The forest wolves

                                                                     I felt like a rag doll being tossed about and there was nothing that I could do. His teeth dug deep in my flesh, his hot breath; the hot wet of his spit or my blood? I can’t really tell. As I am shaken from one side to another, I can’t help but to think that this couldn’t really be happening to me. Next thing I was thrown across the room. I just laid there, still and without moving, as if I was dead. Everything felt so surreal. Almost like a terrible vivid dream. I wanted to wake up. I wanted this to all just go away. I just laid there with my eyes open, I could feel my breathing. I got to thinking that perhaps I am dead? I could feel the hot wet sticky of my blood pool around me, soaking into my fur. Everything was silent. So I just laid there until everything went dark. I woke up, momentarily forgetting. My vision a little blurry and slowly going into focus. I was not in my bed, and as I began to piece together where I was, it all came streaming back. It was all gone; the smell of stale blood hit me like punch in my nose. I still had paws instead of hands. Eighteen years old and this was the first time that I haven’t changed back. The puddle of blood that I was laying in was now cold and sticky, and my wounds deep. 3 With great pain I pulled myself towards myself. Feeling and hearing my bones click and crack in together, and with all my might, I lifted myself up into a sitting position. I just sat, looking down at the hardening blood that has replaced my throne. I was still just sitting still, and when all the horror events that I could remember had unfolded and set in. I looked up to see the naked lifeless human form of my father. My father was a big man, a bold and bitter man, who was an even fiercer beast. His wounds deep, gashes through to the bones. My father’s face almost unrecognizable, except for the old scar across his chin, my father is dead. I still just sat, bewildered and confused and numb. The sun had risen and its light shone bright through the colorful windows. I found the colors reflecting on the walls to be so beautiful, and I began to feel that perhaps it was time to get up and try and figure out what to do next. My fur sticky and tangled and my body aching. My tail tucked between my legs and my ears down. I slowly headed to the door, cautiously and low. I limped down a dark passage, old; grey and bitter cold, feeling every step as I headed towards the light. The light was so bright as I reached outside that it strained my eyes. Everywhere I looked was blood stained snow, with a clear brook trickling passed. The trees all bare and the air crisp with a touch of heat from the bright sunshine. There was nothing but the sound of running water and the whispering wind. 4 I shoved my nose deep into the ice cold snow, sniffing through my bludgeoned nose. I sneezed and cleared my nose and throat, spitting and sneezing and snotting until I could breathe and smell with better ease. I lapped up some water and looked up and then I looked all around. This church and this forest wasn’t very far from our home. I retraced my steps from the night before. I remembered that there was a knock at the door. I remembered that John asked if it wasn’t too late for visitors. I also remembered that Karin was in the kitchen, “and dad?” dad was in his bar. “So what happened then?” Ari went to see who was at the door; I was sitting at the table. It all happened so fast from there. My father always told us stories of werewolves and their great adventures, but mostly about their cruelty. He always ended his stories with reminding us that we were not the same as them. My father also always said, that when in Rome then do what the romans do, and he demanded that we live with the humans, so we will live as humans. Here I was, the sun high in the sky and I was still in my wolf form. Perhaps this is permanent, maybe not, but for now I’d have to move forward as I am, a wolf. The First thing that I had to do was go home, and without a second thought, I got up and started my walk to get back home. The snow was cold on my paws and the more I walked the easier my steps got and the faster, until I was running along the road at a fast speed. Breathing comfortably and at a steady pace. I ran and ran, not thinking, just running. 5 As I was running, the smells in the air got more and more familiar as I got closer to home. I heard sounds of dogs barking and the screams and screeches of children as I ran down the street. I just kept running, with nothing else in mind either than just getting home. I came around the corner to see home. I didn’t think, I didn’t even know what to expect, I just wanted to get home. Instead of seeing our nice quiet road with the cozy of home, with its warmth, inviting my feelings of comfort. I was confronted with crowded panic and clutter and noise from police cars. I tried to stop, but my legs kept going. I slipped and slid without control. At that moment there was so much chaos, but I focused on one main thing, the police officer with his gun pointed right at me. I heard the loud shots and I felt a hard punch, but still I kept sliding. The problem was that I was running, but on the same spot. I finally got my footing and began to run back in the direction that I came from. I felt a second hard hit with an extreme piercing pain as I was plunged into the snow. I got up quick and began to run and at least this time I got moving and really fast. I heard more gun shots but I didn’t consider anything. I kept running further and further away until I couldn’t hear anything or anyone anymore. 6 My breathing was now hard and my legs couldn’t carry me any further, so as I passed a huge snow covered broken down tree stump, I took the sharp corner and dropped. Out of breath, cold and tired and hurting, I just laid there in the snow and faded away, I was spent. I woke up and I was just lying with my eyes closed. I could feel that I was still in my wolf form. I knew that I slept for a long time, as the ground was soft with rotting leaves and the cold of the snow was gone. I moved a little to access my condition, and I felt no more pains. So I slowly opened my eyes and saw that all the snow had melted away and that spring had obviously begun. It had to have been at least a month since it all happened. The forest had sprung to life and the small trickling brook was now a good sized fresh fish supply. Days turned into weeks and I headed deeper into the forest. I became comfortable and content with my new life and I stopped myself from thinking about how it was. Life became simple, no more parents, no more rules, no more school and no more friends, just me and the free life of nature. I hunted for food, I lived, I ran about and I felt free. I thought of going back, but I knew that, that was not my home anymore. I was wolf now and I could never live with the humans again unless I changed back to my human form, and my hopes for changing back was fading fast. The day started more or less the same as every other day. I got up; I stretched my body out as I crept out of my den. I made my way to the waters where I start my day off. 7 I heard what could have been a noise in the bushes and I looked up quietly. I smelt the air and listened deeper. All seemed fine, so I carried on drinking some more water. Then there was a crackling of sticks, and I took the sounds more serious this time. I stood up straight and looked up. I looked up to see a hunter with a riffle aimed right at me. I looked at the barrel of the gun and the focused on the man behind the gun. I knew him. Brad, he was in the same school as me, but two years ahead. Brad was a very friendly person and his parents were super friendly. I was frozen of fear. Brad had a clear shot and I didn’t have the right footing to make a fast get away. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the worst. I heard the gun shot, and I waited to drop, but I just stayed standing. I stood with my eyes closed. Maybe I was already dead? I didn’t feel any pain; I didn’t feel anything, so I just stood. Next thing I heard someone call my name, but I still didn’t respond. I heard my name being called again. “Loranne, Loranne, is that you?” I opened my eyes and I saw the hunter lying dead on the ground, and then I saw Ari. “Ari is alive, wow, Ari is alive. Ari explained to me what all had happened. Ari told me that when he answered the door that night, there were three men. He said that they sprayed him in the face with something that made him completely unresponsive and that he couldn’t move, but that he was still conscious and aware. They laid him down on the couch while a pack of at least ten werewolves rushed through the house. 8 Ari explained that the wolves killed John first and then Karin, Ari witnessed all this before passing out. Ari’s eyes were welling up with tears, and I could see that he was reliving it all again in his mind as he was telling me. With Ari’s hand on my head as he casually patted, as if I was his pet dog. Ari also told me that he hadn’t changed from his human form since that night. When I tried talking back to Ari, we found out that he could not understand me. I was no longer human and Ari was no longer a werewolf. Ari, though not a wolf anymore, didn’t have the stench that humans have. Ari smelt normal and I could understand him just fine. So we just sat for a few minutes in silence. Ari then went on to explain that when he woke up, he found himself in a jail cell in Hillfort, two towns up. When the police released him, he went straight home to find that the town’s folk all went “kill the wolf” crazy. The town believed that we had all been attacked and killed by a pack of wild wolves, and as small towns go. The town’s folk all got it in their heads that the only good wolf is a dead one. In fact that was the town’s new motto. Even farmer Ken and farmer Don and Mr. Mullen all put together to pay for every wolf killed. Ari then told me to drag Brad’s body deeper into the forest and go and burry it. He then explained to me that he had to go back into town and that I have to head south to a place called Durelands. I was told to find a woman named Ruby Parker. 9 Ari then got up, patted me on my head again and he just walked away. I just stood there and watched him go. Ari didn’t look back, and I found myself alone with Brad. I looked at Brad and sniffed at him and the proceeded to drag Brad away. I started my journey south that very night. While walking along, I tried to piece together how I ended up at the church being ripped up by a giant werewolf. Up until that moment, I had never seen another werewolf either than us. I kept trying to play what events I did remember again and again in my head. Why would a pack of werewolves ever want to attack us? We stayed quiet, we stayed undercover and no one ever saw us doing anything different or odd ever. We never broke any of the monster rules, ever. My father was very strict in those ways. The sun rose and the day was bright and clear. I noticed a poster nailed to a tree. I went closer to have a look. It was a poster saying that the only good wolf is a dead one. The poster also had a picture of a wolf’s head on a spike. One didn’t have to tell me more than that. Sleep by day and move by night and avoid all humans. This journey was not going to be easy and it was going to take a while. 10 Chapter 2 The sun started to set, and a storm was brewing far in the distance, the air smelt sweet of pine and liquid amber trees. The sound of forest birds preparing to sleep and the bats began waking up. I heard the howling of wolves and it was time to get going. I could follow the human pathways and hide when I see lights. As a wolf I could see perfectly in the dark. I would have to hurry and make ground as when the sun rises then I would have to hide again until the next night. The path was quiet and I was making good time. I had passed a few farms, keeping the lights at safe distances, when I heard sounds coming from the path up ahead. I wanted to get off the path but there was fencing stopping me. I then turned to run back down the pathway, but then I saw lights not far behind me. I felt trapped and not sure of what to do, I decided to go forward and face what lies ahead. Not knowing what to expect, I braced myself for the worst. The sounds got louder and I couldn’t make out what it was. As I got closer, I could see a dark shadow creeping on the pathway. I couldn’t stop for long as there were lights coming up from behind me, definitely a car or even a bakkie. I moved closer cautiously and when I got close enough, I could see that it was a male werewolf. Still in its wolf form. A car must have hit him and kept on driving. Time was short and I could now already hear the oncoming vehicle. I ran up to the werewolf sniffed his face quick and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck; the 11 werewolf was almost double my size and I pulled him with all my might. I pulled him along the road as fast as I could till I found a break in the fence and I hurled us both through it. The car drove passed us as we lay motionless in a bush, I waited to see if there was a reaction from the car, but it kept its speed the same and just kept going. I was relieved, so I took a few moments to catch my breath and then I looked to the werewolf to see that he was looking straight back at me. The werewolf’s fire red eyes were looking at me in the pitch dark. I felt a shiver run up my spine. “Thank you” he said. “I thought I was a goner for sure.” I found myself speechless. The werewolf went on to say, “I am hurt and can’t seem to walk, please will you help me get home?” I answered without hesitation, “you tell me the way and we will get you home sir.” “I will have to change into my human form so that you can carry me easier, but then you know that I will be naked” he said to me. I replied, “I know sir, but it will make it easier and I won’t look sir,” The werewolf then changed his form, grabbed up a handful of my fur on the back of my neck as he hoisted himself onto my back. The injured werewolf gave me directions to get him all the way to his front gate. A huge gate painted black. There was an intercom pad on the side wall of the gate. I pressed the button a few times and waited for an answer. A voice on the other side of the intercom answered “hello” I answered hello back and instinctively looked up to see a camera facing the gate. So I moved in front of 12 the camera and said. “hello; I found this injured man, please help.” And with that, I waited for a further response. The gate’s motor started up and with a clanging of metals, the gate began to open. I didn’t even enter the large property yet when in the distance I could see human and wolf figures running towards us in the dark. They reached us in next to no time. There was great concern for the man on my back, they took him and carried him inside the house. It was an old mansion of a house, with large wooden carved doors.