Hidden Spirit

Chapter 2: Wolves-3

Dinner that evening had been surprisingly good. Morgan had expected beef jerky and dried fruits. There were dried fruits but also hamburgers, brats, and beans cooked on the grill over the open fire. As Steele had predicted, Chip made the rounds from camper to camper, begging for a contribution to his store of supplies for his long winter’s nap. He wasn’t disappointed as each member of the group had been supplied with a handful of nuts for their little camp mascot.

Jeff complained that if Justin hadn’t made him cut down on the amount of things he was bringing, they’d have wine to serve with dinner. This led to another round of bickering between him and Todd, which Morgan had by now come to expect.

After dinner was cleared away, Melody and the boys washed the dishes in the stream. Aside from the marshmallows, Hershey bars, and graham crackers, which would be roasted for dessert later at the campfire, Steele and Justin made sure all other things edible were stored in the shed. “We don’t want to attract any unwanted visitors,” Steele said.

“Visitors?” Jeff asked warily.

“Yeah. Coons, skunks—bears,” Steele said, winking at Justin.

“Bears!” many in the group exclaimed.

Steele came and sat with the group, which were now sitting on the logs that ringed the campfire. The boys, who had finished their dishwashing chores, joined them.

“Yeah, it was about two seasons ago,” Steele began as he idly pushed coals around in the fire with a stick. “We were here with a group.” He looked slowly around the circle of campers seated by the fire. He gestured around the group. “It was pretty much like you guys. We were all sitting around the campfire, laughing and talking like we are now. Well, we’d forgotten to put some of the food away and all of a sudden this huge brown bear comes out of the woods. Well, you can imagine how we panicked.”

Morgan glanced around at the group. They were all sitting on the edge of their logs. Jeff particularly looked as if he might bolt for the canoe. Morgan also noticed Justin was nowhere to be seen.

Steele was continuing, “Well this bear, he ambles over toward the fire, sniffing this way and that. We were all frozen with fear. When he gets right up to the fire he stands up on his hind legs, points at one of the campers, and says, ‘I want—YOU!’”

Just as Steele said that, Justin came up behind Jeff, roared, and put a hand on Jeff’s shoulder. Jeff leaped to his feet screaming and fell into Todd’s lap. The others all let out gasps and whoops of surprise, which soon dissolved into laughter.

“Oh my God! I nearly had a heart attack,” Jeff said as he sat up.

Everyone laughed. Todd helped Jeff to his feet, patted him on his arm, and said, “Serves you right for complaining that Justin made you leave your wine back at the lodge.”

Jeff seemed to recover enough to give an embarrassed laugh. “Do we really have to worry about bears?” he asked as he retook his seat next to Todd.

“There are bears in the woods for sure. But with this large a group and the fire, they’ll stay away. We’ll take turns standing watch all night and keep the fire going just in case though,” Justin said reassuringly.

Melody retrieved a guitar from the shed, and soon everyone was singing camp songs and telling tall tales as they made s’mores. Morgan was thoroughly enjoying himself when he became aware of the strange feeling that he needed to go down to where the canoe was beached on the shore of The Big Lake. He quietly got up and, without anyone noticing, left the clearing. He made his way down the darkened path to the beach where they’d landed that afternoon. Once there, he crouched down on the rocky shore and rested an elbow on his knee. He looked out over the water. The full moon was rising. A finger of silver spread across the water toward him. An owl hooted. The gentle waves lapped the shore. Crickets chirped in the bushes.

The group had been singing the paddle song as Morgan left the campfire. He began to hum the melody. Then, without realizing it at first, he found himself softly singing.

Full moon is shining bright

Over still water

Song of a lone grey wolf

Pierces the air.

Morgan’s voice trailed off. This wasn’t a verse from the song that he remembered from scout camp. He’d never heard these words before. Where were they coming from? Without conscious bidding, he continued slowly speaking, rather than singing the words that seemed to be forming in his mind.

Wolf moon and Great lake shore

You call me home once more.

Morgan stopped speaking. He looked up at the moon hanging in the sky and at the waves gently lapping the shore. The silver finger of the moon now seemed to be pointing directly at him. As he gazed at the scene before him, contemplating the words of the song that had appeared in his mind, he had a feeling someone or something was watching him. His pulse quickened. He turned his head slowly. There, sitting, looking at him from the edge of the forest, was a large grey wolf.

Morgan felt a surge of fear. At this, the wolf’s ears relaxed and the creature lay down, crossing its paws.

The fear drained from him. Morgan turned and sat cross-legged, facing the animal. They looked at each other for some time.

Feeling silly, but at the same time sensing it was the appropriate thing to do, Morgan asked, “Was it you who called me here?”

The wolf tilted its head to one side and blinked its large, amber eyes three times.

“Why?” Morgan asked.

The wolf raised its head and looked up at the moon, the water, and then turned to look back into the forest. Morgan followed its gaze.

“Morgan!” a voice called out.

Morgan turned and looked in the direction of the call. It was Nate. He looked back to the wolf, but it was gone.

Morgan stood up. “I’m here,” he called out, feeling irritated that this moment had been interrupted.

Nate stepped out of the trees. He walked to Morgan. “Are you okay? Why did you disappear like that? You scared me.”

Nate’s word’s softened Morgan’s reaction to the wolf’s disappearance.

“I’m sorry. I just felt I needed to be alone for a while. The moon on the lake is so beautiful, and I’m enjoying being here so much.”

“But you’re okay?” Nate asked again.

Morgan smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” But he wasn’t entirely sure he was.

“Why did you leave the campfire?” Nate asked again, as if sensing there was something Morgan wasn’t telling him.

“I just needed a little space. Like I said, the night’s so beautiful.”

What Morgan didn’t add was the feeling that something had called him away.

“Yeah,” Nate agreed. He walked up to Morgan and slipped his arms around Morgan’s waist. Nate kissed Morgan lightly on the cheek. Morgan had a strange reaction to Nate’s touch. It was almost as if he were betraying someone, as if he was doing something he shouldn’t. Morgan tried to shrug it off.

Morgan turned and stood with his back to his boyfriend. Nate wrapped his arms around Morgan. The two stood looking out over the same scene as Morgan had just moments before. He felt Nate’s growing arousal against him. Nate began to kiss Morgan’s neck. His hand traveled down, and he began to massage Morgan’s c**k. Morgan wasn’t sure how to deal with this. In what seemed a past life, he would have welcomed Nate’s s****l excitement. Nate was, after all, Morgan’s lover, his boyfriend. Why did he now have the feeling that doing what Nate’s actions were leading to was somehow wrong?

Morgan pushed this aside and turned to face Nate. He allowed Nate to kiss him, to give Nate’s tongue access to his mouth. He tried to allow himself to relax into Nate’s embrace. But as he did, he looked over Nate’s shoulder to the place where the wolf had been and couldn’t continue.

Seizing on a logical excuse, Morgan said, “They might miss us and come down here to find us.”

Nate pulled back, sighed, and said, “You’re right. But it’s going to be a long, frustrating night.” He smiled, kissed Morgan again, and said, “Come on.”

Nate took Morgan’s hand and began to lead him to the path back to camp. Morgan looked back over his shoulder once more. The wolf was sitting at the edge of the forest again.