Journal: The Discovery

Monday, 16th September, 2024

Last night, I had a terrifying nightmare. I had vivid images of being chased by something unspeakable. I woke up early, and cold sweat trickled down my back. I showered, and got ready for my first day at the University of Galway, studying the M.A. in Writing. The campus felt overwhelmingly huge and was bustling with students.

I passed the James Hardiman Library, with its steel railings and sloping symmetrical windows. It looked like a futuristic spaceship. As I continued to stroll through the campus, I took in the ambience of the tree-lined avenues and the meandering river walkways. Sunlight flickered in and out of the sifting shadows, as I was captivated by the floristry of shape and colour.

I eventually found the Arts Millennium, and made my way towards class. An opened door caught my eye. A lanky man with a moustache ushered me and the other students in. Our lecturer, Paddy Field, welcomed us to his Fiction class. After writing his name on the whiteboard, Mr Field asked us to introduce ourselves. Toby, who had piercing green eyes and curly brown hair, explained to us that he had a particular fascination for writing horror stories. Toby marvelled about the Journal of Frankenstein, and was intrigued about the secrets of life. He loved anything supernatural, especially tales of vampires, witches and werewolves. I felt drawn to Toby, as I too had a fascination for writing horror stories, and poetry of the unexplained.

Our first assignment entailed writing an essay about somebody or something discovered. Looking for inspiration, I found myself staring blankly out of the window. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but then suddenly it came into view. A giant of a husky dog, with glowing blue eyes, and a thick, black and white coat. It was panting heavily while the owner struggled to keep hold of its lead. The husky dog began to howl as if calling to its pack, before disappearing around the corner. This was my inspiration. My story would feature the discovery of a werewolf on campus.

Tuesday, 17th September, 2024

I woke up in a cold sweat, again. My nightmare seemed more evocative than before. I was being chased by the same unspeakable presence. Only this time, it sprung up in front of me. My agonising screams filled the airways, as I watched a full moon rise through the ghostly cloudbanks.

Later that morning, I walked casually through the tree-lined, lush green suburbs of Corrib Village, stopping at the bus stop to check the timetable. Although my throat felt a little hoarse, I was determined to go to college, particularly as it was only my second day.

I could hear a heated conversation coming from a large-framed, bearded man, wearing a sports cap. He was seated at the bus stop, clutching his mobile and shaking his head. Next thing I knew, he was pacing up and down. At first he did not look directly at me, but then our eyes locked. I asked him if he was okay, but he warned me to mind my own business.

I walked briskly towards the Engineering Block. As I passed the Kingfisher Club, I spotted a slim man with a hoodie sitting on the bench outside. Suddenly, I heard screaming coming from the underpass. To my horror, I saw a young blonde woman being dragged away. Instinctively, the slim man wearing the hoodie, and I sprinted towards the scene. A trail of blood led us out of the underpass and into the nearby wooded areas, but there was no sign of the woman. We stared at one another in disbelief, then the slim man pulled down his hoodie and I recognised Toby, from college. We talked about the disturbing events that had unfolded before our very eyes, reporting the incident to the Police. Shortly afterwards, we made our way to the Arts Millennium. Every now and then, I glanced back over my shoulder, as I had an uneasy feeling that somebody was following us. During Fiction class, Principal Jones called us into his office, thanking us for alerting the Police. As yet, they had not found the missing woman.

Wednesday, 18th September, 2024

This morning I was gripped with terror. I was shaking uncontrollably, struggling to catch my breath. It was the same nightmare, only this time, I saw the young blonde woman being dragged away by something very large and wolf-like.

Later that afternoon, Mr Field was absent from college. A supervisory teacher stood in, giving us time to develop our stories. During lunch, I spoke to Toby in confidence about my recurring nightmares, and my hunch about a werewolf on campus. Startled, Toby looked up, gulping down his coffee. He decided to stay at his parents in Corrib Village that night. Toby’s father had been unwell for some time. As a precaution, he told me that he would lock and bolt the doors and windows.

I went to put my books into my new locker. There, I found a backpack. I couldn’t believe what I found inside. There was a small firearm with a telescopic lens, and several rounds of silver bullets, all neatly placed inside a large towel. Silver bullets were used to kill werewolves. Why would anybody leave such items in my locker if they didn’t intend me to use them? And if this was true, what monstrosity was lurking around the campus and surrounding areas? I felt like a detective, investigating my own story, even though it filled me with anticipation and dread.

That evening, I quickly returned to my apartment. After making my way up the spiral staircase to the balcony, an eerie full moon began to rise in a starlit sky. Unnerved, and with racing heart and sweaty palms, I surveyed the scene with my binoculars. I witnessed intense snorting and a deep guttural roar, shattering the silence. Bones and joints began to crack and bolt, muscles and organs splitting under a growth explosion. Tiny hairs shooting, spiralling uncontrollably into thick black fur. A giant, wolf-like creature, with satanic yellow eyes appeared, but then vanished into the shadows. Shortly afterwards, I spotted a lad sprinting past. He stopped to catch his breath, when the werewolf leapt on top of him. The lad screamed in sheer terror. Jagged claws twisted menacingly. Ferocious, razor-sharp teeth tore and ripped, gorging on human flesh.

I stared intently at the backpack, and instinctively knew what needed to be done. Panic-stricken, I loaded up my firearm with several rounds of silver bullets, before racing down the stairs. As I reached the bottom, the werewolf crashed through the front door. I took aim, but lost my nerve, and hurried back upstairs. A stench of rotting flesh filled my nostrils, and I could hear guttural snarling close behind me. I threw myself over the couch, but dropped the exploding gun. In desperation, I stumbled over the coffee table, but somehow managed to snatch the firearm from the wooden floor. Suddenly, a menacing shadow loomed over me, and I finally realised just how enormously huge this beast actually was. The werewolf hurled me aside with a wild swipe of its claw. Dazed, gut instinct told me to fire. The bullet hit the werewolf in the shoulder. As it roared furiously, I fired a second shot but missed. A third shot to the chest floored the beast. It clambered up, whimpering, before agonisingly trudging down the stairs, and out into the open campus.

Later on that evening, I noticed claw marks on my right arm, with speckles of blood oozing out.