W O L F R A M

Chapter Three

Christopher had his birthday party in pretty much normal ways. He only bought two used candles to enlighten the mood. His plate was filled with a piece of bread and a small cucumber which he found at an abandoned paddy field near the river.

It's not like he had any extravagant celebration before, even when his father was still around. There were no cakes. No new shoes. Neither pretty little candles. The ones his hands were currently holding only last for another minute.

However, he remembered the merry and cheerful atmosphere that was lost many years ago. In the kitchen he would hear his mother cooking. The food was nowhere grand but everything she made would be delicious for him.

Even the sea water tasted good that day.

Meanwhile, his father would come home after working all day and sometimes, when Chris was lucky, his old man would actually give him a present. It might've just been an old book or a worn out toy but the delightful smile on the little boy's face was all it was.

As for now, his mother had gone to sleep after muttering a fit of curses. The day she gave birth to her son was completely forgotten. The only participant of the party was a cub on his lap. It had become accustomed with his presence and grew fond of him.

Still the boy had enough heart to feel thankful, that she was at least here, alive. He gave a wish that someday he could remember how to smile like he used to as he gave a blow to the flaming sticks.

After this.. what would happen? he wondered, running his fingers through the soft fur thoughtlessly. The cub was purring in its sleep. In a short time they had become inseparable that it refused to be left alone and went to work with him.

As his family had added one member Chris needed to have an extra job to fulfill their daily needs. Now that he had accidentally found out the cub was actually a baby wolf, he had to buy meat for its food. They lived in poverty and there was no money left either, thus he got a loan.

Borrowing others money had always been the only thing he tried hard to avoid and he couldn't wait until he could pay them all. He would get off to work on the lawn by dawn, did a housekeeper job in a rather far place then came home in another hour to check on his mother. He had also become a helper at a fast-food restaurant.

All these should be done without her knowing, or hell would arise. Lucky enough her condition seemed to be better than usual despite her constant foul insults. Nevertheless, the efforts he had to put out was great.

For the first three days his body became so sore and it was difficult to lift a finger. The next day Chris fainted from a high fever. He was thankful that the restaurant owner didn't fire him for being incompetent. He had just recovered from the sickness today.

Staring at the ball of cuteness with exhausted eyes, he watched the cub sleeping in a daze. Once in a while it would wake up and licked his hand before snuggling closer to him. With an affectionate smile Chris lifted it into his embrace much carefully and went to his bed, which consisted of a long flat wood and a heap of dry grass.

A few days left until my first auction. he closed his eyes, his consciousness drifting away. Will everything be okay?

***

How many times do I have to tell myself 'right?'?

I nervously look at my surrounding, wringing my hands. Both the boys and the girls are much taller than me. They're like giants. None of them is in lack of weight, they seem healthy and glowing. Beautiful dresses and pretty suits. Shining shoes and expensive jewelries.

Sucking a deep breath I bite my lips and try to stop my shaking hands. My legs have already gone jellies from the first second I arrive at the station. Quite a lot of them spare me an odd look, as if I'm an alien from the outer space. I would too if I were one of them.