Scene-Of-The-Month: “The Wolf”

The votes are in, and there aren’t that many of them, because I kept forgetting to attach the poll to my posts this month.  Bad, bad me!  I have now stuck the poll link in a widget in the sidebar (not that sidebar, the other sidebar), so you can always go there to vote when you come to visit.  But in the meantime, the votes are in, and this month’s winner, following last month’s upset by that irascible dragon, is … The Wolf!

Michelle lay in a chair beside the kiddie pool, watching Michael and Robbie splash around in the shallow water. The light had begun to fade as the afternoon moved into evening; without the sun, the air had become rather cool, so she kept her wrap on over her bathing suit. The kids, impervious to the chill, continued to frolic as if it were midday on some Tahitian beach.

Consistent with the rustic theme of the place, the patio was made of a plastic wood-like substance, shaped into flat logs with gently rounded edges, with gaps of a quarter inch or so between them. The water that the kids splashed out of the pool flowed through the gaps, dripping into darkness beneath. Robbie had initially expressed some nervousness about what might live beneath the elevated deck. Remarkably, Michael had reassured him that there were no monsters at the lodge; the gated entrance kept them out, he’d said. No doubt this unusual protective urge had been inspired by their earlier scare, and wouldn’t last long.

She kept half an eye on the entrance to the pool area, waiting for Greg to show up. He was supposed to meet them here when he got back from the garage. She hoped he wouldn’t be too much longer; she was getting hungry. Just as the lights around the pool began to flicker into life, she spotted him. He spent a moment trying to figure out how to work the latch on the gate before getting it open. She waved to him and he headed their way. He was carrying some papers, probably an estimate from the garage, she figured.

As Greg sat in the chair next to her, the kids kicked over to the near side of the pool. Were their lips turning blue? She ordered them out of the water. The predictable complaints ensued, but she held firm and they climbed out of the pool, dripping wet and shivering. As they toweled off, she turned to Greg and said: “So what’s the bad news?”

He handed her the estimate. “Ugh,” she said.

“Our insurance should cover most of it,” Greg said. “This is just to make it drivable again. I’ll get the body work and painting done back home.” Then: “I think the mechanic is a little bit crazy.”

“If he can fix the car, I don’t care if he dresses up like Napoleon,” she said. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”

Not to be a tease, but … in the VERY NEXT SCENE after this one … a certain lycanthrope finally makes a return appearance. So if you want some werewolf with your werewolf story, vote for The Wolf for the next scene of the month!