My Wolf

Chapter -6

6

We were just pulling out of the dirt path, onto the main road, when there was a gun shot. Lucas immediately stopped, and we all just looked forward. Anna whimpered in barely a whisper. I looked furiously out my window hoping to see something, and nothing at the same time. We were too far from the forest to see anything.

“Lucas please go back” Anna asked sounding like she was about to break if she spoke any louder.

“It was probably nothing” Lucas said still blankly staring out the front window.

“Please!” Anna pleaded, sounding as if she was about to break down in sobs.

Without another word Lucas went back down the dirt path. We were back where we were when we left. We all jumped out of the car, I didn’t know where to go. Anna took off running. Where she was going? Without any question Lucas and I followed after her.

Anna ran effortlessly. She jumped over fallen tree and branches with that grace of nothing I had ever seen before. She never stumbled or questioned her movements. She trusted her body to do exactly what was needed to get her where she wanted to go. Lucas and I were a whole different story. We had to slowly climb and jump over branches. We weren’t as used to running let alone running in the woods. We stumbled and hobbled trying to keep up with Anna. Somehow we made it through the forest. After twenty minutes of running Anna came to an abrupt stop. Lucas and I stopped next to her and caught our breath. We were basically gasping for breath, we were so out of shape.

Anna was perfectly fine, but her eyes seemed more alive, excited from the run. They immediately turned sad. I looked away from Anna to see what she was staring at. It was hunter bent over a dead wolf. Horror rushed over me as I recognized the wolf. I’d drawn this wolf time and time again. The wolf’s eyes were brown and blank. I hadn’t been this close to wolf since the day I got lost and I hoped I never would be again under these circumstances.

The hunter looked up surprised to find three teenagers gaping at him. He looked chubby with dark brown hair and a beard to match. He looked about medium height, maybe a little taller. You couldn’t tell because his legs we under him. He had on camouflage pants and a jacket to go with it. Over the jacket there was a bright orange vest. He had a rifle draped around his chest. The one he used to murder that wolf. I bet he shot that wolf out of fun. Well there is no fun in killing the innocent, animal or human. His green eyes turned from surprised to wary.

“Can I help you?” he asked sounding irritated.

“We heard gunshots, and we came over to make sure everyone was all right” Lucas said defensively. Lucas hated being questioned. That was his downfall when handling situations.

“Well I’m just fine, so you kids can just run a long now” he said with more force than was necessary.

He stood up to show that he was taller than he looked when he was bent over. He looked about six three, with big arms. He had on camouflage, and an orange vest. He his hand was clutching his rifle. He was dangerous, everything about him was dangerous. We just stood there, frozen by what had just happened. A wolf was dead. Seeing that dead wolf really brought things into perspective for you. Life had been taken away. That wolf would never roam the forests again. Hearing about death and actually seeing it was completely different.

The hunter took a couple steps forward and pointed towards the trees. “You can go now” he said dismissing us.

Anna walked towards him hesitant and defiantly at the same time. He looked confused and unsure of what was happening. I think he just expected us to follow what he said but he apparently didn’t have any kids. She walked past him, and right up to the wolf. She knelt next to the animal. She let out a little whimper, lower than a whisper. Lucas and the hunter didn’t hear her or didn’t pay any attention to it. But I heard it. I heard the pain that Anna was feeling. I felt her despair and confusion as to why this would happen. Her agony for the loss of this poor animal.