You’ve always loved nature, and you often go for walks through the woods behind your house to unwind after stressful days. You think it’s beautiful out there, and serene. So you slip on a pair of sneakers and tie your hair up. You leave your cell phone on the counter, because taking it with you would defeat the purpose of being out among the trees. It’s not that maybe you would get a phone call. You definitely would, and it would be somebody needing something from you, and well, it just wasn’t conducive to relaxation. You leave your house and head towards the trees, you’ve walked the same way enough times that a small path has been forged through the underbrush. You know it well enough that you follow the trail without needing to look down. Your eyes are elsewhere, taking in the scenery.

pile o snakes

A small noise snaps you out of your reverie, it sounded like a hiss. You hate snake outfits, and you always have. They slither and twist in unnatural ways, their scales and patterns, eyes, and of course their venomous qualities put you on edge and you really hope – as your look towards the origin of the sound – that it is not what you think it is. Unfortunately though, you were right. A long, snake as slithered onto the path directly in front of you and it looks like it has the capability to deliver a nasty bite. You stand still, nearly paralyzed by fear for a moment, then begin to back away slowly.

Without watching where you were going however, you do not see the second snake that had come up behind you. You step on its tail, and it in return clamps down on your calf, and injects venom straight through your pant leg. You yell out in pain and quickly reach down to pull it off of you. You throw it into the brush before it gets the chance to clamp down on your hand as well, and take off running towards your house.

After calling 911, you realize that running all the way back home had probably gotten the venom into your bloodstream faster, but you didn’t want to risk another bite from the first snake, or for the one you threw to come back angrier than before. But would a second bite be worse or better than the sprint home? You sink down to the kitchen floor and hope that the ambulance gets there in time.

May we reconvene under the blood red moon,
-Black Widow

The woods are a pretty dangerous place without the threat of the supernatural to consider. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of hiking, camping, and all things outdoorsy or just someone that likes to take walks and enjoy nature; you know that when night falls it’s best to either leave or set up camp. So what happens when you find yourself so engrossed in the wonder of nature around you that you loose track of time and realize the sun has already half-set? What happens when you realize that coming to replace the sun is a silvery full moon? Well, if you’re a particularly unlucky soul, it could mean you might fall prey to a werewolf.

werewolf

Generally portrayed as huge half-man, half-wolf abominations, werewolves have been a part of human folklore for thousands of years. Sometimes these beasts are more man than wolf, retaining their general human shape and bipedal abilities; but with the addition of fur, a mutation of the head and hind legs, and the physique of a body builder on steroids. Other times they change more drastically and become more wolf than man. In addition to the previously mentioned qualities, their ability to walk on two legs is more limited to something like how an ape moves. With longer arms, and long claws to grip the dirt beneath them, this type is usually faster and more aggressive. Some believe it’s possible that the transformation can take a human and turn him or her completely into a normal looking wolf, able to communicate with other wolves once in that form.

Regardless of the form though, once you are bitten by one of these creatures it is only a matter of time before you become one as well, and the transformation I hear is beyond painful. It feels as if every bone in your body is breaking all at once, and your muscles and skin are stretching to accommodate the new shape they take. Generally the transformation only takes a few minutes, but to the person transforming it could feel like the most miserable three hours of their life. The worst part? When the full moon sets and you become yourself again, you only have next month to look forward to before it happens again.

May we reconvene under the blood red silvery full moon,
-Black Widow