Call of the Wolf

Chapter 4

Pale sunlight hit my face warming it up slightly. I squinted, rolled back and tucked the covers over my head, blocking out the light, irritated. Grandma knew that I hated waking up early especially on Sundays and so she made sure that all the curtains and doors were shut tight. I sleepily wondered what happened to her today…

‘Oh!’

I woke up with a start and felt dizzy for a second. I pressed my forehead between my fingers as I tried to recollect the events of previous night.

Blood…beast …bandage…WOLF!

My head snapped to the direction of the rug on the floor. It was vacant. The door of my room that led to the porch was open midway. So this was the source of the light. Stupid beast didn’t have the courtesy to close the door after it went, I grumbled to myself as I hopped to the door and shut it and jumped in my bed again. I leant down and pulled the blanket the wolf had slept on and shoved it beneath my bed. I had just snuggled peacefully in my bed when the door banged open to reveal the chirpy face of my Grandma.

‘Rise and Shine, my child! The moon is down, the sun is up, so get up and get ready buttercup!’ She continued in a singsong voice which let me clarify did not resemble the sweet melody of a nightingale.

‘Ugh! Please Gran…you know I hate waking up early on Sundays.’ I complained as I tucked the blanket around me so that it was impossible to take it off.

‘Yes, but today we have to go grocery shopping! Did you forget? You promised this Grandma of yours a few days back that you will help her out.’ She spoke in a tone which she knew would remove my stubbornness.

‘Argh!’ I huffed in annoyance as I slid out from my comfortable and warm bed and stalked past Gran who did not pay attention to my grumpiness. Opening the bathroom I took a bath for a good half an hour. I loved bathing and I could easily continue it for an hour but the loud reminders of my Gran were ruining my mood. I was toweling my hair dry when I remembered the strange dream I had yesterday.

It was one of those dreams where you feel everything is real and yet when you wake up in the morning you realize it wasn’t and cannot remember much of it either. But I did remember someone saying something. Some words which are hovering above the periphery of my memory but I can’t remember. Frustrated I decided to forget the entire thing and dressed quickly in a casual jeans and T- shirt.

Looking around my room, I was relieved to find that no one could say that a wolf had been my companion for the night. I retrieved the blanket from underneath my bed and dusted it, folded and kept it back in a corner of the cabinet where I kept my vet equipment. I walked to the kitchen and saw my Grandma bustling around, looking busy when she was doing absolutely nothing of importance.

‘When are we going, Gran?’ I asked as I reached over and popped a French toast in my mouth. She handed me a glass of hot chocolate which I accepted gratefully.

‘Where is your truck?’ She asked me in a tone which said that she was trying to sniff out the truth.

‘Um…’ I crammed the toast in my mouth and chewed slowly to gain time.

I took a gulp of the hot chocolate, practically burning my tongue. But I Grandmother still stood there with her eyes fixed on me, determined to get an answer.

‘Rebecca, stop stalling.’ She said sternly.

Caught! Why did I even bother lying to her?

I held up my finger to indicate one minute and then pointed to my mouth. Then I spoke.

‘It’s in the backyard.’

‘Why?’

‘I took the other route which leads to the back yard.’