A LYCANTHROPIC LORE

By

Shiva Gopalan

Suganya Chandrasekaran  

The knock on the huge wooden door at midnight was as eerie as the illusory shapes creeping along the walls. I opened the heavy door to find a crouching figure by the pines and was about to wave off the image supposing it to be the gardener on his nightly rambles when suddenly I thought I heard a faint growl. Shaken out of my wits, I switched on the porch light to find myself staring out into the night. I rubbed my eyes and pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. I’d have sworn to God that I heard something out there. “Could it have been that loony gardener as I had initially assumed?” Thinking of him, I gave a mirthless laugh. The kind of tales these people spin to entertain the tourists…..sightings of a werewolf on the island, warnings against venturing out alone at night……….promethean indeed. “Was it really a growl?” I chided myself for letting that nitwit of a gardener’s ramblings get into my head.

I had always looked forward to a vacation like this, away from the pressures of my job, away from the mechanical existence in a concrete jungle. I looked up at the sky. The moonlight filled me with calm. I turned back to go to bed, resolving not to let a local folklore ruin my holiday. I climbed up the rickety stairs to the bedroom. The branches of the willow were rhythmically rapping at the window. I stared out at the beautiful scene that lay ahead of me and was reminded of her. I couldn’t believe I had spent one whole day without her. “She’ll come back”, I assured myself. “All she needs is some time of her own”. Only the thought that she was on the very same island comforted me.

I saw the moon, all round and bright, smiling at me. The full moon……“wait!!! Isn’t that when the werewolves are roused?”…….The thought sent a chill down my spine. I was overwhelmed by a new sense of alarm. I feared for her safety……. and mine.

Almost in an instant, the surroundings became ominous. The gentle tattoo of the willow, amplified manifold, sounded cacophonic to my ears. The moon hid behind a pall of dark clouds. A blood curdling shriek interrupted the myriad thoughts of foreboding in my mind. “What was that?” I felt a lump form in my throat. “Are my ears playing tricks on me today?” Then it came again, unmistakable this time. It sounded more like a desperate cry for help and came from the outhouse. “The Gardener !!!” My fear transformed into a sense of responsibility and instinctively I raced out of the house towards the source of the sound. The moment I came out, I regretted my decision. Darn! I had left my revolver behind..….but there was no time to lose. Breaking the low branch off a tree, I proceeded gingerly towards the outhouse. The wind was howling like a banshee. “A werewolf’s growl would easily be lost in this... ”. My ears cocked up to pick up every single sound.

The outhouse door was ajar. It was dark inside. I pushed the door open calling out to the gardener…..no reply. Suddenly something came rushing up to me and engulfed me in perpetual darkness “Shriek!!”, “Wham!!”, “Clang!!”……..I thanked heavens that it had just been a dusty curtain that had blown over my face. I called out again. An owl screeched in the distance. I gulped hard. No sign of anyone inside.

I stepped out and scanned the area. I heard dry leaves crunching behind me. I turned around and squinted into the darkness. My blood froze at what I saw…..a few yards away stood a beast, almost invisible in the eerie shadows of the pines. Like a phantom, it sprang at me. Shaken out of my momentary stupor, my legs impulsively took control as I bolted towards the house. I could hear panting behind me. I almost tripped and fell over a root…….I ran for my dear life. I felt its heavy breath on my back. I didn’t stop until I reached the house and shut the door tight. Climbing two steps at a time, I clambered onto my huge bed.

Still petrified, I was calming down when “Scratch…” “Scratch... Scratch...” my heart skipped a beat when I realized it was coming from downstairs. “The backdoor!!!” I panicked as I  remembered that I hadn’t locked it……….too late………I heard it swing open……….a low growl……

A bundle of nerves, I thought of defense…… I remembered a movie in which silver bullets killed werewolves……. “I hope this works as well…..”  I reached into my desk drawer and pulled out a loaded gun. Downstairs, the floorboards creaked. “Creak”, “Creak…” “Thud…” It was coming up the stairs sensing my presence!!! Despite the chill I broke into a sweat. “Thud…” It was close. My whole life flashed before my eyes. I shuddered as I thought of the gruesome end awaiting it. I took aim. “Thud…” I felt an ache in the pit of my stomach. “THUMP”… in a sudden rush, it came bundling up. Blinded by my fears, I kicked about wildly, fumbling for the revolver………I felt numb….A vein at my temple throbbed……..My face felt wet, wet from my own blood……NO…..the smell………I opened my eyes to see Steffi all over me “Steffi!!!” There was relief in my voice. “Where the hell had you been?”, “you gave me quite a scare bad girl”, “don’t you dare run off like that again!!” I hugged her close refusing to let go. How safe I felt with her around.

Out in the night, an owl hooted. The crickets went into a silent spell. The quiet could have drowned any noise. It was broken by a bloodcurdling howl… A pair of bloodshot eyes gazed up with insatiable hunger as master and his pet rejoiced their reunion…. As he moved towards the house, the gardener gave a knowing smile…with its sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight, white and moist…………..