The Forsaken Ones - Second place winner: ElaniaWolfe
The Prophecy Challenge - Day 2 from Werewolf Week 2022
The fire crackles in the night, sending sparks to reach for the full moon above. A young group of wolves lounge around the circle of flames. They laugh and speak of training today without any other care in the world. Life is good in their pack, so why would they need to worry about anything?
One young female stands and stretches. "You guys coming for the full moon worship? It's the best time to honor our goddess."
The other youths laugh. "Madison, no one ever goes to those things anymore. We have better things to do than sit under the full moon and stare into the sky."
Madison sticks out her lower lip at their ridicule. "It's the great Luna that gives us our bonded wolf form. To deny Her is to deny ourselves. Don't you remember the legend of the forsaken ones?"
This brings another round of laughter. "It's just a legend. Just because the priestesses tell you something doesn't mean it's true."
Madison presses her lips together. Her mother is a priestess, and she doesn't appreciate the tones being used. "The pack is forced to roam between life and afterlife because they denied our great goddess. It's said that they will return when the goddess feels we are slipping. Any that refuse to give Her the reverence she deserves will be forced to join the forsaken pack for all eternity."
"Children's tales. We grew out of such fairy tales. Grow up, Madison."
Fighting tears, the young wolf turns and walks away from the wayward group. It's not her responsibility to bring them into the light. No one is responsible for anyone besides themselves. She tried to educate, but they refused to listen. There's nothing else that can be done.
As the remainder of the young werewolves stays around the fire, they tell ghost stories and slip sips of alcohol stolen from the pack cellars. They giggle and begin to get rowdy, a few breaking from the rest in pairs with wicked intentions on their minds. No one notices the bright moon darkening to a shade of crimson, lighting the sky in colors resembling flames. Fog begins to roll in, caressing ankles with its soft touch.
Joelle and Zachery weave through the trees, hands held tight and breaths smelling of the forbidden alcohol. This protects them from the curiosity of crows falling on their friends around the fire in the clearing. Their quick metabolisms are burning through the buzz, so they are intent on taking as much advantage of the mood as possible. They kiss, but the warmth is lost when twigs begin to snap all around them. A putrid smell overwhelms their need for satisfaction, and both wolves stop to see what's going on. Neither expects the monstrosities that begin to surround them.
Joelle screams as a wolf with blood-red eyes steps from the brush hiding them from view. Saliva drips from its jaws, hardening the fur along its chin. Patches of fur are missing all around, and the ivory color of exposed bone shows in places along its four limbs. The wolf growls, throwing drool all over the couple. Zachery panics and runs, leaving Joelle to face the creature alone. He doesn't make it far. His screams reach her within seconds.
The dead wolf lunges. She attempts to shift, but her wolf refuses to accept her demands any longer. When she tries to run, rabid teeth wrap around her ankle to drag her into the darkness. Back in the clearing, young werewolves scream and run from the chaos erupting around them, tripping over dead birds. No one can escape the forsaken as they come for those who have denied the goddess. Their numbers will now increase. Those who lived life outside of the light will now be forced to serve it for all eternity.
Only those within the sacred groves are safe from the terror outside them. Oblivious to what the rest of their pack is going through, they sit in the bright light of the moon and pay homage. Entire families are lost to the wrath of a rejected goddess, and the packs will take many years to recover. One thing is for certain, no one will forget the consequences of a scorned goddess.