The Girl and the Wolf

Prologue

I could feel their eyes on me. Watching my every move. It had been this way since I was a child. When I made the mistake of listening to my mind.

(Ten years before)
Todd jabbed me with his fishing rod causing me to fall over. I hit the ground and a puddle of mud softened my landing. When I sat up half of my body was covered in mud. I was furious with him. Until I saw him laughing.

Todd had not laughed since his father passed before the harvest. He had taken his own life. A very shameful and horrid thing to do. It had shamed his entire family.

I decided to let it go. And I saw my reflection in the river I looked ridiculous. I started laughing with him. Smiling like an idiot.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of the warning bell. I counted the rings.

One, two, three.

That meant the one thing we all dreaded. The creature we were told to fear, the wolf.

Todd and I were only a few yards outside the wall, but it felt like hundreds. If the Wolf was near they would soon close the gate. Todd and I would be out in the open easy prey. I gabbed his hand and headed for the trees.

"Mary! What are you doing! We need to get inside!" He screamed trying to pull me toward the gate. Thank the heavens I was stronger than him.

I turned to look him in the eye. Growing serious I whispered.
"We might not make it to the gates in time. If you stop yelling and follow me we might have a chance of surviving." I had let go of his shirt at some point I don't remember when. I was now furious with his stupidity.

"Or continue and you will certainly be killed by the wolf." I was talking with a malice and frustration.

He stopped talking, he was visibly shaken. He followed unquestioning. Good, he has finally found some sense.

We reached a climbing tree without seeing anything. We had a chance now. I made Todd climb first. When he was a safe distance I started up.

I tried not to think about all the rules I was breaking. Even going into the woods without permission was a serious crime. I just hoped I lived to see another day.

A twig snapped in the distance. I tried to climb faster, but my finger slipped from some mud that was still left. I hit the ground hard. The world seemed fuzzy but I saw a silhouette. It was a wolf.

The world seemed to stop moving. In that moment I knew death was near. I closed my eyes and prayed it would be quick.

Moments pass to nothing happened I looked around. I saw something in the distance, a boy who looked only a few years older. He had blond hair and luminous dark blues eyes. This was in common in these parts. All of the villagers had brown eyes and hair.

When he saw me staring he put his blue hood up and ran in the opposite direction.

When I got inside the walls and told them what happened. . I told them that they didn't need to be afraid of the wolf. They all looked at me like I was a strange creature. My mom found me and hushed me before I could do anymore damage.

I understood that I broke the sacred rules but it was only to save Todd and myself. Our leader Drianna said I was pardon because I was only a child. But I was told never to do it again.

(Present time)
I couldn't understand why they were treating me differently then. Now I understood, The Wolf had never scared a child before. This made me different and different was dangerous.