Wolf Weekly

Chapter 5: Echolocation

This is bad. The cold harsh reality of it all hit me all at once, my knees turned to jelly, my breakfast attempted to reappear, I didn't know if I could comprehend what was going on or if I did too well. I turned around to see Wolf staring at me, a clump of hair matted to her neck with sweat, she dropped a rabbit and sympathetically walked towards me- a stranger I now realized, a strange stranger trying to comfort me in the middle of nowhere, where I'd spend the rest of my days. I had no home, no family, no future. What were the point of hunting and cooking and gathering and surviving if there was no escape? I thrust my hand out toward her warning her to keep her distance, then I turned and ran. I didn't know where all I knew was that I had to get away from her- the second time in 24 hours. My legs burned- but I kept running, my head started spinning but I pushed each yard of grass away with my feet more and more faster and faster. she hadn't bothered following me I suppose she probably went back to her hunting already... I didn't know how that made me feel. I came to the point where I thought that I was being impaled from the inside out and I was panting worse than a dog, I made my way over to a strong tree that had wrinkles strewn about it. My arm had begun to throb again and the pain had worsened I plopped against the trunk and felt the bark against my backs. I didn't know my eyes were closed until I opened them and saw the valley before me. It was a beautiful sight, lush, green grass growing as it pleases, and a sky brighter than the sun. It was untamed and wild but never the less there was an unmatchable sense of beauty. I let the briefest smile sink in before it was interrupted by a paranormal loud scowl from Wolf. She was closer to me than I'd like... I was about 100 yards away from her with only a small hill that I was upon separating us. Behind the tree (were I repositioned myself) proposed a less awing view it fancied only the rock valley walls. I was fathoming whether the moss growing was a new breed when suddenly I was slammed with allusions to school and the life I had just lost.

Benedict and I were in Mr. Thewister's class, he was the biology professor and unlike every other one of his colleagues he resorted to not beating his students, I still didn't like him however because he handed out homework with the occasional denigrate. He was a bulbous man who in my opinion was rather preposterous, he was perhaps plumper than he was tall and round, to say the least. He always looked as if one would before they would tap out, veins blurting out and a face red enough to shame the poppies that grew outside the classroom window- and the was only on the rare occasions that he was crossed with a good mood. A large bushy mustache emerged from his marble sized nostrils. He was an infamous creature loathed upon by the students unfortunate enough to be landed with him. His words made a ruler's beating look luxurious, to say the least.

And on the indecent occasion, we were dreaming of taking a quick ruler to the rump then endure his piercing words for half a class. I found my self doodling classmates as I so often did, caught up in a temporary happiness-a sanctuary on the parchment page. A sudden loud slap caused me to snap my head up off the desk from where it rested to meet the snakelike eyes of Mr. Thewister. My back stiffened as he leaned his bright red face into mine and opened his mouth to let the terror unleash. Worst of all his breath stenched of onions and horseradish.

"-Than listen up" He shouted ignoring the tears that threatened to sting (I was after all only eight), he returned to the blackboard and picked up a long pointy stick. When class was finally dismissed I made sure of it to run towards the front of the group to escape further wrath from Thewister.

"You were zoning out again," Benedict said, this wasn't a question it was rather a statement, one which had lost its point because I had zoned out every class.

"What was the lesson even about?"

"Something about bats seeing in the dark using sounds..." He drifted off forgetfully "it was call ecocation or something..." I remebered seeing the words 'eccolocation' scrawled in a thick messy handwritting upon the board as I walked in.

"Echolocation?" I suggested.

"That's it" He smiled, as we wove our ways through the long bustling hallways, we walked in comfortable silence for several moments. "I wonder if it works"

"Huh?"

"Echolocation- I wonder if humans can do it?"

"Maybe" I shrugged "One way to find out"

"Ready?" I saw only a black abyss firmly tied around my head, I held on to the post of my bed. I nodded but realized that he to was blindfolded.

"Ready." he then let out a shriek followed by a sudden thud, light poured into my eyes as I lifted my blindfold to reveal Benedict laying on the floor.

"I'm okay" He reassured me taking his own off, "Maybe it only works in caves"

"If I ever go I will tell you if it works"

"and I, you" he promised sticking out his pinky, mine wrapped around his warm pinky and we shook firmly.

I opened my eyes to see a cave indeed, but I knew that even if echolocation did work I'd never be able to tell Benedict. The thought stung my eyes, he was my family and now he's buried underneath train car, rock and soil, his body only yards from my own. I was all alone.