could just make out the logwood house from across the field.
By now it had to be at least six o'clock in the morning, because the
sun had peered through the clouds, painting the sky a pinky orange
tinge.
I silently hoped someone was awake…or home for that matter. God, I'd
die ifI found out no one was home, it'll make my mini marathon I'd
just put my legs through completely worthless.
Seeing smoke trailing from the chimney, however, made me sigh in
relief. Someone had tobe awake.
In fact, I remembered Aretha Heins had always been an early bird, and
a preference for waking up early just to bake bread, while Satchel and
I would sit in front of the hearth. Sipping on a hot chocolate until
we had the privilege of honing inon the sweet taste of the homemade
bread.
I could almost smell it from my memories. Shaking of my reverie, I
felt a weird feeling crawling in my stomach.
The closer the logwood house got, the faster my heart started beating,
and I found myself nervous all of a sudden thinking about Satchel.
Actually, my sudden nervousness made me want to rethink my decision
and want to crawl back into the carriage, because I wasn't sure what I
was going to say to him once I saw him.
Would he be happy I stayed? Or will he reject me like he'd done when
Itried to kiss him? I flinched, not wanting to go down that path.
Despite the unnerving butterflies swarming in my stomach, my feet
refused to stop and urged me forward until I reached the gate that
lead to the front yard.
I stopped in front of the porch to catch my breath,and before I got
the courage to knock on the door. I caught somethingmoving in my
peripheral.
The movement was so fast, that it was almost impossible to detect. I
narrowed my eyes.
What the hell was that? My mind exclaimed.
I was a knock away from help, but my legs found movement and so I
decided to follow the edge of the house to the backyard and
found…nothing.
I wasn't sure if 'nothing' was a good sign or bad sign, but something
was here, I could feel it.
I surveyed the area, frowning at the axe that was stuck in the stump,
and a pile of cut wood lying forlornly beside it. As if Satchel had
been at work, cutting kindling just mere seconds ago.
I was startled from the slight crack of a twig, and I whipped my head
toward the pine trees that marked the backyard boundaries.
My eyes narrowed at the trees, and I swear I could make out a pair of
startling green eyes staring through the branches of pine needles.
They were camouflaged to the point where they blended in, but the slow
movement of a blink reassured me of my earlier thought that they were
in fact eyes. But notjust any eyes, they were the eyes of an animal.
Wolf eyes.
As soon as my mind summoned the thought, my heartbeat amped up, and I
wasn't sure if running was the best thing to do when confronted by an
animal, neither was looking straight into its eyes.
I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I was betting my life that that
animal was the same animal that had attacked me from the other night.
Just judging from the color of its piercing gaze.
I wanted to run and scream, but something willed my voice box to
close, it was almost impossible to breath.
Deciding not to run, and give it any reason to chase me, I froze.
Hoping to God, that the animal would spear my life, evenif it was the
last thought I'd get, I didn't want to die this way.
I'm not going to die this way. My thoughts stated, and I almost
believed it, until it moved out of its hiding place.
I watched it stalk toward me, in a predatory gait sograceful I was
awestruck.It was beautiful and the most terrifying thing I'd had to
witness.
Not just the way it walked, but looked too. The silky black fur was so
remarkably brilliant; it shimmered from the early morning glow, every
time a paw pounded the earth.
One foot in front of the other, as it slowly neared.It had something
in its mouth but I couldn't make out what it was at this point. He
could have had a human head in its mouth for all I knew.
Or about to have one. I stifled a squeal at my thoughts and silently prayed.
Squeezing my eyes shut for emphasis, and I braced myself for whatever
was coming. I could hear my teeth grinding. Or was that the animals
teeth? I wasn't sure.
And the slight pant I remember from the time it attacked me. I could
feel it closer now, and the hairs in the nape of my neck started to
protest.
Oh God! I'm so dead! I flinched, feeling something on my hand. I frowned.
Just as I thought my death had come, I felt a sticky wet sensation on
the back of my hand, andso I peeled one eye open to investigate.
And to my astonishment Ifound the beastly animal licking me.
I didn't know what to do,so I let it. It tugged me bythe sleeve, and I
frownedat it. It looked up me with those light green eyes, and tugged
again.
"I can't...I don't know what you want me to do." I was surprised to
have found my voice. It tugged again and I realized the animal wanted
me to sit.
"Sit? You want me to sit?"He tugged me lower, as ifto say yes, so I
complied, kneeling on the ground.
The black beast sat on its haunches in front of me and stared
attentively. I still felt a little shaky, but the fact that it wasn't
staring at me like a meal, was a little comforting I guess.
I frowned at the thing I had seen in his mouth, and it wasn't a human
head (thank god!), but instead it was a green rag of something.
The wet sloshes of goulash made it impossible to know what, and I
wanted to squeal when the animal placed the thing on my lap.
I raised my eyebrows at it, realizing what it was as I noticed the
silky expensive fabric that wasonce a piece of my green blouse.
It nudged me to take it, and I reluctantly held it up to him and smiled.
"Thanks…for returning the rest of my blouse." I scoffed, not sure what
else to say. Was this somekind of peace offering or something?
It licked me again, and I finally relaxed…a little. Since it was clear
the animal wasn't going to bite my head off…well yet anyway.
Minutes passed, and I found myself being reacquainted with the animal,
petting it slightly on the head, but not pushing it by leaving my
hands near its muzzle.
After all, I intended on keeping my fingers, and any of my body parts
for that matter.
Though he seemed to like it, so I kept doing it. Petting him absent
mindedly. I was so lost in thought, that I squealed when I felt the
slick feeling of the animals tongue as he licked my cheek.
My eyes were wide, and I was about to cuss, when Icould make out the
weird way its jaws were set. Like it was smiling at me.
A wolf can smile?
I smiled raising my eyebrows.
"You do know, it's kinda rude to lick a girl on the first date?" I
teased, and Iheard a rumble coming from its chest, doing its best to
sound what I thought was a wolf-like chuckle. I was laughing too.
I marveled at his eyes though, as they stared unblinkingly into my
soul. So familiar, yet I've never seen anything like them.
Besides Satchel's, he had amazing eyes too. I sighed at the mere
thought of him. I wish Satchel were here with me. I let my fingers run
over the soft fur of the wolf, and smiled.
"You're beautiful you know that? I wish you were mine." I whispered.
The wolf lay its head on my lap, and the simple gesture felt like it
was agreeing. Then I chastised my thoughts for my absurdity. Of
course, this wolf was not mine to own. It probably had a family to go
back to anyway.
I flinched as soon as its ears perked up, and his eyes were on the fading moon.
"What's wrong?" I asked, as I followed its stare.
And just like that, the animal leapt up and raced toward the forest,
until the wolf was completely swallowed upby pine needles.
He was gone.
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