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 The Lycanthrope  (3 ratings)by Mick Reilly Page 1 of 4
Tho’ you tremble when you hear his cry I beg of you at least to try And say a prayer when you pray tonight For the wretched soul who fears the full moon bright Anon Ah, visitors at my door. Let them knock for I am not of a mind to socialise. Company I do not need. Still they persist. Away damn you! Leave me in peace with my sorrow, my torment. Quiet at last, they have departed. No, they are opening the door, entering my sanctuary as if it were their own! Damn, damn these people. Do they not respect another’s right to privacy? But what shall I do? Shall I brandish my rapier & descend upon them with the blade slashing before me & hurry them away? I shall do nothing but sit here in my chair & drink my brandy. Let them enter my abode. Let them see for themselves how the mighty have fallen. Let them share in my sorrow. They are here, in the room with me now. I sense two people, no more. One is of stocky build; his footsteps are deep. The other is lighter, more dainty. A child perhaps? No, a young woman - I can smell her perfume. I shall take another sip of my brandy before I acknowledge their arrival. "Baron Valkyr?" "That title carries no substance anymore. Like the power that the name of Valkyr once held, it is now obsolete. What was once revered now grips mens hearts with fear." There is bitterness in my voice, a bitterness I had not noticed until now. I shall confront my ‘guests’. The man is stocky as I believed, older though. He is a professional & well schooled man. The young woman can be barely of sixteen years. Her skin is so pale, like porcelain, it gives her a fragile beauty. "Forgive me, I have not introduced ourselves," says the man. "This is my daughter, Sapphire." The girl curtseys. "I am Frederick Karlsstadt, Doctor Frederick Karlsstadt. Forgive our intrusion." "Please," gestures Valkyr, "Be seated. Brandy?" The good Doctor accepts; his daughter declines the drink. Valkyr returns to his chair by the fire. "Now then, you were determined to see me so that makes you either tremendously brave people, or very naive." "Neither," laughed the Doctor. "Just curious." "Really? Why?" "It is almost two months since you returned here to your ancestral home & yet you have not been seen since that first day. Why do you not venture into the village below?" Valkyr laughed. "Then you truly are naive, good Doctor, if you do not know the answer to that question." "I have heard the stories, the rumours - the legend, but I am a rational man, a man of science, of fact. I do not believe in ‘old wives tales’." "The denial of one man does not make them untrue though. You are in the minority I am afraid. I owe the village nothing & ask of nothing in return but to be left in peace." "Why did you return here?" asks the girl. "Because it is my one true home, my birthplace. I have grown weary of the constant travelling I have had to endure since I was eight years old. That is how old I was when my family had to leave this place." "Is that your father?" The girl gazes at the portrait hanging over the fireplace. "No," replies Valkyr. "That is my Grandfather & namesake, Sebastian Valkyr. He died on the very day I was born. That is why I was given his name." He refilled his glass. "Where is the rest of your family?" "Scattered far & wide, nameless & forever on the move, such is the curse we are under." "Superstitious nonsense!" Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 Mick Reilly, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. The author has submitted the work in accordance with and in agreement with the following Submission Guidelines. |
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