Forest cover was filled with half-mouldered, last years foliage, which damped down the sound of her steps as she walked carefully, and slowly towards the prey hidden in the dense bushes. It was her time, her night, and her forest. She was swift and full of vital energy, so it was no chance that she could miss this one. Her nose told her that the doe, she was after this whole night, is finally loosing its strenght. It filled her with relief, as her stomach was yelping for food. She was just ready to jump when...

Ring. Ring. Ring.

She stretched out her hand, to shut that annoying thing down, and closed her eyes once again, in hope that this wonderfull dream will get back. „No way for that" told her some nasty voice in her head. In front of the naked reality, she had to pull quilt down and crinkle her eyes as the strings of sunlight were coming into her room through the window.

Her name was Elysse Cornick, she was 21-years old, and a Columbia University student. For the past three years she was living in New York, where she moved from a middle-size town in Florida. She was never someone special, or interesting. She always worked hard on her grades, and loved to challenge herself, thus somehow managed to get to college. From that point her life boiled down to studying, and working on a night shift in a bar so she can somehow manage her living.

As she walked out on the street, she thought about the dream, which had to end in such a bad way. She always loved canines, wolves especially, and secretly wanted to become a worker in Wolf Heaven charity organisation. She knew that there was very little chances to that. Her current studies concerned nursery, and she would rather do something she did not like, than stand up against her father. He was a really nasty person to live and cooperate with. Very dominant, kind of despot, who wanted everything to be done his way, and couldn't stand when someone didn't want to obey his orders. Her mother, Tessa ex-Cornick now-Lehanne, had so enough of him that one day she just dissapeared leaving her only child on his mercy. Elysse was eleven years old then, and lived through hell without her mother, and with so obssesive father. Now she met Tessa from time to time, although never really forgived her in heart.

„Hey, watcha thinkin'bout?" Nice, friendly voice get her out of her mind, as she approached her college building.

It was Stan, kinda nice guy, not popular who also studied nursery even though he had problems with blood, which caused many other students to laugh him off. Neither of them two joined any fraternity or sorority, so they sticked together only not to be alone. Last year Stan invited her to dinner, and wanted to date her, but except of being extremely cute, he was totally not in her type so she refused. It took him whole month to settle things up.

„Nothing in particular." she answered, smiling gently.

„Listn, I heard Dinnah's makin' party at her place this Friday" he shouted „Maybe we could go? It's a no-invite-needed party."

„Not really interested. I work on weekends, in case you forgot." I replied. It wasn't exactly true because this weekend Ramone had some very important family meeting and gave us all days-off on this occasion. It was late November - the middle of off-season anyhow. The thing was, I didn't want to spent my free time with Stan, on a party. I knew how it would end up. Me, sitting with him on a couch, eating snack, just because noone else want to talk to him, or another gorgeous girl brushed him off. Forget it.

„Yeah... That's sucks." he said, and we rushed down the corridor.

Friday evening, I texted him that I'm off to work, and asked what he planns on doing.

„Txt with U. See some lame movie." I've got the answer. So, with this statemend, encouradged that he won't go to the party by himself, I've pulled the jacked on and left my room.

The party itself wasn't really interesting. I spoke to some people, friend of friends mostly, who I barerly recognised even after three years of studies. Finally I ended up on the couch, eating snacks, sipping my drink and arguing with that nasty voice in my head, which wanted to ensure me that I'm just hopeless, and cannot do anything but cycling the same old routine of hopelesness.

"Hey there, what are you doing all by yourself?" I heard that low, tremulous, hipnotising voice of someone who sat just in the place usually taken by Stan.