October 12th

"You think we're going to catch anything tonight?"

"Don't know," said Rusty. "Ain't looking too good so far."

Dale reeled his line in and looked at the bait. It still hung there on the hook, untouched.

"I know there's fish out here," he said. "It's a big lake, and we're in the middle of it. We should be in the middle of all the fish."

Rusty turned around and opened the cooler.

"Another beer?"

Dale held out his hand. Rusty tossed him a can.

"You know, some nights just ain't the night," said Rusty as he opened his can. The foam spewed out onto his hand and into the boat. He slurped the top as quickly as he could to catch what he was able to. There was a splash in the distance.

"The hell was that?" asked Dale.

"Don't know."

"Anybody out there?" Dale called out.

"Shut the hell up. You'll scare the fish."

"Don't see nothing out there," he said. "Could have been anything."

"Hell, it could have been a fish."

"Elusive bastards."

His beer was almost gone when he heard another noise off in the woods.

"What was that?" Dale asked.

"I didn't hear nothing that time."

After a few minutes he finished his beer and crushed the can in his hand.

"Give me another one."

"Let me finish mine first," said Rusty.

There was a large splash from the edge of the lake.

"I know you heard that one."

"Probably a branch falling into the lake."

"A big branch."

Dale looked around, alcohol buzzing through his system and hindering his focus. All around, the crickets chirped. This lake was mostly isolated. A couple of lots over were a farm and a bunch of cornfields; a mile or two in the opposite direction was the town, but this small lake always remained a peaceful place to become one with nature. The more he thought about it, the less fearful he became. Of course there were noises out here. It was animals, trees, insects — normal outdoor sounds.

"Can I get a beer, now?"

Rusty turned around to get into the cooler.

"You know, it don't matter if we catch anything or not," said Dale. "I love being out here, in the outdoors, in the quiet, drinking beers." Rusty grunted. "How many we got left?"

Rusty turned around and Dale jumped backwards. In his drunkenness he fell over the edge of the boat.

Rusty glared at him with wolf eyes. His body was still his, but the head was that of a wolf. He reached into the water for his friend, and gripped his shirt with huge monstrous claws. He raised Dale into the air and held him up above his head. Dale's body dripped with the lake water, and he screamed at the sight of his friend's monstrous transition as the full moon illuminated his true, beastly form.

In the distance one could hear a brief scream before being silenced, then a loud howl that echoed throughout the forest. The wind blew through the trees, causing the branches to sway and more autumn leaves to fall. Against one of the large trees sat a jack-o'-lantern, its pumpkin face being that of a wolf. The breeze traveled inside the shell, and the flame went out. A thin stream of smoke escaped from the eyes and mouth of the pumpkin face.

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