It was a perfect October afternoon as I was walking home with my best friend Julie. I was so excited to go trick-or-treating with her! But that’s not all, this year I don’t have to have my parents watching me and I could go wherever I wanted (as long as I came home before bedtime)! My werewolf costume was going to be the best costume ever! I had gotten it from a yard sale a few weeks ago. When the owner sold it to me, she said to NEVER wear it on halloween and especially NOT under the full moon.
‘Just another spooky sales trick to get me to buy it .‘I thought. It was obviously a joke! I mean who wouldn’t wear this perfect costume on Halloween?!?’ But I didn’t know how wrong I was.
After dinner, I raced up the stairs to my room. I couldn’t wait to put on my new costume. After I got into my costume, I grabbed my trick-or-treating bag and ran down the stairs. Julie was waiting outside the door.
”What took you so long Annie?” she asked impatiently.
“I had to clean up my room.” I said, slightly annoyed about being yelled at.
We started down the sidewalk and stopped at the first house.
“Trick-or-Treat!” we cried.
The owner of the house dropped two pieces of candy into each of our baskets smiling.
’So far so good,’ I thought.’No stupid curse or anything happening to me.’
As I thought that I looked up at the sky. It was surprisingly cold with clouds as thick as a winter jacket veiling the night sky. When I looked in front of me, I couldn’t see Julie anymore, when I looked up, I could see the moon, a full moon. I was scared out of my mind! I had looked away for a few seconds, then she disappeared, I had looked up, and saw the full moon, had the lady at the yard sale been right?
“Julie?!” I called out.
No response.The fog had gotten so thick, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face!
“Julie, if this is a joke it isn’t funny,” I cried out to the dark silence around me.”Come on, we have to finish this street! “
I was starting to get frantic.
“Julie! Julie!” I started yelling once again out to the night.
All of a sudden I heard a scream behind me and turned around. It was Julie!
“Julie! You don’t know how scared I was!”
But she just kept staring and screaming.
“Annie!!” she said when she finally stopped screaming. “You’re a werewolf! “
“ Of course I’m a werewolf !” I cried slightly confused.
I looked down to my hands to where I was wearing fake werewolf gloves with hair and claws and tried to pull it off to prove to her (and myself because I could do with some reassurance myself) It wouldn’t come off! I was suddenly frantic again! I tried pulling my mask off and my bodysuit (I had clothes underneath). None of it would come off! I screamed out of shock and dismay, but instead of hearing a scream, I let loose a sad, long howl which echoed to near and far.
“We can probably keep going, I don’t think anybody will notice, they’ll probably think you’re in costume and that you’re just practicing your howl to impress people or something.” Julie said, probably trying hard not to show the fear and surprise in her voice.
But by then, I was crying (which came out as whimpers) and you could see big, round tears go plop, plop, plop as they landed on the leaves that were spread out everywhere like frosting on a cupcake. I noticed a large gnarled tree some way down the street that stuck out since all the other trees where small, garnished trees that were obviously taken very good care of.
‘I feel like that gnarled tree’ I thought to myself ‘strange and different, while trying to hide it in every possible way.’
But then, something strange happened, a thick curtain of a cloud covered the moon’s silver rays and I felt a change go over me and when I tried to take off my werewolf gloves, they came off! I was so happy, I ripped off my entire costume. I had never felt so safe and so happy! But I felt as though that joy was about to be short-lived, for that thick cloud that had been my salvation was now moving on with the wispy wind. I closed my eyes waiting for the moment, that dreadful moment when I’d be transformed back into the hideous beast of before, but that moment didn’t came. Then I remembered that I had taken off that horrid werewolf costume!
But as I said before, it was a joy that was short-lived, I noticed that my nails had grown grimier, and my arm, hands, and legs felt much hairier! I finally realized what was happening to me! I was part werewolf under the wretched full moon, costume or not!
The next morning, I woke in my bed with a start. I looked at my hands. They looked normal.
‘Few!’ I thought. ‘It was just a dream.’ I could see my costume next to my bed.
“Annie.” My mom called. “It’s time for school.”
After school, I had hockey. It started at 5:00 and went to 7:30. Before I went, I had dinner. We had steak, green beans, and mash potatoes. Usually, I hate, absolutely HATE steak, but today I had three and a half steaks! Something about the steak just made me want to keep eating! My parents were shocked! I hadn’t even touched my mashed potatoes or green beans! (I usually eat my vegetables first and get seconds, sometimes thirds!)
After a normal hockey practice, when I was walking out of the rink, The fog came back.’Oh great.’ I thought. ‘What’s up with this fog?!?’ Through a crack in the fog, I saw the moon. It was a three quarter moon. “Well at least it’s not a full moon.’ I thought. Just as I saw the moon, I could feel fur beginning to grow. Suddenly, I let out a long mournful howl . The fog cleared. Now that it was gone, I could see now that I had fur and long sharp claws. My mind began to fuzz up. I couldn’t think clearly anymore! And suddenly, I lost consciousness.
I woke, startled to be in my bed. I looked out the window. It was light outside.’I guess it’s morning.’I thought. I looked down to see what I was wearing. I still had on the same clothes as yesterday.’It was just a bad dream.’ I told myself.
Today was Friday, so I had soccer. Soccer practice went from 5:30 to 8:00. Before practice, I had dinner. It was mac and cheese and everything was normal, so my parents thought that I’d been sick yesterday.
After soccer I walk back to my home. I don’t live very far away so I walk home myself. Halfway home, I saw the fog again. I was frightened. I started running back home, but after awhile, the fog got too thick. I looked up. There was that accursed moon again! I felt a howl rising into my throat. It was a long, slow, painful howl. I could feel the fur. I fought to keep consciousness, but, I still lost it. When I regained consciousness, I was still a werewolf. I was in the park in the middle of town. and it was still night. I lost consciousness again.
GIRL DISAPPEARS WHEN WALKING HOME read Julie the next day in the newspaper at breakfast. Underneath the heading was a picture. It was a picture of her friend Annie.
The End
