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Chapter 3
“Back away slowly,” Rico whispered.
“They aren’t going to attack us are they?”
“These woods aren’t exactly teeming with food opportunities and you just scared away the easiest meal; that makes us pretty high on the menu right about now.”
“I...I hear wild animals are more afraid of people than people are of them,” Tiffany choked out feeling for steps behind her.
“Yeah, don’t always believe everything you hear.”
There was a low guttural sound from the pack leader and then it pounced.
“Run!” Rico shouted gripping Tiffany’s shoulder roughly and flicking her around.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” suddenly the safety of a backyard camp seemed very appealing.
“Don’t look back, just keep running.”
“We can’t outrun them,” Tiffany said.
“You can, just keep going.”
Rico’s voice was suddenly sounding further away and Tiffany stopped.
“I said keep running; I’ll be right behind you.”
“Rico no!” Tiffany squealed.
“I said keep running woman!” Rico ordered and his voice brooked no argument. Tiffany turned on her heel and hurried back through the woods along the path they had come tears streaming down her face.
It seemed like forever before she reached the dirt path where Rico had left his bike.
“Rico?” Tiffany stood there staring back at the woods her legs trembling and threatening to give out on her. “Rico, are you alright?”
He had told her to run but she couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that swept over her, what if he had fallen, what if the wolves had caught up to him?
Tiffany searched around the track grabbing a stick she found on the ground and making up her mind to go back into the woods behind Rico, she had to at least try to help, he might be lying somewhere in there hurt.
A deep fearful growl broke the uneasy silence and Tiffany whimpered, good grief what could that be? It sounded louder and more fearful than any wolf call she had ever heard.
“Rico...” Tiffany took a tentative step towards the woods and then bolted back towards the bike as Rico burst out of the foliage with a huge smile on his face. “Aaaaahhhhh!”
“I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
“You aren’t hurt? Where are the wolves?” Tiffany was tossing herself into his arms. “Oh Rico I hated leaving you back there like that. I hated leaving you back there on your own like that.”
“I told you to run.”
“I know but I feel like such a coward.”
“Normally when I tell people to do things I fully expect them to do it.”
Rico’s arms were encircling Tiffany’s slender body as he spoke.
“I really wasn’t in any danger; I have a way with nature.”
“They seemed so vicious.”
“They were just being what they were; wolves.”
“I hate wolves,” Tiffany wept.
