R. Stine: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp

"I don't know," I said.

The bog came into view. The air became heavier, wetter. The tall weeds on the other side stood straight up. The bog gurgled quietly. Two big flies danced over the dark green surface.

"There's no such thing as werewolves, Cassie," Will muttered, searching for something to throw into the bog. He grinned at her. "Unless maybe you're one!"

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny." She made biting motions with her teeth as if she were going to bite him.

I heard a rustling sound across the oval-shaped bog. The tall weeds suddenly parted, and Wolf appeared at the edge of the water.

"What does the werewolf look like?" Will asked sarcastically. "Does it have red hair and freckles?"

Cassie didn't reply.

I turned to see a look of terror freeze on her face. Her green eyes grew wide, and her freckles seemed to fade. "Th-there's the werewolf!" she stammered in a choked whisper. She pointed.

Feeling a chill of fear, I turned to see where she was pointing.

To my horror, she was pointing right at Wolf!

"No!" I started to protest.

But then I saw that I had misunderstood. Cassie wasn't pointing at Wolf. She was pointing to the figure moving through the tall weeds behind the dog.

The swamp hermit!

I saw him walking quickly behind the weeds, his shoulders bent, his mangy head bobbing with each step.

As he moved into a small break in the weeds, I could see why he was leaning forward. He carried something over one shoulder. A bag of some sort.

Wolf started to growl.

The hermit stopped walking.

It wasn't a bag slung over his shoulder, I saw. It was a turkey. A wild turkey.

A chilling thought burst into my mind: Had he taken it from Mr. Warner?

Was Cassie right about the swamp hermit? Was he a werewolf? Had he done something horrible to Mr. Warner and claimed the wild turkey as his prize?

I tried to dismiss these horrible thoughts. They were crazy. Impossible.

But Cassie looked so frightened, staring across the gurgling green bog at the wild-eyed hermit. And the howls at night, the howls had been so frightening, so human.

And the dead animals I'd seen, torn so brutally apart, as if… as if by a werewolf!

Wolf uttered another warning growl. He stared at the hermit, his tail standing stiffly behind him, his fur rising up on his back.

The hermit moved quickly. I saw his dark eyes flash just before he disappeared behind the weeds.

"It's him!" Cassie cried, still pointing. "It's the werewolf!"

"Cassie — shut up!" Will warned. "He'll hear you!"

I swallowed hard, frozen in place by my fear. I saw the weeds tremble across the bog. I heard rustling sounds growing closer.

"Run!" Will cried, his hoarse voice shrill and frightened. "Come on — run!"

Too late.

The swamp hermit burst out of the weeds right behind us. "I'm the werewolf!" he shrieked. His eyes were wild, excited. His face, surrounded by his long, tangled hair, was bright red. "I'm the werewolf!"

He had heard Cassie!

Laughing at the top of his lungs, he tossed up both hands, then began to swing the turkey in a wide circle over his head. "I'm the werewolf!" he cried.

Cassie, Will, and I all cried out at the same time.

Then we started to run.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Wolf. He hadn't moved from his spot across the bog. But now, as I started to run, he came bounding toward us, barking excitedly.

"I'm the werewolf!" the hermit shrieked. He howled with laughter, still swinging the turkey as he chased after us.

"Leave us alone!" Cassie cried, running beside Will a few steps ahead of me. "Do you hear me? Leave us alone!"

Her pleas made the hermit howl again.

My shoes slipped in the muddy ground.

I turned back. He was gaining on me. Right behind me.

Gasping for breath, I struggled to run faster. Sharp vines and heavy leaves slapped at my face and arms as I plunged forward.

It was all a blur now. A blur of light and shade, trees and vines, tall weeds and sharp brambles.

"I'm the werewolf! I'm the werewolf!"

The crazed hermit's high-pitched wails of laughter echoed through the swamp.

Keep going, Grady, I urged myself. Keep going.

Then, with a terrified cry, I felt my feet slide out from under me.

I fell face forward into the mud, landing hard on my hands and knees.

He's got me, I realized.

The werewolf has got me.

I tried frantically to scramble up from the mud. But I slipped again and tumbled forward with a splat.

He's got me now, I thought.

The werewolf has got me now. I cannot escape.

My muscles all froze in panic. I struggled to crawl away.

I turned back, expecting the hermit to grab me.

But he had stopped several yards away. The turkey dangled to the ground as he stared down at me, a strange grin on his weathered face.

Where was Wolf? I wondered.

Wolf had been growling furiously at the swamp hermit. Why hadn't Wolf attacked?

"Help! Will! Cassie!" I called desperately.

Silence.

They were gone. They were both probably out of the swamp by now, running for home.

I was alone. Alone to face the hermit.

I stumbled to my feet, my eyes locked on his. Why was he grinning at me like that?

"Go on. Go," he murmured, gesturing with his free hand. "Just teasing you."

"What?" My voice came out tiny and frightened.

"Go. I'm not going to bite you," he said. His grin faded. The light seemed to dim in his shiny black eyes.

Wolf appeared behind him. The dog gazed up at the hermit, then lowered his eyes to the dead turkey. He barked once, a shrill yip. But I could see that Wolf had relaxed. He had no intention of attacking the hermit.

"This dog yours?" the hermit asked, eyeing Wolf warily.

"Yeah," I replied, still breathing hard. "I… found him."

"Watch out for him," the hermit said sharply. Then he turned and, hoisting the large bird on his shoulder, headed back into the weeds.

"W-watch out for him?" I stammered. "What do you mean?"

But the hermit didn't reply. I could hear him brushing the tall weeds away as he disappeared back into the swamp.

"What do you mean?" I called after him.

But he was gone. The swamp was silent now except for the chirping and clicking of insects and the dry sound of palm leaves brushing against each other.

I stared straight ahead at the tall weeds. I guess I expected the swamp hermit to return, to burst back into view, to attack again.

Two white moths fluttered together over the weeds. Nothing else moved.

He was teasing us, he had said.

That's all it was, just teasing.

I swallowed hard. Then I forced myself to breathe normally again.

After a while, I lowered my gaze to Wolf. The dog was busily sniffing the ground where the hermit had stood.

"Wolf — why didn't you protect me?" I scolded.

The dog glanced up, then returned to his sniffing.

"Hey, dog — are you a big coward?" I asked, brushing at the wet dirt on the knees of my jeans. "Is that your problem? You sound real tough, but you're actually a big chicken?"

Wolf ignored me.

I turned and headed home, thinking about the hermit's warning. As I made my way along the narrow path, I could hear Wolf running through the weeds and tall grass, following close behind.

"Watch out for him," the hermit had said.

Was he teasing about that, too? Was he just trying to scare me?

The strange man saw that Will, Cassie, and I were afraid of him. So he decided to have some fun with us.

That's all it was, I decided.

He heard Cassie call him a werewolf. So he decided to give us a real scare.

As I walked along the marshy ground under the shade of the tilted palm trees, my mind spun with thoughts about Cassie and Will and Wolf and werewolves.