Wolf of Vengeance

I had just turned twelve years old when it happened. In less than one night I went from being a child opening her birthday presents with her best friends, to a wide-eyed shaking wreck of a girl. My childhood died with the brutal death of my best friend, and my nightmares have never let me forget, not for one single night.

They blamed it on shock, that seeing her corpse being mutilated like that must have made me see the Creature I described killing her.  I tried to tell my parents but they refused to believe me. I was just traumatized by what I saw they said telling me it was likely a cougar, a wolf, or a bear. But I knew what I saw and it was definitely way bigger than any wild animal I knew about. When I went down to talk to the police, I tried explaining it to them, but they just laughed me out of the station.

It seems like someone is always making fun of me or being mean.  Even one police officer said, “Get out you crazy little witch!” I just ran away in tears.

It only took a few moments, but cast a dark graven shadow over years of my life. I have constant nightmares, waking up in a trembling cold sweat. I repeatedly dream about how it came into our tiny camp while we sat around the fire. I even hear the raspy sound of its breath.

I told others I didn’t know why it chose Julie instead of me, but it was no random act of violence when the beast attacked her, biting into her shoulder blades and clawing her back. It had coarse black fur and walked upright like a human being, but it was neither human or animal.

At first, somehow Julie managed to scramble a short distance away, but she was no match for its jaws closing around her neck.  I heard her bones crushing and cracking like the twigs we broke up for the fire. Within moments she was limp dead like a torn up rag doll. The thing bent to pick up her body with one clawed hand. It was lean, muscular, and at least eight feet tall. I could hear it breathing deeply as it reached into her chest, tore out her heart, and feasted on it. I couldn’t look away. I was frozen with dread, sure I’d die too here in the woods, miles from my home and my family. I remember its eye’s the best, they’re burned into my memory like hot coals. Yellow and glowing like twin moons, I saw a malevolent intelligence in their depths. It had come here purposely, to kill her. It raised one blood stained claw and pointed at me, staring right into my eyes and further beyond. I felt my blood turn cold and my vision blackening. When I woke up a rescue party had arrived with police, vans and men in coats who took pictures of what was left of her mangled body. Then covered it with a white sheet which soon turned red.

I repeatedly told them there was a monster beast out there and it was cunning and cruel. That lead to my parents sending me to a succession of therapists, psychologists, and finally psychiatrists. I was just an average girl out on a camping trip and within a night I became a withdrawn, cynical young woman living every day in terror. I pleaded with my parents to believe me. They sent me to a mental institution instead.

I spent three years in Thornwood Institution, where they heavily medicated me and shocked me, it was like torture. I learned to lie to the staff to secure my release, but in my nightmares, I always recounted Julie’s mutilated body, heard her screams of terror, crushing bones, squirting blood and the beast’s panting breath as it feasted on her heart. When its eyes meet mine and it raises its claw, I always woke up screaming. Luckily screaming at night was a common thing at Thornwood.

I hated my parents for sending me there. I never went back to my house, I felt nothing for them anymore. I got a job as a maid at a local inn and found a tiny, cockroach infested apartment to live in. But the nightmares never stopped, and I was alone in the world. Doing my job became almost unbearable, I was always so tired and miserable, so I took to the bottle. At first it helped me sleep, kept the nightmares quiet, but soon I was spending all of my time drunk and the nightmares returned, more vivid, louder and terrifying as ever.

I couldn’t sleep. I was constantly paranoid and lost my job. I kept seeing the beast in the corner of my mind’s eye.  I could only draw the curtains shut and cower in my bed. I’m writing this because its my fault Julie died. I never meant for it to happen, I didn’t think it would work, but it was not a wild beast that killed Julie. She had made fun of me at school, so I wanted to get her back. I found an old book of spells and poems. I read one out loud called the “Wolf of Vengeance” and wished for the Wolf to come for her.  Even though I meant it at the time, I had no idea it would come to pass…

Wolf of Vengeance
by Ivan Karhoff

I call unto you like a god from down under
Bring your howl and growl against mine enemy

I’ll give my life unto thee,
If only you heed my plea,
And take one other life for me

Mine enemy hath smitted and spat upon mine character
I hath fallen unto disgrace

All mighty of the dark,
Eat her heart,
I’ll be happy as a lark

In the name of the Wolf of Vengeance
I beg, that of her, there shalt be no remembrance

Years have passed since I performed my dirty deed, but I can no longer live with it.  I can’t escape or live with the vicious nightmares anymore.  Emotionally, my heart is being ripped out every night as much as Julie’s. I have been in fear wondering when the Wolf will complete my cursed malevolent poem and physically rip my heart out. My life is worse than death…is this what I gave unto the Wolf of Vengeance?