You stare at the machine, wanting to believe that it can grant any wish. Do you dare admit it? You smile to
yourself and figure, why not? If it doesn't come true, you're only out a quarter.
"I wish I was a werewolf," you say to the machine. After a moment the machine whirs and a card drops out of
the slot below. You lean over and pick up the card. It reads: Your Wish has been granted. You smile and place
the card in your jeans pocket. You walk back towards the front of the store. You pass the front counter and
the old man stares knowingly at you.
"Beware the moon," he says, smiling.
Oh great, he heard me, you think. You smile and nod your head as you exit the store. You can't help but feel
like a real fool. It's a late fall afternoon as you walk back to your house. You walk up the steps and into
the house. You close the door behind you and drop your keys, wallet and cell phone on the table in the
hallway. You pick up the card from the wishing machine again and wonder if maybe, just maybe it was real. You
shrug it off and drop the card on the table. You take off your jacket and hang it up in the coat closet.
Suddenly, you feel a sudden pain in your gut, followed by another and another. You feel like you might puke,
but manage to hold it down. You feel a tickling sensation around your face and a dull pain in your mouth. Your
heart starts to race as your adrenaline starts pumping. It can't be. It just can't. You stumble to the first
floor bathroom and flick on the light. Coarse grey and black hairs have started growing around your face as
your teeth are growing out into sharp fangs. You can't help but smile from the excitement of it all. You feel
a sharp pain in the tips of your fingers and look down in awe as they grow out into sharp claws. You hear the
sounds of ripping fabric and your t-shirt rips and tears as your chest barrels out and your back grows out.
You look back in the mirror as your face becomes more bestial, your lips turn black and thinner and your nose
darkens and becomes more canine. Your ears grow to points and more of the coarse fur grows in. Your shoes rip
apart as your feet grow out into large clawed paws. Your jeans rip and become tattered as your legs grow and
reform. You're too excited by your transformation to care. As the transformation finishes, you admire yourself
in the mirror, as a big, hairy beast. You snarl and growl in the mirror.
Satisfied, you leave the bathroom and run out the back door into the cool autumn night. It was time to hunt.
Up in the night's sky was a big, full moon.