"Oh, boy, now the fun really starts," said the smile as it vanished.
"Here, boy, here, Max!" called Ryan's brother Johnny. He came around the corner carrying a red leash and collar. Ryan could tell from the expression on Johnny's face, his movements, and his wolf-like hearing listening to Johnny's heartbeat and breathing that Johnny was sleepwalking.
Ryan turned and looked for a means of escape. Opposite him was a grandfather clock that wasn't working. At the end of the hall was a large wall sized mirror. Behind him was the only door and it led to Hogmella. Ahead of him was his brother Johnny moving in a trance looking for their dog Max that had been dead for at least 5 years.
Ryan crouched down and backed toward the mirror hoping that his dark furred body would be lost in the old house's shadows. Johnny approached until he reached the door. Then he turned toward the door, Ryan couldn't let him get changed into jewelry by that fat old witch.
Johnny reached for the doorknob, and opened his mouth, and said, "I wish I could find you, Max."
He leapt out of the shadow's growling, "No!"
"Oh, there you are, Rex!" Johnny said. He moved very quickly for a sleepwalker. Before he knew it Ryan had a collar strapped around his neck, and was being led away by his brother at the end of a leather leash.
"Roolf?" Ryan said. He found himself getting smaller as he trotted on all fours behind his kid brother. He stole a glance over his shoulder at the mirror. Instead of a werewolf, Ryan saw his image reflected as that of Max, a black labrador.
"Sorry, Ryan, I think I did that," Erick's voice echoed in Ryan's now truly canine brain. "You see when Johnny wished that he could find Max, well I started to heat up like I was charging up with energy or something. I wanted desperately to grant his wish, and then when he touched you. It's hard to explain, but all that energy flowed out of me and into you, and you became Max. Uh, I guess I'm a magic ring."
"Rruh? You thrink thro?" Ryan thought in reply. He groaned, even his thoughts now sounded like Scooby Doo's. "Rie, rish, rie rus rhumun," Ryan thought.
Inside he felt Erick's mental shrug. "Maybe enchanted creatures can't make wishes?"
"Rgrate!"