Free Werewolf Skin by R. L. Stine Page A

her.
    She fiddled with the rag hat that flopped down over her forehead. “Problem?”
    “Yeah. Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta are werewolves.”
    “Huh?” Her eyes bulged. “What did you say?”
    I explained everything. Speaking rapidly in a low whisper, I told her all
that I’d seen last night. “They hide their wolfskins in the Marlings’ house,” I
finished.
    “But the Marlings—?” Hannah started.
    “There are no Marlings!” I cried. “The house is empty. My aunt and
uncle use it as a hiding place for their wolf skins.”
    Hannah stared at me openmouthed for a long time. Her chin trembled. “But…
what are we going to do ?” she cried breathlessly. “Your aunt and uncle—they seem like such nice people. They’ve always been so nice to me.”
    “They’re werewolves!” I cried. “We have to tell your family. We have to hurry away from here. We have to get help. Tell the
police or something.”
    “But—but—” Hannah sputtered, her face twisted in panic.
    And suddenly I had another idea. “Wait!” I cried. “Hannah, what did Mr. Shein
say about werewolves shedding their skin? Didn’t he say that if someone finds
their skins and burns them, the werewolves will be destroyed?”
    Hannah nodded. “Yes. That’s what he said. But—”
    “So that’s what we’ll do!” I cried excitedly. “We’ll go next door, and—”
    “But you don’t want to kill your aunt and uncle—do you?” Hannah
replied.
    “Oh. No. Of course not,” I told her. “I’m so frightened, I’m not thinking
clearly. I just thought—”
    “Whoa. Wait a minute, Alex!” Hannah cried, grabbing my arm. “I know what we
can do. I have a plan that might work!”

 
 
29
     
     
    I heard my aunt and uncle moving around in the living room. Outside the
bedroom window, the white full moon was rising behind the trees. Wisps of black
cloud floated over it like wriggling snakes.
    Hannah tugged me farther into the room. “What if we hide the wolf
skins?” she asked in an excited whisper.
    “Hide them?” I whispered back. “What will that do?”
    “Your aunt and uncle won’t be able to find them,” Hannah replied. “The night
will pass. They won’t be able to change into wolves.”
    “So maybe if they go a whole night without the skins, it will cure them!” I cried.
    Hannah nodded. “It’s worth a try, Alex. It might just work, and—” She
stopped. “No. Wait. I have an even better idea. We’ll wear the skins!”
    “Excuse me?” I gasped. “Wear them? Why?”
    “Because your aunt and uncle will search everywhere for the skins,” Hannah
replied. “They’ll search every house, every garage, every yard. But they won’t look for them on
us! That’s the last place they’d look!”
    “I get it,” I replied. “And we’ll make sure to stay away so they don’t see us
until after daybreak.”
    I wasn’t sure whether the plan made any sense or not. Hannah and I were both
too frightened to think!
    Maybe… just maybe… we could cure Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta by
keeping the skins from them until morning.
    “Let’s try it,” I said.
    “Okay,” Hannah agreed. “Quick—get into your pirate costume. We don’t want
your aunt and uncle to suspect anything. While you’re doing that, I’ll sneak
next door and slip on one of the wolf skins.”
    She pushed me toward the old clothes I had tossed onto the bed. “Hurry. It’s
getting late. Meet me in back of the garage. I’ll bring out your wolf skin for
you.”
    Hannah disappeared out the door. I heard her in the living room. She said
good-bye to Uncle Colin and Aunt Marta and told them she was going to meet me
outside.
    I heard the front door slam. Hannah was on her way next door to get the wolf
skins.
    I quickly pulled on the ragged old shirt and torn trousers of my costume. I wrapped a bandanna around my head.
    A sound at the bedroom door made me spin around.
    “Aunt Marta!” I cried.
    She stood in the doorway, frowning at me. “It won’t