The Darkness 6: Wendigo

March 7^th 2:30 P.M.

Me, Ray, and Ciara were hanging out in front of my house discussing the events of the previous week. It wasn't long after all that happened that my pack's health was back to normal. It was a blessing too because only have a limited number of my pack to run with was crippling. There was a new issue that began to plague our town. “There's something new out there.” Ray told me. Ray was a tall light skinned black guy with short hair. “Whatever it is, it's not too much different than SlenderMan.” Ciara added. That wasn't good, we had just started to regroup and we already had to face something that could tear us down again. “It's trying to take kids and it doesn't stay in one place.” Ciara added. “Trying?” I asked. Just as Ciara was going to answer, my girlfriend Ana came around the corner. “Hey, Babe.” I greeted her. She walked up and kissed me. “Hey, where were you last week?” She asked. I could feel the nervousness from raise from Ciara and Ray at Ana's question. “I had a lot of running around to do. Ray and his mom got really sick and me and C.D. had to do work on my Grandma's farm.” I answered not completely lying. She gave me a look that made my heart drop. “Yeah, my mom had the flu real bad and I couldn't even take care of her.” Ray added to the lie. “Ohhhh,” She said with a suspicious lack of intent “well, I'm glad you guys are feeling better.” Ray nodded and smiled. Ana and Ciara glanced at each other then looked in other directions. Ana kissed me, slapped my neck then said “Alright, Babe. I'll see you inside in a little bit.” I kissed her back and agreed. “Bye, everyone.” She said walking toward my door. Ray said bye and Ciara waved as Ana disappeared into my house. Immediately after, we went back to our original conversation “As I was about to say, it hasn't taken any kids yet. The people are saying it causes delusions of a woman's voice telling mothers to take their kids outside and leave them there,” Ciara said “but none of them have done it.” “Yet,” Ray added “it's only a matter of time and we don't what will happen when one does.” “That's all we know? It hasn't been seen?” I asked Ciara. “No one has seen it. It’s only been felt.” she answered. “And we still don't know what happens if the kids are left outside.” Ray reiterated. This sat deep for a moment and I thought of C.D.; more danger for him. “I have a strong feeling I already know what this is.” I said. “What?” Ray asked. I shook my head and walked toward my front door “Go and try to find out more and we'll meet before sunset and move out tonight.” I told them before walking inside. I got inside and lead against the door. It reminded me of the first time we all went out as a pack together.

December 3^rd, two years prior

It was an unfortunate night. Everything was a cold, frosted over, foggy, grey night. Ciara, Marie, Ray, Audio, Cee, C.D., Black Eagle, and I stood on the edge of my neighborhood that bordered the woods. We were on the verge of handling the disturbing case of a young girl named Marina. She was bitten by a vampire and during the transformation process refused to drink blood. Her unnatural hunger for blood during the change ran her into isolation in the woods. It was in her isolation that her starvation led the young vampire to be possessed by a Wendigo spirit and began preying on other vampires. When we asked what a Wendigo was, he told us it was spirit that possessed the weak during time or famine and starvation and caused them to become cannibals. Eagle said that the only reason we, the werewolves, would have to become involved was because once the Wendigo fully took over the girl, she might be able turn back into a human and hunt humans during the day. We split into two groups. I took Ray and Marie for my team while Ciara took Audio and Cee. C.D. tried to come with us but I was set in my decision that he wasn’t going to join us, there was too much danger and I didn’t want him to get hurt. He was going to stay at the edge of the woods with Eagle. Our job was to capture the girl and bring her to Eagle before she could get into town attack anyone. This would’ve been impossible if the vampires had not decided to join the cause and help by bordering all the ways into town from the woods. We all awaited Eagle’s orders to run the woods. Once the moon was high in the sky, he sent us and we all took off. Into the darkness of the woods we ran faster and faster. I turned to my partners and commanded them to change. Power rushed over me as my claws, fangs, muzzle, and tail grew. My fur spouted, muscles expanded, knees reversed direction, bones shifted inside and I fell forward into a slouch as we ran. There was a final burst of power from the moon and our transformation was complete. We stopped and set into our bodies. Right away we were hit with the scent of evil, blood, and starvation. I turned and looked at Marie and Ray. Ray was a textbook werewolf, brown fur, muscular body, and yellow eyes. Marie was a small werewolf, almost blonde brown fur, and dark yellow eyes. We could all feel a surge of power from our pack members changing forms in another part of the woods. It was the strength of the pack. The power was great but it didn’t fade the over powering presence of the Wendigo. We ran through the dense trees towards our target. As we neared, there was a feeling of conflict that waved over us. Marina and the Wendigo were fighting for control over her vampire body. The conflict was over overcast by a huge cloud of hunger and pain. We came closer and closer; the pain and conflict subsided and only the feeling of the Wendigo’s hunger and the scent of blood stuck around. We ran through the damp woods almost endlessly until we finally reached her. We had no clue what she looked like before her possession but what we were looking at was monstrous. A young girl, maybe 16, had blood red eyes sunken deep into their sockets, elongated boney fingers, pasty skin with crimson and black veins pulsing all over, vampire fangs, long black hair tipped with blonde, and a body so emaciated it was disgusting. She struggled with herself, clinging to a tree to support her body, she screamed for a moment then her attention turned us. Her demonic eyes stared straight through us with the hunger of a starved beast. We moved slowly, spreading out and taking position to prevent her from leaving. Before we could decide what to do Marina attacked. She jumped and buried her claws into Marie. Marie scrambled and struggled with the possessed vampire. Marina had twice the speed and maneuverability of any normal vampire. We jumped in to help our comrade.The fight began in a mad frenzy of us avoiding being bitten by the agile girl. Soon enough she caught one of us, and took a bite out of Ray. Ray jumped back and let out a pain filled yelp. The small starved vampire was unusually cunning. She doubled back, spat out the chunk of werewolf flesh, and screamed in disgust. Her crimson eyes flashed to black then back to red, her body shook, and her veins pulsed. Marina turned and faced us then with eye blinding speed ran up into a tree and disappeared into the dark tree tops. Her vampire body couldn’t consume werewolf flesh and now she was off to find something she could. We took off after her. Cloaked by the blackness of night and the light of the moon and stars, we followed her scent trail through the woods. It was nearly impossible to track her, her aura moved so fast it was almost like she was teleporting short distances. One minute we could be right next to her and the next second she was 20 feet away. She was traveling sporadically, and wasn’t going anywhere near town. The Wendigo spirit was still fighting with her for control over her body and Marina wasn’t letting it take her to town. We chased and chased, it felt endless, tree after tree, rock after rock. It seemed as if we were going to be going in circles the whole night. If the Wendigo kept it up like that and it didn’t turn from vampire back to human form, her body would be incinerated as soon as the sun came up.  Mu nerves were rattlesd when we sensed one of our pack weaken then revert back from a werewolf into a human. Marina’s aura was now overpowered by the Wendigo and was on a straight path to my downed teammate. Ray, Marie, and I rushed as fast as we could to make to them before the Wendigo but it’s hunger fueled speed was too much to keep up with. Finally, near town, it stopped moving. My heart sank and I picked up speed. There was no time to waste, we ran even faster. If we didn’t catch up, whoever was a human would be eaten by the Wendigo. We finally caught up to the Wendigo and the rest of our pack. It was Cee had reverted back to a human and Audio and Ciara struggled to keep the savage Wendigo from eating him. It clawed to get away from Audio and Ciara while trying to take bites out of Cee. A weakened Cee backed up and scrambled to get away but he was too exhausted.  Audio’s long arms had a tight grip around its body and Ciara pushed on it’s stomach. Immediately, Ray, Marie and I joined our comrades in trying to detain the violent possessed vampire. Her strength was incredible; it was hard to keep a hold of her without hurting her. We finally got a good hold on it and I let out a howl to call for Black Eagle. We struggled to get her to the ground but Ray who was physically stronger than all of us managed to force her onto her back. I looked into her nearly empty eyes and seen the struggle between the red of the Wendiego and black of Vampire Marina feuding for control of her body orchestrated vividly. Even though she was a vampire, I felt bad for the her, the pain she must’ve been going through was unimaginable. Soon, a powerful presence that was Black Eagle and werewolf C.D. came through the woods and gave us relief to see them. Right away Eagle told C.D. to stand guard over Cee and he did. Eagle came to us and stood over the vampire who was struggling to get away. He swiftly threw a tribal necklace over the girl’s neck then began a chant in his native language. The air around us began to change and shift. Everything living thing around us began to channel energy in our direction. Everything around us became colder and grayer than before and the living energy inside Marina began to pulse vividly and her aura faded. She began thrashing and struggling wildly as Eagle took a few steps closer and chanted louder. The necklace that Eagle adorned her with began glowing when he touched it. The life energy was being channeled into the necklace, giving Marina more power over her body but it was still becoming increasingly harder to hold her down. In her eyes the black was slowly overcoming the flaring red. Eagle moved his hand from the necklace to her stomach and sank his fingers in. She began wailing and flailing then went limp. There was a moment of hesitation between my pack and I as Marina laid there lifelessly but Eagle told us to hold her down. She started to convulse, tremble, and gag. Eagle removed his hand from inside her belly and stepped back. She coughed then a red mist began spewing from her mouth. The more mist that was ejected, the less red there was in her eyes. It looked as if it was being pulled from the depths of her small body. The mist began to take a strange shape as it left her body. It swirled then when it all finally left her body, she went limp and the mist took a physical form.

The monster was somewhat ape like in the body, muscular with dirty white fur; a deer skull like head with huge blood red antlers, red eyes, long red finger nails, and sharp teeth. It was like a bad sewing together of starving and dying animals. “Wendigo.” Eagle called it. The monster had an evil grin and a cold aura around. My pack and I faced the new monster in front of us. It put it’s left hand on the ground and exhaled an icy breath. “You can no longer have the girl’s body.” Eagle told it. It stepped forward and we created a circle headed by me around Eagle and Marina. “I wasn’t going to let you have anyone in my town.” He added. The Wendigo was talking to him telepathically. “That I am. I am the last Shaman from my tribe but I am not alone.” Eagle said. There was something wrong in Eagle’s voice, there was fear and doubt. The air had become frigid since the Wendigo had appeared. The life energy around us had returned to everything that had owned it and now it was just and the monster in front of us. Eagle pulled out a curved black tribal knife and readied himself “Well then, if you want to kill us, then try.” He challenged the Wendigo. We all growled and took stance to fight. The Wendigo let out a screaming roar that sounded like wind crying then slammed his hands down and charged at us. Before we could make a move, Marina broke out our circle and launched herself at the Wendigo. We were stunned to see the young vampire up and attacking right out of unconsciousness. The monster tried to grab her but she dipped under it and latched on it’s back. It began to fumble and flail trying to get her off but to no success. She climbed higher on it’s back till she reached it’s shoulders and bit into it’s neck. It clawed, and fought to get her off but she was latched on. It screamed in fury at it's failure to remove her. I started to join the fray but Eagle told me to wait. The Wendigo went from a full out savaged struggle, to a fuss, then almost not fighting back at all. The altercation took only 20 seconds before it ended. The sinister chill that was in the air had subsided. The Wendigo fell to the face first to the floor and Marina rose. She wiped the blood from her face and stared at us. She had used the Wendigo’s blood to satisfy the hunger, become a full fledged vampire, and single handedly killed the Wendigo. While we had no clue how to approach the vampire, Eagle stepped forward and spoke to her. She went back to her human form and expressed her utmost gratitude to us. She was a pretty young girl with light skin, dark eyes, and blonde tipped black hair. She then promised she was allied to our pack regardless of any vampire affairs, whether as it was as humans or beasts. As the pack alpha, I accepted her offer and allied ourselves with Marina the vampire under the approval of Eagle. I turned back to see the withering body of the Wendigo turning black then I looked back at my pack. We were all different but all the same; we all had something to contribute to one another. It was our first time protecting humans from a threat and we succeeded. The Wendigo’s body turned into nothing but a pile of fur that was carried away on cold breeze. The woods had returned to normal for now. Together, my pack and I howled at the moon.