Courage sleepily blinked open his eyes as the sun's early morning rays cascaded into the bedroom. After a brief yawn and long stretch, the small canine padded across the blankets and nudged his master's arm, the daily signal that farm chores had to begin.
"Oh, all right," she mumbled, starting to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Reaching out a wrinkled hand to pet the top of his head, Muriel smiled. "I'm glad I can always rely on you, Courage, to be the one to get us up and going in the morning." Courage wagged his tail in joy before jumping off the bed and landing on the hard wooden floor. Deciding to get an early start on the day, he quickly trotted downstairs, pushed open the back door with his snout, and proceeded to make his way to the well.
Pledging his loyalty to Muriel had been his top priority since the day she found him abandoned on the streets, and even though he was merely a dog, he was intelligent. Over the years, he had taught himself how to do farm work that humans usually do simply from observation. From something as simple as learning how to push open the screen doors with his paws and snout to the strenuous task of learning how to safely harvest chicken eggs with his teeth, Courage had become a key component in keeping the tiny farm running. Especially with the slow curse of age taking hold of the couple still inside the house.
"The things I do for love," he muttered to himself as he grabbed the water bucket in his teeth and placed it under the faucet. Placing his paws on the pump, he heaved his weight forward until water flowed from the steel pipe and into the bucket. Leaning back onto his hind legs and releasing his weight, the water flow stopped, but started again as he began the repetitive motion of leaning forward and backing off. Soon, the bucket was full; learning in the past that a full bucket meant it would be heavier, thus harder to carry, Courage had quickly learned that if he had enough strength to lift the bucket onto a wagon, he could simply pull it back to the house with ease.
Courage was welcomed with a pat on the head as Muriel bent down to pick up the bucket of water. "Courage, could you be a dear and gather the eggs from the henhouse? Breakfast will be all set for you when you're done." Courage nodded, turning around to pad towards the henhouse. Once there, he grabbed the woven basket Muriel used to use and walked inside. Having done this so many times before, Courage was a master at collecting eggs. Gently pushing his paws under and around the hens, he was able to roll the eggs out from under them, grab them in his teeth, and drop them in the basket without cracking a single one of them. Once the task was done, Courage picked up the basket and trotted back to the house.
"Thank you, Courage," Muriel said happily as he pushed open the screen door and handed her the basket. "Breakfast is on the table for you." The dog wagged his tail happily as he hopped onto a chair and stared at his plate with delight. Scrambled eggs with bacon and toast was his favorite breakfast, and the love that his master put into it while preparing it for him made it taste all the better. Tongue watering, he leaned forward to lick up his breakfast, but was interrupted by the rolled up newspaper that smacked against the table inches from his muzzle. Whimpering, Courage looked up at the man who had abused and scared him since the day Muriel brought him home.
"No eating at the table," Eustace seemed to growl at him. Courage still couldn't believe that after all these years of protecting his family, Eustace still treated him like dirt. Ears flattened in fear, he quickly jumped off the chair only for it to be taken by Eustace. Grabbing a fork and continuing to read the paper, Eustace started shoveling Courage's breakfast into his mouth, causing the canine to quietly growl at him for stealing his food. The growl was quickly replaced with a howl of terror as the man took out his dreadful mask and scared Courage half to death. Quickly running out of the kitchen and into the living room, Courage could only hear Eustace's laughing from the chair he was hiding behind.
While waiting for his heartbeat to slow, Courage looked down at his paws with sadness in his eyes. No matter what, no matter how many times that mask came into sight, he just couldn't stop himself from running away. He's protected this farm and its owners for years, each time surprising himself with the bursts of courage he needed to save them.
"But that's all they've been," he muttered to himself. "Just short little bursts. They never last." He sighed with only thoughts of shame on his mind. He was a dog, the most loyal creature to serve and protect man, one of the bravest animals on the planet. "I just have to face it. I'm not brave, and I never will be. I'm just a cowardly dog."
"Eustace," Muriel called from the staircase. "Eustace, are you ready yet? We need to go run errands in town." Ignoring the man's grumbling, Muriel approached Courage with a leash in her fragile, old hands. Pushing his thoughts away, Courage stood up and wagged his tail, accepting the pull on his collar as his owner led him outside towards the rusty, old truck. Eustace followed, his face contorted into a look of annoyance, and started the engine.
The wide-open plains sped by quickly as the trio made their way into the nearby town. Courage happily laid his head on Muriel's lap, enjoying the soft touch of her fingers stroking his fur. He could've remained in that content state for the rest of his life if it had not been for the sudden lurch that almost made him fall onto the floor.
"Come on, Courage. We're here," Muriel said happily as she opened the door to let him out. The concrete sidewalks always felt alien to his soft pads that treaded on dirt on a daily basis, but Courage had learned to deal with the hot paths in fear that a whimper from him meant a threatening smack from Eustace to silence him. Leash in her hand, Muriel excitedly led him toward the bookstore, but stopped when they saw the sign on the door.
"Sorry, Courage," she apologized. "You're not allowed inside." Courage whimpered slightly, knowing that he'd have to stay outside, but also knowing it would be Eustace who picked the spot to tie him up. It's at that moment when the man grabbed his leash.
"Muriel, go on in and find that book you've been talking about," he insisted. "I'll find a spot for him and be right in." Smiling, the woman walked inside while Eustace pulled Courage about a block away from the store. Finding a lamppost next to an alley, Eustace tied a nearly inescapable knot and left. Sitting down, Courage knew that he'd be out there for a while.
"Tough life, I see," a low voice stated from the shadows. Courage quickly jumped to his paws and backed as far away from the alley as was possible. Eyes wide, heart pounding, he stared into the darkness.
"W-who's there?" he stammered, trying hard to hide the fear that tried to escape. The question was quickly answered as a figure stepped out of the shadows and into the dimly lit part of the alley. His cloak completely covered his body and face, allowing no characteristics to be shown.
"There's no need to be afraid of me," the figure said calmly. He made no threatening gestures, nor did his voice have the impression of a lying man, but Courage couldn't help the fur on the back of his neck from rising. He watched the man carefully as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a test tube filled with blue liquid. "This concoction," the man continued, getting right to the point of the short conversation, "will give you the bravery that you've always desired."
Courage's ears pricked. "Bravery?" he repeated, taking a cautious step forward. As the liquid was held closer to his muzzle, he examined it more closely. It didn't look poisonous, but the dog couldn't help but remain suspicious. "How does it work?"
"All you have to do is drink it," he paused to chuckle slightly, "and you'll undergo a transformation." Courage's gut screamed at him to just ignore the man, suspicion continuing to overwhelm him, but the little voice in his head couldn't help but bring up the fact that he could finally be a brave companion. Catching the sound of a bell, he knew that his owners would be coming to get him any second. Finally making up his mind, he opened his jaws to allow the cool liquid to flow down his throat. It was tasteless, but Courage couldn't help but try to get the flavor off his tongue.
"I got the book I wanted, Courage," Muriel stated while untying his leash. "Time to go home." As she led him back to the truck, he couldn't help but look back at the alley to give the man a thanking glance. But the man had disappeared.
The sun slowly passed through the sky before setting to make room for the full moon, but Courage still felt like nothing had changed. He sighed with sadness, thinking only about how stupid he had been to believe that man. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Eustace sneaking up behind him with his mask and scaring him to death. Courage leaped into the air, only to land hard on the floor and few inches from where he was sitting. Eustace laughed, enjoying the pure terror that always emanated off of the dog. But something was happening to Courage, something he couldn't explain.
As the man's laughter continued, Courage seemed to be growing bigger. His tail grew longer and slashed through the air as he swung it from side to side; his legs elongated and ended in gigantic paws that sprouted large, black claws; his ears, once floppy and hanging beside his face, now sat on top of his head in a triangular shape; his muzzle stretched, and when he opened it, revealed razor sharp teeth. Eustace stopped his laughing when he realized that the small dog in front of him had been replaced by an angry wolf.
Courage's mind was reeling, not knowing which way was up. His ancestral instincts took over as he laid his eyes on the old man in front of him. As he took a massive step forward, Eustace turned and ran for the door. Letting out a threatening snarl, Courage leaped after him, crashing through the door with ease. Seeing his prey run from him in terror, his instincts kicked in as his claws dug into the earth to propel him forward.
It didn't take long for the wolf to catch up to his victim, and when the time came he pounced. Eustace was pinned under his massive paw, staring into those eyes with horror. Courage snarled again, opening his jaws to reveal his teeth and letting his hot breath caress the man's face. Not even giving him a chance to speak, Courage lunged for his neck.
His screams were music to his ears, the look of pain and horror made the dog's lips curl into a sadistic grin, and the old man's blood made his taste buds dance. His tail wagged in delight as his teeth sunk easily through the skin, and his paw kept his flailing body still.
"Courage!" A familiar voice broke through the wolf's thoughts, and he raised his head to look at the source. It was a woman, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief and horror. The man's body under him had gone still, the blood from his wound flooding around him. Courage licked the blood off his lips as he stalked toward the other human. "Courage, why did you do this?" Collapsing onto her knees, the old woman cried.
Courage stopped in his tracks, staring at her with little expression on his face. She seemed familiar, but his transformation seemed to have wiped his memory clean. Still, something told him that he shouldn't hurt this human, but instead comfort her. As she continued to cry, Courage tentatively walked toward her. She let out a gasp as he gently nudged her with his nose, and as their eyes locked, Courage suddenly remembered who she was.
His memories flooding back to him, he tucked his tail between his legs and let out a whimper. Muriel wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking his fur and telling him that it was okay. She pulled away and stared into his eyes again.
"Courage," she said quietly. "You have to leave." His ears flattened as he let out another whimper, but they both knew it was for the best. "You've done a lot for us, protecting us and keeping us safe." She placed her hand on his head. "You've always been such a good dog." Courage blinked at her before padding away from the farm forever. Stopping only to look up at the moon, he pushed off into a swift run. Muriel's only reminder of his nearby presence was the monthly howl she heard every full moon.