god do I scream. The pain-MAKE IT STOP-make it stop. Oh please, please don't-it feels like every bone in my body is breaking the pain is so immense. I struggle to breathe, to feel that fresh air within my burning lungs again; I claw at my throat and feel daggers. They tear through my flesh and I smell the blood seep out, dampening the scratched and torn fleece that clothes my body.
My legs kick out and I am flipped over onto my stomach. The ground scratches my pelt, the rocks digging into and cutting the little layers of skin that clothe my innards. I tangle with myself, the pain never-ending yet the movements ever-going. It is too much; I can't take it any longer. My neck cracks and I see the rainbow beneath my eyelids; feel the blood gushing pounding through my veins, the power flowing through every muscle and sinew in my body. I feel…alive. I open my eyes, and see a yellow moon. And a boy.
She's awake.
It's been so long since I saw her, so long since-she doesn't remember me. Oh well, there's always time for new beginnings.
I grin down at her, and reach to sit her up. She growls, but I know the wolf inside of her is gone cos her eyes go back to brown. Every tread of that yellow, gone. I help sit her up; normally after one's change you feel weak, but like me I can see that she still has strength enough to lean against a tree.
"How was your first change?" I ask her, hesitant, scared that she might not answer and think me to be the monster once more. She looks across at me, her eyes searching for a word to describe it, that mixture of pleasure of being and enormous pain.
"It was hell," she finally replies, laying her head against the tree, gaze traveling up to the moon.
"Well, hell won't be so bad, you know. After all, I'll be there to keep you company" I say and smile. And I think, though it might just be a trick of the light, she smiles too.