Wayward Wolf

Sunshine

Raymond

The past two days I've been spending about an hour roaming around the woods in my fur side. It's easy to keep away from other animals or even hunters when I can smell them from miles away. Despite the emotions being duller in my fur side, Frankie's words swirl around in my head nearly constantly. Who knew such a little shit could say something useful once in a while. The line about me ruining my own life in particular.

Even before going blind it felt like my fate was contingent on the choices of other people. I'd been content to protect my little brothers from bullies and find a way out of Jerry's house. Beyond that I didn't care what happened. After going blind, I stopped caring about things in general. Maybe more of me died that day than I thought.

As I get nearer to my house, the wind carries a scent that will be seared into my brain until the day I exit this world. That sugary perfume with undertones of coconut. I can also smell exhaust and gasoline meaning she must've finally got her car unburied. But what is she doing at my house? Or is her car close enough that I can smell her and she'll be gone by the time I get home?

Once I'm about a mile away from my house, I hear a voice break through the sound of the wind and the crunch of snow, and it's almost too soft to hear, but I recognize the sound of it. I heard it enough in the two days she was at my house. It sounds an awful lot like my name, but I still can't understand why.

As much as I might try to deny it, the thought of being close to her, even if just for a second is enough for my languid steps to become a trot to close the distance between us. Her scent grows stronger until eventually I can hear her feet shuffling in the snow and her hurried breathing. The smell of pine disappears to my sides so I know I've left the crop of trees surrounding my house. I follow her scent until I'm not far and shift.

I'm expecting her to say something seeing as she seems incapable of staying silent, but it's quiet. The cold air bites into my skin as we both stand there. I can feel her eyes on me, pressing against me. Why is she being so damn quiet?

At the same moment I realize I'm standing buck naked in front of her, she shouts, "Ray!" I hear skin hitting against skin just as I use my hand to cover my dick. She must've slapped her hands over her eyes. All I can think is, why does it have to be so damn cold out?

I take in her scent enough to get a good idea of her position so I can shuffle around her and to the front door. Whatever she's hear to say will be easier as soon as I've got pants on. Her footsteps follow mine as she whispers, "Oh god," over and over again. I open the front door and use my free hand to make sure I'm not hitting doorways or furniture as I count the steps to my room.

Eve moved into the living room as I was getting dressed. I know she's sitting on the couch as I grow closer, but I hesitate to sit beside her. Whatever conversation is going to happen may not be one I like.

When Eve finally speaks, her voice is thick. "What were you doing out there, Ray?"

"Walking," I answer, confused. That's what she wants to talk about?

"What if you got lost or hurt? I'm sure you hate being held back by your blindness, but good God, Ray, you have to be careful." As her voice grows thicker, her scent is infused with salt and my fears of her crying are confirmed as she sniffles. "If you got hurt out there, who knows how long you could be bleeding out in the cold before someone found you."

Even if I can't see her cry, just hearing it, smelling it, and knowing it's there is enough for my guts to clench into knots and my heart to start pounding. Trying to diffuse the situation, I tell her, "Eve, nothing's gonna happen. I've done it for years."