Shownotes
In the back rural roads of Alabama, a brother and sister duo travel down south to visit their late father’s funeral. Upon stopping on the side of the road to rest, the two are constantly surrounded by the familiar dangers of the southern country and the unfamiliar dangers of supernatural creatures. Will the duo survive this lonely night out on the open roads?
Tonight’s story is “The Gift” by Darius Davis, a black queer african wild dog author, who uses writing as a way to prime readers to experience new and exciting perspectives.You can follow him on twitter @2DWildDog and his Sofurry page at (2dstories) for future writing projects.
Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the Equine Charmer.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/the-gift-by-darius-davis-read-by-takom-ironhoof
Transcripts
You’re listening to the Ghost of Dog on The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,
Speaker:and Tonight’s story
Speaker:is “The Gift” by Darius Davis,
Speaker:a black queer african wild dog author,
Speaker:who uses writing as a way to prime readers to experience new and exciting perspectives.
Speaker:perspectives.You can follow him on twitter
Speaker:@2DWildDog and his Sofurry page at (2dstories)
Speaker:for future writing projects. Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof,
Speaker:the Equine Charmer. However fearsome the things in the dark may be, there remain things in the light against which they pale in comparison.
Speaker:Things in the known world of the daylight
Speaker:to which the night terrors of the unknown are preferable.
Speaker:We put it to you to decide:
Speaker:in the story at hand,
Speaker:which is the curse?
Speaker:And which is- “The Gift”
Speaker:by Darius Davis
Speaker:Eliza shifted in the car seat
Speaker:and attempted to read her book under the sunset light.
Speaker:Her body became accustomed to the motions of the old Rambler sedan
Speaker:as it skidded across large cracks and potholes.
Speaker:She still kept a folded up large map on her lap in case her brother, Abraham,
Speaker:needed to know what route to take next.
Speaker:Beyond that, her time was used to catch up on one of her novels to fill the dead air.
Speaker:If it meant putting off the anxiety of dealing with distant relatives at her late father’s funeral
Speaker:and looking for work down south,
Speaker:then she took every opportunity to escape through her stories.
Speaker:While on their journey,
Speaker:she tried not to glance near her brother’s direction during their trip to New Orleans.
Speaker:Even without his frustrated icy stare,
Speaker:Eliza felt a heavy weight of guilt tear into her as she sat next to him.
Speaker:Because she absentmindedly forgot to buy the recent addition of their Green Book, the majority of their stops had been outdated.
Speaker:And after they had come across two closed down gas stations,
Speaker:Abraham felt forced to press on ahead
Speaker:with a quarter of gas in their tank.
Speaker:They had already emptied the last two of their portable tanks
Speaker:and they were dangerously close to running out.
Speaker:She tried not to dwell on such matters
Speaker:as what’s done is done.
Speaker:Though she could no longer distract herself once sunset became nightfall.
Speaker:No semblance of moonlight
Speaker:could adequately pierce through the tall trees along the dark backwood Mississippi roads.
Speaker:Eliza noticed the hint of the full moon over the horizon
Speaker:but it was primarily obstructed by trees.
Speaker:She stowed away her book
Speaker:as there was little need to read it.
Speaker:The headlights acted as their sole source of salvation
Speaker:among the sea of darkness.
Speaker:Abraham eventually pulled off onto the side of the road and parked his car. A loud yawn escaped his lips
Speaker:before he rubbed his baggy eyes.
Speaker:Eliza suspected her older brother was famished
Speaker:after such an arduous trip.
Speaker:She wordlessly climbed into the backseat to retrieve their shoebox lunches underneath her brother’s chauffeur hat.
Speaker:To her relief, Abraham flashed a small smile
Speaker:as he accepted the meal from her.
Speaker:They snacked on cold fried chicken,
Speaker:dried crumbly buttery biscuits,
Speaker:and a slice of sweet potato pie
Speaker:concealed in wax paper.
Speaker:The only semblance of moisture that accompanied their meals
Speaker:were Abraham’s water canteen
Speaker:and her chilled glass bottle of soda.
Speaker:The two ate their meals
Speaker:as they took in the scenery around them.
Speaker:With the headlights shut off,
Speaker:they could only make out hazy shadows in the darkness.
Speaker:It took a few minutes of Eliza’s eyes to adjust before she could finish her meal.
Speaker:As she prepared for the night watch shift,
Speaker:there was a trickery of light that caught the corner of her eye.
Speaker:Eliza turned and spotted a pair of shining eyes peering into their car from the forest.
Speaker:It slowly blinked at her
Speaker:but maintained a constant visual on them.
Speaker:There was a sickly canine smile on its face
Speaker:as the creature displayed its fierce teeth.
Speaker:She tried to pay no mind to it
Speaker:and assumed it to be a curious animal.
Speaker:Though after a few minutes to herself, when she glanced back
Speaker:the shimmering eyes were still there.
Speaker:An unpleasant shiver stalked her back,
Speaker:her mind attempted to shun such a sight.
Speaker:“You alright, sis? You cold?”
Speaker:Abraham asked. “It’s not that.
Speaker:There’s something lookin’ at us!”
Speaker:She pointed. Abraham glanced over and spotted the pair of sparkling blank eyes before it disappeared into the forest.
Speaker:“Probably just a wolf or a coyote.
Speaker:Not like we’re back in the city.
Speaker:Bound to see wildlife in these parts,”
Speaker:He shrugged his shoulders.
Speaker:“Just didn’t like the way it was eyeing at us.
Speaker:Looked more like a monster than any animal I’ve ever seen.
Speaker:Doesn’t sit right with me,”
Speaker:She replied. “Well, we’re about to hit New Orleans tomorrow anyway.
Speaker:After tonight, we’ll sleep in a proper bed
Speaker:and you won’t need to deal with any scary woodland creatures,”
Speaker:He chuckled. “Alright, nature boy.
Speaker:Just cause you’re used to sleeping outdoors doesn’t mean I gotta like it!”
Speaker:“It’s a small price to pay after someone didn’t get that updated travel guide like I told them too before we left!
Speaker:The next Esso station we find, you’re buying it!”
Speaker:“Yeah, yeah. I promise that will be the last time that ever happens.”
Speaker:“Better be.” Abraham grabbed his chauffeur hat from the rear seat
Speaker:to rest it over his eyes.
Speaker:He reclined his head;
Speaker:his body was in search of a comfortable resting position.
Speaker:With sugary soda coursing through her body, Eliza's mind remained sharp to any potential danger during the night shift.
Speaker:There was the odd lone car that had slowed down when it came close to their vehicle.
Speaker:To Eliza’s relief though,
Speaker:it continued on its journey and hadn’t lingered for long.
Speaker:For now, there was nothing of note to report to her brother.
Speaker:Yet, she sought to keep her mind busy throughout the night
Speaker:with a flashlight
Speaker:and a handy book.
Speaker:This wasn’t her first night watch with her brother,
Speaker:she became accustomed to reading while Abraham slept.
Speaker:And the added benefit of Abraham asleep
Speaker:was how she can indulge in her more controversial stories,
Speaker:especially ones from Vin Packer.
Speaker:Packer’s books contained more than just tales of scandalous
Speaker:lesbian women in larger-than-life situations,
Speaker:but allowed an exploration of Eliza’s own attraction for other women.
Speaker:Even though her brother was already aware of her true feelings,
Speaker:it was still an awkward subject for him to broach
Speaker:if he spotted her with such a scandalous book.
Speaker:If she was forced to smother that side of herself while with family, the least she could do for herself
Speaker:is indulge her passions with some light reading.
Speaker:Before she neared the end of her favorite chapter,
Speaker:she soon felt the urge to relieve herself. Eliza cursed from how close she was to completing her book.
Speaker:With no other choice,
Speaker:she stepped out from the car and walked into some wild grass for privacy.
Speaker:While squatted over,
Speaker:her ears picked up the sounds of rustling movement.
Speaker:Whatever creature lurked in the plant life
Speaker:was obscured by the tall grass.
Speaker:A low guttural growl emanated from close by,
Speaker:the frequency of which made her shiver in place.
Speaker:However, upon the sound of an animal sniffing
Speaker:and panting right in front of her,
Speaker:Eliza quickly dawned on her underwear, grabbed her skirt with
Speaker:both hands, and bolted towards the car.
Speaker:She slammed the door tightly
Speaker:and moved to lock each one.
Speaker:The commotion inside the sedan had awakened her brother.
Speaker:“What’s goin’ on?”
Speaker:Abraham yawned. “We need to leave, now!
Speaker:I don’t like it here;
Speaker:something out there is definitely stalking us!” Eliza pleaded. “I’m not gonna waste gas over this.
Speaker:Nothings gonna get you if you stay inside here,
Speaker:I promise.” “You don’t understand,
Speaker:whatever’s out there isn’t normal.
Speaker:It got super close to me
Speaker:and I couldn’t even see it!
Speaker:It could’ve killed me!”
Speaker:“Look, if it really wanted you dead it would have.
Speaker:But it didn’t, so it’s probably nothing.
Speaker:Now can I please get some sleep?”
Speaker:Before Eliza responded,
Speaker:a pair of bright lights poured into their small sedan
Speaker:and blinded them temporarily.
Speaker:A rusty C10 truck passed them
Speaker:before it aggressively came to a halt.
Speaker:They held their breaths,
Speaker:their eyes glued to the truck
Speaker:as it pulled over onto the side of the road.
Speaker:Abraham put a finger over his lip
Speaker:before he grabbed and placed on his chauffeur hat. Eliza dashed her erotica book in the glove compartment
Speaker:and fixed her hair in the meantime.
Speaker:The two spotted a white man in a red plaid shirt exiting from the truck
Speaker:and started to approach them.
Speaker:There were a few more inside,
Speaker:but their figures were obscured by the Stars and Bars flag on the back windshield,
Speaker:which had cloaked them in shadow.
Speaker:When the driver came in for a closer view,
Speaker:he appeared to be around their age,
Speaker:at least no older than his 20’s.
Speaker:He rested his hands inside both pockets before he reached Abraham’s driver side window.
Speaker:The man knocked on it several times
Speaker:and motioned Abraham to lower the window.
Speaker:“Everything alright over here?
Speaker:Buddy of mine spotted you sittin’ here a few hours ago.
Speaker:You know, it’s illegal to loiter around these parts, right?”
Speaker:He asked. “My apologies, sir.
Speaker:We will leave right away!”
Speaker:Abraham responded.
Speaker:He attempted to start the car
Speaker:but the engine wouldn’t turn over.
Speaker:While a normal endeavor in any other circumstance, Eliza wished the car hadn’t acted up right then and there. “Out of gas, huh? I might have extra tanks in the truck.
Speaker:If y’all come out and lend me a hand,
Speaker:we can refuel your car real quick?” The driver peered his head in.
Speaker:“No thank you, sir!
Speaker:Just give us a few moments!”
Speaker:Abraham said. His shaky hands continued to press and turn the key
Speaker:so that the car could start. Eliza tried not to glance at the man directly while she bit her lower lip.
Speaker:From her vantage point,
Speaker:the two men inside the truck kept shifting in place
Speaker:and became antsy.
Speaker:“You know, I was tryin’ to be real neighborly
Speaker:and help y’all out.
Speaker:But it seems you two aren’t in a hurry leavin’,”
Speaker:The driver shook his head.
Speaker:“It doesn’t normally take this long, I swear.
Speaker:Just…” Abraham continued to frantically turn the key.
Speaker:After a few seconds,
Speaker:the man turned to his truck
Speaker:and let out a strong whistle.
Speaker:He motioned the people from inside the truck to come out.
Speaker:Two exited out as one held a long shotgun over his shoulders.
Speaker:The driver turned back
Speaker:and addressed Abraham.
Speaker:“Alright, seeing as y’all are not leaving,
Speaker:I’m gonna place the both of you under citizen's arrest for loitering and vagrancy.
Speaker:Step out of the car, now!”
Speaker:He ordered. “No, please
Speaker:we’ll leave promptly, I promise!”
Speaker:Abraham pleaded. With the last hard turn of the key,
Speaker:the engine finally roared to life.
Speaker:A flabbergasted sigh escaped Abraham’s lips
Speaker:before he started to shift the car into drive.
Speaker:However, the man quickly hopped over
Speaker:and stood in front of their vehicle with both hands on their hood.
Speaker:“Y’all had your chance to leave.
Speaker:But now, I’m gonna have to turn you into the local sheriff. Out of
Speaker:the car, the both of you!
Speaker:Now!” He barked. The man with the shotgun walked over to Eliza's side
Speaker:and pointed the barrel at their windshield.
Speaker:The both of them placed their hands on the dashboard in the
Speaker:hopes to appease them.
Speaker:Before the two stepped out from the car,
Speaker:Abraham tapped his sister’s hand
Speaker:to get her attention.
Speaker:“I'll cause a distraction when we get out.
Speaker:Once all of their eyes are on me,
Speaker:I want you to make for the forest and run like hell.”
Speaker:He whispered. “You crazy?
Speaker:What about that thing out there?
Speaker:Plus, I can’t leave you behind!”
Speaker:She responded. “I promised mama I wouldn’t get you killed out here.
Speaker:And that’s exactly what I intend to do.
Speaker:So long as you avoid the creature and don’t look it in the eye,
Speaker:you’ll be fine. Got it?”
Speaker:He replied. With a shaky nod,
Speaker:the two then slowly stepped out from their car.
Speaker:Eliza kept her arms folded
Speaker:and rested against the side of the sedan as the men confronted Abraham.
Speaker:They grilled him about his whereabouts,
Speaker:why she was with him, and where the two were headed?
Speaker:As rehearsed countless times before,
Speaker:he tried to explain that he was a chauffeur
Speaker:and he was taking the maid down south in search of work.
Speaker:To Eliza’s impression,
Speaker:their kidnappers weren’t convinced as the trio formed a semi-circle around him.
Speaker:She scanned the woods to see if there were any obvious trails to follow.
Speaker:As much as Eliza wished her brother would come along,
Speaker:she knew her mother would be devastated if the both of them perished.
Speaker:Yet when she continued to search for a path to escape,
Speaker:the same blank shimmering eyes slowly blinked at her from the forest.
Speaker:This time, whatever stalked them had brought two companions from various hiding spots inside the forest.
Speaker:Her nails embedded into her arm at the prospect.
Speaker:There was no safe refuge for the two of them.
Speaker:For Eliza, she would have to deal with the hazards they were intimately aware of.
Speaker:Or to face the unknown dangers of these creatures that could horrifically slaughter them.
Speaker:There wasn’t a third option to flee by car as it would take too long to drive it out onto the road.
Speaker:No matter which choice she made,
Speaker:there was no obvious safe solution for her and Abraham.
Speaker:Eliza kept a constant visual on the three sets of eyes
Speaker:as two strayed off
Speaker:and slowly entrapped them.
Speaker:Before she could make a decision on which path to take,
Speaker:there was a commotion behind her.
Speaker:Abraham wrestled for the shotgun
Speaker:and attempted to fight off the other two.
Speaker:She took advantage of the distraction
Speaker:and sprinted towards the forest.
Speaker:She heard her brother get beaten to the ground before the gunman managed to pop off a few shots towards her direction.
Speaker:One of the shots missed and had kicked up dirt on her left side.
Speaker:The second shot had found its mark
Speaker:as Eliza clutched her left side.
Speaker:Her legs buckled
Speaker:and she fallen onto the tall grass.
Speaker:It was as though a hot sledge hammer
Speaker:had shattered against her backside
Speaker:and knocked the wind out of her.
Speaker:To her own surprise,
Speaker:she hadn’t passed out from the physical trauma
Speaker:and overheard the voices of the men.
Speaker:“God damn it, Ted! You weren’t supposed to kill her, yet!”
Speaker:The driver said. “I was aiming for the legs, but this thing ain't exactly a rifle. Should we go get her?” Ted asked. “Naw, there’s no point to it now.
Speaker:She won’t last a few
Speaker:hours at best.
Speaker:Sheriff will classify it as a
Speaker:natural cause of death anyway
Speaker:if the critters don’t get to her first.
Speaker:The chauffeur will just have to do,”
Speaker:A different voice said. “Alright,
Speaker:Mitch go get the rope and hogtie the boy.
Speaker:Ted, you’re gonna help me carry him to the truck. Got it?”
Speaker:The driver ordered.
Speaker:Eliza sniffled, her mind didn’t want to pounder the horrors in store for her brother.
Speaker:Her body refused to move
Speaker:as every breath became a desperate struggle for air.
Speaker:When she heard something was approaching her,
Speaker:Eliza assumed it to be the creatures from before.
Speaker:She guessed that her blood had attracted nearby predators
Speaker:and they planned to feast on her body for an easy meal.
Speaker:When Eliza looked up,
Speaker:three sets of sparkling blank eyes stared back at her.
Speaker:The one at the very front had pulled its lips back and displayed long
Speaker:angular teeth. Eliza cocked her head slightly,
Speaker:as though she started to hear soft murmurs from them.
Speaker:She figured this was her blood drained mind playing tricks on her,
Speaker:as though human speech was possible for such eldritch beings.
Speaker:One seemingly said the word gift in a human-like question tone
Speaker:while the other said the word spare in a similar manner.
Speaker:The canine monster before her reflected an expression as though it were deep in thought.
Speaker:The creature momentarily stared back at the two of them
Speaker:before it turned back to Eliza
Speaker:and lowered its muzzle.
Speaker:The canine’s lips
Speaker:formed in such a way
Speaker:as though it was prepared to speak.
Speaker:“Sorry,” It said. The massive being pounced and laid on top of Eliza with its furried body.
Speaker:The heavy figure pinned her to the ground; the thick fur coat nearly smothered Eliza’s face.
Speaker:The beast’s ears had folded down in a submissive fashion,
Speaker:as though it tried to plead with Eliza to not resist.
Speaker:Before long, Eliza received a rough bite on her collarbone
Speaker:before the creature stood back up.
Speaker:Her vision blurred;
Speaker:a fiery throbbing pain traveled from the bite mark all throughout the rest of Eliza’s body.
Speaker:She screamed out with such might
Speaker:that it would have drowned out church bells.
Speaker:A type of scream that only a person set ablaze could have made.
Speaker:To her, the sensation was that of her muscles and bones breaking
Speaker:and reforming in quick succession.
Speaker:Her fingernails changed in the formation of claws
Speaker:as her spine began to take on a curved shape.
Speaker:The fabric of her blouse and skirt gave way to her growing limbs
Speaker:as she shapeshifted into a new being.
Speaker:By the time the moon centered itself in the night sky,
Speaker:she had completed her transformation into a ferocious beast. Eliza’s eyes adjusted and took in the sights around her.
Speaker:The creatures appeared clearer
Speaker:with her newfound vision
Speaker:and locked eyes with each of the three.
Speaker:Her mind raced as her muzzle scanned from side to side
Speaker:and examined herself.
Speaker:The gunshot wound from before had all but completely healed.
Speaker:And despite the canine like figure,
Speaker:she was able to stand like a human
Speaker:with her back and shoulders slightly hunched over.
Speaker:Whatever had happened, Eliza's mind filled to the brim with even more questions.
Speaker:Before she could pounder further,
Speaker:a clear feminine voice spoke to her.
Speaker:“Go!” A voice said. Eliza met the gaze of the creature before her,
Speaker:as though the voice had come from the pack leader.
Speaker:Before Eliza pondered what that meant,
Speaker:they all heard the sounds of the rumbling truck engine start up.
Speaker:The truck from before started to drive onto the mainline road and sped off.
Speaker:Despite the distance between them, her hyper sensitive earring was able to perceive the sounds of the truck’s engine itself.
Speaker:Not only that but her nose picked up the scent of a cologne her brother always wore
Speaker:and cigarette smoke from one of the men.
Speaker:All of her senses allowed her to conceptualize the exact distance between herself and the vehicle.
Speaker:The pack leader had spoken again telepathically to gain Eliza’s attention.
Speaker:“Go!” She said again.
Speaker:Eliza nodded and started to move her legs.
Speaker:While she was able to run upright,
Speaker:her heavy muscular torso
Speaker:and hunched over spin
Speaker:made it slightly awkward to fully utilize the new figure.
Speaker:She noticed the creatures that were once behind her quickly caught up.
Speaker:They all utilized their arms and legs to sprint forward to gain a faster momentum.
Speaker:Eliza attempted to mimic them and found that her speed had significantly increased.
Speaker:The scent of Abraham
Speaker:and the men acted as a beacon
Speaker:as she gradually caught up with the speeding truck.
Speaker:Ted checked the rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of Eliza.
Speaker:All he could make out
Speaker:was a dark shadow that slowly gained on them with its canine teeth sharply displayed.
Speaker:He looked over to his friends with a pale face.
Speaker:“Something’s chasing us!
Speaker:Step on it!” Ted nudged the driver.
Speaker:“I don’t see jack shit!
Speaker:Just shut up and keep an eye on the boy.
Speaker:Make sure he doesn’t try something!”
Speaker:The driver said. Before Ted protested further,
Speaker:the weight of the truck shifted as though something clung on its right side. Eliza peered into the backseat and spotted her brother,
Speaker:his hands and feet tied together.
Speaker:Before she could get to him,
Speaker:she had to get past the other men.
Speaker:Ted happened to be the closest from the passenger side window
Speaker:and was the first target.
Speaker:Her long fuzzy arms broke through the half lowered car window
Speaker:and reached inside to grab at Ted’s shirt.
Speaker:With such new found adrenaline and strength,
Speaker:the man felt no lighter than a wooden plank
Speaker:as she dragged him out and tossed him onto the moving pavement.
Speaker:The two men inside the truck screamed bloody murder as
Speaker:Eliza peered inside again.
Speaker:She spotted Mitch in the backseat shielded behind her brother as he desperately loaded the shotgun.
Speaker:Eliza reached out and snapped the weapon between her powerful handpaw.
Speaker:Before she could toss it aside and retrieve her brother, the driver had started to sporadically steer the truck from side to side.
Speaker:His failed attempt to shake her off only made the vehicle difficult to control.
Speaker:After one sharp turn,
Speaker:the truck had tipped over on its side and skidded across the road.
Speaker:Eliza let go of the shotgun and embedded her claws into the metal door frame.
Speaker:She was able to hang on long enough for the truck to come to a halt.
Speaker:Her mighty arms then ripped the door off from its hinges and she climbed inside.
Speaker:To her relief, her brother’s fall was broken by Mitch's body
Speaker:as the man laid against the pavement motionless.
Speaker:As for the driver,
Speaker:his face rained with blood from the several shards of broken glass embedded into his skin.
Speaker:He wrestled with his seat belt and tried to free himself from the wreckage.
Speaker:She ignored the both of them as she climbed in to retrieve her brother.
Speaker:While Abraham was able to take breath,
Speaker:his eyes were glazed over as though he suffered a serious head injury. Eliza gently hoisted her older brother into her arms to not inflict any harm on him.
Speaker:Before she climbed out,
Speaker:a sharp pain had tried to pierced through her thick
Speaker:black fur coat. When she glanced back,
Speaker:the driver stood tall
Speaker:and held a large survival knife.
Speaker:His eyes widened with shock
Speaker:upon the realization of his failed attack.
Speaker:He then retreated to the smallest corner of the truck
Speaker:for some modicum of protection.
Speaker:After everything Abraham and her had experienced, the cowardice display from the man
Speaker:had sent Eliza into a rage.
Speaker:As one arm carried her brother,
Speaker:she used her other free one to slash her claws against the would-be attacker's face.
Speaker:She continued to swipe at him a few times with small chunks of flesh
Speaker:flung across various parts of the truck’s dashboard.
Speaker:When all said and done, her attacker was left a sobbing mess
Speaker:as he huddled in a tight
Speaker:fetal position. Eliza then proceeded to climb out of the wreckage with her brother at her side.
Speaker:When Abraham slowly started to regain consciousness, she freed him from bondage
Speaker:and laid him down onto the dirt.
Speaker:As she attended to her brother,
Speaker:the three creatures from before had finally catched up with them.
Speaker:From her perspective,
Speaker:they all had formed various expressions of pride for Eliza’s accomplishments.
Speaker:The celebration was short lived, however,
Speaker:as everyone suddenly heard intense screaming from the truck.
Speaker:Eliza was confused as to why the driver had wailed as though he were on fire.
Speaker:There was no indication of any fumes
Speaker:more the truck had begun to ignite.
Speaker:It wasn’t long before one of the werewolves broke away from the pack
Speaker:and climbed inside the vehicle.
Speaker:Everyone heard the man’s cries for help before it was followed by the sounds of shredded clothes
Speaker:and shattered bones.
Speaker:They all vividly listened to the sounds of the werewolf eating him alive.
Speaker:Eliza flashed a confused expression at the pack leader
Speaker:and wondered why they felt it was necessary to kill him.
Speaker:“I wonder why he started to scream?”
Speaker:Eliza thought to herself.
Speaker:She had unknowingly telepathically conveyed her thoughts to her pack
Speaker:and the leader replied promptly.
Speaker:“We never leave any human alive.
Speaker:Doing so will only turn them into werewolves,”
Speaker:She replied telepathically.
Speaker:While startled by the response,
Speaker:Eliza had felt the words had struck true from her experience.
Speaker:Though when her brother regained consciousness
Speaker:and stared up at Eliza’s werewolf form in a startled manner,
Speaker:she sought the pack leader’s guidance.
Speaker:“Is there a way I can change back?
Speaker:I want to talk to my brother!”
Speaker:She pleaded. “Then let go.
Speaker:The pain, the fear, the rage,
Speaker:let it all go.” The pack leader replied.
Speaker:Eliza nodded her head and closed her eyes. She tried to imagine a place that made her feel safe whenever anxiousness had previously stricken her heart.
Speaker:With small flashbacks to a cozy cabin she had spent on vacation during her youth with her brother,
Speaker:she felt the tension in her mind slowly dissipated.
Speaker:A lighter tingling sensation spreads throughout her body,
Speaker:her spine reformed into its familiar shape.
Speaker:The fur coat receded until there was nothing more than smooth skin
Speaker:and her natural kinky hair drifted down to her shoulders.
Speaker:Abraham watched his sister kneeled down in front of him naked.
Speaker:After a few seconds of dead silence,
Speaker:he leapt forward to tightly embrace her.
Speaker:“Praise be, you’re alive!
Speaker:How did you survive?
Speaker:And where are we?”
Speaker:He asked. Before she could answer,
Speaker:Abraham already started to remove his shirt and used it to conceal his sister’s body.
Speaker:Eliza turned her attention to the pack leader as they watched her begin to shapeshift.
Speaker:Abraham shook in place
Speaker:as the once ferocious figure began to transition away from her previous werewolf form.
Speaker:When she completed the transformation,
Speaker:a mature woman stood before them naked as though she never dawned on the beastly appearance to begin with.
Speaker:Her large kinky afro accented her face.
Speaker:She stood before them naked
Speaker:and unashamed. Eliza leaned close to her brother and whispered to him
Speaker:“They rescued me and helped me track you down!”
Speaker:Eliza explained.
Speaker:“You may refer to me as Minerva
Speaker:and we weren't the ones who saved you.
Speaker:You chose to save yourself
Speaker:and your brother.
Speaker:We just simply gave you our gift
Speaker:and you used it to put a stop to those men.”
Speaker:Minerva finished.
Speaker:Abraham’s face flashed multiple expressions from the sudden news.
Speaker:Some were mixed reactions of confusion.
Speaker:However, Eliza started to notice that her brother’s eyebrows furrowed
Speaker:as hints of rage flashed in his eyes.
Speaker:He stood up with his shoulders straightened up
Speaker:and began to shout at her.
Speaker:“You thought the best way to save her was turning her into a monster?”
Speaker:He yelled. Eliza held her breath at the sudden hostility of Abraham’s tone.
Speaker:To her surprise, none of the other creatures responded in kind
Speaker:as though they expected such a response.
Speaker:Minerva simply shook her head at his response.
Speaker:“We extend our blessing to preserve your sister’s life.
Speaker:And she chose to use her powers to rescue your hide.
Speaker:You should be thankful
Speaker:that both of you are still alive.
Speaker:Instead of arguing with me,
Speaker:you should probably head back to your car
Speaker:and leave this place before a sheriff comes by.”
Speaker:She retorted. Abraham had gone silent;
Speaker:his posture became small.
Speaker:Eliza reflected on Mierva’s words, about her new found powers being a blessing.
Speaker:She imagined
Speaker:if they had this power before their travel,
Speaker:would they have been as fearful throughout their entire journey?
Speaker:That question rang in her mind
Speaker:as Abraham tried to get his sister on her feet.
Speaker:Two conflicted feelings wrestled inside her
Speaker:upon further contemplation of what had just happened.
Speaker:She could head back on the road with her brother
Speaker:and simply put this whole ordeal behind her.
Speaker:Yet, another side of her wanted to experience
Speaker:the modicum of freedom Minerva
Speaker:and her pack likely would experience regularly.
Speaker:Just as Minerva turned back to her pack,
Speaker:Eliza stepped forward to address them.
Speaker:“Would it be possible if I could join your pack?”
Speaker:She asked. Minerva's eyes widened upon the request.
Speaker:She then judged the reactions of the rest of her pack
Speaker:before she came to a decision.
Speaker:From Eliza’s perspective,
Speaker:the creatures had not protested the idea
Speaker:and Minerva glanced back at her.
Speaker:“We can take you in
Speaker:and teach you the ways of the werewolf if you desire.
Speaker:Though you are not bound to stay if you change your mind.
Speaker:The choice is yours
Speaker:and yours alone,” Minerva clarified.
Speaker:Abraham overheard the conversation
Speaker:and quickly got beside his sister to speak.
Speaker:“What are you on, girl?
Speaker:You can’t seriously consider joining them!”
Speaker:Abraham protested.
Speaker:“But they’ve done so much for us!
Speaker:I want to explore the extent of this ability
Speaker:and see where it takes me?
Speaker:I can finally make something of my life!” She responded.
Speaker:“Look, I know I haven’t always done right by you
Speaker:and how dread having to deal with our extended family,
Speaker:but we have to be there for them.
Speaker:We only have one family!”
Speaker:“But I only have one me!
Speaker:Do you know what it’s like to bury my very soul around them?
Speaker:I’m tired of not living for myself,
Speaker:I only have this one life.
Speaker:All I’m asking is for you to trust me,
Speaker:to let me be my own woman. Abraham,
Speaker:I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.
Speaker:But I want this.
Speaker:So… for now this is goodbye.”
Speaker:Her words hung in the air,
Speaker:the two letting it dawned on them.
Speaker:Abraham clenched his fist
Speaker:and the corner of his eyes began to well up in tears.
Speaker:Eliza rushed forward to give him a tight embrace,
Speaker:her hands reached over
Speaker:to empathetically rub his backside.
Speaker:While he froze in place for a few moments,
Speaker:he later returned the hug in kind.
Speaker:As he stepped back,
Speaker:Eliza closed her eyes to clear her mind
Speaker:and began to shapeshift into a werewolf.
Speaker:Her once smaller figure
Speaker:had now dwarfed Abraham
Speaker:and he was forced to look up.
Speaker:He leaned in close to tightly embrace her one last time,
Speaker:his hands couldn’t wrap around her exterior anymore.
Speaker:Eliza flashed glimmering eyes at him
Speaker:and attempted to convey how she would be alright.
Speaker:Before he fully broke away from the embrace,
Speaker:he conveyed one last message.
Speaker:“Just know, I’ll always be here for you if you decide to come back.
Speaker:Until then, praise be, my baby sister.”
Speaker:He sniffled. Eliza nodded to show she understood his words.
Speaker:After their hug, all of the creatures watched Abraham walk back to his car,
Speaker:climb inside of it,
Speaker:and slowly pull onto the road before disappearing into the night.
Speaker:Minerva transformed herself back into her preferred natural state
Speaker:with two others at her flank.
Speaker:She leaned in to casually nudge her face against Eliza’s
Speaker:in a display of newfound companionship and trust.
Speaker:With both of their sparkling eyes locked,
Speaker:Minerva gathered her thoughts and spoke.
Speaker:“Welcome to our pack,
Speaker:young one!” This was
Speaker:“The Gift” by Darius Davis,
Speaker:read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion. You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to The Voice