Learning new things can be considered a blessing by some. Not the lessons that can be taught in a crowded classroom, but ones that are learned in life. Take this story for instance, our main character is about to learn that things can turn sour far faster than the blink of an eye. And once things go sour, it takes far more effort to make it sweet again.
"I know you wanted to teach me to be a better werewolf, but do we have to use living creatures for me to attack?" I asked of my grandfather as we made it out even further into the woods, a jar in my hands that contained fairies. "Why can't we use something dead, or a doll?"
"Because, Jonathan," he stopped walking and turned to me, his face brought closer to mine. "You are training for something real, something that can fight back. You won't get much of a fight out of a doll." He turned back around and I followed him deeper into the woods.
I looked down at the glowing fairies as they floated around the jar, fighting against the glass to make their escape. I was thankful that they weren't so heavy to carry.
It took ages but we finally made it out into a clearing in the middle of the woods. My grandfather dropped the bag, that hung around his shoulders, onto the ground. Out of it, he pulled a large bowl with some dark material piled up on it. Out of curiosity, I set the jar on the ground and got closer to see what he was going to do with it.
He snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above his finger, making me jump back a little. "The rage of a werewolf is strong," he said. "Harnessing your rage can give you abilities." He lowered his flaming finger to the bowl and it too caught fire. The fire in the bowl burned bright but was self contained, like a portable campfire.
He blow his finger out and stood from the ground. He made his way over to the jar I'd laid down and motioned for me to follow him. He picked the jar and faced me. "Do you remember how to summon your inner wolf?"
I nodded. He asked me to bring him out. I closed my eyes and felt the rage of the wolf burning inside me, begging to be released. I felt the rage now, coursing through my body as I felt my bones contort and my body shift. I felt the hair covering my body. The transition was painless this time, as all I could feel was the anger my werewolf held.
I opened my eyes and stared down at my grandfather. He had a smile on his face as he admired what his own flesh and blood could turn into. He actually looked proud of me. I let our a roar that boomed through the trees. I could feel a hand beating my chest. I looked down to find that he was shaking his head and shushing me. I forgot we lived near a city, and it was nearly midnight.
He backed away with the jar and mouthed the words, "Are you ready?" I nodded.
He looked down at the jar before breaking loose the cork and staggered back as the fairies flew out. They started fluttering around my face, the glowing lights emanating from them blinding me. I started swatting at them but they dodged every swipe. I stumbled backward and they took off in my grandfather's direction. His face twisted into fear as they grabbed his shirt and pulled him deeper into the woods.
I chased after him but was stopped short when gnomes and goblins crossed my path. I tried stepping over them but some of them latched onto my legs and caused me to fall to the ground.
I was tackled by what felt like a hundred small bodies at once. I tried standing up, letting the rage course through me as I did so. Slowly I was able to find my strength and get back on my feet. I tore them off my body and charged toward my grandfather once again.
I looked ahead and saw a fairy detach from him and fly toward me. Was it trying to go for another round? I was going to tear it to shreds for taking my grandfather away from me.
As it go closer to my face, I swatted at it. I heard it mutter a few words in its high pitched voice. All of a sudden, I began getting shorter, more grounded to the earth. I could feel my bones snapping and the hair shedding as I shifted back into my human form.
I shook my head and looked around, confused as to where I was. I heard my grandfather's screams up ahead and remembered what I was doing. I closed my eyes and focused on my inner rage. I needed the wolf back if there was any hope in saving him. I couldn't find my inner rage. It was like my werewolf was asleep within me. I couldn't feel him.
I heard my grandfather calling to me again, further this time. I decided, it didn't matter what form I was in, I was going to save him.
I ran harder than I had ever before. I was surprised I was able to dodge all the fallen tree limbs and holes in the ground as I ran.
I was getting closer and closer, but I felt a small hand grab the back of my shirt. Then several more. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, carried along with my grandfather.
It felt like an eternity, but the fairies had finally dropped us off. We were underground in some kind of a cave system. I got up and looked around. We were stuck, no hope of an escape.
"I know you wanted to teach me to be a better werewolf, but do we have to use living creatures for me to attack?" I asked of my grandfather as we made it out even further into the woods, a jar in my hands that contained fairies. "Why can't we use something dead, or a doll?"
"Because, Jonathan," he stopped walking and turned to me, his face brought closer to mine. "You are training for something real, something that can fight back. You won't get much of a fight out of a doll." He turned back around and I followed him deeper into the woods.
I looked down at the glowing fairies as they floated around the jar, fighting against the glass to make their escape. I was thankful that they weren't so heavy to carry.
It took ages but we finally made it out into a clearing in the middle of the woods. My grandfather dropped the bag, that hung around his shoulders, onto the ground. Out of it, he pulled a large bowl with some dark material piled up on it. Out of curiosity, I set the jar on the ground and got closer to see what he was going to do with it.
He snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above his finger, making me jump back a little. "The rage of a werewolf is strong," he said. "Harnessing your rage can give you abilities." He lowered his flaming finger to the bowl and it too caught fire. The fire in the bowl burned bright but was self contained, like a portable campfire.
He blow his finger out and stood from the ground. He made his way over to the jar I'd laid down and motioned for me to follow him. He picked the jar and faced me. "Do you remember how to summon your inner wolf?"
I nodded. He asked me to bring him out. I closed my eyes and felt the rage of the wolf burning inside me, begging to be released. I felt the rage now, coursing through my body as I felt my bones contort and my body shift. I felt the hair covering my body. The transition was painless this time, as all I could feel was the anger my werewolf held.
I opened my eyes and stared down at my grandfather. He had a smile on his face as he admired what his own flesh and blood could turn into. He actually looked proud of me. I let our a roar that boomed through the trees. I could feel a hand beating my chest. I looked down to find that he was shaking his head and shushing me. I forgot we lived near a city, and it was nearly midnight.
He backed away with the jar and mouthed the words, "Are you ready?" I nodded.
He looked down at the jar before breaking loose the cork and staggered back as the fairies flew out. They started fluttering around my face, the glowing lights emanating from them blinding me. I started swatting at them but they dodged every swipe. I stumbled backward and they took off in my grandfather's direction. His face twisted into fear as they grabbed his shirt and pulled him deeper into the woods.
I chased after him but was stopped short when gnomes and goblins crossed my path. I tried stepping over them but some of them latched onto my legs and caused me to fall to the ground.
I was tackled by what felt like a hundred small bodies at once. I tried standing up, letting the rage course through me as I did so. Slowly I was able to find my strength and get back on my feet. I tore them off my body and charged toward my grandfather once again.
I looked ahead and saw a fairy detach from him and fly toward me. Was it trying to go for another round? I was going to tear it to shreds for taking my grandfather away from me.
As it go closer to my face, I swatted at it. I heard it mutter a few words in its high pitched voice. All of a sudden, I began getting shorter, more grounded to the earth. I could feel my bones snapping and the hair shedding as I shifted back into my human form.
I shook my head and looked around, confused as to where I was. I heard my grandfather's screams up ahead and remembered what I was doing. I closed my eyes and focused on my inner rage. I needed the wolf back if there was any hope in saving him. I couldn't find my inner rage. It was like my werewolf was asleep within me. I couldn't feel him.
I heard my grandfather calling to me again, further this time. I decided, it didn't matter what form I was in, I was going to save him.
I ran harder than I had ever before. I was surprised I was able to dodge all the fallen tree limbs and holes in the ground as I ran.
I was getting closer and closer, but I felt a small hand grab the back of my shirt. Then several more. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, carried along with my grandfather.
It felt like an eternity, but the fairies had finally dropped us off. We were underground in some kind of a cave system. I got up and looked around. We were stuck, no hope of an escape.
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