The Wolf Howls Alone

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The Wolf Howls Alone

She heard him many weeks before she saw him. His howling raised the hair on her neck and brought to her mind the Shawnee words for it: Etowe somo. The Shawnee words were shorter than their English translation, and for her they carried a sense of appropriate grief.

A wolf howls alone in the forest.

A wolf is not created to live alone. Even with a full belly, the craving for companionship will drive a wolf into dangerous territory.

The wild game around her place disappeared first. One by one her chickens began to disappear too. Her dog insisted with raised hackles and constant growling that something stayed in the ravine a few yards from her house. She began to keep the children near her when they were outside. She who used to wander by starlight now locked the doors at dusk.

He did not howl every night, but when he did, she thought he would surely raise the dead. Part of her did not believe he was out there at all. He could not be out there. Wolves had been killed out in her grandfather's time.

She saw him one morning and still did not believe. He was chasing chickens in her yard while her dog barked helplessly. He ran to the ravine when he heard her gasp. He ran like the wind so fast that she could only see a large brown streak. Her dog ran after, still barking.

She stood looking at the place where he had disappeared. She still did not believe. He appeared again, huge head on massive shoulders, and he was the same shade of brown as a deer. She could not move. He looked at her in the eyes and then looked almost regretfully at the chickens huddled near her feet. In silence, he turned and vanished.

Only then did she realize her dog had been standing in front of the wolf wagging her tail. The dog and the wolf were acquainted.

She called for her man. He came out with his biggest gun. She was surprised. He asked her what she would bring out if he were standing half-naked in the cold yelling about a wolf in broad daylight. That was when she realized she was barefoot and freezing. He said he would get dressed and go hunting and that she must go inside and get warm. She nodded to him, and he took his gun back into the house.

The wolf howled. The power and hopelessness of his calling brought tears to her eyes. He was hungry and alone. She could do nothing for him.

Etowe somo...

She stayed outside with him in the cold, grieving until he went away.

-- helen (another@very.short.story), September 23, 2002

Answers

A beautiful story Helen, but way too sad for me today. I do love your writing though.

-- Carol (c@down.com.), September 24, 2002.

I know you'd probably rather be working and all that stuff, but I'm sure glad you have time to write again!

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), September 24, 2002.

I second what Lon said! Thank you, Helen.

"A wolf is not created to live alone. Even with a full belly, the craving for companionship will drive a wolf into dangerous territory."

The same is true for humans... and unfortunately a relationship doesn't necessarily mean companionship.

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 24, 2002.


Wow, a new Helen story to celebrate my return - I feel honoured. :-) Especially because it's such a good one!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 24, 2002.

WOW Helen! Nice work! Sorry, I've been onvacation for a week, and just HAD to sneak a peek in here-! I'm so I glad I did! Pardon me, if I haven't time to respond for the next week or so, I'm just not at home near my very own PC right now~! Waving to y'all from Washington State!!

-- Aunt__Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), September 25, 2002.


:)

-- helen (scrambling@MADLY.for.more.STUFF), September 25, 2002.

~~

-- Tricia the Canuck (wavingback@Aunt.Bee), September 26, 2002.

I don't know what can i say but i am completly speechless coze it seems like ma story.

-- (leo857@hotmail.com), October 05, 2002.

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