When The Wolfsbane Blooms

[-A L I C E-]

Conner wakes up in the carcass of something. He isn't sure what because it's to mutilated. He sighs seeing that he wasn't the one in control. It was Thaddius. Thaddius is his split personality. A psychotic snide twisted creature that usually only takes over in his wolf form. He sighs again standing up looking at himself. He realizes that he's covered...no caked in dried blood and it will take hours to scrub off. He knows where to go. It's a secluded spot with a hot spring. Any ways his home is on the outskirts of the village any ways so no one will see what he looks like. He goes to his home. A small cottage with a thatched roof. Hegrabs clothing. He then goes to the hot spring. It takes about an hour for him to scrub it all off. His skin is now red from it. He then gets dressed and goes to head into the village. When he gets just to the outskirts of the village again he sees over to the left closer to the woods some of the villagers surrounding something. He walks over and peers around them. He now wishes that he hadn't. It's the mutilated corpse of Marcy Grimwood.



It looks at though an animal has attacked her. The other villagers are murmuring and talking among themselves. Most a muttering that it's the spirit of The Beast again killing them off one by one to get revenge for being killed. Others are saying that it's just a pack of wolves. But Conner knows different this is the fifth time this week that he's woken up in a corpse of something as well as the fifth person to be killed. He knows that Thaddius is doing it. Doing it just for the sake of killing. He knows eventually they will catch him and he knows the consequences of that. And that will be death. He sighs. First it was Jackson Creed. Second it was Mary Thompson. Third it was Ashley Teller. Fourth it was Gregory George and now Marcy Grimwood. He thinks as he sighs again. Then there is laughter inside his mind. Oh what's a matter? You don't like the game I'm playing? There's more laughter. Conner just ignores him.



"We've got to do something about this! Before there isn't anyone of us left! I say we go and kill what ever is killing!" Jefferson Grimwood says. A second male shakes his head when others begin to agree with Jefferson. "No we can not do that. That will just put more people in danger. We'll have a town meeting tonight to decide what we're going to do. Talk more about this and talk things over." Martin Fredrickson says. He's the leader of the village. Sort of like the mayor of a city. Conner knows it won't be good if he doesn't show up for the meeting. That would just give them an excuse to hunt him down and kill him. But he wouldn't go easy not with Thaddius. More laughter is heard inside his head. Wouldn't it be grand if I just killed them all in one place? They'd all be ripe for the picking! No! You can't expose us. I'm not letting you. You caused enough trouble all ready. Awe but where's the fun in that? There's more laughter. He ignores it and continues to walk back toward his home. He's not paying attention and he accidentally bumps into someone. He looks up to see her. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." He says shyly and he also seemed distracted.

 

[QUEENIE]

Tiny dancers and beastly creatures filled Mandy's mind as she sleep early that morning. Her body slept limply on her cot while a smile beam of light from the window illuminated the room. Soft snores escaped the young woman's mother until finally her eyes opened to dawns early light. Another day to waste perfecting the same routine of boring chores and helping others. What about her? Would her hopes of adventure come to her sooner than later? Would she die doing the same thing as she did now? Mandy's life differed little and it upset her.

Setting up and looking around her, she noticed her older sister had already left for her chores. A small sigh escaped Mandy as she stood, her bare feet feeling the wooden floor beneath her. The girl's room was small and simple. Two cots, two small windows, a chest for both of them, and one wardrobe that. Each was made for them as donations from villagers that were thankful to her father's service and wished to help him in return when her mother died. Mandy approached a small bathing dish full of clean water, taking a rag she dipped it in the water and then undressed herself. The red headed girl was tiny in comparison to her sister or other women around the village, but she was still strong. Lifting the rag from the water while she stood bare, Mandy wrung out the excess water before cleaning her skin. Drying herself and putting a simple long sleeve black dress on her body, she slipped on two basic brown shoes, and a emerald pendant necklace around her neck before leaving the room.

Mandy's home was located behind the villages chapel, her home away from home. Minister William was her father and he wasn't as nice as people believed. He was never physically abusive, but when he drank he said rude opinions about his children and late wife. Mandy sometimes took what he said to heart because he felt as if people become more truthful when the magic of rum took control. Entering the two story white building, Mandy greeted two female nuns before going to do her morning prayers, kneeling before the cross. She had to stick with her routine or someone here would basically accuse her of being a witch. Too many people here were what Mandy considered stiffs. After her prayer, Mandy lit a candle and placed it with the rest that burned from morning prayers.

It was not more than a few moments later that Mandy heard a scream and the bell of the mayor's house rang. What was happening? Mandy stood from her kneeling
position she looked around at the others flocking to the commotion with nosy intent. Mandy soon followed as she noticed the town heading that way. Following the townsfolk to the body of Marcy Grimwood, Mandy sighed. The stench of her body was horrifyingly stomach turning. People surrounded the body and talked about a beast killing the townsfolk, Mandy agreed. However, in all of Mandy's life she never seen one beast do this to someone. A pack of wolves maybe, but not just one beast.

Feeling sick from the stench, Mandy ran off towards the woods. Small tears swelled in her eyes. She may not have been friends with Marcy, but she was still a kind soul who helped around the church when she could. Mandy hadn't ran long before bumping into a masculine body.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." A man had said in a shy tone.

Looking at the dark haired male before her, Mandy looked up at him and could tell her was distracted by something. Maybe he too was running from the sight of Marcy's body. It was grizzly and she understood being uncomfortable around things like that. "It's fine. I wasn't paying much attention either." Mandy said before looking around her. She had made it about a hundred yards into the wood. "I didn't even realize how far I had come from the village." She chuckled a bit under her breath. It was funny how someone who paid so much attention to detail could be lost in her thoughts as she ran away from her village. If she really was lost it would mean not finding her way back home. "Hey, I haven't seen you around the village near by. So are you a traveler?" Mandy was curious. Since her childhood, Mandy was intrigued by the idea of a traveler since they had adventure.

 

[-A L I C E-]

Conner shakes his head. "No I'm not a traveler. I live here in the village. I just keep to myself." Which is the truth. He kept to himself so that nothing would happen. But now he can't even do that. He spent most of his time in the woods. "You're the minister's daughter aren't you?" He hears psychotic laughter inside his mind. He tries to push to the back of his mind again like normal. But he knows that Thaddius will put his two cents in. Thaddius laughs again. Imagine if she found out. She would probably run away screaming. Her fear would be so devine! He continues to laugh. Conner ignores him. He still seems distracted. He knows it's not safe for him to interact with people. He sighs. "Well I better be going." He wants to leave now because Thaddius had once taken control in human form and he didn't want that to happen. Since she is the minister's daughter she can report to him about him. He knows the consequences if that happens and that's death.

The entire time he's talking to her besides being distracted he doesn't look at her. It's a habit that he used his entire life because of his mother. He then walks past her trying to get home before anything happens. Later in the evening the bell rings again signaling that it's time for the meeting. He sighs and goes back to the village not wanting to be accused of anything. He enters the church where they always have their meetings and sits down. More and more people begin to show up. Soon the entire church is packed to capacity. He looks around and sees that everyone is here. Martin is at the podium he pounds a gavel on it to get everyone's attention. Everyone quiets down and it's silent as the grave in the church.

"We've got to do something about this before someone else get's killed!" Jefferson says. The other villagers nod and begin to murmur again among themselves. Martin bangs the gavel again. "We need to catch who or what is doing this I agree with that. But we can't kill them if it's a person without a trial first. If it's an animal then we take care of the problem." The villagers nod in agreement. "I say it's The Beast! Or a descendant of it!" Joesph Crons says standing up. This gets the villager riled up. They begin to agree with him. Conner begins to get nervous because he knows what happens next people accusing people of being something. Like they did with Darla Jinkens and burned her at the stake accusing her of being a witch when she wasn't.

"Alright settle down now." Martin bangs the gavel again. "You all know the signs! Keep an eye out for them and report it. Don't be afraid. The killings need to stop." Joesph says. The other villagers nod in agreement. The meeting ends. Conner heads toward his home. He knows what's going to happen. Thaddius is going to go after Joesph. No! You're not going after Joesph! But we're in danger and remember I vowed to always protect you from danger. Well you're putting us in danger. If you're trying to protect me then why did you kill those other people? There's psychotic laughter inside his mind. Because I couldn't resist. Conner sighs and goes inside his home.

The next day he wakes up outside his home. But he isn't covered in blood like last time. He figures he was just sleep walking. He did that some times. Especially since he doesn't remember anything after he went to sleep. When he hears the bell ring again he knows it's not good. He sighs. He gets dressed and goes into the village. He sees the villagers in a circle murmuring to themselves. He knows what is going on. He knows Thaddius killed Joesph. He squeezes his way in the circle and sees the mutilated corpse of Joesph. You're welcome. And then there is silence inside his mind.

 

[QUEENIE]

As the dark haired male spoke, Mandy nodded. "Oh. That's understandable, I guess." It was odd that Mandy hadn't seen this fellow before, especially since she had lived in the village all her life and everyone knew everyone. She offered a kind smile however. He could have always lived her and Mandy have never paid him any mind. Looking at him once more, Mandy nodded as he questioned her heritage. "Yes, Minister William is my father." Well the fact he knew that told Mandy that he had at least been to the church before.

Gazing at the man, Mandy noticed that he seemed to be having a internal conflict with himself. His facial expressions seem to bounce back and forth between worry and a relaxed nature. Though, he soon departed and Mandy thought it be time to return home. Surely the body had been cleaned up and Mandy would not have to look at Marcy's remains once more.

The day was long, Mandy had finished her evening chores a while ago. Now she stood in the church comforting people alongside her sister. Most people were shaken up about Marcy, those who weren't grieved another. These killings were personally hurting the town and Mandy. Though when she saw a few faces pop in she could help but chuckle. Theodore Raven and his brother Michael never were much of a church going pair, or even a couple of extroverted people. Instead the pair only came out when there was something to hunt or someone or something was killed, this time it seemed to be both. Mandy found it funny that that was all they cared about.

Taking her seat on the side pew, Mandy scanned the audience of villagers. Where are you? She questioned as she looked for the man she had met earlier. If he was really a villager he would be at this meeting, everyone was here. Soon enough, Mandy had spotted him in the back row. After moments of Joseph speaking, the male seemed to repeat the facial expressions from earlier. Mandy wondered what was he up to. Could he be the killer? Mandy then thought about it for a moment and decided not to pass judgement on someone she barely knew. He could always just have a stomach ache, Mandy tended to make those facial expressions when she wasn't feeling well. Though the male did make her curious, especially when he was the first one to leave the church after the meeting was over.

The next morning, dawn was met with another ringing of the bell. Mandy knew another person had been killed, but she was shocked to find out that it was Joseph. He was kind and always so protective over the town. Who would have wanted him killed? The killer that is. No wild animal would have known that Joseph was coming after them. Mandy knew this was not random selection anymore. A part of her was frightened. There was indeed a killer among the town.

As Mandy scanned the scene, she noticed him again in the front row this time. She waited for him to back away from the circle before nearing him. "Hello there." Mandy said in a calm voice. "Isn't this just horrible." Mandy looked at him. "You know I never caught your name yesterday."

 

[-A L I C E-]

He about jumps about a foot off the ground when she spoke to him. He then nods. "Yes it is horrible. And my name is Conner." He again seems distracted by something. He hears Thaddius' laugh in the back of his mind. Will you stop laughing? It's not funny. Aww what the fun in that? It is funny! I saved our lives. If that fool found out about us we'd be in a grave. He ignores him once again still hearing his laughter. He sighs and notices that she is looking at him. "Since you're the minister's daughter I already know your name. It's Mandy." He has the feeling of being trapped and he wants to get away from it all. To go back to his hut and fight with Thaddius. He sighs again. "Now if you would please excuse me I have to get home." He then quickly walks passed her.

He hopes that she doesn't follow him. He feels Thaddius urging him to shift. But he keeps control until he can go deep into the woods. Then he shifts into a black wolf with pale yellow eyes. They soon turn red signaling that Thaddius had control. They keep switching back between red and pale yellow. He keeps fighting for control. We need to go deeper into the woods. I don't want anyone to see us. Then there's laughter. Aww come on! What's the fun in that? How about dying? Do you want us to die? There's a sigh inside his head. Fine let's go. He lets out a sigh and goes to go deeper into the woods.

About in hour in the woods he keeps walking around trying to keep control. He hears foot steps. It's one of the villagers. Conner sees them and begins to panic he knows that Thaddius will want to kill them. No! You're not killing them! He can feel his mind being pushed back as though he's a puppet and soon all he can do is sit back and watch. The villager is a female. She is humming as she kneels down by the water and dips her hand in it. Thaddius has now gotten control of the whole and entire situation. He sneaks up on her silent as the death. And then he pounces on her. Her screams echo through out the entire forest. Once he's done killing her, her body falls into the river and floats down with the current.