Werewolf Skin

9

I dropped back against the wall. My whole body shook.

I swallowed hard. And listened to the heavy footsteps above my head.

I’ve got to get out of here! I told myself. I’ve got to get out of this house!

I’ve got to tell Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta!

But my legs felt like Jell-O. I didn’t know if I could walk.

I took a shaky step. Then another.

And then I heard a new sound from upstairs.

I stopped and listened.

Humming? Was someone humming?

With a burst of energy, I grabbed the door to the attic. I pulled it open and shouted up the stairs, “Who’s up there? Who is it?”

“It’s me, Alex!” a familiar voice called down.

“Hannah-?” I choked out. I stared up to the attic. “Wh-what are you doing up there?”

“Didn’t your aunt tell you I came back?” Hannah called.

“No, she didn’t,” I replied.

“She said she had some old clothes up here that might make a good costume. So I came back to check it out.”

Her head appeared at the top of the stairs. “Why do you sound so weird?”

“I–I thought-” I began. But the words caught in my throat.

I started up the stairs.

“No-!” Hannah cried. “Don’t come up!”

I stopped on the third step. “How come?” I called.

“I’m not dressed. I’m trying on stuff,” she explained. She smiled down at me. “Besides, I want to surprise you. There’s some awesome old stuff up here. Your aunt and uncle must have looked really weird when they were young.”

Her head disappeared from view. I could hear the rustle of clothes up there.

I backed down the stairs. “Hey-do you know where my camera is?” I asked. “I’ve looked all over the house, and-”

“Oh, no!” Hannah groaned. Her head appeared again. This time she wasn’t smiling.

“What?” I called up to her.

“Your camera, Alex. Do you think maybe you left it in the woods?”

I gasped. “I don’t know. I thought…” My voice trailed off. I had a sick, heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“You had it when Sean and Arjun left,” Hannah said. “But when we came back to the house, I don’t remember you carrying it.”

“Oh, wow!” I shook my head. “I’ve got to go get it, Hannah. I can’t leave it overnight in the woods.”

“No-!” she cried. “Alex, listen to me. You can’t go out there.”

“I have to!” I cried.

“But the woods aren’t safe at night,” she protested. “They really aren’t safe.”

I turned away and ran down the hall. I pulled on my jacket and found a flashlight on the floor of the hall closet. I tested it a few times. The light was steady and bright.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I shouted up to Hannah.

“No-please, Alex!” I heard her call down. “Listen to me! Don’t go into the woods tonight! Wait for me to get dressed. Just wait for me-okay?”

But I couldn’t leave my camera out there to be ruined.

I closed the front door behind me and stepped out into the light of the moon.