CHAPTER 38

I couldn't understand anything he said. I stood up and looked at him walk away. I needed answers and I needed to save them. The only word to come out of his mouth was witchcraft. Was he turned by a witch? And if he was, what purpose was he serving her?

"Gary, you have to let these people go. They are scared and their families are back home waiting for them. They are losing hope to see them alive" I tried to convince him.

"I can't do that. The witch needs them for a sacrifice. If I don't deliver them, I will be bound to stay like this forever" he replied.

"But think about their parents. They are desperate to find them. And look at them, they're scared for their lives" He ignored my pleas and shifted again to his Wendigo, maybe to hunt down more kids. It was really hard to convince him, but I was not going to let him take more innocent lives. I needed to find this witch and make sure she stopped this curse. I had to leave the cave, feeling guilty for leaving those poor kids in there with Gary. They didn't look like they were hurt, but I needed to hurry before that witch showed up and hurt them.

I arrived in town and headed to the sheriff's station to let them know where the kids were. "Are you sure you saw them?" he asked, doubting my words. I leaned on his desk and gave him a hard stare.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't bother you with silly things. Those kids are in that cave, and if we don't take them out, they will be witches' food".

The sheriff studied me for a moment and then ordered his deputies to form a search party. We had to use the people in town since it was so small, not too many lawmen were on duty. While they were trying to rescue the kids, I decided to go and find Gary. I went to the other side of the woods where I thought he might be. As suspected, he was standing by the old ruins on the side of the river.

He was feeding on a small fox while looking around, alert. He was not even feeding on humans, he never did. I approached him slowly, but without success. He turned around and his anger was notable. He screeched so loud, my ears were about to burst.

"Gary, you need to help me! We need to find the witch and stop her before she hurts anyone!" I yelled trying to calm him down.

In a deep, growly voice he replied "You can't stop her, she is too powerful, she will curse this whole place and you will all pay for it!"

I walked closer to him and putting my hands up in surrender I said "We can help you Gary. If she gets ahold of those kids, she will not hesitate in sacrificing them"

"So be it! I was bullied by everyone and I don't care what happens to them, I just want my life back to normal and leave this trash you all call town" he let out a low growl while kneeling down on the ground.

"I just want to live happily. No problems. I want a life, a wife and kids. Someone to love and care for me. And if this is the only way I can do that, then I will follow her orders" I could see the hurt in the beast's eyes. He has been through a lot before he went missing. But we had to save him and we had to make that witch disappear. I had picked up a choker for animals who were hunted and tried to trap him. I just had to wait for the perfect moment. And it finally arrived, as soon as he turned his back on me I jumped on his back and put it up, quickly pulling at the chains.

He got angry and tried to pull me, lifting me up but I was able to pull him back down right away. Adrenaline surged through me and I knocked him down on the ground. He ended up being exhausted and groaned, giving up.

"I just want to help you. Please let me help you. This curse can be lifted if you just stop being stubborn" I mentioned as he looked at me with sad eyes. He nodded and let me bring him back to town, but not before telling him to shift back to his human form. He did as ordered and we walked. I reached the town and I could hear a lot of commotion. The kids that were missing were back. I let out a sigh of relief to see they were able to get them our of that cave. I looked at Gary and gave me a sad smile.

"I promise you we will do anything to lift that curse" I reassured him and he nodded, trusting that I can save him. As we were walking towards the crowd, I could hear a cackle.

"The Witch" Gary mentioned and he didn't waste time to shift back to his Wendigo and break the choker that was holding him. A shadowy figure appeared between the trees and a sudden burst of green light was shot from the trees towards us. Townsfolk were screaming and running away for their lives.

"You thought you could steal my sacrifice, Lucas?" she said, smirking at me. She came out of the trees and walked close to me. I recognized her.

"Marlena" I mentioned. The legendary witch of the woods. It had been decades since she had appeared. How did she lure Gary to those woods?

"Yes, Lucas. I know you remember me. You were just a little boy when you last saw me" she mentioned and I couldn't help but feel rage. I took out my shotgun and she quickly knocked it out with a swift of her hands. She closed the distance and lifted me up by the neck.

"Those kids are mine. And that Wendigo was supposed to help me gather them. I need them or else my powers will fade" her eyes turned into a turquoise color, hypnotizing me. I tried to close mine, but she wouldn't let me. I looked straight at her and I was caught in her eyes. I was frozen solid, not being able to move a single muscle.
She dropped me on the ground and walked by me, ignoring the body on the ground. On the distance, I could see Gary's Wendigo hiding behind the trees.

"Come on sweetheart, it is time to hunt down some fresh blood" she ordered him and he obeyed. He walked slowly by me and his eyes were showing guilt and torture.

"Gary, don't go. Please leave those kids alone" I whispered, begging him. He turned his head and kept walking behind Marlena. My body was in pain, and not being able to move was making it worse. I had to save them. I had to save this town from her dark magic. I took all the strength I could and kept dragging my body forward until I was able to get my whole body in full function.

I jogged to towards the center of town and there she was by the fountain, trying to lure the kids back to her. She was chanting a spell to control their minds. The kids were like zombies walking towards her while their parents were trying in vain to stop them.

Mothers crying for their little ones. Fathers holding them back as best as they could. The Wendigo looked at me with knowing eyes and the red glow appeared again. He pointed at one end of the town where a torch was burning high. The legend told of witches being burned in the stake and I would try to bring that legend to reality. I snuck around the crowd of crying and screaming folks grabbed the torch and with the best aim I could get, I tossed it at her, burning her alive and ridding everyone of the curse. Including Gary. She was screaming in pain while we all saw her turn into ashes. The kids were safe and the Wendigo was painfully leaving Gary's body.

"Is that the best you can do, Lucas? Don't think this is over." Marlena screamed. The dark clouds went away and the moon came out, shining the night. I could hear sobs, and Gary was on the floor, beaten and bruised. He was crying of joy for being rid of that nightmare he suffered for years. And the kids were alive and safe.

I put a blanket around Gary's body, covering his nakedness.

"You will be okay. Thank you for helping us save everyone. You are our hero" I calmly told him. The clue of this case could be found in the Witches cabin, deep in the woods, where no one dares to enter. Good luck finding it.



Gray's POV:-


It felt like decades I have spent as a slave to that witch Marlena. Lucas freed me from the stupid curse. That made me wish to be like him. For years I was a puppet, I wanted to be like Lucas. I wanted to help people like he has helped me. Asking around about his address, I reached a small and old house. I rang the bell but no response, I rang it again, once, twice, thrice. But still nothing. I held the door knob and found the door wasn't locked. "How about to get in and wait for him?" I thought and stepped into his house. I look at his place which was completely destroyed. His weapons and his hunting gadgets were lying on the ground completely destroyed. What caught my eye, were a few red stains on the wall. I went close and read a message in horror that said. "Help…"