Werewolf: The Apocalypse

From The Way of Endings by Bill Bridges:

Tom stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants. “Okay, I’ll play along. I assume this is some sort of weird initiation ceremony your ‘tribe’ is putting me through for some reason. But I’m game. So, what’s next?”

Maggie pointed at the rabbit painting. “I need to open the inner door, and that painting is the clue. I think it’s from that other story you mentioned, where Lynx chases down Rabbit through many guises.”

Tom nodded. “The one where Rabbit uses his m’téoulin powers to escape over and over.”



“Right. I remember something about Rabbit throwing those bark chips in the air and leaping on them, one by one, so he didn’t leave any tracks.”



“But Lynx circles Rabbit’s empty lodge, in an ever-widening arc, until he catches the scent.”

Maggie threw her arms around Tom. “I could kiss you!” She jumped away from him and ran to the center of the room. “Circles! That’s it. The Gauntlet is too thick here, old strong magic. But circles, like in the old story… we just have to keep going until I get the scent!”

“Okay,” Tom said, throwing up his hands. “If that’s how the game goes. So what do I do while you’re going around in circles?”

Maggie looked at him, a mischievous grin stretching from cheek to cheek. “You’re walking right behind me, holding my hand. Tight. Do not slip out of my grip. I might not be able to get you back.”

Tom shrugged and walked up behind Maggie, taking her hand. “Look, there’s a payoff for this, right? Am I going to get inducted into this kusiut of yours?”

Maggie smiled, shaking her head. “Not exactly. But I promise: by the end of this, you’ll know exactly who you are.”



Tom smiled, only rolling his eyes a little. “Enigmatic. Nice. Okay, let’s do this.”

“One more thing. A favor. Where we’re going… well, I’ve got a plan. But it might backfire. If I seem, like, really confused, as in totally drugged-out kind of confused, I need you to say something to me. Okay?”

“Okay. I guess.”

“Just say the words, okay?”

Tom sighed. “I’m humoring you so far, aren’t I? What words?”

“What’s up, doc.”

“You’re kidding. I thought you were allergic to rabbits.”

“Rabbit magic, yeah.” Maggie shrugged. “I’m hoping some reverse psychology will work here. Let’s go.”

She began walking in a widening spiral, sniffing the air with every step. Tom’s ?ashlight was pointed down at the ?oor, and Maggie’s lamp faced away from him, but for a moment the shadows seemed to paint whiskers on her cheeks.

“Aha!” Maggie cried. “Hold on tight. I got it. The scent. It’s rabbit, all right. We’re stepping over now.”

Tom felt the floor drop out from under him, his stomach lurching with the sudden shift. Then, he felt gravity again and realized his feet had never left the ground.