Werewolf

Chapter 3

“Stupid, stupid girl!” Gertrude snarled. “You made me look foolish in front of the entire Church!”

“W-we didn’t have a church at home…” Klara started to say but Gertrude wouldn’t hear it.

“You’re just like your mother, making excuses for your sins! I did not have to take you in. I could have turned my back on you just as your mother did to me and God.”

“My mother did no such thing!” Klara yelled. “She was a holy woman.”

“Oh really?” Gertrude smirked. “If she was holy, then why was she burned as a witch along with your worthless father?”

“Go to Hell.” Klara snapped. Gertrude’s eyes flashed and she grabbed Klara’s arm harshly, squeezing so hard the girl yelped in pain.

“You dare disrespect me, worthless girl?!” Gertrude dragged Klara along even as her niece struggled. Her aunt was amazingly strong for her size and she was able to take Klara through the house towards the cellar. Gertrude flung open the door and Klara’s fear escalated when she saw the pure dark expanse before her. Though the rest of the house was fully lit with sunshine and candles, none of it reached into the darkness. Gertrude shoved her forward so hard Klara tumbled down the stairs and crumpled into a heap on the cold dirt floor.

“You will stay here until I think you’ve learned your lesson.” Gertrude’s voice was colder and darker than the cellar.

“You can’t do this,” Klara panted.

“Watch me,” Gertrude smirked, and with that she went up the stairs and slammed the door, the latch clicking as it locked. Klara was thrown into complete darkness, only the sound of her own breath in the dark hole.

Klara hated the dark. She’d been trapped for hours in the dark before and now those fears resurfaced. Scratching noises from rats made her jump, and fearing they would start crawling on or biting her, she summoned a small bit of magic.

“Ardenti...igne!” she whispered, igniting a small ball of light. It glowed green in her hand for a moment before sparking into a tiny, warm flame that danced in her hands. The rats instantly scurried away and Klara was relieved.

As she stared at the little light, she remembered how hard it was to breathe as her house burned around her. The choking black smoke burning her lungs, and when she tried to breathe she smelled burnt flesh. How she cried out for her father and mother only to find them dead, then the roof collapsing on them. Klara didn’t know how she survived. All she could remember was the heavy weight of the debris on her being lifted and then waking up in a dark room with Gerone beside her. Eventually, all the heartache took its toll and Klara collapsed onto the cold floor, praying to be let out soon.

It was a long time before the doors opened and by then Klara was nearly unconscious with hunger and cold. A gasp startled the girl awake and someone was dragging her into a sitting position.

“What happened to you?!”

She couldn’t respond, she was shaking too hard. Klara felt herself being lifted and caught glimpses of the house as she was carried up the stairs and into her room. It was still light out, telling her she hadn’t been in the cellar for as long as she’d thought. Though she was still thankful to be out. Klara then felt sweet heaven when she was changed into a nightgown then wrapped in many blankets in her bed. Before she lost consciousness, she heard Gerone yelling at the maids.

“She has a fever, call the doctor!”

Author: Katie (Crios) Editor: Elizabeth (Eala)

Patreon: patreon.com/ealacrios