THE WOODS (A Bury Farm Wolf Tale)

9: Together

Time passed quickly, years had no meaning and the rings around the numbers on the Wood's kitchen calendar weren't to indicate birthdays or appointments. Dates weren't marked off to remind Trixie of her own monthly cycle, because unlike other couples, it wasn't she who circled the calendar to workout the best time to book holidays, or the best and worse times to plan outings.For Mrs.Trixie and Mr.Jackal Wood, them making love when she was at her most fertile was never an option.The circles on the calendar were written in red because each was a warning.Warning the man of the house to leave town and head for the countryside, each date circled, warned his young lady wife to remain indoors.Indications of when she must keep herself safe, she hadn't seen, she wasn't certain, but Trixie agreed with whatever the man she loved told her.'Was she being naive?'Having sat, listened and learned, like the villagers of Green Hill, Mrs.Trixie Juliet Wood believed enough not to want to have what she was being told; proven.

"Perfect."Jax smiled when placing the new calendar beneath the new clock on the wall inside the new kitchen of yet another new place. "I'll not miss it there."He said.

"I doubt anyone will."His wife agreed.Aware of the importance of dates and times,Trixie was growing tired of having to relocate because someone said or noticed something.'When she noticed little.'Six different homes in three years of marriage, their time with her parents had been short lived and them attempting to share what was Jackal's compact bedsit at his place of employment had failed to work.'Tired of compromise.'A one bed basement apartment sat under another's large family home.Spacious and comfortable, wonderful, before one of the children in the house above was given a pet dog, a small brown and white yapping mutt which hated Jax with a passion.'Wild?'Whenever the two got near one another, the dogs owners struggled to keep it from attacking the male tenant living below.'Out of control?' Jax said he could sort it, but Trixie told him, No.'The children loved their dog.'Meaning she and Jax needed to move out, leaving to take up residence inside a cottage on the outskirts of the city.'Closer to the countryside?' Unable to rest when surrounded by so much space.A cottage, not her husbands' fault.Trixie blamed her unrest on their third home reminding her of what had been the worst time of her life.'Sorry.' Unable to keep her anxiety hidden, she apologised for them having to relocate again.'Disruptive & disturbing?'If honest, the beast continuously stumbling across courting couples in the narrow dark lanes, and the cottage standing beside the local primary school was becoming more than Jax could bare.'Who allowed youngsters to be out so late?'Those living outside the city saw smaller streets as being safer, parents allowing their children more freedom to go out and play would never be safer with Jax around.Trixie said she wanted to leave where she was unhappy and Jax needed to get away from what was overwhelming temptation.

Leaving to bring in more belongings, three years into what was a loving and happy marriage, Trixie hoped they'd gotten it right this time.'A high rise tower block.' Jax hoped his limited choice of humane supplies wouldn't diminish.'One can only feed on so many cats & dogs before arousing suspicion.'The yapping mutt hadn't been as tasty as its' rich diet and pampered lifestyle might indicate, its' family put up pet missing signs and offering a reward and displaying a photograph, many of which Jax removed and took down.'Revenge or opportunity?'When choosing a new home, both noticed how the nearby park attracted both dog walkers and strays.'One could only survive for a short time on a poor diet of rodents before feeling the effects.'No private land, meant no chance of breading their own livestock, but being high up meant Trixie would be one hundred percent safe.Trixie never wanted to have to return to the caravan in-which they'd been staying for the past two months.'They'd had to move fast.'Someone had sighted the beast and the newspapers or print vultures were circling.'A caravan on a campsite.'They couldn't afford to remain full-time at the hotel into which they'd moved when vacating the cottage to have resold quickly.A caravan? Could, should Trixie see the places in-which other people holidayed as being amongst their six martial homes?'Emergency accommodation?'While those around them enjoyed their free time.Mr. and Mrs. Wood searched for somewhere more comfortable and safer to be, while others were carefree, Jax Wood was forever watching his back.'Not the easiest start to a marriage?'It took time for the story of a stray wolf sighting to turn on its' tail and become a search for a large fox.