LJ Idol Season 8: Week 26; Sated
ETA: Trigger warning for mention of sexual abuse.
The fire crackled and the air seemed to stand still. The scent of flesh and fur burning hit his nostrils and almost made him gag.
He looked upon the body of the once majestic wolf, a creature he had both feared and admired throughout his life. It had to be done. He continued reading from the sheet of paper in his hands as the fire spit flames here and there as if an imaginary wind had suddenly picked up. He raised his eyes to the flames and spoke.
"I ask that you sate my hunger for that which I desire most."
He reached inside the carcass of the animal that laid before him, pushed beyond the rib cage until he found its life source. He brought it to his mouth and felt the warmth hit his tongue which made his throat feel like it was closing up.
He sunk his front teeth into the gristly chunk of meat and pulled his head back, tearing a ragged piece off. Hesitantly, one bite turned to two. Blood dripping from his chin, it transformed from an obligation into something that he yearned for. His teeth became sharp enough to rip through the abdomen of the animal that laid on his altar. The smell of the nearby town overwhelmed him at first as he detected individual people asleep in their beds. His hands were no longer hands; his face no longer his own.
With a quick yowling of thanks to the darkness around him, he took off and would reach town in a matter of seconds.
ooo000ooo
Many Years Later
"What are we expected to do? Just stand around and let him eat our children?” Old Mr. Nick stood before the crowd, waving his hands in the air toward the mayor, Cecil Whitacre. "We need to do something about him!”
The mayor looked down at the speech on his podium, obviously speechless and confused.
"Umm what do you suggest we do?”
A tiny girl stood up and spoke with a faint voice that people had to lean forward to hear, "Mr, Whitacre, sir, I suggest we fight back.”
A murmur bustled through the crowd. "Fight back?”
"And how do you propose we do that, young lady?” Father Abbot spoke up from the back of the group where he stood observing his people. “Are you suggesting we invite trouble into town?”
"We kill him and then the trouble is gone.” She turned to address the priest, trying to be as respectful as one should to a member of the clergy.
Even Old Mr. Nick couldn’t hold back his laughter. "Kill him, my dear? I don’t think that’s possible.”
The girl stared blankly at the men before her as if they were speaking Cantonese. "What do you expect we do then? Negotiate with him? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but he doesn’t seem much like the negotiating type.”
"Miss, I don’t mean to offend... But it’s one girl at a time. Is that too much to ask --” The mayor looked down at the podium and stopped speaking. Maurine knew he had merely said what everyone else was always thinking. It’s just one girl, one little girl. And whoever else was unlucky enough to be home at the time, but they never acknowledged that.
"But what if that little girl turns out to be your daughter, Cecil. What then?” Her eyes bored through the mayor, challenging him to speak up and to answer her question.
"And may I ask your name, young lady?” Father Abbot looked at her curiously.
"Maurine Townsend.” With one last look around at the pathetic people who simply sat by and let this happen year after year, she grabbed her bag and started pushing toward the exit. "And mark my word, I will kill the beast if it’s the last thing I do.”
The crowd stood silent, waiting for the mayor to speak. Everyone knew that the wolf stalked Forest Glen, and no one had ever tried to change it before.
"Alright then. Let’s move on to the next order of business...”
The people were no longer interested in the mayor, all eyes were on Maurine as she marched out the door mumbling about "incompetence” and "stupid fools” as she let the doors slam hard behind her.
ooo000ooo
He enjoyed watching the girls in their pretty dresses walking around town. Little girls with pigtails made of ringlets would grow into young women with pony tails and bangs. Though he had a particular desire for the redheads; they were a rare treat.
He watched every day, taking in their smells that floated on the air. Not the perfumes, oh no... Their real smells. Every one had a district smell, and as he also knew, a distinct taste. He enjoyed exploring their young bodies in more ways than one. Though the gentle suppleness of a sweet girl as she’s being ripped to shreds delighted him more than anything.
Which one will be mine? He knew he could have any one of the girls he wanted. Any of them.
Though there was one in particular that had caught his attention. He watched as she exited the building, her knee-length skirt swishing as she hustled along. Her smell was sweet, like orange blossoms. Her reddish hair flowed down her back, enticing him to take a closer look. Her slim figure showed just a hint of curves, with breasts that held the promise of so much more in the years to come.
He watched as she stormed out of the building, oblivious to her surroundings. She was young and foolish, clueless as to what kind of danger she was putting herself in. He knew that she was the one.
ooo000ooo
The house was dark as she entered, though a glimmer of light filtered out from under the doorway down the hall. She dropped her bag on the table and made her way quietly, trying to avoid waking her little brother.
"How ya feeling, daddy?" She pushed the door open softly, surprised to still see him awake since his pain medication usually knocked him out about this time of night.
"Oh you know, same as always..." His lips tried to smile, but Maurine knew they no longer knew how to do anything but grimace from the pain he was in, "Did you color your hair?”
She smiled. These days he hardly noticed anything. The fact that he could tell the color of her hair in the faint light gave her hope that she had to squash instantly to avoid feeling more pain, "Oh, I did. Do you like it?”
"You’re always a very beautiful girl, sweetheart. Which is both a good and a bad thing, you know.” Her dad looked over at her sadly. "When I found out your mom was having a girl, I was terrified. It’s not easy raising a daughter in times like these.”
"I know dad. You’ve told me that ever since I was a little girl, but I’m too old for the wolf. He only likes the really young girls.”
"But dear, you’re so pretty, I still fear for you regardless of how old you are.” Her dad was always very cautious with her, but did his best to raise a girl who could stand up on her own.
"Don’t fear, dad. I can take care of myself; you’ve taught me well.” She winked at him.
Noticing that he was drifting off to sleep as his medications starting kicking in, she walked over and kissed his forehead softly before slipping out to the front room. Staring outside, she glanced at the size and shape of the moon, wondering if this time it would be her turn.
"Only one more night to go.”
ooo000ooo
Maurine watched as the clock slowly churned closer and closer to dawn. Time moved so slowly. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as if it was trying to break free from the confines of her body.
Tonight was the night. All she could do was sit and wait to see if he’d chosen her.
A loud rustling noise from outside pulled her attention to the window. A dog barked nearby, but a yelp of pain and agony brought it to silence. The chickens in the pen squawked as terror ran through the chicken coop before quiet descended around her.
Panic threatened to overwhelm her as the sound of claws scraping against the wall outside the house. The sound carried on toward the back door which caused her heart to race faster while time seemed to slow down. Every sound of its claws on the brick house made her flinch. Maurine could tell that it was enjoying the thrill of the chase.
She listened to his movements, slow and confident. His nails ticked away at the porch as he backed up and ran at the door. The door came crashing inward, making a noise so loud she worried it might wake her father even with the extra drug cocktail she had given him.
Her brother started screaming, his bedroom door shaking as he tried to pull it open. She was thankful for the heavy duty lock she’d installed and the fact that he was too short and young to be able to unlock it. She couldn’t keep the wolf from coming in, but she could keep her brother from coming out to be the first victim.
The sound of heavy paws clapping against the hardwood was followed by growls of excitement. She had studied his patterns enough to know he would burst through her door first, saving the others for dessert.
But first came the foreplay.
She reached to the crossbow beside her bed, already loaded with the first wooden stake which she had carved and inlaid with silver barbs herself. His footsteps stopped right outside her room. His breath was heavy and made the door shudder. Maurine thought he must be savoring her fear, enjoying this last little bit before having his way with her.
The door came crashing down. Maurine was ready, crossbow locked in place. She aimed the first stake at his head, pulled the trigger and launched it into its eye. Howling, he pawed furiously at his face. The stake protruded from the side of its head apparently missing the brain she was aiming for.
She shot again, the stake embedding itself into the wall instead of its intended target. Focus, Maurine. Just like your training has taught you to do.
Lurching toward her, the beast pulled the arrow out of its eye and dropped it to the floor with a clatter. She shot once more, hitting him square in the chest, but missing the heart. She leapt from her bed and grabbed a heftier stake from the desk next to her. As she advanced upon the wounded wolf, she prayed she wouldn’t be bitten or scratched but was willing to deal with the consequences if it came to that. Her tiny figure helped her dance between his paws, but he managed to grab her hair. With one jerking motion, the wig was yanked off her head revealing naturally dark brown hair underneath. The creature's confusion as it held her red hair in his hand gave her the briefest of moments to jam the stake deep into the heart of the thing she feared most in the world.
The black eyes changed to a familiar blue and the hair started fading from his body. The paws shortened back into the hands that had once held the wafer for her First Communion. She let the body fall to the ground. She reached for the knife sheathed on her calf and drove it into his chest, cracking his rib cage.
She took one last look at the face of Father Abbot before carving out his heart and removing his head, forever freeing Forest Glen of their curse. Relief mixed with sadness fell over her as she burned his remains.
The cries of her brother finally softened as he fell back asleep, hopefully convincing himself that it was all a bad dream.
The fire crackled and the air seemed to stand still. The scent of flesh and fur burning hit his nostrils and almost made him gag.
He looked upon the body of the once majestic wolf, a creature he had both feared and admired throughout his life. It had to be done. He continued reading from the sheet of paper in his hands as the fire spit flames here and there as if an imaginary wind had suddenly picked up. He raised his eyes to the flames and spoke.
"I ask that you sate my hunger for that which I desire most."
He reached inside the carcass of the animal that laid before him, pushed beyond the rib cage until he found its life source. He brought it to his mouth and felt the warmth hit his tongue which made his throat feel like it was closing up.
He sunk his front teeth into the gristly chunk of meat and pulled his head back, tearing a ragged piece off. Hesitantly, one bite turned to two. Blood dripping from his chin, it transformed from an obligation into something that he yearned for. His teeth became sharp enough to rip through the abdomen of the animal that laid on his altar. The smell of the nearby town overwhelmed him at first as he detected individual people asleep in their beds. His hands were no longer hands; his face no longer his own.
With a quick yowling of thanks to the darkness around him, he took off and would reach town in a matter of seconds.
"What are we expected to do? Just stand around and let him eat our children?” Old Mr. Nick stood before the crowd, waving his hands in the air toward the mayor, Cecil Whitacre. "We need to do something about him!”
The mayor looked down at the speech on his podium, obviously speechless and confused.
"Umm what do you suggest we do?”
A tiny girl stood up and spoke with a faint voice that people had to lean forward to hear, "Mr, Whitacre, sir, I suggest we fight back.”
A murmur bustled through the crowd. "Fight back?”
"And how do you propose we do that, young lady?” Father Abbot spoke up from the back of the group where he stood observing his people. “Are you suggesting we invite trouble into town?”
"We kill him and then the trouble is gone.” She turned to address the priest, trying to be as respectful as one should to a member of the clergy.
Even Old Mr. Nick couldn’t hold back his laughter. "Kill him, my dear? I don’t think that’s possible.”
The girl stared blankly at the men before her as if they were speaking Cantonese. "What do you expect we do then? Negotiate with him? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but he doesn’t seem much like the negotiating type.”
"Miss, I don’t mean to offend... But it’s one girl at a time. Is that too much to ask --” The mayor looked down at the podium and stopped speaking. Maurine knew he had merely said what everyone else was always thinking. It’s just one girl, one little girl. And whoever else was unlucky enough to be home at the time, but they never acknowledged that.
"But what if that little girl turns out to be your daughter, Cecil. What then?” Her eyes bored through the mayor, challenging him to speak up and to answer her question.
"And may I ask your name, young lady?” Father Abbot looked at her curiously.
"Maurine Townsend.” With one last look around at the pathetic people who simply sat by and let this happen year after year, she grabbed her bag and started pushing toward the exit. "And mark my word, I will kill the beast if it’s the last thing I do.”
The crowd stood silent, waiting for the mayor to speak. Everyone knew that the wolf stalked Forest Glen, and no one had ever tried to change it before.
"Alright then. Let’s move on to the next order of business...”
The people were no longer interested in the mayor, all eyes were on Maurine as she marched out the door mumbling about "incompetence” and "stupid fools” as she let the doors slam hard behind her.
He enjoyed watching the girls in their pretty dresses walking around town. Little girls with pigtails made of ringlets would grow into young women with pony tails and bangs. Though he had a particular desire for the redheads; they were a rare treat.
He watched every day, taking in their smells that floated on the air. Not the perfumes, oh no... Their real smells. Every one had a district smell, and as he also knew, a distinct taste. He enjoyed exploring their young bodies in more ways than one. Though the gentle suppleness of a sweet girl as she’s being ripped to shreds delighted him more than anything.
Which one will be mine? He knew he could have any one of the girls he wanted. Any of them.
Though there was one in particular that had caught his attention. He watched as she exited the building, her knee-length skirt swishing as she hustled along. Her smell was sweet, like orange blossoms. Her reddish hair flowed down her back, enticing him to take a closer look. Her slim figure showed just a hint of curves, with breasts that held the promise of so much more in the years to come.
He watched as she stormed out of the building, oblivious to her surroundings. She was young and foolish, clueless as to what kind of danger she was putting herself in. He knew that she was the one.
The house was dark as she entered, though a glimmer of light filtered out from under the doorway down the hall. She dropped her bag on the table and made her way quietly, trying to avoid waking her little brother.
"How ya feeling, daddy?" She pushed the door open softly, surprised to still see him awake since his pain medication usually knocked him out about this time of night.
"Oh you know, same as always..." His lips tried to smile, but Maurine knew they no longer knew how to do anything but grimace from the pain he was in, "Did you color your hair?”
She smiled. These days he hardly noticed anything. The fact that he could tell the color of her hair in the faint light gave her hope that she had to squash instantly to avoid feeling more pain, "Oh, I did. Do you like it?”
"You’re always a very beautiful girl, sweetheart. Which is both a good and a bad thing, you know.” Her dad looked over at her sadly. "When I found out your mom was having a girl, I was terrified. It’s not easy raising a daughter in times like these.”
"I know dad. You’ve told me that ever since I was a little girl, but I’m too old for the wolf. He only likes the really young girls.”
"But dear, you’re so pretty, I still fear for you regardless of how old you are.” Her dad was always very cautious with her, but did his best to raise a girl who could stand up on her own.
"Don’t fear, dad. I can take care of myself; you’ve taught me well.” She winked at him.
Noticing that he was drifting off to sleep as his medications starting kicking in, she walked over and kissed his forehead softly before slipping out to the front room. Staring outside, she glanced at the size and shape of the moon, wondering if this time it would be her turn.
"Only one more night to go.”
Maurine watched as the clock slowly churned closer and closer to dawn. Time moved so slowly. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as if it was trying to break free from the confines of her body.
Tonight was the night. All she could do was sit and wait to see if he’d chosen her.
A loud rustling noise from outside pulled her attention to the window. A dog barked nearby, but a yelp of pain and agony brought it to silence. The chickens in the pen squawked as terror ran through the chicken coop before quiet descended around her.
Panic threatened to overwhelm her as the sound of claws scraping against the wall outside the house. The sound carried on toward the back door which caused her heart to race faster while time seemed to slow down. Every sound of its claws on the brick house made her flinch. Maurine could tell that it was enjoying the thrill of the chase.
She listened to his movements, slow and confident. His nails ticked away at the porch as he backed up and ran at the door. The door came crashing inward, making a noise so loud she worried it might wake her father even with the extra drug cocktail she had given him.
Her brother started screaming, his bedroom door shaking as he tried to pull it open. She was thankful for the heavy duty lock she’d installed and the fact that he was too short and young to be able to unlock it. She couldn’t keep the wolf from coming in, but she could keep her brother from coming out to be the first victim.
The sound of heavy paws clapping against the hardwood was followed by growls of excitement. She had studied his patterns enough to know he would burst through her door first, saving the others for dessert.
But first came the foreplay.
She reached to the crossbow beside her bed, already loaded with the first wooden stake which she had carved and inlaid with silver barbs herself. His footsteps stopped right outside her room. His breath was heavy and made the door shudder. Maurine thought he must be savoring her fear, enjoying this last little bit before having his way with her.
The door came crashing down. Maurine was ready, crossbow locked in place. She aimed the first stake at his head, pulled the trigger and launched it into its eye. Howling, he pawed furiously at his face. The stake protruded from the side of its head apparently missing the brain she was aiming for.
She shot again, the stake embedding itself into the wall instead of its intended target. Focus, Maurine. Just like your training has taught you to do.
Lurching toward her, the beast pulled the arrow out of its eye and dropped it to the floor with a clatter. She shot once more, hitting him square in the chest, but missing the heart. She leapt from her bed and grabbed a heftier stake from the desk next to her. As she advanced upon the wounded wolf, she prayed she wouldn’t be bitten or scratched but was willing to deal with the consequences if it came to that. Her tiny figure helped her dance between his paws, but he managed to grab her hair. With one jerking motion, the wig was yanked off her head revealing naturally dark brown hair underneath. The creature's confusion as it held her red hair in his hand gave her the briefest of moments to jam the stake deep into the heart of the thing she feared most in the world.
The black eyes changed to a familiar blue and the hair started fading from his body. The paws shortened back into the hands that had once held the wafer for her First Communion. She let the body fall to the ground. She reached for the knife sheathed on her calf and drove it into his chest, cracking his rib cage.
She took one last look at the face of Father Abbot before carving out his heart and removing his head, forever freeing Forest Glen of their curse. Relief mixed with sadness fell over her as she burned his remains.
The cries of her brother finally softened as he fell back asleep, hopefully convincing himself that it was all a bad dream.