Mrs. Twittlebug calls us down for dinner, and my eyes widened with excitement. I eagerly bite into the T-bone steak, savouring every last bit of meat from the bone. The peas and carrots bounce and roll off my plate as I hungrily devour the steak, shredding it bare of meat.
Janie clears her throat as I chew on the bone like a dog. I suddenly became aware of Janie and her mother staring at me
Mrs Twittlebug looks me up and down, bites her lip with worry and says, ‘Are you all right, Rose? Have you not eaten today?’
I quickly drop the bone on the plate, ‘Oh, um. Yes, I’ve eaten Mrs Twittlebug. It’s just that this is so delicious.’ I say, gesturing my hands up and smiling.
‘Oh, well, I’m glad you like it,’ she replies.
Janie eyes my knife and fork, gesturing for me to use them. I begrudgingly take them and stare at the remaining vegetables on my plate. I attempt a few times to eat them, but I just want more meat. So, instead, I play around with the vegetables pretending to eat them. When Janie and Mrs Twittlebug are finished eating, I stack the plates, offering to wash up in return for feeding me. Once alone in the kitchen, I sneak the bones from their plates and retreat into the walk-in pantry. There, I indulge my primal cravings by thoroughly chewing and devouring every bit of the bones until nothing is left.
As I exit the pantry, feeling satisfied and content, I'm met with Janie's disapproving gaze. She stands with her arms crossed, and I can tell that she's not happy with me.
'Tell me you didn't just eat the bones?' she asks me, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
I can sense her disapproval, but I can't help but confess, 'I couldn't help it. It tasted so good. I've never eaten a bone before, and it tasted better than I could have imagined.'
Janie lets out a deep sigh and rolls her eyes. 'Come on,' she says, gesturing towards the kitchen sink. 'Let's get these dishes washed for my mother before she sees you do something else on impulse, like chase your tail around in circles.'
‘Hey, it’s your fault that I’m a werewolf,’ I retort.
‘Correction,’ Janie says, holding a finger up, ‘It’s your fault for not listening to me. I told you not to drink the potion, but you didn’t listen.’
We glare at each other momentarily until Mrs Twittlebug enters the kitchen. Janie and I quickly push each other as we fight over the sink. I let out a low deep growl, which catches Janie off guard and makes her step back. With a huff, she grabs the tea towel and begins drying the dishes. ‘Fine, I’ll dry then,’ she huffs.
‘I’ve never in my life ever seen anyone so keen to wash up,’ Mrs Twittlebug chuckles.
Janie and I smile at her. We return to Janie's room as soon as the dishes are done.
Janie grabs her spell book and sits on the floor. Mister Kal emerges from under the bed but stays strictly by Janie’s side as his eyes glower at me.
I lean against Janie’s bedroom wall quietly and watch Janie place her phone down and open a page in her spell book.
Janie takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and hovers her hand over her phone. The word 'Lifto Levitatious' rolls off Janie's tongue with ease, and as she speaks it, her hand moves in a smooth, fluid motion. I can see the energy building up around Janie's hand, crackling and sparking with magical power. Then, with a sudden burst of force, the phone lifts off the ground and hangs suspended mid-air. It’s as if the laws of physics had been temporarily suspended.
My jaw drops in shock as Janie opens her eyes. Imminent joy is etched on her face. 'I did it. It worked,' she says.
My eyes widen with wonder. I had never believed in magic, always brushing off Janie's attempts to convince me otherwise. But seeing it with my own eyes, I can't deny it any longer.
Janie looks at me, still beaming with happiness. 'Tell me you’re seeing this too? Tell me this is real?' she asks excitedly.
I nod, still stunned by what I'm witnessing. 'This is incredible,' I say. 'I never knew magic could be so...real.'
Janie's smile broadens. 'It is real, Rose. And it's amazing.'
I nod, feeling a sense of guilt creeping up. I've always been sceptical of Janie's love for magic, dismissing it as mere fantasy. But after turning into a werewolf and seeing the magic in action, I realise I've been wrong all along.
'I'm sorry, Janie,' I say, my voice low. 'I never believed in magic before, but I was wrong. It's real, and you're right. Magic is real, and it is amazing.'
Janie's expression softens. She drops her hand, lowering the phone to the ground, stands up and pulls me into a tight hug. 'It's okay, Rose,' she whispers. 'I'm just happy you believe now.'
Janie looks at me with a beaming smile as we separate from the hug. 'I knew I could do it,' she says, her eyes shining with happiness. 'Just think of all these other spells I'll be able to learn!' she says, and we laugh.
As the sun sets, the sky is painted with a canvas of stars, and Janie sits on the floor, flipping through the pages of her spell book, her eyes scanning the ancient texts for her next magical experiment. Mrs Twittlebug has retired to bed for the night, and I take the opportunity to remove my beanie and the restricting rope that had concealed my tail all afternoon and evening. I stretch out my limbs and wag my tail joyfully, relishing the freedom of no longer being confined.
As I stare out the window at the luminous moon, everything around me fades into a blur. The magnetic pull of the celestial body is irresistible, drawing me closer and closer. Before I know it, I’m standing on the balcony, feeling the cool breeze against my fur. My lungs filled with the crisp night air. Without hesitation, I let out a primal howl that echoes into the night.