Living with the Dead

Four

This puppy needs a name. I studied his small stature and ruffled black fur. His round amber eyes shone up at mine. I need something clever. How about Andrew after my dad? No to human. I used to live in Kodiak, Alaska. Kodiak. Koda like Kodiak. Perfect. I crouched down and pet the wolf pup's head. His ears flopped down and he licked my hand. I wrinkled up my nose and wiped the warm slobber at the bottom of my jeans. Gross.

I got to my feet lazily and clapped my hands. "C'mon Koda let's go." The sun struck the middle of the sky, it's probably about noon. As soon as I started getting a steady pace the smell of smoke engulfed me. I looked up and sure enough, smoke rose up from the forest floor, turning the sky a grey-black color. As much as I don't want it to, human nature won.

I sped through the forest. A thick layer of snow on the ground gave me no trouble, but Koda dragged behind.

"Come on bud!" I scooped up Koda and bustled him into my arms.

After what have seemed hours of running, we finally approached the mystery smoke.

My sides heaved as I crouched down; but of course, my right knee hit a rotted stick and it cracked. I stumbled and lost my balance. I barreled full speed into a thorn bush growing on the side of a pine tree. As I fell a red hot thorn sliced my cheek. I tried to muffle my scream the best I could but a small high-pitched sound squeaked out. My cheek felt like it was on fire, but I had no time to waste, I had to get out of these thorns. Bushes rustled and heavy footsteps interrupted the sound of me struggling to escape the thorn's tight grasp. I finally got free of the plant. I grabbed Koda and took off through the forest.

"Stop!" A deep voice rung behind me.

I froze mid-step, turning around slowly to face the direction the voice came. A slim boy with slight bronze tinted skin and messy black hair came out of the shelter of the tall trees around the area of the smoke.

"What are you doing here girl? Trying to rob our camp?"

"What? No you got it all wrong I just saw the smoke and thought-"

I looked up at him, his chocolate brown eyes burned into mine as he gave me a skeptic glare.

"What happened to your cheek then?"

"You see that bush over there?"I pointed to the devil bush behind me. "We'll I was crouched down then my knee hit a rotten branch then I-"

"A bit of a klutz are we?" The corners of his mouth shot up into a smile, but then it quickly faded back into the original frown, but his eyes still had humor dancing in them.

I gave him the deadliest glare I could muster. "I was just trying to-"

The boy held his hands up above his head in defeat "Ok, ok not clumsy got it!" he said rather sarcastically. "So you comin' or what?"

I followed the boy into the canopy of trees, not knowing what the mysterious camp had in store for me.

"Nice dog by the way."

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Story's going good so far huh? HUH? Hope you guys are enjoying the book so far ;) Leave comments of feedback and up vote!

~C