THE WOODS (A Bury Farm Wolf Tale)

7: First

His eyes changed as his view fell to a much lower level.'No.'If able, he would say what was happening was something he never wanted.Bones stretching in a way no bones should, a body engulfed by a pain like no other, he opened his larger, longer and much stronger mouth, breathing in deeply, before releasing his deafening howl.'The moon was complete.' Transformed, his panting echoed as four stronger, faster legs took him on his way.'Where was he going?'Street lights appeared much higher as in amongst the hustle and bustle of the large city even the brightest beams failed to illuminate what lurked in the shadows.'Doing what he must.'Animal instinct enabled the beast to use his enhanced sense of smell when navigating his way in, around and out of the city streets.'Hungry?'In the same way all animals prevent starvation, the beast relied on its senses to track down its prey.'What was he doing?'As midnight struck and man lost control, speed became and remained priority.Hideout, hunt, track down, pounce and devour. He,'Jackal Zeeb Wood.'The beast would be safe so long as luck remained on his side.He would be safe because he was strong, when a man, he hoped others around him would remain safe too.'The safety of others was something the man wanted, but the beast could never guarantee.'

Scurrying in and out of the tall, dark, shadowing leaf filled trees and brushing through sharp branched bushes was less of a challenge and more natural than sneaking through shopping centres and prowling around housing estates.Racing by office blocks to seek rest in littered alleyways wasn't what nature intended.'Deer, foxes, hares, rabbits & anything wild was less trouble to find when roaming the countryside.'Inside the restrictive boundaries of the city, stray pets such as cats and dogs limped alongside city foxes and sewer rodents, all of which lacked the instinct needed to create the thrill of the chase.'No chase, no taste.'That which was fed by man on what was mass produced would never be as satisfying as what fed itself on what grew and roamed freely.'The way nature intended.'Like being deprived of oxygen, each and every time he went out, he ventured further and further from where he was to where he use to be.'Returning to where he should be?'Making his way outside the city, the beast allowed his fast and vast ground coverage to take him closer to what for years had been his home, moving further from that which had destroyed what had been his life.'Lost?'His animal instinct led him to where he should be, in the same way every lost dog eventually found its way home. Subconsciously wanting, perhaps the beast needed to return to where it originated.'Could it be true that a wolf needs its pack to survive?'A lone wolf like a lone person took the risk of losing ones mind.Work colleagues and clients to converse with and Trixie to be with, while Jax the man had people, Jackal the beast had no other to turn to should he struggle to do what he needed to.

The new apartment was chosen for its location. 'Stunning.'The new home chosen by the couple to have been wed for three years had magnificent views.Situated overlooking a large city park and towering above what was filled with life, the multi storey block was ideally located for the local high street where pet stores stood side by side with meat sellers.'Not ideal?'In an emergency a vandalised shop front and a few missing animals was less tragic than the unthinkable.'The alternative must be avoided at all cost.'Aware of the vast distances the beast was able to travel, Jax studied maps, prioritising and memorising the locations of the surrounding country and national parks.In the same way most men registered the location of the nearest and friendliest public house, Jax learned the whereabouts of the city zoo and knew where to find the nearest boarding kennels and ridding school, a city farm.In the same way most people referenced his or her favourite restaurant, Jackal Zeeb Wood made a mental note of the beasts' most convenient eatery.A stunning home and a loving wife, if only his and Trixie's life was as peace filled and picture perfect as it appeared.'In love?'For most of the time they were happy.'Her never seeing, meant she still wasn't sure?'Time had passed quickly and over the many months to have brought with them an illuminating full moon Jax had tried and tasted much.A penguin being his least favourite, his most tasty morsel thus far had come in the form of a newborn lion cub.Not wild or free to fight back, the cubs' roaring mother had almost cost the beast much more than any free lunch would ever be worth.'Zoo animals?'His instinct to clear and clean his dinning table had on more than one occasion led to his almost being caught, relieved that the inquisitive security staff only ever emerged once the beast had taken what it required, there were times when nothing would prevent others from seeing what had happened and recording it to be a mystery.'Always bury or dispose of leftovers.' Missing and deceased animals rarely made headline news, born in captivity, detained and contained, no human wanted the outcry or criticism which would come their way should the mistakes they believed they were making be revealed.'Were the animals getting out of their enclosures?'Which and how? Remains and bloodstains, the beast became a master of illusion and expert at deceit.'The wolves in the zoo weren't like him.' The pack he stumbled across sat howling beneath the full moon reminded him of home.'Neither friend or foe?' Zoo wolves could help disguise his being where he shouldn't be, but those born to a very different pack; couldn't fill the gap his leaving his family created.