Read Me A Bedtime Story
The Wild Werewolves of Washington Avenue
By Jonathan Joy
Cameron dressed as a werewolf for the annual Halloween parade and for Trick or Treat. She marched alongside costumed kids: wizards, superheroes, and video game characters, oh my. They all dashed down the street and from door to door collecting chocolate and bubble gum, glow bracelets, fake teeth, and more. Mrs. Steele was giving out caramel apples. The McClain family had full size Snicker’s bars! Town dentist Dr. Payne gave out his usual: toothbrushes, floss, and long lectures about the damage sugar can do to teeth.
Cameron ended up befriending another young one in a werewolf costume.
“How interesting that there are two of us.” Cameron noted.
“Oh, there are actually quite a few.” Her new friend commented, leading Cameron to and introducing several more young werewolves.
“Your costumes are so realistic.” Cameron said, pulling on one’s fur.
“Ow!” The kid pulled away.
“Really realistic.” Cameron commented. “Sorry.”
“Thank you.” One of the werewolves replied, while the others snickered suspiciously.
Cameron didn’t recognize any of the werewolf kids. None were her classmates at Splendid Elementary.
“Some of us are virtual students.” One commented.
“We’re homeschooled.” Two others said in unison.
“That’s cool.” Cameron replied. “What about you?” she asked of the one who had not yet spoken.
“I go to a school deep in the thick “Don’t Go There Forest” that borders this place, where classes take place in the dark of night under the illumination of the full moon.”
Cameron looked terrified.
“I mean…I attend a rival school in the next county. Huntington Middle.”
Cameron began to feel uncomfortable. “Okay, well. It was nice meeting you all. I better go now.” She turned and began to walk away briskly, looking over her shoulder occasionally, to note that the werewolves were following her.
Cameron sped up. Her followers did, too.
Cameron turned and confronted the pack. “I’ve taken karate for, like, seven years so you better be careful.”
Everybody was frozen. Stare down.
“Cameron, are you okay?” She recognized the voice, though Cameron kept her gaze on the werewolves. The voice belonged to her civics teacher, Mrs. Morris.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Morris. Just keeping these werewolves in check.” She turned to see Mrs. Morris and was shocked to find her favorite teacher also dressed as a werewolf.
“My, my. What are the chances?” Mrs. Morris howled.
Cameron was now surrounded by werewolves. “Stay back!” She shouted.
Then, the clouds above broke open and the full moon above shined brightly through the overcast night as all the werewolves, save Cameron, of course, began to literally and loudly howl at the moon.
“Okay, I’m out of here.” And she was. Cameron ran and ran. She darted around one corner, leapt over a three-foot fence in a single bound, crossed through her neighbor’s back yard. She never looked behind, but she was sure of two things: Werewolves were real, and they were on her tail in hot pursuit.
Cameron felt a sense of relief when she arrived at her front door. She’d made it.
“Is everything okay, dear?” Her mother uttered.
“Yeah, you seem upset.” Her dad questioned.
Cameron found her two parents, wearing werewolf costumes, staring intently at her.
“We thought it would be cute if we were all werewolves this year.” Her mom said. “What do you think?”
“Yeah.” Her dad added rather ominously. “What do you think?” And her parents began to howl at the moon.
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