Post by Heathclaw on Dec 27, 2009 18:45:56 GMT -5
(Constructive Crits are encouraged! ^^)
Perfect Costume: Guaranteed
“Hey, Brendan, you got your costume ready for this weekend?”
I looked across my lunch tray at my friend Andy, the only other person who was sitting at the table with me. He was short, with brown hair and a boyish face. He also wore glasses, because, according to his mother, he’d killed his eyes three times over by staring at computer screens all day. Andy said that they made him look smarter. He was peering at me through those glasses right now, waiting for my response.
“Well… sort of. I know what I want to be, but I haven’t picked out a costume yet.”
Andy’s eyes widened, just like I’d expected them to. “No way! C’mon Brendan, Halloween’s like, only two days away, and you always have the best costume in the entire grade! What happened?”
“I know, I know…” I replied, bending down to pick string beans off my tray. “It’s just… I haven’t found a costume that I really like, you know? I really want to make this year count- my mom’s starting to hint that I’m getting a little too old for Halloween.”
“Bah. No one’s too old for Halloween. ‘sides, think of all the free candy!” said Andy with a grin.
I smiled back. “I knew you’d say that. Always in it for the candy, huh?”
“Well, duh! Who doesn’t like free candy? It’s, like, free! Look man, you’ve got to get yourself a costume before Sunday night.” Andy spread his arms wide, an excited gleam in his eyes. “You and me, we’re going to hit all of the biggest streets in town, and if this is going to be your last Halloween, then I want it to be the best Halloween that we’ve ever had.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ll check some more stores tonight. I’ll come up with something,” I replied.
That afternoon, I went to Wisteria Avenue, the central commercial hub in our little town. Wherever you needed to find something, and whenever you needed to find it, you could be sure that one of the shops down this two-mile street would have it in stock. At least, that’s what everyone said. For the past few weeks, the stores on Wisteria had been woefully under stocked in terms of great Halloween costumes.
I pulled up the corners of my jacket against the cool October breeze and kept moving, sticking to the right side of the crowded streets, peering into shop windows as I moved along. I thought back to my conversation with Andy- he might have liked Halloween for the candy, but this day held a special place for me. See, Last Halloween, I was Dracula, complete with dark swooping cape and flashing fangs. The year before that, I got to be King Kong, and I was Batman the year before that, the mighty caped crusader. All were preferable to skinny, shy, quiet Brendan.
I looked to the sky, to the moon, which shone with a brilliant silver light, a few slivers away from being full. It would be perfect by Halloween night… if I could only find the right costume!
It was at that moment that I found the store. I had never seen it before, although that was to be expected; it was a short, squat store, the kind that people can walk past without ever really noticing. There was one thick black window, and one heavy-looking wooden door, above which hung a small glowing lantern. Printed on the window in wispy, orange letters were these words:
HALLOWEEN HAVEN:
Perfect Costume Guaranteed
“Guaranteed?” I asked. “Well, okay. What’s there to lose?” And so, with no better options in sight, I stepped into the Halloween store. Old, dim, lanterns like the one outside hung from the ceiling; they swung creakily with the gust of wind that I let in through the heavy wooden door. Musky puffs of dust shot up as my feet crossed the velvety red carpet. The door suddenly shut behind me, cutting off all noise from Wisteria.
I suddenly realized that I was all alone, in this dark, silent building; I could begin to feel a prickle of unease shoot down my back. I took a tentative step forwards, and a sharp beep sounded right beneath me! It took me a few heart stopping moments to realize that it was just the watch on my arm. It was nine P.M.; my parents wanted me back by ten. I pressed onwards with quickened steps.
The lights brightened the further I walked in, and I felt myself beginning to relax. Whoever ran this place really knew what he was doing. All of the effects were there: The cobwebs, the heavy shadows… there was even a large blood stain painted realistically on the back of one of the wooden costume racks. And then there were the costumes themselves: A wrapped up mummy stood to my right, whose ratty bandages crinkled quietly as I walked past. Next to him was a patchwork Frankenstein, somehow reeking of decay. I walked past the Frankenstein, and past a tall mannequin in a stiff black suit, with disturbingly life-like black eyes, and that was when I found it.
It was a werewolf costume, without a doubt the very best werewolf costume that I had ever seen. It looked for all the world like a living, breathing creature: The veined, bulging eyes blazed with life, and the metallic claws shimmered in the lamplight. I ran my hand through its rough, bristly brown fur, and then tapped its big black nose, which was wet. “Wicked…” I whispered to myself.
“Isn’t it, though?” A gravelly voice replied, as a gnarled hand clamped down around my shoulder. I won’t deny it: I screamed out loud, whipping around to break free of the thing’s grasp. For one crazy second, I thought that the mannequin had come alive, but then I realized that this ‘mannequin’ was really a gray-haired man, looking down at me with mirth in his black eyes, the only two points of light on his heavily lined face.
“Did I frighten you, young man?” he asked, laughing. He had a raspy laugh; it sounded like a dog being sick. “I do that to all my customers. The name’s Sly. Mister Sly, proud long-time owner of Halloween Haven.”
He extended his hand for me to shake. For an old man, his grip was unexpectedly strong.
“Now, I see you’ve taken a liking to my werewolf friend over there,” said Mister Sly.
I turned back towards the wolf man. The lamplight caught over its razor sharp teeth, sending a shiver down my spine. It was perfect. Wordlessly, I nodded.
“Excellent!” said Mister Sly, rubbing his hands together. “Then it’s settled. The wolf is your responsibility now, my very young friend. Meet me at the counter over there, and we’ll ring it up.”
He stepped past me and went about animatedly removing the costume from its perch, waving me to the counter in the back of the room with his free hand. A sweeping black curtain hung on the wall behind the glass counter, which was covered in a thick layer of dust. A myriad of clunky looking antiques rested atop the counter, including a typewriter, a locket, and a lit candelabra, but no cash register, nor a cash box of any kind.
“Mister Sly? Are you sure that I should wait here…” I began, turning back around, but I could no longer see the old man.
“Um… Mister Sly?”
“Right here, my boy,” came a voice from behind me. I jumped and whipped around to see Mister Sly grinning at me from across the counter, the dark curtain whipping dramatically behind him. “And I’ve got your new friend all wrapped up as well,” he added, dropping a brown shopping bag onto the counter.
I looked from the counter to the costume racks in bewilderment- how had he moved so quickly? I opened my mouth, intending to ask him just that, but then changed my mind at the last second. After all, maybe it was a trade secret. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to know. Instead, I asked, “How much is it?”
Mister Sly frowned, and he suddenly gave me a strange look, as if I was some exotic animal that he had never seen before. The light from the candelabra heavily shadowed his face; he looked almost demented. I took a step back, wondering how I had offended him.
“Tell me, Brendan. Do you like Halloween?” he asked calmly.
“I, uh, I love it!” I stammered. How did he know my name?
“Is there any particular reason why?”
“Well, um… I guess… I like the costumes. It’s cool to be someone or something else for a day, you know?”
Mister Sly smiled at this for some reason. “Well, well, isn’t that interesting. Nothing like being a werewolf on the night of the full moon, eh? Now, I believe you asked how much this costume costs?” He slid the bag across the counter towards me. “Take it. There’s no charge.”
I hesitated, not sure if I had heard him correctly. “What do you mean? Are you sure-”
“Absolutely,” said Mister Sly, veritably shoving the bag into my hands. “Didn’t you read the window? ‘Perfect costume, guaranteed.’ Besides, I feel that it’s better off in your hands.”
“I, er… well… thank you!” I said, still slightly taken aback.
“No, no, Brendan, thank you.” And with that, Mister Sly leant over, blew out the candelabra, and disappeared into the shadows.
I still had difficulty getting Mister Sly out of my mind when I got home. He’d been so strange, what with his creepy voice, and the way that he kept on appearing and disappearing. And how had he known my name? I knew that I hadn’t mentioned it in the store before… did I? Well, there wasn’t any point in getting hung up over it; I probably would never see him again. Besides, if he was nice enough to give me my costume for free, he couldn’t have been all bad.
I had taken the costume out of the bag, and it was sitting on the corner of my bed, all folded up with the head on top. The way its eyes were crafted, It could have been watching me. I chuckled at the thought, bending over and lifting the costume off of the bed. I was filled with an urge to try it on, just to see what it would feel like.
The costume was made up of entirely one piece, from the top of the ears to the tip of the tail. There was a metal zipper running down the back of the costume that I had to pull to get in; it was well hidden under the bunches of fur that hung from the entire costume. I stuck one foot in, and then the other, my toes reaching to the very bottom of the foot paws, and then put in the arms, extending them to the claw tips. Lastly, I pulled the furry wolf head over my own, and scrabbled at the zipper that was now at the base of the tail, pulling it up with some difficulty.
The costume fit perfectly; it was almost like wearing a second skin. It had seemed a little heavy before, but know it felt perfectly manageable. I could see excellently through the eyeholes, which must have been hidden above the eyes, and breathing wasn’t a problem either. I did feel a bit warm, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable sort of warm. No, instead it was an invigorating type of warmth that was spreading through my entire body. I felt strong- I felt invincible. Just for fun, I swung out with one of my new paws. The claws swung through the air with a satisfying whoosh. I laughed, pleased with myself, and pounced onto my bed on all fours, my new tail wagging with the motion, which made me grin again. I curled up on top of the sheets- it would be way too hot to put on the covers- and waited for the morning. This Halloween was going to be awesome.
I was slightly confused when I woke up the next morning and saw that I had somehow grown fur, until I remembered everything that had happened last night. I pulled a clawed paw back with some reluctance to take off the costume- it was awesome to wear, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone else before Halloween night. I reached behind my neck for the zipper. It wasn’t there.
How was that possible? It had been right there the night before… could it have fallen off? Was that why Mister Sly had given it to me for free? I turned around in circles around my bed, moving aside sheets and checking under the bed for the lost zipper, with no success. I flumped down onto the bed, and I heard the paper costume bag fall with a crinkle onto it’s side, and felt something fall onto my leg. I looked up hopefully, but it wasn’t my lost zipper. Instead, it was a crinkled up sheet of old yellow paper. I picked it up; it was a note written in a spidery pen.
Dear Brendan,
You wanted to be a werewolf for Halloween, didn’t you? Well, my friend, your wish is about to come true. I hope you like the costume- in fact; I daresay that you’ll find yourself rather… attached. If you find that you’ve changed your mind, Brendan, you have until midnight on Halloween to return the wolf to me, provided that you prove you don’t need it anymore. Otherwise, I will assume that you are happy with the way you are now; happy with living as the big, bad, wolf, and you will stay that way forever more.
Enjoy your perfect costume.
Mister Ious Sly
“What in the world?” I muttered to myself, reading and rereading the letter. It was ridiculous, fantastical! How could Mister Sly expect me to believe that I was wearing a magic costume? But then again… I thought back to all that had happened at Halloween Haven last night. It would explain a lot of things… and Mister Sly definitely fit the bill for a creepy old magician.
I reread the letter. “Stay as the big, bad, wolf forever more… forever more?” …Well, what’s wrong with that!? asked a fierce little voice in the back of my head. Better a big bad wolf than a scrawny little kid any day. I walked across the room and picked up the phone, plugging in Andy’s number. If I was going to be a wolf for the rest of my life, I might as well start getting used to it now, tonight.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Andy. It’s Brendan.”
“Whoa! Hey, Brendan, what’s up with your voice? You sound… different.”
“Is it? I hadn’t noticed…”
“Yeah, it is! All gravelly and stu-”
“Well, that’s beside the point,” I said impatiently, cutting him off. “Listen, I found my costume yesterday. Do you want to meet up tonight and prowl around a little bit?”
“Tonight? Brendan, tonight’s Mischief Night… d’you really wanna-”
“Sure! Why not? It’ll be awesome! Besides, where’s the fun without any risk? I’ll meet you on Magnolia Street at 9 PM, okay?”
“Uhm… I dunno…”
“Don’t wimp out, Andy. I want you to see my costume!”
“Al-alright Brendan. I’ll See you tonight.”
“See ya,” I said, hanging up the phone and wondering when Andy had started to lose his nerve.
The sun had set by the time I had left the house that night, and the moon rose high up in the clear dark sky, just a small sliver from being full. I loped along the streets, keeping to the shadows, sometimes walking on twos and sometimes on fours, whichever was more comfortable at the time. I didn’t need to bother with a flashlight, as I could see perfectly, probably thanks to that costume once again.
I found Andy waiting for me at the school, with a flashlight in hand. Even from a distance, you could tell he was nervous; he kept checking his watch and looking around anxiously. I decided to have a little fun with him first, creeping around behind him on my paws, slowly, carefully, until I was right behind him, and then…
“RAWR!”
Just like I expected, Andy jumped straight into the air like a little girl, dropping his flashlight and running towards the nearest lamppost.
“Hey, Andy! Calm down! It’s me!” I shouted after him, allowing the flashlight beam to fall on me.
“Geez, Brendan, my heart’s beatin’ that fast,” squeaked Andy, his face turning white. He didn’t approach, preferring to stay in the safety of the streetlight. “So, that’s the new costume, eh?”
“Yeah,” I said with a grin, standing up and doing a little spin to show it off. “You like it?”
“It’s… cool, I guess.” He still didn’t move from the lamppost, and his tone turned accusatory. “Where were you? I was waitin’ outside for about 15 minutes!”
“Oh, yeah. I got a little distracted by the costume, took a couple detours… it’s really cool, you know? It’s almost feels like I’m really a wolf.”
“Well, that’s… nice.”
“Nice? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Just, I was thinkin’ you’d have thought of me first, before going off to play in your new costume.”
“What, you needed me to come babysit you in the night?” I teased.
“What? Hey, listen, Brendan, that’s not funny-”
“Or maybe you just didn’t like the exercise? Heaven knows you could use it,” I interrupted jokingly. “Or maybe-”
“What’s happened to you!? How’d you turn from my best friend into a jerk in just one day?” shouted Andy, turning around and storming off. I stood there in disbelief. What was he so upset about? I was only kidding!
“A jerk, huh? Well, at least I’m not a wimp like you!” I shouted back. Andy didn’t reply. Instead, he walked faster, turned the corner, and disappeared from view. A sudden wave of guilt washed over me- what made me say those things?
Well, it’s true… said the voice snidely. Chickening out like that…
“Andy’s my best friend! Andy’s my only friend…”
You don’t need him. You can make plenty of new friends now.
“No I can’t! I’ve turned into a monster!”
But it’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To be big, brave, and strong?
“But not to be a jerk!”
All of that energy I had before, all of that strength and power, it all felt like a terrible burden now. I turned around and began to run, needing to use up all that terrible energy. I ran all the way home, slipped through my window, and collapsed on my bed, mentally and physically exhausted.
“Hello, you’ve reached the Goldman home. We’re not here right now- please leave a message at the sound of the beep.”
“Andy. Andy. Come on, Andy, pick up. Grr… I know you’re there! Andy, pick up the phone!” No answer. With a disgusted grunt, I slammed the phone back on its receiver, slamming down with a resounding ring. I’d called him five times over the whole day, and he hadn’t picked up once. I really couldn’t blame him, but it was so darned frustrating… If only he would let me apologize. Tonight was Halloween night… hopefully I’d be able to find Andy somewhere tonight, if I stuck to the big streets. And hopefully I’d find a way to get this costume off.
Nothing had worked so far- the zipper had indeed vanished, and cutting the costume off was out of the question, it hurt each time I tried, as if I was stabbing my own skin. I’d even tried going back to the Halloween Haven and forcing Mister Sly take it off, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was as if the store had never existed. All I had were the cryptic words in Sly’s letter: “Return the wolf to me, provided that you prove you don’t need it anymore.” How was I supposed to prove that I didn’t want it if I couldn’t take the thing off?
I left the house at 8 P.M. feeling completely desperate and miserable, knowing that I would be stuck as a beast with monstrous impulses if I didn’t find a cure before midnight. The rising full moon seemed to taunt me, racing upward to its highest point in the sky. I didn’t carry a watch with me- it would no longer fit on my arm- but I could somehow tell what time it was. I guess wolves have some sort of internal clock. I needed to find Andy. I knew somehow that if I apologized to Andy, then everything would be all right.
9 P.M. I walked up and down the main streets. People showered me with compliments on my costume, but I could’ve cared less.
10 P.M. I still had time. That’s all I kept repeating to myself, running through the streets now, keeping a watchful eye out for my friend.
11 P.M. Now I was getting worried. I was running on all fours now, startling the few trick-or-treaters that were still out and about. I didn’t have time to be concerned about that, in fact, I was beginning to think that I didn’t have any choice. I had spoken in hours, and I suspect that I had lost that ability too… Where was Andy?
Finally, at 11:45 P.M., I began to accept the reality that I probably wasn’t going to find him. I turned towards home, resigned to being stuck this way forever. Maybe my family would welcome a big dog in their house? It was then that I heard a scream coming from the next street; a scream I would recognize anywhere. That was Andy!
My muscles moved without thought, barreling straight towards the sound of Andy’s voice, through the woods between the two streets. I felt sharp pains as the bushes and brambles tugged against me, but the pain didn’t matter, all that was important was that I got to Andy. I burst onto the street, taking in the scene in a split second- there was Andy, huddled on the sidewalk, and across from him was a great black dog, stalking steadily forward with fangs bared.
Faster than thought, I put myself between Andy and the dog, staring it down. “Get out!” I shouted, lunging forward, trying to scare the beast away. It worked; the dog turned tail and ran, with his tail tucked between his legs. Of course it did. A dog was no match for a wolf.
I turned towards Andy. “Are you okay?”
Andy slowly rose from the ground, looking shaken. “Y-yeah. I got startled, is all. Dude, are you okay? You’re scratched up real bad.”
“Am I?” I asked. I took a look down at myself. It was true- I was covered in small scrapes and bruises that ran all over my arms, shoulders, and hands. Wait… hands? I looked down again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and then let out a giant “Whoop!” of joy. I had hands, not paws!
“Hey, where’s your costume, anyway, Brendan?” asked Andy carefully, wary of bringing up last night.
I gave him a relieved smile. “I don’t have a clue, Andy, and I think we’re better off without it… So, erm… friends?”
Andy gave me a long, hard look, and then broke into a smile. “Sure. Friends. I’ll see you tomorrow, Brendan. I think I’ve had enough excitement tonight.”
“Yeah. See you,” I said, watching him head back for home. I stood there alone for a while, waiting for the voice to come from behind me.
“Good job, Brendan.”
“Mister Sly,” I said, not bothering to turn around. “So, where’s the costume now?”
“Back at Halloween Haven, of course, waiting for the next kid like you. I sent it back the moment you charged in to protect your friend- the moment you showed true bravery, the kind that doesn’t come from a mask or a costume. I do trust you had a remarkable Halloween?”
“There’ll never be another one like it. Thanks.”
Perfect Costume: Guaranteed
“Hey, Brendan, you got your costume ready for this weekend?”
I looked across my lunch tray at my friend Andy, the only other person who was sitting at the table with me. He was short, with brown hair and a boyish face. He also wore glasses, because, according to his mother, he’d killed his eyes three times over by staring at computer screens all day. Andy said that they made him look smarter. He was peering at me through those glasses right now, waiting for my response.
“Well… sort of. I know what I want to be, but I haven’t picked out a costume yet.”
Andy’s eyes widened, just like I’d expected them to. “No way! C’mon Brendan, Halloween’s like, only two days away, and you always have the best costume in the entire grade! What happened?”
“I know, I know…” I replied, bending down to pick string beans off my tray. “It’s just… I haven’t found a costume that I really like, you know? I really want to make this year count- my mom’s starting to hint that I’m getting a little too old for Halloween.”
“Bah. No one’s too old for Halloween. ‘sides, think of all the free candy!” said Andy with a grin.
I smiled back. “I knew you’d say that. Always in it for the candy, huh?”
“Well, duh! Who doesn’t like free candy? It’s, like, free! Look man, you’ve got to get yourself a costume before Sunday night.” Andy spread his arms wide, an excited gleam in his eyes. “You and me, we’re going to hit all of the biggest streets in town, and if this is going to be your last Halloween, then I want it to be the best Halloween that we’ve ever had.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ll check some more stores tonight. I’ll come up with something,” I replied.
That afternoon, I went to Wisteria Avenue, the central commercial hub in our little town. Wherever you needed to find something, and whenever you needed to find it, you could be sure that one of the shops down this two-mile street would have it in stock. At least, that’s what everyone said. For the past few weeks, the stores on Wisteria had been woefully under stocked in terms of great Halloween costumes.
I pulled up the corners of my jacket against the cool October breeze and kept moving, sticking to the right side of the crowded streets, peering into shop windows as I moved along. I thought back to my conversation with Andy- he might have liked Halloween for the candy, but this day held a special place for me. See, Last Halloween, I was Dracula, complete with dark swooping cape and flashing fangs. The year before that, I got to be King Kong, and I was Batman the year before that, the mighty caped crusader. All were preferable to skinny, shy, quiet Brendan.
I looked to the sky, to the moon, which shone with a brilliant silver light, a few slivers away from being full. It would be perfect by Halloween night… if I could only find the right costume!
It was at that moment that I found the store. I had never seen it before, although that was to be expected; it was a short, squat store, the kind that people can walk past without ever really noticing. There was one thick black window, and one heavy-looking wooden door, above which hung a small glowing lantern. Printed on the window in wispy, orange letters were these words:
HALLOWEEN HAVEN:
Perfect Costume Guaranteed
“Guaranteed?” I asked. “Well, okay. What’s there to lose?” And so, with no better options in sight, I stepped into the Halloween store. Old, dim, lanterns like the one outside hung from the ceiling; they swung creakily with the gust of wind that I let in through the heavy wooden door. Musky puffs of dust shot up as my feet crossed the velvety red carpet. The door suddenly shut behind me, cutting off all noise from Wisteria.
I suddenly realized that I was all alone, in this dark, silent building; I could begin to feel a prickle of unease shoot down my back. I took a tentative step forwards, and a sharp beep sounded right beneath me! It took me a few heart stopping moments to realize that it was just the watch on my arm. It was nine P.M.; my parents wanted me back by ten. I pressed onwards with quickened steps.
The lights brightened the further I walked in, and I felt myself beginning to relax. Whoever ran this place really knew what he was doing. All of the effects were there: The cobwebs, the heavy shadows… there was even a large blood stain painted realistically on the back of one of the wooden costume racks. And then there were the costumes themselves: A wrapped up mummy stood to my right, whose ratty bandages crinkled quietly as I walked past. Next to him was a patchwork Frankenstein, somehow reeking of decay. I walked past the Frankenstein, and past a tall mannequin in a stiff black suit, with disturbingly life-like black eyes, and that was when I found it.
It was a werewolf costume, without a doubt the very best werewolf costume that I had ever seen. It looked for all the world like a living, breathing creature: The veined, bulging eyes blazed with life, and the metallic claws shimmered in the lamplight. I ran my hand through its rough, bristly brown fur, and then tapped its big black nose, which was wet. “Wicked…” I whispered to myself.
“Isn’t it, though?” A gravelly voice replied, as a gnarled hand clamped down around my shoulder. I won’t deny it: I screamed out loud, whipping around to break free of the thing’s grasp. For one crazy second, I thought that the mannequin had come alive, but then I realized that this ‘mannequin’ was really a gray-haired man, looking down at me with mirth in his black eyes, the only two points of light on his heavily lined face.
“Did I frighten you, young man?” he asked, laughing. He had a raspy laugh; it sounded like a dog being sick. “I do that to all my customers. The name’s Sly. Mister Sly, proud long-time owner of Halloween Haven.”
He extended his hand for me to shake. For an old man, his grip was unexpectedly strong.
“Now, I see you’ve taken a liking to my werewolf friend over there,” said Mister Sly.
I turned back towards the wolf man. The lamplight caught over its razor sharp teeth, sending a shiver down my spine. It was perfect. Wordlessly, I nodded.
“Excellent!” said Mister Sly, rubbing his hands together. “Then it’s settled. The wolf is your responsibility now, my very young friend. Meet me at the counter over there, and we’ll ring it up.”
He stepped past me and went about animatedly removing the costume from its perch, waving me to the counter in the back of the room with his free hand. A sweeping black curtain hung on the wall behind the glass counter, which was covered in a thick layer of dust. A myriad of clunky looking antiques rested atop the counter, including a typewriter, a locket, and a lit candelabra, but no cash register, nor a cash box of any kind.
“Mister Sly? Are you sure that I should wait here…” I began, turning back around, but I could no longer see the old man.
“Um… Mister Sly?”
“Right here, my boy,” came a voice from behind me. I jumped and whipped around to see Mister Sly grinning at me from across the counter, the dark curtain whipping dramatically behind him. “And I’ve got your new friend all wrapped up as well,” he added, dropping a brown shopping bag onto the counter.
I looked from the counter to the costume racks in bewilderment- how had he moved so quickly? I opened my mouth, intending to ask him just that, but then changed my mind at the last second. After all, maybe it was a trade secret. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to know. Instead, I asked, “How much is it?”
Mister Sly frowned, and he suddenly gave me a strange look, as if I was some exotic animal that he had never seen before. The light from the candelabra heavily shadowed his face; he looked almost demented. I took a step back, wondering how I had offended him.
“Tell me, Brendan. Do you like Halloween?” he asked calmly.
“I, uh, I love it!” I stammered. How did he know my name?
“Is there any particular reason why?”
“Well, um… I guess… I like the costumes. It’s cool to be someone or something else for a day, you know?”
Mister Sly smiled at this for some reason. “Well, well, isn’t that interesting. Nothing like being a werewolf on the night of the full moon, eh? Now, I believe you asked how much this costume costs?” He slid the bag across the counter towards me. “Take it. There’s no charge.”
I hesitated, not sure if I had heard him correctly. “What do you mean? Are you sure-”
“Absolutely,” said Mister Sly, veritably shoving the bag into my hands. “Didn’t you read the window? ‘Perfect costume, guaranteed.’ Besides, I feel that it’s better off in your hands.”
“I, er… well… thank you!” I said, still slightly taken aback.
“No, no, Brendan, thank you.” And with that, Mister Sly leant over, blew out the candelabra, and disappeared into the shadows.
I still had difficulty getting Mister Sly out of my mind when I got home. He’d been so strange, what with his creepy voice, and the way that he kept on appearing and disappearing. And how had he known my name? I knew that I hadn’t mentioned it in the store before… did I? Well, there wasn’t any point in getting hung up over it; I probably would never see him again. Besides, if he was nice enough to give me my costume for free, he couldn’t have been all bad.
I had taken the costume out of the bag, and it was sitting on the corner of my bed, all folded up with the head on top. The way its eyes were crafted, It could have been watching me. I chuckled at the thought, bending over and lifting the costume off of the bed. I was filled with an urge to try it on, just to see what it would feel like.
The costume was made up of entirely one piece, from the top of the ears to the tip of the tail. There was a metal zipper running down the back of the costume that I had to pull to get in; it was well hidden under the bunches of fur that hung from the entire costume. I stuck one foot in, and then the other, my toes reaching to the very bottom of the foot paws, and then put in the arms, extending them to the claw tips. Lastly, I pulled the furry wolf head over my own, and scrabbled at the zipper that was now at the base of the tail, pulling it up with some difficulty.
The costume fit perfectly; it was almost like wearing a second skin. It had seemed a little heavy before, but know it felt perfectly manageable. I could see excellently through the eyeholes, which must have been hidden above the eyes, and breathing wasn’t a problem either. I did feel a bit warm, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable sort of warm. No, instead it was an invigorating type of warmth that was spreading through my entire body. I felt strong- I felt invincible. Just for fun, I swung out with one of my new paws. The claws swung through the air with a satisfying whoosh. I laughed, pleased with myself, and pounced onto my bed on all fours, my new tail wagging with the motion, which made me grin again. I curled up on top of the sheets- it would be way too hot to put on the covers- and waited for the morning. This Halloween was going to be awesome.
I was slightly confused when I woke up the next morning and saw that I had somehow grown fur, until I remembered everything that had happened last night. I pulled a clawed paw back with some reluctance to take off the costume- it was awesome to wear, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone else before Halloween night. I reached behind my neck for the zipper. It wasn’t there.
How was that possible? It had been right there the night before… could it have fallen off? Was that why Mister Sly had given it to me for free? I turned around in circles around my bed, moving aside sheets and checking under the bed for the lost zipper, with no success. I flumped down onto the bed, and I heard the paper costume bag fall with a crinkle onto it’s side, and felt something fall onto my leg. I looked up hopefully, but it wasn’t my lost zipper. Instead, it was a crinkled up sheet of old yellow paper. I picked it up; it was a note written in a spidery pen.
Dear Brendan,
You wanted to be a werewolf for Halloween, didn’t you? Well, my friend, your wish is about to come true. I hope you like the costume- in fact; I daresay that you’ll find yourself rather… attached. If you find that you’ve changed your mind, Brendan, you have until midnight on Halloween to return the wolf to me, provided that you prove you don’t need it anymore. Otherwise, I will assume that you are happy with the way you are now; happy with living as the big, bad, wolf, and you will stay that way forever more.
Enjoy your perfect costume.
Mister Ious Sly
“What in the world?” I muttered to myself, reading and rereading the letter. It was ridiculous, fantastical! How could Mister Sly expect me to believe that I was wearing a magic costume? But then again… I thought back to all that had happened at Halloween Haven last night. It would explain a lot of things… and Mister Sly definitely fit the bill for a creepy old magician.
I reread the letter. “Stay as the big, bad, wolf forever more… forever more?” …Well, what’s wrong with that!? asked a fierce little voice in the back of my head. Better a big bad wolf than a scrawny little kid any day. I walked across the room and picked up the phone, plugging in Andy’s number. If I was going to be a wolf for the rest of my life, I might as well start getting used to it now, tonight.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Andy. It’s Brendan.”
“Whoa! Hey, Brendan, what’s up with your voice? You sound… different.”
“Is it? I hadn’t noticed…”
“Yeah, it is! All gravelly and stu-”
“Well, that’s beside the point,” I said impatiently, cutting him off. “Listen, I found my costume yesterday. Do you want to meet up tonight and prowl around a little bit?”
“Tonight? Brendan, tonight’s Mischief Night… d’you really wanna-”
“Sure! Why not? It’ll be awesome! Besides, where’s the fun without any risk? I’ll meet you on Magnolia Street at 9 PM, okay?”
“Uhm… I dunno…”
“Don’t wimp out, Andy. I want you to see my costume!”
“Al-alright Brendan. I’ll See you tonight.”
“See ya,” I said, hanging up the phone and wondering when Andy had started to lose his nerve.
The sun had set by the time I had left the house that night, and the moon rose high up in the clear dark sky, just a small sliver from being full. I loped along the streets, keeping to the shadows, sometimes walking on twos and sometimes on fours, whichever was more comfortable at the time. I didn’t need to bother with a flashlight, as I could see perfectly, probably thanks to that costume once again.
I found Andy waiting for me at the school, with a flashlight in hand. Even from a distance, you could tell he was nervous; he kept checking his watch and looking around anxiously. I decided to have a little fun with him first, creeping around behind him on my paws, slowly, carefully, until I was right behind him, and then…
“RAWR!”
Just like I expected, Andy jumped straight into the air like a little girl, dropping his flashlight and running towards the nearest lamppost.
“Hey, Andy! Calm down! It’s me!” I shouted after him, allowing the flashlight beam to fall on me.
“Geez, Brendan, my heart’s beatin’ that fast,” squeaked Andy, his face turning white. He didn’t approach, preferring to stay in the safety of the streetlight. “So, that’s the new costume, eh?”
“Yeah,” I said with a grin, standing up and doing a little spin to show it off. “You like it?”
“It’s… cool, I guess.” He still didn’t move from the lamppost, and his tone turned accusatory. “Where were you? I was waitin’ outside for about 15 minutes!”
“Oh, yeah. I got a little distracted by the costume, took a couple detours… it’s really cool, you know? It’s almost feels like I’m really a wolf.”
“Well, that’s… nice.”
“Nice? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Just, I was thinkin’ you’d have thought of me first, before going off to play in your new costume.”
“What, you needed me to come babysit you in the night?” I teased.
“What? Hey, listen, Brendan, that’s not funny-”
“Or maybe you just didn’t like the exercise? Heaven knows you could use it,” I interrupted jokingly. “Or maybe-”
“What’s happened to you!? How’d you turn from my best friend into a jerk in just one day?” shouted Andy, turning around and storming off. I stood there in disbelief. What was he so upset about? I was only kidding!
“A jerk, huh? Well, at least I’m not a wimp like you!” I shouted back. Andy didn’t reply. Instead, he walked faster, turned the corner, and disappeared from view. A sudden wave of guilt washed over me- what made me say those things?
Well, it’s true… said the voice snidely. Chickening out like that…
“Andy’s my best friend! Andy’s my only friend…”
You don’t need him. You can make plenty of new friends now.
“No I can’t! I’ve turned into a monster!”
But it’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To be big, brave, and strong?
“But not to be a jerk!”
All of that energy I had before, all of that strength and power, it all felt like a terrible burden now. I turned around and began to run, needing to use up all that terrible energy. I ran all the way home, slipped through my window, and collapsed on my bed, mentally and physically exhausted.
“Hello, you’ve reached the Goldman home. We’re not here right now- please leave a message at the sound of the beep.”
“Andy. Andy. Come on, Andy, pick up. Grr… I know you’re there! Andy, pick up the phone!” No answer. With a disgusted grunt, I slammed the phone back on its receiver, slamming down with a resounding ring. I’d called him five times over the whole day, and he hadn’t picked up once. I really couldn’t blame him, but it was so darned frustrating… If only he would let me apologize. Tonight was Halloween night… hopefully I’d be able to find Andy somewhere tonight, if I stuck to the big streets. And hopefully I’d find a way to get this costume off.
Nothing had worked so far- the zipper had indeed vanished, and cutting the costume off was out of the question, it hurt each time I tried, as if I was stabbing my own skin. I’d even tried going back to the Halloween Haven and forcing Mister Sly take it off, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was as if the store had never existed. All I had were the cryptic words in Sly’s letter: “Return the wolf to me, provided that you prove you don’t need it anymore.” How was I supposed to prove that I didn’t want it if I couldn’t take the thing off?
I left the house at 8 P.M. feeling completely desperate and miserable, knowing that I would be stuck as a beast with monstrous impulses if I didn’t find a cure before midnight. The rising full moon seemed to taunt me, racing upward to its highest point in the sky. I didn’t carry a watch with me- it would no longer fit on my arm- but I could somehow tell what time it was. I guess wolves have some sort of internal clock. I needed to find Andy. I knew somehow that if I apologized to Andy, then everything would be all right.
9 P.M. I walked up and down the main streets. People showered me with compliments on my costume, but I could’ve cared less.
10 P.M. I still had time. That’s all I kept repeating to myself, running through the streets now, keeping a watchful eye out for my friend.
11 P.M. Now I was getting worried. I was running on all fours now, startling the few trick-or-treaters that were still out and about. I didn’t have time to be concerned about that, in fact, I was beginning to think that I didn’t have any choice. I had spoken in hours, and I suspect that I had lost that ability too… Where was Andy?
Finally, at 11:45 P.M., I began to accept the reality that I probably wasn’t going to find him. I turned towards home, resigned to being stuck this way forever. Maybe my family would welcome a big dog in their house? It was then that I heard a scream coming from the next street; a scream I would recognize anywhere. That was Andy!
My muscles moved without thought, barreling straight towards the sound of Andy’s voice, through the woods between the two streets. I felt sharp pains as the bushes and brambles tugged against me, but the pain didn’t matter, all that was important was that I got to Andy. I burst onto the street, taking in the scene in a split second- there was Andy, huddled on the sidewalk, and across from him was a great black dog, stalking steadily forward with fangs bared.
Faster than thought, I put myself between Andy and the dog, staring it down. “Get out!” I shouted, lunging forward, trying to scare the beast away. It worked; the dog turned tail and ran, with his tail tucked between his legs. Of course it did. A dog was no match for a wolf.
I turned towards Andy. “Are you okay?”
Andy slowly rose from the ground, looking shaken. “Y-yeah. I got startled, is all. Dude, are you okay? You’re scratched up real bad.”
“Am I?” I asked. I took a look down at myself. It was true- I was covered in small scrapes and bruises that ran all over my arms, shoulders, and hands. Wait… hands? I looked down again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and then let out a giant “Whoop!” of joy. I had hands, not paws!
“Hey, where’s your costume, anyway, Brendan?” asked Andy carefully, wary of bringing up last night.
I gave him a relieved smile. “I don’t have a clue, Andy, and I think we’re better off without it… So, erm… friends?”
Andy gave me a long, hard look, and then broke into a smile. “Sure. Friends. I’ll see you tomorrow, Brendan. I think I’ve had enough excitement tonight.”
“Yeah. See you,” I said, watching him head back for home. I stood there alone for a while, waiting for the voice to come from behind me.
“Good job, Brendan.”
“Mister Sly,” I said, not bothering to turn around. “So, where’s the costume now?”
“Back at Halloween Haven, of course, waiting for the next kid like you. I sent it back the moment you charged in to protect your friend- the moment you showed true bravery, the kind that doesn’t come from a mask or a costume. I do trust you had a remarkable Halloween?”
“There’ll never be another one like it. Thanks.”