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Тhe wolf

When I opened my eyes, the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

"Have we arrived yet?" I asked with some apprehension.

"Almost there. Did you sleep well?" Erlan shot a quick glance at me while continuing to drive.

"Yes," I replied. Rolling down the window, I let the passing wind touch my face. "Do you have a big family?"

"No, I live only with my son," Erlan shook his head. "How old are you now?"

"Seventeen."

"Then you're the same age as him. I hope you get along."

"Does he know about us?" I asked tensely. The fewer people who knew about us, the less risk we faced. What can you expect from a teenager when even adults can be overly chatty? Besides, I wanted to spend some time just being an ordinary person. To be like everyone else was a luxury for me.

Erlan looked at me with surprise.

"No. Why should he know about it?"

I breathed a sigh of relief, but I was curious about something. I knew little about my father's friend, but it seemed he knew too much about us.

"And what about you?  Based on your recent reaction, I can assume that my father has already turned around in front of you.

Erlan shrugged. "Tilek and I have been friends since childhood. Sooner or later, I would have found out."

"And yet, when did you find out?" I pressed.

Erlan laughed, his face becoming thoughtful as he immersed himself in memory.

"In fourth grade. At that time, Tilek and I were about ten years old," he said. "Our school was in a mountainous area. One day, while we were sitting in class, I suddenly had the idea to climb the tall green mountain visible from our classroom window. I had heard somewhere that a pair of wolves had been spotted on the other side of the mountain. I wanted to see them, even from a distance. I told Tilek about it, and he agreed to go with me after school."

We climbed the mountain for almost three and a half hours. When we reached the top, we saw no one but the desolate steppe. After waiting for an hour, we decided to descend a bit and get a closer look.

As the sun began to set, a lone wolf appeared in the steppe. It was trying to catch birds that landed on the ground in search of food. Amused, we watched it, not noticing that another wolf was sneaking up on us from the side. Who would have thought it could climb so high?

I froze in terror when I heard Tilek's scream. Looking down, I saw the second wolf, having spotted us, trying to climb up the mountain. Surrounded by two wolves, we were shaking with fear. I desperately thought about where we could run.

At the moment I was trying to get to my feet, Tilek shivered and fell to his knees in front of me. Before my eyes, a miracle happened: my friend, whom I had thought of as just another person like myself, transformed into a gray wolf ready to pounce.

Noticing something strange, the wolves retreated. My friend, as if enraged, growled and chased them away. The wolves, frightened, jumped back and disappeared into the ravines.

I was also scared. I wanted to run away. Tilek slowly approached me, sat on his hind legs, and lowered his head. He was breathing heavily. Curiosity overcame my fear. I wanted to see if the wolf before me was really my friend. Moving closer to Tilek, I petted him on the head. Seeing that he had no intention of harming me, I trusted him.

Unfortunately, we were in a difficult situation. He could not revert to human form again. Night was approaching, and we couldn't go home. The villagers hated wolves, and seeing him could get him shot. Leaving him on the mountain, I had to go to his house and call his father.

Hearing my story, neither your grandfather nor your grandmother was surprised. They just jumped to their feet in fear. Your grandfather rushed to find his son, while your grandmother volunteered to take me home. On the way, she explained everything to me and urged me not to tell anyone about it.

"Why did you accept the possibility of our existence so easily?" I wondered.

Erlan looked at me and smiled.

"Firstly, I was still a child. At that age, all children tend to fantasize," he shrugged. "At that time, I felt somewhat special because no one but me suspected you. Well, honestly, I still think so."

"If only everyone were like you," I sighed.

The world has too many greedy and self-absorbed people. If it weren't for them, my family wouldn't be hiding now but would simply live among them. We meant no harm and did not wish to. My kind was just trying to survive and find a place in this world. We were no threat to people; it was they who threatened us.

"Don't worry about anything," Erlan said. "No one will be looking for you in my home. Besides, I'm a well-known person—who would think that I'm hiding an alien in my house?"

I smiled, feeling a bit freer. Ahead of us were new acquaintances and, perhaps, the understanding that even in the harshest world, friends and protectors can be found.