It had not been my intention to walk too far into the woods that day. Ever since my run-in with the wolves a few days before, I hadn’t gone anywhere past my favorite tree, except for to take the path to the Ford place. I wasn’t going there now, but I had managed to go so far that I couldn’t see my tree.
It wasn’t on purpose. I was looking at the flo
Another night in bed with me staring at the ceiling, listening to the wolves howling at one another, not daring to go to sleep.This time, it had nothing to do with my sister, though.
The red glowing eyes in front of me were terrifying, but even worse were the sharp teeth directly below those eyes. Saliva dripped off of their points as they caught the moonlight and gleamed like razors. I had no doubt in my mind that the wolf staring at me would not hesitate to sink those fangs deep into my flesh and rip me limb from limb.
“Not tonight, dear,” Grandma said dismissively in response to my request to speak to her. “We will talk tomorrow.”I glanced at the clock above the oven. “It is tomorrow,” I reminded her. “It’s past midnight.”
It wasn’t quite noone when I got out of bed the next morning, but it wasn’t early either. I woke up feeling like I’d done a rigorous workout the day before, every muscle in my body sore. Perhaps that was because I had. I’d definitely been running a lot faster than I normally would. Most people probably would do so with a wolf fight happening behind them.
It wasn’t too difficult to find the Ford Place, even though there was no such thing as street signs out here. Their driveway was the next one up the main road to the right. I remembered having noticed their mailbox when Sam had driven us to town the other day. It looked like it had seen better days. It was more than a little rusty.Their driveway is just as long and
My mom was in the kitchen when I walked inside to hang up the keys by the door. I wouldn’t have even come inside if I didn’t need to do that. I would’ve preferred to sit on the steps and wait for Ben. Assuming he showed up. I wasn’t sure I’d understood him correctly. I mean, the idea that he wanted to take me for a ride seemed surreal. He was so unbelievably attractive, and I was just ordinary me.
Ben drove back to the main road and then headed north, away from the city. We didn’t say much at first. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to him, it was that I was afraid I’d say something silly, so I was waiting for him to speak first. When he didn’t, I asked, “Do you not have to work today?”“No,” he said, slowing
“Red?” I repeated. My energy was red. “Why red?”Ben raised an eyebrow at me, as if he couldn't believe I had to ask that question. I had been asking a lot of questions lately that seemed unnecessary to him, I’m sure. “I think you know why,” he said quietly. Not the first time I’d heard that.