The Old Well

I pulled my boots on and walked towards the door. "Mum, I'm going for a walk!" I yelled before I walked out onto the porch. Sunlight hit me as I went down the steps.

My mom stood in the door frame. "I need a favor, hun." I turned around and looked at her. "Yes?" She continued more seriously. "You remember the old well, correct?" I nodded. "I want you to go and make sure nothing has fallen into it." I giggled. "Like that one time we found a kitten in the well yowling for its mother?" She looked at me and nodded. "Okay mum, and if I fall in," I reached into my pocket and held up my phone. "I'll call ya." She smiled and retreated into the house, our cat trailing behind her.

I took a deep breath of fresh air and walked across the yard. I took one more glance at my house and took off into the woods. I jumped into the air and landed on all fours. Yes, fours. I howled out to the sky what I was, and what I would always be. "Wolf!" I cried. I ran and ran covering about eight acres of our twenty-five. I felt so alive, free. I did this every day.

I saw the well from behind a groove of trees, were I stood. I closed my eyes and concentrated. When I opened them again I looked at my feet. Cougar paws! I climbed up the nearest tree and closed my eyes, enjoying the sunlight.
I heard a child shriek. "Ann!" I opened a eye, annoyed she had disturbed me to see her disappear down the well. In a heartbeat I was at the side of the well grasping the child by her shirt. She screamed even louder greatly effecting my sensitive ears. She just tried jumping into the well!

All of a sudden I was rolling. When I landed a girl was on top of me, a knife to my throat. I hissed at the girl who must be Ann. "Grace, are you okay?" Ann asked the little girl, never taking her eyes off me. "I...I'm okay." Grace stuttered.
A boy emerged from the well. He looked about seventeen. "Ann? Grace? What's..." His eyes trailed over to me. I growled lowly. Ann glanced over her shoulder.

Big mistake.

I shoved her off me and pounced on the boy with my claws sheathed. He knocked over the once again screaming Grace and tumbled to the ground. Just then two more thirteen-year-old looking boys came out of the well and took in the situation. I wasn't hanging around anymore. I dashed for the safety of the trees. I closed my eyes, pricking my ears for danger.

I shifted back into human, my fury coat turning back to my clothes. I peaked over the bushes to see the two boys helping the others up, casting suspicious glances where I disappeared into the brush. I decided to try and find out who they were, and why they were in my territory.

I stepped into the clearing, and Ann spotted me. "We uh, there was a um.... Is this your land?" She stuttered, sheathing her dagger and hiding it from my view.
"Yes." I said, putting my hands on my hips.

All of them were looking at me now. The boy stood up. "Are you aware that there are wolves and a cougar around here?"

I knew they smelled funny. "I knew there was a lone wolf but not that there was more than one."

They all instantly looked tense. Ann looked at the boy and he nodded slightly. The twin-red heads slowly inched in front of Grace. Suddenly, the boy and Ann weren't in front of me anymore. Now in their places stood wolves. The boy was completely black and Ann was a silver wolf.

My eyes widened, but not in fear or shock. In amazement. I had never met another shifter before. Nobody knew about my abilities, not even my mother.

They growled and started moving forward. I laughed. They looked shocked that a human would laugh at such a deadly stance. Well, news flash guys, I'm not human.
I jumped forward landing as a wolf, my clothes melting into fur. I snarled at them, louder than I ever had, realizing my wolf instincts had taken over, and they were in my territory.

They must have realized this too, because they backed down and lowered themselves to the ground. The others behind them did the same. I snarled again and barked for them to get up. I shifted back to human, they did the same.

"Yes," I said. "I'm the lone wolf."

The boy looked at me in amazement while Ann huffed.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The large golden bell on my front porch rang. The kids looked at me curiously.

"My mum." I stated. "You'll be here tomorrow?"

The boy nodded. I smiled and turned into my cougar, earning gasps.

Ann looked bewildered. "You..." I snickered and with a flick of my tail ran home.