As it sauntered along, its huge chest rose and fell not unlike a bellows in an old blacksmith’s forge. Should you be close enough to hear, its breathing would have sounded like a laboring locomotive forcing its steam up out of the stack. With each long step it took its paws slapped the pavement with a purpose, and when the monster picked up speed it almost sounded like someone methodically clapping.
Continuing down Center street it stopped to look at a small child who was playing in the front yard of his house, it was a cold day so the youngster was pretty well bundled up, including a scarf that was wrapped around his face leaving only his eyes exposed, but the fear the child was experiencing shone through his eyes as if it were painted on a sign that he was displaying in his hand. Frozen to the spot in the yard where he had first seen the wolf, all he could do was stare back at the huge animal in silent anticipation of what the beast might do
Inside the young man’s house his mother happened to look out the window to check on her son and saw what was stopped out on the sidewalk in front of her house staring at her son from less than twenty feet away. As horrified as she was at the sight of the giant wolf, she knew she had to do something, after all there was an animal outside big enough to eat her small child in a couple of tasty bites.
All she could think to do was to slowly approach her son, being careful not to make any sudden movements, wild animals tend to be jittery and the last thing she wanted to do was provoke an attack. The wolf was close enough to both herself and her son that there was no way she could get them both to safety before being ripped to pieces. Her heart was beating so hard that she swore she could actually hear it pounding in her ears. Although she was only a few feet from her son, she felt miles away. With every tension filled step all she was able to think about was that any second the monster on the sidewalk was going to explode; like a coiled spring, teeth gnashing, and bits of raw meat from its last meal spraying out of its mouth as it springs toward them in a blood fueled fury.
The wolf never moved it just stared back at them, almost as if it wanted to see what they would do. The mother took another step towards her son, nothing. Another step and still the wolf didn’t move a muscle. What did it want? Finally she reached the boy, standing behind him she slowly put her hand on his shoulder, as she did she felt his body stiffen like somebody had squeezed all of the air out of him.
“Son,” she said, “I want you to listen to me very carefully, if we don’t make any sudden movements, I don’t think it will attack. Here’s what I want you to do. When I say now, I want you to start walking backwards towards the house one step at a time. When you start to go, I’m going to match you step for step and guide you up the stairs and into the house. Now nod very slowly if you understand me.”
The boy continued his impersonation of a statue, his body still frozen with fear. It was almost as if he didn’t even know that his mother was there behind him. When she gently squeezed his shoulder though, he seemed to snap out of it, “Do you understand,” she repeated.
Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting installment-JRH
