She must have fallen asleep.
One minute she was stroking the wolf's beautiful russet fur, murmuring softly to it - him - and the next sunlight peeking through the branches was disturbing her rest.
Groaning, she tried to sit up, instantly feeling a heaviness on her stomach. Looking down she saw that the wolf had never left her. How odd. So odd. He was asleep, the wolf, his head on her stomach. This definitely wasn't real.
"What's going on?" she murmured as she stared down at it. unsure of what to do.
"Hey, uhhh, wolf, hey wolf" she murmured, running her hair through the fur on top of his head. "Wake up, aren't you lot supposed to rise with the sun like my -- oh no!" Her Dad!
He. Was. Going. To. Kill. Her.
"Wake up" she urged the wolf once more, giving his fur a gentle tug and not thinking twice about it. Sometime during the night, fear for the wolf itself had evaporated.
"Pleeease" she added in, waiting and watching and finally, the wolf's head lifted and met her eyes. "Thank G-d" she said, scrambling to her feet, the wolf did the same.
"Listen" she began, not bothering to notice how absolutely insane she sounded and felt. "I'm going to die. My Dad is going to kill me if I don't get home like .. now so, it's been fun, maybe I'll see you again but, I've gotta run." she said with a wave before darting into the trees and going back the direction she thought her car was in.
She wasn't sure whether or not she was truly surprised when she heard the wolf following her, when it caught up to her and ran alongside her. "Seriously!" she informed the wolf, "I have to!" she insisted. "I don't know how your giant wolf mommy and wolf daddy are but mine is so not nice and he will kill me, he will rip my head off and then! Then he'll go bowling with it!" she informed the wolf who seemed to find the statement funny but again, she was probably going crazy.
Continuing along, wolf in tow, Lily made her way through the forest, stopping and stalling but making sure to keep up a healthy pace. In no time flat she was at the edge of it and looking out at the blue rabbit that was waiting for her.
"That's my car." she said to the wolf who was staring at the vechicle. "My friend, James, he fixes up cars. I don't know anything about them, I just know when I like them. I liked the rabbit." she said, not sure why she was explaining this all to something that couldn't even begin to comprehend.
"I'll come back, I'll find you." she said, taking a step towards the car as the wolf whined. "I promise" she said, reaching out and running her fingers one last time through his fur before making her way to her car and getting in.
He watched her disappear down the road, even followed along as far as the forest would cover him. She was glad he wouldn't see what greeted her when she got home.
Lily wasn't sure what had just happened. Really, a giant wolf? Really Lily, really? G-d, she was going insane, slowly but surely and James! James would never believe her! The most awesome thing had just happened to her and she had no proof. She didn't even know if she would see the wolf again but she had to go home, else her father would freak ouuut.
That's not to say that he wouldn't freak out now. No, he would definitely freak out.
Looking at the clock on her dashboard she swallowed nervously. It was 8am, he was definitely up. Turning the corner onto her block, she carefully parked her car and got out. "Alright, here goes nothing" she whispered, closing the door and walking up the pathway to the front door.
Fumbling with her keys, she was just about to open the door when it opened for her.
"Get. In. Side. Now." her father greeted her, his face and voice as stern as ever. Swallowing nervously, she stepped through the door into the living room, keeping her head down and folding her arms protectively over her chest.
She knew not to start before he did so she remained silent. "Where exactly were you, Lily Rose Martin." he asked as he turned on her, staring her down from his place before her. "The woods." she answered softly to the carpet.
"The woods?" her father repeated, making it sound more like a threat than anything. She merely nodded her head.
"Even if, and that's a mighty strong if Lily, even if I believed that what were you doing in the woods?" he questioned, staring her down as she shifted uncomfortably now from one foot to the other. If her wolf - her wolf? When had he become her wolf? - if her wolf was here now he could just sit on her dad and end this all. The thought almost made her smile, almost.
"I was just - I couldn't sleep - I wanted to - I just - I don't know .." she couldn't mention James because then he'd have to talk with him and she didn't want that and the whole giant wolf sleeping with her thing sounded like a bad lie so she kept that shut up.
"That's what I thought, now tell me what you were doing young lady" her father repeated in a strong stern manner.
"Dad I swear I --" she started only to stop mid sentance and he took a firm hold of her shoulders and made her look at him.
"Don't lie to me!" he shouted, and she merely looked at him. "Tell me what you were doing!" he insisted with more force, giving her a slight shake.
"Dad" she said, willing her voice not to break, "I swear" she tried again only to feel herself slam into the bookcase that was in the hall. She let out a small cry of protest as a shelf dug into her back. "Dad please, I'm not lying" she pleaded her case softly, looking up at him only to feel his fist collide with her cheek.
"You're a fucking liar, just like your mother. You're just like her, get upstairs and don't come out until I say so" he said and with that, still nursing her cheek, she scurried up the stairs to her room.