A Lycan's Curse

“Beware all lycans, for the ladies of the swamp might curse you into their service.” A man spoke dryly to the emptiness of the swamp.

A boisterous laughter soon echoed throughout the bayou. “Who told you that Jim? I bet it was a girl.”

“She told me this with her last breath. I mean, they never speak curses as they die. It was so creepy. And with those hollow eyes. Maybe God was speaking through her.”

“Women will tell you anything to keep living; promises and weepy stories. Let them do what they want. It’s their last memories. If a fake curse makes them feel better then they can have it. I’ve done enough traveling to know better. They’re all weak and they always will be.”

“Todd, if one kind of monster exists then why wouldn’t the other? I’ve heard stories about sea serpents, women in white, Scyllas, and sirens. There has to be other kinds of monsters. I mean, monsters that hunt men.”

“If you believe all that then you must believe in Cthulhu too! Oh, I know, the kraken. Why stop there? Let's find Umibozu. Why not hunt the dogfish while you’re at it,” Todd retorted. He adjusted his legs within the boat to stretch them out. “How gullible are you , Jim? In all my years, I have yet to see any other kind of monster; much less a man eater.”

Jim moved his eyes over the swampy landscape. He was unable to look at his comrade‘s judgemental eyes. He had to swiftly change the subject of conversation. “Well it doesn’t look like we’re going to have any visitors tonight. It’s gonna be another day of swamp fish, Todd.”

Todd leaned over the boat. Bits of salvinia floating beside traditional duckweed in a pool of murky water. A white crappie swam through the green plants causing a break in the normal pattern of things. He resisted the urge to grab it. The prey of swamp fish and rodents had gotten dull. Alligators were a moderate challenge to disrupt the mundane evenings. But what he really craved was to hear the screams of a young woman. He wanted to watch as her chest heaved it’s last fragmented breaths. In that way, she could belong to him.

Lifting his gaze slightly allowed him to view the nearby Spanish moss tree. It’s long branches just grazing the tip of the swamp water. A reflected setting sun made the swamp appear to be entranced by a growing fire. Todd listened. His ears perked at the sound of walking in the far distance. Could that be his newest girl? The sharp sound of Jim smashing a bug ruined his concentration.

Todd hissed at the disruption. “Why would you go and ruin my hunting?”

“Sorry Todd. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Jim weakly apologized. He rapidly searched the area, but was unable to sense anything. “Did you hear something, Todd? Could be a ‘gator.”

Todd merely stared at his friend with a sneer upon his face. “You country wolves. It’s a wonder you ever survive. Living off swamp vermin.” Todd’s ears perked again. There was no mistaking the closeness of these footsteps. Two girls were venturing toward the swamp waters. A grin began to appear on Jim’s face. “It’s time for the hunt,” Todd breathed out.

They slipped into the warm water. As they moved closer toward the swamp’s edge, the sun had sunk into the waters. The two men took their places within the trees surrounding the traveling girls. The girls laughed and recorded their journey. The nighttime clouds revealed a bright and shimmering full moon. The two men allowed the moon’s energy to transform them. Their pained howls frightened the girls. Neither of the two girls wanted to succumb to fear, and remained by the swamp’s edge.

As the hours passed, the two men creeped to their targets. Jim leapt out from behind the brush first. His growls made the two girls quiver. One of the girls cried out in fear. She ran away from the swamp hoping to escape. Jim followed her without hesitation. The second girl was abandoned. As she turned, Todd leapt onto a large boulder before her. His eyes glowed under the moonlight. His thoughts spoke, ‘not to worry, this will all be over soon.’

The girl took a few steps backward. She made loud noises trying to scare off the wolf. She even threw her personal belongings at him. Todd refused to budge. He only watched her feeling hunger overcoming him. Then, the strangest of things happened. The girl stopped shaking and stood erect. A grim smile on her lips.

“If you continue to do this then you will pay the price. You and your friend are damned, and the damned will claim your souls,” she spoke, breaking the eerie silence.

Todd barked, and leapt for her. The girl screamed as his teeth bit into neck. The girl began choking on her blood. She placed her hands onto the wound trying to stop the bleeding. Todd leapt at her once again. His teeth bit deeply into the flesh of her back. She fell onto the muddy ground. She rolled onto her side struggling to breath. Todd stepped over her dying body. Her breathing had become sporadic.

“The lady of the swamp will take you,” her raspy voice let out.

Todd growled. His teeth sunk into her throat once more. Blood began covering the mud until it reached the edge of the swamp water. Todd continued to tear at her flesh. She was the lovely creature that would satiate his hunger for another month. She was his victim, his woman.

Todd stopped hearing the whimpering whins of Jim. Country Jim must’ve encountered a problem. A hunter must’ve arrived to try and save the other girl. Only a country would be so weak to become the hunted. Todd’s ears perked hearing something moving in the swamp waters. He stood firm watching for any movement.

Then something began to rise from the water. It was a woman. She was tall with long tangled black hair. Her green dress was torn and covered in moss. Keeping both feet in the water she stared directly into the wolf’s eyes. Todd snarled at her. She responded with a boisterous cackle. Todd leapt for the woman. She shouted curses in french. His teeth sunk into the flesh of her arm.

Todd released his hold tasting something unusual. Her blood was poisoned. He whimpered, unable to rid himself of her poison. The poison began dragging him into the darkness. His eyes flitted trying to capture its last glimpses of moonlight. The moon was his power. The moon had granted him a gift. Now, to the moon he wished to return.

His eyes blinked open. Todd groaned, feeling fire coursing through his veins. The feeling made his muscles ache. He had been moved into a room littered with various herbs and debris. Bottles hung from the ropes tied to the ceiling. The woman, the woman he’d seen in the swamp, was sitting in a chair watching him. Todd lifted his human hand.

“Your next transformation will be extremely painful. But, once it's finished, you will have power like you’ve never known. You will be my tool. You will be the one to go onto the land that I cannot. I will permit you to kill any woman you want. I will not stop you from your carnage. However, before the night’s end, you will bring me a child. You will bring me a living child. That is the agreement for all this power, my Rougarou.”

Todd moaned, revealing in the pain coursing through his body. A chagrin crept onto his face. For the first time in his life, Todd had encountered someone with a soul as dark as his own. Coming into the country had proved to be an exceptional journey.