The Evil Eyes That Follow

     It was a cool breezy day in November when four college students decided to take a camping trip to get away from all the stress of everyday life. There was Kendra, Steven, Allison, and of course Darryl, the geek from school. Everyone kept in touch and met at the local coffee shop to make the plans and preparations. Everyone was on board and contributed to a part of the planning and who was going to bring what.
     They decided that they would use Steven's four wheel drive Chevy truck as transportation and that he would make the arrangements to pick everyone up that morning to leave. It was a difficult decision as to where they wanted to camp with the choices being at a California beach or stay within their state of Oregon and camp in the woods.
     It came down to a vote and with three choosing to camp in the woods, Kendra was the only one who wanted the beach scene. So, it was now time to figure out what part of the state they wanted to go. As they discussed it, Darryl came up with a location that had a folklore behind it. There was supposedly this location where people have gone missing to never be found again, and that people were afraid to go around.
     This did peak everyone's interest and it was set in stone that this would be the place of adventure and fun that they chose. It was also made known that because of the folklore behind this location that everyone made a note to bring and carry a compass so that no one would get lost. It was sure to be the camping experience of a lifetime.
     Once everyone knew what they were doing, they dispersed to their own homes to prepare for the next morning. Steven made sure that he filled the gas tank and took another five-gallon gas can full with them. Everyone packed their sleeping bags and tents, snacks and drinks, and the girls even made sure that food for cooking was taken.
     Everyone went to bed early that night to wake up to a full day of adventure and fun. The sun was shining and it was not that humid so that everyone could enjoy the day. Early that morning, Steven was packing his things into the back of the truck before locking up his house and heading out to pick up everyone else.
     His first stop was to pick up Kendra. She was sitting outside with her stuff waiting on him and they quickly got her things into the truck. Once they were back on the road again, they were headed to Allison's house, who was still dragging and carrying her stuff outside. By the time they got her stuff packed into the truck there wasn't much room left and hoped that Darryl wasn't bringing a whole lot of his stuff being how geeky he was.
     When they pulled up to Darryl's house, he was sitting on what looked to be a suitcase. They were only going camping, what would he need a suitcase for? When Steven got out to help him put his stuff in the truck, he asked Darryl why a suitcase? Darryl told him that he knew there was limited space in the truck so he packed all his gadgets and stuff in a suitcase which wouldn't take up so much room. Steven laughed and told him "good thinking".
     They were finally off to their camping location which would be about a four-hour drive. The girls admired the landscape while the guys were cutting up telling jokes. The conversation came up about the location they were headed for and Darryl had done some research on the folklore attached to it.
     He pulled out newspaper clippings of all the people who went missing in these woods. He read out loud how everyone who went into the woods never returned. Law enforcement stated how they only found their camping equipment and back packs but never any remains of bodies and such. It boggled their mind and even posted signs telling campers to beware.
     After reading the clippings, the girls showed some concern about where they were going but Darryl informed them that he was prepared for almost anything like having a compass, a map of the area, and anything else they might need. He was very well prepared and that made the girls a little more at ease.
     Along the way, they spotted a small store and decided to stop for a restroom break and some snacks. While the girls visited the restroom, Steven asked the clerk about the area they were headed to and the clerk had a weird look on his face before telling them that he wouldn't advise them to go camping there that many people have gone missing.
     Darryl informed him that they were prepared for anything and should be okay. The girls finally came out of the restroom and grabbed some snacks which they took to the counter to pay for. The guys headed outside to the truck while the clerk warned the girls about the woods they were going to. They just shrugged it off, paid for their stuff, and headed back outside.
     They all piled back into the truck and began their trip back on the road. It seemed like it took forever before they reached their destination and found a spot off the side of the road to park. As they got out of the truck, they took a good look around at their surroundings. The woods were dense but beautiful. There were tall green trees and the faint sounds of birds chirping from inside.
     They gathered their things and put their backpacks on and headed for the path that led into the woods. As they entered the woods, they began hearing strange noises of all different animals and critters. They walked for about an hour into the woods before finding a space to make camp.
     As they got their tents up, the girls began gathering wood for the fire and for cooking. The sun was beginning to set so they got a roaring fire started and then sat around it eating snacks that they brought along. Darryl also brought along some of his devices like something that would keep animals and critters away.
     As it got darker, they sat around telling stories of legends they had heard before. The forest began to come alive around them with different noises and it made the girls a little uncomfortable. Both guys tried to reassure them that nothing was going to get them.
     As the night wore on, it was getting late and everyone agreed it was time to get some sleep. So, the girls climbed into their tent while the guys put things away and then headed into their own tents. As the girls laid in their tent, they started hearing more noises which made them tenser but they remembered what the guys said and they both laid down to sleep.
     Later on into the night, Darryl was awakened by a loud noise and decided to take a look. It sounded really close and he figured while he was out looking around that he would relieve himself also. He walked outside and off into the forest to locate a spot to relieve himself.
     While he was standing there, he heard a noise that caught his attention. When he looked up, there was a pair of eyes off in the distance that was indescribable. They were staring at him and it startled him at first and the noise seems to come from where the eyes were at. Darryl thought that it was just a forest animal and paid it no mind.
     After he finished relieving himself, he zipped up and began walking back towards camp. As he walked he noticed the eyes were following him. They almost seemed like they were glowing and had an evil appearance to them but he could not see any body to go with them. It was a little frightening to Darryl so he hurried to return to camp.
     There was just one thing that Darryl forgot and that was he forgot to bring a compass or anything that would direct him back to camp and it is so dark and dense he couldn't find his way back. He was out in the middle of a dark forest with a pair of evil eyes following him. He was so fixed on them that he forgot to watch where he was going.
     It was about thirty minutes later when Steven woke up to find that Darryl was missing and became concerned. He woke up the girls and they all became concerned but were afraid to leave the camp site. They began hollering for Darryl but had gotten no response. They started to worry at this point.
     That's when they heard Darryl yelling out in fear. They yelled back for him and all of them started running out into the woods in the direction of Darryl's yelling. They went a good distance out into the woods and lost track of where the camp was for them to return. They ran out there looking for their friend in case he needed help but found nothing.
     They stood together realizing that they were now lost and still did not find Darryl. It wasn't until Kendra felt a drop on her shoulder and when she looked at it there was a blood drop on her arm and then another. They all looked up and in the tree hanging directly above was the remains of Darryl.
     Well, only half of him was there, it was as if he had been chewed in two pieces except the other half was nowhere to be found. The girls both let out a blood-curdling scream while Steven turned to vomit. Their friend was hanging in a tree with half of his body gone and his intestines hanging out. They tried to get their thoughts together to figure out who or what could have done this.
     Then, nearby they heard a noise like they have never heard before and when they looked in the direction of the noise, there were those evil eyes glaring back at them. They could not see a body with them but that was enough to frighten everyone where they all took off running. They tried to stay together but each one looking back to see if they were being followed they lost each other.
     Kendra noticed she was alone and tried calling out for the others and got no response. She kept looking around for those evil looking eyes to see if they were following her. When she turned around she felt something as cold as ice and very sharp go through her and thought it was just a cold chill until she fell to the ground and noticed she had been sliced in half mid waist. She laid there with blood gurgling out of her mouth as she was aspirating it and looked down to see to see her bloody organs falling from her body and oozing out onto the ground. It didn't take long before she had taken her last breath and was gone.
     Steven stopped and began calling out for the girls and then in the distance he heard Allison screaming. He tried running in her direction and finally found her scared and not having her mind about her. They were together and safe and began walking through the woods hoping to find his truck or their campsite where they thought they would be safe.
     They walked for about twenty minutes and stopped to rest and did not see those eyes around them. Steven asked Allison if she was alright and she couldn't stop looking around for those evil eyes and panicking. She started to babble about how they weren't going to make it out of those woods and Steven did everything he could to try and calm her down but it was no use she was in full panic mode.
     Then they heard a noise close by and there were those eyes again and Allison in full panic mode began running and Steven took off to follow her. As they were running, the woods were becoming denser and Allison has tripped on a branch laying on the ground falling on her face. When Steven stopped to help her all of a sudden out of nowhere Allison was beheaded right in front of him. Her head flying right into Steven's arms to which he yelled out dropping it very quickly and then running for his life.
     The eyes followed him and tormented him as if playing with him like a toy. As he ran, he too tripped over something and when he noticed what it was, there lay Kendra's dead, cut in half body. He again yelled out and backed away from it. Then those eyes came closer and before he knew it, his abdomen was sliced open and all of his entrails came gushing out and he took his hands and tried to stuff them back inside but it was doing no good. His hands covered in blood and his yelling was doing nothing for his situation.
     He looked up and those eyes were staring at him and that was the last thing he saw before falling over and taking his last breath of life. The next day, the sun shined brightly through the trees as if nothing ever happened and all of the bodies have disappeared without a trace.
     After several days, law enforcement made a sweep of the woods and all that was found was the campsite with a burned out campfire and all their belongings. No one ever survived to tell the tale of the evil eyes that follow.

The Searcher of Souls The Final Part

     When Kate opened her eyes, there stood the dark shadow over her. She looked down and saw her physical body still laying on her couch. She reached down to touch her body but her hand just went through her. She was in a spiritual sense and not addressed in the living anymore. She stood up in front of the dark shadow as he handed her a hooded robe matching the one it was wearing.
     Kate asked the dark shadow if she was dead, but he still made no response. She took the robe and put it on and then began to feel power course through her body as if she had become immortal and powerful. The dark shadow also brought with it a long wooden staff which it also handed to her. Once Kate took the staff she knew there was no turning back. She was now a grim reaper who took the souls of the living.
     She stood there looking at herself in the long mirror which was attached to her bedroom door and saw the new person she was to become. As she stood there, she began to watch as her body slowly faded from the image in the mirror. She was now a part of the dead and spiritual world. From this moment on no one would ever see her again.
     As she turned to speak to the dark shadow, she couldn't believe her eyes. It began to dissolve into ash falling to the floor. Kate stood there watching until the last part of it was laying in a pile of ash on her living room floor. It was now final. She had taken its place as the searcher of souls. Kate found it complexing because she had no handbook to tell her what to do. As she reached for the front doorknob, her hand seemed to grab right through it not touching it at all.
     She stood there thinking of where to go and as soon as she thought about a place she whisked away and before she knew it she was standing in the exact place she thought of. Kate figured it out that she would have to learn as she goes. She began hearing screaming and what sounded to be people in pain. The more she heard them the thoughts of where they were entered her mind. Once she wondered where they were she soon vanished and then realized she was standing right next to them.
     As she noticed the situation of why they were screaming, she remembered what the dark shadow did while standing over someone. She reached her hand out and placed it over the person screaming while trapped inside her car bleeding from being impaled by a steel pipe. It was a car accident where the woman hit a truck from behind carrying steel pipes which hung out from the end of the truck. It penetrated her windshield and impaled her through the chest and into her seat where she was pinned.
     As Kate drew her hand out over the woman, she saw the woman's soul begin to leave her body and enter into Kate's hand. She could feel the soul penetrate her body giving her more power and then it became an adrenalin rush as she watched the woman go lifeless right in front of her. Once the soul was claimed, Kate began to notice the tingling sensation running through her body. She started to wonder if the souls she claims enter in through her as if she was a portal of some kind. One where the soul travels through her to the other side where they will spend eternity.
     Kate was amazed at how simple and fast it would be even though deep down she hated having to kill people as she looked at it. Once she had claimed the souls at the car accident she began hearing people screaming and yelling in her head. There were no people around her but where could the screams be coming from? The minute she focused on them, she was whisked away to find herself in a burning building where people were trapped and began taking their souls watching through the smokey room as their bodies go limp as they take their final breath. One by one each soul entered her body and the more power she felt.
     Once Kate had collected all the souls in that burning house she stood overlooking as their dead bodies began smoldering and burning. The flames ignited by their bodies rose to two-feet high before she whisked away to another location. The one thing that she noticed was that she didn't smell the aroma of burning flesh nor did she feel the heat of the fire. She really was a ghost so to speak. Kate became aware of the powers she had and another one that stuck out was that she didn't feel tired. She was never going to sleep again.
     Being that she was now in the spiritual sense, she was not going to feel or sense things as the human flesh would. She would never become hungry, thirsty, or tired again. It was a new way of thinking for Kate. She was now addressed as the dead walking with the job of taking souls. It became her life now and one by one, souls would be sent through her to the other side where they would be judged accordingly.
     Kate found pleasure in taking the souls of criminals like rapist's and murderers, but it bothered her when it came to taking the souls of unborn babies and infants. The one's who were innocent and could do no wrong. Some were of mother's who were addicted to drugs or those unborn babies who had developmental deformities. It was unbearable at times but she knew deep down it was for the best for those children.
     Day in and day out, Kate traveled around the world taking souls. She was now a part of death and every so often was able to see her friends from a distance and how their lives have changed. She was even able to attend her own funeral and saw how much she was loved and admired. That gave her a sense of peace to know that she made the right decision to become the searcher of souls.

The Searcher of Souls Pt 4

     After a good restful nap, Kate woke up feeling a lot better and forgetful of the decision she would have to make in two days. She sat there on the couch staring off into space with the visions of taking the souls from other people. She saw herself dressed in the long, black hooded robe, standing over dying or severely injured people wanting help as she sucked the soul from their body. It was a horrible thought to see their body go lifeless because of her.
     She finally bounced back to reality and got up off of the couch. She went into the kitchen to get something to drink and when she turned around, there was the tall, dark shadow standing in front of her. Kate spoke to it loudly stating that she had two days to give him an answer and then it reached out its hand taking hers as they whisked away and before she knew it, they were standing next to a serious car accident.
     Kate could hear people screaming and yelling out in pain wanting help. She felt so bad for them and wanted to help them but she was not able to. The dark shadow led her around by the hand as he took the souls of the dying. Kate almost broke down in tears as she watched their bodies go lifeless. One by one, he ripped their souls from their injured dying bodies as Kate stood looking in horror.
     Before she knew it, he had taken the last and within a blink of her eye, they were standing back in her kitchen. She kept asking him why he was doing this to her, only to get no response. This started to make Kate frustrated but she had to face the fact that her decision would affect the rest of her life. She had no knowledge that she was being given two days to say her goodbyes and to take care of her final human business.
     After a few minutes, the dark shadow disappeared right before her eyes in a cloud of dark gray smoke. Kate was left standing there with herself almost in tears due to her frustrations of taking another human's life. She has been given the choice of becoming a grim reaper or death and the loss of her own soul. She quickly went into the living room and grabbed her telephone book of numbers. She started skimming through the pages and calling her friends to talk to them which might be the last time she ever hears their voice.
     Kate spent the rest of the day and evening talking to her friends and having a good time. She thought to herself that she will miss a lot of things when she is gone and then she knew the decision she had to make. She was fearful of losing her soul but knew that if she was a grim reaper she would still be able to see her loved one every now and then from a distance.
     When she was done talking to her friends and said her goodbyes, she went into the bathroom to shower and get dressed for bed. Her sleep would bring her no comfort and the nightmares of her experiences with the dark shadow will haunt her mind. She knows what she has to do and which decision to make, but would it be the right one? When she wakes from the night she will have one day remaining and needs to take care of a few last things. With these thoughts in mind, Kate finally fell asleep snug in her bed.
     The next morning, Kate woke up wiping her eyes and thinking about the things she had to do. After laying there in the bed, she got her thoughts together before climbing out and heading for the bathroom. Once she had relieved herself and washed her hands, she left the bathroom heading for the kitchen. She walked in and started a pot of coffee while she cleaned up the kitchen a little.
     When it was ready, she grabbed a cup, a tablet, and headed over to the table. She sat down and made a list of everything she wanted and needed to accomplish today. It wasn't a short list, but it was long enough to fill her day up. She drank her coffee as she thought about the things on her list. Then, she prioritized them in order. Kate found herself being frustrated by her list after many times of crinkling the paper up, tossing it, and starting over. It was becoming monotonous to her.
     She finally got her list completed and prioritized and went ahead and started on the first one. She made her last will and testament to leave all of her earthly belongings to her surviving family and friends. Once that was done, she took it down to the courthouse and had it notarized and then took a copy to her bank to make sure all of her final wishes would be completed. The next thing on her list was to meet her close friends for lunch at an extravagant restaurant.
     After Kate spent an hour or so eating lunch with her friends, she headed off to finish her list before heading home. It took almost the whole day to get her list done but it was completed. When she arrived back home, she was exhausted and her body ached so she ran herself a hot bath to soak in. She placed lit candles and burnt some incense while she soaked in a hot bubble bath. She knew it would be her last night alive.
     After her bath, she got out, dried herself off, and put on her favorite fuzzy robe. She went into the kitchen and turned on the stove to brew some hot tea. Kate stood there in the kitchen while waiting for the water to boil and thought about everything that she stood to lose. It was depressing to think about but she knew there was no other way. Her water started to boil and she poured some into her cup with a tea bag and steeped it until ready to drink.
     She took her tea when it was ready and walked into the living room sitting down on her couch. She savored her tea as it relaxed her mind and body. She was now ready for her new life and what would transpire thereafter. She sat calmly on her couch waiting for the dark shadow to appear because he never gave her a set time, just two days. After she finished her tea, she grabbed her soft throw blanket and cuddled up on the couch watching an old movie which was a favorite of hers before falling off to sleep. Kate was unaware that she would never wake up in the physical form, but she slept soundly.

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The Searcher of Souls Part 3

     After Kate had finished reading the parchment, she looked at the shadow and asked, "Don't I have to be dead to be what you are?" and that's when the dark shadowy figure reached out and took Kate's hand. In the blink of an eye, Kate was taken away with the dark figure only to end up standing on the side of the highway was there had been an accident. It was a mess and there was carnage everywhere. It looked to be about eight cars involved in the accident. Kate could see bodies thrown all over the highway, some hanging outside of their cars, but most were screaming for help. She wanted to help them but when she reached out to take someone's hand her hand seemed to just swipe right through the victim's hand.
     Then, Kate could hear the sound of multiple rescue vehicles approaching from down the highway. She stood there helpless and could feel their pain as well. That's when the dark figure took her by the hand and walked around the accident in search of souls to steal. Kate stood next to the figure as if in training while the figure reached out its flesh melting hand and reached into the victim only to remove the soul from the person even while they are still alive causing instant death to the victim. All she could do was stand there with tears rolling down her face as one by one he stole the souls of those injured in the accident.
     When it came to the last victim which was still alive, the figure grabbed Kate's hand and thrust it into the victim's body like it wasn't even there. The dark figure assisted Kate in pulling the soul from the victim while watching the sobbing person collapse instantly becoming lifeless. His eyes were still open and she could see the pupils dilate and become fixed as his life force diminished. Kate had become distraught over what she had done and felt so much remorse and guilt for causing another human being's death. She looked up at the figure and pleaded to be taken back home. They quickly disappeared from the accident and Kate opened her eyes to see her own house.
     Kate began asking the dark figure questions like why is it choosing her and what if she doesn't accept the offer? The dark figure began writing in the air in front of Kate which read "become or perish". She then took a step back in horror as she was being told that her only two choices were to become Death or lose her life and end up God knows where. She informed the dark figure that she would have to think about it and that's when the figure wrote in the air again "two days". She repeated it back to it that she had two days to choose? Then, the figure disappeared into thin air.
     At this point, Kate was not only exhausted but now stressed about the decision she only had two days to make. Could her life get any worse? Then, the phone rang and when she picked it up to answer, it was her mother's voice on the other end checking up on her daughter. By the stress in Kate's voice, her mother could sense something was wrong. She started questioning Kate about what was troubling her and Kate kept stating that there wasn't anything wrong. Her mother, being overbearing as she was, asked her daughter to meet her for lunch which Kate wholeheartedly agreed to. She informed her mother that she would meet downtown at a well-known cafe in about an hour and then hung up the phone.
     Kate walked into her kitchen and grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge and began drinking it until it was gone. She grabbed a second one which she took with her into her bedroom to change clothing. Being with her mother was not a sweats or jeans kind of setting. She knew she had to wear a dress with makeup and her hair properly worn. Kate thought to herself as she got dressed that this might be the last time she sees her mother.
     Once she was ready, Kate grabbed her house keys and headed out the door. It was a beautiful day with a very light breeze as she walked down the sidewalk toward downtown. She listened to the birds chirping as she began thinking about her choices. As she got closer to town, she was walking past a big brick church which had it's doors open. She thought to herself for a moment while staring at the open doorway that it couldn't hurt to stop in for a minute. Kate started walking towards the door and was met by the pastor at the door. He looked at Kate and smiled as she walked inside.
     Once she walked down the aisle and sat for a minute in one of the nearby pews staring up at the statue of Jesus Christ. She felt the urge to talk to him and began speaking to it like it was a real person sitting there with her. As she was talking, the pastor came over down the aisle and asked Kate if he could sit with her a moment. She agreed to speak with him and his first words were "are you okay?", and she replied back that she was just a little stressed. She then asked the pastor why he asked her that, his reply was that he sensed something was bothering her by the expression on her face. Kate just shook her head and told him she was fine when in the back of her mind she was not so fine.
     She asked the pastor to pray with her and to ask for insight and wisdom to make the right decisions in her life. The pastor grabbed her crossed hands and began praying with her. Afterward, Kate thanked the pastor before getting up and walking down the aisle back towards the doors. She stepped outside the doors meeting the sun directly in her eyes before heading back down the street for downtown. As she walked, every now and then she would get a glimpse of the dark figure as if he were following her but she tried to pay it no mind.
     Kate reached the cafe and walked inside. She saw her mother seated in the middle of the cafe and headed towards her. As she reached the table, her mother looked up and smiled at her. She sat down and smiled back at her mother before asking her how her day has been going. Her mother was reading her expressions and can tell when something is bothering her daughter. She then starts to pick away at Kate's mind and thoughts. It started to bother Kate and she politely asked her mother to stop to which she did. The waitress had come over to their table to take their order. After her mother ordered her food it was Kate's turn. She ordered something light like a salad and some of the cafe's special chili which Kate loved so much. The waitress smiled at Kate before turning to go back towards the kitchen.
     While they waited for their food they enjoyed a pleasant conversation about current events and then her mother began speaking about the car accident on the highway. Kate became a little unnerved at her mother's choice of current conversation. She thought to herself that maybe her mother spotted her on the television taking those souls with the dark figure but her mother made no comment on the subject. Then, her mother changed the subject and went on to ask her daughter when she plans on dating again. Kate just looked at her mother and told her that dating was the furthest thing from her mind right now. She was more focused on her job and living life than finding some man to tie her down and stress her out.
     The waitress soon brought their food over and they began eating. Kate was cherishing her bowl of chili which her mother despised because of its grease and fat content. She started to tell her daughter how certain foods were bad for her health and she should take heed to what she eats. After that her mother made the comment "men don't find a chubby woman attractive" and that is when Kate looked up at her mother and insisted they change the subject. Again, Kate was feeling stressed out just by her mother's opinions and comments. When hey finished their food, Kate was about ready to head back home with a very full stomach. Her thought about her choices was nowhere in her thoughts at that moment. They had gotten their things together, got up from the table and headed for the cashier.
     Kate started to reach into her purse when her mother told her she would pay for the lunch and Kate said, "thank you" to her. After paying for their meal, they both walked towards the front door when caught out of the corner of her eye, Kate noticed the dark figure again. It was standing outside one of the windows as if watching her. She was almost afraid to walk out the door, but her mother headed out first. Once Kate stepped outside the door, she could no longer see the dark shadowy figure and it put her at ease.
     Kate walked her mother to her car and they hugged each other before her mother got inside. Her mother rolled the window down and told her daughter how much she enjoyed their lunch and that she loved her very much with or without a man in her life which brought a smile to Kate's face. They then said their goodbyes before Kate stood there watching as her mother pulled off and drove down the road. While she headed for home, the thought hit her again that she had two days before she had to make that horrible decision to become a searcher of souls.
     Once she made it to her door, she looked down and there was a piece of parchment paper laying on the floor. Kate reached down and picked up the old paper and there were only four words written on it, "you have two days". It again startled Kate and she hurriedly opened her door and got inside. She locked her door up tight and wanted nothing to do but relax and clear her mind. She put the piece of paper down on the table with her keys and then walked into the living room. She walked over to her cozy looking sofa and gently sat and laid back on it. As she felt every muscle in her body relax into that sofa, Kate drifted off into a somber sleep.

The Searcher of Souls Part 2

     Once Kate regained consciousness and opened her eyes there was no one there. She realized that she was laying flat on her brownish gray carpeted floor with Pearl sitting next to her. She sat up and while her body was leaning forward a small black card fell from her stomach and onto the floor next to her. She picked it up and it looked somewhat like a business card which read, "Welcome to the Club, I'm Coming for YOU". This had freaked Kate out a little as she tried to run things through her mind as to what happened before she blacked out.
     Once Kate was back on her feet she looked around her living room and there was no sign of anyone being there. She even unlocked her door and looked out into the hallway. No sign of anyone, just this card she found. She hesitated for a minute to gather her thoughts before going into her kitchen for a glass of tea. Then, her phone rang which scared her for a minute as she almost jumped out of her skin. She looked over to the phone and watched it as it rang again. She went ahead and walked towards the ringing slim line phone hanging on the wall. It had rung two more times before she actually answered it.
     Once she picked up the phone, before she put it to her ear, she could hear the voice of her best friend Lindsay. It gave Kate a sense of calmness hearing her friends voice on the phone. She finally said, "hello" and Lindsay starting asking her if she was alright. Kate had retained her wits about her and began talking with Lindsay like nothing had happened. Her friend of many years who had since moved away to take a better job was in town and wanted to spend some quality time with her best friend.
     Kate was ecstatic about her friend being in town and was excited about meeting up with her and catching up on old times. Lindsay told Kate where to meet her which was a small little cafe downtown in about an hour. Kate agreed and then got off the phone to get herself ready. She went into her bedroom and changed her clothes to put something more casual and comfortable on before she headed out the door, She again hesitated that something wasn't quite right. She did one final look around the living room before leaving to go meet her friend.
     As she walked downstairs and out the front door of her building, she still had that eerie feeling something wasn't right. Kate shrugged it off and began walking towards downtown to meet her friend. She noticed how beautifully blue the sky was, all the bird flying around, and that the sun quenched her skin with vitamin K. It was so beautiful to be outside where the air was fresh. As she was admiring the scenery, she happened to notice a group of people standing around up ahead of her and staring upwards. As Kate approached the group, she noticed everyone was staring up as a female was standing on the ledge of her building. People were yelling up at her and her boyfriend was sticking his head outside of a window two windows over. He was trying to get her to come back in but she stood there crying and yelling at him. Then, as everyone gazed up she jumped from her ledge and fell four stories to her death on the concrete sidewalk.
     Everyone began feeling upset and crazed that they had just witnessed a woman committing suicide. Everyone surrounded her lifeless body and some were trying to revive her, while other's were on cell phones calling the police. As Kate moved closer to where the woman's body lay on the concrete, she looked around as everyone scrambled, and some were even crying. Then, it appeared almost out of nowhere, the dark shadowy figure, standing over the woman's body. He stood there for a minute looking down at her before waving his fleshy skeletal hand over her. I watched as he plucked her soul right from her body.
     Kate could see the soul rise up from the body screaming and fighting to stay. Once he had a good grip on her, he looked up at Kate who was standing there in disbelief. She could not see any eyes, just darkness under his cloak. He was there for what seemed forever but disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kate jumped out of her stillness as the people around her were busy screaming, talking, and crying with one another. She politely asked the man next to her if he saw that, and he replied with "yes, I saw her jump from the overhead ledge", but that was not was Kate was referring too, She wondered how it came to be that she could see this dark figure and no one else could.
     After standing there for a few minutes she remembered that she was supposed to be meeting her friend Lindsay and turned to walk down the sidewalk past the group of onlookers. As she got closer to the little cafe, she spotted Lindsay getting out of her car. Kate caught up to her as Lindsay was opening the door. They gave each other a big hug once inside the door and walked toward a table in the corner of the cafe to sit. The waitress came over and asked them if they were ready to order and both of the women just asked for a latte for the moment.
     Kate was just so excited to see her friend especially with what has been going on lately. It seemed as if Kate could not go anywhere without someone dying in front of her. She was more concerned with why this dark figure was only seeable by her and why it chose her. What did it want? These were questions that only Kate could find the answers too, but she was done thinking about it for now and wanted to gossip with her friend for a bit.
     Kate and Lindsay chatted and laughed for a bit about what has been going on in their lives. Kate had nothing to worry about while she was with her friend. They sat and drank their latte without a care in the world. They had missed each other so much since Lindsay went away two years ago. They had kept in contact through email, letters, and photos. Kate was just so happy to see Lindsay again that she couldn't keep from smiling.
     As Kate and Lindsay traded life stories, Kate had looked over and noticed the dark figure standing in the window. It stood there watching her as if it had a purpose for her. Kate tried to ignore it and began listening and making eye contact with Lindsay. Lindsay could see Kate was distracted and asked her what was wrong and if she was okay. Kate just smiled and told her everything was fine when it really wasn't.
     Once their time was up and Lindsay had to go, Kate walked her outside after paying the ticket for the latte's. They went outside the door and gave each other a huge hug and said they would keep in touch. Kate watched as Lindsay walked away before she headed back towards her house. She still had that eerie feeling as if someone was watching her. She tried to shrug it off but it just kept bothering her.
     When she made it home and got inside her door she felt strange as if someone had been in her house. When she closed the door and turned around there was this dark shadowy figure standing before her. It startled her and she took a step back being pinned up against her door. The dark figure just stood there until Kate asked in in a demanding voice what it wanted. The figure just stood there staring at her.
     Finally, the figure reached out and grabbed Kate's hand and before she knew it she was seeing through his eyes. All of the souls trapped in Hell. She could feel their pain and hear their screaming. It was giving Kate such a terrible feeling. She didn't understand why he was showing her this. She could feel the heat from the brimstone and smell the sulfur. It was such a horrifying experience and she wanted to return to her house. When she let go of his hand she realized she was still standing in the same spot against her door.
     As she stood there staring at what she believed now to be the searcher of souls, it reached inside its cloak and pulled out a piece of paper and Kate could see how old the parchment was. It reached out as if to hand it to her. Kate was hesitant at first but it seemed that it wanted Kate to read it. She took the parchment from its hand and began opening it. Once she had it opened she gazed upon the old creepy handwriting to read it. It was written almost like an invitation but was more demanding of her to become a messenger of death. It wanted her to be the next searcher of souls.

The Searcher of Souls Part 1

   
     Kate was your everyday female who worked hard at her job and listened to the drama of everyone else's life. She was a friend to many who usually just needed her to listen to their problems and give them some advice. Kate was twenty-six years old, a little big boned for her height, with long blonde hair, and deep brown eyes. She lived alone in her two bedroom apartment which the spare bedroom was for her mother when she came to visit. She worked in an advertising firm which the pay was okay but it did have long hours. She really didn't care for the social nightlife that her friends liked. She only has a drink every now and then but mostly when it is a special occasion.
     Everyday Kate went to work, came home to her fluffy white cat, Pearl, and sat at her desk working on the next day's project. She was no social butterfly but she liked it that way. Her last date was about three weeks ago and it was quick and pleasant, but she wasn't really into the whole dating scene as of yet. She lived a simple life with only a few close friends, her overbearing mother, her fluffy cat Pearl, and an annoying ex-boyfriend who stalks her because she won't take him back.
     Her life might have been simple but she pretty much had a routine that anyone could keep up with. She woke up every morning and headed for the bathroom to shower, get dressed, and put her makeup on. She always just threw her hair into a ponytail and went about her way. She would walk into her kitchen, feed Pearl, and start the coffee maker. While the coffee was brewing Kate would turn on the television and check out the morning news.
     Once the coffee was finished, she would grab a cup, grab her briefcase, and run out the front door. Luckily for her, she only lived a few blocks away from work. As she walked down the street, she would stop at the local news stand for her morning paper. It was such a nice morning on this one particular day that she slowed her pace to work just to take in the fresh morning sunshine. Sipping her coffee, listening to the morning noise of jackhammers and cars, and thinking about her new project she was working on took her mind away just for a few minutes before she witnessed a truly bad pedestrian accident.
     She watched as a pedestrian crossing the street at a crosswalk when suddenly a blue Chevy Nova turned the corner and plowed right into the pedestrian. She watched as the person's frail body flew up into the air and over the Nova's hood. Kate, dropping her coffee, could sense that the person would be badly hurt so she pulled out her cell phone and called the police to report the accident.
     The Chevy Nova stopped and the driver got out to check on the pedestrian, who was laying lifeless on the hood. Kate got a little closer and could see blood running from the person's ears and mouth. It didn't look good for the pedestrian at all. She was an older senior citizen probably in her seventies with a small petite frame. She had white and silver hair and as she lay there on the hood of the car with her eyes open, you could see how sky blue they were.
     Kate got closer and could see that the woman was not breathing and her eyes were in a fixed position to which she looked still as if she were a statue in a wax museum. As Kate stood there staring at this woman with the operator on the phone, she noticed what appeared to be a dark shadow out of the corner of her eye. She looked around in the direction which she saw it and couldn't see anything. By the time she looked back towards the woman she saw this tall dark shadow figure standing right next to the dead woman on the hood of the Chevy Nova.
     She could not see any face and that the shadow appeared to be wearing some type of ritual robe that was hooded covering the face of the visitor. Kate watched as this shadow figure waved its hands over and across the elderly woman's body. After doing this for several minutes, Kate saw this woman's spirit raise up from her body. Kate wiped her eyes to make sure she was seeing thing correctly. The hooded figure looked up in Kate's direction as if he noticed her watching, grabbed the spirits hand who didn't want to go willingly, and then disappeared with it.
     Kate stood there for a few minutes while hearing the ambulance sirens in the background as they came down the road. "Was that who I thought it was?", Kate asked herself. She was not really a religious person and only remember the stories that her mother told her of heaven and hell. Then her older brother who was into the whole heavy metal scene always tried frightening her with a dark spirit known as the grim reaper who took lost souls to hell.
     This figure couldn't have been the grim reaper, he had no sickle in his hand, but she will always remember how he looked at her almost like he would come for her next. She could not see his face well but did notice those eyes that were of flames from hell. They were orangish red and seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded them. Kate was startled back to reality when a passerby bumped into her, and then she noticed the paramedics trying to revive the old woman. She thought to herself that they would not revive her because she has gone to the other side.
     Kate looked down at her watch and noticed that she was late for work so she hurried by the crowd that was surrounding the accident. She was only a block away from work but it seemed to take such a long time getting there. Once she made her way inside the door she was met by her boss who was concerned about her being late because Kate was never late for work. She informed her boss of the accident she saw on the way over and that sufficed her boss who then went on his way back to his office.
     The work environment at her job was fast paced but Kate could not get that image out of her head. Those eyes which seemed to sere their way through her body as it glanced at her. This figure was taller than any man she knew of and it wore such a creepy robe like it was going to perform some ritual right there on the hood of that car. Before she knew it, she found herself sketching the image that she saw standing over that old woman. It was frightening even on paper.
     Kate noticed that her boss was headed in her direction and quickly put the drawing away as to not let anyone see it. She folded it up and slipped it inside her briefcase closing it just as her boss reached her workstation. "Is everything okay, Kate?", her boss asked. "Yes, everything is fine, Mr. Brennan, just getting things set up to work on the new project", Kate replied. "Good, keep up the good work Kate", her boss stated as he walked away. Kate went ahead and began working on her new project as if nothing strange had happened that morning, and by the end of the day, she had turned in her new ad campaign to her boss who was very pleased with her ideas.
     At the end of the day which seemed to go on forever, Kate was finally headed for home. She stopped in at a local cafe for a bite to eat since she didn't feel up to cooking when she got home. While sitting at the cafe table waiting on her food, Kate's phone went off ringing until she finally grabbed it to answer. When she said "hello", there was a creepy, ghostly-like voice on the phone that said, "I'll be seeing you soon" and then hung up. It startled Kate for a minute before she was on the phone calling one of her friends to come meet her.
     Sarah, who was Kate's closest friend showed up at the cafe wanting to know if Kate was okay. She noticed that Kate sounded a little disturbed when she spoke to her on the phone. Kate was happy to see Sarah and gave her a big hug when she walked up. Sarah sat down at the table when the waitress came over asking if she needed anything to which she replied that she would like a diet soda and a side salad. While the waitress was writing that down on her pad, Kate looked at Sarah and asked, "How is that diet working out for you?" Sarah looked at Kate smiling and replied, "How is that outfit working out for you"?
     They both just laughed and it was good for Kate to laugh being what she is going through at the moment. Kate leaned across the table closer to Sarah whispering to her asking about the grim reaper. Sarah looked up from her phone at her best friend asking if she was alright. Kate nodded and then began telling her about the accident she witnessed earlier that morning. She hesitated for a minute before telling Sarah about the shadowy figure that took the old woman's spirit.
     Sarah reached over feeling Kate's forehead asking if she was feverish. She listened as Kate told her everything about that accident and then told her about the creepy phone call just before she called Sarah. Sarah now had a concerned look on her face as her friend seemed distracted while talking with her. Sarah, who was a devout Christian, spoke to Kate about heaven and hell and all the demons walking around, and that she didn't believe in the grim reaper. That was just a made up creation by someone on acid. They both sat there and just laughed at the whole ordeal before the waitress came over with their food.
     They both turned the conversation to something lite-hearted while enjoying their food. Kate was enjoying a grease dripping hamburger which was making Sarah a little queasy due to her being a vegetarian, but Kate couldn't resist a good burger and that cafe made the best. They sat there conversating while eating before leaving the waitress a tip and heading out the door. While standing outside the cafe door, Sarah lit up a cigarette and when she had blown the white smoke from her mouth, Kate's reply was, "You're a vegetarian who smokes?" Sarah looked over at Kate and they both smiled before hugging goodbye to each other.
     Kate went ahead and walked home, but on the way, she saw yet another car accident where the driver lost control and drove right into a telephone pole ejecting him halfway through the windshield. Again, she reached for her phone calling for an ambulance. While she stood there about ten feet from the wrecked vehicle, Kate, again noticed the same black shadowy figure coming from the other side of the car towards the driver. She watched as the tall figure reached in and grabbed the man's spirit like a child snatching a cookie. She could almost hear the driver's spirit crying out to not take him.
     While Kate stood there in shock, again the dark figure looked up at her with those fiery eyes and spoke the words from the darkness, "I'll see you soon". It made Kate tremble on the inside hearing those words again just like the phone call. This time Kate wasn't waiting around for the ambulance and quickly walked to her apartment. She did not stop until she was behind her apartment door locked tight. She thought to herself, "Was it talking to me"? She felt a little more relaxed being home and hearing Pearl meowing for food.
     She walked into her kitchen and opened a can of cat food for Pearl and waited while her cat jumped up onto the counter to eat before standing there petting it and telling Pearl how her day went. Once Pearl was finished eating and jumped down off of the counter, Kate went into the living room, turning on the television only to see the news about the pedestrian accident she witnessed earlier that morning. She sat there staring at the television and watching it all the way up until the paramedics got there but did not see the dark figure standing above the old woman.
     "Could she have imagined the whole thing being in shock?", she thought to herself. Kate quickly got up from her chair and went over to her desk sitting down in front of the computer and searched for the term "grim reaper" which pulled up many images that people had drawn or imagined. While skimming the page, she came across the exact replica of the tall dark figure she witnessed. It was him just without the sickle part. Kate sat there staring at this picture before pulling the drawing from her briefcase for comparison. It was an exact match.
     Kate had now convinced herself that what she saw was, in fact, the grim reaper, the searcher of souls. At that moment, Kate heard a knock at her door. When she walked over to open the door, she peered out the eye hole to see who it was. There was no one there or no one that she could see.anyway, so she opened the door slowly. Once she looked outside the door, there in front of her was the dark, shadowy figure she had seen twice today standing at her doorway.
     Kate has turned and slammed the door in fear of what she just saw. Once the door was closed and locked, she turned around to find the dark figure standing inside her apartment and right in front of her. She quickly got her wits together and asked it what it wanted. She watched as it's skeletal hand with melting flesh reached out to her. She stepped back and again asked it what it wanted. The figure spoke out from the darkness saying that it had come for her. At that moment, everything went black.
   
 

The Werewolf Files- Forever Wolf

      After eating my bagel and drinking a couple cups of black coffee, I began staring at those books wondering if I really will find a cure. It's not like I can walk into a hospital or research lab and say"hey, I'm a werewolf, can you cure me?". They would lock me up in a mental institution for that. So, I started by opening the books again and reading more into the history of werewolves and trying to see if I overlooked anything or missed a hidden clue. It was all starting to get monotonous with all this reading and experimenting with blood samples, but there had to be a key somewhere to unlock its secrets.
     I had the day off of work so that I could clean my house, run some errands, and do some more experimenting since I brought home a new microscope to work with. My dining room became a lab for research, and it's where I spend a lot of my time. I am desperate to find this cure and I am very hopeful that I will, but I do have to accept the fact if I don't that I will be forever a werewolf.
     I reached into the desk drawer and pulled out some gloves, an empty vial, a syringe, and tourniquet to draw another blood sample. I have everything here to run some lab tests to examine the blood some more. I took the tourniquet and wrapped it around my upper arm and got it tight. I took the syringe and stuck it into my vein and watched as the dark red blood filled the syringe. After taking the tourniquet off, I pulled out the blood-filled syringe and laid it on the table. I took an alcohol pad wiping my arm where the syringe was inserted and then put a bandage over it.
     I took the syringe and inserted it into the vial filling it with the blood sample before doing some experiments with it. I pulled out the book which showed the different blood cells of the werewolf and another book which showed regular human blood cells. I took my microscope and prepared two slides of blood samples. I took some chemicals I had laying around and added some to each sample. Once I compared them it showed no change except for one which it seemed to make the cell reproduce. Using that chemical would mean becoming more werewolf and that's not what I wanted.
     There was no change in the other sample, so I tried some more chemical compositions to see if there would be any change. Nothing. It seemed like I was hitting a brick wall no matter what I did or tried.  There must be a cure somewhere and I need to find it. I have one month before the next full moon to see what I can discover. From my observations, I can see that the werewolf blood cells dominate the human cells. I am trying every chemical known to man to find what will change the werewolf blood cells, but I keep hitting that wall. Will I ever find the cure I keep asking myself?
     I was getting a little overwhelmed after trying different things for several hours and figured I needed a break. I got up from the table and headed into the kitchen to make a bite to eat. I made a quick sandwich, grabbed a bag of potato chips, a drink, and headed back into the dining room. I looked over the table and had a mess of everything and nowhere to set my lunch down, so I went into the living room to eat. While I sat on the couch eating my lunch, I pondered over a few things and tried to think if I missed anything. All these calculations going through my mind was making my lunch a little less meaningful to my stomach.
     I got through my lunch and just sat there on the couch. I was so distracted by this whole werewolf thing that I haven't checked my mail lately, bought any groceries, or even went out on a date in months. My whole life has been consumed by being a werewolf every full moon. The very thought of getting close to anyone scares me to death because I can't share this with anyone or they would have me committed to a hospital or worse yet a research lab doing experiments on me. That is not how I want to live life, being someone's science project.
     I need to figure this out or make the necessary implementations that I will need being a werewolf. Do I stock my deep freezer with raw meat, save up money to buy a new outfit or two every month since I will destroy one or two, or do I just give in and accept the fact that I may be a carnivorous beast that has to hide away from the public eye? I really have so many options here. Oh, I feel like a good massage since last night made my whole body ache. I think I will go get one in fact. That might help relieve some stress and give me a fresh mind to think about the situation.
     I got my dining room table cleaned up and organized, got dressed in some casual wear like a sweat suit, and headed out the door. I knew a place that I usually frequent where the staff is fabulous and I can get a very good deep massage. I also know the owner who I exchange a good massage for passes to the zoo for her grandchildren. I think it's an honest deal. Her grandchildren are happy at the zoo which relieves her stress on the weekends and I get my stress reliever while someone is working my body over.
     Anyway, I drove to downtown and found their office open and the parking lot almost empty. I pulled into the parking lot, got out, locked my car doors, and headed inside. The staff already knows me and what I like, so they escorted me to a room and I got prepared for my massage which entailed me getting undressed and putting on one of their white robes which were so warm and comfy.
     I sat in that room for about ten minutes before the masseuse came in to work my body over. I took my arms out of the robe and wrapped the remainder of the robe around my waist before climbing up on the table. I laid down on my stomach and got comfortable before she even touched me. I lay there listening to her prepare her hands with oils and lotions before coming over to the table. She started rubbing my temples first to relax me and then I laid my head down with my face looking through the hole in the table as her hands began to work their magic. I could feel every tense muscle just release as she massaged them. She took her time and really dug in deep while informing me that she could feel the tightness and tension in my muscles.
     All I could tell her was that I had a hard week at work. Which it was strenuous at work for me because of being so clouded with thoughts of the impending full moon all while taking care of my animals. They are important to me and I love each and every one of them. I could not see myself hurting them or letting anyone else hurt them for that matter. I chose this profession and for good reasons. At least now the wolves in their habitat are okay with me. They don't see me as a threat anymore. I still love them like I always have.
     The masseuse was getting deeper into my lower back muscles and it was feeling so damn good. I felt like saying "Calgon take me away, and my masseuse with me". She just laughed and kept working those muscles. As she pushed on my back I could feel each one of my vertebrae pop and it sent tingles down my whole body. When she was done, it felt like I couldn't move because my body was so relaxed. She ended up helping me off the table so I could get dressed.
     Once I was dressed, she escorted me back out to the front where I could take care of my bill for services. I also turned to her and handed her a twenty dollar tip for doing such a good job. She smiled and told me thank you before heading back into the hallway and disappearing. I stood there and talked with the owner for a bit before heading home. I grabbed some lotion she recommended that I could use on my body after a hot shower that would do wonders for my stress. I told her thank you before walking out the door.
     I got back into my car and headed first, to the grocery store to pick up some food, then to the post office to check my mailbox before going back home. When I got to the grocery store, this parking lot was full of cars and I knew shopping will be a bit difficult. I like to get in, get my things, and get out. I guess that won't happen today. I parked my car, got out, and started walking to the store entrance.
     Once inside, I grabbed a shopping cart and headed over towards the produce section for some ruffage in my diet. I got over by the produce and my stomach started gurgling and I thought to myself that I need to stockpile meat for my freezer, so I skipped the produce and headed over to the meat section and began picking out large choice meat and throwing it into my cart. I filled half of the cart with meat before going after my bagels.
     Once I was done shopping I headed over to the checkout line and paid for my groceries. A helpful bag boy pushed my cart full of groceries out to my car and I couldn't help noticing the faint smell of his cologne. I guess you could say it was the wolf senses. Anyway, we got my groceries in the car and then I headed home. It was going to be a long day of research and I will need food to sustain my nourishment.
     I was able to get everything into the house and put away before grabbing a bagel and some fresh coffee. I sat down at the table looking up at my calendar on the wall counting the days before the next full moon. I had precisely seven days until the dog in me raised its ugly head.
     I opened the books to where I left off and began analyzing everything and doing some rechecking on my figures. None of it made any sense. It was like werewolf blood was alien and that nothing manmade would kill it. I have tried everything I can think of that doesn't involve me getting radiation sickness. It was all boiling down to me remaining a werewolf if I didn't come up with any options. I did, in fact, look at it like it was only one night out of every month that I had to dust myself for fleas and get a nail job. So that made it look a little more on the bright side.
     I looked over everything for the next seven days and came up with nothing to fix my problem. I even went down to see my wolves in their habitat and spent some time with them contemplating how to reassure myself it was going to be okay. Once the day came for me to lock away, I made provisions to my permanent fixture downstairs by setting up some fresh raw meat for the night and double checking my chains and locks.
     I was worried though about if my werewolf side would get stronger over time the more I change. I went back to the books to do some reading up on that before heading back out to the hardware store and buying thicker and heavier chains. I needed to keep myself well hid from everyone when I transformed, so definitely thicker chains.
     I spent the day reading and double checking things but kept hitting a road block on everything. It just seemed hopeless and that I will be a werewolf for the rest of my life. As the day went by, I filled my stomach with food and placed water downstairs for hydration after the change was over. I noticed that the last time I woke up with such a dry mouth and felt severe thirst.
     I managed to glance out my window and noticed the sun setting and that it was almost time. I got everything locked up and one last bite to eat before heading down to the basement. I turned the light on and proceeded to get myself chained up and had everything I needed to get through this night. So, I sat on the floor and waited it out like I looked forward to it or something.
     Then, as I looked towards the window, I could feel the light of the moon touching my face, and then it began. I could feel my skin start to crawl and then stretch. I raised my hand and watched as my fingers started to distort, and then my nails started to look like claws as they grew from my fingers. I could feel my face as it stretched into a dog's snout, and the hair on my body became more pronounced like I was being covered in a bear rug. My spine began transforming and it became so painful that I could scream. It was happening and I couldn't  stop it. The only thing that went through my mind was that I would be forever wolf.



 

The Werewolf Files- Finding the Cure

     My face felt warm with the rays of sunshine beaming through my living room window as I woke up to finding myself hanging halfway off of the couch. I picked myself up and headed for the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. After setting up the coffee maker, I headed for the bathroom to wash my face and hands to help me wake up. Today was my day off and I was pretty tired from the whole week I had. Today was a new day and I get to spend the whole day reading my books and attempting to find a cure for what ails me. After washing my face and looking at myself in the mirror, one could wonder why someone with such an attractive face could possibly turn into a werewolf. That is just the ego side of me talking and playing jokes on myself. I personally look beat in the mirror so who was I fooling.
     I heard the coffee maker stop brewing and headed back into the kitchen which was bright with the morning sun and poured myself a nice tall cup of java. I grabbed my coffee and a bagel and headed for the dining room table where I left all my books last night. I was even smart enough to leave a marker where I left off. I sat down and got comfortable placing my bagel on one side of the table and brought the book closer to me while sipping on my coffee. I glanced over at my notes and saw the chicken scratch I had left the night before. It was time to get back into the books to see what I can find to rid myself of this werewolf problem.
     After reading so many pages and taking notes, I did find that being bitten by a werewolf was to place a curse on the victim. It also states that since it is known to be a curse, the only way to break the curse is to find and kill the werewolf that took a bite out of you. That should be fairly easy, not. All I know is that I was bitten by a werewolf, but I do not know who the werewolf was as a human. So, that won't help me at all. I had no choice but to keep reading and hopefully find something out dealing with the blood side of it. Maybe there was a serum that could be synthesized to cure it from inside the blood? I don't know, it just seems so impossible for this to happen and especially to me. Someone who deals with animals on an everyday basis just happened to be bitten by another animal and is now cursed for all eternity. That would just have to be my luck.
     I got so engrossed in the reading that my head was starting to hurt. It was taking in too much information at once, so I pushed the books away and got up for another cup of coffee before starting again. This time I cradled my cup of coffee in my hands as I leaned against the kitchen counter. I stood against the counter but my eyes were still focused on the stack of books sitting on top of my dining room table. This was beginning to consume me because I wanted so much to find a cure for this werewolf thing. I shrugged it off and headed back to the table to begin reading again. I came across sections of the books that referred to the blood-borne infection and it made me search harder to see if any progress or clues were given to remedy this situation.
     Everything just broke down the blood into samples and elements and how many ribosomes there was inside one tiny blood cell. It was becoming scientific, which is where I shine being a biologist, but there has to be something I'm missing. I spent about two hours looking through these samples in the books to see if they would tell me anything, but I kept coming up with nothing. I then began writing out formulas to break the sample down to see is a serum could be synthesized to cure the infection. I came up with a few different scenarios that could be tried but was not promising anything. I scooped up the books I needed and grabbed my purse before heading out the door and driving to the lab at the zoo.
     Once I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that half of everyone had already left for the day which was perfect because I would need some privacy to conduct my experiments. I parked the car and grabbed everything I needed and headed for the lab. While I was walking down the hallway towards the lab, my assistant was coming out and getting ready to lock up so I had to stop her. I called out to her and somewhat startled her, but informed her not to lock up because I had some tests to run and would be here late. She agreed and left the door opened and said her goodnight before leaving. I walked into the lab and set my stuff down on the table before going into the chemical room to grab what I needed to perform these experiments.
     After I gathered everything, I took it back into the lab and grabbed some test tubes and beakers to begin some experimenting. I grabbed a tourniquet and wrapped it around my upper arm, then I made a fist a few times before taking a good sample tube of my blood with a syringe. I wanted to make sure there was enough for a few experiments so I wouldn't have to put so many holes in my arms. I don't tolerate pain very well. I placed the sample tube of blood in a test tube holder while I bandaged my arm up and put the tourniquet and other stuff away. I first reached into a drawer and pulled out a fresh syringe as to not contaminate the blood. I took the syringe and pushed it inside the sample tube filling the syringe with one-half of a milliliter of my blood. I put a drop onto the microscope slide and looked at it visually under the microscope to be able to see details and make notes. I then took the rest of the blood in the syringe and placed inside another blood vial before putting it into the centrifuge to separate the blood components.
     I needed to break the blood up to see any key factors that might not show up in regular human blood. After the centrifuge was done I took the sample and split up all the components onto different microscope slides to examine. Everything seemed to look normal until I got to one slide where there was an abnormality. I took the sample and put it into another machine to get the DNA sequence and once that was done, I found the abnormality that was in my blood from the werewolf bite. Its factor was not of a human origin. I looked up and gave my head a good scratch before looking back at the sample. There had to be a way for me to isolate this abnormality and eventually eradicate it from my blood.
     I began testing the sample with different chemicals to see if any of them would attack or kill it. I found nothing. I tried every different compound I could and it made no difference. Here I was in this lad until the wee hours of the morning trying to find the cure for what has happened to me and keep coming up with nothing. Something is just not right here. There has to be some chemical combination that would kill this blood abnormality but I wasn't finding it. This whole ordeal is like something sour you ate that keeps the sour taste on your tongue for a while. This is just ridiculous.
     After spending all night and half of the morning trying to figure this out, my assistant walked in to find me hunched over my lab table asleep. She reached for my shoulder waking me and asking if everything was okay? I told her everything was as it should be while grasping at everything to hide it from her. I boxed up everything, books, samples, I mean everything that I was working with and told her good night before leaving the lab. I made it out to the car and managed to get everything into the trunk of my car and closing it before hearing the sounds of my children calling me. I felt so bad that I was here all night and not once did I go say hello to anyone.
     I closed the trunk and headed back to the zoo to say good morning to all my children. I stepped back into the lab and grabbed my clipboard and some goodies for my pockets before heading out to the habitats. I made my rounds and gave out some treats and loved them before moving on to the next one. They were just so happy to see me and I could tell when they miss me. Once I was at the wolf habitat, I leaned down by the bars and everyone came over to greet me. I stuck out my hand for everyone to smell and give my hand a good licking while I spoke to them like they would understand. I miss them every time I get a day off, but sometimes I just need a break.
     Once I made my rounds and said hello to everyone, I headed back towards the lab to drop off the clipboard before heading for my car. I was exhausted and beat up. I needed to be at home in my robe and slippers lounging around the house, but I knew this was not going to happen. I needed to finish my experimenting to find the cure to this werewolfism that has demanded my life.
     Once I got home, I brought the box from my trunk inside the house and placed it on the table. I just stood there looking at everything before I looked up and noticed that I was running short on time because there was a full moon tomorrow night. I needed some answers and quickly. I began taking everything out of the box and placing it on the table. Soon my dining room looked like a lab with all the beakers and test tubes set up. Before I went back to experimenting, I took a walk downstairs to my basement to check on my new device to keep me restrained should I not find a cure before tomorrow night. I checked all the chains and locks and everything seemed to be in order.
     I made sure there was a bucket nearby should I have to use the restroom while chained and some water to keep me from dehydration. It was my safe haven just in case. After checking, I made my way back upstairs to finish with my experimenting. One after another I came up with no results. I couldn't find anything that would kill the abnormality in my blood. I even went as far as trying silver nitrate with the werewolf myth of killing one with a silver bullet and still nothing worked. I was at my wit's end trying to figure it out, so I decided to take a break from it for a few days so I could come back to it with fresh eyes and mind. I left everything the way it was and walked away from the table and took myself to the couch in the living room and lounged back watching television until falling asleep.
     When I woke up the next morning, no matter how hard it was, I had to walk by the table that held the key to my humanity. I went into the kitchen for my coffee and then to the bathroom to wash up. I did whatever I could to keep away from the table to give my mind a break. I took a shower and got myself into something comfortable so that I would be ready for tonight. Once I had everything set up and ready, I took a short walk before the moon was to show it's face. After walking for about forty-five minutes I headed back home to get situated. I had about an hour before sunset and didn't want any foul ups. I went to the bathroom before heading down to the basement and getting into my chains. I brought a snack with me if I get hungry, started chaining myself up, and with a broom stick close by, I threw the keys about six feet away from my reach. I sat down against the concrete pillar and waited. The only thoughts running through my head at that moment was that I wished this night would be over with.
     There I sat until the nausea feeling hit my stomach and then the pain set in from my body changing. It felt like my skin was crawling for which it really was. I looked down and saw the hair growing on my arms and watched as my fingers stretched and distorted. The long sharp claws that grew right in front of my eyes. I started to panic but there was nothing I could do. I was changing uncontrollably. At that point, I think I blacked out because I woke up the next morning lying on my basement floor still chained and my clothes tattered. My hair was a mess and I could see scratches on my body that were self-inflicted. Once I was awake enough, I reached out and grabbed the broom handle, using it to reach for the keys. It took a few minutes but I finally got the keys and unlocked myself from my chains.
     I picked myself up and managed to get back upstairs and change clothes. I had no recollection of what happened last night once I blacked out. I do remember the crawling skin and growing claws but nothing more. After changing and washing my face, I returned to the kitchen for some strong coffee and a bagel. My neck was sore and when I looked into the bathroom mirror, I saw where I had strained my neck with the chains but they held. I sat at the table and stared at the books wondering if I will ever find a cure, or will those chains in the basement become a permanent fixture?