Tommy and the Werewolf

Tommy sleepily whispered, “Mama, you have grown a lot of hair on your face, and your teeth have grown right out of your mouth. Mama they look so big,” Tommy chuckled again.

Mama looked out of the small window of her woodland cottage, and seeing a full moon instinctively touched her pretty face. “Oh no. Not again!” Mama sharply breathed a disgusted breath. “I am sick to death of it all, I really and truly am!”

Tommy’s small body shuddered. Horrified, he shrieked, “Mama, Mama. Are you sick to… to die?”

Mama hugged her son. “No Tommy, I am not going to, really die. I only meant I am fed up with all this Werewolf stuff.”

Relieved that his Mama was not going to die, Tommy in a somewhat calmer voice asked, “Mama what’s a Werewolf? I don’t think I’ve read about a Werewolf at school.”

Mama smiled. “No Tommy. You most probably haven’t.” Mama thought ‘how on earth do I explain it to him.’

Tommy promptly sat on Mama’s knee. “Mama, look at your hands. They have grown hair too, same as your face. How do you do that?”

Mama thought hard. ‘How am I going to explain to a six-year-old that his Mama and Dada are indeed Werewolves.’

Tommy sat mesmerised. “Mama, I want to do that too. How cool is that.” Tommy said brightly, “I wouldn’t even need to dress up at Halloween.” Tommy puffed out his chest. “You know Mama, I’m sure for once, I would win first prize.”

Mama still thought hard.

“Mama, will you show me how to grow hair and long teeth?”

“Tommy dear, I…, your Father,…err…” Feeling a distinct body change, Mama halted. “Tommy! Run as fast as you can to Mrs. Brown's cottage, I need…Fetch me some…some…err… sugar…”

Tommy looked puzzled. “Mama! Do I have to? Mrs. Brown’s cottage is very far away.

“No, it’s not. It’s only over the hill.” Mama’s voice rose to a desperate shriek. “Tommy! Don’t argue with me! Go now!”

Tommy sighed. “Oh all right then.”

As soon as Tommy had closed the cottage door, Mama rushed to the mirror. “Oh dear me, what am I going to do?”

Dada shouldn’t have wandered down to that stupid vault, and opening it, well that’s the stupid limit. I warned Dada to stay away, now look at me know. Where is that Dada anyway? He old enough to know better knows than to go wandering about at full moon time. Heaven knows what will happen to him if he is let loose. He should be here in this Werewolf containing cottage.

Mama thought, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t realise earlier that this was full moon time. How am I going to explain it to wee Tommy now that he has seen me altering. Oh, how I wish I had sent him away earlier, and not left it to the last moment.’

Instead of going far away to Mrs. Brown’s cottage, Tommy decided to hide in the nearby bushes.

He watched with terrified eyes, as Dada appeared, with fang dripping teeth, and howling at the full moon.

Mama hearing Dada opened the cottage door. “Dada, get in here now. You know it’s not safe for the villagers, and our Tommy for that matter, that you are out on the loose.”

Dada stated at Mama and howled wildly, “I need to feed. I have the urge to feed now. Even Tommy will do, not that there is much eating in one so small.”

At Papa’s words, Tommy’s eyes sprung open. He held his fearful breath. Pulling the bush leaves over his frightened face. He eventually plucked up the courage to peep out.

Dada heard the rustle of the bush leaves, turning on a sixpence, he saw the shaking Tommy. Dada licked his huge smacking lips, and howled even louder.

Creak, creak.

Tommy’s eyes sprung open. He saw his Mama peering down at him.

In the semi-darkness, Tommy blinked and squealed, “Mama! Don’t let Dada eat me?”

Mama looked puzzled. “Eat you!” Mama glanced down and spied his Werewolf comic lying on his bedroom floor. Mama with folded arms said, “Tommy! That’s it! No more Werewolf comics for you, my lad. Get yourself up and dressed this minute, otherwise you will be late for school, and you don’t want that do you?” Mama left his bedroom saying, “Dada eat you, whatever next.”

Tommy slid deeper into his bed, and swallowed a thankful swallow, that it was after all only a scary dream.