Oswald and his father began to play for hours in the cut hay behind the house while his mother prepared lunch.

“Oswald, put on your shoes, dearie, it’s wet outside,” she said. Then she turned to her husband. “Do I have to tell you to put on your shoes too, honey?” she laughed.

“Sorry, love,” he replied.

They both put on their shoes and continued to play. She looked at her child and husband and smiled. “Sometimes,” she said to herself, “he feels like he’s my firstborn.” She carried on with her work.

Soon, the night fell. The leaves of the trees whined and danced to the beat of the wind. It was very dark outside. Oswald’s father left for hunting. Oswald waved goodbye sadly and his father disappeared into the night. Oswald walked to his room. As he was walking, he looked through the passage window and saw the same man-like animal staring at him. Its eyes were as red as blood and its fangs were as sharp as razors. It was too far off to be seen clearly. He quickly jumped into his mother’s arms with his teddy and he began to cry.

“Mama, make it go away!” he shouted.

“Make what go away?” she asked, worriedly.

“That monster,” he said, as he pointed at the passage window. His mother looked but she didn’t see a thing. She only heard the whining of the trees and the rustling of the tall dry grass in the distance.

“Oswald,” she said, sternly, and pointed at him, “enough of this monster nonsense, off to bed with you now, chop-chop.” Oswald didn’t dare say a word about the monster. But he insisted that he slept next to his mother. The pair was soon fast asleep. But after only a few minutes’ sleep, loud growling noises came from outside the house. Oswald’s mother woke up frantically, followed by Oswald himself.

“Did you hear that, mama?” Oswald asked, as he trembled with fear.

“Loud and clear, my boy,” she said. “I don’t feel safe. Stay close behind me, Oswald.”

Then she bent down and grabbed a loaded gun from underneath the bed. She walked slowly to the main door and opened it while Oswald clung to her nightdress. She walked outside were she was met with the rough blowing of the wind. The growling noises were now clearly audible.

Then a wolf-like figure with red eyes burst onto the scene. It charged toward Oswald and his mother. Oswald’s mother prepared to shoot. She aimed and fired. The creature was knocked dead and it fell to the ground with a whimper. She walked closer to inspect what she had just killed. Slowly, the creature began to morph into the shape of a man. It revealed a dead, tall and well-built man. She gasped when she saw that she had just shot her beloved husband. Both Oswald and his mother cried when they realised that the man they loved was nothing but a lycanthrope.

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