Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)

Cycle of the Werewolf is a horror novella by American writer Stephen King, featuring illustrations by comic-book artist Bernie Wrightson. Each chapter is a short story unto itself. It tells the story of a werewolf haunting a small town as the moon turns full once every month. It was published as a limited-edition hardcover in 1983 by Land of Enchantment, and in 1985 as a mass-market trade paperback by Signet. King also wrote the screenplay for its film adaptation, Silver Bullet (1985). It is King's shortest novel to date at 127 pages, which makes it technically a novella.

Plot

In the small Maine town of Tarker's Mills, a werewolf kills during each full moon over the course of a year; each chapter covers a month in the year, beginning in January and ending in December.

In January, during a severe blizzard, railroad flagman Arnie Westrum is trapped in a remote signal shack. A massive wolf-like creature forces its way inside, its snarls eerily resembling human speech. Westrum attempts to defend himself with a pickaxe, but the beast overpowers him, marking the first killing and initiating the werewolf's cycle in the otherwise quiet, traditional community. February's full moon falls on Valentine's Day, during which Stella Randolph, a lonely, overweight woman who runs a failing sewing shop, fantasizes about romantic love while surrounded by self-sent Valentine cards. A shadowy masculine figure appears at her window, but it transforms into the werewolf, which enters her room and kills her in a scene blending her illusions of passion with brutal violence. March sees the last major blizzard of the season, causing power outages across town. Amid the darkness and sleet, the werewolf claims a drifter found frozen near downed power lines, his body torn open with large paw prints surrounding him. The town, already uneasy from the prior deaths, hears distant howls but remains unable to identify the source. In April, as spring arrives, young Brady Kincaid lingers too long on the town common flying a kite under a rising full moon. The werewolf attacks and kills him, leaving his body mutilated beside the fallen kite.

May's full moon coincides with Homecoming Sunday at Grace Baptist Church. The Reverend Lester Lowe experiences a vivid nightmare in which his congregation transforms into werewolves during his sermon about the beast among them. Awakening, he discovers the janitor Clyde Corliss brutally slain and displayed in the church. June features a quiet summer night at the Chat'n Chew café. Proprietor Alfie Knopfler, alone after closing, serves a familiar regular customer who suddenly begins to change into the werewolf before his eyes. The transformation is grotesque and rapid; the creature attacks and kills Knopfler in a savage assault. July brings the cancellation of the town's Fourth of July fireworks due to the ongoing threat. Ten-year-old Marty Coslaw receives illegal fireworks from his sympathetic Uncle Al. Alone on the veranda after his family retires, Marty sets off silent fireworks. The werewolf approaches, but Marty throws exploding firecrackers into its face, blinding it in one eye and driving it away. August finds Constable Neary publicly dismissing werewolf theories in favor of a psychological explanation involving a split personality. He vows to solve the case through police work but is ambushed and killed by the creature while on stakeout, his skepticism shattered in the final moments.

In September, the werewolf slaughters Elmer Zinneman's pigs rather than a human, but the attack, marked by large, semi-human tracks, convinces some residents that organized action is necessary. Discussions turn toward a large hunt in the coming months. In October, during Halloween, Marty, trick-or-treating in a Yoda costume, encounters Lowe, who now wears an eyepatch over his left eye. Marty recognizes the resemblance to the creature he faced in July and realizes Lowe is the werewolf. He begins sending anonymous notes urging Lowe to end his life or leave town. November brings the first snow and a wave of armed men hunting the creature in the woods. Lowe, increasingly aware of his dual nature and tormented by the notes, flees to a Portland motel to avoid harming locals. There, he transforms and kills Milt Sturmfuller, an abusive local resident visiting the same motel. December culminates on New Year's Eve during a blizzard. Marty, convinced of Lowe's identity, obtains a pistol loaded with two silver bullets crafted by Uncle Al's acquaintance. As midnight approaches, the werewolf breaks into the Coslaw home through a window. Marty calmly confronts the beast, shooting it twice in the head with the silver bullets. The creature dies and reverts to the form of Lowe. Marty, exhausted but at peace, weeps as the year and the cycle of terror ends.

Characters

The Coslaw family

Marty Coslaw

Marty Coslaw, a 10-year-old paraplegic, serves as the novella's protagonist. He hears the werewolf howling in March and is attacked by the beast in July, where he blinds it in one eye with a package of Black Cat firecrackers. He discovers the identity of the creature to be Reverend Lester Lowe in October and kills him with a silver bullet in December.

Nan Coslaw

Marty's mother; she tries to treat him as if he were no different from any other 10-year-old boy.

Herman Coslaw

Marty's father; he is uncomfortable interacting with his disabled son, speaking to him in a patronizing voice (called the 'Big Pal' voice by Marty). He is the coach at Tarker's Mills High School.

Kate Coslaw

Marty's 14-year-old sister; she seems jealous of all the attention Marty gets throughout much of the novella.

Grandpa Coslaw

Marty's paternal grandfather; he lives with the family. Marty has a good relationship with his grandfather, who is described as being the typical grandfather. He is noted for being a heavy sleeper.

Uncle Al