Flight from the Rougarou

Benny’s fingers shook. He was lying on the couch with his computer, exchanging instant messages with Jana. Apparently, Jana's mom thought her room was too messy. At least, she had a mom.

Pa’s goin’ to kill me! he typed.

Jana answered, My mom is a crazy yelling machine.

"What'cha doin' there, son?" His pa stepped into the family room, a paper in his hand. The light behind him made him look like a wild giant, especially with his long, shaggy hair and bushy beard.

"Nothin'."

"I told you, son. You gotta get good grades." His pa scowled and rattled the paper in the air. "You got an F in math."

His pa stepped closer, and Benny's heart twitched.

Glancing down at the computer, his pa said, "Seems to me you're spendin' a whole lot of time doin' nothin' with that thing." He pointed at it. "I think it's just about time you started doin' somethin'."

Benny instant messaged, Meet me by the big tree with your backpack. Gotta go. and laid his computer on the old coffee table.

His pa picked up Benny's computer.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Benny said.

Raising an eyebrow, his pa stood taller. "Son, now you know better than to tell me what I can and can't do."

Benny cringed. He didn't want to make his pa angry. He glanced at his pa's belt.

"Now, you get your lazy butt off that couch and into your room. I'll be up in a minute and take care of you.

Benny knew what that meant.



He slipped out his window and waited for Jana by the big tree, just past his pa's fields. He kept his headlamp turned off. He wanted to buy as much time as he could before his pa found him. Besides, the moon was almost full.

Jana appeared from the woods. "Good idea. I'm so tired of my mom yapping at me all the time. When she realizes I'm gone, maybe she'll get off my case. She doesn't live in my room, so why should she care if it's messy?"

Benny wiped sweat off his brow, "My pa's mad about my grades. I gotta get outta here."

He hiked his backpack higher and headed for the bayou.

"Where're we going?" Jana asked.

"Manchac Swamp."

"Why?"

"To find out if rougarous are real." And to stay away until Pa calmed down.

"What about alligators?" Jana asked.

"Don't worry. I got my gun," Benny patted his backpack.

"Do you believe in rougarous?"

"My grandpa used to say they're real." He turned his headlamp on.

Jana trudged behind him. "My grandmother says that if you look at a rougarou, you turn into one."

A mosquito buzzed around Benny's ear, and he swatted it.

"Benny!" his pa yelled.

Benny froze and glanced over his shoulder. His father was heading across the field – toward them.

"Hurry!" Benny started jogging.

"Wait for me!" Jana yelled.

Benny slapped a strand of Spanish moss out of his face.

"How far's your boat?" Jana huffed.

"Over there!" Benny pointed.

He held his boat steady while Jana crawled in. As soon as she was seated, he pushed off and started the outboard.

"Boy, get back here, son! Don't go bein' brainless on me. You don't wanna be out there with the rougarou, son." He held his hands to his mouth, shouting. "Come on back. We'll talk about it, son. I don't want no rougarou transformin' you."

Instead of turning back, Benny pushed the throttle higher, and the engine drowned out his pa's voice. His pa wanted him to take over the farm, and he didn't need to do math to farm sugarcane. Maybe he would just never come back.

He pushed the tiller, and the boat followed the curve of the stream. Light filtered down between the swaying moss. His pa's boat was out of gas, and by the time he could come after them, they would already be in Manchac Swamp. His grandpa said that's where the rougarou lived.



Benny cut the motor, and as soon as he did, bog creatures filled the air with sound. Bullfrogs croaked, and somewhere hidden in the trees, an owl screeched.

Jana peered overboard, shining her headlamp. Hundreds of gator eyes glowed back.

"They're a lot of alligators."

"Don't worry. I got my gun."

"But there are so many!" Jana rubbed her arms. "I've never been this far inside the swamp before."

"Don't worry," Benny said.

A splash made Jana jump.

Benny glanced around. Even with bright moonlight and their headlamps, it was still really dark.

'I didn't bring food," Jana said, scratching her knee.

"I got some." Benny headed for the bank. "And, I got my gun and my knife."

His grandpa had taught him how to hunt. They had so much fun together when he was still alive.

The boat hit the shore, and Benny crawled up front to get out. "Watch your step. There're gators here. Copperheads too."

Jana climbed out, and Benny tied the boat. He slid his backpack on and grabbed a heavy duffle bag in each hand.

Crickets argued. Benny thought he heard a wild boar snort in the bushes. They were dangerous. His heart pounded under his sweatshirt. He gulped, staring at the shadows. It was creepy out here. He glanced back at Jana. Her smile twitched. No matter what, he couldn't let her think he was afraid – and he wasn't afraid – just careful.

"I should have left a note," Jana said.

"Don't worry."

"She's going to be mad." Jana's shoe crunched a stick.

"Shh," he said.

"Why? Nobody's here."

Benny shook his head. "Don't forget the rougarou."

An eerie cry sliced through the swamp. He had never heard anything like it before. He stopped, and Jana bumped into him.

"Did you hear that?" Jana's voice quavered.

"It's the rougarou." Benny tried to keep his legs from shaking. "Let's camp here."

Jana scanned the darkness. "If you really believe in the rougarou, aren't you scared?"

"No." Benny pulled the tent out of the bag and lifted one of its poles. "Why should I be?"

Jana passed a hammer to him. "My grandma was afraid of them."

Benny raised his eyebrow and continued hammering the pole in.

"Grandma said it was a wolf-man. Big. Seven feet tall and three hundred pounds."

Somewhere in the darkness, a wolf howled and a twig snapped. Benny drew his shoulders in and gripped the hammer.

Jana drove in a tent stake. "She said they can swim."

"My grandpa said that too. He said it was big and hairy."

"What else did he say?" Jana stared at him with huge eyes.

"He said salt kills it."

"Like holy water for vampires?" Jana asked. "Got any salt?"

Benny pointed to his bag. "Don't worry. The full moon isn't until tomorrow night."

With the tent ready, he made a fire and pulled out marshmallows.

Jana stuck one on the end of her skewer. "What else do you know about rougarous?"

Benny blew out the flames and stuffed the blackened blob into his mouth.

"Grandpa said if you look at one on the full moon, you become a rougarou and you lose your soul for 101 days."

"Why 101 days?" Jana bit into her marshmallow.

"That's what the legend says." Benny loaded his stick again and then concentrated on turning it over the flames.

Jana swallowed her marshmallow. "I don't believe they're real."

"I hope not."



The next morning, Benny was sitting by the campfire when Jana crawled out of the tent.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"I tossed and turned and scratched all night. I hate bugs."

Benny chuckled. The mosquitoes had eaten him too.

Jana pointed to the spit. "What's that?"

"Armadillo."

She wrinkled her nose.

He laughed. "Don't worry. It's good."

After breakfast, she asked, "What now?"

"Let's explore."

This was much better than staying at home with his pa. Jana was such a cool girl.



Night sound filled the swamp. Benny squatted, roasting the turtle he'd caught. It would make a tasty supper for him and Jana.

She sat across the campfire, rubbing her hands. "Want to hear a ghost story?"

"Sure."

"Heard of Julie White? She was a Creole voodoo priestess that lived around here about a hundred years ago. Everyone was scared of her. She liked to sit in her rocking chair and predict disasters. One day, she said,…" Jana glanced around her as if a ghost were nearby. "She said that when she died, everyone else would die too."

Benny used a stick to stoke the fire. "What happened?"

"They all died right after she did. They were digging her grave when a hurricane hit. Legend says that they're buried right here."

The wind gusted, rustling leaves.

"Boo!"

Jana almost jumped into the fire.

Benny laughed.

A scream shot through the trees, and he froze. So did Jana.

"It's that creature again," she whispered.

"The rougarou!"

"It sounds close," Jana whimpered.

Benny peered through the darkness and then stood.

"It's the full moon." He pulled a sack out of one of his duffels and held it up. "Salt."

"Do you really believe that will help?"

"Grandpa said it would."

Jana shook her head. "I know that salt melts snails, but a rougarou?"

Benny shrugged. "Maybe we won't need it."

He looked up at the moon, and somewhere from deep within the cypresses, the creature screamed again.

"I want to go home," Jana said.

“But we only camped one day.”

“I’m scared, Benny.” She stared at him popeyed.

I should have known better than to bring a girl. "If you want."

"Don't you want to go home too?"

Jana touched his arm, but he yanked his away. He would – if his pa wasn't mad anymore.

As if reading his thoughts, Jana said, "I can help you study. You'll do better, and then your dad won't be angry with you anymore."

Another scream echoed through the moonlit darkness. Jana squealed, and he crouched. What would his grandpa do? Trembling, Benny looked around.

The creature screeched again, and twigs snapped. It was coming!

Benny yanked his backpack on and grabbed the salt.

"Run!" He clasped Jana’s hand and dashed into the woods.

Branches scratched his face, and he let go of Jana’s hand. Which way did they come? A patch of black-blue peeked through the swaying moss. That's the way. A wild boar grunted in the shadows, and he changed direction. He tripped on a gnarled root, slamming his face on a rock. A branch snagged the bag of salt and wrenched it from his hand. The creature screamed again. Benny's heart threatened to burst. He glanced over his shoulder. Jana wasn't there!

"Jana! Over here!"

"Don't leave me!" Her voice seemed far away.

He turned around, his chest heaving. Which way now?

A splash came from the right. It must be that way. He stumbled, his knee burning and blood dripping in his eyes. Just a few feet away.

"Jana!"

The creature's wailing neared. Benny peered through the darkness. Maybe if he started the engine, Jana would know which way to come.

"Benny!" Jana staggered onto the bank.

He held his hand out for her.

She climbed in, crying. "It's after me!"

He pushed the boat out. A gust of wind slammed them. Thunder clashed. When they were in the middle of the stream, a soul-wrenching cry wailed from the shore.

A big hairy man-like creature stood in front of the cypress trees, the full moon shining behind it. It stared at them, eyes glowing.

"It's the rougarou!" Jana pointed.

By the time he docked the boat, his teeth were chattering.



Under the pouring rain, Benny trudged beside Jana, all the way to her house. With each step, he wondered what kind of mood his pa would be in when he arrived home.

Her mom opened the door. "Oh, Jana!"

Wearing dry clothes, he sat with Jana in her family room, telling her parents about the rougarou. The doorbell rang. He looked from Jana to her parents. Her mom answered the door.

Benny's pa stood there, soaking wet. He peered over Jana's mom's shoulder.

"Can I come in?"

Jana's mom moved aside. With the light behind him and his long hair and bushy beard, his pa looked just like the rougarou in the swamp.

"I been searchin' everywhere for you, son. You scared me." He wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. "I thought I lost you." He stood there shaking. "I've come to take you home."

He held his arms out, his eyes red as the rougarou's.

Benny, trembling, looked from Jana to her parents to his pa.

"Come here, son." His pa waved him forward. "I don't care about your grades, son. I'm just happy to have you home."

Benny ran into his pa's arms, and his pa squeezed him with a crushing hug. "Don't you ever leave me again, son. I love you."

Benny gazed up at his pa's eyes. He might not be perfect, but he was his pa. Benny hugged him back.

"I won't, Pa, and Jana's going to help me, so I'll get real good grades." He hugged his pa again.

"I love you too, Pa."