The Wolf Boy

Halloween Night

8 o’clock, Halloween night. Gulf stood in the oval clearing in the Kwanjaai Woods. He was wearing his black outfit with his eyes made up huge and beautiful thanks to his P’Cooheart. The crow-wings were strapped to his back. They were fixed in the shut position and they felt so light and right on his back. He raked his hands through newly-black, glossy hair and thought he’d never felt more scared in his life. This was a risk. The dark angel of risk. If his careful, daring plan went wrong, it would be awful, worse than awful, it would be death…
But if it went right…
Gulf pulled some bacon rind from the large bag of scraps he’d brought. Then he lifted his arms and his body chain rattled. “Kaa-kaaa-kaaaa!!” he called out. The crows were roosting up in the tree branches and his wolf gave him a judging stare. They wanted to be left alone, but when he called out again, they floated down and swooped on the rinds he threw.
Right away, he set off back down the narrow through the trees. The only light was from the moon, but it was enough. White-flash and the other crows flew after him, greedy now for the scraps he tossed back over his shoulder.
At the edge of the wood, Gulf started walking slowly along the lane behind the row of houses. The crows followed him . Together, they arrived at the gate at the end of Mew’s long, overgrown garden. 
This was it.
He opened the rickety gate and slipped inside. His closed wings brushed low branches. The moon was behind clouds now and it was very dark where he stood. Gulf tossed a few more strips of rind on to the grass in front of him, the crows flapped past him, straight down to seize them. Then they flew up to the low branches of the trees at the end of the garden, waiting for more while his wolf kept a safe distance.
Perfect.
Gulf looked towards the house. A string of fairy lights shaped like little skulls glittered on a bush, three pumpkins hung from trees and glowed orange. There were no lights on in the house, only candles. Gulf could see dark shapes moving about in the kitchen and heard loud music and laughing. Time to get everyone’s attention, he thought and opened his mouth to scream out crow noises.
Silence.
He couldn’t force himself to make a sound. He felt like he was going to be sick. He felt like a total fool. I can’t do this, I can’t carry this off. What are they going to think? That i’ve tried too hard, I’m pathetic, I tried and messed up, I’m sad…
Then he thought of all the hours and hours he had put in, making the wings, planning all this. He thought about his wolf, who had made him brave enough to want to stand up for himself...are you just going waste all of that? He felt angry with himself. This was going to be the start of a new you! Go on - do it!
A group of kids had come out onto the decking at the top of the garden. Some of them are lighting up cigarettes, they looked bored. Now! Gulf told himself, but he still couldn’t make a sound. 
Then suddenly, the clouds scudded away in front of the moon. Moonlight slanted down like a spotlight right in front of him. And Gulf thought, It’s Halloween! He gave his wolf  a nod and took a deep breath. Then he shrieked into the night accompanied by his wolf’s howl.