The Janitor's Secret
And there she is, round and beautiful in the sky. On another Full Moon, it's again time for a werewolf story. As usual, most of my inspiration comes from Daily Prompt, an app I cannot recommend enough when it comes to beating writer's block and improving your writing skills.Today's prompt couldn't have had a better timing.
"Once you do this you can never go back, do you understand?"
What stories does the above sentence inspire? I came up with the below. I hope you enjoy.
The Janitor’s Secret
‘Gosh, I should have never told you my secret,’ the old man eyed Josh in a mix of worry and anger.
Josh was only 14, he was too young to know better. But old Moses should also have known better. Probably both their solitude made them irrevocably trust each other. Moses was an old man whose shoddy looks kept people carefully at bay. All people except for Joshua.
The nerd of the class had no friends. So the equally friendless high school’s janitor became the perfect company for the youngster. Their relationship was that of a grandfather and a grandson.
‘No, please don’t say that. I really want to be like you,” Josh said eagerly, never taking his eyes off his friend.
Moses’ bushy eyebrows were frown. He kept deliberately mixing the sugar in his tea as if that was the most interesting task in the world.
The truth was, just as that wasn’t just any tea, he didn’t want to face Joshua.
‘Please, Moses, you are the only friend I have. I am so tired of being bullied at school. Imagine I was like you! Nobody would mess up with me ever again.’
Moses rolled his eyes and sighed.
‘You don’t understand at all. For you it all feels just like a superhero movie, right? It isn’t so. Once you do this you can never go back, do you understand? It’s irreversible, it’s a curse.’
‘It’s a blessing! I’d be invincible. I’d live forever, just like you.’
‘Oh my god...’
Moses was exasperated by now.
‘Listen, son, you think this is a game, but this is no game. I never wanted to be like this, but the one who transformed me gave me no choice. You can choose. Don’t choose to be a monster.’
‘You’re not a monster, Moses!’ Joshua yelled, almost spilling his tea on his lap.
Moses sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. The boy kept staring at him.
‘Listen well, son,’ the old man said, in a slow voice. ‘It’s not a life I’d wish for anyone, let alone you. Locking yourself in that goddam cage every full moon to avoid going on killing sprees. In that state you can’t tell friend from foe, you hear me? Whoever crosses your path is dead. Is that what you want to become?’
‘And your wolfsbane tea? I thought it was effective.’
‘Not as much as I’d want it to be...’
Josh didn’t reply and bowed his head.
‘I just wanted to teach my bullies a lesson.’ he said after a few moments and a deep sigh.
‘There’s a big difference between teaching someone a lesson and killing them.’ Moses said, putting his empty cup of wolfsbane on the table. ‘And in case you didn’t realise, tonight is full moon. You must leave soon.’
Josh had a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. He didn’t want his friend to see it so he promptly put his school bag on his back and walked to the door. Moses looked at him in a mix of compassion and understanding. But he loved the boy too much to sentence him to such a life of horror and solitude. He opened the door and let him out.
‘See you soon, lad.’
Joshua walked slowly. Eventually he looked back. Moses was still by the door as if making sure he’d really go away. That gave the boy an idea. He’d hide somewhere until it was dark and then go back check on his friend. If he was in a cage, Joshua would be safe. As to his father, he’d be too drunk as usual, to notice his late homecoming. He looked back again. Moses had gone inside.
Eventually, the night covered the sky with her dark blanket. Joshua looked up and saw the beautiful, milky full moon staring back at him.
He thought he heard a growl too. Moses had already transformed.
He took slow but resolute steps towards his friend’s house. His body started shaking but he wanted to see him, beast or not. As he kept walking, the growls became louder and he also heard the sound of his friend’s teeth biting the iron bars. It was a furious and desperate sound.
Finally the boy got right next to his friend’s bedroom window. He swallowed hard as the growls were now so loud that he had to cover his ears. His heart was galloping in his chest. He took a deep breath before taking a peek.
His legs failed and he fell on his bottom. He’d have shouted had his hands not promptly covered his mouth. What was inside was much bigger than he had imagined, looked much fiercer than any werewolf he had seen in movies or cartoons. He tried to control his panting as he got up. Then he took another peek and thought he was going to faint. Both their eyes met and for a few moments Josh thought his friend recognised him as the creature kept its eyes on him for a few seconds. But suddenly its jaws wide-opened in two sets of sharp, menacing teeth and saliva, roaring so loud it could wake up the dead. The boy screamed as the cage tumbled down with the movements of his enraged friend. He didn’t think again and ran away as fast as his feeble legs allowed him.
When he got home, his father was sleeping in front of the TV with a bunch of empty beer cans around him. Joshua went straight to his bedroom but was too shaken to sleep.
The following day he walked into the school, knowing he wouldn’t find his friend. Moses was never around right after the full moon.
‘One could almost believe in werewolves, haha,’ one of his classroom colleagues joked as the teacher informed them that the janitor was unwell and would only come back in a couple of days.
“Poor Moses,” Joshua thought, unable to focus in his Maths lesson. What a horrible life, indeed.
When the janitor came back to school he looked terribly exhausted and pale, his hair more dishevelled than usual. Joshua immediately went to him but was shocked at how harshly his friend dismissed him.
‘Stay away from me, boy,’ Moses said, his voice aching. ‘And for all you hold sacred, don’t you dare peek on me ever again on a full moon.’
__________
Enjoyed? Check my first werewolf novel on Amazon, Wolf Soul, as well as my other werewolf short stories which I post in this blog every Full Moon.
Officer Brooks' Creepy Blue Eyes
Midnight Shift at the Zoology Museum
Or some non-werewolf horror stories:
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