If I had known that werewolves were real and not just something I'd seen in the movies, you never would've caught me out after dark that night. But I swear and I vow on my parents' graves that a werewolf actually stalked me that night and...well, let me start at the beginnin' so you don't miss one single detail.
There was a power failure that night. It happened during the last quarter of Tylerville High School's final basketball game with Melrose High. Since T.H.S. was ahead by forty points, I knew Melrose didn't have a prayer of copping the title, so I scooted out the side door leaving the cheering crowd in the dark.
Outside it was blacker than an eight ball in a coal mine. A bunch of dark storm clouds pushed around by a chilly wind blotted out the full moon causing an almost zero visibility. My bike, ' Old Faithful', had another flat tire so I had to use the Reebok Express to get home. With Aunt Amy's Toyota needing a new catalytic converter and Poppa off hunting with Zack Thomas I was getting used to walking. I had promised Aunt Amy I'd be home by ten.
I had missed supper because of the game so I was hungry enough to eat the north end of a southbound polecat. Thinking of little else except raiding the fridge, I broke into a slow trot as I crossed Main and headed down Woodrow Street towards Brown's Orchard.
By the time I got to the orchard it was raining and the night was even darker than before. Driven by hunger pains and wanting to avoid a soaking, I decided to chance taking the short cut home through the orchard. Normally I wouldn't dare go into Brown's Orchard because of Demon, a humongous wolf-dog that Mr Brown had brought back from Alaska. Demon, who'd been known to slip his chain and break loose, was very particular who invaded his territory.
Woodrow Street was deserted as I climbed through a hole in Mr Brown's fence and began jogging slowly down the dark path towards the other side. Reports of a cougar in the foothills out back of my house came to mind as I suddenly tripped and fell. Getting up, I started jogging again, slower this time. The full moon, weaving in and out of the dark clouds, made it light one minute and pitch black the next. I thought about Elsie Mae and wondered if she was still at home cramming for our upcoming finals. Monday was the last day of school and if I hoped to enter Regional High School next term, I'd have to cram harder myself.
Suddenly the whole sky was lit up with a huge lightning bolt which was followed by a loud thunderclap. Right after the thunder, there was a crunching noise like someone stepping on a dead branch. Then I heard a growl somewhere off to the right. A cold chill traveled up my spine as I pictured Demon tearing my throat out. I took off like a cannon ball, in no mood to meet up with the likes of Demon. Further on I heard the growling again from somewhere behind me. This time it sounded wilder, almost like a cougar. Whatever it was, it was definitely following me! My skin broke out in goose-bumps. As I turned to look, another lightning flash outlined a weird shape lurking among the pear trees. I couldn't tell what it was, but my tendency towards curiosity did a fast burn-out as I slammed my Reebok express into super-high gear, passing Mr Brown's house and barn at a new world speed record. The sky, dark and threatening, appeared ready to open up and give Tylerville County a good drenching. Scurrying out behind the clouds, the bright, full moon lit up the orchard like daylight allowing me to see the big eight foot high wooden fence I was heading for about fifty yards away. The pear trees cast weird, crooked shadows through the orchard giving it the appearance of some haunted, medieval forest full of evil witches, fire-breathing dragons and thirsty vampires. Suddenly I heard the growling noise again, this time louder and closer! I turned, expecting something to come rushing out of the darkness to grab me. Then, just before the moon scurried behind another cloud, I saw a horrible, hairy-looking creature staring at me! It looked like a wolf except it was much bigger and walked upright on two legs. Analyzing monsters wasn't my thing, so I lit off towards the fence faster than one of Robin Hood's arrows, not daring to look behind me and risk slowing down. I could almost feel its long, hairy claws reaching for me as its growls came closer and closer. Sweat ran down my back like a river and my heart thumped like an oil well as the growls came ever closer. Just before I reached the fence, the moon peeked out again. I turned to check the distance between "it" and me and my blood turned cold. "It" was half human and half wolf-like! Feeling its hot, blood-lusty breath on my neck, I gave a flying leap for the top of the fence praying to God my sweaty hands would hold. Panting like a polar bear in the Sahara, I struggled to hold on to the slippery, moss-covered fence. Hearing a growl that came straight from Hell, I swung one leg over the fence, still fighting to keep my grip. Another bolt of lightning flashed followed by a roll of thunder which seemed to shake the fence I was on. I looked behind me and, for the longest moment in eternity I stared, close-up and goggle-eyed, at the most frightening, horrific, beast-like thing I ever saw. Although it had a human shape, it was covered with long, coarse, black hair like a wolf. It's paws were like hands with long, curved nails. Its long, pointed ears sat above glowing, slanted red eyes. Its nose was long and tapered like a dog's muzzle and it had the biggest, fiercest-looking fangs you could imagine. This wasn't Demon! And it wasn't a cougar, either! And it wasn't anything else I'd ever seen except in the movies. The word, 'werewolf' flashed into my mind as it lunged towards me with open jaws. A surge of adrenaline shot through my veins to counter the panic that seized me as I struggled to pull myself up over the fence. As I hung suspended, half on one side and half on the other, I felt the sharp fangs sink into my flesh. I screamed as I pulled myself loose, falling from the fence into a thornbush on the other side, flinching as the jagged thorns ripped my flesh even more. I struggled to my feet in the grips of a wild, uncontrolled panic as I realized the beast was trying to scale the fence to get at me. Another surge of adrenaline shot through me and I took off through the woods like the hounds of hell were after me. A sudden stab of pain shot through my hip and my left leg went out from under me causing me to fall down in a heap. Painfully picking myself up, my heart beating faster than a drum roll and my lungs gasping for breath, I continued half running, half limping through the woods. Suddenly the woods ended and I found myself running through the neighborhood ball field bordering Willow Street not far from my house. I kept running through the now pitch-dark night, blinded more by terror than darkness. Rain clouds completely covered the moon and the wind had worked itself into a gale as the sky opened up and a heavy rain pelted down. Off in the distance, blending in with the wail of the wind, came a mournful howl like some dog had lost his master, or some wolf had lost its prey. I looked behind me but saw nothing. Disoriented with fear and confusion, I slowed down, panting to catch my breath and get my bearings. I breathed easier when I found the path leading through a small patch of woods to Willow Street. A quick look over my shoulder told me that the werewolf was gone.
I felt behind me for the wound as another surge of pain shot through me, but quickly withdrew my hand when I touched something wet and sticky and knew it was my own blood! Scared stiff, I began running again in spite of the throbbing pain. The rain poured down like Niagara Falls as I exited onto Willow Street near Elsie Mae Bogart's house. I was tempted to stop, but decided to run the last half mile to my own house at the other end of Willow. Dim kerosene lamps in windows told me that electric power was still off. I scolded myself for not staying until the end of the game and riding home with Arny Taft in his father's car.
Suddenly the rain stopped, leaving the gale-like wind to blow the storm clouds away towards the Southeast. The full moon, no longer hidden, illuminated the vast sky like daylight. Off in the distance a dog barked, followed by a distant, final rumble of thunder. Then, except for the still wild thumping of my heart, it grew still.
Feeling weak, I slowed to a walk a block from my house, 77 Willow Street. A lone kerosene lamp sitting on the sill of the picture window provided a beacon of warmth from an otherwise darkened house. I was sure Aunt Amy was still waiting up for me.
Still feeling the scary closeness of hairy hands reaching out to grab me, I almost knocked the door down yelling to be let in. The door finally opened and Aunt Amy stood framed in the doorway, eyebrows arched and mouth agape.
"Good Lord-a-mighty, Jason, you're gonna break the door with your....!" A second
look completely softened her features. "Jason, what's happened to you?"
I looked at her with a blank stare, then limped past her down the hallway into the kitchen where I collapsed on the tile floor like a wet sponge. A sense of relief came over me as everything turned black and I felt like I was falling through a big black hole out in empty space.
