I Saw It In Your Eyes

Unexpected Acquaintance

The fresh scent of moist bark and moss perfumed the air. Soggy leaves cushioned the ground and dew drops sparkled like fairy dust in the watery sunlight. I shivered involuntarily and hugged my arms tighter around myself. My thick coat and many layers of jumper made the perfect insulation on this chilly September morning. I stopped for a moment and looked around. The vibrant shades of Autumn were hard to miss, from the crumpled leaves on the floor; an array of pencil shavings, to the last few clinging to the bare trees.

I could imagine what it would be like back home.... I blinked rapidly and bowed my head. As much as I hated the thought of moving, at least I might have a chance to fit in here. It couldn't be worse then East Liverpool Academy. Or more of a dump...

I need to have a positive mindset. And just..relax. I needed to get away from my parents. Being locked up in a car with them for 5 hours wasn't the most comfortable or enjoyable experience. That's the closest we'd been in a long time. Sad right? We didn't really get along to be honest and I don't even know why. I usually stayed out late and came home in the early hours of the morning, drowning my hopeless life with self pity and partying my woes away. I needed a fresh start. I needed a new life. And apparently they did too. And by they, I mean my parents.

I wondered on, aimlessly, just soaking up my surroundings. Yorkshire was so beautiful, with its rolling hills of green and many rustic characteristics. The air was clean and I was being drugged on the crisp morning air. Wet leaves mushed beneath my boots and I could hear a stream trickling not to far away. I must have walked over a mile by then and my breath was beginning to become irregular.

I carried on, keeping to the tractor path, and made my way down to the stream. As I got closer, I could sense the presence of another person. Trying to keep as quiet as possible, I cautiously made a decent to down by the stream. As I walked, I could see cows in the opposing field, on the other side of the bank, but they weren't what was making me nervous. There was something else down there...

When I reached an opening to the stream, I hid behind one of the many thorned bushes lining the waterway. I gasped in shock and stepped back. My eyes wouldn't tear themselves away from the strange sight. There, drinking from the stream, was a wolf. It's grey fur shone in the sun and its amber eyes were reflected in the stream it was drinking from.

It sensed my presence and turned around to face me; our eyes met and I felt a sort of mutual connection pass between us. I noticed strange patterns on the wolf's abdomen and shoulders but as I tried to lean in and get a closer look, the wolf backed away and bared its teeth, warning me to go no closer. So I kept my distance, slowly backing away too as I didn't want to be too close to the creature, or startle it. I heard a snap from under my shoe and I froze. As soon as I looked down to see the snapped stick beneath my foot, the wolf disappeared away across the beck and into the woods.

I crept towards the bank, just to check to see if the wolf was still in close proximity, and finding no sign of life, I sat myself down on the side of the stream and gazed into the water. Of was oddly soothing, sitting there watching the sun sinking lower and lower towards the horizon. The trickle of the stream took the minutes with it as I lay down and shut my eyes.

I woke up to see angry, swollen clouds; their vast proportions spread across the sky, blocking out the sun. I got up, dusting my hands on my jeans and started making my way back home. Still thinking about the wolf and its strange markings.