Bound by the Moon

Chapter 6

Finally, I was released from the hospital and sent home. Thankfully with a lot of drugs and pain killers. However, I was laid up in bed longer than I liked. "Doctors orders". I had already missed enough school that I was done worrying about it. My parents had the teachers send the class work to me so at least I would be keeping my grades up and when I eventually got to go back to school. That way I'd be caught up with everyone else in the class. 

 Oh how I missed my best friend Claire and her bubbly personality. She could make anyone happy by just looking at her. She got to visit me a few times, but with her being busy with school and work it wasn't enough. I also missed my rich, steaming cup of hot chocolate with extra whip cream and dark chocolate shavings that I would get at this cute little coffee shop downtown on the way to school every Friday. And the bookstore a couple blocks down that always smelled of new paper and wood chips. I would go in there as often as I could and grab a random book and snuggle up in one of the store's big squishy leather chairs and read for hours.

Once I was released from the hospital I waited patiently in bed for a week and a half before the doctor put my leg in a brace and gave me crutches so I could walk. I felt and looked a lot better since the attack-that I'm now pretty certain wasn't from a mountain lion or a bear, but from a vicious mammoth sized wolf-and still my parents used the excuse that I wasn't fully recovered yet. Most of the cuts and bruises that I  had received were just mere marks now, but my leg was still taking its time to heal. The muscle damage was pretty extensive but over time would completely heal and be just as strong as before.

 As days passed my mom was still pretty cautious and clingy. She literally kept me in her sight almost every moment of the day. Like if she left me by myself for too long I might just disappear in thin air. I soon figured out that the bathroom was pretty much the only place she wouldn't follow me. I did whatever I could to get some alone time. After all I had been stuck in a hospital bed and my house for almost an entire month. Don't get me wrong, I loved my mom and my dad, but a girl could only handle constant company with her parents and no one else for so long. I was desperate for the world outside my house. 

 Lucky for me on my most recent trip to the doctor's office I was given permission that I could go back to school. As long as I was careful to pay attention to how I was feeling and rest if my leg gave me any discomfort. I was so excited and really looking forward to going back to my normal life. I'd be able to drive my car, hang out with Claire, go to the bookstore, and get some time to myself. 

 After everything that had gone on I needed some time to think and figure everything out. The whole wolf issue was pretty crazy. In fact, since my attack there had been more wolf sightings. People were saying that seeing wolves this time of year was pretty common because it was mating season for the deer and there was a lot of easy game to choose from. But this year, unlike usual, the wolves were coming in close to town instead of staying in their territory and away from humans. Some people had even said that they had seen them wondering down neighborhood streets in broad day light. Something weird was going on. 

 Recently town officials were trying to pull together a hunting party to decrease the chances of anyone else getting seriously injured or even killed by these animals. Before I left the hospital  the first time I told my parents as much as I could remember about my encounter with the wolf, leaving out the crazy sounding parts. Since then basically everyone in the entire area knew about what had happened to me and what type of animal had caused it. And even now I was torn between how I felt about this whole situation.

 Yes, I was terrified. Almost every time I closed my eyes I'd glimpse flashes of razor sharp teeth with blood stained fur, or fierce ice blue eyes staring back at me. I'm lucky I survived the whole thing. It's something I'll never forget. But another part of me felt for the animals. I'd experienced life in the woods and beautiful forest. It wasn't like any place I'd ever been. Pretty much every direction you look there are tall, green pine trees. You step outside and the air is calm, quiet, the sky is clear and blue. When you're out there you feel like you're a part of nature. It's absolutely beautiful. And the idea of just killing and wiping out the wolves that call this place home doesn't feel right to me. 

 What happened to me in the forest was a freak accident. Who knows, maybe I was in the black wolf's territory. Or maybe I got in the way of his next meal. I'll never know why that happened to me and hopefully will never have to find out. But I feel that if we leave the wolves alone then they'll leave us alone. Yes, everyone needs to be careful and safe but in reality any wild animal can be dangerous. Killing the wolves won't solve anything. We just need to be smarter than them.