Werebear

The Truth

We all ran out to the lower lobby, where Starlight had a firm grasp on Twinkle-Toes. He was alert and moving under his own power but seemed a little distant. I couldn’t contain myself and ran to him, enfolding him in a tight embrace. He didn’t hug me back, instead, after a moment, he started rubbing my crotch. “I remember that dick,” he whispered in my ear. “I liked it. When you gonna give it to me again?”

I jumped back, horrified. Everyone was shocked. This was not the Twinkle-Toes we all knew and loved. “He’s been like this all night.” Starlight looked exhausted. “Every doctor, every nurse, even the orderlies and cleaners, all the men anyways. If they had a dick, he was hitting on them, staring at their crotches, asking them how big they were, if he could see it. In the end the hospital had to surround him with female staff just to be able to function.”

While he had been speaking, Twinkle-Toes caught sight of sniff and was looking him up and down. “I’ve seen it, but I’ve never felt it inside me.” He was speaking to himself, but as he did, he began moving towards Sniff. Just then Dee-Dee, who had been behind Sniff, shifted slightly to get a better look. Her concern was obvious, but she was trying to remain in the background. Twinkle-Toes caught sight of her and nearly jumped out of his skin. He bolted for the door, but thankfully, the other guys who had accompanied him to the hospital arrived from parking the car and caught him.

“Yeah, he was even groping us in the car all the way home.” Starlight looked at Sniff wanting some reassurance, but sniff was lost in his own grief.

“He needs food and rest.” Sniff looked at Starlight. “So do you.” Then looking at Peter, “Get some of the others to help watch him so everyone can get some rest. I have something I have to do.” He gestured for me and Dee-Dee to follow him to his office. “This is beyond me. I need advice, but there is only one person I can think of who will understand all this.” Turning to Dee-Dee, he said, “Thank you for all your help. I don’t think you would want to go where I need to go next.”

She nodded, “Do whatever it takes for him.” Again, she looked like she might break down, having witnessed the beast’s influence firsthand. “Just let me know if I can help in any way.”

After she and Judith had left, Sniff turned to me. “I think I will need your help with this. I can’t make any promises, but we have to try.” He was still being vague, but I had come to expect nothing less from him.

“Whatever you need. I’m in.”

We parked in front of the townhouse. Less than an hour had gone by, but it seemed like days. I couldn’t believe we were going to see the very person who had done this. I wasn’t sure how I would respond when I saw Stephan. I was afraid I would lash out, maybe even get violent. While Sniff was parking the car. I asked him, “How do you even know he’s home?”

“He’s home,” Sniff smiled, sensing my unease. “Can’t you tell?” I focused on the house, and I could faintly sense a warm pulsing energy inside. “He knows we’re here and he knows why.”

I could sense the energy wanting to reach out to me but restraining himself. “He will not force you to see him. Stephan doesn’t do that sort of thing.” Sniff pulled my eyes to his, “If there is any hope of saving Twinkle-Toes it lies with him.” He gestured toward the house. “Remember, Stephan is not the beast. It was the beast who did this and no one knows the beast better than him. I know it’s not easy, but it’s the only way.” He got out of the car and waited. “Are you coming?”

Stephan led us to the kitchen. “I have a light lunch prepared, nothing much, just some salad. I hope you like it.” It took everything I had to be civil, but if this was what it took to get Twinkle-Toes back I would do it. We sat down to eat, and Stephan allowed the silence to draw out. Then turning to me, he softly said, “I don’t blame you for your anger. I hate the beast too.” He spoke slowly and deliberately, allowing me time to take in his words. “If I could set Twinkle-Toes free from his control I would. I would free all the mindless men whose lives are spent feeding his insatiable appetite.” He looked at Sniff and I could feel something pass between them as I saw Sniff’s eyes grow wide.

Turning his attention back to me, he continued, “I will help all that I can, but I don’t know that there is any real hope. I believe any hope we have for recovering Twinkle-Toes lies with you.”

I finally met his eyes, “What…?” How could I free Twinkle-Toes from the grasp of the beast if Stephan couldn’t? It didn’t make sense to me.

He smiled, sensing my confusion. “All in good time,” he said with an understanding look. Then he turned to Sniff. “my apologies, old friend, I have allowed you to remain ignorant for too long. I should have known that I could trust you with this, but there have been so few I could trust. It’s time you knew the truth about the werebear.” He got up and poured us each a drink. Returning to the table he began.

“I am older than you know,” he said to Sniff. “Thousands of years. And I was never part of another werebear’s harem. I am the werebear, the one and only. Over the millennia many have risen to think they could challenge me, but they cannot. No one could. I am bound to the beast just as he is bound to me and not even the gods can break that bond.”

“I did not become like this of my own will. It was forced on me as a young man. Our tribe worshiped the goddess and female sexuality was highly regarded. Male sexuality was seen as almost disposable and often debased. If a man was not servicing a woman, he was seen as worthless. Those of us who were drawn to other men had no place of honor. Over the years many of us were killed and our bodies were dumped in the cesspit on the edge of the village. The spirits of the earth and forest witnessed these horrors and sought to honor the spirits of these forgotten ancestors. They summoned a great spirit of vengeance and sent him among us to watch over the men who loved men. When the village singled me out as one of these worthless men, they drove me to the edge of the village to slaughter me. But before they could take my life, the spirit entered me and transformed me.”

“None could stand before this spirit. When I woke I was surrounded by carnage. All the men of my village were dead, and their mangled bodies had been cast into the cesspit. In shock, I ran to the wise woman of our village and asked her help. She took me to the sacred grove to seek the advice of the spirits of the forest. They laughed at her, telling her that the village had brought this vengeance on themselves. The spirits warned her that the spirit that had taken residence in me was to be with me forever and not even the gods could change that, but they offered her one glimpse of hope. The spirit of vengeance served a greater spirit, justice. If the village were to pay homage to justice at the next full moon, then Justice would put limits on the spirit within me to avoid future violence.”

“So, on the next full moon, the village gathered in the grove. They each made offerings of their own blood, swearing to never again allow a man to be killed for loving another man. From that day the beast was bound to the full moon. Instead of killing men who serviced women, he now made them into the men they hated. He drew his strength from their sexuality, making them lust after one another and feeding off their lust. He also made women repulsive to them, thus visiting vengeance on all. Originally, most of the men the beast targeted were attracted to women, but over the years, as his lust for male sexuality grew, he began taking his victims from the ranks of those he was sent to protect. Today he makes no distinction, all men are targets.”

He paused, allowing his gaze to turn inward. “In the thousands of years I have walked in the shadow of the beast, I have never seen one man freed from him. I don’t know if it is possible, but I believe it is. I have to. All I have is hope, otherwise I am as much his slave as the men he claims, and the long tedium of my life has been meaningless.”

A long silence followed these revelations, as we each sat with our own thoughts. “I had no idea,” sniff finally ventured, drawing us back to the present moment. “What do you think might help? You said you had some hope.”

“I do, but it is a fool’s hope.” Stephan shook his head. “There is no wise woman now who speaks with the spirits. The world has forgotten them, and they have abandoned us. While I am beyond hope, there may be a way to find a stronger spirit. Stronger than vengeance. Stronger than justice. Perhaps such a spirit could break his bonds and bring him back.”

Before we could learn more, Sniff’s phone rang. It was the retreat center. Sniff answered and a frantic voice greeted him. “He’s gone!”