"The recent string of muggings along the streets of Burgess' east district have finally been put to rest, as police have succeeded in apprehending the perpetrator—"
Jamie chewed the pink nub of his eraser, drowning out the television in the next room in favor of finishing his calculus homework. He hated the news. Nothing like crime, natural disasters and economic struggles to lift your spirits. It was an American scare tactic – he'd watched a documentary once that showed the difference between Canadian and American news broadcasts; Canadians focused on the positives while American news anchors pumped their viewers full of fear – an exceptionally motivating tactic.
"This just in, locals have reported sightings of what they believe to be wolves in the forest bordering the city. We turn to Ian Mire for the story."
Wolves? Though Jamie was vaguely intrigued by the report, he only half listened as he punched a few numbers into his calculator.
"Thanks Jenny. Curt and Francis Cummings were shocked when, on their weekly hike along the Rickdell Trail, they spotted something unseen in Burgess for nearly three decades."
"My husband and I were just coming over the crest of the hill when we saw this flash of white, and I remember thinking: oh, it's probably just a dog out with its owner, but when I got a better look, I thought, oh my god, it's a wolf!"
The teen couldn't help a snort, rolling his chocolate eyes. Some people would do anything for five minutes of fame, even cry wolf.
"Wildlife researchers are skeptical about these claims, as the wolf population has rapidly disappeared in this region due to hunting, trapping and poisoning over the past few decades. The last positive sighting of wolves in Pennsylvania was in 1982 in Clearfield County, and even then, it was grey wolves that were indigenous to the area. Nothing can be confirmed as of yet, but authorities caution everyone to be wary of any stray dogs and to avoid trails at night until further notice. Back to you, Jenny."
Something nudged at Jamie's leg, and when he peered under the table, he found his greyhound peering up pleadingly.
"Really Abby? Now?" the dog pressed forward, her head resting atop the boy's thigh, tail wagging hopefully. With a resigned sigh, Jamie stood and headed for the garage.
"Mom, I'm taking Abby out for walk!" he called, plucking up a leash and hooking it onto his dog's collar. As he reached for the back door's handle, his younger sister Sophie smirked from her seat in front of the TV.
"Don't get eaten by wolves," she teased, glancing up from her handheld game.
Jamie's only retort was a protruded tongue and a scrunch of his nose before he stepped out into the chilly night. Though it was a chore, he was actually grateful for Abby's timing – he could only handle so many hours of homework before his brain shut down on him and drew him to mindless internet surfing or video games. Paying no mind to the warnings, Jamie led Abby through his busted fence and out around the lake toward the Rickdell Trail. It was their usual route, and he wasn't about to break tradition simply because someone's pet was roaming around without a collar. In any case, Jamie found tranquility in this atmosphere – he'd certainly written enough poetry about the natural world to justify treading it so late in the evening.
The two had just rounded a bend in the path when a rabbit bounded into view, ears standing erect as it took notice of them. On pure instinct, Abby went ballistic, barking and straining on the leash to strike her prey.
"Woah, Abby, would you calm dow—stop it!" Jamie attempted to readjust his grip on her leash, but in one swift lunge, the greyhound broke free, taking off at a mad dash after the fleeing rabbit. "Damn it," the brunet cursed, giving chase. "Abby!" he shouted, huffing when she was nowhere to be found. "Abby, come on, I've got too much homework to put up with this crap tonight!" Exasperated, Jamie slumped against a trunk, head craning every which way for his pet.
His ears perked as a rustle traveled through some nearby foliage. "Abby?" Jamie straightened as the noise came closer. All at once, his gut clenched uneasily, the bushes just in front of him crinkling from the padding of paws. The teen heaved a sigh when his greyhound emerged, though his relief was short lived as he noted the rabbit between her jaws.
"Aw man, Abby," Jamie groaned, giving her the command to drop the fuzzy corpse. "Eugh, Mom's gonna kill me if she sees all this blood," he mused, inspecting her crimson muzzle. "Come on," he snatched the leash off the ground, "let's get you cleaned up." Turning to leave, Jamie met some resistance from his dog, who stood frozen, hair raised with a low growl rumbling deep in her throat.
"Abby, what the hell—" Jamie followed his pet's line of vision, blood running cold at the sight he met. Not more than three yards away, a jet black canine was stalking closer, its haunting golden eyes trained on Jamie. It was nearly impossible to swallow with the steadily building lump in his throat. There was no mistaking the distinct anatomy of this creature. There was a wolf in Burgess.
Backing away, Jamie wracked his mind for any survival tips applicable to this scenario. When scaring off wolves, you're supposed to make yourself look bigger…or was it climbing a tree? Playing dead? When the wolf's jowls curled back in a menacing sneer, Jamie's entire body felt numb, all reasoning clouded by sheer terror. Suddenly, his heel caught on an uprooted tree, sending him tumbling onto his back just as the wolf snapped at Abby and slammed her frail form out of the way. The next thing Jamie felt was searing pain. He cried out as he found fangs digging into his calf, the golden eyes never leaving his.
Knowing he would most likely be torn to shreds, Jamie's eyes clamped shut so that the carnage of his own body wouldn't have to be the last thing he ever saw. He hadn't been prepared for the wolf's startled yelp as something collided with it and knocked it away from Jamie. Daring to open his eyes, the teen was dumbstruck by the wrestling match ensuing between the black wolf and a newly arrived white wolf – the one from the news report. Leaping off the darker canine, the silver wolf took on a defensive stance, almost as if guarding Jamie from harm…but the boy was foolish to think this creature was even the least bit concerned with him.
Even the black wolf appeared dazed for a minute as it registered its offender. Instead of striking back, the charcoal wolf made another move for Jamie, only to be tackled by the snarling ivory wolf. The two tumbled and the darker wolf managed to pin its white counterpart, barking something in its face. This only seemed to enrage to lighter wolf more, and in a desperate struggle for freedom, its teeth sank into one of the other canine's front legs. A howl of pain rang out through the woods as the black wolf released its smaller assailant and limped back. It stared down the silver wolf for a long moment, letting out another few conversational barks before retreating into the night.
Jamie had been so entranced with the whole ordeal that he'd nearly forgotten the throbbing in his leg. Now that the sting was growing more severe, he looked down once more, nearly gagging at his crimson-drenched jeans. A faint noise caught his attention, and when he looked up, he met a pair of piercing blue eyes. The white wolf stood before him, studying him with an odd curiosity. After a moment, it bent its head and began to lap at the blood soaking through the boy's pants.
Jamie didn't move a muscle for fear of provoking the creature, yet, it possessed a demeanor much more soothing than the beast that had injured him. Abby's whimpering cut through the pounding in the teen's ears, and he realized she too had taken quite a blow. As if on cue, the white wolf bowed away, its crystal eyes glinting something akin to apology before it too darted off through the maze of Pines.
Once he'd had a chance to catch the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, Jamie dragged himself to Abby's side, stroking her and checking for any signs of injury. Thankfully, she appeared to be outwardly fine, but he didn't plan to chance anything. Scooping the greyhound into his arms, Jamie staggered to his feet, checked for any further danger and finally wheeling around toward the city, mentally rehearsing how he would explain all of this to his mother.