The Wolf Man, a childhood memoir of Edmonton in the winter of 1942, by Harley Reid

Date: February or March 1942

The Wolf Man pointed one hairy finger right at me and howled. I tried to hide but there was no place to go. I could feel the air move as the curved claw reached out trying to grab my face, and his huge head filled the movie screen and he howled again. He knew I was there. He knew my mother thought I was in another theater watching Mickey Rooney in an Andy Hardy picture. He knew my folks wouldn¹t know where he was going to drag me until it was too late. He knew who I was.

I did not move a muscle until the theater lights came on. I looked around but didn't see him so I quickly joined the people leaving the theater. I ran down Jasper Avenue to 101 Street, and then crossed over to the Liggetts Drug Store corner to wait for my streetcar.

Once I thought I saw him over by the Selkirk Hotel as I waited, but that shadowy figure was lighting a cigarette and then it went into the hotel lobby.

It was warm in the streetcar and I felt safe as it swayed down 101 Street to 107 Avenue.

Then, turning west, it lumbered down the tracks to my stop at 108 Street. When I got off and stood there watching the warm safe streetcar leave me, I got scared. There were three long blocks to go in the darkness if this eleven year old was ever to reach home again.

I didn't see the Wolf Man leave the theater, but he was there on 108 Street. I knew he was. The huge trees that lined the street were gently swaying in the winter evening wind.

Their branches painted strange moving black shadows on the snow covered wooden sidewalks and gravel roadway.

By the time I reached the end of the first block I knew he was there in the darkness following me. Oh how I wished my Dad would come along. He would fix this hairy guy. Alert and ready to move if he charged, I heard the first howl. It was muffled but it was definitely his howl. My walking turned into a brisk trot. When I head a low shuddering moan come from the tree I had just passed, I broke into a fear-fuelled gallop.

The lighted windows of the houses blurred as I gained speed and raced towards home.

Would I be home for supper or would I be his supper before I got home? A cloud hid the fullness of the winter moon and I could hear the Wolf Man's snarly breathing as he gained on me and my home came into view. As I crossed the last graveled avenue, his claws caught my coat. I yelped and broke free of his deadly grasp. Out of breath and weak with fright I crossed our lawn and reached the back door. A familiar voice came out of the night. "Boy, can you ever motor when you want to", laughed my friend, Bernie. "I walked down to meet you at the streetcar. I was across the street when you started to run. I thought you wanted to race home but I couldn't catch you."

I wanted to punch him for helping me scare myself but we just sat on our back steps and laughed and talked until my Mom called me in for supper. Bernie never knew that we weren't racing and that he might have been dessert for the Wolf Man.

(Lon Chaney Jr. starring in The Wolf Man)