The Hunter's Wolf

Escape gone wrong

Escape gone wrong

11 years ago

"Listen close to the howls and feel their agony," daddy whispers into my ear.

As gullible as the five-year-old child I am, I nod negligently, even without the understanding to what my dad is up to. I watch his back as he wends his way to the cages, with the set of keys jingling in his hands. He stops at a particular cage, and I peer closer to look what lies inside.

A beast.

Rather like a dog, only bigger in size, with a longer snout and pointed ears. Its body is battered and bruised, gray fur matted with dried blood and dirt, and it lets out a whimper when my dad inserts the key and the cellar door opens with a piercing creak. In his pocket is a gleaming metal object, the features slender and almost elegant in its own unique way. When he reaches out his hand to his pocket and takes the item out, the wolf shuffle onto its feet feebly.

I jolt when the animal snaps its teeth on my dad in such a quick movement that it almost seems like a blur. But my daddy is quicker. He clamps his hand around its muzzle and raises it upwards, so the neck is laid bare.

"Watch and learn, Rose," daddy says as he looks over his shoulder, "This is your first lesson."

Without a warning, he slashes the knife into the wolf's neck, and my eyes stay fixed at the red liquid that oozes out of the open flesh. Seconds after that, the wolf stops struggling and its head slides down onto the ground, powerless and weakened. Daddy releases his hold and locks the cage again once he is outside.

"You're hurting it," I say softly, eyes flinching at the suffering animal. The sight was cruel, and it was an inhumane thing to do to an innocent animal.

He shakes his head and wipes the knife with a cloth fabric, "This has only begun, dear. You'll get used to it, I promise."

His eyes bore into mine, pressing me to agree with him. I gulp and stay in the silence as he saunters off outside, leaving me alone with creatures in cages in this chamber. Daddy does not seem to be returning any minute, so I take small steps toward the wolf. I flinch when its eyelids jerks and amber orbs stare right at me. They are beautiful; with flecks of golden shades around its coal-black pupils.