Werewolf Skin

29

I heard my aunt and uncle moving around in the living room. Outside the bedroom window, the white full moon was rising behind the trees. Wisps of black cloud floated over it like wriggling snakes.

Hannah tugged me farther into the room. “What if we hide the wolf skins?” she asked in an excited whisper.

“Hide them?” I whispered back. “What will that do?”

“Your aunt and uncle won’t be able to find them,” Hannah replied. “The night will pass. They won’t be able to change into wolves.”

“So maybe if they go a whole night without the skins, it will cure them!” I cried.

Hannah nodded. “It’s worth a try, Alex. It might just work, and-” She stopped. “No. Wait. I have an even better idea. We’ll wear the skins!”

“Excuse me?” I gasped. “Wear them? Why?”

“Because your aunt and uncle will search everywhere for the skins,” Hannah replied. “They’ll search every house, every garage, every yard. But they won’t look for them on us! That’s the last place they’d look!”

“I get it,” I replied. “And we’ll make sure to stay away so they don’t see us until after daybreak.”

I wasn’t sure whether the plan made any sense or not. Hannah and I were both too frightened to think!

Maybe… just maybe… we could cure Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta by keeping the skins from them until morning.

“Let’s try it,” I said.

“Okay,” Hannah agreed. “Quick-get into your pirate costume. We don’t want your aunt and uncle to suspect anything. While you’re doing that, I’ll sneak next door and slip on one of the wolf skins.”

She pushed me toward the old clothes I had tossed onto the bed. “Hurry. It’s getting late. Meet me in back of the garage. I’ll bring out your wolf skin for you.”

Hannah disappeared out the door. I heard her in the living room. She said good-bye to Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta and told them she was going to meet me outside.

I heard the front door slam. Hannah was on her way next door to get the wolf skins.

I quickly pulled on the ragged old shirt and torn trousers of my costume. I wrapped a bandanna around my head.

A sound at the bedroom door made me spin around.

“Aunt Marta!” I cried.

She stood in the doorway, frowning at me. “It won’t work,” she said, shaking her head.

“Huh?” I gasped.

“Alex, it won’t work,” she repeated unhappily.