HEAT

Part two

"Mom!!!” I was breathless as I screamed for my parents. I had been running for a few hours now, barefoot and in pain.

Slowly, my feet were drinking the muddy soil, feeling it lance through my skin. It was foul and dirty. There were spots of smuts on my nightgown which only reached inches below my knees.

The white rabbit stuffed toy in my hands was not as well spared; it was unrecognizably soiled and my heart clenched.

My poor friend. I’m so sorry you got dirty. I hope you won’t get mad at me.

At 13, I kept Thumper; he made me feel calm and happy. With him around, I could keep those memories only Thumper could remind me of.

But there were people in our pack telling me off about carrying Thumper around, saying I was so old to be playing with a stuffed toy it was childish. But no. HE was my Thumper and it was precious for me. Throwing him away would mean ceasing to remember him.

Now, at 17, I still keep him. My Pack deemed the action annoying and immature. However, I ignored them. It was the only thing that would take me back to the time I spent with him.

And just at the thought, my heart compressed when his face sprang into my mind. I brought Thumper to my chest and clutched it tightly, taking strength from it.

The earthly scent combined with nature’s pleasant smell cooled my emotions down.

Where am I?

I looked around, appraising my surroundings. Trees were tall and relatively vast in width, inhabiting the place beautifully; even the rock formations were wonderfully adjunct to the place.

My feet walked further, holding Thumper in a way that I knew for certain that there was no small margin between him and me like my life depended on it. This surrounding beauty shouldn’t be my destruction, for I know I was still in this unknown enclave, escaping and finding my parents were my sole priority, but where and how?

Where were they?

I still remember the rumors about Rouges being assaulted, tortured, and killed when perching on other packs’ territory. It became a constant reminder to young wolves not to aimlessly walk into the land not their own. And when the fact dawned on me, horrific thoughts left goosebumps prickling my skin as fear seeped through me, making my feet wobble.

I felt like in no time, my breath would be snatched away from me.

My ears perturbedly went erect when they detected feral growls. Deadly and frightening to my ears.

My senses as a wolf had not reached their full capacity as I was so young and had not transformed. I had once, but I was so young back then that I did not mind shifting again for a reason.

And by the sound, I knew there wasn’t just a wolf but wolves.

My heart rose and fell erratically. My blood was boiling cold while my thoughts went to many extremities of possibilities. Would this be the end?

I choked back the cries, but the truth was, I seriously wanted to cry, scream and run, yet my feet were rooted and wouldn’t move.

I could hear the rustling sound of dry leaves. Pairs of feet footed on them. Silky sounds of wolves’ strides closing to where I was standing. I shut my eyes tightly, unable to do anything. The violent thrashing sounds of my heart thrumming in my ears were too much. My breath was wheezing.

Their large strides were nearing and their low growls were sticking out a mile. They were making me grill around the gills.

I could see myself looking as pale as a ghost.

Slowly, I bravely opened my eyes and my breath caught up in my throat. I almost choked the air, and my knees quivered. There, stood a black-furred wolf, his teeth baring; its snout so near its breath fanning over my face. Its growl could wake the dead.

In my peripheral view, two more wolves came forward.

Thumper, we’re dead!