From: cbnorman@cayley.uwaterloo.ca (Bruce Norman)
Subject: Wolf (Chapter 1)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:01:34 GMT

Well, looks like it won't take me a week to get around to posting
this after all :)  I decided to not spend the time proofreading 
this as (if my calculations are correct) that would have taken me
about 3-6 months (what with the very limited free time I have 
right now), so here it is in its *rawest* form :)

As you will soon see, I never actually made it to the 
transformation of man into wolf, but I hope that the psychological 
aspects of Chris's "mental transformation" will interest you.  
Lyncanthropy is far to often passed off as a "five minute 
moonlight magical change".  I see the transformation from man to 
wolf being a far more difficult thing. 

Below find chapter 1, of 7.  I'll be posting them at the rate
of about one per day.  Please, if you have any comments,
suggestions, or critisizms, feel free to speak freely!

Please excuse any rough aspects (grammer, spelling) you may 
encounter. 

------------------------------------------------------------------

                              Wolf
                   Copyright 1992, Bruce Norman
                        All rights reserved

                          - Chapter 1 -

    It was a quiet night.  A romantic night.  The moon was full 
and bright.  Invigorating.  A night which hinted of unspoken 
promises. 
    Rick glanced over at the brown-haired beauty at his side.  
Judy.  She smiled at him nervously.  She smiled like that all the 
time: it annoyed him.  Her smile said she didn't trust him.  
Whenever he talked to her she'd respond in that same nervous 
voice; smile that same nervous smile.  What was she worried 
about? Now she was shivering.  Fear? No, not fear.  The cold. 
    "What's wrong Judy?" he asked, trying to bring forth kindness 
in his voice.  He tried to sound kind and considerate (he found 
that was what worked with girls), but it came out somewhat 
mockingly.  He mentally forced himself to calm down.  He had to 
play her right.  Girls were like everything else, a skill to be 
learned, something to be done well.  He had to treat her right, 
she'd come in time. 
    "I'm, cold, Rick" she said hesitantly, "couldn't we go now?" 
He smiled at her.  He'd caught on to her game.  Cold eh? He'd 
heard that one before.  Why couldn't girls come right out and say 
it? 
    "No need to move on Judy, its nice right here.  I love to 
look at the sky, with you."  He slid over in the seat until he 
was next to her.  He didn't really like the stars, and it was 
hard to see them clearly through the dirty windshield of his 
truck, but girls liked to hear that sort of thing.  His arm 
smoothly slid around her waist and he pulled her in a little, but 
just a little.  Girls were like fishing; you had to play the line 
just right or it would break and they'd get away.  He could feel 
the heat of her body against his side.  He liked that feeling. 
    "Still cold?" he asked. 
    "No" said Judy "I guess not".  She seemed nervous again.  God 
how he hated that.  It was time for him to set her straight.  He 
let go of her and pushed himself away. 
    "Listen Judy, I can see you're nervous about something.  Don't 
you trust me? I'm a nice guy, you're a nice girl.  Is it too much 
to ask to hold a girl and look at the stars? Is there any harm in 
that?" 
    He watched her carefully.  She looked startled, and somewhat 
ashamed.  Good, he had her where he wanted her now.  He put on 
his "emotionally wounded" mask and looked away.  Five seconds 
later he felt her hand on his.  Inside himself he smiled. 
    "I...I'm sorry Rick.  I guess I just got worried.  People 
talk.  People say...things.  I just assumed that you were trying 
to...you know." 
    "It's all-right.  I know what you mean."  His voice was 
saturated with understanding.  His arm slid around her again and 
he pulled her close.  She didn't pull away.  He held her, that 
was all, just held her.  He had to play the line slowly, she was 
a tough fish. 
    Her arm slid around his waist and she squeezed him.  They 
held eachother.  She was looking at the stars now. 
    "You were right, Rick, it is beautiful out here.  I'm sorry I 
didn't trust you."  Rick smiled again.  She was most definitely 
hooked.  Now to reel her in, a little.  You had to be careful 
about these things.  He touched his finger to her cheeks and she 
turned her head towards him.  He looked into her eyes. 
    "The stars aren't as beautiful as you are Judy" he said 
softly.  He raised his finger to her lips and stroked across 
them. 
    "Rick" said Judy.  He pulled her closer, she didn't resist.  
Their lips touched.  He kissed her.  She returned his embrace, 
bluntly.  Her lips were inexperienced, but what did he expect? He 
knew her reputation, she was a clean sixteen year old.  He was 
eighteen, and he hoped to hell she didn't know his reputation.  
She was nervous, he moved his mouth slowly.  Her lips softened 
against his, she was learning already.  He parted his lips, she 
followed his lead.  His tongue began to explore her mouth.  She 
stiffened slightly, as if she didn't know what he was doing, but 
did not pull away.  She wanted it bad. 
    He wanted her bad. 
    His right hand was hugging her back.  Slowly, gently, he slid 
it down her back, and up again.  A slow, rubbing, loosening 
motion.  The fabric of her blouse came free, pulled out from 
where it was tucked into the back of her jeans.  Expert fingers 
slid in through the tiny crevice and began to trace patterns on 
the bare flesh of her back.  She separates her lips from him. 
    "Rick, what are you doing?" He loved it when they played 
innocent.  He knew her game.  He knew what she wanted.  There 
hadn't been a girl yet who had complained to him the next day.  
He was good at what he did. 
    "Come on Judy, relax, I just want to make you happy".  His 
voice dripping with honey.  Inside himself, Rick swore.  He'd 
misplayed, pulled to hard on the line.  She was scared now.  Well 
it was too late, she shouldn't have led him on.  She should have 
dated some kid if she'd just wanted a movie and an ice cream cone.  
She'd calm down in a few minutes when he was done. 
    "Rick, stop it now".  Her voice was low, quiet, like she was 
worried someone might overhear her.  She wanted it though, he 
could tell.  She'd scream if she really didn't want it.  She 
wasn't even resisting.  She wanted him to make her do it; that 
way she could tell herself it wasn't her fault.  Stupid, but he'd 
play her game. 
    Rick's left hand fumbled with the buttons on her blouse while 
his right snaked in to squeeze her left breast.  So much for the 
slow catch.  It was time to pull on the line with all his might.  
He would land this fish, no matter what. 
    The blow to his crotch caught him completely by surprise.  He 
let out a short yelp of pain and froze.  His eyes took on a cruel 
glare. 
    "That was stupid bitch, now you're going to get it.  Now 
you're going to get it good."  Rick's face twisted into a snarl.  
He'd been feeling edgy and violent all day.  It was the moon, it 
did things to him. 

                          *     *     * 

    It was a quiet night.  A romantic night.  The moon was full 
and bright. Invigorating.  A night which hinted of unspoken 
promises. 
    Judy smiled nervously at Rick.  Why were they here? He'd 
refused to tell her what they were going to do on their date; he 
had claimed he wanted to surprise her.  Some surprise.  Here they 
were, out in Memorial Park looking at stars.  She'd assumed he 
was going to drive her to Thornbury for a movie.  It was too cold 
out here by the water, and she didn't trust Rick. 
    "What's wrong Judy?" he asked, and smiled at her.  It was a 
friendly smile, he'd been smiling like that all night.  He didn't 
smile like that at school.  Maybe he was a different person when 
he wasn't around his crude friends. 
    "I'm cold, Rick" she said nervously, "couldn't we go now?".  
The moon was too bright anyway, you couldn't see the stars very 
well. 
    "No need to move on Judy, its nice right here.  I love to 
look at the stars with you."  He slid up against her and put his 
arm around her waist.  He pulled her against him, but not 
roughly.  His thigh was pressed against her.  His arm was around 
her.  He felt warm.  "Still cold?" he asked her, and flashed her 
that same considerate smile.  She didn't trust him.  She couldn't 
afford to trust him, yet. 
    "No, I guess not" she answered.  She turned her head away 
from him and looked out across the water.  The moon was 
reflected perfectly in the bay.  If she turned her head sideways 
she'd see two round yellow eyes staring back at her. 
    Rick pushed her away. 
    "Listen Judy, I can see you're nervous about something.  What? 
Don't you trust me? I'm a nice guy, you're a nice girl.  Is it 
too much to ask that you can hold a girl and look at the stars? 
Is there any harm in that?"  He looked so hurt and confused.  A 
wave of guilt washed over her.  She hadn't talked to him at all.  
She hadn't even given him a chance.  He was behaving himself.  He 
hadn't tried anything, and they'd been out here for almost half 
an hour.  Maybe he was as nervous as she was? 
    "I...I'm sorry Rick," she apologized.  I guess I just got 
worried.  People talk."  *Stupid people*.  "People say...things."  
*Jealous people*.  "I just assumed that you were trying to...you 
know."  She blushed bright red. 
    "It's all-right.  I know what you mean."  He sounded forgiving, 
and resigned, he must have heard this before; heard what people 
said about him.  No wonder he acted so cold at school.  His arm 
slid back around her waist.  He squeezed her, she let him pull 
her in closer this time.  Hesitantly she let her head rest on his 
shoulder.  Nervously she slipped her own arm around his waist.  
Her heart pounded, she was not usually this bold.  She looked out 
through his windshield at the two huge yellow eyes.  One hung in 
the sky, one was suspended in the lake.  A far more beautiful 
sight than mere stars. 
    "You were right, Rick, it is beautiful out here.  I'm sorry I 
didn't trust you."  Rick smiled at her, he was happy now.  He 
must know that she trusted him now.  Maybe she was the only one? 
What would it be like to have no one trust you, and then suddenly 
find someone? 
    He raised his finger and stroked her cheeks.  He was looking 
at her.  She looked at his eyes, and blushed.  She'd never seen 
someone look at her that way.  Like she was the one thing, the 
only thing, he was seeing. 
    "The stars aren't as beautiful as you are Judy" he said 
softly.  She shivered, if she told someone that he had said that 
to her they would laugh. When he said it it sounded good.  He 
raised his finger to her lips and stroked it across them, 
slowly.  She wanted to kiss that finger, but she didn't.  She sat 
there, unmoving. 
    This was the real Rick, not the mask he wore at school. 
    "Rick" she said.  She shivered, but not with nervousness, 
with anticipation.  Would he do it now? Would he kiss her in the 
moonlight? She wanted him to, but she didn't know what to do.  
She sat there, unmoving, as he bent his body slightly.  He was 
bringing his head closer to her.  She moved her own head forward, 
slowly.  Their lips brushed lightly.  Then he was pressing 
against her, and his kiss was firm.  She blushed.  Her kiss was 
wrong, she could feel it; he would turn his head away and laugh.  
His left hand took hers and squeezed, reassuringly.  His right 
hand stroked her back.  She relaxed, and let her lips move with 
his; suddenly it was all-right. 
    His lips were parting now.  Hers parted with his.  She felt 
his tongue go into her.  She didn't know what to do, but she 
didn't care either.  She relaxed, let him guide her.  She moved 
with him, letting instinct take control. 
    His hand was on her back now, her bare back.  His fingers 
were crawling up her back, how did they get there? She pulled her 
lips away for a second. "Rick, what are you doing?" He smiled at 
her, that same understanding, kind, benevolent smile.  It filled 
his face.  It swelled in his face until it almost seemed to burst 
out of him, gushing kindness and understanding down on her until 
she drowned.  She looked at his eyes, they weren't looking at her 
the same way they had before.  His eyes were impatient and wild. 
    "Come on Judy, relax, I just want to make you happy."  He 
sounded like a bad movie to her now.  His hand was still on her 
back.  He was leaning over her, trying to kiss her again, push 
her down.  She tried to calm herself, but she couldn't, she was 
scared.  It hadn't been real, any of it, had it.  He wore his 
mask here, not at school. 
    "Rick, stop it now" she ordered him.  She felt her bra strap 
coming undone.  Her shirt wasn't even off, what was he doing? Now 
his other hand was unbuttoning her shirt.  His other hand reached 
in through the opening to touch her, where had that hand come 
from? His hands were everywhere at once.  He was moving too 
quickly for her, leaning over her, pressing her down against the 
seat.  She couldn't keep up with him.  He knew what he was doing. 
    He was unbuttoning her jeans now.  What would come next? Oh 
no, not that, not to her, now, with him.  Please God don't let it 
happen. 
    No. 
    Her knee moved with unexpected ferocity.  Rick froze, and let 
out a short yelp of pain.  He did not fall over unconscious, or 
dead, he just froze, and looked at her.  His eyes hated her. 
    "That was stupid you bitch, now you're going to get it.  Now 
you're going to get it good."  His face was twisted into a snarl.  
His hands moved to press her down again, roughly, against the 
seat.  He tore at her blouse.  Buttons popped off.  He pulled it 
off of her without effort and let it drop to the floor.  He 
slapped her, and pushed her down against the seat again. 
    Her hand searched the floor of Rick's truck franticly.  Her 
fingers closed on a beer bottle.  It was full, and warm, she 
could feel the cap biting into the edge of her hand as she 
gripped it. 
    His legs were propped against hers, holding them still.  His 
hands were on her bare shoulders, holding her down against the 
seat. 
    Her arm swung the beer bottle against him.  It moved slowly, 
too slowly, couldn't her arm move faster than that? It hit his 
forehead, but not properly.  The glass did not shatter into a 
thousand fragments, it bounced off of his head like a ball.  He 
did not fall over unconscious, or dead.  He froze again, the glare 
in his eyes faded away and was replaced by a dull glaze.  His 
arms went limp, this was her chance.  She pulled herself out from 
under him.  The truck door opened, she rolled out onto the 
ground.  She looked up, Rick was shaking his head now, and his 
eyes were cruel again, she didn't have much time.  She pulled 
herself to her feet and began to run.  Her eyes wildly sought out 
an escape route.  She had to get away from him.  What could she 
do? Where could she go? She was five miles from town, half-naked, 
she couldn't go home like this. 
    She heard him getting out of the truck.  "Go ahead, run! 
There's nowhere you can go! I'm going to catch you.  I'm going to 
teach you a lesson!" 
    She ran faster.  For ten seconds she ran faster and heard 
nothing of him. 

[Ed Note: Tense Change] 

    Then she hears the howling. 
    Dogs, thinks Judy, dogs in the woods.  Dogs howling at the 
moon. 
    The darkness is incredible.  Thank god for the moon.  Without 
it she'd be running blind.  Her heart thunders in her ears.  
She'll never be able to outrun him.  She is tired, so tired, and 
her side hurts.  He is a hunter, she a wounded deer.  He'll catch 
her, rape her, and then he'll kill her. 
    The howling comes again.  It is closer now. 
    Something big is following her.  Something that doesn't run 
along the path.  Something that crashes through the woods.  She 
begins to cry as the futility of her flight becomes evident to 
her.  
    She sees a clearing ahead.  A stony beach.  There is nowhere 
to hide.  No trees to climb.  No shadows, thanks to the moon.  
The water must be freezing, she wouldn't get far.  She runs out 
of the woods, almost collapsing on the flat earth.  She looks 
around.  Washed ashore, nearby, a large stick, a weapon.  No time 
to get it.  Her pursuer is coming.  She can hear it coming.  She 
screams as it bursts from the woods. 
    "Rick" she begs.  "Please don't hurt me." 
    "I'm not going to hurt you," he whispers softly, "I'm going 
to kill you".  His eyes are burning.  Large bloody scratches on 
his face; scratches from the bushes he has run through.  He 
snarls at her, advances, and grabs her unresisting arm. 
    "But first I'm going to take what's my due." 
    Behind him, from the woods, the sound of breaking branches.  
A low growl.  Rick turns his head.  Color drains from his face, 
bleaching him white.  Her eyes are drawn to see what he sees. 
    Twin moons, like on the water.  Their are twin moons in the 
woods.  Two eyes staring out at her. 
    The dark thing bursts from the woods.  She vaguely sees the 
flash of yellowed teeth.  Jaws snap.  A muzzle foams. 
    "No fucking way!" screams Rick as it lands on him.  "There's 
no timber wolves in Meaford!"  He falls to the ground.  It is on 
top of him, pressing him into the ground.  He is screaming now.  
She screams too.  Her eyes drink in the horror of him and the 
beast.  It is hard to tell where man begins, and where beast 
ends.  The moon is playing tricks on her eyes.  Sometimes she 
sees Rick, sometimes a wolf, and sometimes she wasn't sure what 
she saw. 
    She does the only thing she can.  She turns and runs. 
    She plunges into the forest, paying no heed to the brambles 
and branches which scrape her tender flesh.  She does not run far 
before she hears the howling again.  It signals his end.  It does 
not shock her, she has expected it, he hadn't had a chance.  Her 
lungs heave as she maintains her suicidal velocity.  She plunges 
through bushes without a care.  Bloody scratches cover her body 
from the waist up, she pays them no attention.  What she pays for 
in pain she gains in speed.  His truck is before her now.  The 
door is thrown open, she is in, closing it behind her.  Locks 
clatter.  She does not need to lock the door.  Wolves do not have 
hands, then can not open doors.  It doesn't matter. 
    Three seconds of peace, and then the beast arrives. 
    It charges at her and leaps at the truck window.  It stands 
there, paws pressed against the glass.  Growling.  Snapping.  It 
presses its muzzle against the windshield and whines to be let 
in. 
    "Go away you fucking Cujo!" she screams.  It's jaws drip with 
blood: his blood.  She turns her head away and fumbles with the 
truck's ignition. 
    There is no key. 
    "Oh no..." she mumbles to herself.  "Please Rick, please 
don't have the keys..."  The wolf circles the truck.  She begins 
to cry. 
    "It can't hurt me, not while I'm in here" she tells herself.  
The wolf leaps onto the hood of the truck.  She screams.  Foam 
from its muzzle drips on the dirty windshield.  It leaves a clear 
streak. 
    She turns her head away.  A glint catches her eyes.  Rick's 
coat.  The pocket.  Keys.  She grabs them. 
    "Oh Rick, you fucking asshole, I love you".  Keys jam in the 
ignition.  She turns them.  The engine coughs, splutters, and 
dies. 
    The wolf's pawing becomes more frantic.  It began to bark 
again, and snarl.  Judy screams as bloody paw prints began to 
appear.  The key turns.  The accelerator is pressed.  The engine 
roars to life. 
    The wolf does not like the noise.  It is growling again. 
    "Fuck you" she swears.  Unsure hands grasp the wheel and 
gearshift.  The clutch is pressed.  A lever is moved.  The truck 
is now in reverse.  She presses the accelerator and backs up.  
The wolf shakes on unsteady legs.  She floors the accelerator.  
The wolf slides, almost comically, and falls off the hood. 
    Hands move with incredible precision.  First gear, 
accelerator, the truck moves forward.  Impact.  She lets out a 
cry of triumph.  The truck leans slightly as she passes over It.  
Reverse.  Accelerate.  A solid bump as she runs over it again.  
Headlights.  She can see it now, lying in its own blood, and his. 
    It is not moving.  Its back legs and torso are partially 
crushed, she can see that from here, but it is not dead.  It is 
lying there, on the road.  First gear.  This will be the end. 
    It turns its yellow eyes and looked at her.  She sees hatred 
and contempt in its gaze.  It is goading her, daring her to 
continue forward, to crush it.  She turns her eyes away. 
    "Die slow" she swears, and turns the truck away. 

[Ed Note: Tense changes] 

    She pulled out on to the dirt road that lead out of Memorial 
park, parking place for young lovers.  She was surprised at how 
well she was driving, considering she had never touched a car.  
Fear is an excellent instructor. 
    She was home ten minutes later.  She stopped out in front of 
her house, untrusting of her ability to enter the driveway.  She 
pulled his coat over her body, wincing as many scrapes and 
scratches called out their protest.  She stepped out of the truck 
now, walked up to her house, and rang the bell.  She had left her 
keys in the truck, it did not matter, her parents would be up 
anyway.  They were always up.  The door opened.  It was Mother. 
    "Judy? Oh my god! What happened?" 
    Now she burst into tears. 
    It took ten minutes for her to stop crying, another ten 
minutes to calm her father down, and twenty to tell the story.  
By the time the police arrived and took her statement, two hours 
had passed.  One hour later the police returned.  They had found 
the body which once was Rick.  
    They did not find the wolf.  
    The told her they believed her story, Rick's wounds confirmed 
it.  They had found blood on the dirt path, where she claimed to 
have struck the wolf with Rick's truck.  She must not have killed 
it, they told her, perhaps she hadn't hit it as hard as she 
thought? It must have dragged itself away.  She protested, she 
had seen its crushed leg, it was completely immobile.  They 
consoled her.  Hunting parties would be organized.  No man-
killing wolf would be allowed to roam free.  It would be dead in 
a day.  Everything would be all-right. 
    She hoped they were right, but for some reason she just 
didn't believe them.