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It’s the full moon again, and you can hear the night and all of its life making themselves known. The branches creak, the wind blows against your windows, and the howls echo throughout the woods. It had been a common occurrence for you ever since your arrival, and now you knew the reason why.
Werewolves, or in this case, just a werewolf by himself. At first, the couple of times you heard his lonesome song, it sent shivers down your spine but you had started to grown used to it by know. Rather, it piqued your curiosity and you wanted to see the source of it all. The local town legends always spoke of such creatures that still lingered in the woods, even going as far back when the elder women left bits of food and drink for the fae on their way.
And so it led you to here, shivering in your jacket on the full moon’s cold night. The glow of the moon and the bugs’ symphony was your only company, until you heard it. A lone howl, calling out into the night. It always sounded so mournful to you, rather than frightful. Heart racing and breath hitching, you go as quickly as you can to the source of howls, dying to see this creature up close once and for all.
Your legs take you farther into the woods, and the howls and occasional growls sound closer. Soon, you find yourself stopping in the middle of what appears to be a clearing. Looking around, you don’t spot the creature yet until you hear a soft huff-like growl coming from behind you. It sets you on edge, slowly turning to face what you had been tracking all this time.
Golden eyes and russet hued fur, all held by taut and toned limbs, its tail twitching in anticipation. Cautiously raising your hands in front of you, words struggle to come out. “I-It’s alright…I’m not here to hurt you.” You only noticed your hands were shaking as you held them up, an eternity passing before the creature made the first move. It ceased its snarling and pricked its ears up. The tail slightly wagged in a sort of friendly matter, brushing the leaves that surrounded it as it sat down.
The golden eyes blinked once, twice at you before it stood up again and made its way to you. You thought you would nearly faint as soon as it sniffed your hand, but you caught yourself. In a heartbeat, the now amicable creature left as quickly as it had arrived. You almost felt yourself collapse to the soggy forest floor, but your legs compelled you otherwise. You rushed back to the house, heart beats echoing in your ears as you burst through the door and locked its latches as quickly as possible.
You could barely sleep that night, the events from earlier still replaying in your brain. When morning came, the events from before only continued on. On your porch, a written letter was rolled into a scroll and decorated with a thistle a top it. Curious, you reached down to open it, its contents surprising you with every line written. Oh…this was only the beginning.
Good morning,
I thank you for last night. Not too many humans still take kindly to us who still practice the old ways. I didn’t mean to frighten you, and I want to show my appreciation for last night. There’s a local hotspot here, said to be a quaint place for breakfast and brunch.
How does that sound?
- Markus