The Wilderness

Chapter Eleven

The sky had begun to darken as the day advanced, and Ally started to look for a place to spend the night in. Stephan was walking a little distance behind her, carrying a load of berries in the pockets of his ripped up jeans and jacket. Ally had suggested they stay with the berry bushes for a while, a "day or two", but Stephan was eager to continue the journey. The berries had lifted his spirits, and now he was ready for anything.

​Or so he thought.

​"Stephan, you know what's funny?" Ally said as she popped a berry into her mouth.

​"My pants," Stephan answered. A little confused, Ally turned around and looked at her travel companion. Stephan had turned around, displaying the large whole in the back on his pants, through which his briefs were visible. Ally laughed hard at the sight, and Stephan joined her. Yes, those berries had definitely lifted the mood.

​"But really, what's funny?" Stephan asked, rather curious.

​"Back at school I did a project about PTSD, and now I think I'll end up having it," Ally answered with a chuckle. Stephan smiled.

​"I'll need major therapy," Stephan replied. "And a long, long, long vacation."

​Ally laughed, "You don't count this as a vacation?"

​Stephan laughed. "Not really." He looked at her a little longer than usual, his eyes locked with hers, really looking at her for the first time. Despite the thin, rather uncleanness of her face from the troubles they've been through, she was pretty. Not like Lola had been, but still pretty. She looked away first, her face blushing hard. Stephan smiled at her embarrassment, and at his sudden realization. He liked Ally.

​"Stephan," Ally's eyes were wide and filled with the unmistakable look of fear. Stephan looked behind him, wondering if the bear had returned. Instead, he turned and saw a wolf.
​It didn't take an idiot to see that something was wrong with the animal. Its teeth were bared and there was something close to craziness in its eyes. Stephan noticed there were no other wolves around, and wondered if they were hiding or if the wolf was alone.
​The animal was no less than fifteen feet away from him. Stephan, afraid to breathe and yet afraid the wolf could sense his fear, took one step back, closer to Ally. That set the wolf off and it ran right for him. Stephan had no time to scream before he felt Ally shove him aside. He felt a pain in his ribs where his bruise was still healing as he fell down.

​Ally didn't have time to react as the wolf, undeterred by Stephan's fall, lunged at her. She felt it hit her shoulder, and although she knew it had bit her, it didn't feel as painful as she thought it should. She didn't realize the adrenaline flowing rapidly in her body was the only barrier between her and the excruciating pain that was to follow.

​The blow from the wolf was enough to knock Ally down. She shoved it off her, using all her might, and managed to get in a sitting position. The wolf flipped right back onto its feet and sprung at her again, but Stephan intervened as he lunged at the animal. The two collided and fell down, away from Ally. Stephan, using all his strength and motivation to keep the creature away from Ally, managed to pin the wolf down. It snapped at his hands and face. The courageous boy somehow got his hands around the wolf's throat and began to choke it. The animal struggled against his grip, its legs flaying at him in desperation, before its breathing finally ceased.

​Stephan stood panting above the dead animal, his mind reeling from the events of the past several seconds. It took him several moments to realize all that had just happened, and he took it in slowly. He had killed a wolf. A mad wolf at that. And he had saved Ally...

​Stephan suddenly looked over at where Ally was still sitting. She was shaking as she pulled down the collar of her shirt, exposing her bitten shoulder. The bite marks were clearing visible and the area around them was reddening. Ally smacked at the bite marks a couple times, obviously in discomfort.