The swamp hermit leaped out of the bushes, eyes wide with excitement. "I'm the werewolf!" he shouted, laughing! We all screamed as he came rushing toward us swinging a dead heron in his hand and laughing and screaming, "I'm the werewolf!" Eric shrieked and forgetting all about the belt on his belt, started running leaving us in the dust. "Oh, thanks!" shouted Will. I held the wolfsbane Cassie gave me the other day out in front of me, but he swung it out of my hands with the bird. I started running. It was all a blur now. A blur of light and shade, trees and vines, tall weeds and sharp brambles. "I'm the werewolf! I'm the werewolf!" The crazed hermit's high-pitched wails of laughter echoed through the swamp. Keep going, Grady, I urged myself. Keep going. Then, with a terrified cry, I felt my feet slide out from under me. I fell face forward into the mud, landing hard on my hands and knees. He's got me, I realized. The werewolf has got me.
I fell down with a plop! He was right on top of me! He stopped right in front of me and smiled. We didn't say a word. I was done for! But he didn't say a word. Instead, he started to laugh. And not in that maniac way. More like he had listened to a funny joke. "Go on," he said. "I won't bite." What? "I was teasing," he continued. His smile faded when Wolf came by. "Where were you," I asked him. "Why didn't you protect me?" He lowered his head. "You're a coward like me," I asked him, rubbing his head. "That your dog?" the swamp hermit asked as he walked off. "Watch out for him." What did that mean?
Forget the proof. I just wanted to get away from Fever Swamp as soon as possible! By the time I reached my home, Eric was there with Will trying to calm down Cassie when he looked at me. "Were you bitten?!" he shouted. That's a fine way of saying, "I'm sorry I ditched you!" I didn't say a word. "Next time," I said to them with venom in my voice. "When there's a crazy man after me, don't leave anyone behind. And no, I wasn't bitten, thank you very much!" With friends like them who needs enemies?
"I'm sorry," one of them said. I turned around. Cassie looked ashamed, staring at the ground. "People do stupid things when they get scared. This is probably a perfect example. I just hope you can forgive us." Wolf walked up to her and licked her hand. I smiled. "Ah, who could stay mad at you guys?" "So, are we forgiven?" asked Eric, twirling his knife. I nodded. "Sorry about the proof," he continued. "What are we going to do about Wolf's innocence?" I really didn't know.
