The Woodland Mass

She wore a net that covered her hair,

A shawl in a peasant green,

A ragged dress that covered her breast

But with nothing in-between,

Her legs were scratched and covered in mud

And her feet were shod in clogs,

I wouldn’t have noticed her passing, but

For the barking of the dogs.

 

She looked aside at the dogs that barked

And she made an evil sign,

Sent them panicking back to the barn

And I called, ‘Hey you, they’re mine!’

She looked at me from under the net

With glittering eyes of scorn,

‘Your dogs will not recover themselves

‘Til the Black Beast comes, at dawn!’

 

I stood agape and I watched her pass

To the shade down by the creek,

She kicked her clogs on the dewy grass

And she washed her legs and feet.

I wandered down and I stood aside,

‘You’re a stranger to these parts!’

‘I’ve been away, but I think I’ll stay

‘Til the Mass of the Woodland starts.’

 

It wasn’t really a village then,

Was more a scatter of homes,

Built on the edge of the woodland where

The cottagers laid their bones,

The cemetery wandered into the trees

With the headstones, green with moss,

And each was graven beneath the green

With a dark, upended cross.

 

‘The people here are strange, you know,

They don’t like passers-by,

You’d best be moving along before

The sun sinks in the sky.’

She laughed a terrible laugh that sent

Cold shivers down my back,

‘I’m only here for the sacrifice,

You can tell your Brothers that!’

 

The people came from the cottages

At dusk in their hoods and capes,

Wandered into the ancient hall

Half hid by its ivy drapes,

They genuflected before the font

With its rust and bloody stains,

That sat before the upended cross

On a wall that was hung with chains.

 

A man stood tall at the podium

In a hood that hid his face,

I caught a glimpse of the mask he wore,

A skull that he held in place.

‘The ravening beast will be abroad

When the Moon is full and round,

We have to be at the woodland creek

Before the beast comes down.

 

He led the way to the woodland creek

Where the girl had sat in wait,

‘I hope you’ve chosen your sacrifice

For the time is getting late.’

A cloud then blotted the moonlight out

And we heard a beastly roar,

The girl had gone when the moon had shone

And her clothes lay on the floor.

 

And in her place, a hideous beast

As black as a lump of pitch,

Leapt on one of the Brothers there

And dragged him into a ditch.

It mauled and ripped at his carcass there,

He didn’t have time to scream,

While I took off, back to my croft,

Away from the nightmare scene.

 

I lay in the barn, beside my dogs,

They seemed to be terrified,

I sat and loaded my .22

My eyes were open wide,

The Beast came prowling around at dawn

Just as the girl had said,

I shot it once, and between the eyes

But the girl lay there, instead.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Lena M. P.]

Darkness abounds in this one. Gave me shivers to read. I believe she saw the good in the man and rewarded him with her demise. No one else in the town was worthy of the sacrifice she gave. Really well written as usual for you. You are the best of the best.

[A Soap Mess Stories]

Another frightening tale...great work, David....

[Claire in VA]

What a dark and frightening mass! Oh my goodness! I didn't know what to expect when I clicked on this title. The first stanza captured me, and I remained engaged throughout the tale. This is very descriptive. You know that I love your style. As for the tale, it was interesting! I enjoyed reading it. By the way, I didn't notice any blatant mistakes. Ha! Ha!
~~Claire

[Marie]

I don't see this girl as a werewolf at all but as a demon taking the shape of a black beast...
THe narrator was lucky to get away...he could have become the sacrifice....

[Glen Yumang Manese]

This has an encompassing ending...
she becomes the werewolf...
makes her fill...
and as tragic as the event...
she gets hers in the end...
I guess he had silver bullets...