In the Beginning
Her eyes slowly opened to the morning light.
Five-year-old Stela Nimox climbed out of her bed and climbed out of her small swinging bed her mother had laid her in the previous night and made her way to her dresser before opening it and reaching down to grab one of her dresses to put over her PJ pants.
As per usual when it was morning, her parents were already at work, so she had to do everything parents were supposed to help their kids with.
Stela walked out to the living room and grabbed her backpack before she walked out of the house of 132 Ridgeway Ave.
She walked up the street from her house and stopped at the preschool bus stop.
“Ah… Stela.” An Elderly man who was always on the bench beside the stop smiled at her, “Good to see you this morning missy.”
“You too, Mr. Rick.” She smiled back as she sat beside him, swinging her legs back and forth as they dangled.
Mr. Rick chuckled at her silliness before he looked out at the forest on the other side of the small street, “You wanna hear a story dear?”
Stela looked at him and nodded, “Sure.”
“Well… you’ll want to live it too.” He noted as he spotted a wolf, “Your buss won’t come for a few minutes… and I can see you from here.”
“What’s the story?” Stela frowned as she looked where he was looking and grinned softly, “Oh! Cute doggy!”
“He will tell you.” Mr. Rick assured, “Go ask him.”
“Oh… okay.” Stela nodded and hopped down, “Thank you Mr. Rick.”
He smiled, “Always a pleasure, my dear.”
Stela ran across the street as best as she could before she got in the tree line.
She looked over her shoulder to see that Mr. Rick was still watching before she walked up to the wolf.
“Mr. Doggy?” Stela slowly moved closer, “My friend said… you can tell me a story.”
The wolf stared blankly at her.
“Please tell me a story.” She sat before it, “I want something happy today.”
The wolf got low before her and nudged her softly.
Stela giggled at how wet the nose was, but also how cute the gesture was. “You too, Mr. Doggy.” She leaned forward and nudged him with her own nose.
The wolf took the cloth of her backpack in its teeth and started to tug her further into the woods.
“Mr. Doggy?” Stela frowned.
The wolf pulled and pulled and pulled.
Until, it had led her into a den.
Several wolves snarled as they smelled the human… only to be silenced by the stare the wolf pulling her gave them all.
The wolf let her backpack go and sat before her, then bowed its head in respect.
The other wolves did the same.
Stela frowned before she followed their example. She got on her knees and bowed her head like them.
The Wolf howled to the roof of the den and the other wolves and Stela followed.
The combined howls echoed through the air around the human, and she smiled, but didn’t cease her howling till the lead wolf did.
Once he did, he stepped up to Stela, licking his teeth in anticipation.
Stela tilted her head to the side before she nodded to him.
He stepped forward and bit her side.
A cry of pain resonated through the den… before it turned into a soft howl.
Stela never went home or got on the bus that day.
