Werewolf

A month prior, as Healer performed the abortion on Mother, I witnessed her wrap something in a blood - Black cloth and tuck it into her bosom.

 That very night, driven by a morbid curiosity and a creeping sense of dread, I stole through the shadows to the outskirts of Healer' dilapidated cottage.

 Peering through a crack in the window, I saw Healer hunched over a rickety table.

 She carefully unwrapped the Black bundle, and my blood turned to ice as I beheld what lay within - a still - bloody placenta, undoubtedly the one removed from Mother's womb earlier that day. With hands that shook like a leaf in a storm, she tied it with a thick, black cord and hoisted it up to the rafters.​

 I looked up, and a wave of nausea crashed over me.

 The rafters were laden with similar grotesque bundles, their surfaces crusted with dried blood. Some were desiccated, their forms still vaguely resembl

"You good - for - nothing girl! You couldn't even catch a chicken thief in the middle of the night, and now you're just standing here like a useless lump! Get to the kitchen and cook! If you delay your mother's meal, I'll break your legs!" Father's voice, a menacing growl, echoed through the house, his words laced with venom.​

 I scrambled to my feet and dashed to the kitchen.

 But Father's voice followed me.

 "When your brother is born, I'll marry you off to the first old bachelor I can find. You're nothing but a nuisance here, always getting in the way."​

 I clenched my teeth, swallowing the bitter taste of anger and humiliation.

 My grip on the packet of medicine tightened.​

 ...​

 As I lifted the lid of the pot, the rich aroma of chicken soup wafted up, but it did little to soothe my frayed nerves.

 With trembling hands, I quickly opened the packet and began to sprinkle the p

After a tense moment, she gave a slight nod, and Grandma let out a wild, triumphant cackle that sent shivers down my spine.

 But I, alone, noticed the furrowed brow and the flicker of confusion in Healer' eyes.​

 "The Fertility Goddess has blessed us! She's finally sent me a grandson!"

 Grandma howled, rushing towards the back room.

 She dropped to her knees in front of the Sculpture of the Fertility Goddess.​

 Healer stared at the sculpture, her gaze fixed on the serene white face of the Goddess.

 Then, her eyes darted to Mother's bloated form, and a look of realization dawned on her face. With a sudden burst of urgency, she sprinted into the back room, reaching out to grab the sculpture.​

 Grandma leaped to her feet, blocking Healer' path.

 A fierce struggle ensued, filled with grunts and snarls that sounded almost animalistic.

 In the chaos, the sculpture crashed to the ground.

 A piece of the porcelain head shattered, revealing a terrifying sight - half of the face was still the white, noble visage of the Goddess, while the other half was a black, twisted visage of a demon, its eyes glowing with an unholy light like the eyes of a werewolf in the dark.​

 Grandma frantically scooped up the broken pieces, muttering apologies as she clumsily reassembled the sculpture.

 It was as if she was under a spell, completely oblivious to the demonic face staring back at her.​

 Healer, pale as a ghost, rushed back to Mother's bedside.

 She examined the swollen belly once more, her hands shaking violently.

 "This child must not be born!" she cried out.

 "This is not a gift from the Fertility Goddess! It's a curse - a demon ..."​

 The room was filled with an otherworldly silence.​

 At Healer' words, Grandma's face darkened.

 The air crackled with tension.​

 "This child is a death sentence for your entire family. You must listen!"

 Healer pleaded, her voice trembling with urgency.

 But she underestimated the stubbornness in Grandma and Father.​

 Since Healer had confirmed the child was a boy, there was no force on earth that could convince them to terminate the pregnancy.

 Father's patience snapped. His face contorted into a snarl, and his hands balled into fists, knuckles white as bone.

 "Even if it's a demon spawn in my mate's belly, it's still mine! What happens is my decision alone!"

 Grandma seized Father's arm.

 "Tilly, escort Healer home,".​

 Though my heart ached with worry for Mother, I dared not defy Grandma.

 My legs trembled as I forced myself forward, grasping the hem of Healer' dress with a trembling hand.​

 With a defeated sigh, Healer turned and shuffled out of the room.

 I trailed behind her.

 "Tilly, that thing inside your mother... it's not wolf. It's a creature born of darkness," Healer whispered.

 As I stared at her hunched, emaciated figure, memories of that fateful night at her house flooded my mind - the glowing eyes in the shadows, the strange markings on the walls, and the unmistakable sound of claws scraping against the floorboards.​


A month prior, as Healer performed the abortion on Mother, I witnessed her wrap something in a blood - Black cloth and tuck it into her bosom.

 That very night, driven by a morbid curiosity and a creeping sense of dread, I stole through the shadows to the outskirts of Healer' dilapidated cottage.

 Peering through a crack in the window, I saw Healer hunched over a rickety table.

 She carefully unwrapped the Black bundle, and my blood turned to ice as I beheld what lay within - a still - bloody placenta, undoubtedly the one removed from Mother's womb earlier that day. With hands that shook like a leaf in a storm, she tied it with a thick, black cord and hoisted it up to the rafters.​

 I looked up, and a wave of nausea crashed over me.

 The rafters were laden with similar grotesque bundles, their surfaces crusted with dried blood. Some were desiccated, their forms still vaguely resembling infants, while others were shapeless, twisted masses.

 As Healer added the new placenta to the 

Chapter 4