A Big Wolf 🐺On A Leash

~ JANUARY 12. 2010 ~

~ SOMEWHERE, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE ~

~ LATE AT NIGHT ~

A young woman is driving her car, singing out of tune, and moving her hands to the beat.

Woman: *Winter’s cityside, crystal bits of snowflakes. All around my head and in the wind. I had no illusions that I’d ever find a glimpse of summer’s heatwaves in your eyes. You did what you did to me. Now it’s history, you see. Here’s my comeback on the road again. Things will happen while they can. I will wait here for my man tonight. It’s easy when you’re big in Japan.*[1]

Suddenly, she slaps her hand on the steering wheel.

Woman: To hell! You can all go to hell, you bastards! The sheep has woken up! I’ll never be your fool again. Ever again! NEVER AGAIN , YOU HEAR ME? NEVER . AGAIN . And I will have my revenge. I will make you pay. ALL OF YOU !

She steps on the gas even more and the car tears across the open road like a condor high in the sky. She starts singing again and looks at the full moon through the windshield of the car. The reflection of the moon on the glass surface reshapes into a face. A beautiful face of a man. A man with black hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The woman is still staring at that face, unaware that she is looking directly at her destiny and a wolf is howling in her ears.

~ MEANWHILE BACK TO THE CITY ~

~ IN A CLUB ~

A man sits in his private booth drinking his favorite whiskey - Johnny Walker Blue Label.

A waiter approaches him.

Waiter: Excuse me, boss...

Man: Didn’t I specifically tell you not to bother me?

Waiter: I am really sorry, boss, but someone was asking for you.

Man: I don’t give a damn. Tell Negro to take care of it. Now get the fuck out of my face.

The man hasn’t even looked up yet, but when he realizes his order wasn’t immediately filled, he stares at the waiter through bared teeth.

Man: Why the hell are you still here?

Waiter: I apologize profusely, boss, but the guest requested...

Man: Oh, for fuck’s sake! What exactly did he ask for?

Waiter: The Wolf, sir. He asked for the Wolf.

Man: I see.

The man leans back and rubs his jaw. He takes a sip of his drink and says...

Man: Tell Tiny to give him a good scare. Frisk him and when he’s clean, bring him to me.

Waiter: Yes, boss.

The waiter hurries to carry out his boss’s order and the man finishes the rest of the drink in one go. He refills the glass and looks through the glass ceiling of the club at the full moon. The reflection of the moon on the glass surface reshapes into a face. The beautiful face of a woman. A woman with long black hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The man stares at this face with bated breath, unaware that he is looking directly at his fate, and a kitten meows in his ears.

***

~ SEVERAL HOURS AGO ~

~ NOON OF THE SAME DAY ~

~ WHEN IT ALL STARTED ~

Lois Novak is with her fiancé, Peter Williams, at her parents’ house, James and Alice. She sits in the living room with her father and Peter while her mother cooks in the kitchen.

Lois: Yesterday I brought a puppy to a blind little boy. You should see the joy on his face.

James: Lois, stop it! I am not in the mood to listen to one of your sob stories. I’m bored out of my mind.

Lois: But...

Peter: Your father’s right, sheep.

Lois: Don’t call me sheep, okay?

Peter: I’ll call you whatever I want.

Lois: Father, please. Say something to him.

James: What exactly do you want me to say to him? I have no right. Peter is your fiancé. He can call you whatever he wants.

Peter grins at her and continues as if nothing has happened.

Peter: Your current job is terribly boring. Guide dog mumbo jumbo. Your previous one was much more interesting. Training police dogs. Interesting and useful. You should never have quit.

James: Who told you she quit? She was fired.

Peter: Really? I thought -

James: Why are you surprised? You know perfectly well how useless she is. They wanted badass police dogs and she gave them fucking lapdogs.

Peter bursts out laughing and looks disparagingly at Lois, who is about to cry. At that moment, Alice enters the room, wiping her hands.

Alice: What’s going on here? Why are you laughing, my dear?

Peter: Nothing important, Alice.

Alice: Come on, let me in on it.

James: We were talking about how useless your daughter is.

Alice: This is not funny. It’s a sad fact.

Lois: Mother!

Alice: What, Lois? It’s true, isn’t it? Just name one thing you have done right in your life.

James: She found Peter.

Peter: Excuse me, James, but that’s wrong. I found her, not the other way around.

Alice sits down next to Peter and strokes his hair, something she never did with her own daughter.

Alice: Our Peter is right. Don’t insult him, James. He’ll take a huge weight off our shoulders.

James: Yes.

Alice: That’s why I made his favorite dinner.

Peter: You don’t say! Stuffed tomatoes?

Alice: Yes, dear. With rice and minced meat. Just the way you like them.

Peter: Oh, Alice! You’re wonderful.

Lois: I hope there’s something else to eat, because as you all know, I hate stuffed tomatoes.

Alice: No, there’s nothing else.

Lois: Then what am I supposed to eat?

James: That’s your problem, not ours.

Lois: For God’s sake! I am your daughter. He’s a stranger. How can you care more about him than you do me?

Alice: Because he’s going to marry you, and we have to treat him well.

James: Because if he leaves you, who would want a wife like you?

Peter: Now that you mention it, when will the money be transferred to my account?

Lois: Never, Peter. The money is mine. I inherited it from my grandmother so I could be independent and not have to count on a man. You have already spent enough. I’m not going to give you the rest.

Peter: Well, in that case, I’m sorry, but...

Alice: Oh, no! Peter, please.

Peter: Don’t please me, Alice. I have been telling you this all along. If I don’t get the money, you can forget about the wedding.

James: Don’t worry, Peter. You’ll have the money by Monday morning. Even if I have to drag her to the bank by the hair.

Peter: Very well. After everything is settled, let us go eat Alice’s delicious stuffed tomatoes.

Alice: Certainly, my dear.

But before we continue the story, let us talk a little about the people involved. I am sure you’d like to know more about them.

Let us start with Lois. The key character in our story. Yes. She’s the woman behind the wheel.

Lois Novak is a beautiful young woman, twenty-six years old. She’s a dog trainer. She was employed by the police department training the dogs of the K9 unit, but she was fired. Not because she didn’t do her job properly, but because she refused to adopt the violent training methods. Of course, her father never really believed that, even though it was the only truth. Now she trains companion dogs and guide dogs for children with disabilities. She is sweet and kind, even though she was raised by two monster parents. Her childhood was horrible. Her parents used psychological violence against her as far back as she can remember. They blamed her for everything. They belittled her, humiliated her, and deprived her of even the most basic necessities for a child. They locked her in the basement for hours without food to keep her in line, as they said. Her father also beat her a few times. Now you want to tell me why she didn’t leave that hellhole when she came of age? There’s a simple reason. Those two monsters, with their behaviour, managed to convince her that she was useless, that she was incapable of doing anything on her own. They have taught her that she needs their help with even the most insignificant things. Three times she tried to escape and each time she came back with her tail between her legs.

No one knows why James and Alice Novak did such a thing to their own flesh and blood.

And then Peter came into her life.

Peter Williams. Twenty-eight years old. An architect and a complete asshole. Of course, he didn’t reveal himself to Lois from the beginning. For the first few months of their relationship, he was friendly and seemed genuinely in love with her, but when he met her parents, his true self came out. Who knows? Maybe they inspired him and he followed their example.

Peter and Lois met in high school. He was the captain of the football team and the most attractive boy in school. She was the best student and much prettier than all the other popular girls, like Ursula, the classic blonde bimbo cheerleader, a total bitch and Lois’ worst enemy.

After she graduated, Peter wanted to get rid of Lois, but then he happened to learn about the money she inherited from her grandmother when Lois was fifteen - a million and a half - and he changed his mind. Then he hurriedly asked her parents for permission to marry her - he didn’t bother to ask Lois - and after they agreed, Peter and Lois got engaged a year later. He went to university with Lois’s money and then started an architectural firm with the same money. He’s spent nearly half a million so far, but that’s not enough for him. He wants it all and is determined to get it at any cost.

His behaviour towards Lois is unacceptable. He treats her like dirt. He yells at her, insults, and humiliates her all the time. He locks her in the house and forbids her from having any friends, except for her cousin Nora, James’ brother’s daughter. The funny thing is that Nora has hated Lois - no one knows why - since they were little girls, but Peter has his reasons, as we will explain below.

And as for their sex life, well, to make a long story short, it sucks. Before he took her virginity, he was crazy about her. After that, he became evasive, reckless, and cold. Now they barely have sex once a week, but Lois couldn’t care less. She hates the process. In those few minutes, Peter cares only about himself. He lays her down, penetrates her, one, two, three, pumps in and out a few times, and then it’s over. No foreplay, no caresses, no kisses, no nothing. In those moments, Lois closes her eyes and goes to her favorite place - the woods - to play with her favorite animals - the wolves.

But we have said enough. Let us go back to the story where we left off.

The holy family has just had lunch. At least James, Alice and Peter did, because Lois ate almost nothing - a bit of salad and two slices of bread. Peter, on the other hand, gorged himself on two plates.

Alice: Did you like the food, dear?

Peter: You have destroyed me, Alice. I don’t know how I am going to work anymore with a stomach this full.

Everyone laughs except Lois, who rolls her eyes. Peter stands up and she wants to follow him, but...

Peter: Where do you think you are going, sheep?

Lois: To our house with you.

Peter: First of all, this house is mine, not ours, and second, you are not going anywhere. I have an appointment with a client at home and I don’t want you interfering. You are gonna sit here and wait for me to text you.

Lois: Oh, no! Peter, please. I can’t stay here. Let me come with you, and I will not bother you at all. I’ll stay in the bedroom.

Peter: I said no, and I don’t want to discuss it any further. Don’t you dare come home without hearing from me first. Do we have a deal, sheep?

Lois: Yes.

And just like that, Peter left, leaving Lois behind once again. But because her parents were in such a good mood - not in the good way, of course - Lois couldn’t take the lecture and left as well. She wandered around town for a couple of hours trying to reach Nora, but she didn’t answer the phone.

When she was tired enough and Peter hadn’t sent a message, she decided to go home and just let things be. What’s the worst that can happen? At most, Peter will scold her a little and send her to the couch to sleep. That’s not a big deal. A night without Peter by her side is always a good night. So, she takes a cab and fifteen minutes later she’s out of the house.

Lois: What the hell?

The windows on the bottom floor of the house are dark. The only light there is coming from the bedroom window upstairs. Lois is puzzled.

Lois: He’s meeting with his client in the bedroom? What kind of client... Damn!

The cold realization comes quickly and hits her hard.

Lois: Oh, God! Not this now! No! No!

Off the record, the possibility of Peter cheating on her doesn’t scare her because she loves him and doesn’t want to lose him. She hasn’t given a damn about him in a long time. In fact, she’s never loved him. What scares the shit out of her is what will happen when her parents find out and the prospect of spending her whole life with a fucking cheater.

Lois puts the key in the lock, opens the door and enters the house. She walks into the living room without turning on the light. The spark of the moon coming in through the window is bright enough and allows her to see the two glasses on the coffee table, along with all the clothes scattered on the floor.

Lois: Shit! Shit! Shit!

She runs up the stairs and heads for the bedroom door. The sounds that can be heard from behind the door clearly show what is going on in the room. Sighs, groans, and heavy breathing. The sounds of her demise.

Lois reaches for the doorknob and is about to walk through the door, but hesitates. Her hand gets stuck while her mind runs a bloody marathon. She knows if she opens that door, it’s all over. There’s no going back after something like this. She must face the consequences. The wrath of her parents, who will no doubt defend Peter and blame her. Not to mention Peter’s reaction. Is she ready for that? Is she capable of dealing with them? Is she strong enough?

They didn’t give her the nickname Sheep by accident. Lois was always a harmless sheep who followed the herd. She never had any desire to rebel or take a leadership role. She was always the good and quiet little girl, obedient to her parents and after them, her fiancé. She didn’t like that, but she had no choice because she is useless, she can’t do anything by herself, she always needs the help of others. Unlike the heroine she got her name from. Lois Lane.

James Novak was a big fan of Superman, the Man of Steel. He wanted to have a son to name him Clark, but he didn’t have much luck with that. When Lois was born, James was devastated and he resented Alice for a long time, but when she named the little girl Lois, James forgave her - unfortunately. Yes, he was that stupid.

But anyway! That’s not important anymore. What is important now is what Lois should do. Should she run out of the house and pretend she didn’t see or hear anything, or should she invade that room and give those bastards what they really deserve?

No! No! She can’t do it. She’s too weak for that. She’ll never make it. She’s not strong enough. One sheep can’t take on a whole herd of hyenas.

Lois pulls her hand back and is about to leave, but at that moment a voice in her head starts screaming...

“A sheep can’t fight the hyenas, but what about a wolf?”

You know, there is a moment in everyone’s life - a small, indeterminate moment when a switch is flipped in the mind and everything changes. The weak person changes and becomes something else - something powerful and unstoppable. A force of nature. A tornado.

And that moment is right now for Lois. She looks resolutely at the door. Her eyes narrow and their blue color intensifies. From two calm lakes, they transform into two raging oceans, ready to wash away anything in their path.

With a power she didn’t even know she had inside her, Lois kicks down the door and enters the room...

[1] Big in Japan – ALPHAVILLE 1984