The Encounter


The distant sound of thudding increased. The vibrations echoed through the clear night, shattering the quiet, almost peaceful atmosphere. And suddenly, through the thick foliage emerged a young wolf, a shoulder bag clutched tightly between her jaws. She was running, running for her life, from all she had lost. Tears streamed down her half coloured muzzle as she ground to a halt outside a small cave. She could see just enough to make out the entrance through her salty tears. When she lay silently on the cold, hard floor, a mighty howl sliced the air like a dagger. And it was from that moment on; Luna Ryder knew she was not alone.


Light flooded in through the cave mouth, beckoning me to open my eyes to the morning. It blinded me momentarily, before my eyes adjusted to it. I yawned wide, exposing my fangs, and shook my fur lazily. Glancing at the bag on the floor, all the memories returned to my scarred mind. The twisted faces, the harsh words. I could still recall the moment. The moment when my parents were slaughtered by a gang of vampires, bloodthirsty and drawn with ravenous hunger. The scream of my mother still rang clearly in my head, as though it was some terrible alarm. I had sworn to myself I would try not to speak (or think) of those actions again. Easier said than done I thought to myself. The memory still lingered there, but other things drew my attention. I headed out of the cave. The day had already begun; the sun had steadily risen above the horizon and was slowly warming. Birds sang and flew about, carrying on with their daily business

I wandered to the river, splashing my face with some cool water. Wiping my paws on some small shrubs, I explored. After the 'successful' escape attempt of last night, all contact with the pack had been lost. This was unknown territory, one which they would never dare venture into, even if provoked. And it was that fact that worried me. If I was killed by some hostile creature, it would be my fault alone. I was starting a new life, away from the narrow-mindedness of the leaders, and the constant warnings they gave me about going into the forest alone. I knew how to hunt….I think. My thoughts were interrupted by…silence. Nothing moved. Even the voices of the birds had been silenced. Out of instinct, I pinned my ears back flat against my skull. The beating of my heart increased. Someone (or something) was here with me, and I could have sworn the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

In the silence of the forest, every moment I made seemed deafening. The first rustle came from some bushes behind me. I turned to face that way instantaneously, but was pinned to the ground by another wolf. I stared, terrified into the eyes of another female, who was baring her teeth at me, eyes blazing with hatred.
'Get out.' She snarled.
'I would if you got off me.' I snapped without thinking, wishing that I had just left my mouth shut. A loud yelp escaped my lips as she slashed my foreleg with her razor-sharp claws. Blood slowly seeped out of the wound, staining my dark black fur a sickening scarlet.
'You're in my territory…girl.' The female spat, moving off me in one motion, removing her claws from my leg. I managed to scramble to my feet without too much trouble.
'I have nowhere else to go...'
'Do I LOOK like a child-minder?!' She roared, cutting me off. No answer on my part. I was utterly humiliated. With my tail between my legs, I slunk off back to the cave.

Everything was still silent as I walked out of the cave with the bag. It was obvious the animals knew when to avoid her. I could only look on at the empty forest in hope as my stomach growled, I was no good at hunting. Off came the Velcro strap that held the flap for the bag. Out went the clothes. Out went my purse (only for emergencies). How much has I actually packed? I finally spied a packet of processed ham at the bottom of the bag. Pulling out, the packaging was torn off. I had soon gulped it all down, wishing it hadn't gone so fast, as I nearly gagged on the sheer saltiness.
'Let's put it simply, MY territory, YOUR funeral.' A voice growled. The female confronted me. 'I thought I told you to get out of here.'
'I…I..' I had a chance to get a look at the other wolf now, she was in full view. Most of her top half was a beautiful deep red / maroon colour, including a little of her muzzle. On her two forelegs were dark grey stripes, on a base of a light grey fur. Her back legs were mostly dark grey. But the most striking thing was her eyes. Even though they simply amplified her anger, they stood out from the rest of her. She was, indeed beautiful, and far older than me. This was obviously a minus.
I hurriedly stuffed all the scattered clothes and objects back into the bag. 'I'm sorry..' I managed to squeak, before scampering off, leaving her alone.
The heat of the new midday sun pounded down on me, I had never known a day hotter than this one. Even with the shade of the trees, I was sweating. I quickly pulled over into some ferns, opening the bag again. I couldn't bear the fur any longer. My eyes closed, my mind trying to concentrate on my human form. Eventually, the change began. The tail was the first to go. It shrank back into my body painlessly. I grew quite a bit, my fur shortened, and my body changed until I became fully human. Rooting around in the bag, I pulled some clothes on. I was definitely cooler in this form. I wondered around the forest for a little while, on red alert in case I stepped into anyone else's territory.