UNEXPECTED

by Robert Teancom Thacker

It was dark and cold, there was a flash of lightning on Edalbert Drive, Cincinnati Ohio.  I, Teancom, was at home in the middle of the night.  My dad hadn't come home from work yet, and I was sleeping.  I woke up from the door slam.  I just thought it was Dad, so I went out to greet him, but nobody was there.  I went down the stairs, and looked in my siblings' rooms.  They were gone!  I hastened back upstairs to my parents' room.  Mom was gone too!!!

"They have to be somewhere!" I proclaimed.  Then I looked out the living room window.  There in the walkway was a floating light.  I hurried outside and walked cautiously over to it.  The light was a spark!  Walking to the driveway, I saw Dad's car, but it wasn't actually there, only a figment of my imagination.  "What is going on around here?!?" I asked.  I turned around and the spark was gone!  Running quickly to my house, I tried to open the door.  It was locked!  I peered in the window, and saw my cat with a witch hat on, or was it his Halloween costume?  Then I heard an evil laugh.

Freaked out, I ran across the grass, but I fell to the ground shocked when I heard a howl somewhat like a wolf.  I looked at the moon.  "Full," I said.  All of a sudden the power went out in my house.  The spark reappeared.

I heard another howl, except this time it was louder.  I felt something brush against my leg.  A distant rustle in my neighbor's bush caught my eye.  It was then that I saw the giant glowing red eyes.  As soon as I got a hold of myself and was less scared, it leaped out.  "Oooooooooow!!!" I yelled, just as the creature struck my leg.  In a lot of pain, I fell on the ground and screamed.

"What is happening?!" I shouted in terror.  I stumbled up, but fell back down.  I tried to scream at the beast, but all that came out was a roar.  I looked at myself, and I was changing.  Crawling over to the front steps, I sat down.  The thought that rushed through my head was that I was never going to see anyone again because they would be full of fear.  For as the fiend was so terrifying, I, too, was becoming a wolf just like it.

I unlocked the door with my claw and walked in.  A witch was sitting on a broom she obviously got from our kitchen ready to strike.  She swooped over to me.  My sharp fingers ran into her heart which was completely her fault.  She fell on the floor and vanished.

I dashed down the stairs and looked in my siblings' bedrooms.  There lying in their beds were monsters instead of my brother and sister.  I went to their beds and struck the monsters.  In their place were my siblings.  I crawled upstairs and killed the monster in Mom's place.  She reappeared, so I crawled out.  I wanted to sleep right then, but I couldn't.

Then I remembered I was a wolf!  I ran back outside and looked at the spark.  It had a tube under it!  I soon realized it was an antidote.  A beep made me jump, and I grabbed the antidote and ran inside.  My dad soon walked in the door and into the room I was in.  He screamed.  Although he soon realized it was me, now all my family members were gathered around me.  They accepted me for who I am, I thought.

I live with my family, as a wolf.  I walk with them.  And not only because we lost the antidote.  I like being a wolf.

THE END...