Hearts That Howl, Part Two (C) 2009

For some reason the rifle did not go off, when I ripped it out of the man’s hand with such force that it took his trigger finger with it. The only explanation that I have is that even then, God was watching over me. The rest was a bluer of screams, snarls and blood! As it turned out, the Indian man and his wife were not your everyday “stranded motorist.”

My father found out that they were “spiritual warriors” who were trained by there tribe to fight against Sorcery! That is how the man survived the attack of my father long enough to just about do me in! In the end they were defeated, however the woman managed to wound my mother with a special knife that was said to be made from the leg bone of a powerful Shaman!

Considering the fact that my father was the “Alpha Male” of my “pack,” I of course, was next in line to inherit that leadership. There was one small embarrassing problem; my twin sister accomplished the first human kill! Tradition stated that the werewolf that would be the Alpha had to be the first in every detail. From that moment on, my sister did everything in her power to enforce her superiority, until we matured at the age of thirteen. However, as far as my father was concerned, I was still the one in line to take over.

Finale, the day came of my thirteenth birthday and I cannot describe the anticipation I felt! For my father promised me that I would at last know the secret of my families’ power. My father and I left two hours before sunrise, and we headed out in wolf form so we had an easer time of seeing in the dark. We probully look quite odd if anyone had observed us. One very large grey wolf with an over-sized wolf pup tagging along with bedrolls and other equipment strapped to our backs.

Father did not say much about were we were headed, accept to say that we were going to a place were I would receive what he called my full “awereness,” the time when I would become a complete werewolf or Loup-Graou.

As we hiked, my father touched on some of the finer points of being a werewolf or any other “were” as he called it. It was then that he explained that the word, were was an old Saxon word for man. It later came to mean any man (or woman) that had the ability to change into another animal.

The ability to do so, was discovered thousands of years ago and warriors felt that they would gain the power of an animal if they wore there skins or even horns. When they found some success in doing this, they went to the extreme of drinking the animal’s blood or eating its raw flesh. My father then asks me, if I knew how one would really become an animal like a wolf. I shrugged my shoulders because I always I thought that was all there was to it. You drink a potion then say some magic words and “wham” you became a werewolf, end of story.

My father shook his head and chuckled in his quite way. “That is just a ritual, a way to convince your mind that the transformation is possible, for were the mind goes the body follows.” He then explained that every thing was energy. “This is true magic, to manipulate energy and redirecting the spirit of things.” He smiled and said after that night I would understand.

We started ascending a mountain using a narrow game trail. Finley, right before sunset, I could see the summit and an Albino Mountain Lion appeared and it stared at us, and then abruptly stood up on its hind legs! I was so shocked that I almost feel over. My father started laughing so hard that he also just about fell down as well.

I realized this was a “Were,” even though it was not wolf like us. My father assured me that this creature was a friend and I should not feel threatened. Right then a Wolverine appeared behind it, and I involuntarily snarled. This was all I needed, to know that some men could turn into the only animal I feared!

It was then that I felt “the change” come over me. I glanced at my father and saw that he was also changing. The first thing I noticed was a glint in his eyes. They actually glowed. This was followed by his face being covered by hair. His muscles seem to bulge in a mater of moments. From then the changes were so rapped I could no longer follow.

A force came over me as I started howling and yelping with a mixture of fear and excitement. I ran as fast as I could up the path to greet the other shape shifters with light playful nips and nudges. Then, I found my self in a cave that was littered with the remains of carcasses, some of them human.

Gathered around a bonfire in middle of the cave, were several dozen creatures. These were Black Bears, bobcats, one wolverine, Lynx and of course, werewolves ! For the first time I realized there were other creatures like us in our area! I knew about the werewolves back in France and even in other parts of Canada, but not close by! They were eating with forks and drinking out of goblets as if they were men, and yet they were all in animal form.

Then the fire started to grow very bright and a form of a man appeared in the middle of the fire! He was tall and muscular and had the head of a goat! The human part of him was blood red and his eyes shown like two burning coals! He steps out of the fire, handed me a goblet covered in jewels, and spoke only one word in a voice that sounded like thunder…DRINK! I did not hesitate, I drained the goblet, and then everything blurred, and I began to dance.

That was the first time I danced with the Devil, but it would not be my last! For every October thirty first, I would drink his blood and dance around the fire. Now I only dance for my Saver Jesus Christ and drink His blood and eat His flesh during communion, but that is yet another story!

TO BE CONTINUED