“Do you believe werewolves are real?” Danny asked his friend Nelson one day while they were skating around their neighborhood.
Nelson blinked surprised at the sudden question, “I don’t know?” he replied not certain.
Danny frowned, not satisfied at his answer, prompting his friend to stop for a break and ask what was the matter.
“Well,” Danny began, “The other day, I was late coming home back from the woods, it was getting dark and I was scared that I might have to travel like that, so I ran as fast as I could, but then I heard something,” At this he paused slightly, “Howling,” He ended saying.
It was Nelson’s turn to frown. “Howling? It might have been a dog.”
“That’s what I also thought,” Danny nodded, not denying his speculation. “I still kept running though, it could have been a wild one, I was thinking about that when the howls got closer and closer, like it was getting near where I was, that got me scared, so I stopped for a bit thinking it might have heard me while I was running, but no! It still kept getting near, luckily I found a small hiding spot under a tree and a big rock and hid, and do you know what I saw?” He asked with another pause.
“What?” Nelson urged him to continue.
“A real Werewolf!” He said dramatically.
Nelson was both confused and disappointed. “You have to give me more details on why I should believe you,” He said flatly.
“He was tall, well as tall as the adults, and really hairy, he was all snarling and drooling foam too!” Danny describes the “werewolf” he saw, doing his best to do an impression that seemed more like a rabid dog.
“So it might have been a big rabid dog?” Nelson did his best not to roll his eyes, “Danny, my family lived here for a long time. I’ve lived here longer than you, like you’ve only been here for two years even, and yet there hasn’t been a mention or rumor of werewolves, well except the old myths here. If there was something like that here, the forest rangers would have been doing more patrols and putting up warnings about dangerous animals.”
“I’m telling you what I saw! It was a werewolf, not a wild animal.” Danny said aggravated.
“It was dark, you were scared and tired from running, it probably made a wild dog look like a big monster to you,” Nelson reasoned. “And besides, if it was a real werewolf, how come you’re here still okay.”
“Oh,” Danny uttered, realizing another crucial thing. “I just remembered, good thing you said it, I was almost werewolf food---“
“Wild dog food.” Nelson interrupted.
“---Werewolf food, it was actually going for me! I was really feeling like peeing my pants from the terror. All I can think of was running or fighting, not that I’d have a chance with either probably,” Danny continued unhindered, “What’s worse was it was already dark and the moon was up, just when I thought maybe hiding is my only hope, another one came after the first! It only got worse! So I just closed my eyes and prayed it wouldn’t hurt much to get eaten.”
Nelson stared at his friend’s pathetic answer.
“But then you know what happened next,” Danny ignored his stare, “I was shaking while hoping it won’t hurt too much but then there was more snarling and growling, I just opened my eyes and saw by the light of the full moon two big werewolves were biting each other in a dogfight!” He exclaims.
“Probably two actual big dogs in a dogfight.” Nelson added dully.
“Your no fun,” Danny grimaced at his friend’s flat reaction. “So the other new one fought the first and then they just kept getting farther away, I took it as a chance to run home. When I got home I told my parents what happened, but they didn’t believe me at all.”
“I can’t by my wildest imagination wonder why,” Nelson drawled sarcastically.
“But they did think it was just wild dogs fighting though, so they called and made a report to the local forest ranger to notify them.”
“Oh, that call my dad’s office got was from you. Alright, so what now? Do you want to go back to the woods with me this time to prove that there was a real werewolf?” Nelson asked his intentions.
“What makes you suggest that!?” Danny asked startled.
“You seem hung up about proving werewolves are real, I’m still, definitely skeptical about that claim,” Nelson said carefully. “But my dad is a forest ranger, he's got a gun that will keep us safe. He might let us tag along to see this through if I ask him.”
“He’ll do that for you?”
“Yup.”
Danny frowned, thinking about his proposition, then made up his mind. “Okay.”
“Good, we’ll make plans, probably two nights later, it would still be fullmoon then.”
“No it doesn’t really have to be on the fullmoon, but I guess with me talking it has to be. Well thanks Nelson.” Danny smiled at his friend.
“Okay, then let’s call it a day, I need to ask my dad about my uncle’s condition.”
“What! Why? What happened to him?” Danny asked.
“He got into a fight last week, good thing it wasn’t serious, the bastard he fought got away though.” Before they went home, Nelson did not forget to ask why he was insistent on his claim of werewolves.
“Remember when I said I was coming home from the woods before seeing the werewolves? I was actually looking for a nice place to make our secret hideout! I found this cool place we can use!” Danny said excitedly sharing his discovery. “I don’t really care much about the werewolves just that it would be a waste if we can’t use it because of them being around so I was upset.”
Nelson snorted at his reason, to think how ridiculous that his friend’s concern was about not being able to use the place for the hideout rather than the actual danger that the werewolves can do to their lives. At his home Nelson talked to his father about their plans to watch out for werewolves.
“He saw them fighting?” Nelson’s Father asked, then snorted. “Your friend’s really something if he’s more upset about that place than being scared of the actual werewolves, not even thinking what it meant to watch out for them.”
“Yeah, he’s a pretty simple guy,” Nelson nodded in agreement. “I wanted to show him its safe here now that the dangers gone. How is Uncle by the way?”
“He’s doing fine, all the wounds from fighting off that wild stray healed good enough. Your friend was lucky your uncle was patrolling that day and decided to watch over him, otherwise we’d be at a funeral.”
“Damn, I wish I was there, I would love to teach that bastard for intruding in our territory.”
“Easy does it young pup,” Nelson’s Father chastised him. “Only after when you finally shift.”
“Why couldn’t I just tell Danny about our secret? I mean, you met his family, they’re good people, were already close.”
“Would you tell me the password to your Facebook and twitter account, son.” Nelsons Father said flatly.
Nelson just grimaced, he felt like he could argue about the difference between the two, but decided to just let it go. Now his mind was occupied with how watching two nights later would turn out, he was half tempted to tell Danny the difference between werewolves and shifters earlier, like most of his kind here, it was annoying to be compared to a misinterpreted myth.