Wolves At Bay

1. Dangers in the Dark

When the sky turns dark, when the sun dies down, is the time when people head into houses to hide from the dangers that arise with darkness.

However, the alluring pull of adventure for some is just too great to resist.

People would warn them multiple times of the many different drastic consequences that could happen if they were to risk their lives trying. They could be kidnapped, raped, or even torn apart by a hungry pack of wolves, desperate enough for food that they would risk getting out in the open with humans around. No one would ever know their own fate until their bodies turn up in the streets or at the back of a dumpster, half-dead or gored.

Yet, people still take the risk and play right into the hands of darkness, swallowing them up bit by bit until they're gone.

Not Taeyong though. He had heard of enough rumours travelling around the neighbourhood, of people's limbs appearing up in the river banks, floating along the surface.

Torn apart by wolves, they say. Whether it's true or not, he'll never know. One thing's for sure, he's definitely not planning on taking any chances.

So, why did he end up loitering along the streets in the middle of the night?

Well, to be fair, only half of it's true. What may seem to others as aimless walking is actually a slow, tortured walk to the nearby supermarket to get last-minute groceries - or to be exact, snacks. He and his roommate had made a bet on who would head out into the pitch-dark night to grab late-night snacks to fill their empty stomachs upon realizing that the fridge was as empty as their bellies.

Unfortunately, he lost and as a result was trudging through the dimly lit sidewalk, flinching every now and then with any slight rustling sound or footsteps that could be heard nearby. Well, on the bright side, at least he gets to spend his roommate's money that he quietly snatched before heading out on whatever he wants.

He took a deep breath and sighed, pushing open the glass door to the 24/7 supermarket store, tiggering the welcome bell to chime loudly in the quiet store.

Hmmm... cup noodles or chips? He thought as he walked down the aisle, scanning the rows of snacks and tidbits available on the rack.

Chocolates... or sweets?

After what seemed like an eternity of thinking, he bought at least 10 of everything - mainly because he couldn't choose and he had a lot to spend.

After paying for the items, he began the long walk back to the school dormitories that they live in during the weekdays during school hours. He was beginning to regret not hailing a grab car to head back quicker.

Shuffling his feet along the pavement, he froze in his tracks when he heard the howling of wolves faintly in the distance. Subconsciously, he recalled the rumors around town about a pack of stray wolves roaming near human territory, looking for fresh meat.

He quickened his pace.