“So this is how it’s gonna be?” I grunt as I pass Berry on my way back inside. She’s choosing to ignore me from the bench swing on the back porch tonight. It’s kind of chilly for her to be out here like this. It’s below fifty and windy, so I have a fire going in the pit outside. I use it to warm my hands when my fingers start to tighten from the cold while I paint.

I’m about an hour into day three of the Sunset Over the Lake paintings, and already my drink needs replenishing. Guess I should take a break anyway. But my reprieve is short-lived when that damned cat rushes under my feet and almost trips me as I step over the threshold. 

“Blackberry Maryanne Reed!” I give her my best glare with one hand perched on my hip. “Are you trying to kill me?!”

She pads into the kitchen towards her food dish instead of offering any sign of remorse for her actions. 

~

With a fresh whiskey in hand, I resume my work. It’s frustrating, to say the least, and it doesn’t take long for me to get fed up with my brushes and toss them aside. My fingers blend better, anyway. I set the glass on the shed’s little window sill while I ponder my paints. Just as I’m about to dip my pointer fingers into the yellow and red, I hear glass shatter and jolt backwards, hitting my head on the top shelf.

“Damn wind,” I mutter, massaging the back of my head. That’s gonna bruise. 

I glance between the glass shards swimming in a pool of golden whiskey around my bare feet, wishing I’d kept a broom or something out here. I decide to use my t-shirt for a quick fix. I wrap it around my hand a few times before squatting and brushing the sharp pieces against the side of the shed. 

I end up sprawled on the floor when a deep growl thunders just outside the window. What the…? I’m frozen except for my pulse racing against my skin. I can hear ragged breaths inches from me, separated only by the thin wall of the tiny enclosure that’s doing everything but ensuring safety at this point.  

Whatever it is out there starts to move away, but a low rumble of sound remains constant. It’s a desperate tone, possibly hungry even. A rabid animal? 

I frantically give the shelves a visual scan for something, anything I can use to defend myself. I have to blink a few times in order to see clearly as utter fear clouds all incoming images to my brain.

Brush, brush, can...tape, rag, brush. Nothing. At least the door is shut…right? The wind shifts, and smoke from my fire enters through the tiny window while I’m affirming that I am indeed closed in here. All I can hear is crackling flames and the snapping of dry pieces from the heat’s pressure. Is that thing…gone?

But then the doorknob turns. What the…? I feel like I’m watching in slow motion as the rounded golden head rotates, a sliver of darkness appearing as it’s pulled open from the outside. Before I see anything, there’s a sudden snarl and a deep cry of pain that echoes across the chambers of my brain.

That sounded...human.

The panic ringing in my ears detects some sort of scuffling. Heavy bodies and labored breath wrap around the tiny shed as ripping sounds and grunts leave me flinching in fear. My body aches to run, but all motor function has deserted me. It’s fine. It’s just animals. Animals fight. They’ll go away. I force myself to inhale, but my breath catches in my throat at the sound of a growl cut short by a firm snap. A sudden pain spreads in my chest while my skull pounds around my eyes. That’s not right. Something’s...off. 

Soft, innocent wimpers register through the window, and I’m on my feet without thinking. I burst out of the shed and into the darkness like it’s even my place to play hero right now. But I can’t seem to care about what might happen to me as I round the corner towards the firepit and discover them in the flickering light. 

Something large with gray fur stands atop a smaller creature that’s hidden in shadow. Jaws stained with blood turn towards me as glowing green eyes scan my body. A...wolf? I’ve only ever seen them in movies, but this one is...quite large. 

The wolf snaps its teeth together and crouches slowly. When it springs towards me, the other animal catches its leg, pulling it back with a sharp cry of pain. So I take off towards the fire, growls following right behind me. I grab the first stick I see and swing it around, making contact with the gray one just in time. 

The smaller, black creature right behind it manages to pin the wolf down, and as they struggle, I reach for the untouched end of a smoldering log. I yank it out of the fire with a grunt as the sparks sting my face, but I don’t care. All I feel now is anger. I want to kill it.

The black one sees me approach and rolls away as I fling the log into the gray beast’s chest. Its yowls travel across the lake and back before it stands up, shaking and snarling. I reach for another log, but it scampers away and limps into the trees.

A strangling quiet settles while I pant and scan the yard for the other one. It’s so dark, I can hardly make out anything but outlines. Did it run off? 

Nope. And I hear it before I see it. It’s hurt. Badly. Panic clenches my chest all over again at the sound, the tension ready to break me apart with every step that brings me closer. That’s the sound of dying breaths. I know it well. 

The black creature is leaning against my shed, legs trembling more than my own. It’s a wolf, too. Deep brown eyes blink up at me as I approach, and even though it seems afraid somehow, it doesn’t try to move away.

“Hey now.” My voice falters when it flinches and releases the tiniest yelp I’ve ever heard. “Can I...let me help, okay?” Something in my body pulls me forward, and I know I have no choice. I have to try.

To my surprise, the wolf closes its eyes and bows its head low as I kneel to its level. It’s putting all the strength it has into each inhale, and the sound is deafening in my ears. My fingers begin to shake when I lean in close enough to see that its neck is dripping fresh blood. Focus. Stop the bleeding.

“Here we go.” I wrap my arms underneath its belly and put all my strength into my legs as I scoop the wolf off the ground. It’s shockingly light to carry. Must not be fully grown. Those brown eyes flicker open with a start, so I run towards the house. Fuck. I’m hurting it even more.

I place the wolf on my kitchen table and rush to the bathroom, grabbing the first towel I see. Upon closer examination, I find an entire chunk of its neck is gone. Torn off by that monster of a thing, and...I can see bone. My stomach plummets as I gently place the towel over the wound, knowing fully that any hope of recovery is useless now. 

I don’t realize it’s watching me until I feel something pressing against the bare skin on my side. A paw. And the wolf looks almost peaceful as it stares right at my face. Is it in shock? Pain goes away when you’re in shock. It must be in shock.

I leave one hand pressed against the towel over the wound and place the other on the wolf’s head. An overwhelming sadness crashes through my body as I gently rub the soft black fur between its ears. Black...fur. My eyes widen at the connection.

“Was that your bed out there?” I can barely breathe all of a sudden. Was it sleeping in my backyard? Does it not have a home?

I try my best not to cry as the little wolf meets my look, blinking slowly like it knows I’m silently freaking out. A soft sigh puffs from its nose and it presses its paw deeper into my side. I don’t even care that the claws tear my skin. It’s not trying to hurt me. I can feel blood soaking through the towel onto my fingers, but I don’t remove my hand from the wolf’s head. The fur under my fingers is colder than the air outside, and I’m afraid if I let go, its eyes will close again. It doesn’t deserve to die like this. It saved me.  

I attempt a few gulps of air before pleading with my remaining brain cells for assistance. Do I have anything useful for this? No…I’ll call Berry’s vet. I’m sure she can do something more than put a towel on it. I wrack my brain, trying to remember where the hell my cell phone is. The shed…

I bite my lip, glancing down at the wolf who still meets my eyes...unblinking. I’ve never seen a brown so deep. It’s darker than the coffee I drink every day.

“I have to call for help okay? I’ll be right back.” 

I slowly lift my fingers from its fur, but it’s claws dig into my side as it releases the faintest whine. I freeze, watching its eyes plead with me more than I can really handle.

“I don’t know what to do!”

It moves its stare to my hand that hovers in the air, then back to me. It doesn’t want to be alone. 

My fingers find their home in the black fur, and the wolf closes its eyes and takes a slow, even breath. 

Wait.

“You’re breathing normally!” I gasp. “How…?” I grasp the towel with my other hand to check on the wound, but stop immediately when the wolf growls at me. 

“Sorry! Sorry...” I blink down at the creature and watch as its tummy rises and falls. It’s...okay? I shake my head and force myself to inhale, but a sudden chorus of howls sounding from the woods around my house stops my breathing. This isn’t real...is it? 

I can feel the wolf shifting under me and jump as it lets out a deep response. Its own howl is startlingly low in pitch, and clearly sharpened by its wounds. What’s…? This is just one of my nightmares...right?