Chapter 27

I clung to the trunk of the tree with all my might. My insides were quivering.

Sniffing, the werewolf took a step in my direction.

I looked up into the tree, wondering if I could escape by climbing higher. The branches were thick and close together and the leaves would hide me. The creature might scent me but it wouldn’t be able to see where I was.

Carefully inching my way up the trunk I reached for the next branch. But as I started to pull myself up there was a sudden outbreak of noise on the ground. My heart lurched sideways in my chest. Were they all after me now?

Flattening myself against the tree trunk, I peered through the leaves. The werewolves were prancing and jumping excitedly. The creature that had been sniffing around my tree had gone back to join the others. All of them were staring at something on the ground, their red eyes glowing so hot they seemed to spark in the cool air.

I gasped as a human head slowly appeared, coming up out of the ground. A man’s shoulders followed. The werewolves fell silent, except for an occasional hiss of excitement—or was it fear? The air around me crackled with electricity.

As the man rose out of the earth, he raised his head. Moonlight fell on his face, and I saw it was Mr. Clawson! I clenched my teeth to keep from crying out.

Then Mr. Clawson stepped up onto the lawn and I saw it was only his cellar he’d come out of, not the ground itself. So there was still a chance he was only human. I realized my fingers were numb and loosened my grip on the tree. My muscles ached from tension but I didn’t dare move.

The werewolves gathered around him, circling and murmuring. Mr. Clawson snapped his fingers at them and they spat and cringed away. Ignoring the werewolves, Mr. Clawson lifted his hands toward the moon.

His whole body shuddered. He seemed to swell with strength.

The monsters snarled and hissed as if they’d like to tear him to pieces—if they weren’t so scared of him.

But they were scared. Even the evil werewolves shrank in fear from him. Then Mr. Clawson threw back his head and a great roar issued from his thickening throat.

I stared in horror as I recognized what he had become!