She presumed that it was part of Wakerlin, Allison made her way up to the middle of the bridge. It was strong, like it was well-maintained.
“It’s safe. The materials are strong,” she called out. But when she turned around, she saw nothing but woods. No one was there.
She was alone, on her own – thanks to her curiosity.
Stupid cops,she muttered angrily.
Taking quick and large steps, Allison reached the end of the hanging bridge without a problem. And then it started pouring rain, making her wonder why. It was summer, after all.
She looked up and watched the dark clouds cover the blue sky in no time. With a loud crack of thunder and flash of lighting, it signaled her to run. She never liked thunderstorms.
The ground was muddy and the soles of her running shoes were covered with mud. She followed the path without knowing where it was going to lead her. She wanted to look around, but she was soaking wet and starting to shiver.
Allison stopped in her tracks when she heard a loud gunshot. It sounded so near, making her shiver in fear. Was it the cops? Did they find her father? Why did they have to shoot?
Frightened, she ran across the thick woods. She didn’t know where to find her father. And she didn’t know where her feet were taking her. But one thing was for sure: the forest was not safe. She needed to find a place to stay before it got too dark.
When the wind started to blow, she heard a loud and heavy bustling sound of water – a river. Hoping to find something, she led herself to the body of water. Gratefully, she saw a tiny hut by the edge of a cave beside the stream.
A light flickered inside the hut, giving her a tiny spark of hope. Allison hastily approached it and knocked on the old plywood door. She looked around and saw no one. It wasn’t much. But it was better than dying under the rain before finding her missing father.
“Hello?” She called out, hoping to find someone – help.
The wind blew strongly once more, and she shivered in the cold. Her knuckles were turning blue, and it was getting harder to breathe. Desperately, Allison tried to open the door, and to her surprise, it wasn’t locked.
Taking a step inside, she uttered a silent apology to the owner of the place. She would pay her respects later – if she survived that dreadful storm.
Shamelessly, Allison searched the place for a towel and went straight to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and covered herself, thinking of drying her wet body by the tiny fireplace. The place wasn’t actually small. It was enough for three grown people to live in comfortably. She found it small because she was used to everything large and extravagant. The fireplace was lit, and there was firewood arranged on the floor. It seemed the owner knew it was going to rain.
Hugging herself, she sat on the rocking chair in front of the fireplace and waited for her clothes to dry. She let her mind wander about the odd happenings recently: her father was missing, a storm brewed in the middle of summer, and a gunshot had been fired. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best – that she would be safe, and so would her father.
Allison’s solitude was disrupted by a loud bang on the door. She opened her eyes instantly, trying to compose a reasonable statement to the owner for barging in.
But to her surprise, she saw a wolf as white as snow with green eyes looking back at her. She saw blood dripping from its left hind leg. And it stood almost as tall as a horse and had the largest paws she had ever seen, making her tremble in fear. From the looks of it, she was sure it could eat a whole human.
The beast approached her at full speed, making her utter a silent prayer. Now, she knew why her father never allowed her to wander in the woods. She could die there without anyone knowing about it.
Dad, I’m sorry…
Chapter 2
Allison opened her eyes when she felt something hairy rubbing against her leg. She thought the creature was going to eat her. But it looked tame. And somehow, she could sense that it was begging for help.
She sighed in relief and took another quick look at the injured beast. It didn’t look like an ordinary cut since it was bleeding heavily. It whimpered helplessly, making her heart melt. She hesitated for a moment when the wolf looked at her, rubbing its head on her knees.
But after giving it a thought, she presumed that the creature must be a pet of the house owner. So, she decided to mend its wounds. She searched the hut and was relieved to find a first aid kit in one of the kitchen cupboards.
Seeing her carry the small box, the wolf laid flat on the floor – exposing its left side.
Clever doggy,she thought. Its injuries were from gunshots, making her wince every time it cried in pain.
“Hush, it’s going to be okay,” she said, petting its head with her hand. “Seems like the stupid cop shot you, huh,” she went on. Her fear subsided. And somehow, she felt at ease with the creature around.
When she finished mending the animal, Allison went to the kitchen and made warm milk, making a mental note that she would pay for everything she had used in her stay.
She felt relieved as the warm liquid passed her throat. “Thank God,” she whispered. The wolf whined in response and looked at her, getting up to approach the kitchen table. It moved its nose, sniffing the milk.
“Oh, oh, I’m sorry. Of course, you’d like some too.” She giggled, finding herself stupid. She took the empty aluminum bowl from the kitchen counter and filled it with the warm liquid. The beast helped itself, rolling its long tongue out.
