From: "Wanderer" <wanderer@why.net>
Subject: Halloween Story:  SRU:  Howl-o-ween Night
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 19:31:07 -0600

I grumbled to myself as I settled my furry haunches in front of the shop
door.  It was Halloween night, and I was stuck at work.

Admittedly, work wasn't the only thing I was stuck at.  After all, It'd been
a year since I'd borrowed that werewolf costume from the shop and wound up
part of the security.

Oh, don't get me wrong.  Being a guard dog is a great job, especially when
you're guarding the shop of a wizard.  You get to see all sorts of things.
But sometimes being stuck on all fours can be a real pain in the tail, if
you get my drift.  You can't open most doorknobs, you're left out of any
non-telepathic conversations, and you have to be nice to some of the
brattiest kids you've ever met.  If it weren't for the food he gives me,
this job would verge on the intolerable.

So, as you might imagine, getting to guard the shop door on Halloween night
wasn't *my* idea.

(I can't help but wonder if this is his way of getting me back for that Orb
of Truth thing.  I mean, it wasn't my fault he called me a wolf while
holding it.  And with the instincts of a wolf, what was I supposed to do?
If he hadn't figured it out finally, I'd still be marking my territory
against the display cases.)

It was while I was sitting there. grumbling, that the old man came out of
the storeroom.  "I was just talking to Phaedrus", he said.  "Apparently,
he's got a previous engagement at a haunted house and won't be able to come
in tonight".

*Just great*, I thought.  *Just great.*

The old man frowned.  "Nathan, I know you don't enjoy working tonight.  I
can hardly blame you.  But we must keep up security.  After all", he said
with a small smile, "I can hardly be expected to keep an eye on
*everything*".

I snorted my opinion of that and didn't dignify it with a thought.

After several minutes, the old man sighed.  "Very well, Nathan", he said.
"If you like, I'll put you on two feet for tonight and you can hand out the
candy to the mall trick-or-treaters".

*Yeah, right*, I thought.  *And what's the catch?*

"Nathan, you wound me.  *You* are an *employee*.  Catches are for
customers".

I turned and faced him.  *So you're not kidding?*

"Nathan", he replied, "I am completely serious".

*Then yes*, I thought to him.  *I'd like that.*

He extended his right hand in my direction and began mumbling some words
even a wolf's hearing couldn't catch.  Then, as I watched, he slowly began
moving his right hand toward the vertical.

With an odd stretching feeling, my hind legs began to grow.  I quickly stood
up to avoid hitting a nearby display case.

As I reached the vertical myself, he began to move his hand downward.  With
a similar stretching sensation, my front legs began to grow and expand, my
front paws flattening into hands.  Well, sort of.  They were still paws.
Just paws with fingers.

With that, he stopped.  I tried to thank him, but I still couldn't talk.  I
woofed my frustration.

"Well, Nathan", he said with a gentle grin, "It isn't as though you'll be
expected to carry on a conversation with them".

I grumbled, but it was nice to be standing on two feet again.  I could see
all the new displays.  I could see the old man's face again.  I could even
see out the front window.  I thought my thanks to him.

"You're quite welcome, Nathan", he said as he handed me a large sack filled
with candy (which I'm sure wasn't there before).  "Now, just sit by the door
and be ready to give these to any kid in a costume".

As the hours passed, I gave out a lot of candy.  The kids loved the
"official mascot" of the store.  Oh, a few pulled my tail, and more than one
tried to start up a conversation.  But for every one like that, there were
ten nice kids, and at least one sweet kid like the one that gave me a
terrrrrIFIC skritch.  (I'd been meaning to get that itch taken care of.)

Along towards closing time, I noticed something strange going on.  While we
were getting lots of kids in, they seemed to be leaving by another door.
Oh, I smelled them.  I just couldn't seem to find them.  It wasn't until we
closed that I found out what was going on.

As one final kid came in, I gave him the last of the candies.  Quickly, he
put it in his mouth and began to chew on it, looking admiringly at my
'costume'.

As I watched, his blonde hair darkened to black, and his gums followed suit.
Like fire on a match, fur spread over his body in a quickly-moving blanket.
His jaws shot forward like a snapped rubber band, while his ears pointed and
rose to the top of his furry head.  Before two minutes had passed, he was
raising his handpaws in the air and whining for another candy.

As I turned the savk inside out to show him I was out, I shot a look at the
old man.  After the new werewolf walked out, I went over to my employer and
asked him straight out.

*All right, what was in that bag?*

He chuckled.  "Oh, that.  Just a few Halloween specialty candies I picked up
for the occasion.  Milk-chocolate werewolves", he said, ticking them off on
his fingers, "Marshmallow ghosts, chocolate turtles, hollow chocolate
vampires, and even a few centaur and satyr cookies courtesy of a friend of
mine.  She runs a ginerbread cottage industry.  I even", and here he leaned
in conspiratorially, "snuck in a few Dragon Pops for variety".

*But why?*

"Well, after all, Nathan, I *am* supposed to provide repeat business.  And,
as the old salesman's saying goes, 'get 'em while they're young' ".  He
trailed off into a hearty laugh.

*Look*, I thought back to him, *I appreciate a good prank as much as anyone,
especially on Halloween.  But what happens when those kids get home?*

"Oh, nothing", he responded.  "The enchantments on the treats are
specifically adjusted so that the parent sees nothing wrong with their child
being changed.  And by tomorrow, it won't matter anyway".

*And just ---whoops!*  My train of thought was suddenly derailed as I
slammed to the floor.  *OW!*

"Sorry about that, Nathan", he said as I picked myself up and got onto all
fours again.  "I forgot to mention the time limit.  Now, what were you
saying?"

*I was saying, just what do you mean by, 'Tomorrow it won't matter'?*

"Oh.  Well, by tomorrow, assuming nothing goes wrong, they should all be
back to normal.  The spell ends at sunrise, and - "

*Wait!  'Assuming nothing goes wrong'?  What can go wrong?*

He snorted then.  "Oh, don't be such a worrying wolf, Nathan.  It's all
spelled out on the packaging".

*Oh, boy ... *