Werewolf Stories to Tell in the Dark Read Free Page A

‘An affliction that is the result of a curse that must be in your family.’
    â€˜A curse?’ Tina stared at Jureg Kalinsky in horror.
    â€˜You are a werewolf, my dear,’ he said baldly.
    â€˜I dream,’ she said numbly, hardly registering what Mr Kalinsky had just said. ‘I dream of running over the moor. I’m so hungry.’
    â€˜What are you hungry for? What is it that you crave?’
    â€˜I don’t know.’ She turned away from him.
    â€˜You’re hungry for flesh, aren’t you, Tina?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜I was wrong to try and kill you,’ admitted Jureg Kalinsky. ‘In my country –’ He paused. ‘But we are not in my country. So I shall try to help you, but 1 warn you – it might not work.’ There was pity in the old man’s face. ‘You know what I would have to do then …’
    â€˜Would the silver bullets just kill the wolf in me?’ she said hesitantly.
    â€˜They would also kill you,’ Mr Kalinsky replied bleakly.
    A wave of panic swept over Tina, leaving her light-headed. ‘What
is
this other way?’ she whispered.
    â€˜If you bathe in moonlit water – then the hunger might go.’
    â€˜Is it worth trying? Have people ever been cured?’ she asked desperately.
    â€˜Some,’ he said, and then continued quickly, ‘Do you know the pool at Charlbury Ring?’
    Tina nodded.
    â€˜Go there tonight,’ he said. ‘And God be with you.’
    Tina slipped out of her house that night, wishing now that she
had
first confided in her cousin Ben. He wouldhave helped her, perhaps provided a more practical explanation than Jureg Kalinsky with his silver bullets and recommendations to bathe in moonlit water. But even if she had confided in Ben, how could her cousin, only two years older than she, have any knowledge of this terrifying situation that was now completely out of control?
    Ridiculous though it seemed, Tina knew that she had to test out Mr Kalinsky’s possible cure. After all, she had no other solution.
    Eventually she reached Charlbury Ring and saw the pool glinting in the moonlight. She had her swimming costume on under her tracksuit, and it wasn’t long before Tina was standing on the edge of the freezing cold water, shivering and not wanting to go in. But she knew she had to, knew that this might be her only chance.
    Finally, making a supreme effort, Tina plunged in, gasping as the cold enclosed her, striking out for the opposite side of the pool as fast as she possibly could. Then she swam back, dragging herself out, physically exhausted.
    As Tina ran home, she longed to snuggle down in bed and sleep. Perhaps the terrible dream would never reappear. Could the pool really have cured her? If it had, then she would be eternally grateful to Mr Kalinsky. For the first time, she felt more optimistic.
    When she let herself into the house again, her parents were watching television. She called out goodnight and went upstairs to her room. Once she had undressed and rubbed herself dry, Tina got into bed, closed her eyes and immediately sank into a deep sleep.
    The wolf was close behind her as Tina padded across themoor; her wounded paw was sore and her breathing was ragged with tension. She knew she would have to turn and fight her pursuer eventually, but she was hoping against hope that she might outrun him.
    The pain in her paw was increasing now, so much so that Tina was beginning to weaken, grimly realizing she would soon have to turn at bay. Then she trod on a sharp stone, the graze began to bleed again and she turned snarling to face him.
    The two wolves sprang at each other, rolling, biting and slashing with tooth and claw. They fought until Tina managed to bite her enemy in the leg. With a squeal of pain, he threw her off and loped away, defeated. Now the territory was hers and the hunger began again.
    Tina woke with a surge of raw panic. The bathe in the moonlit