The Wolf Who Saved Me

Prologue

I woke to the smell of smoke filling my nostrils. My eyes opened, and immediately watered. My childhood bedroom was filled with thick black smoke. The bedroom I had been raised in, the bedroom I had my first kiss in. My house, my only home was on fire. I felt panic rise up in my chest. I darted up from bed and raced to the door. I could feel heat radiating from the door, and knew the fire was just outside my door. I screamed and backed away looking around, trying to figure out how to get out. I crouched next to the bed. The smoke stinging my eyes, I began coughing. My lungs hurt from breathing in the black smoke that continued to only grow in my room. I could hear my mom and dad screaming. Calling for me. But their voices were distant over the roar of the fire. I was consumed with fear and couldn't move, all I wanted was my dad. I wanted him to come save me, but I knew that he couldn't. He wasn't superman, he couldn't overcome fire. No one could over come fire.

"Mommy... Daddy! Helped me," I screamed. Pulling my knees to my chest. I was only 15 and I didn't want to die. Not yet, I had so much to do. I had so much to learn, so much to live for. I watched in terror as the flames began to engulf my door, and my walls. Destroying everything it touched. Through the noise of the flames, and the noise of the sirens outside. No doubt a neighbor had seen the fire from their windows and called 911. I heard something strange, it was the sound of a wolf howling. I tried focusing on the howling, it was close. Why would a wolf get too close to something like this? Suddenly my large bay window burst open, shards of glass littering the burning room. I saw a black mass jump back from the flames and turn. I felt my heart jump in my chest. Through my watering eyes I saw a massive black wolf, with golden eyes. How did a wolf jump two stories? That was impossible, there was no way that a wolf could jump that high. My room was located in the back of the house, so the people in the front wouldn't have seen the wolf. I must be going crazy. It walked toward me cautiously. Its eyes never leaving mine, they were like two golden discs staring at me. I could not scream or cry out, My lungs hurt to much. I felt darkness on the edge of my vision, I began to violently cough before losing consciousness. The golden eyes still leveled at me.

When I came too, I was outside my house. In the massive backyard, the shadows of the trees lining the outskirts of our home. The wolf covered my body with his own. The November air was chilly, and I was just in a tank top and sweatpants. I could feel the heat radiating from the wolf's body. I began coughing, as fresh air invaded my lungs. The wolf turned its head. And I felt my heart jump in my throat, those same glowing golden eyes stared back at me. They appeared almost human-like. It turned its head to nuzzle my neck. A sign of affection, I had seen it in neighbor's dogs. It laid down next me, keeping its body pressed into mine. To keep me as warm as possible. I felt tears form in my eyes. This wolf had saved me. Why would a wolf save me? Unless it was something more than a wolf? That couldn't be possible. Could it? Was it just the smoke inhalation causing me to hallucinate?  It took one last look at me. It then raised its head and howled three times, and I began to hear shouting from the firemen and EMTs in the front of the house. The wolf was alerted them to where I was. As they rounded the corner the wolf got up and darted into the woods, completely disappearing. They raced toward me, and put an oxygen mask on my face. I pulled it off. I needed to know if my parents were alive. Did they make it out alight? Were they even alive?

"Where are my parents," I whimpered. The female EMT gave me a look that crushed me. It was a look of sadness and pity. I knew the answer before she even opened her mouth. I began to shake my head, not wanting to hear the words. Maybe if I didn't hear the words they would be alive, they would be ok.

"I am so sorry sweetie, your parents didn't make it. They die en route to the hospital," she whispered. I tried to scream, but only coughed. I blacked out again. I woke up in the hospital, the doctors were stunned that I somehow survived the fire. If it wasn't for the wolf, I would be dead too. After the fire that killed my parents, I was sent to Boston to live with my grandparents. For the next ten years I never spoke about the wolf who saved me from the fire. I couldn't bring myself to speak about it, because in my mind I convinced myself it was all nothing but a bad dream.