…Sunny day. Light. Happy ball of fur rolls down the hill. Dark grey wolf-cub runs after red butterfly… Little wolf imagine itself as terrific beast but butterfly snorted on it. For a moment butterfly set on the black nose and fly out right before fury lap smack on. Wolf-cub yelp offendly. Sharp nails on little lap…How easy to hurt itself…
…Once little wolf cry to the Moon. It…No, SHE…She always being hungry to freedom and all brand new. She thought Moon, the god, hide something from her/ But stubborn wolf-cub has never gave up. Shy came to human homes and look into yellow windows. So, she cry to the Moon asking to…freedom and all behind freedom. And this time Moon answered.
…Empty room and some feathers on the floor. Morning…Twilight... Slim girl in the window, with book in a hand. Let’s call her Mira. Cup of hot coffee in front of her. Tiny shadow of smile and fast writing on book page. Rest. And walks. Work. New place. Small room but hers. She’s free.
Sometimes she feels like wolf in her new life. Sometimes she dreams about dark grey beast - little wolf-cub, than young wolf, who searching and finding her pair, loosing love….Her wolf is traveler in mind. And has bevy. Incidentally Mira moved her foot, step on saucer and coffee splashed on her foot. ‘Ouch! Easy! You hurt yourself!’
…Mira bit pen with wide smile. She’s just read that one soul can live in different lives. Lives may be parallel. No matter of speed of time in different worlds.
…Evening. Mira just returned home. Long day with her boy-friend. Happy and funny summer. She chuckled, hearing her neighbor singing in the kitchen. Mira opened door to her room and enter. Glance turned on white book cover. Girl remembered wolf from dream. ‘What is she doing? ‘ asked girl herself thinking about…about her dream-mate.
…Winter night and slim silhouette on window background. Another window. Another room but same cup and Mira.. No, Mira’s different… Moon and music cries in ears. Wolf shadow and cry somewhere away in distant worlds...or in a depth of Mira mind. ‘Is it true? Does wolf-mate exist? Did I loose something impotent? No’, girl pushed away last thought. And rise eyes to the moon. It’s not very bright today…Dark clouds… and night city lights. Fast glance on the book… ‘If somebody looking on me from heavens…What is he...or she…or it?’ Smile. ‘ If somebody there hear me…Answer me…’ Fast cloud run across moon…Mira felt that somewhere wolf lifted her head.
- Did you heard?
- What?
- The wolves. In one of city villages.
Darkhaired lifted her eyes with awesome.
- Wolves? But… how?
- Dunno. I think it’s because of wheat poison. You know - poisoned wheal, no wild mice, no bunnies, hungry wolves. They came out of forest and threatening villagers.
…Wild freedom and wind over fur. Soft ground. She trotted fast across fields. Moon heard her pray. This year not much food but she was blessed with human feeling…Once she came to farm, hide in cowhouse. She was real human…And caws didn’t pay attention to her.
…Mira blinked. And place finger on a lips. A shade test of blood and fear.
- Women from farm have been bitted. So, hunters are already invited…
…As always when she need - sudden phone call.
- Sorry. Hi! Yea? Right now? Uhmm…Ok. I’ll be soon. Sorry, clients – you know…hard bread of freelancer
- Yea. I see.
- Be in touch.
- Sure. Take care.
Another sleepless night. With coffee, city lights and moon.
As always – it’s became strange habit – Mira set on the windowsill. Strange? Is there something common in her life? Light smile lifted her mouth corners. She took a coffee sip and leaning back. Turn head to the night city and for a short moment close her eyes.
..The city is a brilliant. Bright brilliant in a mist
…Howl turn to the growl …and scared cry. Mira strain eyes and see thru the mist familiar fur ball. Her wolf-mate howled shifting laps on sharp edge…Sun row hitted wolf right in yellow eye. She-wolf with yelp squeezed down slick facet. Mate and Mira’s voice intertwined with echo.
…Cold winter wind slashed Mira’s face. Girl wake with a jerk…And nervously catch window fold. She hardly fell out! Easy gal!
…Mira closed window and looked on cold coffee. Such a nightmare! Night Mare…Mare…Wolf…Caws and hunters…
Nonono! Go to bed! Let’s to sleeeep. Sweet dreams….Tomorrow will spring beginning. And future. And perspectives…She looked back again. Mate yell still in Mira’s ears…
Morning met her with fog and rain. Mira felt so tired.
Coffee-coffee-coffee…and take shower…and…go to bed…With book and notebook.
Wolf run across the field. Noises – hard voices of guns, tramps…Don’t howl…don’t cry! She squeezed in wet gross, heard distant yelp – she jetted aside. Bullet whooshed on the left. Faster! Run! She bowed and looked on the right – one of her brothers fell down. She catch his last sight.
Forgive me! It’s all me! My fault!
Whoosh!
Nooo! First sun rows hurt her eyes.
She left alone. With bleeding shoulder and slashed legs.
No! they made their choice themselves!
She-wolf fell on her knees and crept in some cave…pit…doesn’t matter. Every dry leaf an branch aim to scratch her smooth naked skin. But she hid herself. She’s in safe.
Dark locks mated and dirty. But she’s alive. Breathing became slower. It’s bed to die in the eve of spring.
Movement cought in corner of eyes.
…That girl, her mate since childhood. One of reasons to became human. That girl sitting on fallen tree and looks directly on her. She-wolf put head on laps and silently howled.
…Mira woke up. No, she didn’t sleep. She just dreamed…only several moments outside of reality (‘what is reality at all’ – Mira smiled)…
…Forest in twilights. And small glade covered with last-year grass. Slowly awaking trees and sitting wolves round.
Trees stepped back and let her mate to step out. Dark triangle head lowered no sparkles in eyes. But when she saw others, wolf-mate lifted her head and met their sights. Challenge returned in yellow eyes. They might punish her…Or not? Her tribe. Her family. She-wolf approached…Wolves calmly let her to step in their round. Shoulder hasn’t hurt anymore. She sigh, lifted head again and cried aloud, greeting moon rising on the sky. She felt nothing humanize. Just freedom lust and… nothing more. For now…
…Mira jumped from her bed and opened window as wide as possible. No mist. Spring came! Light and wind, and softness of sun….
Somewhere echoed mate cry...but so far away… very-very far. It’s spring…so be it – open air and freedom from anything.