Howling in the Lace Market

I lit the oil lamp next to my bed, the sound of rain splashing on the window. I looked out, a full moon hung in the black sky, partially hidden by the clouds. The streets below were empty except for a black cat running under a cart to out of the cold and damp. I shivered and pulled my nightgown closer to my body then walked towards the door. I picked up the lamp placed on the landing and walked slowly down the stairs. My thoughts instantly went to what I was doing, why was I doing this, what was this calling to me without saying words.
I looked round the lace market though in the dark it looked so strange, the little light in the area cast long disfigured shadows along the damp stones of the floor and up the walls.
“Where are you?” I whispered to myself. Then I heard it, a moan but unlike any I had ever heard, a mix of pain and pleasure with an animalistic quality. My curiosity got the better of me and I made my way towards the sound. I soon wished I hadn’t. Before me stood a creature that was part man, part wolf but the man was quickly disappearing.
Suddenly it looked at me with eyes red like the blood hanging in its fur. It pounced towards me.
I woke up in a sweat. The suns rays in my face. I looked at my hands they were shaking.
“That dream again” I spoke quietly “What does it mean”
“What does what mean?” my older brother asked coming through the door, his green-brown eyes looking at me.
“Nothing” I replied, shaking to my head. I couldn’t tell him, he would laugh and tell me not to worry. I had told myself that at first, but then I had spoken to Quartz. Quartz was our neighbour and he was into the occult. I had asked him to analyze my dream, he just told me to not trust the wolf. I don’t usually trust things that try to kill me and I wasn’t about to start. What he said was ridiculous and didn’t make sense.
I put the spoon of porridge to my lips as my father shifted through the letters we had received that morning.
“There’s one for you Ylva” said my father holding out an envelope. I took it from him and inspected it. The letter was a cream colour, the paper was fresh and clean. The address was written with black ink, the words flowed long and beautifully. The wax seal was a deep green, with an oak tree printed on. A smile came to my face. I carefully opened then envelope and looked at the letter. The same flowing handwriting on the paper
Dear Ylva,
I am hoping you are well. I hate to ask this but can you come to my home as I am scared. I hear strange noises in the night and I have found my fathers animals mutilated. He is leaving for a few days and I fear that if I am alone the creature will attack. Please come.
Yours sincerely
Angel

‘Strange noises’ ’mutilated animals’ why hadn’t they hired someone to sort it out. It was probably just a stray dog but something in the back of my mind didn’t believe that comment. A stray dog couldn’t do that. A wolf perhaps. There had been no reports of escaped wolves and one couldn’t take down a large animal. Maybe I should talk to Quartz. He’ll know.
I sat in the dimly lit room with books about the occult and paranormal lining the walls. Three plush chairs surrounded a dark wooden coffee table, a crystal ball in the centre. I looked across from me at the young man. His dark red hair covered his left eyes while his other grey almost silver eye lazily looked at me. He played with the collar of his highwayman’s jacket, which covered his cream dress shirt.
“What can I help you with Ylva?” he asked taking a drag from his tobacco filled opium pipe.
“I’m worried about a creature attacking my friend’s farm; I don’t know what it is” I replied twirling my hair.
“Do you know anything about it?” He inhaled from his pipe.
“No, just that it eats meat” I answered
“I could be a number of things” he stood up and walked over to a glass cabinet. “But I can give you some help” he opened the door of the cabinet; I couldn’t see within it for its dirty glass, and pulled something out. He held out a beautiful necklace by its delicate silver chain. The pendent was a rose that’s petals were made of rubies, it had sapphire backdrop which made one think of a full moon.
“It’s gorgeous, but how can it help me?” I looked at him quizzically.
“It repels creatures of the night and darkness” he replied simply. He came behind me and put it round my neck, the pendent stopped just above my bosom. He sat back down and inhaling once more.
“Thank you” I said standing. I smiled at him, he lazily smiled back.
I looked out the window of the carriage. Nottingham had gone, replaced by the woodland and hills of Derbyshire. It was still light and the birds were singing, jumping tree to tree in joy. But I felt a weight in my stomach, even with the necklace Quartz gave me. I feared the creature. My dreams kept haunting me. It couldn’t be. Could it. Was it wolf from my dreams or something else.
We soon began to look out on green pastures, full of cattle and sheep grazing, oblivious to the world around them. The farmhouse soon came into sight, its sandstone walls stood tall in its bare surroundings with only the gigantic old barn beating it. We stopped in front of the house. I climbed out and stood, taking in my surroundings. The farmyard was deserted but for a few hens searching for seeds in the dusty ground and an old sheep dog snoozing in the summer heat.
“Ylva!” a feminine voice shouted as the owner attacked me with a bear hug.
“Angel” I greeted returning the hug.
“How are you, your journey was good I hope” I nodded I reply. Angel was my best friend and was fifteen, like me but looked like my opposite. Her white blond hair was messily braided down her back, a black hair band kept it out of her bluebell eyes that were filled with joy and relief at the sight of me. Her pale green dress was stained and full of patches while her lace up shoes were scuffed up. She had obviously just stop working.
“Come on I’ll show you to your room” she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the house. It was a small cosy room. The bed had a wardrobe and a small vanity both made of a dark word. The draw curtains were red with white stripes running horizontally across, following the colour pattern of the room.
“I’ll show you around, it’s been awhile since you were last here” she jumped up of the bed and ran out the room. I ran out after her. She showed me the orchard. It had numerous trees that shadowed us giving a gloomy aura. I was confused as to why no birds were singing but I soon realised why. Some of the trees were deeply scarred with claw marks and blood from its latest kills lay in puddles on the floor. Angel had a pained look on her face so I hurried us away. The stables were no better, claw marks were sat in the walls, the door had been ripped of its hinges but, thankfully, no blood was there. We soon found our selves sitting on a wall made of old limestone that looked over a recently harvested wheat field much like the one behind us.
“Angel, the wheat’s been stored, are you going to be alright?” we looked round and I felt a blush begin to grace my cheeks. Stood behind us was a handsome man probably just a few years older then us. His light brown hair was messy and came just past his ears, his fringe fell lightly into his dark metallic eyes. He was tall but lean, shown by his shirtless torso due to the summer heat. He gave us a goofy smile as he leaned on the scythe he had been harvesting with.
“Yeah I’ll be fine thanks, Ylva’s come to stay” answered Angel.
“Nice too meet you, I’m Brendan, and what my I ask is your name” he held out his hand as he spoke his goofy grin still on his face. I smiled back and shook his hand.
“Ylva and nice too meet you too” my voice was quieter then usual and slightly more high-pitched.
“It suits you, she-wolf” he replied
“She-wolf?” I questioned
“That is what your name means”
“Well I’ll see you two tomorrow, Angel, Ylva” he nodded at each of us in turn and started walking off. My blush had become redder and my cheeks felt hotter. I looked at Angel. She was smirking.
“Handsome ain’t he” she said with a wink.
“y-yeah sure” I stuttered in response “he wasn’t here last time I came”
“He came here a few years ago, when he was sixteen, from the workhouse, he a good worker and really nice as well, and funny” she gave me a look while she commented on his personality.
“What’s with the look?” I asked.
“Nothing” she replied, she turned her head and her infamous smirk graced her face.
My thoughts were on the boy from earlier. I rolled over in my bed. The wolf was also in my mind. I couldn’t sleep. I climbed out of bed and walked down the stairs and out into the farmyard. I was dark but I could see my surroundings thanks to the full moon that was in the sky, unhidden with clouds. Typical, only I could walk out during a full moon. The farmhouse looked ominous in the dark. There were no animals yet I could hear something, like a dog or cat skulking the area. But the dog was inside and it was too big too be the cat. Then I felt. It a hot breath that stank of dead flesh was on the back of my neck. It was panting heavily. I slowly began to turn around to meet eye to eye with it.