Mancarú – The Werewolf of the Itapecuru Riverbank

One day, Jacinto, during lunch with his family, asks his father about the issues with the manual laborers filling the dumpster with clay and sand in less than one hour. At this point, Jacinto explains the reasons in detail to his father, known as Francisco da Silva:

- Dad, I don't want to get involved in this. But I think the time for filling the dumpster with clay is taking too long with the four workers you have. That day I was at the clay pit, I had the opportunity to observe that they take more than two hours. They joke and joke while doing the work.

Observing the conversation, Francisco da Silva says:

- Boy, you're a child and you see too much. You're right, they should do it in less than two hours.

Jacinto explains the following to his father:

- Dad! The loading time, including excavation and shoveling, requires an hour. Although the site is easy to dig clay, and it doesn't stick to the dumpster. At noon, when the workers arrive at our door, I'll talk to them.

One Thursday, Jacinto stood at the door of the house waiting for the workers. Three workers arrived and sat on the sidewalk next to the dumpster. The fourth worker, known as Mancarú, decided to lie down in the shade of the dumpster's rear tires.

With many doubts, Jacinto called all the workers together to talk about themselves and the conditions necessary to fill the dumpster.

Everyone spoke about themselves, but Mancarú remained silent, discreet, and said nothing.

Restless, Jacinto introduced himself and said the following to Mancarú:

- My friends, my father owns the dumpster, I'm an only child, and my name is Jacinto. I'm only fifteen years old and I'm in high school at Diocesan School. Right now, I want to find new ways to fill the dumpster, so my father can save more time and money on hauling. Because it's not easy for him to carry only two loads of clay a day. It's absurd. Hey sir! Why do people call you Mancarú?

He replied:

- I don't know. Why don't you ask them? Don't you think you're asking too many questions for nothing?

Head down, Jacinto replies:

- No. I asked what I thought was right.

Looking down, Mancarú says:

- Look, young man, I came here to work, not to answer your questions.

Unsatisfied, Jacinto asks:

- Tell me. Why is your hair so long, even on your legs and arms?

Mancarú, already showing his anger, replies:

- You're asking too many questions. Soon you'll want to know if I have hair on my dick and ass.

Without delay, Jacinto tries to calm Mancarú, saying the following:

- Mancarú, don't be harsh or rude. I asked because I don't know you. If your hair is long, it must be because of charms or promises. Here, I respect everyone. Forgive me if I've missed anything.

In the middle of summer, with 53 degrees Celsius, Mancarú wore long pants and a shirt, paying little attention to the blazing sun. In the middle of the afternoon, Mancarú slept in the shade with his head between the two rear tires of the dump truck.

With small, light steps, Jacinto carefully made his way to the rear tire of the truck. And at that moment, Jacinto noticed that the toenails of the worker Mancarú had never seen scissors. With long, thick, and sharp nails, they were capable of piercing a person.

That Thursday night, Jacinto went to the house of his father's worker, known as Kleber, and asked the worker several questions:

- Kleber, tell me something. Why does Mancarú wear a long shirt and pants during the heat? He never wears shorts or a short-sleeved shirt.

With his hands on the dining table, Kleber answered the question:

- I think it's because of his long body hair. Mancarú doesn't let anyone see his thick body hair. We know because he works with us in the dumpster. And sometimes, your father takes us for a swim when we pass by the Três stream. That way, we can see his body.

Curious, Jacinto asked:

Is Mancarú married or living with someone?

- No. He's single. He lives with his mother and sister in a little thatched house with babassu stalk doors. The house doesn't even have windows; it's quite far from our rural center, on the riverbank. Still snooping around Mancarú's life, Jacinto asks:

- What have you heard about him in the community?

Kleber, apprehensive and afraid, says the following:

- I'm going to tell you something confidential, but please don't bring me into this story: It's this: They say Mancarú beats and strikes his mother and sister with his bare hands, and even sleeps with them at night, having sex with them. Afterwards, he mercilessly beats the two defenseless women. Therefore, they have no friendship with anyone in our community. Jacinto, the stump door is always closed and there are no neighbors. From Thursday to Friday, at the turn of the full moon, Mancarú comes to work with injuries on his leg and back. I don't want to say anything stupid, but people accuse Mancarú of beating his mother and sister, having sex with them, and turning into a werewolf at midnight.

Indiscreet, Jacinto asks:

- Kleber, tell me the truth. Don't believe it, don't make up jokes about the man. This is a serious matter. Have you ever seen Mancarú at midnight on a full moon? Please tell me everything. Uneasy, Kleber looks up at the ceiling and says:

- Jacinto, that's the ugliest thing in the world. I had just come back from the city because I was going to pick up a white girl at Zequinha's bar. I went home and closed the door. Suddenly, I heard dogs barking incessantly. I went to look through the crack in the window and saw that creature with the body of a wolf, all furry, with razor-sharp claws against the dogs. With large eyebrows, ears falling to his shoulders, and long nails. I swear I was terrified of that beast. It was Mancarú, half wolf and half human.

Jacinto, meddling in the matter, asks the worker Kleber:

- You mean Mancarú transformed into a wolf-man? A giant, ferocious monster?

Kleber responds, saying the following:

- Jacinto, God forbid you ever cross paths with that ferocious beast. He punched the dogs so hard that they fell far away. His eyes were shining, full of strength and power, he growled. I knew him because of the shirt of former Congressman Heráclito Fortes of Piauí, completely ripped during his transformation. Mancarú was a wild werewolf, very aggressive, with a wolf-like nose. He descended toward the city on two legs, a pack of dogs following him. The beast has a vicious instinct and is very fast, attacking people to feed on blood on Thursdays and Fridays during full moons. They say a werewolf can only die if you have silver bullets.

Without many words, Jacinto says to Kleber:

- I confess I was scared of that beast in my house. I'm going to ask Dad to fire him from work. A human individual becomes a being with animalistic characteristics and is completely brutal. This is very serious.

Jacinto remains speechless and concludes:

- That's why Mancarú's nails were never cut, nor his hair. I saw his nails at home with long hairs scattered all over his body. Kleber, I'm going to talk to Mr. João about coming to this place on the Friday of the full moon and accompanying you. I want them to find out if it's Mancarú, the real Werewolf of the Itapecurú Riverbank.

Kleber, driven, says the following:

- We will find out. On Friday before midnight, I'll be here, waiting for Mr. João.

- Deal.

On the aforementioned Friday, the two set a trap to catch the werewolf passing through the deserted street in the rural area of ​​Beira do Rio Itapecuru. And only this way were they able to catch the man believed to be a werewolf. After a long chase and gunfire, Mancarú, transformed into a Werewolf, enters the yellow waters of the Itapecuru River and disappears into the cold waters.