Big Silver

Now ya may be wonderin' how a creature such as m'self comes about inna world such as this. See I wasn't always this beast ya got sat 'afore ya. Was a time I was mostly furless and didn't even got no tail to wag. Was a simple life as a farmboy, born'n raised with my Pa on a quaint plot of land in the midst ah' nowhere. My Pa tended crops well, just like his Pa, and his Pa's Pa before him even. I wasn't even hardly yet a man by anyone's opinion when that fateful night found me.

Was a Harvest Moon, as I recall. Bright one. So bright I thought the sun done went and got drunk on Pa's ol' hard Rye juice and forgot what time it was. While Pa and the others were usin' the brightness to harvest, I was set out ta walk the coops n' keep the hens company so the foxes and 'yotes didn't get no easy ideas. I ain't even heard it when it hit me. Not that it'd do me any good if I did. Bastard was bigger'n me by at least three times, and all I had on me was a torch'n a big pointy stick.

Now I know whatch'r thinkin' when I say that. Big ol' fella as I am now. I ain't always been like this. I wasn't no twig by anyone's estimates neither, but that big bastard tore me up and threw me around like my lil sister used to with her dolly. I'm sure it looked a right fright as I was flung around'n tossed about like a sack'a 'taters. When that bastard finished they left me as a heap on the ground by the hen's pen. Didn't even take after a single chicken or one'a the heifers. Shoot, they didn't even try to eat me all that much, just ripped me up nice'n good and left me as a mess on the ground for Pa and Ma to find. Still had all my fingers'n toes even, right kind of 'em to leave me with 'em, as well as all these scars to remember 'em by.

Ma says I was asleep and twitchin' and breathin' hard for the better part of nine days 'afor I finally woke up. Most my wounds'd healed up right good, and only had a few cuts left that ain't even needed stitches. Wasn't no secret what'd got on me at that point, and folks were already gatherin' silver and 'bane to put me outa my misery.

Good ol' Ma stuck by my side the whole time. And when the village folk came for me, she packed a bundle with every spare coin Pa collected, and a right fine basket'a wheat bread so thick I bet I coulda' broke rocks'n skulls with it. Pa... well, Pa wasn't doin' nothin' to stop the villagers, but he wasn't helpin' 'em neither. Bless 'er soul though, Ma helped me to the farm's edge and led me into the forest 'afore puttin' a big kiss on my cheek'n sending me on my way. I took ta runnin' as fast as I could, and you know what? I ain't even got tired or sore from it.

After I put enough distance from the village and myself, I set about eatin' every bite of bread, every root and truffle, and every hare unfortunate enough ta cross my path. I was even runnin' down deer after a few days and all my wounds finally closed up. Found a beehive and ate the whole damn thing too, comb'n all. Used bee-stingers as toothpicks!

Lookit me spinnin' you a yarn and takin' your ear like this. Rightly apologize for it, I'm sure ya got things ta do and places ta be. T'make a long story short, I had my transfurmation on the next full moon, as I'd expected. Miserable experience, but not as much as gettin' ripped up by that bastard. Only thing was, was that I never did revert back. Sun came up, and I still had teeth 'n tail. I was a right sorry mess for a few days, howlin' and cryin' like I'd stubbed my toe somethin' fierce.

Been this way more years than I ever was the other. At this point I done forgot what it even feels like ta ain't be a beast. From what I've heard, this here's some kinda curse maybe, or even just a different type'a lycanthropy. But ya know what? I'm kinda glad for it. I ain't never seen an old man with vigor like I got. Ain't never seen a human lift the things I have, or take a wound like I do. Figure at this point I ain't even want it cured.

There I go again, dangit. Go on, git outa here before I bend that ear'a yours even further and ya trip on it by the time ya walk on outa here.