The Power Of Choice

Chapt 8

~Jackson~

"Your beautiful."

Before I could stop myself, the words that were swirling around in my head were out of my mouth and into the open. I really must have been losing my mind. Not only had I not run when I'd had a chance, I actually let it get so close to me without stopping it in the slightest. Even if I wanted to use my powers to hurl it away from me, chances are my throat would have been ripped out before I even got a chance to try.

And yet even as I stood there watching the wolf, even though I should have been scared shitless...I wasn't. The same way I had stood there simply watching the wolf, it'd had just been watching me as well.

The longer we stood staring at each other the more I realized how weird the situation was. Here I was out in the woods in my underwear having a staring contest with a wolf. If anyone had told me that this was going to happened, I'd have asked them if they forgot to take their meds, and yet, here I was.

When I'd spoken it'd tilted its head, almost as if it was just as confused as I was at my choice of words. I was sure it would have lunged at me, until I noticed its tail had started to wag slightly. A wagging tail should be a good sign, right?

I took a slow step backward keeping eye contact with it all the while. I remembered reading somewhere that you were supposed to keep eye contact with bears so they don't lunge at you, so I decided it couldn't hurt to try it out with the wolf in front of me. I thought I'd managed to find a way out until a hair-raising growl stopped me dead in my tracks. Its twisted face as it snarled at me, and its massive canines reminded me that this wasn't a random dog on the street I was dealing with. Another step towards me was taken by the wolf before the growling stopped.

We were back to staring at each other again and my nerves were starting to get to me. I really should have been trying to do something to get out of this. I had powers for crying out loud! But every time I tried to close my eyes to concentrate, a guttural growl pulled me away from my trance. The longer this standoff lasted the more I realized how useless my powers really could be at times. It didn't matter how many of the elements I could control or the level of complexity with which I could wield them if I couldn't even access them without closing my eyes. If I managed to get out of this alive, then I knew what the next thing was I was going to focus on improving.

It took another step towards me, and before I could even move its growl kept me frozen. Another step forward before stopping and looking at me. As long as I didn't try to move it seemed docile. Though for how much longer I wasn't sure.

Step by agonizing step the distance between us grew shorter and shorter, the fear in my heart climbing higher and higher with each step that it took. Finally, it stopped directly in front of me. I could feel its warm breath on my chest as it exhaled, sending shivers across my skin. All the while our eyes never lost track of each other.

It didn't last long though, before it started to walk around me. Still frozen I felt as its pelt brushed over my skin. It was surprisingly soft and smooth, almost like velvet, if I wasn't so scared, I might have even tried to rub my hands through it.

After circling me for a bit it disappeared behind me before I heard what I could only assume was the sounds of its claws on the boulder behind me. Before I processed what was happening, it returned to my front, this time with my shirt in its mouth. Another staring contest ensued before it snorted and turned around. As quick as a flash of lightning, it shot off towards the bushes leaving me standing there. It took one more look at me before disappearing into the woods. I could hear as it ran farther and farther away, until silence descended upon me once again.

I stood there for a few more minutes just staring at the underbrush into which the wolf had disappeared. It toke a while to comprehend that I just got my shirt stolen by a wolf. Sure, I should have been more overjoyed at the fact that I wasn't viciously mauled to death, but no, I was more focused on the fact that it had stolen my shirt. I had really liked that one too.