Chapter 010: Hungry Wolf
1003 Words
Though I still harbored many unanswered questions, Margo, it seemed, was equally clueless. My goal was to reach the plane wreckage, to see what remained and perhaps find some clue about my sister-in-law. Margo, being a woman, I reasoned, wouldn't search certain places, like those that were dirty. When I asked her to take me to the crash site, she initially ignored me. Finally, after much pleading and persuasion, she agreed.
Following Margo into the forest, we walked over a thick carpet of dried leaves. Above, the branches and leaves of unfamiliar trees intertwined, creating a verdant canopy that filtered the sunlight into an emerald glow. The forest was a sea of green.
I watched Margo as we walked. We maintained a brisk pace – well, *I* was almost always rushing – and our bodies swayed naturally with each step.
Suddenly, Margo stopped. I, preoccupied with watching her and walking too closely behind, bumped right into her, landing against what felt like a soft cushion.
“Why did you stop?” I asked, feigning composure despite my embarrassment. My brief interaction with Su Ya had taught me that if you let a woman speak first, you might not get another chance.
"..."
Based on my limited understanding of Margo, I expected a reaction. Earlier, when I’d merely gotten a little close while asking a question, she’d recoiled, fixing me with a cold stare as if my touch were lethal. Yet now, pressed against her, she remained unresponsive.
I looked at her. Her eyes were fixed on something ahead, filled with tension. What had she seen?
Following her gaze, I peered into the trees. A wolf. A wild wolf.
My heart seemed to stop. Like Margo, I froze.
The wolf was a dull grey, with only a hint of color in its tail. It stood there, menacing, teeth bared, saliva dripping from its jaws. The sight sent a shiver down my spine. One bite from those teeth would surely tear away a chunk of flesh.
Its fur was sparse, its body lean. It looked hungry, very hungry. It crouched low to the ground, poised to attack.
I instinctively tried to mimic its fierce posture. Margo, noticing this, asked, “What are you doing?”
“We’re bigger than the wolf,” I explained. “If we look aggressive, it might be scared off. There are two of us. If you do it too, maybe it’ll run.” I knew that running would only trigger a chase. Wolves, I figured, saw running as a sign of fear, a vulnerability they were quick to exploit.
Margo looked at me as if I were an i***t. “I’m not doing that,” she scoffed. “You have fun with that!”
And with that, she walked away!
My eyes remained locked on the wolf, fearing any sudden movement. I was so tense I could hear my own heartbeat. I worried that Margo's movement would provoke the wolf into attacking.
As the wolf crept closer, I realized running was futile. We could never outrun it.
Before I could react, the wolf, seemingly losing patience, lunged. Its hind legs coiled, its forelegs extended, and its malevolent eyes, gleaming like a reaper’s, fixed on Margo’s back.
In that moment, I could have easily abandoned Margo. The wolf wasn’t targeting me. But even without her guidance to the wreckage, I couldn't just stand by and watch someone be mauled to death. Despite her aloofness, I had to save her. People were scarce on this island. I couldn't let her die like this.
As the wolf sprang, I lunged forward, scooping Margo into my arms and rolling us both to the ground. She instinctively struggled, but I quickly scrambled to my feet.
My hand trembled as I gripped the makeshift club I’d fashioned from a branch and a stone before entering the forest. I stared at the oncoming wolf, frantically trying to anticipate its attack. I’d never encountered a wolf before. Its long, bushy tail, so prominent as it ran, caught my eye, reminding me of the way the dogs back home wagged their tails when I returned. Dogs and wolves, though vastly different in ferocity, were similar in build and appearance. Perhaps their attack patterns were also similar. I’d seen countless dog fights back in the countryside. That familiarity gave me a sliver of confidence.
Still, I was terrified. This wasn’t a game. Lives were at stake. As I considered the movements of dogs, I gripped my club like a baseball bat, rotating it back with both hands, building momentum. The wolf, now only a few meters away, suddenly veered, almost like a drift, its hind legs pushing off the ground as it turned, jaws agape, and lunged towards my left side with astonishing speed.
“Ah!” Margo screamed, clamping her hands over her mouth as the wolf changed direction, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.
The wolf’s sudden shift caught me off guard. Even with the dog analogy, I hadn't anticipated such cunning. I’d been careless.
My face went white, but thankfully, Margo was close enough that a quick pivot brought me face-to-face with the wolf again. Perhaps surprised by my swift turn, I reacted with a burst of adrenaline, rotating ninety degrees to match the wolf’s movement and swinging my club with all my might. It whistled past Margo’s head.
*Thwack!*
The club connected squarely with the airborne wolf’s body. The force of the blow, amplified by my swing, sent the already weakened animal flying, crashing against a tree before landing with a yelp in the dry leaves. It scrambled to its feet and fled into the depths of the forest.
Margo, realizing she was unharmed and the wolf was gone, turned to me, her face carefully neutral, and said, “Why did you use me as bait?”
I…
*Let good deeds go unpunished,* I thought. I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to find the plane. “Where’s the wreckage?” I asked.
- Writer
