Ahmed yawned. ‘Pfft, what kind of horror story’s this?’
Mr French smiled with relief. ‘I don’t have to hit him now at least. My children are used to stories from The Horror Bus. This Bucket guy doesn’t have a clue.’
Alfie stood under the trees while the others listened to Hunter Sam’s story. He stared numbly at the full moon, which was shining white and bright in the sky and hanging right over the clearing. It’s too late! he thought. I can feel that it’s going to happen again. The moonlight oozed over his skin. His face, his arms, his legs – every part of him started itching.
31
Hide!
Alfie looked down at his hands. White hair was spreading over them rapidly. This time it was real – werewolf itch – and there was no stopping it. Alfie didn’t hesitate for a second; he stepped back into the darkness.
‘Alfie, you coming?’ he heard Noura call softly.
No! thought Alfie. No, no, no! She mustn’t see me like this. He started to run away from the clearing where Noura and the others were sitting. He didn’t look where he was going. He just kept running.
Dumb, dumb, dumb! he thought. I should have known. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I shouldn’t have come on the forest walk. Idiot, idiot, idiot! I should have gone home with Dad. I knew that it would be full moon again. Why was I so pig-headed?
‘Because you wanted to join in with the others,’ the voice in his head interrupted. ‘So stop moaning. Just make sure no one sees you.’
‘Easy for you to say,’ Alfie growled.
Panting, he leapt over a fallen tree. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth. All at once he felt like sitting down right where he was. He didn’t have the energy to take another step. He was tired. He couldn’t be bothered. It was all so pointless. What’s more his shoes were pinching terribly and his clothes were way too tight. His neck hair was bulging out of his collar.
He sat down on a stump and leant his head on his forepaws. Why did I think no one would notice? I just wanted to have a nice time with Noura, but now I have to run away again. It will always be like this. Whenever it starts to be fun, I’ll have to run away. Because I’m not normal like all the other kids.
If only Tim was here! How many times had he thought that by now? But Tim wasn’t here. There was no one to comfort him. Alfie raised his face to the moon and howled. Two gleaming streams ran out of his eyes and down over his muzzle. He sniffed and howled again.
Maybe the others would hear him. What do I care? thought Alfie. They’ll probably think it’s a real wolf. And then they’ll stay away. Anyway, I am a real wolf. A danger to the neighbourhood. A burden to Tim and his family. He hung his head. In the moonlight the tear that fell from his eye looked silver.
Suddenly he heard footsteps hurrying up behind him. Someone was coming. Shocked, Alfie looked around. The footsteps were close by. A beam of light pierced the bushes. Hide, thought Alfie. Quick, I have to … He looked left, he looked right. Where could he go? The next instant Noura came running up.
She stood there panting and shaking twigs and leaves out of her hair. ‘Alfie, what …’ Then Noura fell silent.
32
Go Away!
For a few seconds Alfie sat perfectly still while Noura stood there staring at him. Then he moved, bringing his arms up over his head and bending forward until his snout was almost between his knees, trying to screw himself up into a ball, wishing he could just disappear.
‘Go away!’ he growled. ‘Please. Just go away. Nobody’s allowed to see me!’
Alfie stayed sitting there, bent over and not saying a word, not daring to look up at Noura. Maybe she’d start to scream or run away as fast as she could. Either way, she’d be terrified and never want to see him again. He waited. Not a leaf rustled. Not a twig snapped. Where was Noura? Had she run away already? Or fainted perhaps? Had she gone to get the rest of them?
Alfie was still too scared to look up and made a growling, sobbing noise. His shoulders jolted. Suddenly he felt a hand on his neck, a warm hand gently stroking him.
‘Alfie,’ Noura said. ‘Don’t cry.’
Pointy fingertips tickled his head. Alfie raised his shoulders fearfully with his whole body trembling.
‘Alfie, look at me.’
Alfie shook his head.
‘Come on, look at me.’
‘I’m too scared.’
Again Noura’s fingers stroked his coat until finally Alfie raised his head. His wet eyes were gleaming. Now she would start screaming.
‘Oh, poor Alfie,’ Noura said in a sweet, gentle voice. She took his head between her two hands. ‘What is this? What happened to you?’
‘Wrow,’ he whimpered softly. ‘I … I’m a werewolf. I have been since I turned seven. I can’t help it. Each month at full moon I turn into a wolf. Usually three nights in a row. This is the second night.’
‘Oh,’ said Noura. ‘So last night you were …’
Alfie nodded. ‘It’s in my family. My grandpa is a werewolf too.’ He hung his head. ‘So now you know. Go tell the others. Tell them I’m a monster.’
‘Never! What do you take me for? You’re not a monster! And you needn’t think I’d betray your secret. Not to anyone! Poor Alfie. Is this why you’ve been acting strange the whole time? Now I understand. You must have been so scared.’
Alfie finally dared to raise his head. He looked into the brown eyes with the golden speckles. ‘Wrow? But, um, don’t you think I’m horrific? I’m a wild animal. A drooling wolf. I pee on trees. I devour chickens in my free time!’
Noura smiled. ‘Is that all! I know people who do things that are much worse than that. And they’re not even werewolves. What’s more,’ she grabbed Alfie’s head again, ‘I think you’re a very cute wolf.’
She planted a quick kiss on the top of Alfie’s head and a feeling of enormous happiness surged through him. Noura wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘You’re just a nice big cuddly toy. You feel just like my teddy bear.’
‘Wrow.’
Alfie had a tremendous urge to wag his tail. He panted hard with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. This must be what a dog feels like when its owner hugs it.
He looked up at the sky and saw a magnificent moon, round and full like a giant ping-pong ball, a moon that made him want to howl for joy.
‘Ouch!’ Noura suddenly shouted.
‘What’s wrong?’ growled Alfie, startled.
There was blood on Noura’s neck. He had been so overjoyed, he had bitten her.
33
Leo’s Forest
Stupid, clumsy werewolf! flashed through his head and he immediately started whimpering with misery. ‘Oh, Noura. I didn’t mean to, um, it was—’
‘Shhh, hush,’ Noura consoled him. ‘It was only a nip. It doesn’t hurt.’
‘Wrow, are you sure?’
Noura nodded and wiped the blood away with a tissue.
There were teeth marks visible on her neck and she was still bleeding. Alfie felt really awful, but the next instant they heard a loud rustling above their heads. Branches snapped and leaves floated down. Then something big fell out of the sky, landing right in front of them. Something with arms and legs. A boy. He banged down on the ground and jumped up immediately. It was a tall, skinny boy with a pointy face, cropped hair, big ears and one thick, joined-up eyebrow. His jeans and coat were held together by string, sticky tape and staples. Leo!
The boy looked at Alfie, curled his upper lip and growled. ‘Leo warnded you. This be Leo’s forest. Youse had to go. Now Leo’s biting you!’
Alfie stood dead still opposite Leo. Noura grabbed Alfie’s paw and looked at the big boy in terror. ‘Who’s he?’ she whispered. ‘And why is he wearing those silly clothes? Do you know him?’
Alfie didn’t take his eyes off the boy. ‘That’s Leo,’ he growled. ‘I don’t know him. I don’t know what he wants from me.’
‘Out of the ways!’ Leo snarled at Noura. ‘I’s gonna bites him.’
Immediately Alfie leapt
in front of Noura, growling menacingly. ‘You should leave while you can, Leo. Otherwise I’ll bite you. I’m a wolf!’
Leo stared at Alfie for a moment, then started laughing. He bent over double and slapped his knees with his hands. Leo shrieked with laughter.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ Noura asked. ‘What’s he laughing at?’
‘I don’t know,’ growled Alfie.
Leo was still bent over with laughter. When he straightened up again, his eyes were bright yellow. ‘Youse call that a wolf?’ he growled. ‘Don’t make Leo laugh! That be no wolf.’
In one go Leo changed. He grew bigger. He grew wider. His big ears turned pointy. Suddenly he was hairy all over. His face stretched into a snout and his mouth turned into two jaws full of sharp teeth. His hands changed to paws. His feet burst out of his shoes. His clothes ripped open, tearing from top to bottom. Strips of material flew off in all directions. Staples, safety pins and bits of string shot off.
‘So that’s why he wears those silly clothes,’ Noura whispered. ‘He keeps bursting out of them.’
‘Wow, I almost never do that,’ growled Alfie. ‘At least, not so much.’ There was admiration in his voice.
Standing in front of them was an enormous grey wolf, at least twice as big as Alfie. He was so gigantic, his body seemed to block out the moon. His eyes glowed. His teeth flashed. His voice sounded like thunder. ‘This be a wolf! Leo be a wolf. And now he does more than just biteses. Now Leo’s eating little wolfie up. Every last bits. All his little teeths and nailses. His whole caboodles. Little wolfie should’ve listened to Leo. Leo warnded him.’
The enormous werewolf stretched and roared at the moon. His claws shone like daggers in the moonlight. The trees seemed to tremble and Alfie cringed with fear. He didn’t stand a chance against such an enormous wolf. And Tim wasn’t there to come up with a clever plan.
Suddenly Noura jumped in front of him. ‘Go away, you big bully. Leave Alfie alone. Otherwise …’
The big wolf looked down on her with a sneer. ‘Other whys … Other whats? Out of the way, smidget.’ With a single swipe, Leo brushed Noura aside, sending her rolling over the ground and crashing into a tree two or three metres away. Noura stayed lying there, dead still.
‘Beast,’ Alfie growled, throwing himself at Leo.
‘Youse right!’ Leo roared. ‘Leo be a brutes of a beast!’ His claws shot out and he grabbed Alfie by the scruff of his neck, lifting him up as if he was as light as a feather. In the same instant, a voice rang through the forest.
‘Leo, stop that!’
34
Cousins
Leo was still holding Alfie up in the air. Surprised he turned his enormous head. ‘Huh? Who be calling Leo’s name?’
Alfie kicked furiously in an attempt to break free. His legs thrashed wildly but Leo had no trouble at all holding him up in the air. He gave Alfie a shake.
‘Stop wriggling, youse,’ Leo growled. ‘Be a bit patient, please. Leo’s eating you up soon enoughs. First Leo’s wanting to know who be calling his name.’
‘Shame on you, Leo,’ the same voice called. ‘Let him go this instant.’
Alfie was astonished to see a familiar figure approaching on the path. Hat, long raincoat, walking stick …
Alfie recognized him immediately.
‘Grandpa Werewolf!’ he shouted, wriggling again.
‘What’s Leo telled you?’
But Alfie was too excited, with joy this time. Grandpa Werewolf was coming. He was saved!
Panting, the old wolf came closer, his hat crooked on his head. He waved his walking stick in the air, then pointed it at Leo. Alfie’s courage sank into his werewolf paws. Next to Leo, Grandpa looked very puny. The old werewolf would be helpless against the enormous young werewolf.
‘Put him down, Leo,’ Grandpa snapped. ‘Now!’
To Alfie’s astonishment, Leo obeyed immediately, gently putting Alfie down on the ground. Noura scrambled back up and ran over to Alfie.
Leo’s mighty forelegs hung limp alongside his body. He looked at Grandpa Werewolf. ‘Grandpa be angry?’
Alfie was totally confused. Leo must know Grandpa. More than that: Leo called Grandpa ‘Grandpa’.
Grandpa Werewolf glared at Leo for a moment with a fiery look in his eyes. Then he reached out with one paw and the glow in his eyes dimmed. He scratched Leo between the ears. He had to stand on his toes and stretch up high to do it.
‘No, I’m not angry at you. But don’t ever try to eat my grandson again.’
Leo’s eyes turned glassy. He looked at Alfie, then at Grandpa Werewolf, then back at Alfie. He did it a few times. His mouth dropped, his tongue rolled out.
‘Little werewolf be Grandpa’s grandson too?’
Now it was Alfie’s turn to be astonished. ‘Too? Is Leo your grandson too?’
Grandpa Werewolf nodded and smiled with a grin so wide it showed every last one of his teeth. ‘That’s right, you’re both my grandsons. You’re cousins!’
Leo looked at Alfie. ‘Cousin!’ he roared. ‘I be your cousin, youse be my cousin.’ He spread his forelegs, then lifted Alfie up again, this time almost crushing him in a warm hug.
Then he put Alfie back down and started bawling. Big fat tears ran down his muzzle and splashed on to Alfie’s head. ‘Leo be sorry! He’s close to eating up his own little werewolf cuz. Forgives him, forgives him. Leo be sore-fully, sore-fully, sorry.’
Alfie stood there a little awkwardly. He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he comfort the wolf that had been going to eat him just a moment before?
‘I feel a bit sorry for him, don’t you?’ whispered Noura.
Alfie hesitated, then stretched out a paw. ‘Um, Leo, I forgive you, OK? I—’
He didn’t get a chance to say another word. Suddenly there was an enormous racket as all kinds of figures emerged from the undergrowth. Leading the way was Hunter Sam with his super torch. Behind him came Mr French, Miss James and the other kids. Everyone was there.
Oh no! thought Alfie. Too late. Now they can all see me. He tried to get away from Hunter Sam’s bright light, hiding behind Noura, but the hunter summed up the situation in a glance. ‘A-ha! I told you, eh? Wolves. Hen-killers!’
‘Cool!’ shouted Vincent. ‘This is a lot more exciting than Hunter Sam’s tired old ghost story.’
The hunter panted with excitement. ‘Now you’re glad my friend’s here eh? Now I can blast away after all!’
He raised his gun and took aim.
‘Stop!’ screamed Noura.
35
Bang!
There was a loud bang. A flame shot out of the barrel of the rifle. Alfie and Noura both jumped with fright and horror. Leo let out an ear-splitting screech, disappeared into the bushes with one enormous leap and ran off yelping.
‘Eh, too bad,’ said Hunter Sam. ‘I only hit his ear, I think.’
Quickly, he reloaded his rifle.
‘Wait,’ Mr French shouted. ‘Wait! No more shooting! Can’t you see that’s one of our kids right there. Next thing you’ll hit Noura.’
‘Oh, really?’ screamed Hunter Sam. ‘What about that funny-looking dressed-up wolf, eh? I’ve seen that one before in my henhouse. Just like that big grey one, eh? Except that time the white one wasn’t wearing any clothes.’
Mr French scratched his head. He saw a small, white wolf dressed in Alfie’s clothes. He saw Noura. And he saw a strange character in a long raincoat, with a hat on. He looked like a wolf too, an old wolf with a hat and a walking stick.
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ the old wolf said. ‘I wouldn’t shoot at these innocent children.’
Mr French’s head started to spin. A talking wolf with a coat and a hat!
‘Noura, what is this all about?’ Mr French asked. ‘Can you explain it to me?’
Before Noura could answer, Rose stepped forward, pointing at Alfie.
‘That’s it!’ she shouted. ‘That’s the stupid white wolf that was in the boys’ toilets. I told you. I knew it. T
hat stupid wolf almost scared me to death. Go on, shoot it, you stupid hunter. Shoot it!’
Hunter Sam put his gun up to his shoulder.
‘No!’ Mr French shouted.
‘Oh, yes,’ Hunter Sam muttered. ‘Yes! I’m going to shoot that white wolf right between the eyes. If you ask me it’s eaten up one of your pupils, eh? And then it put on his clothes.’
‘What kind of drivel is that?’ Mr French said. ‘Wolves don’t do things like that.’
Hunter Sam wasn’t listening. He squeezed one eye shut and aimed at Alfie.
No, don’t!’ Noura screamed, jumping in front of Alfie.
‘Out of the way, girlie, or I’ll hit you too, eh?’
‘Not on your nelly, buster!’ Mr French shouted. ‘You’ve fired your last shot around here.’ He clenched one fist, pulled his arm all the way back, then sent his fist whizzing through the air at maximum speed. It was like a rocket rushing in from outer space to land with a bang on Hunter Sam’s chin.
Hunter Sam’s legs buckled. His eyes rolled back in their sockets. He fell like a tree that’s been cut. The rifle went off with an enormous bang, shooting up into the sky. Hunter Sam didn’t make another noise. All the children stared speechlessly at their teacher.
‘Wow!’ said Vincent, in a voice full of admiration.
Miss James was all aflutter. She skipped around Mr French. She patted him on the shoulder. She pinched him on the cheek. ‘Oh, Roger, that was so brave! What a fantastic punch. Wow! You’re a real hero. I feel like giving you a big kiss.’
‘It was nothing,’ Mr French said, blushing slightly. He blew on his knuckles, which had turned bright red. Hopefully nothing was broken, but he could worry about that later. He still didn’t understand what was going on.
He walked over to Noura and pointed at the white, dressed-up wolf. ‘Noura, who or what is that? And why is it wearing Alfie’s clothes?’
Alfie the Werewolf 2: Full Moon Page 7