THE CARCASS

Judas quickly looked around for another way out. But as he already had known, there was none to be found. He even looked over the edge of the cliff for a branch or a ledge to jump on to. But again he found nothing. The cliff was smooth sailing all the way down; so smooth that not a jagged edge could be found. All he could do was stand and watch, watch in horror as each wolf climbed onto the mountain ridge taking their positions, waiting, waiting for the order to attack their meal one more time.

After all the wolves had climbed up on the mountain ridge, their leader finally made his presence known. Coming forward, he parted the crowd as he had done earlier, but this time something was different. He was bleeding. Blood was flowing out from the top of his head. His eyes looked as cold as an iceberg floating in the deep dark Atlantic Ocean. He evidently was one of the wolves Judas had sent tumbling down the ridge earlier with a kick in the head from his foot. Frightened, Judas backed up to the edge of the cliff, so close that he almost fell off. Then he waited, and waited, and waited.

The leader of the wolves marched forward to the front of the pack staring down Judas as he had done before. Keeping their distance, the other wolves slowly moved around Judas’ feeble body making sure that there would be absolutely no escape. Looking over the side of the cliff at the fog far below, Judas knew the chase had finally come to an end. He had lost. Staring at the fangs inside the wolves mouths, he could see their saliva dripping wet with his soon to be rotting carcass. There was no turning back now. Their meal was at hand.

The leader of the wolves snapped his jaws together sending the pack racing forward leaping onto Judas’ body. Sinking their teeth deep into his skin, they quickly started ripping chunks of flesh off Judas’ bones. Screaming in agony, Judas tried fighting back but there were too many. First they ripped apart his legs, then his chest, then his face. Blood gushed out of his body flowing onto the cool hard rock surface of the ridge. The pain was unbearable. Fighting back trying to push his way forward, Judas quickly lost the battle. The wolves, charging in one after another, backed Judas up until finally the leader jumped in knocking him over the edge.

Rapidly falling through the air down the side of the cliff with some of the attacking wolves clinging to his body, Judas glanced over at the sun. It was finally going down disappearing behind some rain clouds. Seconds later, after vanishing inside the heavy fog far below, a monstrous scream echoed out across the land.

Judas fell out of the fog hovering high above the ground, a Vampire. His physical appearance had completely changed. His once torn and tattered body had now been transformed into an image of muscular strength and invincibility. His physical build was now twice the size of a normal man. He had a wide heavy set chest and powerful column like legs. His arms knotted thick with muscles and veins showed dynamic signs of pure raw strength. His appearance and movements gave the impression of irresistible vitality, and at the same time agility and lithe grace. Hanging down off his back just below his knees was a long black cape, heavily highlighted by a thick golden-blond mane of hair. His face, now a chalky white in color, was off set by a pair of piercing pearly white eyes. And extending out of his fingertips were an array of long razor-sharp black fingernails.

Falling out from underneath the cloud of heavy fog using his cape to slow his descent, Judas landed flatfooted next to a muddy river bank clutching the leader of the attacking wolves in his hand. Holding the wolf up by his neck, Judas slowly brought it up to his face. The wolf was alive, whining, kicking, and gasping for air. Speaking in a low deep rumbling voice, Judas whispered softly in the wolf’s ear.

“Your hunt...is over.”

Squeezing tightly closing his fist, Judas’ razor sharp fingernails separated the wolf’s head from his body. The wolf yelped in agony then went silent as the lower half of his body fell to the ground around the bodies of the other wolves who had fallen from the cliff  moments earlier. Then without hesitation, Judas flicked his wrist tossing the wolf’s head into a nearby tree.

Metamorphosing back into his human state, Judas looked at his hands, then at his feet, then at his legs. He saw how bloody and mangled his body was as chunks of flesh were missing all over. Then miraculously his wounds started closing up, his body healing itself. First his legs were healed, then his hands, then his chest. His once naked body that had been ripped apart and decimated seconds earlier, had totally regenerated itself. There was not a scratch or blood stain to be found. His skin was in immaculate condition. Perfect, with not a blemish on it.