Hey guys! Long time no see! Yep, that is right, we are back and we have a little treat for you. The Illiterate Authors are proud to present a one shot that will leave you in a sense of wonder, imagination, and suspense. A perfect mixture of love and passion, all of us have been in that dark place before, but there is always someone out there, you just have to seek them out. Please enjoy! :3 Please let me know if there are any grammatical errors xD
Through the darkness lies a pillar of light
Samuel's POV
The cold morning rain pelted the ground harshly, creating a torrent of mud and water, the thunderous beats pounding more fiercly with every drop. The freezing breeze cut its way into Samuel's den, running through his fur like one thousand sharp razor blades, such a rude awaking on such a solemn morning.
Shaking himself off briskly, Samuel took in a deep breath and then exhaled respectively, trying to see the beauty in the ugly weather that tainted the atmosphere. The thought of the day that lay ahead constantly picked at his mind, maybe they would like him today? He didn't know, but it never stopped him from trying. In the small sleeping space behind him, his parents stirred, laying so closely entwined, Samuel found it hard as to why the cold would wake them.
His mother sat up and let out an enormous yawn, shaking the tired from her eyes and muscles, preparing to set out on a day of activities and duties with her mate. Giving her son a friendly lick around the ears she barked happily, " Good morning Samuel, how did you sleep?".
Samuel smirked uneasily, "I slept great Mom, thanks for asking". Samuel tended to lie quite a bit, it was the only way he could hide the pain from his mother, whom he adored so much. Soon his father managed to wake himself and join the family for their normal morning ritual, a brief chat and their goodbyes for the day.
"Do us proud like always son" his father beamed proudly, the glimmer of happiness present in his hazel eyes. Samuel nodded and padded out of the den, ready to start his day, and maybe find some new friends.
Approaching the clearing where the packs would usually congregate, he noticed a group of wolves his age. All of them seemed so happy, gossiping and talking of their daily escapades and moments of splendor, oh how he wanted to share in that glorious feeling. Feeling another cold gust of buffet his fur, he took it as a little sign, telling him to join in and try to make some friends.
Before Samuel could reach the group, he was halted by a call for attention from the Alpha's rock, the leaders of the pack perched proudly on the small overhang of stone. The two current leaders were Miranda and Dante, they saved the pack from a brutal extermination, their efforts deemed them fit to lead, and for the years that they have done so, life was extravagant.
Standing tall and firece the pack could tell they had some important news, every wolf's fur bristled on end as they awaited the message.
"Good Morning everyone, as you know, Dante and me have been leading the western pack for quite some time now...", the whole pack's ears perked up with interest, this was about to get good. "And we have decided that it is time for us to step down..", everyone sat in an awkward silence, even the slightest hint of a cricket sounded like a thunderous boom in the wake of the crowd.
Soon, howls of protest came forth, and then came snarling, fighting. The pack was in an uproar, nobody wanted the fabled leaders to step down, not now, not in the middle of a bloody war.
"Everyone stop!" Dante rumbled, "I understand that this may come as a shock to all of you, but we are getting old, we cannot keep up with such a conflict anymore, so instead, a younger and more proficient couple will take our place. We would like you all to give a warm welcome to the newest leaders of the west, Eve and Winston!". Aside from all the carnage, a faint glimmer of hope arose from the crowd, and soon they were all cheering, and welcoming the new alpha's.
The excitement settled down and samuel returned to mingling with the local adolescent wolves such as himself. As soon as he approached the group of them he heard "Hey look, its wolfdog! Can you believe he is only half wolf, what a loser!". The group laughed, Samuel's ears drooped and with his tail tucked neatly between his legs he ran off, feeling bullied and abused like he usually was.
Samuel had the unfortunate fate of having a mother who was a husky and a father who was a proud and distinguished wolf, in the eyes of the pack, it just wasn't right. His mother was envied and loved for her magnificent beauty in the town that she used to live in, but the pressures of dog shows and constant physical abuse drove her far away from the humans. His father fought in the great war, single handedly crushing four rebel leaders and exiling the nothern pack from the grand coalition.
With his father returning to war against the north, Samuel was left to fend for himself and to protect a mother who is shunned from the society they had grown up in. Problems continued to arise and it slowly hurt Samuel deep inside, the world was pushing more weight on his shoulders, and with nobody to help him, he felt more and more usless by the day.
Winston had finshed speaking with Dante when he noticed Samuel with his head hung low. Winston was curious as to why he looked so distraught, he quickly followed him. Stopping Samuel dead in his tracks, the Alpha eyed him curiously, taking in the small delta's figure and facial features, noticing something oddly familiar about him.
"I know you!" Winston exclaimed, "I fought with your father in the great war, you both look so alike". Samuel was confused as to what the new pack leader wanted or what he was talking about, but the fact that he knew his father peaked his interest, so he sat and listened.
" Oh pardon my manners, I'm Winston, as you may have heard, me and my mate Eve will be taking control of the West" Winston said formally. Samuel dipped his head in greeting.
"It is nice to meet you Winston, I'm...", Winston cut him off abruptly, "Samuel, I know, the last time I saw you was when you were a pup, such a defiant little runt" Winston chuckled.
Samuel and Winston sat and talked for a over an hour, describing the events of the present and past, confiding in one another to get a better understanding of the world of the West.
"So you are continually picked on?" Winston asked, Samuel nodded.
"The other wolves never let me join in on anything, they mock me and degrade me just becuase my mother was a husky and not a wolf". A hint of sympathy was present on Winston's face, but he continued to listen before speaking. "And now I have been "blessed" with this other eye, two different colors, I'm labeled a freak..." Samuel frowned.
Winston pondered for a second before giving Samuel a pat on the back, attempting to reassure the down-trodden Delta. "Believe it or not, I used to have the same problem as you" Samuels ears perked at the words, "I used to be picked on, called names, excluded, all becuase of my small stature. But you want to know what I did? I showed them all that power doesn't come from being the biggest Alpha in the pack, it also comes from being the most strong witted of the pack." Winston stated triumphantly.
Samuel sat up and smiled, having been given such a enlightening lesson from a leader of the pack, he felt as though he was on top of the world and nobody could stop him, at least, thats what he chose to believe...
Florence's POV
The sky was a shade of pale grey, it overshadowed everything it covered, leaving a gloomy ambience on such a gloomy day. Florence was moving slowly through through the thick mass of bush that was neatly clumped all over the forest, stalking her prey carefully as she awaited a moment to strike. The small caribou lifted its head and looked around cautiously, but it still had no clue of the female wolf's presence.
Feeling the muscles in her lower body lunge forward, she made a quick dash for the prey she had so carefully eyed, but fate wasn't so kind. Falling flat on her face, Florence watched the animal run off and she softly swore under her breath, "Yet again, I'm almost as slow witted as them" she scowled.
Florence was a young and ambitious wolf, having lived almost her whole life out in the forest on her own, she had developed a custom for hunting and scavenging daily on her own. Her constant attempts at providing for herself seemed to get worse and worse, she had finally come to the conclusion that it was time to give up and find a pack to solidify herself in. But the horrid memories of her past haunted her, remembering the destruction and bloodshed kept her away from trusting another pack, it was too painful to attach herself again, not again, no, not ever.
Yet some strange force pulled her away from her fears and she had to follow her instinct, it was time to stop living a life of lonliness and stop wallowing in self pity. Florence finally decides to take a chance and give up feeling so afraid, using her witts and strength, she is determined to find a pack.
Having searched high and low for a pack, the results had come up short, Florence had found nothing. Sitting in a nearby glade, she starts to ponder, in the wake of her thinking, she fell into a peaceful sleep. The sun was shining brightly now, the heat sensually exciting her senses and pushing her further into a world of dream and mystery. The scents, the breeze, it was all weaving around her in a magnificent fabric of splendor and bliss. Her dreams seemed normal, they were either memories of her forgotten childhood or escapades of catching prey and living like a true feral.
The world around her seemed to change rapidily, manipulating itself in an attempt to show her something. Finally the her mind was still, a blank pool of thought and mystery, she was the center of its gravitational pull. Sitting in the odd silence that permeated the once vibrant air, Florence sat in bewilderment, she could hear something. At first it was only faint, her mind tweaked her inner senses to get a better understanding of the strange nosies presenting themselves within her conscience.
Then, out of sheer sound and thought, she heard the very clear words that tried to reach her, "I wish there was someone out there, someone that understood me...". Florence was utterly astonished, was she going insane? or was there some deeper meaning to the context of the message. "Hello?" she replied, no answer, only the shallow breathing that escaped her mouth and the silence of her thoughts.
Waking up in a cold sweat, Florence held her head, the throbbing pain was starting to bother her. Thinking of the frightening moment that she had in her dreams, Florence still seemed baffled as to what she had recieved, could it have been a sign?Or just some delusional dream? At the moment, she just wanted to forget, because it seems as though that is what she is good at...
Samuel's POV
Samuel woke breathless, feeling weak and abused. He felt as though something had completely drained him, even during such a wonderful rest. devouring a small helping of caribou, Samuel couldn't help but remember something odd about his dream. "hello...?", the word felt like a taboo, something distant and forbidden, yet he knew there was meaning behind the reply to his own mental question.
Pushing the feelings aside, Samuel casually rose and prepared himself for another day that lay ahead. He deeply hoped that Winston would have some insight into the dream that Samuel had so vividly remembered.
Approaching the Alpha's den, Samuel lightly tumbled a rock into the entrance of the large cavern, trying not to disturb the sleeping leaders. A second later, Winston emerged, as proud and as bright as ever. Samuel swore that he could see the Alpha shine in the light of the dawn light, dappling his fur with specks of gold and auburn, it was in all circumstances, absolutely magnificent.
``Good morning Samuel, what brings you to my den so early in the morning?" Winston asked curiously. Samuel shuffled his paws and looked up at his leader, his idol, feeling almost shy with the information that he so desperately wanted to present to Winston.
"I have something to ask you sir. Last night I had a dream, usually something so trivial wouldn't leave me in such wondering as this. But last night was different, it seems as though i had been outer-bodily communicating with someone else, yet I don't know whether or not I'm going crazy, or it really happened. I really need some advice, please help me sir.".
Winston didn't know what to take from Samuel's dilemma, but his respect for the young wolf's courage to reveal something that might come across as odd made Winston want to help him even more.
So the both of them sat and talked about the mysteries that plague the minds of young ones, and the inner meanings that come with such mysteries. All of Winston's explanations helped Samuel to come to understand himself and others a bit better. Now he had a glimmer of hope that he actually made contact with someone. He was itching to sleep again, for in his slumber, hid a message that could very well change the course of his life forever...
Florence's POV
Florence found herself within the same blank space of her inner being, the familiar emptiness and silence made her feel even more "at home". Letting all of her body focus on her sense of hearing, Florence tuned in to even the slightest bit of sound, keeping an ear wide open for that voice, the one that would either haunt her forever or maybe grant her salvation. Then out of the void, the words came to her. She felt it, relaxing her as if it were a soothing whisper sent forth by a mother to calm her sleep deprived pup. Florence started to become attuned to the voice. It spoke so softly, so subtle that it was barely audible, but Florence knew it was there.
She listened, listened to every word that came forth. The thoughts and feelings of the being behind the voice were so intriguing, Florence got lost in the raw emotion presented to her. Then, for the first time, she spoke back, her thoughts drifting to her guest. And for the first time, the voice resurfaced as a reply.
Both Samuel and Florence, two wolves who never met, were having an astounding outer body experience. Not sure of what was exactly going on, both of the wolves happily conversed for what seemed like an eternity before Florence passed out from the comfort and warmth that the new voice provided her. And before long, Samuel was able to happily drift off into sleep as well.
Florence for the first time in her entire life woke to the sound of birds chirping and the wind whistling through the green of the spring trees. The sense of happiness was now a natural feeling to her, the pleasantry of everything good was all that became apparent to her sight. The feeling of nativity was completely replaced with sheer joy, it was in all words fantastic, utterly wonderful to Florence.
Florence didn't bother doing much that day, she just endulged on the pure bliss of life. She would wait and wait until the moment where she could let herself go in the throngs of her own little sleepy hollow.
After hours and hours of wait, night finally shrowded the park in darkness, the distant sounds of recurring howls of the packs were all that could be heard in the heat of the spring night. The urge built up within her and the force of nature that lay within her blood made her join in on the splendor of the howls. Taking one big breath of air, she let out all of her pent up anger and frustration and whole heartedly took in all the happiness the world had to give her, it was nothing less than true passion.
With the excitement and howls coming to a slow and abrupt stop, the nagging need to sleep started to creep over Florence, and she was ready for it.
"Darn..." she yawned, "Sleepy already? you have to be kidding me!". Giggling sleepily, Florence laid down on the soft bed of grass and any other soft objects she could find before accepting sleeps peaceful grace.
Samuel's POV
It felt like the perfect night. He expeceted it to be the perfect day. But once again, someone had to come along and shove. Like it wasn't hard enough to deal with the fact thta his mother is a husky, but now he is being picked on for people thinking he is insane.
"A voice in my head...pshhh who was i kidding? It was just me trying to comfort myself again...Like i always seem to do...". He sighed.
When Samuel was busily conversing with Winston over the origin of the voices, one of Winston's pesky little pups must have overheard their conversation and spread it around the pack. Knowing that type of mischief, it was most like his attention seeker, Kate.
"Years ago, a great wolf shaman preached that there was a secret telepathic link that lay within soul mates, it just takes time to unlock it..." the words still bounced around in Samuel's head. Was Winston really telling the truth? or was it just some ploy to get him to believe in fairy tales. Either way, Samuel was in no mood for voices, nor did he want sleep, unfortunately, the pain seemed to lull him into a sleepy state before pulling him into rest.
Once again he sat in the dark space. The one place where he could think freely without fear of ridicule or judgement from the other wolves. Here he felt at peace, he felt as though he were safe and content. Then the voice surfaced.
"Hello...?" it asked as if maybe someone was not there to hear it.
'What do you want?" Samuel retorted in a nasty tone.
The voice stayed silent for a brief moment before continuing. "You seem upset, is everything okay?". Samuel didn't want to reply, he was too shaken, too upset, too down-trodden to even accept his own deluded help.
"Would you just leave me alone?" He yelled, "Can't you see I'm hurt? Why don't you find someone else to bug and leave me alone!".
The voice was silent again, for longer than before, as if it had finally been scared off by Samuel's rage. Sitting in his own silence, he thought up a simple way to break the pain, he wanted sweet release, and the only way to get it was through death...
"I think it is about time for me to sign off of this world. I have been pushed around for too long, maybe it would be better without me. I want to end it all! Tonight, on the mountain, it is time for me to accept redemption!" The tears started streaming down his face, the soft sobs muffled by his paws as he tried to hold them back.
His final word "Never again..." echoed throughout the dark room before he shook himself conscious.
Florence's POV
Florence had been awake for quite some time, but this time it was not pain that greeted her to the world of all that was awake, it was pain, raw pain. She looked at her paws, soaked and damp from her own crying, something she had not done since she was a pup.
"Idiot..." she muttered, "Stupid idiot...Why does he do this to himself, he may think he is a voice, but i think he is much more. He sounds too hurt ot be fake, it must be real...".
With a sudden thought of pure realization, Florence's own words hit her like a log sliding through the fresh spring glades. "Must be real..." she repeated it a few times in her head, over and over it seemed more and more plausible.
"The mountain!" she yelped in triumph, "He must be going to the mountain!`. Picking up her paws, she burst into a full on sprint. Her legs felt unyielding and able to run for hours on end, full of adrenaline. Seeing the mountain form on the horizon, Florence could feel a small twinge of hope buried deep inside her.
Finally reaching the top of the mountain, she saw him. There he was, the voice she had so vividly potrayed in her dreams was actually real, standing before a dangerously deadly cliff.
Instinct propelled her forward. `NO!`she howled, sending Samuel toppling over on the ground.
"What? Huh? Whats going on!" he asked in shock.
Above him, Florence had him pinned, tears flowing from her beautiful eyes.
"You really are an idiot! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she yelled pounding his chest with limp paws. He looked at her curiously, and the words came forth without need for contemplation.
"Who are you...?" he asked simply.
Florence sat up, wiped away the tears, and without answering his question, continued. "You need to understand that sometimes life is worth living just based on the solemn belief that there is always somebody out there. No matter how bleak the pain seems to be sometimes, we as wolves need to strive to be strong and lead without fear. Sometimes we just need t believe in something else...Samuel...You need to realize...that there are others out there who love you...it may seem like we need someone to reach out and tell us...But at some point in time, we learn to seek out these individuals on our own...There is someone who loves you Samuel, and they are closer to you than you think."
Samuel sat dumbfounded. Who was this female that saved his life, that had so much insight, that knew exactly how he felt and why he felt this way.
"I know you don't know who I am Samuel...But I know you, and maybe one day you will come to the realization of who I am and why i saved you..." Florence began walking way when she was stopped by his words.
"The voice...I knew I recognized you...I just can't forget something so beautiful."
Florence padded back over to him, a shy smile and blush plastered on her face. Without hesitation, she kissed him on the cheek. He was taken off by the sudden gesture of affection, it was so sweet, and so simple.
"Thank you" and with those two simple words, she set off.
Samuel couldn't let her leave in such a manner, it was perfect. The sun was setting, the breeze was cool, and the birds were singing a tune that meant something big was going to happen. Placing a paw on her shoulder, she turned to him.
"Don't go...Not until I give you this..." moving in slowly, they locked lips. Bliss, harmony, wonder, and joy. It all stood still, in complete sync, it all stood there for them, the moment where to broken lives were mended. They felt so close to one another, maye Florence had finally found her pack. Maybe Samuel had finally found acceptance. At that moment, both could care less. The kiss continued for a few more moments before they disconnected, no words between them, only silence, staring into each other's eyes.
Florence moved in and kissed him again, the feeling of butterflies in her tummy were gone, the feeling of electricity and want were all that remained. It was nothing short from amazing, no, it was amazing.
The years seemed to fly by after that, seasons came and went like a leaf in the cold autumn wind, it moved so fast.
Samuel sat perched on that exact same mountain, almost as if he was reliving some unknown memory. When he sighed happily, he turned and walked down the mountain. waiting for him there was a little pup, scrawny and small, she looked weak and fragile.
"What were you doing up there?" he asked.
Samuel looked down at the pup and smiled. "Phade...this is where me and your mother first kissed...but that is a story for another time..."