When I was 9 and 10 years old I spent most of my time (when out of school) with my neighbor, Tracy.
She was awesome! She was the kind of girl that would lead you into woods and not think about the consequences of getting lost, or kidnapped, or maybe falling into the creek.
We did crazy things together like try to catch cars while on roller skates, and try her dad's Red Man, and spit out her dad's Red Man, and we even had our own paranormal newspaper.
A paranormal newspaper?
YUP!
Well, it was more like a little rag sheet where we made up things but it was really fun.... most of it we made up.... most of it.
Those were the carefree days of my youth where I didn't think anything would hurt me... until.... one day... Tracy told me I was bitten by a werewolf one night when I spending the night at her house.
She said it came through the window and she tried to fight him off but he bit me and soon.... I would be one too.
Folks... I was nine years old and I believed every word she told me!
I panicked! I didn't want to be a werewolf. It scared the living daylights out of me!
For the rest of the month she watched the moon with me and told me soon I would change. And again... I believed every word she told me.
On the night of the full moon I was at my house freaking out! I sat in my bedroom and waited. I hid under the covers, I tried to go to sleep, it wouldn't surprise me if I cried.
I went to my Mom and asked her if she believed in full moons and werewolves. I didn't have the heart that soon I would turn into one and eat her. She laughed at me and told me how sometimes the moon affected people at the hospital where she worked but she had never seen a werewolf.
I went back to bed and waited to change. I have no clue when I fell asleep but I know that I did. And when I woke up to my surprise everyone was still alive. I didn't change!
I went over to Tracy's house that afternoon to triumphantly tell her she had to have been mistaken. That I had NOT been bitten by a werewolf. But that's when she told me...
"Well duh! The clouds covered the moon last night! You'll change next month!"
And the madness started all over again ;)
So, I think that experience is what started my love with werewolves because you see.... I was a tween-age werewolf.... and at 33 year old I'm still just waiting for my full moon to come.
