Devil Incarnate
A curse has plagued our land for generations. Villagers still cower in fear, giving up their meatiest livestock for sacrifice to the Devil incarnate. 12 times a year this monster appears, disguised by the night, to take the sacrifices laid out before him whilst villagers hide in fear in their homes - appropriately covered in thin branches made to act like spears - or on holy ground. Sometimes, the livestock aren't enough. We'd wake up to find someone brutally decimated on these rare occasions. Villagers can only pay their condolences whilst sighing to themselves that they weren't the one lying in the casket. These are the nights of the full moon.
There happened to be a full moon tonight, but this moon was not like the others. It lasts for three days and three nights, sitting atop the sky like a red, looming omen. We call it the 'Blood Moon', fittingly describing the vibrant red color of the moon, and the beast that lingers behind it; the wolf. That's all anybody my age knows about it, anyway. We are just teenagers, after all.
There had been many rallies debating on whether to kill the wolf or continue our cowardly hiding. The slaying of the wolf had been vetoed every time. However, several townsfolk - despite warnings from others - decided to pursue the beast and attack him in his own territory. Things have gone horrible wrong, however. Several cadaverous corpses later, the rest had run back, fearing their lives at this point, but to no avail. The beast was like the wind - swift but powerful.
It was after that incident that someone took the liberty of calling this expert priest and his soldier guards. He just chuckled at our pitiful attempt waved us to our homes with his hand. We did not object, but, being the curious daredevil I happened to be, decided to lie in wait on my cabins balcony, eyes just staring over the railing, totally concealed in darkness.
I have always been the curious one; mother has always said so. My sister, Lily, was always the overprotected one in the family - even worse than our mother! She'd find me spying on boys in the woods and would say, 'Tsk, tsk, Alice. You shouldn't be out here! What if they see you?' As for my rebuttal, I'd just turn and glare, which usually set her off. Luckily, everyone went to sleep, and, since I'm light on my feet, I snuck out easily. I'm not normally scared of much, but THIS really seemed to excite me. A wolf attack! My heart started to beat faster and faster, and I just continued to crouch in my corner of the balcony, carefully hidden by a reading chair and the shadow of the building.
I waited for several hours before I actually heard something. A rustle of leaves over here, another one over there. A thump, like landing on wood, coming across the village, the clang of metal on metal somewhere else. My heart continued to beat a thousand beats a minute. I heard the priest yell, "This is a Blood Moon night, boys! He who gets bit, must be slain!" That really put my mind in a spin. If they get bit, why must they die? The thought didn't seem to last, however, because, suddenly, a mighty roar bellowed out from the shadows. Everything stopped, time seemed to slow. One by one, a soldier would be drug into the abyss of an alley, hearing the cry of pain and agony, the sound of flesh being ripped apart by something sharp, like cloth being but by scissors, and a snap of bones, followed by a bloodcurdling scream. Each death was the same; more ripped flesh, more agonizing screams of pain. Each time, I winced. Things were getting frantic - our numbers were dwindling. I only began to grow more excited, maybe even a little frightened.
I saw it. It was only for a split second, but it was there. It was bigger than any wolf I had ever seen. It easily towered over the building it was perched upon. 12 feet, I estimated, before it turned its' head toward me, staring at me dead in the eyes. I stood completely still. 'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit' repeated over and over in my mind. Now I was fucking scared. Should I run inside? Stay put? I held my breath, and we stared, me and the beast, for what seemed like eternity. It must have only been a few moments, because I heard someone yell, 'Over here! It's over here!', followed by a arrow shot or two before we broke contact and it jumped and pranced away. I felt lightheaded, but realized that it was because I had been holding my breath, and I released it in one jagged breath. I looked to see where it had gone, but it seemed to disappear. I heard nothing but breathy moans of the injured. Deeming it the appropriate time to head back inside, I stood and did so, being careful not to trip over my red cloak. My bed never looked good until now, falling asleep the instant my head touched the pillow.