Wolf

                                               Wolf   

                                      Michael Nicolson

We sat there holding hands, watching the sunrise on the porch outside my father's cottage. My heart soared. I was in love, she was my first real love. We had only known each other for a month or so. I immediately felt attracted to her. Her long blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, and the way she walked made me feel alive, excited. My father owned a remote cottage in the highlands on the edge of a lake. He gave me his blessings to take Louise there, she reminded him of my mother. I guess he hoped I would get married and settle down, after all, I was twenty-two years old. I took her there on holiday for a week. The first day we spent just getting to know each other. Kissing, cooking a meal together, swimming in the lake. It was the height of the summer. The whole setting was romantic, peaceful, quiet. Our first night in the cottage we spent making love. In the morning Louise was up early making me a nice breakfast. I could smell the bacon, eggs, sausages, and black pudding sizzling away. I got up, threw on a pair of Jeans and a top, and went to the kitchen. She looked so sexy standing there in her dressing gown, just cooking the breakfast. I went forward and put my arms around her slender waist. 

“I love you.” I said, holding her tight. She turned around and kissed me. 

“I Love you too, now go sit at the table. I am going to dish up breakfast.” She said, smiling broadly. I went and sat at the table. It was an old oblong pine table. Solid, with four pine slat back chairs, one at each side. It felt good being here in my father's cottage with the girl I knew I would marry one day. After breakfast, we went for a long walk in the woods. We saw many small animals scurrying about. A pretty rabbit ran in front of us. It stopped for a second and looked into my eyes. I thought I sensed fear in those eyes.

I shrugged it off. The daylight was passing quickly. Suddenly the shadows of nightfall began to descend. The forest took a new ambiance, it felt darker more scary. A strange howling came from the woods. I stopped and held Louise tight. She shuddered and embraced me. 

“What is that howling Louise? It sounds like a pack of wolves?” 

 “I don't know, take me home William, I am afraid.” She said, clinging on to me more tightly. I also felt afraid. I decided the best course of action would be to return to the cottage as quickly as possible. I took Louise's hand and we hurried back whence we had came. Every moment the cries of the wolf pack got louder. I wished I had a weapon. A gun, a crossbow. But alas I had nothing. We kept going, my heart was pounding, I would let nothing harm my one true love, my Louise.

We entered a clearing. Suddenly a huge wolf was standing there. Fangs dripping with malevolent hunger. I looked around for something to kill the beast. I picked up a large rock and threw it at it. Then it was on top of me, trying to rip out my throat. Louise bravely hit the beast with a branch and dragged it from me. I was knocked unconscious. When I awoke I was back in the cottage in my bed. I felt tired, shaky. I called out.

”Louise, where are you?” There was no reply. I suddenly remembered what happened, Louise struggling to keep me upright as we walked as fast as we could back to the safety of the cottage. The wolf lying on the ground where it fell. Once we arrived safely inside she gave me a strong drink of whisky and helped me into bed. She left me in bed and went to the bathroom to take a bath and examine her wounds. The wolf had bitten her on the arm. She dressed the wound then came and laid beside me. After a while she drifted into a light sleep. Then the nightmares came. She dreamt she was a wolf running through the forest with the rest of the pack. The thought of turning into a wolf and killing me filled her with foreboding. She decided to get up and leave me inside the cottage. She did not know where she would go, only that she must get far away from me. I was sound asleep, she got up, kissed me gently, and whispered in my ear ‘goodbye my love.’ Then she closed the bedroom door.

 Closing the door of the cottage she sat outside on the porch for a moment. She wondered if she should have left a note. No, it would be best to just go, she thought. It was morning now, she picked up the bag of food and water she had prepared. Taking my fathers heavy brass headed walking stick for a weapon, she strode off into the forest. Once I realized that she was not inside the cottage I went outside and called out.

 “Louise where are you?” I was met with a deathly silence, even the birds seemed to have stopped singing. I went back inside and wrote a note. Leaving it on the kitchen table it read as follows. ‘My darling Louise, you saved me last night. I am going out in the car to look for you. I guess you must have started walking into the village. If I can’t find you I will bring help, set up a search party. If you come home and find this note wait here till I return. It is unfortunate that there is no phone signal here. Be safe my love. William xx

 I got in the pickup and drove as fast as I could towards the village. I arrived just before lunch. I went to see the local policeman. He was in his little office. It was small, one cell that had not been used in a decade. When I entered, a large portly fellow with a handlebar mustache was sitting behind a dark mahogany desk. 

“Come in laddie, what can I do for you? My name is sergeant John McGreggor.” He said, looking at me with kind sparkling blue eyes. 

“My name is William Nicholson sir. I have been staying at my father's cottage by the lake. Perhaps you know him? His name is Donald Nicholson?” He suddenly gave me his full attention. Standing up he came from behind his desk. Holding out his hand he said.

 “Know him, he is the finest gentleman I have ever met. What can I do for you William?” He asked, as we shook hands. I explained everything to him. He said he would organize a search party. It was 2.30 p.m. when we set off for the cottage. It wasn’t a large search party, only three vehicles. When we got to the cottage I made everyone a hot drink and we all set off into the woods. We only had about three hours of daylight left.

Two of the search party were carrying shotguns. As the light began to fade we heard the howling. Everyone stopped. The sergeant spoke to me.

“It is not good out here William. Some say that the werewolves roam here. Was Louise bitten by the wolf?” I felt I knew the answer but I lied. 

“I don’t know.” I replied, although in my heart I knew she was bitten. 

“Time to go back to the cottage William. If she was bitten she will be lost to you forever. Tonight is the first night of the full moon. You should come back to the village with us.”

“I must stay here, in case Louise returns.” I said, unsure if I was being foolhardy. As we made our way back the howling seemed to get louder. Once everyone had left I went and sat by the lake. The full moon was reflecting on the calm water. I wondered if I would ever see my love Louise again. She was watching me from the woods. Protecting me. She had changed into a beautiful wolf. One day we might be together again. As two people in love, or a pair of werewolves?