A lone man ventures into the darkness of the woods
Guided only the light of a full-faced moon staring down at him.
Unbeknownst to this traveler, he begins the last day of his humanity
As he is about to be irreversibly tied this ancient forest of lost souls.

Creatures long told to be fantasy lurk in the shadows
Awaiting prey that clumsily makes its way into their domain.
Mouths moisten, as nostrils sense the shadow of a figure approach
Yet deft paws do not but make a sound as they surround him.

"I have heard stories of those who have disappeared in these parts,"
The man orates to himself as he stops to admire the nearly hidden sky.
"But I fear no evil after seeing the evil of man and what he is capable of."
I may have no destination, but I shall find my fate this weary night."

His breath parts from his lips in a gasp as the trees move around him
The tender moonlight flickers in ominous eyes as they focus on their meal.
A wolf is spiritually illuminated from above as it approaches him on all fours
But it stands up to stare at him face-to-elongated-face as his body trembles.

Anxiety and awe nearly drown out confusion as his thoughts race
His mind struggle to comprehend how such a creature could stand before him.
Hot breath methodically exhales into his face as it makes his eyes tear and burn
But he endeavors to clear his vision to gaze upon this amazing monstrosity.

No second guess is necessary to conclude she is much less a woman than a beast
Thick, coarse fur, as gray as gravel, rests deeply planted over her pompous bosom
A tapered tail protrudes from behind her and raises itself proudly into the air.
Her ears bend forward and her teeth glisten as she leans in for the kill.

"If you choose to devour me," were words mustered from deep within,
"Please but leave enough of me so that I might roam by your side someday.
For I have never found sanctuary in the world that I was born to belong in,
But I am willing to die if given the chance to win a part of your heart."

Time melts into nothingness as the heavy stench of an imminent attack lingers
He seeks emotion in a frozen face as she stares deep into his rigid, bitter soul.
"You are brave but foolish," a raspy inhuman voice flatly responded
"For what you ask is much greater a burden than you should ever know."

In the darkness, there is an invisible crowd that eagerly awaits their feast.
Their master growls at the man, "Prepare to face the death that belongs to you!"
His future clear, he bravely steps closer to whom which is about to dismember him
"A shame, it is, how you rob me of the last leg of hope that I fight to stand on."

An arm swipes and a claw slashes his body cleanly through his torso
Intense pain ignites his body as it bleeds through the remains of tattered clothing.
The broken man collapses to his knees and his body crumbles to the ground
His scream remains unheard as it forgets to leave his mouth.

"Leave him to discover the true pain of an insatiable appetite," she asserts to her pack
"Let him know what it is like to feast on the raw flesh of others he may know."
"Let this man die from hunger every night as this curse eats him from inside."
"Let him join us as we pillage and poach in the morbid darkness of our sins."

Soft footsteps go unheard as he is quickly left to the company of twigs and rocks
The ground callously stares back at him with imaginary emotion as he digs his fingers deep.
Harsh words violently resonate in his ears and wound him more deeply than his laceration
No sense of relief can be found as he fights to block out the excruciating pain.

His breaths become short pants as his skin begins to stretch and tighten
Hands extend themselves towards legs that begin to bend in ways he has never seen.
His chest heaves heavily as it feels like ribs are being torn out from his body
A wet nose painfully battles his face as it pulls away from his skull.

He tries to get up, but to no avail, as his body violently twists and expands
His spine awkwardly tingles as it changes shape and merges into a newly born tail.
Fur ferociously consumes every last portion of his body as his clothes disintegrate
His neck grows and chokes his voice until a low-pitched howl fills the night.

A lone beast finds its feet as it stands in the darkness of the woods
Guided only by instinct under the light of a full-faced moon staring down at it.
Unbeknownst to this creature, it begins the first day of its eternal feasting
He is now irreversibly tied to the tales of this ancient forest of lost souls.

© 2004 Provolvere