The Forgotten Wolf

The Chase

I relish in the feel of the stretch of my legs as I continue to race through the woods. I vaguely remember running through these exact woods when I was just a kid. I pass a meadow that I used to play a made up version of house with my friends that included witches and pet polar bears. Part of me wishes I could go and re explore but there is no time. My pursuers are quickly gaining on me and I have to loose them. I partially debate shifting and climbing into a tree but then I'd be trapped. Where to go? Where to go? Where to go? I question myself. Then it hits me! Quite literally as I manage to run into a low hanging branch. There is a cave system on the territory that was set up to house a majority of the pack in case of an attack! I push myself harder as I veer to my left racing for the pond where the entrance is. As soon as I hit the river that leads to the pond I begin my sprint upstream. I can't be to far, I just know it. I hear my pursuers start to gain on me as they realize that I didn't run past the river. The splashes of them running through the water slowly get closer to me. I finally hit the pond and continue to run/swim through the water straight towards the rocks. Taking a bug gulp of air I push myself under the water shifting in the process. I swim forward not daring to go up for breath. It isn't until I realize I can't find the entrance that I start to panic.

Where is it?

My lungs start to burn wanting more oxygen. Think girl think! I shout in my head as I hear wolves tearing through the pond searching for me. I swim deeper down in an attempt to escape their prying claws. Then I see a very faint glow coming from between two rocks at the bottom. I frantically swim towards the light source and through the rocks. It is a tight squeeze at first but then the space slowly opens up into a cavern and I frantically swim up desperate for air.

I can hear the howls of the wolves that had chased me all this way as they realize I escaped. I sigh in relief as I take in the cave. There are a few torches lit on the sides of a staircase straight ahead that leads out of the cave. I swim over to the stairs and start climbing. A few steps up I spot a little hole carved in the rock wall holding clothes to change into. I smile at the convenience and quickly dry myself with a big shirt before throwing on a black tee and dark blue skinny jeans.

"Much better," I tell myself. I begin to absentmindedly trace my hand along the walls of the stone stairs as I continue my ascent. That is until I begin to hear the faint sound of talking. "Crap," I hiss. If I am close enough to the surface to hear the wolves that are searching for me talking than I am most definitely screwed. All it will take is one loose rock ricocheting around and my cover will be blown without a doubt. Why does this just have to keep getting more and more difficult?? I can't go back the way I came, that's for sure. My only choice is to continue on and hope I don't experience one of my total klutz moments. I better have not just jinxed myself.

I can hear the talking getting closer as I continue forward and begin to pick out a few words. There is the sound of children laughing. Wait what?? Children? Maybe I'm not as close to the surface as I thought. I inch closer to the noise and come up on a room full of kids running around and adults casually keeping watch. I can't believe there are people here! Maybe they are from my pack? I mean it's possible that some of them survived right? Well then again maybe not... They could be from the pack chasing me. But if they were wouldn't those other wolves have known where to go? My heart begins to race in anticipation. What if they really did know where I went, and went around to another entrance in order to trap me here! I can feel my heart begin to pound at the thought of being trapped. I refuse to give up. I slowly turn around and start back down the tunnel towards the water cave. Maybe I can fight my way past any wolves they would have left there waiting for me. I am not the best warrior or anything but I am pretty good considering I haven't had any proper training. Or at least I think so. Either way fighting a few wolves is way better than trying to lie my way past an entire pack of wolves.

I begin to retrace my steps cautious to not make a single sound. I am almost back to the entrance when I hear people coming up the path towards me. I am once again trapped.

"Today must really not be my day," I whisper. I need a way out and quick! I find myself spinning in circles looking for any place to hide with no luck. The tunnel had no exits. Maybe I can sneak past the people coming up? The tunnel is dark even with wolf vision. As the group of people heading towards me gets closer I can hear them arguing about hiding someones spare set of clothes.
"I swear it wasn't me!" A male voice laughed. "I do however wish I had thought to do that, it's hilarious!" I could hear his smile in his voice.
"One of you two crazy guys did and when I find out who you better be ready for payback," a girl growled out.
Well at least now I know how many there are. If there is only three of them I can totally make it past.
As their footsteps get louder I do my best to shrink as far into the wall as possible using the slight curvature of the pathway to my advantage. Almost there. I start to hold my breath in anticipation. The echo of their disks in now ask around me.
"I'm serious guys!  Just tell me where my dry clothes are!"
"We don't have them," One of the guys responds. "Scout's honor. "
"You were never even a scout," the girl reasons duly. 
"Technically I am.  We all are I mean we did just come back from patrol where we do stuff like SCOUTing out other wolves."
"Oh yeah, nothing gets past Aiden's sniffer," the other guy sarcastically retorts.
As they walk into view I can barely make out the three dark silhouettes.
"It's true," Aiden replies taking in a deep breath causing his friends to break out in laughter.
Just a few more steps until I'm home free.
"A squirrel could walk right under your nose and you would have no clue!" the girl in outbursts.

"H-a-h-a you guys are so funny. I bet you I could do 10 times better at finding whatever those wolves out there are looking for." I have to keep myself from bursting out laughing. If he only knew that what they are looking for is literally right under his nose. 

"Oh yeah?" one of them taunts. "Prove it."

"Fine, I will." Aiden quickly turns on his heel looking right past me as he takes in a deep breath through his nose. I can feel him stiffen as he realizes that I'm right there. "Guys?" he whispers as he turns toward me staring into my dark corner.

"Haha very funny Aiden. Come on we aren't going to fall for that."

"I'm serious! If you don't believe just take a sniff yourselves!" I tense up even more, ready to sprint back to the water. Aiden's friends begin to sniff the air in curiosity. In a matter of second all three of them are starring straight at me. Times up! I yell at myself. Without a second more hesitation I race back to the underground pond. 

"Hey!!"

"Get back here!" They start shouting at me. 

"Quick Luce go get help!" Aiden shouts as he and the other guy start to chase me.

I can hear Luce take off towards the room of werewolves and try to push myself even faster.  The lapping of the water against the stone steps is my que to jump. I quickly launch into the water head first. I hear the splashes of my pursuers as I had towards the exit. The is no way I'm going to make it with them on my tail. They are too fast and I'm getting tired from all the running I've done today. 

What am I thinking! I can't just give up. I have to keep trying. I push myself to my limit using all that's left of my strength. 

The cold blue water pushes against me as I go deeper. My lungs are screaming for air. Bit I can't give in yet. I have to make it outside. I'm halfway through the entrance when I feel a rough hand grab my ankle and start to pull me back towards the cave. The last bit of air left in my lungs lurches out my mouth in an unheard scream.