The Tale of the Lobisomem

Introduction

In the heart of the Brazilian countryside, where the trees sway with the whispers of forgotten legends and the stars shine through an unbroken canopy of blackness, one tale has persisted through generations: the story of the Lobisomem. Part wolf, part man, this mysterious creature is said to roam the forests under the light of the full moon, cursed by fate to live between two worlds. It is a story of sorrow, transformation, and the unrelenting pull of destiny. For centuries, the Lobisomem has terrified the inhabitants of small villages scattered across the land. But is the Lobisomem merely a myth, or does its shadow linger in the quiet places of Brazil, waiting to strike again? This is the story of a man named João, who would soon come to know the answer.

The Birth of a Curse

The village of São Luiz do Paraitinga sat nestled in the deep valleys of the Serra do Mar mountains, surrounded by thick, dense forests. The people of the village were simple folk—farmers, woodworkers, and fishermen—who lived their lives by the rhythm of nature. Life had remained unchanged for many years, until one fateful night, when a child was born under the light of a blood moon.

João was the seventh son of a seventh son, and in Brazilian folklore, this meant only one thing: a curse. His mother, Maria, knew the legends well. The villagers whispered about it from the moment her belly began to swell with her unborn child. As the moon rose blood-red in the sky on the night João was born, her fears were realized. The midwife refused to stay, crossing herself and muttering about the Lobisomem. The villagers shunned them, casting dark glances at Maria and her newborn son.

Despite the omens, João grew into a quiet, gentle boy. His dark hair framed a thoughtful face, and he possessed an air of sadness that was unusual for his age. He kept to himself, spending his days wandering the edges of the forest. But as he neared the age of thirteen, Maria began to notice changes in her son. His once warm eyes took on a strange gleam when the moon was full. His skin seemed to tighten over his bones, and his body tensed as though it yearned for something unknown.

The night of João’s thirteenth birthday came under the glow of a full moon. Maria locked him inside their small home, praying for protection. But as the clock struck midnight, João felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. He screamed as his limbs stretched unnaturally, and thick, dark hair sprouted from his skin. His bones cracked, reshaping into something primal, something feral. When the transformation was complete, João was no longer a boy—he had become a Lobisomem.

The First Hunt

The first transformation was both exhilarating and terrifying. João's senses were heightened, and he could hear every rustle of the trees, smell every living creature in the forest. The need to hunt overwhelmed him. He burst through the door of his home, racing toward the woods, drawn by the smell of blood. His human mind screamed for control, but the wolf inside him was too strong.

He moved with unnatural speed, his new form agile and powerful. His eyes gleamed yellow in the darkness, and his jaws snapped at the air. In the distance, a rabbit darted through the underbrush, but João wasn’t hunting small prey. His instincts were locked onto something bigger—something human.

In the nearby village, an old man named Vicente was making his way home from the tavern. His footsteps were slow, and his senses dulled by the alcohol that had warmed him from the inside. He never heard João approach. The Lobisomem pounced, and with a swift bite to the throat, Vicente’s life was snuffed out. João howled into the night, his monstrous voice echoing through the trees.

When dawn broke, João awoke in a field, naked and covered in blood. The horror of what he had done washed over him, and he collapsed to his knees. He had no memory of the hunt, but the bloodstains on his hands told the truth. He had become the monster from the stories—the beast his mother had feared all along.

A Life in the Shadows

From that night on, João’s life was no longer his own. Every full moon, the transformation overtook him, and the wolf would emerge, wild and uncontrollable. He became a danger to his village, and soon the townsfolk began to suspect that the mysterious deaths plaguing the area were connected to him. The villagers spoke in hushed tones of a beast that roamed the night, and it wasn’t long before they sought out the town priest for answers.

Father Matheus, an old and learned man, knew the signs. He had seen similar things before in other remote parts of Brazil. The curse of the Lobisomem was real, and it was clear to him that João was its latest victim. But breaking the curse was no simple task. It would require an ancient ritual—one that was both dangerous and difficult to perform. Worse still, the curse would grow stronger as João aged, making the wolf harder to control.

Maria pleaded with the priest to help her son, but Father Matheus warned her of the risks. The ritual could end João’s torment, but it could also cost him his life. Desperate to save her only child, Maria agreed to let the priest attempt the cure.

The Ritual

The night of the ritual arrived, and a cold wind swept through the village. Father Matheus prepared the sacred circle, drawing symbols in the dirt and lighting candles around the perimeter. João stood in the center, trembling with fear. The full moon was already beginning to rise, and he could feel the wolf clawing at the edges of his mind, eager to be set free.

The priest began to chant in Latin, invoking the ancient powers that governed the curse. As the words filled the air, João’s body convulsed. His skin rippled, and his bones began to shift. The transformation was starting, and Father Matheus had to act quickly. He drew a silver dagger from his robes and approached João, raising the blade high above his head.

But just as the dagger came down, something went wrong. A flash of light erupted from the circle, and João let out a guttural roar as the wolf fully emerged. The ritual had failed, and now the beast was loose. Father Matheus was thrown back by the force of the transformation, and João—no, the Lobisomem—turned its hungry eyes on him.

With a terrifying snarl, the creature lunged at the priest, but before it could strike, a figure stepped between them. It was Maria, holding a silver amulet she had found years ago. The wolf hesitated, its glowing eyes fixated on the charm. For a moment, João’s human consciousness resurfaced, and the beast retreated, howling in frustration as it disappeared into the forest.

The Wolf’s Bane

After the failed ritual, João fled into the wilderness, unable to face his mother or the villagers. He became a creature of the night, roaming the forests and avoiding human contact. The curse had taken full control, and João’s transformations became more frequent. As the wolf gained dominance, João’s memories of his former life began to fade.

But Maria never gave up hope. She believed that there was another way to save her son. After the incident with the amulet, she became convinced that silver held the key to controlling the beast. She sought out a legendary hunter, known only as O Caçador, who was said to have fought and killed many Lobisomens across Brazil.

The hunter agreed to help her, but his methods were ruthless. He believed that the only way to save João was to trap him in his wolf form and kill the beast once and for all. Maria, however, was determined to find another solution. She convinced O Caçador to use the amulet to subdue João rather than kill him.

Together, they ventured into the forest, tracking the Lobisomem by the light of the full moon. João, now fully immersed in the wolf’s mind, sensed their presence and prepared to attack. But as they closed in, Maria stepped forward, holding the amulet high above her head.

The Final Confrontation

The air was thick with tension as João—the Lobisomem—crouched low, ready to pounce. His glowing eyes locked onto Maria, but something in the amulet’s light caused him to pause. He howled in frustration, torn between the wolf’s desire to kill and the human emotions buried deep inside.

In that moment, Maria spoke. She called out to her son, reminding him of who he was, of the life he had once lived. The words pierced through the fog of the curse, and for the first time in years, João felt a flicker of his humanity return.

But the battle was far from over. The wolf still fought for control, and it took every ounce of João’s strength to resist. With a final, desperate cry, he lunged toward Maria—not to attack, but to break the hold the beast had over him. The amulet flared with light, and the forest erupted in a deafening roar.

When the light faded, João lay on the ground, his body still and motionless. The curse had been broken, but the

cost had been great. His wolf form was gone, but so was much of his humanity. He would never fully recover from the horrors of the curse, but he had reclaimed his soul.

Epilogue: The Return of the Night

João returned to the village, a changed man. The villagers were wary of him, unsure if the curse still lingered. But over time, they came to accept him once more, seeing the quiet sorrow in his eyes as a reminder of the battles he had fought.

Yet, as the years passed, the legend of the Lobisomem persisted. Travelers spoke of strange howls in the forest on nights when the moon was full, and though João lived out his days in peace, the shadow of the curse never truly left him.

Some say that deep in the forests of Brazil, the Lobisomem still roams, a creature born of both man and beast, forever walking the line between two worlds.