- Text Size +
Brian had never been a fan of camping. Bugs would creep almost anywhere and it was either too cold and too wet, or too warm and too dry for his comfort. Right now it was the latter. The thick fur on his body did not help any matters as the sun shone bright in the cloudless sky. The trees’ shadows brought some relief, but the itching remained. He couldn’t understand how people preferred sleeping under the stars over sleeping in their own, well-made beds. He hadn’t built a luxurious house with all the comforts they could ever need for nothing. He was not an outdoors person.

He stomped down on one of the bugs that got a little too close and panted. The remainders of the chicken Baylee had brought back with him lay next to his tail and he chewed one of the bones absently, wondering how he could have ever ended up here. He’d done a lot of thinking in the four days he’d spent in the basement.

He wondered if something like this had ever happened to other people and how they got back to normal, if they ever did. Just the thought of having to spend the rest of his life as a wild canine was more than he could handle.

Keeko was intently staring at the chicken bones and Brian rolled his eyes, flinging one of the bones in her direction. Although Keeko was certainly not the smartest conversation partner out there, it was far better than nothing and the easy ways in which he could satisfy the six year old Maltese were kind of amusing to watch. Although Keeko still didn’t comprehend that he wasn’t actually a wolf, she seemed to have picked him as her new best friend forever, just because he provided her with food every now and then. He smiled to himself; the Maltese and the Wolf, now there was a story right there.

Brian sighed as he heard and felt his stomach rumble.

The little portion of chicken that Baylee had given him was not nearly enough for a full sized wolf. He could smell every single wild rabbit that wandered around in his backyard, but he knew that he wasn’t supposed to leave this spot. If his wife came out and saw him stalking in the perfectly cut green grass in pursuit of a defenceless little rabbit, she would definitely scream. Maybe he could eat the bugs? He shuddered at that idea, despite the heat.

No bugs.

His ears pricked up when he heard the branches break a couple of yards away. The smell of rabbit was stronger now and he silently thanked the Lord for sending this meal his way. He got up slowly, trying not to make any noise, focusing on the rabbit’s sounds with all his might. Keeko seemed to know what he was doing, because she, for once, did not make a sound. Brian held his breath, placing one of his paws soundlessly on the soft, mossy ground and keeping his head low. He licked his lips when he finally caught sight of the small animal that was still completely oblivious to his presence. He did feel a little bit sorry about what was going to happen, but considering the rabbit infestation had been quite a problem in his backyard for a few months now, he figured one more or less didn’t matter.

Staring intensely at the rodent, he got closer and closer and finally he jumped. At the last possible second, the rabbit turned and saw him before jumping out of his way. Brian was left to pound on the now empty spot, but didn’t give up. The rabbit was fast, but the wolf was hungry and his legs were larger. The prey zigzagged from side to side and it was dizzying at first, but Brian soon found out that it would always meet in the middle and with one swoop, the rabbit was suddenly in his mouth, struggling wildly, its legs bashing against his jaw. Without giving himself the time to get second thoughts, the wolf bit down and the rabbit stilled.

Brian dropped the animal immediately. He’d just killed a rabbit with his teeth. The thought was more than disgusting. Keeko’s happy barks surely brought him out of his trance and the Maltese danced victoriously around the dead rabbit. “We got rabbit, we got rabbit, we got rabbit,” she squealed excitedly.

“We?” Brian grumbled.

“Wolf got rabbit,” Keeko whispered, standing still.

“Are we supposed to eat this with hair and blood and all?” Brian wondered, but his stomach growled in response. The first bite was strange, but then everything seemed to go automatically as he devoured the small animal mercilessly. He made sure to leave a small portion for Keeko. Keeko was ecstatic.

Listlessly, Brian lay down on the ground. It was too warm to even think. He cursed himself for drinking all the water Baylee brought at once. Why did he have to be a wolf? Why couldn’t he have been transformed in something with a little less hair? He rolled onto his side and put his head on the ground, panting loudly.

Dogs really needed better heat management, he thought, because the panting was exhausting. He had no idea what time it was, but it looked like it was going dark soon.

Maybe then he could get out and drink water from the pond without being seen? His tongue felt like dry paper in his mouth now and his legs seemed to be made of lead. He was so thirsty, he couldn’t wait until nightfall.

It was sort of strange to him how his motivations and thoughts seemed to be driven almost solely by basic needs like food, water and sleep. He guessed it was the animal counterpart of the wolf’s body and brain that he’d been transformed into. It would yearn for the taste of food, any food, for that matter. It would devour a raw rabbit without thinking twice. It would sneak out of its hiding place to quench its thirst. He made sure to hide behind every little bush on his way over to the pond. He cursed himself again for having the pond in such a clear sight from the house. He’d liked to watch over his backyard, including the pond, from the living room whenever he was working on writing songs or making music. If anyone was in the living room, they would certainly be able to see the snow white wolf drinking from the pond’s water. He stood behind the bush closest to the pond, contemplating if he should just wing it and drink and maybe run if he was seen, or if he should wait and find a better way.

The decision was made for him when he looked up and saw someone moving inside the living room of his house.

Damnit. He immediately lowered his head back down.

Maybe it was Baylee.

Maybe not.

Should he howl?

He could howl.

He howled. The sound cut through the air and birds flew up from the trees. Brian cringed at the loudness. It didn’t really sound like something you could blame on the husky next door, unless the dog had gotten an amplifier. He saw the figure in the living room get closer to the window and sighed in relief when he noticed it was his son. Brian stepped away from the bushes and looked directly at him. He saw Baylee hurry out of the room and sighed.

“What are you doing?” Baylee called as he ran outside.

The boy was wearing a jacket, which Brian found ridiculous, considering the heat. “Mom could have seen you!”

Brian squinted at him in annoyance; then looked at the pond. Baylee’s eyes widened in understanding. “You need more water?” he asked and Brian nodded. Baylee looked up at the sky and mumbled, “It’s way too warm for you here.” Brian nodded again.

“I got an idea,” Baylee said, pushing the wolf back to its place behind the bushes and then he ran to the house once again. With a frustrated growl, Brian lowered his head. He eyed one of the ducks that sat opposite of the pond and wondered if he should just catch it and bring it back to the fort. No. He’d done enough killing for today. He didn’t look forward to the moment Baylee found out he’d hunted a wild rabbit and ate it. It wasn’t something he was proud of, though his hunting skills had been superb. They would come in handy if he did need to live out his life in the wilderness. His stomach clenched at that thought.

Baylee came back out of the house with a water hose in his hands. Brian smiled to himself, immediately understanding the idea. The boy fitted one end of the hose to the outside tap near the pond and then started rolling the thing out into the ‘woods’. Brian slinked back behind the trees as well as Baylee ran back to the pond and turned on the tap. Brian decided that the water was the best he’d ever tasted as he swallowed it down in large gulps. Baylee came back with a complacent smile on his face and Brian took the end of the hose in his mouth and aimed at his son. Baylee screeched as the cold water hit him in the stomach first, and then in his face. There, Brian thought; that was for turning him into a wolf. Dripping wet, Baylee looked at him and grinned, then took the hose in his hands and pulled.

Before the hose could leave his mouth, Brian bit down and held on tightly. They were both pulling now and Baylee laughed, trying to avoid the stream of water that Brian was still attempting to aim at him. He gave another quick pull and the hose sprang free from the wolf’s jaw. Baylee grabbed it and directed it at his father, who welcomed the cold water on his overheated coat immediately. Keeko was running circles around them and tried to catch the stream with her mouth.

“Baylee?” A voice suddenly came from the backdoor of the house. Baylee and Brian both froze and Baylee dropped the hose immediately.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” Leighanne asked and Brian felt his heart hammer in his throat as he heard her voice get closer. Baylee was waving at him to get into the fort and he quickly got to his feet.

“Me and Keeko are just playing with the hose,” Baylee answered as innocently as possible. Brian couldn’t help but frown at the smooth lie as it fell from his son’s lips.

“Okay,” Leighanne said, “Make sure to put it back when you’re done. Dinner is almost ready.”

“It’s pretty dry here,” Baylee answered and Brian could see his wife from behind the planks of the fort as she stepped into the Woods carefully, “I think I should leave the hose on for tonight, it’ll be good for the ground.”

“Maybe,” Leighanne hesitated; then looked at the fort, and Brian lowered his head immediately. She shook her head; then looked back at her son, “Do you even ever play with that fort anymore?”

“Sometimes,” Baylee shrugged.

“That’s a lie,” his mother smiled. “Your father did his best on that, you know?”

Baylee sighed and turned to the fort as well, “I know.”