It starts with one…
Mr. Canis was perched in a tree, wistfully gazing at the Grimm family's home. It looked cheery and welcoming, with a blanket of snow and its wildly outrageous Christmas decorations. Through the window he could make out the silhouettes of Sabrina and Daphne sitting at the dinner table with Uncle Jake. Puck, no doubt, was making mischief elsewhere. A hint of a smile crept across his wrinkled face.
Already everything seemed distant, unreal, now that he knew there was no going back. The night air swirled around the slowly falling snowflakes as the old man took a last glimpse of the place where he had lived for the past several years.
One thing
I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
He stared, disgusted, at his hands. They were covered with a thick coat of brown fur. His clawlike nails came to a dirty yellow point. Sharp canine teeth protruded from his mouth. Soon, the Wolf would be completely in control of his body. The Wolf… he could not let that happen. Not again.
Keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time
All I know
Mr. Canis descended from the tree with a graceful leap, landing on the ground as softly as the falling snow. His large yellow eyes swam with tears that would not fall as he turned away from the brightly lit house. How could he have been so selfish?
Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It's so unreal
Relda… She had been his dearest friend for so many happy years. Even from the beginning, she had accepted that he was the Wolf. She was the only person who hadn't cared. Relda had been there for him, talked to him, held his hand, every time he thought he would lose control of the monster inside him.
But now she was dead. It was all because of him.
Didn't look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on
But didn't even know
Wasted it all just to
Watch you go
Unable to remain near the house any longer, the man began to walk through the backyard of the house, towards the woods. He gradually began to run, then to sprint through the moonlit forest. Mr. Canis darted nimbly through the silvery, silent trees. With every footstep, pangs of grief shot through the huge man as memories of the one he had loved tormented him. The guilt and regret were impossible to bear.
Suddenly, his head began to swim. Mr. Canis slowly sank to his knees as a snickering voice flashed through his mind.
Going somewhere?
The voice sneered at him.
It's your fault, you know. That the old lady is dead, taunted the Wolf. Set me free. Then everything that worries you will be… taken care of.
I kept everything inside
And even though I tried
It all fell apart
"Relda… RELDA IS DEAD, AND YOU ARE TO BLAME!!" Mr. Canis's hair became streaked with brown as he clawed desperately at his head, desperate to rid himself of the tormenting voice. "YOU!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"
How can I leave you if I am what you truly are?
What it meant to me
will eventually
be a memory
of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
You loved her, didn't you? That's just so sad… But I had so much fun tearing her apart, like a chew toy.
"NO!!! STOP!!!" Mr. Canis sobbed, clutching at his matted hair.
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
Mr. Canis's mouth elongated into a snout, his nose shrinking, doglike.
That's it… Let me take over from here.
"NEVER!! YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN HURT THE ONES I LOVE!!"
The old man's tear-streaked face contorted in agony as his shirt ripped open, his shoulders widening rapidly.
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
For so long, the Wolf had been kept locked away. He had thought that everything would be alright, that everyone would always be safe. As long as Relda was by his side, Mr. Canis was content. As long as the monster was kept docile and asleep, he had been happy. But he had always known, somewhere in the back of his mind, that it could not last forever. His will to control the beast had died with Relda.
One thing
I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Even now, as he fought to remain in control of his quickly changing body, it was plain to see that the Wolf was gaining the upper hand.
"Wolf… If you continue to struggle against me, I will kill myself. And you along with me."
It's useless to resist me. I will gain control of us, eventually………
But the Wolf's growling voice slipped back to wherever it had come from. The wolf-like features overwhelming Mr. Canis's face melted away.
Keep that in mind
I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how
I tried so hard
Panting, Mr. Canis lay on his side. His vision swam as he struggled to sit upright. He couldn't die. Not yet. Not until he faced the thing he had been dreading.
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I'm surprised it got so far
Mr. Canis shook snow out of his shaggy white hair as he clumsily got to his feet. A beam of yellow light settled on the snow-covered ground. As he looked up, he was filled with a sense of purpose.
He had arrived.
Things aren't the way they were before
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me
In the end
Through the spiky trees, Mr. Canis could see a cluster of gray boulders overlooking a steep cliff. One of the stones was cut into an oval shape, squared off at the sides. He stepped carefully over smaller gray rocks, so as not to move them from their places.
Mr. Canis came to stand in front of the rounded stone, reading the inscription carved neatly into its surface.
You kept everything inside and even though I tried
it all fell apart
What it meant to me
will eventually
be a memory
of a time when I tried so hard
The inscription read:
Here Lies Relda Grimm
1926-2008
A brave, kind, and gentle woman
She lived to help others, and never stopped to think of herself.
She will be missed by all who knew her smile
And those who heard the kindness in her voice.
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There's only one thing you should know
Mr. Canis broke down, sobbing. The grave was incredibly beautiful, but just to see it shook his soul to the point of breaking. He had never gotten a chance to tell her how he had felt, for all those wonderful years they had spent as friends. When Basil died, Mr. Canis had sworn to himself that he would protect Relda with his life.
"I have always loved you, Relda. From the moment we met, and you smiled at me," Sobs shook Mr. Canis's body. "When the Wolf took over- on the day you died- I never wanted to regain control. I never wanted to know life without you. But... He had been kept locked away for so long, Relda! And when he escaped, the beast went after the one thing I loved most... You. I'm sorry Relda, I'M SO SORRY! "
Love, sneered the Wolf. What a pitiful waste of time.
Once Mr. Canis felt his face morphing into that of the Wolf, he knew what must be done.
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
"I will destroy you, forever! If I cannot control you, then we must both die. No longer will I be forced to live bearing the responsibility of Relda's death." Mr. Canis stood, his wiry legs trembling.
You cannot destroy me. I am your past, present, and your future, the Wolf laughed, with contempt, and just a hint of another emotion. Fear.
For all this
There's only one thing you should know
A bushy brown tail sprung from Mr. Canis's back. The long yellow claws on his enormous, furry feet poked through his battered shoes. Mr. Canis cried out in pain as the Wolf's consciousness started to take over his body. The Wolf was flickering in and out of control. Staggering, Mr. Canis walked toward the cliff on which the grave sat.
What do you think you are doing? If you jump, we will both die!
"Exactly," he panted.
I tried so hard
And got so far
The moon sat in the sky directly above him. Mr. Canis gained control for a final moment.
And he jumped.
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
The world seemed to be moving in slow motion as Mr. Canis's vision swam. He was dimly aware of the Wolf letting out a final cry of rage.
I had to fall
To lose it all
Mr. Canis felt a faint thud, dim, as though he was experiencing someone else's pain.
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
Then, there was nothing.