A Wolf At The Door

Dix

Something wet and cool pressed against his skin, startling Olivier out of the cot. Gasping for air, the boy studied the unfamiliar room around him before his rapidly blinking eyes fell upon the girl in front of him.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you," she said shyly, bringing her rag back to her side.

"Where- Where am I?" His gaze back shifted to the room. It was cramped and filled with fishing nets and other gear, making the already small shack feel even smaller.

"The village." She smiled, revealing a mouth full of crooked teeth. "My father was out hunting in the swamp for gator when he found you at the Manoir Blanc."

Her tangled blonde hair fell forward as she leaned in closer. "He said you were as white as its walls. And you had lost a lot of blood. He was surprised a gator or another critter hadn't gotten to you first."

"He couldn't understand what happened or how you were still alive." The girl dabbed the rag against Olivier's forehead. "What was even stranger was what was inside. He said it was a bloody mess, unlike anything he had ever seen."

Olivier blinked again, trying to make sense of what she was telling him. It did not help he had enough trouble understanding her accent. "How long have I been here?"

She barely glanced at him as she continued to wipe his face. "A whole day." Her expression suddenly lit up at the realization. "You must be starving!"

"Yes, I-"

"Good thing I just made a turtle stew!" She started to rise from the wooden planks, but Olivier's hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her.

"Wait. What was inside?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"A dead priest," she answered with a shrug.

Olivier's eyes closed at the memory of Father Samuel's mangled body in the creature's jaws. "What else?"

"A naked woman." The girl tilted her head, watching as his eyes fluttered back open.

He swallowed the thick mass in his throat. "Was- Was she dead?"

The girl nodded. "Two holes in her. One in the shoulder and the other in her heart."

An overwhelming sense of relief washed over him, showing itself in the form of a small smile. "You are right. I am starving. And turtle stew has never sounded better."

The girl broke into a grin. "Alright, I will get you some." She rushed off into the kitchen, casting one last look at the boy behind her.

With a smile still playing upon his lips, Olivier turned his head to the side, glancing towards the window next to him. There was nothing but complete darkness on the other side.

It seemed the girl had been telling the truth after all. He really had been unconscious an entire day.

Deciding he wanted a breath of the fresh evening breeze, Olivier rose from the cot with a groan. His scratch was still raw and sensitive to any sort of movement.

With slow and heavy steps, he walked over towards the window, clutching his tender side. Taking a deep breath, Olivier inhaled the sweet autumn air. The usual croaks and chirps echoed from the swamp, filling his ears with their nightly symphony. Fireflies danced in the sky, their lights flickering a multitude of yellows and greens.

From behind the clouds, the moon peered out, casting its pale light down on him. It was full and round like before, but no longer an eerie orange.

All was right with the world.

A sudden pain seared through his body, so intense that he nearly lost his balance and had to grab onto the wall beside him. Trying not to wince, Olivier looked down at where he sensed the throbbing to be coming from.

His ribs.

Slowly unwrapping the stained bandages, Olivier prepared for the sight that lied beneath. But to his surprise, the wound had not reopened and began bleeding again. No, something much worse had happened to it.

Thick, coarse hair had sprouted out of his skin, covering the damaged flesh in a patch of brown. 

"The stew's ready!" A  cheery voice called from behind.

He opened his mouth to answer, trying to warn the girl to not approach, but the only sound that came out was a low growl from deep within him. 

The moon was in clear view now, calling to him with its radiant beams. He could only stare at it with desperate eyes, feeling the change that was nearly upon him. It would only be a matter of seconds before it overtook him completely. Something inside him had awakened. Something that had always been there but kept dormant for nineteen years.

It would be futile to fight against it. 

The girl called to him again, but Olivier did not respond this time. He merely turned to her with iridescent eyes that burned a dark orange. 

Pangs of hunger rippled through his stomach but no longer for any stew.