Mr. Farkas

I saw what everyone else refused to see. Grown ups were stupid. Just because I am 10 doesn't mean I am an idiot. And I was going to prove it.

It all started a week ago. A “perfectly normal dude”, as mom so eloquently put it, moved in directly across the street. But how did she not see what I saw?! There we both stood on his front porch waiting for him to answer the door. Mom made me wear that itchy button up shirt I hate and comb my hair. And I had to hold the big plate of cookies she had baked him, which she wouldn’t let me have any of by the way. He finally came to the door and I knew right away. 

“Hi! We are your neighbors! We live right across the street there.” mom motioned towards our house. “We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood and introduce ourselves, I’m Nancy and this is…”

Moms sharp elbow jabbed my shoulder. His gaze shifted to me as my mother gave me the cue to introduce myself but I couldn’t stop staring at him. My mouth agape, I took him in… Tall. Must be 7 feet tall. No joke. He had thick, messy salt and pepper hair, which was strange because he only looked like he was in his 30’s or something. A smile slowly spread across his face as he looked at me. His teeth were yellowed, and those pointy teeth people have in the front were… extra pointy. His hands were covered in thick wiry hair. As thick as the stuff my dad has on his arms. I could see even more poking out of the top of his flannel shirt. But his eyes… his eyes were the give away. Bright and practically glowing green. Animal eyes. I’d bet all the money in my money jar that if you shined a light at them, they would glow just like a raccoon or a dogs. 

“JACK!” mom’s shout brought me out of my stupor. She gave an embarrassed chuckle, “he is usually such a chatterbox, I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Introduce yourself Jackson Ray…” she said pleasantly, but I knew it was actually a thinly veiled threat.

“Um. Yeah. I’m Jack… Here.” I shoved the plate of cookies into his arms. And quickly withdrew my hands. The giant man squatted slowly until his eyes were level with mine. My brain screamed in my head, “Run! Hide! Escape!” but my feet felt frozen in blocks of ice. I flinched when he reached up… but he merely peeled back the plastic wrap on the plate of cookies.

He whispered like a co conspirator, “I bet you didn’t get any of these. Do you want to take a few?” the voice didn’t match how he looked. It was rough and sounded like a growl, but it wasn’t menacing like I had expected. And I really did want some cookies, okay?! I quickly snatched three and said thanks, eyeing him suspiciously. He smiled a wolfish grin, stood and stretched out a giant hand towards my mom, “I’m Edon. Edon Farkas.” he sounded foreign. But I couldn’t place it. Him and mom exchanged pleasantries while I gawked unabashedly and then mom excused us leaving him to continue unpacking. Halfway across the yard, I looked back, he still on the porch half in his door but staring at me. He winked. Then disappeared behind his door.

“He seemed nice huh? I wonder where he is from; he had that interesting accent.” mom said as we walked across the leaf littered street.

Through a mouthful of delicious cookies I said, “Yeah he seemed cool and all, ‘cept for he’s a werewolf.”

Mom threw her head back and laughed, “oh yeah?”

“Yeah!” I said, angry now.

“Oh, ok. How do you know?”

I explained all the things about him that I noticed.

“Those are very astute observations kiddo. How can I argue with all that logic?” Mom laughed again as we crossed the porch and she walked in the door. I looked back at Mr. Farkas’ house. Was I Imagining things or did I see that window blind move? I didn’t care that mom didn’t believe me. I was going to find a way to prove her wrong.

I barely left my room over the last week. All I did was watch Mr. Farkas’ house. All the new information I brought mom and dad was explained away! I’m pretty sure they thought I was making everything up, playing some elaborate pretend game. I told dad how I saw him bringing chains into his house, a sigh from dad, “that could be for practically anything Jack.” How I saw him buy a TON of meat from the grocery store, mom rolled her eyes “people are allowed to eat meat, Jackson!” That he had a dog leash stake in his back yard but he didn’t have a dog. “Maybe he is going to get one. Jack!" or "stop snooping in the neighbors yard, Jack!”

But no more. There was no way I was wrong. They couldn’t explain away this. I had been planning this for a week. Tonight was the full moon, and I was going to get indisputable proof Mr. Farkas was a werewolf. 

Like clockwork, at 8:30 pm, mom came into my room to tuck me in. She sat at the edge of the bed, reminded me about my social studies project that is almost due, said she loved me and gave me a kiss. She stood, walked to the door and turned out the light. I listened carefully to her steps descending down the stairs.

 I threw off the covers. Already fully dressed, I pulled my jacket out from under my bed and my small backpack containing, a flashlight, my dads old smartphone fully charged, my pocketknife, binoculars, and a snack bag of chips. I carefully slid the window open, slowing when it got to that squeaky spot. I climbed onto the roof and tiptoed towards the edge of the house where I had stacked the garbage cans earlier that day. I edged my back against the siding by my parents bedroom window, I had to pass it to get to my exit route… 

“He’s still saying Mr. Farkas is a werewolf.” mom’s voice came muffled from their bedroom. I risked peeking one eye over to make sure they wouldn’t spot me passing the window.

“Maybe he is! You never know...” dads voice came in a mock matter of fact voice. “In fact... we had an altercation and… he bit me. And now I crave tasty wife flesh!” Dad swept off the bed and ran after mom. She laughed as he crashed into her and kissed her, growling. Ugh. Gross.

 I took the opportunity to sprint past the window. The gutter groaned under my weight but held as I lowered myself to the top of the garbage can. I was hanging from the protesting gutter and searching blindly with my feet for the trash can lid, but I was too short. I made a guess and dropped. I guessed wrong.

I landed to the left of the can into a pile of recycling, slicing my palm on a can lid. I tumbled into the garbage can with a loud “ THUMP!” and knocked the can over, garbage bags spilled out onto the grass. I sat holding my breath. Did they hear me? Seconds ticked by… a minute...two… whew. I crept to the front of the house, pulling my binoculars out of my pack. Mr. Farkas’ house was almost completely dark.. The moon was shuttered behind wispy, shifting, dark gray clouds. But I knew it was full. I had checked the internet. Tonight was it. 

I looked up and down the street. It was empty. Time to make a run for it. I bolted across the road and down grumpy old Mr. Anderson’s privacy fence which separated his yard and Mr. Farkas’. I knew there was a loose slat when I used it to retrieve my soccer ball once. I slowly moved the board sideways and did a quick reconnaissance of the yard. It looked like it always did. Light spilled into the yard from the kitchen window… and there he sat… reading a novel. 

Mr. Farkas definitely wasn’t a wolf. My cut hand ached and still slowly oozed. Disappointment planted a seed in my gut and began to bloom. I had figured at sunset he would change. Lets face it, movies are just movies. People don’t turn into werewolves just because a moonbeam hits them. That's just cinematic baloney. It only makes sense for nightfall to instigate the change. Right? Well obviously not. My convictions didn’t waver. Just because I got this one detail wrong didn’t mean I got the entire theory wrong. 

Newfound determination urged me through the fence... Into the werewolf’s yard. 

I sprinted across his yard in a crouch to the kitchen window. He was still reading. He checked his watch and shifted in the kitchen chair. I would be spotted if I kept this up. I had to get further into the shadows. I backed slowly to a small garden shed. Unfortunately I couldn’t fit behind it, but it was dark enough at the corner of the fence and shed that I wouldn’t be spotted and I still had a clear view of the kitchen window and Mr. Farkas, who was now bustling about, making tea. I knew all about a thing called “torch blindness” from the fantasy books I read. If he was in the lighted kitchen and I was in the dark yard, he couldn’t see me.

I kept checking my watch and so did Mr. Farkas. It was now 10:45pm and I was getting sleepy. And my stomach growled. I couldn't even eat my chips because the bag would be too loud. Poor planning on my part. I kept thinking about my warm soft bed with my Legend Of Zelda throw blanket. The grass was actually really soft. And for a werewolf hunt, this was really boring. The stars had finally been revealed and the moon shone brightly. Really pretty. Really. I was… really... comfortable.

I'm not sure what it was that made my eyes jerk open. I found myself lying sideways in the yard curled up into a ball. I had fallen asleep in the soft grass. I checked my watch. 11:53 pm. The kitchen light was out and Mr. Farkas was nowhere to be seen. Still as a statue I listened. With my breath held I squinted through the dark yard, searching for a sign of man or wolf. The tiny disappointment plant rooted in my guts began to grow and spread.

Mom and dad were right. Mr. Farkas was just a really hairy dude who didn’t use toothpaste with whitening properties. Just a guy who liked to eat a lot of meat. A weirdo who maybe had strange home décor tastes. Mom and dad always told me to listen to my gut, even if it was weird or made no sense. But maybe that didn’t extend to things largely considered science fiction. I stood and brushed the dirt and grass off my pants. Disappointed. My bed was calling me… and so was that leftover carrot cake in the fridge. My stomach grumbled loudly.

I was zipping my second hand phone into the backpack when I heard it. A soft “shhhick”. A door opening. I froze. No lights were on, but the light of the moonlit cloud glinted off of Mr. Farkas’ slowly opening back kitchen door. There he was. Tall as ever. He set a styrofoam cooler at the edge of the porch, looked up at the sky and put his hands on his hips, he heaved a great sigh and walked to the middle of the yard, his back to me. Again he checked his watch, I peeked at mine. 11:55 pm. Slowly, he undid his watch and set in gently in the yard. He unbuttoned his flannel shirt, and folded it neatly, setting it on the ground by his watch. He removed his shoes and socks and delicately placed them on top of his shirt. He reached down and unbuckled his belt… oh man. I did not want to see some old dude get naked. I grimaced. But slowly started to pull the phone and other supplies out of the backpack. I let out a breath of relief when he stopped undressing and just stood there in unbuttoned jeans and a white tee. I cupped my hands around the screen and turned on the video function. I held the phone at the ready, waiting… pocket knife in one hand, and flashlight in my armpit.

Mr. Farkas reached down and grabbed something out of the grass. It clinked and tinkled. A chain. He had attached it to an enormous thick leather loop, which he then placed around his neck. Then he just…. Stood there. My heart was pounding. I was certain he must be able to hear it, even from across the yard. I pressed record. Then it happened.

My watch read exactly 11:57 pm. A cloud shifted away from the moon and bathed the yard in eerie pale light. Mr. Farkas, doubled over, clutching his stomach. He groaned and writhed, but still stood. I could hear his t-shirt fabric tearing. Was he getting… taller? His back arched and moonlight sparkled on thick long fur which sprouted quickly across his broad shoulders. His feet elongated and his jeans slipped down over his legs and distinctly wolfish haunches. A large bushy tail appeared suddenly. Mr. Farkas dropped to his hands and whimpered quietly. His already hairy arms became hairier and his fingers shortened into unmistakable large paws the size of dinner plates. He moaned and whined, and mewled and then… all was still…

Mr. Farkas, was a wolf. A huge enormous wolf. The size of a grizzly bear. He was facing away from me. I had all the proof in the world. I needed to get the hell out of there! Uh, I hadn’t exactly thought of that. I had everything planned for getting in and getting footage, but absolutely no plan for afterwards… wow. Stupid. I was eyeballing a planter box to my left and thinking of using it to boost myself over the fence when the dumbest thing ever happened. My wrist watch chimed midnight.

“Beep-Beep!” Mr. Farkas’ muzzle snapped in my direction. And I clicked on my flashlight “Beep-Beep!” His black lips curled over his yellowed teeth, and my light glinted off reflective wolf eyes. “Beep-Beep!” He turned towards me, his head low, and a growl rumbling deep in his throat. “Beep-beep!” I fell on my butt and scuttled backwards, flashlight still lighting up his face, as he advanced in a menacing slow stalk. “Beep-beep! His hot breath rattled as it poured over me. Accepting my doom, I lifted my hands and shut my eyes tight preparing to be eaten, and I said quietly, “Mr. Farkas, please…” “Beep-beep!”

And then… nothing happened. I opened one eye to see Mr. Farkas sitting on his haunches staring down at me, almost puppy like with his head cocked. He slowly ducked his head forward and sniffed at my scabbing achy cut palm. Licked it once, twice. Then whined.

Alright. I was confused. I lowered my hands and looked at him. “you're... not going to eat me?”

Mr. Farkas chuffed and shook his head, as if the thought was ridiculous. He padded to the cooler and knocked the lid off with his snout. Pulling out two huge raw roasts and practically swallowing them whole, then he trotted back over to me and plopped down lazily.

“I was right!” I spat. “I knew it, from the minute I saw you.” 

Mr. Farkas bared his teeth in a strange smile, but said nothing. 

“Why chain yourself up if you are perfectly tame? Uh, I mean, like… not like a movie werewolf? Where they chase after people and tear them to shreds I mean…”

He said nothing. Well of course he didn’t.

“That’s a complicated question for someone without lips to answer huh?”

Mr. Farkas jerked his head down and up. A nod. 

“So they have to be yes and no questions… a nod for yes, head shake for no?”

Yes.

My eyes widened. What on earth had I happened upon? I half believed I was still at the house dreaming. I'm sitting here freakin’ pleasantly communicating with a monster! And I have video proof! “So, have you been this way forever?”

He did nothing. 

“Did you become this from a bite from another werewolf?”

No reply.

“Was the yes-no arrangement a fluke...?” I said more to myself than to him.

No.

“So you do understand me?”

Yes. Mr. Farkas glanced twice very pointedly at my phone lying in the grass.

Shame colored my face. He knew, or at least suspected I had some kind of footage of him. I grabbed the phone from the grass and sat cross legged in front of him. “Ok. so you know I have a video.”

Yes.

“Well what now? If I delete it you could just eat me right here and now and no one will ever know. And if I take it with me you will think I’m going to expose you.”

Yes

One of us was going to have to trust the other. Might as well be me. “So how about this… I delete this and in exchange, you answer all of my questions? Every single one? Tomorrow. When you can talk?”

….Yes

“Result! Ok!” I pulled the gallery screen up and showed him me deleting the video. I watched the hour glass flip and the percentage climb, and in the background the chilling footage of Mr. Farkas transforming played. Then blank. Deleted. “There. So. I’ll see you tomorrow then…?”

Yes. The Werewolf grinned.