Wolf of Shadows

~ Chapter 1 ~

        It was the day before school and Brittany White was begging her mother one last time to be home schooled, "No Brittany I have a job, and you need to be more social." "No buts about it either. I'm leaving for work, I'll see you when I get home tonight. Oh and Britt, honey, try not to get into any trouble today, I love you." After I watch my mom leave I hurry and get my backpack ready, I grab my notebook and camera. As I go out the door I notice the moving truck down the street, I only look for a minute cause I don't want anyone to see me, so I hurry into the woods. 

When I'm out here alone I feel different, it's like I can do anything. I want to get one more day to myself before school. Ugh the mere thought of it makes me cringe. I can imagine it's going to be like every other year. People are going to be mean to me, that is if they even notice me. You see most of the time , people don't even talk to me or notice I exist, I mean I'm not really complaining, I kinda like it that way. I stop walking, I've never been on this part of the trail before, so I sit down and write for a little bit.

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I jolt awake to a weird feeling, it's almost as if I'm being watched. I push the feeling aside when it dawns on me, it must be late. "Shit! What time is it?", I say allowed, and to no one in particular. I laid there a little bit longer, then I started to pack up. As I start to stand up, I hear a twig snap, to my right, but behind me. Three tree's over to my left a squirrel scurries up a tree, see when I'm in the woods all of my senses get better. Then all a sudden all hair stands on end, I stop, there is breathing right behind me. So familiar, yet so distant. I turn around very slowly, I freeze, not even 10 feet away stands a wolf. He's beautiful, raven black fur, that reflects a silver color, but his eyes are what really get me, icy blue. His cold stare sends a shiver down my spine, but I'm not scared, just curious. Most would have ran by now, but not me. I slowly start to stand again, he backs up to give me room. I kneel down to grab my pack, when I stand up, he's gone.

 As I'm walking back home on the normal trail that I always use. I can't help but think, where did he come from, and why was he so calm? Then all of a sudden a crow flies down out of a tree and into my face, screaming and calling out. I know something must me coming, so I take off running, I hear the sound of sticks breaking behind me, I run faster. There's a sharp pain in my leg and I fall, I role over and there stands the wolf. I'm on my back, I lean up and look at him, as a takes a few steps toward me. I know he's not here to hurt me, and when he took my leg out it wasn't aggressively so what does he want? He drops something on my chest, and turns an lopes back into the woods, I look down an realize he brought me my pen. I must have left it back in the woods.

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As I made it toward the end of the trail still confused by the wolfs actions. I notice the moving truck again, and remembered we had gotten new neighbors today. I push open the gate to my yard, and see Chelsie Burke, the most popular girl in my school drive by in her new car. You see me and Chelsie used to be best friends, until the boy she liked in the 6th grade liked me more than her. What really got and still does get on her nerves is when she asked him out he said no, because he liked me. She never believed me when I said I didn't like that kid, but that was years ago. I hear the phone ring and run inside, "Hello", "Hi sweet heart I just wanted to check in so...", I'm wondering if I should tell her about the wolf, but I guess I paused to long. "Hello honey are you still there?", I see the moving truck go by again. "Yea Mom guess what we got new neighbors today", "Oh that's great Britt! Well I also wanted to tell you I'll be home early, but I got to go, bye love you." Click gone, ok then weird, but I don't think much of it.

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I turn off the TV when I hear Mom pull in the driveway. I wait for her in the kitchen, again thinking  about the wolf, but my thoughts are cut short when Mom opens the door, and comes in with a bag from the grocery store. "Hi honey do me a favor and get me out a cookie sheet." "Ok sure", I smile. I go and grab a sheet and we put the cookies on it and pop it on the oven. I look at her and laugh, "So we're eating cookies for supper?". "No", she laughs, "We're going to give these to the new neighbors." My whole day just comes crashing down. "what do you mean we?" "I mean you an me, and you're not getting out of it." Damnit I hate meeting new people, and then to top it off tomorrow is school.

Beep, beep, beep!!! "Brittany grab those please", I go down stairs and get the cookies out of the oven, I also open a window to cool the room down. I go to get a paper plate but we're out, "Mom we're out of paper plates.", "Then get out the china". Its been awhile since we used the really goo china, but oh well, as I go back to the counter and look out the window I see the wolf at the edge of the woods. I close the window and hurry with the cookies, I want to get this over with.

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