Werewolf Tears

Werewolf Tears

Part One- The Nightmare Begins

In Northern Scotland, there was a small town named Ashbourne. It sat on the outskirts of a large woodland named after a man called Harrington Fredrick. The Fredrick Forest was a large expanse of Pines, Oaks and Maple Trees. It was home to many a creature. Birds nested in the branches, beside homes of possums and tree dwellers. Upon the forest floor, wild foxes and feral cats fought it off, the winner waltzing proudly into its new found and highly fought for, cave or burrow. Apart from the many carnivorous creatures, there lived many species of plant-eating land-dwellers. Stumbling over roots with short legs or running quickly from an advancing predator. Stags and deer grazed on raised hills, their magnificent heads rose at any sound of approaching feet.

There were the small hunters. The fox, cat and snake. But there was also the most feared creature in the Fredrick Forest. It was a night-hunter. It only came out with the shadows and moon. It was a rare chance that you would come across one of the beautiful beasts in the light of day. But when you did, fear covered your heart and drove your senses. With brilliant vision, excellent hearing and a strong taste for blood and flesh, this creature was the wolf.

They hunted in packs. When they came across an animal that looked appetizing, they attacked. The head of the pack would lead them in for the kill. Launching at the creatures neck, they sank inch long fangs into the soft flesh of the throat. Three others would follow. They took out the animals feet, making them unable to stand. They tore at its back. Lack of blood and oxygen, plus the inability to hold their own weight, the creature was forced to drop. And once that happened, it was all over. The wolves never gave up. Once they had the taste of your flesh and the smell of your scent, they would track you and bring you down.

They were the perfect hunter. But only a handful of people were ever attacked, and rarely killed. The citizens of Ashbourne knew that if you left the wolf-packs alone, they would leave you. Only if you presented a threat to one of their kind, such as a young pup or brother, would they attack you. That was the reason that those who were killed by the wild canines were hunters. Poachers.

Though people still feared them. At night, while lying in the safety of your bed, you could hear them. A chorus of howls, singing to the glowing moon in the night sky. To the thousands of glittering stars. To their brothers, lost in the endless dark. They called.

Back in the town of Ashbourne, all were asleep. Shadows danced at the doorsteps and darkness licked at every turn. All was silent. A single lantern, suspended high in the middle of the street, burned. A mass of fluttering moths and insects congregated around the glowing light like bees to a flower. Not far down the road, a house sat alone between two fields. A small stream trickled opposite. The sound of water running over many stones echoed in the darkness.

Around the side of the house, a window sat parallel with an old oak tree. A single tire swing hung from a high, invisible branch. The darkness engulfed it almost completely. Inside the window was a small room. It contained a carved wooden desk and a timber bed. A couple home-made model aeroplanes hung from the ceiling. One was rotating slightly from the wind entering the partly-open window. Upon the bed, was the form of a small boy. He looked incredibly tiny, curled up under himself. With every inhalation, the bed sheet rose slightly. Peacefully, he dreamt.

A long, heart-filled howl escaped from the distance. The boy immediately opened his eyes and sat up. His breath became faster and heart raced. A forehead of sweat gleamed in the light from the moon. The wolf-call slowly faded. The boy was still sitting up, but his breathing and pulse had regained its regular pace. Swiftly, he wiped the beads of sweat away. With one last glance at the dark sky through his curtainless window, the child sank back down under his covers. He pulled them closer and tighter to his thin frame. A moment later, he was once more in the land of slumber. A dream played in his mind once more.

In the distance, the same wolf howled. This time, none did wake.

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As the birds awakened and sent their cheery tunes into the morning air, a large, glittering sun rose above the horizon. Beams of gentle sunlight splashed through a bare glass window, landing on the face of a sleeping boy. In the soft shower of light, a pair of dark brown eyes opened blearily to the new day. Yawning largely, he ran a small hand through the light brown hair covering his young head. Swinging his legs from the bed and pushing the patchwork quilt from around his waist, he touched the floor with his toes. Being wooden boards, the ground was freezing. He quickly bounded to a pale grey mat lying in the centre of the room. Once his feet were covered by a too big pair of green slippers, he padded into the hall.

The Lupin house-hold was a small one. It contained only three bedrooms. The larger was for Mr and Mrs Lupin. The next two were quite identical, one was for the eldest son, Lamar and the last was for small Remus. Mr and Mrs Lupin were not a very wealthy couple. Harold Lupin was the owner of the local corner store. But Ashbourne, being a small country town, did not have a very big population. So business for Harold was extremely slow and only brought enough money in to feed his family.

Julie Lupin was a caring and totally devoted mother. She was a house-wife, cooking and cleaning for her small children and loving husband. The Lupin's were the perfect little family. They loved each other and were the envy of all in Ashbourne.

But there was also something special about Julie Lupin. She held the gift of creating sparks to fly from her hand. Birds to appear in her pale locks or the bacon to fry itself in the pan at breakfast. All this was done with the applause of Remus and Lamar in the air. Julie Lupin could do these things because she was a witch.

Harold knew of this and the two lived together in complete happiness. He was astounded to find out, just before their wedding, that she was capable of performing magic. But he wasn't one to discriminate against someone because they were different. She was the same woman he fell in love with; with a few peculiar talents. The two were not sure yet if their sons had inherited the gift, and were waiting, with eager hearts, for the next year. It was in this year that, if Lamar was like his mother, he would receive an invitation to attend one of the many magic academy's in the world. They were hoping for him to be greeted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, run by Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world.

On this particular morning, the whole Lupin family were seated at the kitchen table when a small boy entered. A middle-aged man, face hidden behind an open paper, looked over the page he was on when the boy seated himself opposite. The man had a neatly parted head of dark hair and a pair of dark brown eyes.

"Good morning, Remi. Sleep well?" Remus Lupin, stifled a yawn.

"Yes, father. The wolf woke me again..." Harold looked at his son, a concerned expression on his face. "Was it in the forest or closer this time?"

"It sounded fairly closer this time, but I was half asleep when I heard it, so I could have been mistaken." Remus answered, sipping the juice his mother had placed before him.

"Did the big-bad wolf wake poor Remi-wemi again?" said a boy sitting on Remus's left. This was Lamar Lupin. This elder boy had inherited his fathers dark hair but Julie's clear blue eyes. There was only a year between he and his brother's age, but strangely, Remus was the more mature and sensible of the pair. Although, Lamar being the big-brother, he had the job of watching out for Remus when the time arrived. But that did not mean they were not allowed to pick on the other.

"Yes, in fact it did. And I know for a fact that you woke up crying the other night because a wolf growled outside your window!" said the nine-year old, sticking his tongue out at his brother. The other returned the gesture before starting on a delicious smelling breakfast before him. Remus sniffed the warm air wafting up from his buttered toast and fried egg. Grinning, he grabbed his utensils and set to work in devouring all his breakfast.

Once the plates were scraped and cleaned, the family was quite content listening to an old wireless radio sitting by the kitchen bench. A child's tiny feet could be heard running down the dirt road out the front of the house. The days were spent here in Ashbourne, for the children, in perfect harmony. They could swim in the stream running on the outskirts of town, the water clear and cool. They could play running games through the fields of long grass and wheat. But they had to beware of snakes. The scaled reptiles had a nasty habit of appearing in the place you were about to step. Or the children could attempt to climb the trees on the edges of the Fredrick Forest. But they had to stay out of the sight of their parents. Because if the adults were to see them anywhere near the borders of the trees, they would be taken away and locked in-doors for the remainder of their holidays.

"Why don't you kids go out and play with the McKinnon's?" asked Mr Lupin, breaking the silence only disrupted by the tune playing from the musical box. The McKinnon's were a family who lived a few houses up from the Lupin's. Xian and Richard were twins, the same age as Lamar. They had become fast friends with the elder Lupin boy as they held the same interests. Remus was forced to tag along with them as there was no one else in the town that he liked enough to play with.

"Okay," answered Lamar, standing from the table and waiting while Remus did the same. The two exited the small home, blinking furiously as the sudden burst of sunshine stung their eyes. Walking from the drove and turning to head down the road, away from town, the two began scuffing their feet in the red dirt.

"I hope Richard got that rope from his father, he was meant to last week, but forgot!" said Lamar, kicking a small rock in front of him.

"Why did you want some rope?" asked Remus, struggling to keep up with his brothers fast strides. Lamar glanced side-ways at him, as if seeing if he was trust-worthy. "Remember when Richard, Xian and me went for that walk last Tuesday?" The older boy waited for his brother to nod. When he did, he continued.

"Well, we found this great big old oak on the other side of Trixie's Stream. Its just passed that row of thorn bushes and is great to climb. We've went back a couple of times and took some wood over there and are making a fort in the branches. We've almost finished but need rope to make a bucket elevator to carry supplies up," Remus stopped in his tracks. Lamar kept walking, not noticing his brother was not beside him.

"You mean that really tall tree covered in vines?" Remus called. His brother stopped and turned to face him. "Yes, why?"

"That's inside the forest! We're not allowed in the forest!" Lamar glared at him.

"We wont get in trouble unless someone snitches on us!" he snarled, continuing walking, red dust rising at each foot fall.

"But there are wolves in there!" Remus called, heart beating frantically. The howl of the wolf from the night before resurfaced in his mind. Lamar hissed loudly like a kettle at the boil. "Are you going to be afraid all your life?" Remus felt small and alone without his older brother. And being with him made him feel safe. With one last glance behind him, Remus took off up the path, joining Lamar. The older boy smirked and swung an arm over Remus's shoulder.

"I knew you would come around," he said coming to a halt beside an old wooden fence. Strolling through the gate, the two walked up to the front door and knocked. A moment later, it swung open revealing the face of a short black haired boy with dark eyes. Glancing at the two of them, he grinned.

"Hi, I thought you were coming yesterday?" said the boy. Lamar shrugged. "Dad wanted me to help him with the new stock in the store. Did you get the rope?" the boy smirked. "Of course. Hang on," he disappeared into the house only to reappear a second later. "Hey, Richard just said you were here," the boy said scratching his nose. This twin was Xian. He and his brother were completely identical except for the fact that his own eyes were hazel while Richard's were a very dark brown.

"Hi, Xian," said Lamar. The first boy appeared holding a paper bag. The two of them came outside. Richard went straight to a stack of hay, leaning against the front wall. Glancing around, he stuck his hand into the middle of the straw and pulled it out clutching a length of coiled rope. He grinned at them, then the group of boys moved from the yard, across the road and began cutting through a field of waist length yellow grass; Remus tagged behind them, feeling, like always, the odd one out.

The sound of crushing grass and the occasional bursts of laughter from one of the boys was the only noise for a while. But, soon, the sound of a trickling stream and water running over many rocks announced their arrival at Trixie's Stream. The stream run along the back of Ashbourne, branching off to join with other rivers or become another stream some place else. Silver fish darted up-stream, fighting against the current pushing against them. It was no more than two meters wide, but too far to jump. Luckily, there were three large rocks in a row, from one side to the other. The first two were spaced evenly apart, but the third was only a short distance from the second stone. So the gap leading the to the other side was wider and they had to pounce forcefully and with a long stride to reach the shore. Remus was last left on the rocks. The water trickled over the rock, making it slippery. He almost slipped in twice. Bending his knees and steadying himself with his arms, he ! jumped. Lamar grabbed his arm; if he didn't, Remus would have fell backwards after landing short on the sloping ground.

The twins laughed as Remus wiped away the water from his pants. Lamar joined his friends and they passed the tree-line. Remus looked up at the looming mass of oaks signaling the start of the forest, and gulped. Looking back down, he was just in time to see his brother's legs disappear beneath a thorn bush. Shouting in surprise, he ran towards the prickly plants and fell to his knees. There was a faint trail lying beneath the thorn bushes where the others had disappeared. The ground was cold and hard beneath his knees. Broken thorns ripped at his hands as he struggled against the over-hanging branches. Finally light broke through at the end of the tunneling tube of prickle and thorn. Remus pushed on gasping when a sharp thorn scraped against his cheek.

When he reached the end and stood, he inspected his body. His knees were covered in a light dirt, as were his hands. Blood also lay sprinkled over his fingers were prickles had dug into his skin. Wiping them off on his shirt, he touched his face with a hand. When he drew it away it was tinged with blood. The thorn had cut his face and blood was trickling down his chin. Hastily swiping it away with his arm, he looked around to find his brother.

A great tall oak stood in front of him. Vines wrapped around the trunk, running right to the top where it got lost in the thick branches and full green foliage. Bright red flowers added to the wild look of it; the smell made his nose tingle with unknown senses. And up in the branches, secured by wooden boards and strong vines, was a excellently made club-house. It had a wide floor extending over three thick branches. It had a guard rail running along each of the four sides, standing about two feet. It had a half roof, in which was a porthole in the roof, where a ladder ran upwards, along the vine covered trunk to another, smaller, level. This seemed to be a look-out post, as a long, cylindrical pipe was set up on the rail. From this point it looked to be made from cardboard and was on a pivot.

Moving his eyes back to the ground level, he found boards hammered into the trunk with semi-protruding nails. They led straight up, almost ten meters to the secure fort where Remus could hear Lamar laughing loudly. Taking a breath and feeling his heart hammering in his throat, he moved towards the tree. Reaching it, he put a foot on the, lowest step and a hand on one around shoulder height. Against all his moral fears, he began to ascend. It wasn't heights that he was afraid of, just of the falling. But once he reached the top, it would be better. He would not have this sickening clench in his stomach or feel both sweat and blood running down his cheeks. The ground dropped out from beneath him as he continued to climb.

When a bucket dropped passed him, attached to a rope, he almost lost his grip. Pausing on the third last step, he held his breath. There was not much further to go but the ground looked so far away. He could hear voices above him and hurried steps.

"Hurry up, Remus, I need to go down and fill the bucket!" called Lamar's angry voice from above. Looking up he noticed the red face off Richard McKinnon, clutching a hammer and a jar of nails. "You know," he began, "you have to actually move to get up here. Honestly!" Remus felt his face grow hot and struggled to climb up the last steps. Finally, he was able to pull himself up onto the platform. The ground felt good beneath his feet. He swayed slightly, clutching the railing to gain balance. Lamar muttered, "finally!" as he passed beneath the wooden floor and down the wooden boards. Xian was up in the look-out post, using the cardboard tube as a kind of telescope. Richard was pulling out the nails to an odd looking chair leaning against the trunk. A rope was slung and tied around a branch reaching out overhead. Someone tugged it from below and a yell drew Richard's attention. He got up from the seat and went to the rope. Looking below, he began to pull up the rope. It too! k a few moments for the bucket to appear. When Richard pulled it onto the floor, Remus was startled to find it filled with water.

"Where did the water come from? The stream is all the way back there!" he exclaimed. The dark haired boy looked up at him and sighed.

"There's a stream running on the other side of the trees. It doesn't take that long to get there and back," he said, turning back to the bucket and untying the knot on the handle. Lamar was back up on the platform in no time, and Remus was amazed at how fast he was able to climb the trunk. Briefly wishing he was as brave as his brother, he sat down with his back against the railing. Xian climbed down from up above and pulled out the paper bag from a hollow in the trunk. From it, he pulled out four plastic cups, some bread and a few broken crackers. The boys took a cup each and filled it from the bucket. The water was cool and immediately refreshed their parched mouths. Remus gulped his down and was thankful it was not salty. Lamar passed him a slice of bread and a piece of cracker. The bread was partially stale, but he ate it anyway, breakfast having been a long time passed.

After having satisfied both their hunger and thirst the boys set out to do their tasks. Lamar had Remus climb down to the ground below and collect sticks and leaves. Remus did this without complaint. Once upon the stead-fast forest floor, Remus listened wistfully to the sounds of the trees. The wind rustled the leaves and the branches creaked in ancient agony. The soft rustle of the bushes made thoughts of a hungry wolf enter his mind briefly, before he remembered why he was there in the first place. Humming a tuneless song, he began searching for any thick branches that could be used to build and extra platform or trunk ladder. The dirt was going to be used for sand bags at the top. Richard thought up the idea of a one person elevator. But they would need many bags of dirt and rocks to hold their weight for the journey up or down.

Remus found a patch of dry sticks beside the stream which Lamar had gathered water form. It was no more than a meter wide and quite shallow; Remus was watching tiny silver fish fight the current heading back to the main river. He held the bundle of sticks in his arms and carried them pack to the clearing of the vine-covered tree. The bucket had been lowered for him, so he placed the load into its centre and tugged on the rope three times as Lamar told him to do. Someone up above began to pull it up, so Remus turned to continue the task at hand.

It was nearing sunset by the time the four friends could be seen making a bee-line for the dirt road through the swaying grass. The sky was drenched in an orange light reaching down to the horizon ending in a thick line of deep scarlet. The shadows had appeared behind their backs like one dimensional doppelgangers attached to their feet, forever stuck in darkness and the flatness of the earth. The crunching grass beneath their feet made Remus turn more than once, expecting to see the form of a crouched creature, teeth bared and ready to strike. But they reached the road without so much as a mouse making an appearance.

They seen the twins off at their gate, Xian whistling a familiar tune while Richard swung a hammer at his side. Lamar clapped Remus on the shoulder and lead him down the road were a steady stream of smoke was issuing from a chimney close by. His legs felt like stone as he attempted to drag himself up the path to his home. Both of his arms were aching painfully; his elbows were stinging and his palms were blistered from picking up sticks and stones all afternoon.

Once the door had been closed behind them and the sights and sounds of their life-long home engulfed them, Remus smiled despite his injuries. The smell of a delicious broth was wafting from the kitchen and he immediately wanted to rush there and gulp in as much as his body would carry; but his brother pushed him to the bathroom were they both washed the dirt from their face and hands and in Remus's case, his pants. One that task had been accomplished, they both walked hurriedly into the kitchen were his mother and father were talking.

Upon their entrance, their mother looked up with a stern but loving gaze. "And where, may I ask, have you two been all day?" she said, placing her hands on her hip. Remus looked to his brother for guidance on what to say. His brother wore an expression he knew all to well; it was Lamar's problem solving look and by that glint in his eyes, it meant an answer had been found.

"We were at the twins' house. They had made this really great tree-house out of their old shed and we spent all day fixing it up!" Lamar said happily, glancing at Remus slyly as if daring him to say something that would give away their true dealings of the day. Remus turned to his mother and gulped when he caught his mother's gaze on his own.

"And did you have fun at the McKinnon's, Remus?" she asked almost too sweetly, as if she knew they weren't with the twins and was trying to get it form him with kindness. He nodded quickly. "Yes, mum, it was really fun!" he said, the scent from the soup making his stomach tumble with hunger. She pursed her mouth but then smiled. She turned then began scooping out a bowlful for them each and setting them on the table with some bread and butter. Remus eagerly sat and began spooning the chunky chicken broth into his mouth, moaning with the delicious taste that was toying with his taste buds.

That night was perfect. His blankets formed a protective cocoon, molding around his body and keeping the heat in and the cold out. His fathers snores could be heard from down the hall and the crackling of the fire sent waves of sleep cascading over him. It seemed like hours had passed before his eye-lids finally shut out the moon in the sky. His last sight was of an orb hanging in the darkness of the sky. Full and bright with an eerie orange glow. Slumber was brief and unfulfilling before he was awakened. By what, he did not know. Remus just lay in his bed, listening for a sound he knew was there.

Then he heard it. A creak in the floorboards beneath the hall floor just outside Lamar's room. He knew it was this board that made the noise because he heard it on the nights when his brother was attempting to sneak food from the kitchen and forgot to step over the noisy floor. Remus smiled when he heard the angry hiss signaling his brother's entrance. Remus sat up in his bed and listened some more. A shadow passed by his door and he swung his feet form the bed, wincing at the sudden burst of cold. Not having enough time to slip on his slippers, Remus stole from the room, padding down the hall in the direction his brother went. He spotted a dark form standing still near the front door, trying not to move.

"Lamar?" Remus whispered. The figure looked towards him and walked quickly across to where he was shivering. "What are you-?" he began before a hand was pressed over his mouth. Lamar's darting eyes could be seen staring at him. When the hand was taken away Remus rubbed the spot where his brothers fingers had dug into his cheek.

"Go back to bed!" Lamar hissed, turning back to the door. "Where are you going?" Remus asked again ignoring his brothers annoyed sigh. "None of you business!" was his answer.

"Then I will tell mum and dad!" Remus said, having doubts whether he would actually snitch on his brother. Lamar turned to him, Remus noticing his brother was wearing long dark pants and a thick jumper and holding a bag under one arm. Lamar eyed him through cat-like eyes.

"I'm goin with the twins to the fort," he answered thinking this was a sufficient enough answer. "Why?" Remus blurted a little too loudly. Lamar growled, both listening for the sounds of their parents awakening. None came. "We're just going to see what it looks like this time of night, is that to your standards?" he answered, fiddling with the lock on the door. Remus felt his stomach clench and felt his head getting cold. He did not think it was a good idea to go out tonight. He had a very bad feeling in his stomach.

"Lamar-!" he began but did not have a chance to finish. "If you tell mum and dad, I will kill you!" he hissed angrily. The tell clicked slightly when Lamar shut it behind him and the shadows took his place. Remus stood there in the darkness, heart thumping and breath coming in painful pants. He knew his brother would not really kill him, but he was afraid. Not what his brother would do to him if he told, but for his brother. The feeling of dread increased when he heard a howl in the distance. Thinking there was nothing else for him to do, Remus returned to his bed.

The night continued on while Remus stayed awake. Horrible thoughts kept entering his head about what could happen to his brother out there, in the cold and dark, with the creatures of the night creeping around him. A loud crack drew him from his stupor and caused him to jump up form his bed and walk quickly from hi room. The night breeze bit at his skin as he shut the door after him. He regretted not grabbing his jumped now but murmured, "Its too late now..." under his breath before starting off at a brisk walk.

The stars twinkled innocently down from above and the moon shown like a great crystal ball. Remus wandered vaguely if he could one day walk on it before shuddering from a sudden burst of freezing air. Every noise made him jump and each footstep he took, he wanted to turn back. Soon enough, he made it to the field opposite the twins' house. The windows in their home were all blank, showing no signs of life. Gazing at the dark swaying grass fearfully, he took and deep breath and pushed his way in, trying to be brave like his brother.

It took a long time before he reached the opposite side. The stream was running swiftly in the darkness, the sparkling water could be seen from the moonlight. Remus paused at the water's edge, searching for the stone's positioned as a way of crossing. Finally, he spotted one emerging from the trickling stream. Taking a deep breath and steadying himself on the shore, he took a large step. Feeling the rock beneath his feet, he hoped his slippers would grip the slimy surface. The next two rocks were easily approached, but the shore was hardly visible through the dark. The water was cool, soaking through the thin material of his footwear. Thinking that he couldn't stay there all night, Remus crept forward on the rock and tried to pinpoint the exact position of his last destination. Bending his knees, he jumped.

The water was freezing and bit into his very bones. The strong current swept away one of his slippers as he struggled to climb up the shorefront. He lay panting on the grass, the water freezing his skin and making goose bumps to appear all over his body. It felt like he was in a freezer and icicles were sticking over his body. He couldn't stop shivering from the cold and his fingers were starting to go numb. But he pulled himself up, wanting to reach his brother before he died of cold. His only slipper was soaking wet and making his foot even more cold, so he kicked it off, ignoring the pain in his big toe. When he had jumped, his toe had scuffed something on the stream bottom. It was stinging fiercely and Remus thought it must be bleeding.

As he was reaching the thorn bush row, the crunching of a branch to his side made him stop. Listening intently, he thought he heard slow footsteps. "Lamar?" he called, hearing his voice sounding so small and scared. There was no answer. Thinking it was the wind he continued, as did the slow crunching of leaves. He stopped again and listened more, hearing his heart beating like a drum in his chest. His teeth chattered and his voice cracked when he called out once more. This time he definitely heard the footsteps, moving quickly through the brush. Remus was now terrified. His head was throbbing, heart thumping and breathing ragged. A blind terror crept into him and paralyzed his body. A tree stood to his right, a few meters off. Remus squinted through the darkness, spotting two glowing yellow eyes beside the trunk of the tree.

He stepped sideways, towards the thorn bushes. The creature moved also, towards him with long legs. It looked larger than any wolf he had seen, but by the way it stood and watched him eagerly, he knew it was one of the nocturnal beasts, waiting for him to make a false move then to make a feast from his small body. This fact made his very bones quake with a nightmarish fear as the looming creature moved ever closer. Remus took one more step and let off a blood curdling scream when the wolf howled unexpectedly and pounced. Before he knew it, hundreds of thorns were ripping at his flesh as he scrambled through the bushes. Breaking free of the menacing plants, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him to were the steps were pinned to the trunk of the old oak.

There was a low growling behind him and the rustling of the bushes covered in thorns. Light padding could be heard behind him as he blindly ran for the tree he could not see. He could feel the hot breath of the creature behind him and only fear made him run harder. Suddenly, an immense pain ran down his spine and the ripping of his own shirt and skin made him scream and fall to the ground. His shoulder was bleeding; he could smell the strong scent of his own blood. The wolf had let go of his arm and was standing over him. From the light of the full moon, Remus could see the long snout, inch long fangs and blood coating the creature's horrifying jaw. It snarled and seemed to smile with those white fangs and a hungry glint lit its eyes. As it was about to sink those teeth into his throat, he pushed himself up and backwards, moving something aside in the process.

It was the bucket elevator hanging down, still full of rocks from his half-finished job. Without even thinking, Remus pushed the bucket, with all his might into the wolf as it pounced forward. He did not even stay long enough to see what damage he had caused. Instead, he turned and bolted to where he knew the tree trunk was and began scrambling up the boards nailed into the side. He could hear the nightmare growling from his dreams just meters below him. A terrifying howl almost made him tumble down to his doom, but he reached the top. Collapsing onto the wooden surface, Remus began to cry. His shoulder was bleeding and felt broken. The effort from climbing the ladder was enough to exhaust him and make his arms ache painfully. His whole body was freezing.

The night was so dark and from this point beneath the roof, Remus could not see the moon and stars. Down below, the growls of anguish and unsatisfied hunger echoed up in the night to his ears and made the tears and fear intensify. It had been complete and utter luck that saved him down below. If it hadn't been for the bucket, Remus would have been killed, devoured by the creature that awaited below for him to descend.

Soon the cold and pain got too much. His shoulder was still bleeding and made his back and chest sticky and damp with blood. This only made him cold and weak. Soon the night was drifting away and the sounds of the wolf was drowned out by complete nothingness. Briefly, before his mind shut down, Remus thought of his warm bed at home.

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Hello Everyone! This is the first part in my Trilogy. Please review and tell me what you think! And this is the longest ever chapter I have ever written! Its 6, 135 words long! My god! I told you this would be long, and you didn't believe me! Lol! Well, hope you like it and I got the young Remus represented well!

Thank you!

Peace out!

DW