Hidden Fangs

Curiosity Killed The Cat… Or Did It?

My heart is beating out of my chest. I can feel my body shaking but for some reason I am drawn to the idea of going back outside. My heart is telling me to go but my head is telling me to panic. Why is there a wolf in my yard? Why does it feel familiar? Why do I want to be close to it?! So many questions rush through my mind before I realize my feet answered for me and I find myself back at the front door. I peek outside and he’s still sitting in the same spot. I swear it’s like he turned his head as if to question why I was back before him. I open the door and walk outside while my body is shivering in protest. I’m praying he doesn’t attack me but he seems just as curious as I am. I creep slowly toward him and he doesn’t budge. He raises his head to look at me and the closer I get the more his scent engulfs me, the scent that has been clouding my head for days! How could the smell be coming from him? There’s no way a wolf was in the mall! It makes no sense to me. I’m more confused now than I was. I inch my shaking hand out towards him, trying to show that I mean no harm. He doesn’t most and almost seems to nod in approval. I run my hand through his fur. He seems to melt at my touch and I swear I heard a purr. Do wolves purr? Wtf. I feel sparks and my hand tingles as I rub his head. Who knew wolves had so much static electricity? My mind is blown as the ginormous wolf below me seems to be so incredibly powerful but is allowing me to pet him like a dog.

I can barely contain my giggle as I am now on my knees in a crouching position and he licks me along my cheek. Before I could react Liam slams the door open and seemingly scares my wolf off. My wolf? Why am I assuming he’s mine? I jump to my senses as Liam loudly asks me “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MIA?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET EATEN?”. I can’t help but chuckle as I calmly explain to him that the big bad wolf meant no harm. “He likes me if you can't tell!” I say and I calmly make my way back inside. “You are unbelievably stupid” says Liam as he crosses his arms in anger at me. I don’t understand what the big deal is. If he wanted to kill me he would have! But he didn’t. And I was so drawn to him I had to be near him. But I couldn’t tell Liam that, he would never understand. He might think I was going crazy, s**t maybe I am going crazy! I rush upstairs to my room and lay on my bed. Sleep never seems to come easily to me but tonight is different. As soon as my head hits my pillow I fall fast asleep. I am somehow back in front of the wolf only this time I’m also a wolf? Wait what! I have to be dreaming right? “You are dreaming.” I look around quickly to try and find the source of the deep voice I just heard. The wolf before me appears to chuckle a deep laugh. I’m shocked and confused as I stare in disbelief. “You are dreaming… But this is very real. Your life is about to change.” Says the wolf this time making eye contact with me. It feels as though he’s staring into my soul. “I don’t understand, what are you saying? What’s changing?” I ask almost as if I’m pleading for answers. What am I not getting? As I supposed to know what he’s talking about? I can’t think straight at this point. He appears to be thinking and almost confused. “What do you mean you don’t understand? You and I are alike”. I back up and almost trip, I am shaking and feel like I’m going to faint! Can you faint in a dream? “We are one in the same. Two souls of the same strand” he speaks again. It’ll all make sense to you soon. “I don’t understand. I’m not a wolf what are you saying! How are we one?! Please help me understand because I’m lost.” Just as he goes to answer, I shoot up in my bed and I’m in my room again. I look at my clock and it’s 3:00 am. So it was a dream? I look out my bedroom window and I see him under the tree staring at me as he nods his head. It was real. What did he mean? We are one in the same? I contemplated for hours what it could have been. At 5:00 am I am downstairs getting breakfast made for the boys. They’ll be riding the bus today due to me skipping school. I have to get the deliveries for Best Elec’s and try to get some hours in at work. I’m in the process of making pancakes and omelets for the boys. Everyone likes different styles and I try to make sure they get it. One by one they come down stairs freshly showered and ready for school. We all sit at the table and eat as a family before I usher them to the bus stop. Once they are on the way to school I go about my day tidying the house and getting ready to get the tvs. They’re delivered around 10:00 am. Once I get them situated and hung with the help of the delivery men it’s time to get going. I get ready for work and make sure to lock the door and arm the security system. Mom’s going to be pissed but she won’t be able to rob us again. I quickly get to my vehicle and crank it. I hit my vape and slowly head towards Joe’s. I had to stop and fill my suv with gas. Just as I am about to pull into the diner I look to my right and on the far corner is the stranger that I have begun to see everywhere. I slam on my breaks with my tires screeching at the halt. I jump out and stare at him in shock. He’s real? I wasn’t insane or having an episode. He’s real! His piercing blue eyes burn into mine and I gasp at the realization that has just hit me. It’s him. The stranger I have been seeing is the wolf that I met last night! The sounds of honking floods my ears and draws me to my senses. I panic once I realize I’m standing in the middle of a busy street holding traffic to a stop. I jump in my vehicle and floor it into the parking lot of Joe’s. I park and collect my thoughts. If he’s real, was he the one in my dream? How is that plausible? I rub my hands across my face trying to calm myself down. Once I feel ready, I’m out of the vehicle and heading inside to start work. I walk through the door and hear “There’s my girl!”. I look at Joe and chuckle as he wraps me in a hug. I've only been gone two days and he’s acting like it’s been ages. I clock in and put my apron on and get to work. I’m taking orders and serving food left and right. I head to the kitchen to grab the next plate and Joe stops me. He wants to know why I’ve been gone so long. “I’ve only been gone two days, Joe, not too long”. He chuckles as he ruffles my hair “yeah but that’s not like you Mia. What’s going on?”. Joe hired me at 15, of course he knows everything. He’s like the dad I never had. I filled him in on mom robbing us again and how we had to get new locks and upgrade security around the house. I can see the anger rise to his red face as he takes a deep breath. “That woman just won’t stop will she?! First she leaves and then what?! She robs you! This s**t is getting out of hand Mia.”