ppgzxrrbz call of the wolves

When Wolves Become the Prey

"Catch me if you can!" shouted a boy with black hair.

A young boy behind him with long flaming red hair was gasping and laughing as he chased after the boy. But then he tripped on a rock and stumbled, rolling across the grass. He landed face-first in the dirt.

The other boy stopped running as he looked back at his friend. He jogged over to the fallen boy and helped him up. "How you feeling?"

The first boy was sniffling, his lip quivering. Now he burst out into tears.

The bushes beside them rustled as a new figure emerged. This boy also had long red hair, but he had unique red eyes. "Butch, what did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything, Brick!" claimed the boy who had tried to comfort his friend. "He just fell over."

"I'm sorry," gulped the crying boy.

Brick sighed. "It's okay. Are you hurt?"

"I think I'm fine," the boy mumbled.

"So why are you crying?" muttered Butch, rolling his eyes.

Brick smacked his brother's arm. "Shut up, Butch."

"Ow!" exclaimed Butch.

The tree above them was shaking. An apple dropped to the ground, and then another, and another... A boy with brown hair popped out of the tree, upside-down as he munched on one of the red fruit.

"Braker, can't you pick apples like a normal person? Now they're going to be all bruised," complained Brick, shaking his head.

"They're fine; see?" Braker swallowed and grabbed an apple from the ground. He held it up, turning it this way and that. "They're not bruised in any way." He tossed it into a basket.

Brick rolled his eyes. "Now they probably are."

A raccoon darted out into the open, and behind it came a boy with dark-brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Birds and rabbits followed him.

"Jeez, Bandit; you're like a living zoo!" laughed Butch.

Bandit shot his brother a look, petting a rabbit. "Oh shut up, Butch. You don't understand the importance of animals."

Finally, the bushes rustled again and someone else appeared. This was an older man with kind eyes. Behind him were two blond boys.

"Blaster; Boomer! Where have you been?" exclaimed Braker, holding up the basket of apples he'd collected. "I got those apples you wanted for your pies."

"Oh yes!" cheered Blaster. "Now we can bake a big pie for everyone!"

Boomer took the basket and counted the apples. "That's 24," he said.

The man walked over to Butch and his friend, who was still sniffling. "Are you okay?" he asked the young boy.

"I'm fine," the boy mumbled. "My leg hurts though."

"We'll take care of that," the man promised.

Butch sighed, rolling his eyes as he plopped down beside his friend. He swung an arm around the other boy's shoulder. "You gotta be stronger, Vix! You can't keep crying every single time something bad happens."