Chapter 4: Wolves

Anthony's POV

I was sleeping as soundly as I could in the middle of the forest when I heard a noise in the distance. My eyes scanned our surroundings and saw nothing. It was strange to wake up in the middle of a forest. I looked over at Nessie and Jacob who were still sound asleep.

I took a deep breath as I got up carefully. My curiosity was just to strong for me to resist. It might not have been the smartest choice but I had to find out what animal made that noise. A loud howl echoed throughout the woods and I instantly realized it was a wolf.

Back home on the island I didn't have any friends. Instead other kids bullied me because I couldn't talk. They took immemse pleasure in making fun of me and making my life as miserable as possible. There were schools for kids with disabilities like me but the only ones on the island were private. Sadly my mom couldn't afford the tuition so I was stuck going to a regular elementary school with cruel kids.

Because of the treatment I received at school I used books as a means to escape my reality. I was the poloar opposite of my brother and sister when it came to physical activity. Nessie loved surfing and Jacob loved baseball. Meanwhile I was a bookworm. I was always checking out books from the library on animals and animal behavior. Plus I watched a lot of nature documentaries that's how I knew it was a wolf that was howling.

I kept walking until I saw something strange in the distance. I could see an animal up ahead. It looked like a wolf of some sort but it was big. Way too big to be a wolf. At first the animal didn't notice me. As I walked closer and closer I realized that it was a wolf. A huge horse sized wolf. The wolf was covered in beautiful gray fur.

As soon as I placed my hand on the animal it jumped and knocked me over. The animal quickly got over its shock anf growled viciously. If I had vocal chords I would've screamed as loud as I could. But I didn't so all I could do was stand there in fear.

As soon as the wolf and I made contact the animal stopped growling. Then it did something that I could only interpret as either kneeling or bowing. In all books and documentaries I had seen on wolf behavior this was something completely unheard of. It approached me and sniffed me eagerly. It licked my face a few times. It walked ahead of me and looked back. Then it walked ahead some more and looked back again. Then it clicked in my head. The wolf wanted me to follow it.

The wolf slowed down enough for me to catch up. I didn't know where this animal was leading me but I continued to follow it. Eventually I started to see houses. It was when I started to see these houses that the wolf suddenly ran off.

I stood there for a few minutes unsure of what to do next. I couldn't go back to my brother and sister because I knew for sure that I would get lost again. There weren't a lot of people who knew sign language which made asking for help extremely difficult. Sure I could always write out my thoughts but that would require a pen and paper. Which I didn't have.

"Hey kid where did you come from?"

I jumped at the sound of a woman's voice. My heart was still beating fast when I saw the beautiful woman walking up to me.

"What is your name and where did you come from?"

I took a deep breath. Unsure of what else to do. What were the chances that she knew sign language?

"My name is Anthony. I'm from Hawaii,"

I could tell by the frustruated look on her face that she didn't understand any of my hands movements.

"Oh you are deaf,"

I shook my head no. That was the conclusion that most people jumped to when I didn't talk. Sometimes I think it would've been better just to let people think I was deaf. They don't understand my disability and thought I was just to stupid to talk.

"You're not deaf?"

I shook my head again.

"Then what-you know what nevermind. Why don't you just come with me and we can get you some help? I'm sure there's a story to how you ended up in the woods,"

I nodded my head yes. First I was following a strange wolf now I was following a strange woman around to who knows where. Soon I realized it was a house. She had me stay back while she walked up to the door. She knocked on it a few times and an elderly man in a wheelchair appeared.

"Leah? What's going on? What are you doing here?"

She pointed at me and when the man noticed me his face became whiter than a ghost.

"Who is this?"

"I don't know. I found him in the woods. Or rather he found me. He's mute,"

"My God kid you look exactly like my son," he said. "Come in and tell us your story,"

I followed them into the house. Their stares made me feel a little uneasy. The woman, whose name I learned was Leah, gave me a pen and a piece of paper. So I wrote out my story. Detailing every single piece that let up to this adventure.

"Anthony Swan-Cullen? That's your name?" Leah asked sounding shocked.

I nodded my head yes.

"What is your mother's name?" The man, whose name I learned was Billy asked.

So I wrote out Isabella Marie Swan-Cullen. Both of them looked at what I had written in shocked silence. Leah disappeared which just left Billy and I. The awkward silence that followed was deafening. Even if I had no idea what was going on.

Leah came back a few minutes later. "Jacob is coming back,"

That got Billy's attention. "I told him what was going on and he's agreed to come back. Even though he says it will be weird to be human again after so many years,"

Now I was extremely confused by that last statement.

"So this is what it took to get him to come home after almost 12 years,"

"He says he will be here some time tomorrow,"

Billy just looked at me and said "Come here Anthony," As soon as I walked up to the old man he pulled me into a hug "Or should I say grandson?" he cried.

Please Review