The Beast Within

Chapter One - The Great Tower, The Village and The Werewolf

Part One – IN the Great Tower

Sweet summer rain is still in the air. It's already noon. The heat was made bearable due to the afternoon rain. The top of the Great Tower once filled with Old Master laughter is now with quiet sobs. His daughter has just passed away a few minutes ago after giving childbirth. His source of joy is now gone. He wouldn't see anymore those large brown eyes beaming with delight in every magic he would show her with his staff. The Old Witch has given a small bundle to him and a tiny yawn has greeted him. He notices a great resemblance to that tiny face the one he has been with for almost a hundred years. Perhaps she too will be a good sorceress like her mother someday. On her tenth birthday he would give her the wand her mother used to have.

He watched her grows, had witnessed her first walk, her first word is Papa and how she is fascinated chasing small bubble in the air. She would dearly talk to bunnies, ride ponies and fly with dragons. She is also fascinated reading books about their history, science and magic. She listens intently to every story told by her Papa on how good magic won in every battle. And most of all she made the recorded voice of her mother a lullaby every time she goes to sleep. Indeed on her tenth birthday her Papa has given her the magic wand and told her it used to be her mother's wand. She is determined to be like her mother someday and she knows in her veins lies great sorcery and magic. She studied day and night with her Papa on the top of the Great Tower. She still not forgot though to cut flowers for Papa as to give thanks for all the care. She couldn't sleep that night after celebrating her sixteenth birthday with Papa. She got up and pick up something to read. She checked on Papa and he is now snoring on his bed. When the clock strikes twelve, she had a hard time catching her breath, her blood seems to boil and when she take a look upon the mirror she saw how her eyes transform from brown to gray, how her once rosy cheeks now is pale and notices that she also have fangs! She has read on these night creatures and it can't be her. She is a sorceress, not a vampire. She must be dreaming she thought. She tried to pinch herself, has gone to the bathroom to wash her face and then look again in the mirror. The reflection is still the same. She is now a vampire. She couldn't think of any explanation what was happening to her and for the first time tears rolls from her eyes. Frighten on what she become and worried too what will happen to her the next morning. Her sobs had awakened the Old Master and when he went to her room to see his granddaughter, the sight has tear him apart. He is afraid that this day would come. He kisses those wet eyes and calms her down. She keeps on telling him she is now a monster and how can this happen to her. He silenced her and had given her a potion that would make her fall asleep. "Tomorrow I will explain to you my child," he whispered then leaves the sleeping lass on her room.

Part Two – The Village

Charity is awakened by the whistling kettle. It must be Papa brewing the morning coffee. She notices the sun is already up and how it shines brightly outside. Her head still aches and remembers the potion she drank last night. It must be the Old Witch sleeping potion. Different herbs and potions are normally given by the Old Witch to them. She has befriended the Old Master since the beginning of time and had been close to his family as well. She's the one who delivered Prudence, the Old Master daughter from a woman in the village and also Prudence's daughter, Charity. She was greeted with a full smile from the Old Master upon entering the kitchen. He gives her a plate of mashed potatoes, bacon and egg. He never forgets her favorite breakfast. She began to eat but stop on the middle when she remembers what happen to her last night. She has just turned into a vampire. She hurriedly goes in front in the mirror to examine her reflection. There is the large brown eyes, rosy cheeks and yes no fangs. She frowns and thinks hard what's really happening while the Old Master watches his beloved granddaughter in front of the mirror. "Come and sit down," said the Old Master. "Prudence, my daughter your mother is yes a sorceress that makes you one too. But Prudence has fallen in love with Andy, a vampire, your father. You see Chari, it is not written in the book that in old times vampires do not suck bloods of humans. But once they tasted it they hunger for more. Blood makes them more powerful you know but makes them vulnerable to the sun. That's why they are called night creatures because they attack their victims during the night and sleep when the sun rises. Your Papa has lived a thousand years to witnessed how each creatures struggle to have power and what kind of sacrifices they made to obtain this. So don't ever think you are a monster. Yes you are a vampire but you haven't tasted blood and don't hunger for it. Now finish your meal and we will go the village." They have to go through a forest before reaching the village. They always drop by the Almarinez little red house where Matilda, the mother of the house would always greet the two with enthusiasm and give them a welcome tea drink. Charity heard the giggling of Samantha, Matilda's only daughter, talking to an average boy with red hair but amusing eyes. When Samantha notices Charity she called her and introduces to the boy next to her, Alec her cousin from her mother's side. "Haven't you heard two more bodies were recovered this morning and they guessed it's the blood sucking creatures again," exclaimed Alec. "Well those creatures are a pest since the beginning of time," commented Samantha. Charity could feel her face have colored and seem embarrass with what have done by her own kind. It was already late when the two return to the Great Tower. The Old Master noticed how sad Chari is on their way home. "The village usually gives you great joy my dear lass," said the Old Master. "It has been attacked with my own kind," Chari responded. The Old Master ended the night telling stories about his adventures to Long Island where he met different creatures like centaurs, elves, dwarves and fairies. Chari hopes that someday she would able to see the island too. These have preoccupied her mind and forget the incidents in the village.

Part Three – Sam

Chari is picking up flowers, humming with the bees when the Old Master has passed by. He wears a serious face. Chari quickly stands up, leaving the flowers behind and followed her grandfather. He walks briskly passing to the forest and hurriedly go to the little red house. Chari's heart began to beat faster as she saw her grandfather go inside the little red house. Something has happened she knew. As Chari entered the house she heard Matilda's cries and hurriedly went to Samantha's room. There she saw her best friends Sam, laying on her bed, sweating all over her body, her eyes are now white and her lips are black. She saw her grandfather standing beside the bed with eyes close, holding his staff and murmuring incantations. Matilda continue to weep at the farthest corner of the room watching her daughter while Alec is just standing at the door as if whispering some prayer for his cousin. After a few minutes the Old Master opens his eyes and walk outside the room. The condition of Sam remains and Chari wondered what's really happening to her best friend. Matilda followed the Old Master outside the room still crying. Chari could hear the conversation of the two and her eyes grew wider as her grandfather spoke. "Tonight is full moon, the first of the month, the first full moon after Sam turns sixteen. Don't worry Matilda. She will be fine. I just thought that because her father didn't transform, his little girl wouldn't have the werewolf blood. But it has been in your husband's generations and I just thought the potion made by the Old Witch has helped your husband stop the transformation. But not on his child. Tonight is her transformation Matilda. Get ready. It will be painful for her."

Chari's felt her head spinning for what she heard. Sam, a werewolf?! This can't be. She had read in the books how werewolves and vampires became mortal enemies and she doesn't know if their friendship will survive this kind of tragedy. She had recently turned herself into a vampire and now her best friend turning into a werewolf. She shook her head in disbelief. Matilda went to the market to buy big portions of fresh meat. She remembered how her late husband fought hard about his fate. How he ensures that on his sixteenth he wouldn't turned into a werewolf. In his success he happily proposed to Matilda and ever since they were happily together, normal people. She couldn't believe that this would happen to their only daughter. She had totally forgotten the werewolf thing and when she found out Sam's condition this morning, she sent an owl to get Old Master from the Great Tower. Tonight her daughter will be a beast. She cried for more as she approach the little red house. Only few more hours and darkness will envelope the village, rising is the full moon. The Old Master had enchanted Sam's room that it would be impossible for her to break through no matter how much she gain strength after the transformation. The fresh meats are also placed inside the room for the first thing that a werewolf would feel after the transformation is hunger. And it is important that she wouldn't taste a human flesh or it would poison her mind and be like any other beast who hunt each night. When the full moon finally rises, howling can be heard in Sam's room.