Village of the Full Moon Curse

by Daniel Griffin

  “It’s something that I need to keep in mind, and I’ll need to watch my temper in the future, just in case,” replied Buck.

  Brian retrieved a can of aerosol starter fluid from the garage, which Ron had on his bench, and used to spray into the carburetors on vehicles’ engines, which wouldn’t start in cold weather. He unzipped the black leather suit covering the headless body of Titus and sprayed the whole can all over his lifeless body. “This is for Carl!” he said as he lit the aerosol-soaked body of Titus with the lighter and stepped back. He, Buck, and Phyllis smiled with happiness while watching the flames erupt all over Titus, slowly burning him to ashes and melting into the snow. The daylight was now gone and the night’s darkness greeted them.

  CHAPTER 27

  “I’m going to sleep well tonight, throbbing index finger or not,” said Brian as he wiggled his fingers in an attempt to ease the pain. “Hopefully, the summit’s highway will be cleared again by Tuesday, so I can head back after the memorial service. And with any luck, Circa has phone service again really soon, so I can call Nancy.”

  “Here are the keys again for the bed and breakfast cottage,” said Phyllis before gently tossing them through the air and into the waiting hands of Brian. “Just lock them inside the building when you leave. My uncle will return later tomorrow, and he’ll have his own keys to the cottage.”

  “Thank you again, and I’ll take Carl’s body over to the clinic and put him with Ron, wrap up my broken finger, then call it a night. I’ll see you both sometime tomorrow,” responded Brian before loading Carl’s body into the back of the truck and driving off.

  “I wonder if all the vampires are dead now, and if we’re the only supernatural vampire-type beings left,” Phyllis told Buck.

  “Almost makes you feel a little lonely when thinking that’s a possibility,” answered Buck before putting his right arm around her shoulders. They walked toward his cabin together. “But it’s possible that more of Titus’s minions could be left in Europe, or possibly anywhere, now that Titus is dead.”

  “If so, I hope they quickly become like Billie wanted to become, and appreciate their freedom and use it for good deeds now, while also making friends and not continuing on with the evil lifestyle that Titus forced them into,” she replied. “And I hope they don’t suffer in a hopeless condition of loneliness.”

  “It may be difficult for some, if they still exist, since that is the only lifestyle they’ve ever known since becoming vampires.” replied Buck. “Whatever happens with them if any are left, I consider myself very grateful to have you by my side. I wouldn’t know what I would do without you.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet, Buck,” responded Phyllis before kissing him and snuggling close to his warm body.

  “In the morning, I’ll put notices on the doors of every house in Circa, telling them about the memorial service for Ron and Carl on Tuesday, as everyone should be back by then. And I’ll also mention that my werewolf threat is now over, so that no one will have to leave the village during the monthly full moon cycles again.”

  “Will you tell them that you’re a hybrid now? And will you tell them that I’m a vampire also?” she asked.

  “I couldn’t stand the possibility of your friends suddenly becoming afraid of you if they heard that you were a vampire now, so I think it’s best if I lie and tell everyone that I’ve been cured from the werewolf curse, and everything is normal again,” he answered. “They may never trust us, and possibly even avoid us, and we’ll both feel alone, like you originally feared.”

  “Do you think that is fair to them?” she asked. “Maybe they deserve the truth and then let them decide for themselves as to how they will react toward us. They might surprise you and still befriend us anyways. Brian and Carl didn’t seem to push us away, and I bet the village won’t, either, especially when they’ve already worked so hard to keep your werewolf secret hidden here in Circa.”

  Buck walked in silence for a moment while pondering the wise words that Phyllis had said. “You’re right, Phyllis,” he replied. “If they found out later that I lied to them, then that would have negative results, so I’ll tell them the truth. But I’ll wait until after the memorial service, and then tell everyone at once while they’re gathered together, and hope for the best.”

  “Sounds good,” she replied. “Now, I’ll race you to your cabin!” Then she sped off quickly ahead of Buck, leaving a trail of snow dust behind, before being quickly followed closely in pursuit by Buck.

  “Cheater!” shouted Buck with laughter as he quickly gained on Phyllis and caught up with her, before grabbing her from behind and scooping her up off her feet, and into his arms, whisking her speedily to his cabin for a night of fun and romance.

  CHAPTER 28

  February 22, Tuesday, Two Days Later

  Buck stood in front of the residents of Circa, a crowd of 300 people— men, women, and children—gathered together in the school’s gymnasium, ready to conclude his emotional memorial service speech for Ron and Carl, which left many in the crowd mournful with tears, despite the fact that they had never met Carl. Buck was the last to speak, with his speech following the emotional talks from Phyllis, Brian, and a few others from the village who were also good friends with Ron and had known him their whole lives.

  “As I had written on the notices that I left on your doors yesterday, I have something very important to share with you while you are all gathered together,” spoke Buck to the crowd of Circa residents, family, and friends.

  Phyllis stood up from her folding metal chair in the front, which she sat in, and walked to the front, facing the crowd, standing at Buck’s side, holding and squeezing onto his left hand for support and comfort.

  “I know you all want to know how Ron died, and what I am about to say to everyone may or may not shock some of you, but has to remain a secret and kept within Circa for as long as humanly possible,” Buck told the crowd. “It has been very difficult for all of you to have kept my werewolf secret within Circa, and Phyllis and I can’t be thankful and grateful enough to all of you for doing so, but what I am about to tell everyone is just as crucial. Ron died while trying to save Phyllis from a stranger with supernatural abilities similar to mine, a very evil man, who was also a dangerous vampire.”

  Gasp and sounds of restlessness could be heard from the crowd, who were not quite sure how to react or respond to Buck’s fearful words.

  “I know it’s hard to believe, and I didn’t want to myself at first, but vampires have existed, and are also the reason why I became a werewolf,” said Buck to the stunned crowd as he continued on telling them about Dietrich, Titus, his minions, and how he became a werewolf, along with Titus’s evil plans for Circa, but saving the vampire transformation news of Phyllis and himself for last.

  “It sounds like we owe you a gratitude of thanks for saving us, Phyllis and Circa from “chaos” “spoke one of the council members from the audience nicknamed, Ray. At age forty, he was the youngest of the council members and the most controversial as well; for he had spent much more of his free time living in Fairville, then living in Circa.

  “You’re a hero in our eyes!” shouted a seventy-year old elderly woman from the back row, while excitedly holding her cane high above her head, as a demonstration of gratitude and support for them. Her name was Elizabeth, but everyone called her “grand-ma;” as she seemed to love children, and often baked hundreds of cookies a month, for the local village kids.

  “I hope one of them didn’t get Shirley, too!” shouted Nadine, a middle-aged woman from the audience, who was a friend of Shirley’s, in a worried tone of voice. “I haven’t been able to find her, and she’s not returning my calls!”

  “Don’t worry about Shirley,” spoke another elderly council member named Peter to her in response. “I’ll try finding her after Buck finishes with the service. I’m sure she has a good reason or explanation for not returning your calls and for not being here.”

  “There’s one last thing that Phyllis
and I would like to share with everyone before you leave, and we both hope that it won’t change how you feel about us,” said Buck to the crowd.

  The crowd eagerly listened for what Buck was about to tell them, expecting to hear news that he and Phyllis were going to get married, or that maybe Phyllis and him were going to leave Circa. But they were not expecting the news they received and, instead, became frightened with the news that he told them.

  “Phyllis and I are now both vampires,” said Buck nervously. “And we ask that you keep our newest secret also.”

  Phyllis squeezed Buck’s hand even tighter from nervousness, as the crowd murmured among themselves, looking at one another and trying to decide how to handle this news.

  “Phyllis was forcibly turned into a vampire by Dietrich, and I had Phyllis also turn me into a vampire, making me both a vampire and a werewolf, something that we felt we needed to do in order to defeat them and save Circa,” Buck explained. “We could not have defeated them any other way, and we ask that you please trust us not too hurt any of you, as we could never allow ourselves to do so!”

  A council member named John, an older, grey-haired gentleman in his sixties, and a lifelong resident of Circa, stood up from his seat in the back row and spoke. “Buck and Phyllis, you know that we all love you, but this is different from your werewolf curse. We are forever grateful to you both, and always will be, but you were only a threat to Circa three or four nights a month as a werewolf and we could avoid you during those nights, but now you will always be a possible threat to us, both day and night, twenty-four hours a day, and now you say that Phyllis is a threat also. I’m sure you won’t intentionally want to hurt us, but you might be unable to control yourselves.”

  “What about our children?” asked another frightened, young woman from the crowd in a loud voice. “What if you can’t fight your new urge for drinking blood and decide to drink some blood from our children when no one is watching, or from anyone of us for that matter?”

  The crowd began to become more restless now, stirring up strife and discord from fear and murmurings. Just then, a snow machine’s engine could be heard outside when driving up to the gymnasium door. Two, ten year old boys from the village, who had been out playing during the service, abruptly ran inside while also trying to catch their breaths before they spoke. Much of the village crowd turned around to look when one of them finally shouted; “we were riding on the river, near the old gold dredge and stopped there to play when we saw Shirley inside! She is dead too!”

  “She was really white like a ghost, frozen, and it looked like something bit her in the neck!” added the other boy. The crowd somberly hung their heads in despair upon hearing further tragic news, and the gymnasium momentarily went silent, before the deafening silence was soon broken by another loud voice.

  “I don’t trust them!” a young teenage voice shouted.

  “I’m scared!” shouted one of the small children who appeared to be frightened.

  “They feed on animals, not humans!” shouted a familiar voice from the front of the crowd, as a man stood up in the front row. It was Brian, who turned and faced the crowd in anger. “My friend Carl and I were both with Buck and Phyllis before and after they became vampires, and please believe me when I tell you that they are the same people as always! They are both great people, whom love you, and they never once did anything to hurt my deceased friend Carl or me, nor would they ever hurt any of you, especially your children! I trust them both with my life, because they’ll only drink the blood of animals, and only as needed, not humans, and would never drink your blood unless you first gave them permission! I count it a privilege to call them my friends, and after the great sacrifice they made to save this village, it would be a great shame and disgrace if you all turned your backs on them now!” Then he sat back down in his chair again.

  A tear could be seen slowly rolling down Phyllis’s left cheek as John stood up to speak to the crowd once more. “We’ll take a vote!” he said. “And if we vote for you to leave Circa, will you?”

  “Yes, we will leave, if that is what the village asks,” replied Buck reluctantly.

  “Do you also agree, Phyllis?” asked John.

  Phyllis, being even more emotional and tearful now, could only reply with a head nod.

  “Very well,” replied John. “All those who trust Buck and Phyllis, and want to allow them to remain here in Circa, raise your hands.”

  Only twenty hands could be counted in the crowd of 300 people, mostly from a select few relatives and those villagers who chose to remain in Circa during Buck’s werewolf transformations instead of leaving, which most of the villagers had done.

  “All those who would feel more comfortable if Phyllis and Buck were to leave, and request that they please leave Circa, raise your hands,” John said.

  Buck and Phyllis were stunned with disbelief and felt the hurtful pain of betrayal, as 280 hands rose up everywhere throughout the crowd, a crowd of people whom they had known for most of their lives and had called family and friends.

  “We can’t force you both to leave, and I promise to keep your new vampire secret for the rest of my days, as I’m sure the others in the village will also, but the crowd has voted for you to leave, and we ask that you leave Circa as soon as possible,” said John. “Personally, I was tired of leaving the village at every monthly full moon because of fear, and I would quickly grow tired of continuing to live in fear because of vampires also,” he added before turning and walking away with the crowd, which were quickly dispersing from the school’s gym, leaving Buck and Phyllis behind and standing somberly alone. John was almost out of the door when he stopped and turned toward Brian. “I will be in charge of cremating your deceased friend Carl’s body on Thursday, along with Ron’s body. Is there any special request to be done with Carl’s ashes that I should know about?”

  “Please spread them on the Yukon River for me, if you could. I know Carl would want that,” answered Brian, before John took one last glance at Buck and Phyllis and left the building.

  Phyllis began to weep bitterly, so Buck hugged and held her, attempting to comfort and console her but also needing to comfort himself. Only Brian remained, and he wasn’t sure if he should leave Buck and Phyllis alone for now or walk up to comfort them.

  “We’ll be alone now, without a home or friends, just as I had previously feared,” said the distraught and sobbing Phyllis, with her head leaning on Buck’s chest as he held her. “Even my uncle and our relatives walked out with the crowd, and are probably afraid of us!”

  “We’ll have each other,” he responded. “I’ll never leave you, ever.”

  “You’ll have me also, both of you!” exclaimed Brian as he slowly walked up to them, hoping to reassure them of his friendship. “You two are always welcome in my home, anytime, and I will be available for both of you anytime you need help, or a friend, even if just for someone to talk to, I promise.”

  Buck extended his right hand out and shook Brian’s hand, and Phyllis quickly gave Brian a hug of appreciation while she wiped her wet eyes dry.

  “Where will you two go now?” asked Brian with concern. “You two are welcome to stay with me for a while, until you decide, or if not, maybe one of the other villages will accept you.”

  “We appreciate you, Brian, and your very kind offer, but this might be a good time for Buck and I to finally do some traveling together and go see the world,” replied Phyllis as her mood began to change from sadness back to happiness again, after thinking about the possibilities. “That is, if I can get Buck to agree with my idea.”

  “Do you know what, girl?” asked Buck to her with a twinkle in his eyes. “I think that’s an excellent idea, and I am going to take you away, just like Dietrich wanted, but to wherever you want to go!”

  Phyllis laughed with joy as Buck hugged and kissed her. “Can we leave tonight?” she asked, now having a newfound hope.

  “Yes, we can!” he answered as he scooped her off her feet and up into
his arms. “Let’s first swing by my cabin, grab a few things, some extra cash that I have stashed there, and then you can tell me where to go first. I will be your chauffer!”

  “You two take care of yourselves, have fun, stay out of trouble, take it easy on the blood consumption, and promise me that you’ll keep in touch, and call me if you ever need anything,” said Brian.

  “We promise, good friend,” replied Buck as he nodded to Brian. “Take care of yourself.”

  Phyllis quickly smiled at Brian and whispered with a lip-synch a, “Thank you,” to him before Buck bolted away with Phyllis, carrying her in his arms and vanishing out of the back door of the school gym, with the sound of Phyllis’s laughter fading away in the far distance.

  Brian felt some sort of satisfaction within himself, knowing that Phyllis was happy again and free to fulfill her heart’s desire, along with Buck, for the remainder of their days together on Earth, which could be an eternity for all he knew. He also felt a small amount of jealousy as the burden and weight of the working man’s world begun to set in, with bills, responsibilities, taxes, and his career, which he was soon going to reenter, while Phyllis and Buck had the supernatural ability to live out their dreams by roaming the Earth with total freedom and with very few restrictions, doing whatever they pleased. I can see myself enjoying that lifestyle for five years or so, before boredom sets in,” he thought to himself as he walked out of the gym and toward Carl’s truck. I sure hope Buck and Phyllis don’t eventually become bored with their new way of life, or become lonely and tired of being vampires, and lose their happiness and reason for living, as I probably would after a hundred years or so,” he also thought to himself with concern. I hope that when they finish seeing the world, they’ll settle down somewhere nice together and be happy forever! And I hope that they won’t forget me, and that I’ll see them again someday,” was his last thoughts of them before quickly turning new thoughts onto his wife Nancy and son Josh, and how blessed and happy he was for having such a wonderful family to live out the rest of his days with, and hopefully grow old together for many more years to come.