The Considine Curse

by Gareth P. Jones

  There’s a phone in the hallway but I can’t call for help as I don’t have anyone’s number. Next to it is Uncle Will’s bicycle. I grab it and head downstairs. The bike is awkward on the stairs and the pedals keep bashing my shins, but I get it out and the front door slams shut behind me. Madeleine is all that matters now. All these cousins and uncles related by blood and it turns out that the one I care about most isn’t actually a relative at all.

  Chapter 21

  The Silver Bullet Technique

  The well-lit streets give way to dark windy uphill lanes. Even in the lowest gear the climb towards Percy’s Ruin is hard on my legs. Each time a car passes me, the headlights throw shadows into the surrounding woods. I have never felt such fear. My hands are like ice. My body is numbed by the cold. The only thing that stops me from turning the bike around and freewheeling back into town is the thought of Madeleine.

  A car passes, then suddenly stops and reverses along the road. It stops on the verge and the door opens. A figure steps out. It’s too dark to see who it is but I know the moment he speaks.

  ‘Mariel? What brings you out tonight? It’s not safe for you,’ says Father Gowlett.

  ‘Nor you,’ I reply.

  ‘I’ve arranged to meet with Elspeth in the woods so I can get my evidence.’

  ‘She’ll kill you. They’ve always known about you. It was Flora that kept you safe,’ I reply.

  The red glow from the car’s backlights gives his face a demonic look. There is a strange look in his eyes, a mixture of fear and excitement. ‘I think I have a fair chance of survival.’ He opens the boot of his car and takes out a leather travel bag. He unzips it. It is full of silver jewellery. He reaches into the boot again and pulls out a camera and then his rifle.

  ‘You’re planning to shoot her?’

  ‘Of course I would much rather your cousins willingly gave themselves up. But if they refuse to let the world in on their secret then this is the only way. A wounded wolf is a dangerous creature. A dead werewolf, on the other hand, is a brilliant prize.’

  ‘She’s a little girl.’

  ‘Elspeth is no little girl tonight. She’s an animal. Some of us are made in God’s image, but your cousins are not. They are something very different. No one will judge me for sacrificing her life in order to show the world of the existence of these creatures and for revealing the true beasts of Wilderdale.’

  ‘You must go back. She will kill you.’

  ‘An eight-year-old wolfling against me with a bag of silver and a shotgun. We’ll see who gets hurt.’ He flips the barrel and loads the gun. ‘Ever heard of silver bullets killing werewolves?’

  ‘Is it true?’

  ‘No. Any old bullet shot through the heart will kill a werewolf. The silver bullet is a technique. It’s a method passed down through generations of wolf hunters. To kill a wolf stay hidden, stay still and silently wait, then set your sights at the heart and aim straight. To make a mistake, will seal your fate. Any metal will do for the bullet, the silver is used for the bait.’

  ‘You lure them with silver,’ I say.

  He holds the barrel of his gun up and looks through the sight. ‘They can’t resist it. And tonight, with the moon full they are at their most careless.’

  ‘Where are you meeting her?’

  ‘At the same spot I saw Flora all those years ago.’

  ‘How can you think of killing one of them? How can you? You preach about believing in God and being nice to everyone. How can you do something like this?’

  Father Gowlett touches his dog collar. ‘This is God’s most important work. I am ridding the earth of the devil’s creation.’

  ‘But it’s a gene. You said so yourself.’

  ‘It’s a genetic defect and one which I believe can be traced back to the father of evil himself. But you haven’t answered my question. What brings you out tonight, Mariel?’

  I tell him about Oberon taking Madeleine. He doesn’t say anything in response but reaches into the bag of jewellery and takes out a silver cross just like the one I found by Percy’s Ruin. He hands it to me. It glints in the moonlight.

  ‘I swore to your grandfather I would protect you but perhaps both of our fates await us in the woods tonight,’ he says.

  ‘Why did you say you’d protect me?’

  ‘That’s how Frank died, protecting you. Flora was going to kill you.’

  ‘Why would she have killed me?’

  ‘It’s what they do. They’re killers. You can have no sympathy for any of them.’

  He pulls out his keys and locks the car. It beeps twice and the lights go off, leaving us with the milky white light of the full moon. I have one more question before he leaves.

  ‘Is there any chance . . . I mean, is there any danger I’m one of them?’

  ‘Thankfully no. The gene is very specific. It can only be passed down through carriers of the opposite sex from the parent wolf. There is no way you could be infected any more than I could.’

  ‘Last night I dreamed I was one of them.’

  ‘Dreams have no meaning, Mariel. Good luck.’

  I watch him disappear into the woods, then I get back on the bike and cycle further up the road. I get as near to Percy’s Ruin as I can, then lean the bike against a tree and continue on foot up through the forest. The ground is soft and damp. The cold wind whistles through the trees. Every branch sways. Every twig shakes. Everything moves. My imagination conjures up things from the shadows but what could be scarier than the truth that awaits me?

  On top of the hill, Percy’s Ruin is partly illuminated by the moonlight. A fire burns at the top. Halfway up, where the wall has crumbled and fallen away, there is a bundle of blankets. From the piercing screams that fill the air I can tell this is Madeleine.

  Below are three wolves. I approach behind a fallen tree trunk. Oberon and Freddie are facing each other menacingly. They have been fighting. Freddie is walking with a limp and Oberon has a gash on his back. I head around the hill towards the tower and spot Amelia standing by its entrance. It’s the first time I have seen her in wolf form. Her model’s cheekbones are now stretched and lined with soft brown hair. Somehow she’s still beautiful.

  I hear Oberon say, ‘You can’t defeat me. You must accept me as pack leader.’

  ‘I can’t accept going full wolf,’ replies Freddie. ‘Amelia, you don’t want this, do you?’

  ‘We have to follow the pack leader. It’s what Ma’wolf taught us,’ she replies.

  ‘You can’t make us do it just because your life as a human sucks,’ says Freddie angrily. ‘Madeleine’s our cousin too. It’s not just up to you what happens to her.’

  ‘Then perhaps I’ll pick you as our sacrifice,’ replies Oberon. He jumps forward, snapping his jaws at Freddie. Freddie ducks but not fast enough. Oberon nips his shoulder, then licks the blood from his teeth.

  ‘Accept it, Freddie, I’m stronger, I’m quicker, I’m better.’

  I need to get Amelia away from the entrance to the tower. I reach into my pocket and feel the cold metal of the silver cross. I have one chance to make this work. I position myself behind a tree, then throw the cross into some bushes away from the tower. I look around the tree and see that she has taken the bait. She gets up and walks away from the tower, sniffing out the silver cross.

  Quickly, I climb over the fence and run to the tower, through the doorway, up the stairs. Madeleine’s cries sound desperate and scared. Her voice echoes off the tower walls. She is thrashing her arms and legs around hysterically and has managed to kick off the blankets. Her pink sleepsuit is grubby and she’s shivering. I pick her up. Her skin feels like ice. I hold her tightly to warm her up. She stops crying. I run back downstairs but before I reach the doorway I hear a voice at the bottom.

  ‘Hello, cuz,’ says Oberon.

  I step out of the tower to find Amelia, Oberon and Freddie staring at me. I cling tightly to Madeleine.

  ‘Mariel, you shouldn’t be out tonight,’ says Amelia.


  ‘That’s right,’ snarls Oberon. ‘I warned you what would happen to you if you came out.’

  Freddie steps in his way. ‘Leave her alone,’ he growls.

  ‘Why? Because you want to protect her or are you too scared to act like a real wolf and kill her?’ replies Oberon.

  Freddie lunges at Oberon but is knocked sideways and lets out a howl of pain.

  ‘I will not let you lead us down a path that takes us full wolf,’ says Freddie.

  ‘No one is going full wolf tonight,’ says a voice.

  It’s Gerald. He steps out into the clearing. As a wolf he has a powerful stride, and like Lily he is much more confident than he is as a human.

  ‘Ah, decided to join us at last, have you, bro?’ says Oberon.

  ‘Gowlett is in the woods. Elspeth plans to kill him,’ he replies.

  ‘Let her,’ says Oberon.

  ‘If she kills a human, she’ll be a challenger for the leadership,’ says Gerald.

  ‘That’s true,’ says Amelia.

  Oberon pauses. ‘OK, we’ll stop her but what about those two?’ Oberon nods his head in my direction.

  ‘I’ll watch them until you return,’ says Gerald. ‘The rest of you can go and find Elspeth.’

  Oberon’s eyes narrow. ‘You sure you’re not going to wimp out on me and let them go?’ he says.

  ‘No, she’s seen too much. She can’t live to see daylight,’ replies Gerald.

  ‘Now you’re talking my language,’ says Oberon with a triumphant laugh. ‘But just in case you have a change of heart . . .’ He swings around suddenly and lunges towards me. Pain shoots through my leg. I scream and fall to my knees, still desperately clutching Madeleine. I look up to see blood dripping from Oberon’s mouth. He has taken a bite out of my leg. The pain is unbelievable.

  ‘You idiot,’ snarls Gerald. ‘She needs to die without it looking suspicious.’

  ‘Watch who you’re calling an idiot, bro. I may be younger but I’m the leader of this pack now. Come on, let’s stop Elspeth doing anything silly. Keep an eye on them,’ says Oberon, leading the others down into the woods.

  Chapter 22

  Five Bites

  Gerald approaches. ‘You shouldn’t have come.’

  He moves forward and takes Madeleine’s blankets between his teeth. Carefully he picks her up. She starts to cry again.

  I try to stand but the leg Oberon wounded gives way. ‘Take me too,’ I beg.

  ‘I can only take one of you,’ he replies.

  I want desperately to be saved but, looking at Madeleine’s face, so young and untouched by life, I know there is no choice.

  He places her gently in front of me.

  ‘Say goodbye,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry, Mariel. I hope your death is as painless as possible.’

  Gerald picks her up and walks away.

  I am alone. Tears blur my vision. I look up at the moon. A halo of light surrounds it. It pulsates with energy. It is so beautiful it makes me smile. I think I understand how it can wield so much power over my cousins. The intensity of it burns my eyes. It calls me.

  A ripping pain brings me out of my trance. Blood oozes from a fresh wound on my other leg. Lily is standing in front of me, her intense brown eyes lowering to my level. There is blood on her teeth from the bite.

  ‘Why?’ I ask.

  ‘I need your help,’ she replies.

  ‘I’m not sure . . . you’re going the right . . . way about getting it.’ The joke sounds weak, the emphasis on the words is all wrong.

  She lurches forwards and bites my arm.

  ‘Why are you doing this? I thought you wanted my help.’

  ‘The first bite for the blood to appear, the second for the pain and for the tears, the third and fourth cause anger and fear.’

  ‘But I’m not a Considine. The gene only passes through male parents.’

  ‘Look at your hand. A few days ago Elspeth scratched you but there’s no trace of it now. You have healing skin like us.’

  I look at my hand. She’s right. It has healed. It never seemed strange because scratches and cuts have always healed fast. I’ve never known any different and Mum has never paid enough attention to notice.

  ‘The diary you found wasn’t Grandma’s,’ says Lily. ‘She knew it was in the house but she didn’t know where he hid it.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Our grandad.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Grandad was a wolf too. The diary explains it all. His family had run here for generations until Ma’wolf came to Wilderdale. She married him and joined his pack. She killed the pack leader, Grandad’s grandad. That was Percy, who built this tower. She made it look as though he jumped from the top but she killed him.’

  Lily lunges and bites my other leg. I scream. I try to take in what she is saying but the pain is confusing me. ‘You mean I’m like you?’

  She nods. ‘Grandad wanted to save you from this life so he sent you away, but Ma’wolf wanted her pack. She would have coaxed you when you were old enough. That’s why she killed him.’

  Blood gushes out. It reddens my clothes. ‘I don’t want this,’ I say.

  ‘You don’t have a choice. You’re bleeding to death. Our skin is self-healing. This is the only way to save you.’ She bites into my side. ‘The fifth must be felt for the wolf to be here.’

  My head feels heavy. The sound of the trees in the wind grows louder. It’s like the whistling wind is whispering to me, whistling one word over and over again. Wolf . . . wolf . . . wolf. My pain turns to agony. Something is growing inside me. My bones are altering, changing, taking on a new form.

  ‘What’s happening to me?’

  It is my voice that asks the question but I know the answer. I am standing on all fours. I look down at a muddy puddle and see the reflection of my changed face. My chin is longer, my nose is black. Hair has sprouted at the edges. My ears have become elongated. And yet it does not feel like I am staring at a stranger’s face. There is a part of me that has always known about this. The part I left each night in the dreams I didn’t remember. The part that led me out of bed at night. It’s the part of me that wanted this to happen, the part that was waiting impatiently for this to happen.

  I look up at the moon. It is full and beautiful, like music is radiating from it. And inside my head I hear the voice, loud and clear. Kill kill kill, it says.

  I shake off the remains of my clothes, desperate to be free of them. Something stirs within. Hunger like I have never felt before: hunger for life, hunger for the living, hunger for death. I desire flesh between my teeth, blood on my tongue, meat in my throat. I want bone and gristle to fill my empty stomach.

  I can smell potential food everywhere. Something moves nearby. I dive into the bush and grab it in my jaws. In the moonlight I see it is a rabbit. I rip into it instinctively, tearing off its fur. It is as though I have spent my life in starvation until this point.

  When I have stripped every scrap of meat from the bones, Lily says, ‘It’s time to go. We can still save Gowlett.’

  ‘They’re meeting where he saw Ma’wolf change,’ I say.

  ‘Follow me,’ she replies. ‘And be careful. This is your first change and the moon is full. You need to remember yourself.’

  As I follow her through the woods, I find it easy to keep up. My limbs feel full of energy. All pain has gone. My wounds have healed. My mind has altered too. Everything is instinct. Emotions have receded. Smells and sounds have changed. My nose can detect the living creatures of the forest, scurrying around me, burrowing beneath me, but I cannot tell what they are. All flesh smells the same. All flesh smells sweet. Kill kill kill, says the voice.

  We reach a clearing with a hollowed-out tree trunk at its centre. Something on the grass catches my eye. It glints in the moonlight. It’s something I want. It’s there just for me. It’s mine. I run to it, keen to claim my prize before Lily sees it.

  ‘Mariel, come back.’

  Lily’s voice is distant. I
am focused on the object. It is a silver bangle. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I bend down to pick it up in my mouth. I hear a click. I look up and there is a bang and a flash of light, followed by a deep burning pain in my knee. I look down at the wound. I’ve been shot. The force of the bullet knocks me over. My scream comes out as a howl.

  I can feel the bullet pressed up against the mangled inside of my knee. The bone has been shattered. I tense the muscles around it, trying to squeeze it out.

  Lying with my head on the ground I see Father Gowlett step out of the hollow tree. His shotgun is still smoking. He hurries towards me and takes aim again, but he stops and lowers his gun.

  ‘Mariel?’

  ‘The silver bullet technique,’ I reply with a smile.

  Father Gowlett looks at me with an expression on his face I don’t fully understand, then he cries out and falls. I raise my head to see Lily. She has jumped on him and kicked his gun away. She grabs the camera strap from his other shoulder, tears it off him and bites through the camera, spitting bits of it out.

  ‘We came to rescue you, you stupid man,’ she says.

  ‘I just wanted evidence. I meant you no harm.’

  ‘That’s why you came out here with a gun?’ She is the angriest I have seen her.

  ‘I just wanted people to believe me.’

  Lily growls at him.

  I try to understand what they are saying but it seems far away, unreal, like it doesn’t concern me, like the volume is too low. All my energy is focused on the bullet I am forcing out of my body.

  I hear Elspeth’s voice. ‘Some men will come to seek us, all they want is proof, but if they succeed and see us, the last thing they’ll see is wolf.’

  ‘No, Elspeth. This has gone far enough,’ says Lily.

  ‘I’m your pack leader,’ says Oberon. ‘I’ll decide.’

  I look up and see that Elspeth, Freddie and Amelia are there too, everyone except Gerald.