It had been a restless couple of days in Bärwald. Like in neighboring villages in the deep dark forest, night after night, more and more people were found dead. Their flesh ripped open, their hearts torn out. Each person unfortunate enough to have found the desecrated corpse of their loved one reported an unforgettably foul odor. One of fire and smoke and burnt skin and hair.
As these murders shook the village, a council formed of all it's residents. The mayor, witches, whores, and concerned citizens joined the morningly meeting in the town hall. "I understand you are fearful and mourning your friends and family. But fear not, folks of Bärwald, this could meerly be one of the savage wolves from Siebendorf. They have attacked before...", said the Mayor in the first meeting. In the second he perpetuated the same Idea; In the third and fourth also. It worked for a while, until word spread that all the villages west of ours had gone extinct. - Werewolves. We had heard of them and feared them for a while, but now they were at our doorstep, disguised as the friendly neighbors daughter or even the hunter.
I'm sure you can Imagine the toll this took on our village. Meetings in the community gardens became less frequent, front doors started being locked and children were never a meter away from their parent's side. It became normal to constantly be looking over your shoulder. Anybody could be the werewolf and with more and more gruesome deaths every night nobody took any chances.
One morning the council assembled, bright rays of sun were bursting through the window panes. The hall smelled sweetly of peppermint tea, while birds chirped joyfully in the distance. However, that was the only thing you could hear that morning before the Mayors speech. Not a sigh or a weep. After the wolves had massacred half of the village population most had nothing left to give. We all sat in silence, waiting for the Mayor to announce tonight's death, though most people already knew who it was. Caster and Alfie, two young cooks just seeking comfort in each others beds. They were ripped apart next to each other on Alfies matress. I wondered who died first, and what it must've felt like to see their lover get ripped apart right in front of their eyes. Though i stopped thinking about it, as it saddened me too much. The mayor got onto the Podium in the very back of the Hall. He cleared his throat and wiped a drop of sweat off this forehead. With furrowed eyebrows and a slight frown he announced: "People of Bärwald, I come here for the twentieth day in a row to announce the death of one or more of our citizens. Caster, a man with a bright future in front of him. We all knew him as ambitious and virtuous. Alfie, a gentle and kind soul who always had a bed and a warm meal ready for somebody in need. Neither of them older than twenty." The mayor paused. His voice trembled softly as he talked about the two victims. A faint sob could be heard from few rows behind me. After a moment of silence the mayor collected himself and suddenly stood up very straight. "This has to stop", he said, "We need to take action! No longer should we stand around and watch our people get killed. From now on, every single one of you is to collect evidence on who you suspect is the werewolf among us." His gaze swept over the townsfolk before him. "Every morning we will decide in a vote, who we think is the werewolf. That person will then be executed by one of the guards." The room filled with yells of terror and frustration. "So your answer is more death? Havent we been through enough?!", Erica, the town whore yelled, arms raised. "Think of the children!", Sarah the Midwife screamed. --SILENCE-- The mayor's voice bounced around the room and the hall fell silent. "As your mayor it is my responsability to keep you people alive and I decide on how to do that. This is not a democracy. See you tomorrow morning at Nine." He stepped off the podium and disappeared through the back exit. The room erupted in fearful yells once again.
