The Beast Within

It was a dark, cloudless night. The stars pierced at me through the night sky like daggers stabbing straight through into my heart. I had never felt this way before. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel this way?

As I stared blankly into the starry night sky, a sudden burst of adrenaline began coursing through my body. I began to experience a power the likes of which I had never felt before. The next thing I knew, my canine teeth began to grow longer and claws jutted out from my fingertips. I was transforming, but into what?

I turned my head and noticed that the moon shone bright and full that night. As I gazed at it, awestruck, a sudden urge washed over me and I couldn't resist but to begin howling at it. After that, I almost entirely lost control of my body and mind. I remained just barely coherent enough to recall the incident. A terrible feeling came over me, though at the time it seemed invigorating. I had the sudden urge to bring chaos and mayhem down upon the nearby village, which coincidentally was my home and birthplace, wherein lived every relative and friend I had ever had.

As I started through the forest, bound for the village, a number of predators stalked me through the underbrush, hoping to catch some easy prey. However, it was not to be. Just as each one began to pounce out of the shrubbery, my reflexes allowed me to react and brutally slaughter every single one before they could even lay a paw or tooth on me. As I neared the village, a momentary hesitation passed over me. What was I doing? No, I didn't want to do this! But I couldn't resist. The urge to kill was too strong and the adrenaline still coursing strong through my veins.

I entered the village, murdering the guards that stood at the outer gate as they came for me. I then proceeded to ransack every home and shop around. I was relentless in my homicidal rage. Even as the human soul within me tried its hardest to fight the monster I'd become, it continued its onslaught, viciously slaying even my family and closest friends.

This continued throughout the night until finally day broke. As I began to revert back to my normal self, I realized that not a single soul was left alive. I searched and searched every house, shop, barn, and even haystacks and chicken coops, searching for even a tiny shred of life, but not even an insect remained. I had slaughtered them all! I began to fear that such a thing may happen again, and fell into a deep despair. Already I had lost those closest to me and if it happened again, I would probably seek yet another village to wreak havoc upon. However, my very despair was that which saved me from further transformations. The beast within me was unable to surface.

I attempted to carry on alone, eeking out a meager living in the very village I had destroyed for fear that if I moved to another, the beast would resurface and the same would happen all over again. This carried on for quite some time, but the grief over what I had done never subsided. And so, I finally decided, it was time for it all to end. I proceeded to the village well, where a rope and bucket were used to draw out water for the villagers. I snatched up the rope and took it with me as I climbed to a high tree branch and tied one end to it. And that is where I stand now. Unable to stand this terrible existence any longer, I shall tie the other end to my neck and leap from the tree. Then it will be all over and the beast within me can never hurt a single soul again. I must be released from this terrible excuse for a life.

And before I go, I bow my head and offer a prayer for the fallen, and for myself. Let this final act serve to put the souls of the fallen villagers, as well as my own, at ease so that we may finally rest in peace.