John Wolfstone-The Book

A farewell to a respected man

A few hours later, in a packed auditorium, John stood on the stage.

He was in his Mr. Wolfstone guise, with a cold look, facing everyone, from the various staff members, and from the youngest of students, to the oldest of students. This meant that the room was so silent, that even a human could have heard a pin land on a carpet, and located the spot where it was, without error.

John looked out at the auditorium and saw that smaller students and teachers were in the front, and the taller ones were in the back. This was so everyone could see him, and he could see everyone, in turn. He drummed his fingers on the podium, watching everyone.

Then, he spoke.

“Students and staff, we are here to remember a great man," he said. "A man who was so great, no one person could say how great he was. I’ve known Jefferson Johnson Snapjaw ever since I started school, back when I was six years old.

'When I first saw him, at the school meeting held in the auditorium, which is held during the first week of the school year, I was so scared, I’ll admit that I both wet, and soiled, my pants. Needless to say, I had the first couple of front rows to myself, so he defiantly saw me.

'Over the next few years, I avoided him as best as I could, until I was sent to his office, for hitting the teacher, when I was in the second grade. Considering it was close to lunchtime, I’ll admit that I was scared. Thankfully, my mother was there, reminding him of something that he had done when he was my age, which convinced him not to punish me.

'The next year, it was the same thing; I hit a teacher and got sent to the office. This time, my father was there, showing him some pictures he had taken. I never found out what they were about, though I can make a few guesses, but he didn’t punish me.

'However, the next year, I broke his nose, when he tried to discipline another troublesome student, by trying to eat him. Needless to say, he started choking, and well, I felt bad for him, so I did the Heimlich maneuver on him, saving his life, and that of the other student as well.

'Given how I had nearly caused him to die, and in turn save his life, he forced me to choose between being failed, or, on the other hand, taking the other student to be my pet. Well obviously, I took the other student to be my pet.

'Needless to say, while my parents knew why I hit my teachers, they were a little upset that I had gotten myself a pet without them knowing, until I told them why. It was then that they told me what it was that I should do next time it happened.

'After that, I got myself a few more pets, until it happened. I had killed my fifth grade teacher, in a manner that I shall not speak of, saving a fellow student’s life. After that, everyone, including Mr. Snapjaw, feared me. They feared the very thing that I was, which happens to be a giant-werewolf hybrid. Before that day, everyone assumed that I was just a werewolf that preferred to remain in his human form, until the right moment. After that day, they realized that I could also turn myself into a giant, and even, a giant werewolf.”

At this, John smiled, wickedly, as everyone else, with the exception of a few, seemed to pale in fear, after all, size-changers were very rare, especially those who were werewolves, and all had a reputation of being very dangerous, and highly unpredictable. Even regular giants, and wizards, were afraid of them, and they themselves could be quite dangerous to be around.

Then John continued his speech.

“Of course, that sort of thing caused the wrong person to have an unhealthy interest in me. He offered me some things if I helped him take over the school, and this was when I was in the seventh grade mind you, and he was in the twelfth. I told him that I wasn’t interested, and that all I wanted to do was get through school without any further trouble.

'Unfortunately, trouble had found me, in the form of a vampire from the Redblood family. He attacked me, and a teacher who tried to protect me from him. Well, the teacher, Mrs. Janus Clawfoot, was severally injured by the time I pulled him off of her. I told him that he’d have to go through me to get to her. Well, he tried, and ended up in the hospital because of it, literally.

'Needless to say, I was in even more trouble than I thought possible. Instead of my parents facing him, Mr. Snapjaw had to face the head of the Redblood family. The man tried to force him to turn me over to them, or they would cut all funding to the school. Well do you want to know what Mr. Snapjaw told him? He said, ‘Go ahead and cut your funding, Redblood. You’re just upset that a weak “vegetarian” beat the heir to your family’s fortune. You want him because of what it would mean between your family and his. Try and take him, if you dare.’

'Well, Mr. Redblood was about to fight him then and there, for possession of me, when my mother, father, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and everyone else related to my brothers and sisters, showed up. Well, as the saying goes, ‘When one is faced with overwhelming odds, it is best to rethink your strategy.’ Well, I don’t know if Mr. Redblood ever heard about it before, but he certainly realized it that day. He settled for my parents paying for the younger Redblood’s hospital bills, and me being put under the supervision of a teacher for a month.

'After that, the school was, more or less, run my way. While I hadn’t set out to take control of the school, after that fight, teachers, and students, didn’t do anything that would set me off. However, Mr. Snapjaw struck up a sort of friendship with me, that if he had a troublesome student, that I would take care of him or her.” At this, John paused.

“It was then,” he said. “That I began to see a different side of him. It is a side that few show, their true selves. I soon realized that, behind his rock hard scales, was a warm, beating heart.

'Of course, those times were few and far between each of them. For some reason, they always reminded me of when my mother and father got good news about me and my siblings. It wasn’t until recently that I found out why they seemed to look like it, but that’s for later on in my speech.

'However, for the most part, he was still a grouchy old lizard who’d rather bite your head off than give you the time of day, especially around mealtimes.

'When I went to Harmony University, I thought that that was the last I’d see of him, and this school. I was planning to be a chef, and cook vegetarian meals in a vegetarian restaurant, much like the one my parents first met in.

'However, I received some news that changed my life forever.

'A young woman, who told me, and I also felt the same way, that she wanted to marry me after we graduated from our respective collages, was murdered, all because someone wouldn’t eat something other than another person.”

At this, John gave a low, angry growl, which frightened everyone.

“When I heard about it, I was devastated. I, more or less, disappeared from the collage scene. In fact, I considered killing myself. I was about to carry it out, when it hit me. I could use the pain that I felt to teach others, so that they would never feel the pain that I felt.

'So, I went to my advisors, and had my classes changed from cooking, to teaching. When I graduated, with high honors, I came here, looking for a job. Of course, I found out that there were some legal matters I had to take care of first, as my mother and father had passed away and there were some problems over who was going to get their inheritance, which I am not going to talk about here.

'When those matters were dealt with, I received a call from a friend of mine, Janus Clawfoot, who retired at the end of last year, that there was an opening for a philosophy teacher here, as the previous one left without even giving his two week notice to Mr. Snapjaw. Needless to say, I was the only one who applied for the job, as most other people were quitting, because the school had fallen on hard times.

'When he saw me walk into his office, he nearly had a heart attack, and practically hired me then and there. Now, those of you who have had me for these last few years, you know what I am like, how I keep you from eating others and such. You know that I do things to protect others, even to the point that people fear me because of what I could do to them.

'Well, unknown to the rest of you, Mr. Snapjaw was of a similar nature. Here, he was a cold-hearted bastard, but, at home, he was a devoted husband to his wife, and a loving father, to his only daughter, who was born as a human, whom many of you know as Miss Abigail, as she didn’t want her students to see a connection between her, and her father.”

At this, everyone gasps, and looks towards Janelle, who was quietly sniffling.

“I know,” John said. “It came as a shock to me when I found out that Mr. Snapjaw was a father, and that Janelle was his daughter. That was the reason why, when I had seen him with smile on his face back when I was in school, he was happy during those few times, because he had received good news about her, like on her grades or projects.

'However, there is more, especially about the way he died. He had received some very important news about Janelle, which I’ll let her say when she wants to. Anyways, after he received the news, and was most likely looking for ways to deal with what it would mean for him, someone broke into their home. Mr. Snapjaw’s wife was killed instantly. Jeff though, tried to hide his daughter, to protect her from the intruders, and went to fight them off.

'However, despite his best efforts, one of the intruders got her, and just as Jeff was trying to get her back, he was struck with a mortal blow to the back of his head. He was helpless to rescue his daughter, so he limped to the one person he knew who would save her, me.

'At the time, I had just dealt with some intruders of my own, who told me that they had kidnapped Janelle. Jeff asked me to go and save his daughter, before he died. He also told me that I was the best man to take on his job, and well, I’m not one to argue with the dead. I went, saved his daughter, and told her the news that he had told me.”

At this, tears threatened to fall from John’s eyes.

“Just a moment guys,” he said. “I’ve got something in my eyes.”

He then took a tissue from a box next to him, wiped his eyes, and then, blew his nose.

“Damn seasonal allergies,” he said, tossing the tissue into the trash. “Always occurs around this time of the year.”

Needless to say, no one argued that he didn’t have allergies.

“Anyways,” he said. “Jeff, I hope that you accept this small token of my appreciation of you.”

With that, John walked outside, grew fifty feet, and took the canvas off of the statue, and smiled, as he shrank back down. There, in all its glory, was a granite statue of Jeff, sitting at his desk, looking at the school he loved.

However, unlike how he normally looked, the statue had a slight sparkle in its eyes, and a light smile on its face, though one had to look carefully to see them.

Otherwise, the statue was the same Mr. Snapjaw everyone knew, and dreaded to meet up with.

As John walked away from it, he saw Janelle looking at it.

“What do you think?” he asked.

She just smiled and said, “That’s him alright, cold on the outside, yet warm on the inside.”

“Do you think your father would like it?” John asked, as he looked back at the statue.

“No," Janelle said, causing John to look at her, and noticed a smile, as she looked at him, and hug him. "He’d LOVE it.”

“I had a feeling that you’d say something like that,” John said, kissing her on the cheek. “Now let’s get back inside. I still have the rest of the meeting to go through.”