Death Comes Calling - A Short Story
It was a crisp fall night in Northern Minnesota. Awind was pulling the dying leaves off the trees. Theleaves scampered along the ground, creating their own sound, while overhead the moonlight cast light across the yard. The movement of the trees, caused the moon light to dance and hide. Shadows moved, twisting among the trees.
Watching outthe bedroom window that I shared with my twobrothers,seeing things that were not there. Bending trees, became monsters. The swirling leaves became the ''little people'' coming up from center earth.
I edged closer to the window, until my breath was leaving it's mark. My hand touched the window, the cold glass sent a chill through my body.
Something moved out in the yard. I jumped back from the widow. No, I told myself, don't be a sissy, it was nothing. I edged back to the window, now my nose pushing against the glass. I became mesmerized by the moving moonlight, the faint music of the dancing leaves, and the trees, ever moving, back and forth, their branches became arms, reaching out, searching, always searching.
Now, my face and hands were against the window, looking out, searching, but for what.
A shadow flashed across the window. I jumped backward, my heart pounding, tripping over the small rug, that was one of the few personal items in the room, I landed on the stone floor hard. Lying on the floor, I looked up at the window, waiting for a monster to come through it. I scrambled to my feet, not knowing if I should run out of the room, or try to hide, before the thing got me.
Rushing through my mind was the stories my Nookomis (grandmother) had told me about the Weendigo. Nothing came through the window, as I let out a breath that I felt like that I'd been holding for hours.
Than, I heard it, noise on the roof right over my room. Was it branches blown by the wind! there it was again, it was moving across the roof, towards the edge of the roof, right over the window.
Paralyzed by fear, the story my Nookomis had told me of the Weendigo racing through my mind.
Many times bigger that a full grown man. The Weendigo, it was gaunt, it's never ending hunger left it on the verge of starvation. With it's bones pushing out against the skin, it's complexion the ash gray of death. What lips it had were bloody and ragged from the constant chewing with jagged teeth. The Weendigo gave off the eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.
When the Weendigo was to attack a human being, a dark snow cloud would shroud it's upper body from the waist up. The air would turn cold, so that the trees crackled. Then a wind would rise, no more than a breath at first, but in moments whining and driving, transformed into a blizzard.
Behind the odor and chill of death and the killing blizzard came the Weendigo.
It was coming for me. The window burst in, the wind and the chill of death were in the room, there it was, the Weendigo, it's body covered by a by a dark cloud.
It reached for me. I was screaming, I was going to die.
I was being shaken. ''Animikee, what is wrong?'', it was my mother shaking me. Terrified I looked around, my brothers were shaking, looking at me with fear on their faces.
''Aminikee, Aminkee, it's a dream, your having a dream my son''.
I looked around, I was in our bedroom, brothers and mother there, my father standing in the doorway. I was safe.
Was it a dream? Would the Weendigo come for me again?
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The Weendigo is the most terrifying creature of the Ojibwe people.
Thanks RW, happy that you enjoyed it.
Hummm... I think there was a little boy with a very active imagination.
Really nice Halloween story... well done.
BTW Weendigo comes for all of us sooner or later.
Noooo, not a Halloween story.
It is the most terrifying Manitou (spirit) of the Ojibwe people.
Algeron Blackwood wrote on book on it in 1910, In the mental health field there is a psychosis know as the ''Weendigo psychosis''. Described as the insatiable need for human flesh.
The story of the Weendigo, is one of selfishness and greed. The creature cannot be satisfied, the more humans it kills and eats, the more it needs. As humans tend to be selfish and greedy the creature is unlikely to die out. The only way to destroy it, is for humans to live without selfishness and greed. They are considered to be the worst of all human traits by the Anishinaabe people.
''The Weendigo comes for all of us sooner or later''. Only if your selfish and greedy...
Come on Gunny, you know that the Weendigo is around all year.
Well then Freud would have said that you were worried that you might be selfish and greedy. I'm just messin' with ya, Kavika.
Heehehehe, When I met with Ziggy, he said something about my taking my brothers only toy away from him...
As I was reading the story, I was wondering what you did to make you think the Weendigo was coming after YOU?
I took my youngest brother only toy. I'll never be selfish again.
Some little voice in the back of my mind says "if only the story of the Weendigo were true".
It is true Grump, it just takes time for the Weenidgo to get rid of the greedy and selfish ones. They have a never ending supply.
(Well-told, my friend)
Thanks Mac, and thanks for the photo as well.
LOL, remember the Weendigo wants only humans...You dog is safe..
What a great story. You told it just right, building suspense and with a twist at the end. You are a superb storyteller Kavika (which I happen to know is a trait of your people).
Chi-miigwetch nisayenh. Eya, Ojibwewaanishinaabe mamaadaaaasizookewinini.
Nii'inaa ikidowin nisayenh, gaaiin giin
Many thanks my older brother. Yes, Ojibwe and Anishinaabe are wonderful storytellers. (smile)
Our people brother, not your.
I will forever be grateful for that.
Kavika ,
I wonder if you have ever considered putting these tales into audio form ? They might become very popular ...
I haven't Petey. I do tell the tales/myths to school children when I'm invited to. Also have done it at a few universities in the Native American Study groups.
We both are Buzz.
Thank you RW, that is very kind of you to say.
Nicely told, Kavika! Now I know what a Weendigo is - thank you.
Thanks Neetu, now that you know what a Weendigo is, be good.
I'll volunteer to do the audio/e-book/DVD cover designs!
It if ever happens Mac, you will be designer for everything that I do...Of course we'll have to slip in fishing trips, whilst pondering how to best go about it.
Now that's what I call great "working conditions"!
The best Mac, the very best.
It's perfect for the story RW.
.....Yeah, ok, guys....thanks a lot! Tonight with the winds howling outside my window, making the branches tap upon them, when I am up having nightmares in the middle of the night...I'm CALLING YOU TO WAKE YOU UP and make you tell me not-scary stories!
LOL Stephi. No worries, the Weendigo only goes after those that are selfish or greedy. Your safe, welllll they are found of ''ladyfingers''....
Gunny, RW, I think that I'll start posting them. It's an on going series, so new ones pop up all the time.