More Than Bargained For

Joshua and Carleton were in the woods one day, far away from home. In fact too far, for hasn’t their father warned them countless times about straying beyond the safe line?

“Go no further than two miles. There the safe line ends. To cross it, could mean great peril to your life.”

The boys on this day did the unthinkable and crossed the safe line and wandered into the woods and were having their own brand of fun. To them, it was laughable to watch small animals scatter about as they would hurl hand-size stones at them.

Even in school, they were pranksters, even trouble-makers. Twice they were both expelled for the deeds they did. One being, pouring water on the teacher’s chair just before she sat down. Another time, with a teacher’s back to them, they grabbed papers on his desk and set them afire.

Now, they would playfully terrorize innocent animals that do no man, woman or child, harm. The deer would flinch, jump and scurry off. The squirrels would hurriedly climb trees to be out of harms way. The birds would scatter their flocks for another place of comfort and quiet.

Twenty minutes of this and both Joshua and Carleton tired of their little game.

“Joshua, do you have your knife on you?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I think we grab a deer and cut it open. Besides, wouldn’t father be pleased if we brought home fresh meat?”

“He might be, but he will be angry if he ever finds out we crossed the safe line.”

“I agree, that’s why, if he asks, we were further west of the safe line instead and ran across an unsuspecting deer.’

He stopped speaking suddenly for a snapping of twigs was heard almost directly behind him and Carleton. Turning, he backed up, his right hand pressed against Carleton’s chest to make him do the same thing.

A large Alpine wolf was slowing heading toward them. Each boy grabbed their own knife and branded them in front of them in desperate bravado.

The wolf took two more steps before stopping, and then, before the boys very eyes, changed its appearance, and next they saw was a tall, beautiful woman with long dark tresses, deep black eyes holding no sparkle of amusement.

“I say to you now, you will not endanger another living thing again in my domain. If you do, I will feast on your hearts and scatter the rest of you across my lands for the animals to pick at.”

Joshua leaned over and whispered to Carleton, “Remember father telling us when we were much younger of the Wolf-Witch? This must be her, and to think, all this time I thought it a fable, father told us.”

“If what father told us is true. We should leave before she may change her mind.”

“Leave now, or you will be feasted upon as if you were a King’s meal.”

Both Joshua and Carleton walked a wide berth around the Witch-Wolf and just as they were but inches away from the forest to the clearing, the Witch-Wolf changed back into the Alpine Wolf and leaped upon them both.

The boys screamed and screamed until they could scream no longer.

The part Carleton referred to his father spoke about was, ”... and when she cries her demands, matters if you heed them or not, for her promise to release you is false. It is her game, and she always wins.”

The Alpine Wolf changed back to the Witch-Wolf, licked her lips, and for the first time that day, smiled.

“Throw rocks at my friends will you? No, I guess you can’t ... not any longer.”