The Beast - Part 4

Beast

We go through the woods for a while. One of the brown wolves goes first with the grey and white one, then me and the black one, followed by the other brown ones. I’ve learned some time ago that this kind of set-up is usually used when protecting someone. I’ve heard that some of the important guests that came to the house would use three or more cars, theirs being the middle one.

They’re protecting the black wolf. The leader.

I never knew animals could be this organized.

But I never learned a lot about animals to begin with, so it makes sense I don’t know shit about them. Another useful phrase I learned.

The wolves up front stop and look back at us. We are in a clearing in the middle of the woods, but there are many small houses around it, hidden in the trees with their doors directed towards the clearing.

Wait, HOUSES?

What the hell?

So these wolves ARE domesticated? And whoever is keeping them lives here?

The black wolf steps up front to the other two, for hell knows what and I look around to analyze my surroundings. The houses are small compared to the mansion I came from, built only with wood, with most of them looking exactly the same. The small holes in the walls are probably meant to be windows with no glass in them. Instead of locked doors, most of them are wide open and with nothing to lock them, not even handles. That’s strange, but who am I to judge. Maybe those people simply trust each other to the point of not seeing the need to lock themselves from each other.

The sound of barking pulls me from my little reverie. I look towards the black wolf and see him looking at me expectantly. I go towards him, covering the short grass underneath with blood seeping from the freshly opened wounds on my feet.

The wolf simply leads me towards one of the houses. I notice it’s a little bigger than the rest and looks slightly different too, with higher roof and what seems to be a porch at the front. Maybe that’s where the owner of the wolves lives. It would make sense that he has a bigger house than the others.

We go inside and I’m astonished with the beauty of the place. The walls of course are wooden; to the left I see what my mind tells me is a kitchen with dark wooden counters and cabinets. On my right is an open room, again with dark wooden furniture. I wish I knew more, so I would know what everything is called. No one taught me that after I was taken, and the little I did know, I forgot during my time THERE. There was no use for me to know what a certain type of wood or furniture is called when trying to survive through hell. If I recall correctly, the big thing in the open room is called a couch. It looks absolutely comfortable. I could probably sleep on it for the rest of my life, if allowed.

The black wolf leads me through the house to a room with a big, rectangular thing standing by the wall, and a tall, again rectangular thing - I think it’s a closet? - by the wall to my left, and a door to my right.

The wolf goes back to leave the room and I, obviously, follow him. He stops and turns around to look at me and I can the question in his eyes. ‘What are you doing?’ He turns his whole body around and nudges me with his head inside the room again. I surrender under the silent command and head back into the room, simply standing in the middle of it, not knowing what to do.

He stays with me in the room, looking at me as if expecting me to do something. I, again, don’t know what is it that he wants me to do, so I stay there staring at him, not moving a muscle.

After a while I finally have enough and seeing as the owner if the wolf doesn’t seem to be coming here, I do the one thing I can right now.

I speak.

“What do you want me to do?” Yeah, because it’s totally not weird to talk to a wolf.

The wolf tilts his head and looks me straight in the eyes in what looks like awe, and I don’t get why. My voice is all scratchy and raspy from the lack of use over the years and I’m surprised the wolf doesn’t flinch hearing it. It’s almost painful to listen to.

He comes closer to me and nudges my stomach again, making me stumble a little. I step back, making him step forward, until my legs touch the huge rectangle, oh, it’s a bed, now that I think of it.

I sit on the edge of it waiting for the next move of the wolf.