Alone: My Cursed Fate

Close to Home

*Vienna*

Two months into this mess that I now call my life, and I finally found myself somewhat close to home. I was teleported to a heavily wooded area in what I believe is northern Minnesota, possibly up near Canada, but I can't be certain. Yesterday I was in Louisiana, which was significantly warmer. The transition to the cold, dry air and frost crunching beneath my feet was abrupt but welcomed. Having been born and raised in Minnesota, the colder climate is more in my comfort zone. Although, I have a feeling I won't be thinking that come the middle of winter when I will have questionable access to shelter.

I was very excited when I realized that I was close to home. The past two months have been difficult and lonely. I would be lying if I said that it hasn't taken a huge toll on my mental health. I find myself becoming easily irritated and feeling hopeless. Today will be different though. Today will not be a self-pity party. I am going to travel by wolf and by foot, whatever it takes, until I reach my pack. It may take me all day, and I may not arrive until night fall. But, even if I get one single second with my family, that will make it worth my while.

So that is what I have been doing all day. Unfortunately, I have been significantly slowed down by human towns in which I cannot run around in wolf form and other pack territories that I am not familiar with, so I cannot safely pass through without being questioned for trespassing. If I am calculating correctly, I should be able to make it with plenty of time to spare assuming all goes to plan. When I get there, I am hoping to have a nice warm meal with my parents and then spend the night chatting with Matty and my friends cuddled up on my favorite packhouse sofa next to the warm cozy fireplace. Then I can also restock my toiletry supplies, which has been dwindling, and pack some warm clothes for the upcoming winter weather.

Several hours later, I am currently in wolf form, still traveling. Keeta is switching back and forth between running and walking. The exhaustion is starting to set in from all of the mileage we put in today. It is now dark, but I am getting so close. I have finally found a road that is familiar; a road that I know leads to home. We walk just within the tree line. Out of sight from passing cars, but able to follow the road to guide us home.

A car passes by on the road. I pay it no mind until it comes to a screeching halt, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Uh oh. Keeta takes off at a full sprint into the thick of the forest. I hear a car door slam in the distance as if somebody got out of the car and is coming after us.

Keeta, this can't be good. We need to get out of here.

We continue crashing through the trees at full speed, trying to put as much distance between us and the stranger that is after us as possible. After we've ran for a good distance, we finally stop to take a breath and try to calm our racing heart.

Who do you think that was, Keeta?

I don't know. Maybe a human hunter. They are always so quick to draw when they see a wolf, thinking that we are a threat to them and their pets.

Yeah, that is probably it. I guess we probably could have handled the situation differently and checked out who it was. I think that I am just a little jumpy from being alone for the past two months.

Better safe than sorry, V. Now lets figure out how best to resume our course. Does this place look familiar?

Looking around, I notice that the trees around me are more dense and the grassy forest floor has been replaced by a hard dirt with a fine layer of pine needles. I have been in this part of the forest only once before with my father and Matty when we were ten. The pack doctors needed a special herb that only grows in this area, and my father volunteered to make the trip out here. Matty and I had heard about his trip, and we thought it would be a good idea to have a little adventure of our own, so we followed him. We were already off of pack grounds by the time he realized we were trailing him, so he agreed to let us tag along for the rest of the trip.

He was so angry with us that day for following him and putting ourselves in danger. I remember him warning us that this part of the forest is not safe, especially at night. He told us stories of the monsters that roam this part of the forest, monsters that are ruthless and blood thirsty. A shiver runs down my spine. I hope that he was just telling us those stories to scare us into never sneaking off of pack land again.

We better get out of here, Keeta. I don't want to find out if those stories were true or not.

Agreed. I think we are pretty far in. We should head back in the direction we came so we don't get lost.

Still in wolf form, we quietly start to make our way back through the dense trees. My heart is pounding out of my chest, I am so nervous. We are on high alert, continuously checking behind us to make sure nothing is following us. Snow has started falling from the sky and settling on the dirt ground. With each step, we leave a foot print in the newly fallen snow. This makes me increasingly nervous because we are so much easier to track now.

Vienna, someone is here. We are being watched.

A twig snaps behind us.