Kari's Drabbles

Red

 She falls again, tripping over a tree root. The footsteps get closer, and she scrambles back to her feet and continues to run. She's losing her breath, but she must keep going. She doesn't dare look back, for fear of what's chasing her.

The forest is its territory. She has no right to be there. But....she does. This is her home as well as it is the monster's. She may not exactly live here, but her house is near here. She looks at the sky, wishing she was home where it was safe. Then again....it's not. The beast would surely find her there.

Suddenly, she's on the ground and the monster is standing over her. She can't see its face, just its hands, and the ax it's holding. She whimpers, knowing this is it. This is what it comes down to. She closes her eyes, hoping her death will be swift.

That is, until something pounces on the monster, throwing it into a tree. It grunts as her savior looks at her with a golden eye. She smiles slightly and hugs him, his fur soft under her hands and cheek. She sobs into the wolf's fur.

Red, you have to go. The wolf says.

"Not without you!" she protests, as the man gets up from the ground and growls at them.

It's not safe here. Go. Now. the wolf demands.

"What about you?!" Red asks.

I'll be fine. the wolf replies as the man comes at them with his ax. The wolf shoves Red out of the way, going at the man.

Red watches in horror as the two fight.

The wolf snaps at the man's throat, as the man swipes his ax at the wolf. The animal is hit in the side and starts to bleed, making him wince in pain as the redness makes his fur dark. He goes at the lumberjack again, digging his claws down the beast's chest, causing the man more damage. The man throws the ax at the wolf, just barely missing its snout. There is much blood loss from the man, spattering the ground below him.

The wolf grabs hold of the man's head in his jaw and rips it off with a deafening crack, throwing it into the deeper woods. The headless body falls limply to the ground, bleeding from the chest and neck. The wolf collapses with a huff, glancing Red's way as she comes from her hiding spot.

She sits at his side as he slowly closes his eyes.

How bad is it? he asks weakly. The wound was deep, revealing some tissue and muscle.

"Bad..." Red answers, starting to cry. "It's pretty deep.....I don't know if I can patch it up...." she says.

The wolf snorts. Then don't. At least I went down with a good fight. he says.

"But! I can't lose you! You're all I have left!" Red hugs him around the neck.

So tired....will you lay with me? the wolf asks.

"But, your wound..."

Forget it, Red. I knew this day was coming long before I met you. the wolf says.

"No. I'm going to get my mother." Red protested. Just as she got up, he gently tugged on her leg, making her sit down. "Let go!" she says, and he growls gently at her as a warning.

I said to let it go, Red. Now sit. he demands and pulls her down to the ground so she's sitting with him.

".....Alright...." Red whispers against her better judgement. She doesn't want to lose him, but she doesn't have any medicine, and she can't just CARRY him to her mother the Healer, so she curls up against his good side as if he is a blanket. She stokes his fur gently. "I love you. You know that, right?" she asks.

I love you too, Red. he responds before they both drift off to sleep.

~~

When she awakes the next morning, it's to be curled up with her wolf. She shakes him slightly.

"Time to get up." she says, but he isn't responding. She looks at him. She can't tell if he's breathing. "Wolff? Hey, it's time to get up." she says, but again he doesn't respond.

She shakes him more violently, starting to tear up. "Wolff!? C-c'mon, get up!" she starts to panic, before quieting down to listen to see if she can hear his breathing or heartbeat. She's greeted by silence. She bursts into tears. "No....no, no, no, no, NO!" she sobs, hugging his neck, crying into his fur. "W-Wolff....I'm sorry....I'm so sorry...." she sobs. "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I love you...." she mutters repeatedly.

But she knows, nothing, not even a few "I love you"s can ever bring him back.