Seven

Part IV

When Wryleigh finally heard the lock click open, he reached forward and grasped the doorknob with his paw. He wasn't sure what to expect, having heard the constant screaming and arguing coming from the other side. He slowly nudged the door open.

"Run!"

Wry watched the fleeting steps of six kids as they scattered to various rooms, but instantly focused his eyes on the cries rising beneath him. A small goat lay on the floor, bleating sobs emerging from his button-nosed muzzle. Wry glanced around, trying to figure out why he was wailing, and saw the chair next to the door. He must've fallen. But why did his siblings just leave him?

Wry knew that it couldn't possibly be good to have an injured kid this early on the job. He crouched down and placed a paw under the little goat's head. The toddler didn't stop crying, but looked up at the wolf with his teary blue eyes. Wryleigh lifted him from the floor, cradling the young kid in his arms, and carried him into what seemed to be the living room. A bright red sofa stood in the center of the room, and Wryleigh set the goat down there.

The wolf lingered for a moment, unsure what to do next. But then he thought about his sister, what he would do if she had hit her head. Ice! It would at least help. Wryleigh stepped away from the couch and started through the house in search of the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Genna and Gentry were already there. The two had stuffed themselves into the small, dark cupboard in hopes it would protect them from the wolf. But they knew that he was still out there, and he'd done something to Gideon. They could still hear him crying. The two older goats couldn't help but feel like they were failing their mother, hiding away while their poor baby brother was trapped in the creature's grasp. But they feared he was already too far gone.

Suddenly, as the padding sound of footsteps grew closer, they held their breath. But thankfully, with an inward exhale of relief from both of them, they heard the wolf walk right past the cupboard, opening the refrigerator instead. What could he possibly want out of there?

Wryleigh rummaged through the freezer for a moment, trying to find an ice pack amidst the mountain of frozen vegetables and microwave meals. It soon proved to be pointless, so Wryleigh finally settled on a small package that was about the size of the little goat's forehead. He pretended to gag as he read the label. It wasn't ice, but cold broccoli would have to do.

The wolf trekked back to the living room sofa where the young kid lay, and placed the frozen bag on the crying goat's forehead. The little goat seemed thankful for it, using his own hooves to hold it in place, and finally stopped sobbing.

Wryleigh placed a paw on his shoulder, and this time, the goat met his eyes. "Are you okay, little guy?"

He nodded. Even though he'd been the one to let the wolf into their home, he still found himself a bit shy around his new company.

"Good." Wryleigh softly smiled. "What's your name?"

"Gideon," he answered, a toothy grin spreading across his muzzle.

"I'm Wryleigh."

From behind the TV stand, three more goats watched it all. They'd seen the way this wolf had cared for their brother. If he hadn't eaten him yet, there was a good chance he wouldn't.

"I think it's okay," Gretta finally whispered. Gracie nodded, and even Greyson, who was reluctant to admit that he'd been wrong. Maybe the wolf—Wryleigh... wasn't so bad after all.

The three goats slowly stepped out from behind the piece of furniture, leaving the safety of their hiding place behind. Wry, with his strong sense of hearing and smell, had known they were there all along, but hadn't paid them much mind until now. "Hi," he said, furrowing his brows as he watched them creep into the light. "What were you three doing back there?"

They were still reluctant to trust Wryleigh. His curiosity seemed harmless, and his voice wasn't as gravely as Gretta had described. Neither were his paws scary, and his claws were short and rounded, still resting on their brother's shoulder as the wolf kneeled in the floor beside him. Nothing had been ripped to shreds. "We thought you were going to eat us," Gretta muttered quietly, almost embarrassed as the ridiculous accusation left her mouth.

"Eat you?" Wry echoed, laughing at what he thought was a joke. "I would never do that. Kids are way too chewy."

The wolf instantly realized his mistake as their eyes widened, and all three let out yet another frightened scream. Wryleigh held his hands up as a show of innocence. "I'm sorry! I was kidding."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but finally, their rigid postures began to loosen, and they walked over to the sofa. The two girls took a seat next to their baby brother, but Greyson remained standing, his face lit up with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, wait!" The kid turned back around, and his eyes locked on a single door near the entrance to the kitchen. "Graham's still in the broom closet. I can't wait to see the look on his face!"

Before Wry could stop him, another scream rang out through the house. Genna and Gentry heard it from their hiding place inside the cupboard, and their hopes only plummeted. They were the only two left. First, Gideon had stopped crying, which surely meant the wolf had finished him off. Then there were the screams of Greyson, Gretta and Gracie, the sound of them being eaten. And finally, there was Graham, even louder than the rest, as if the wolf was playing some sick game of hide 'n seek, scaring his prey before gobbling them up. They just hoped they weren't next.

"Is there anything else you need?" Wryleigh asked the little goat next to him, rolling his eyes as Graham joined the rest of the group.

Gideon nodded up at his new friend. "Could I have a cup of water?"

"Of course." Wryleigh stood, and made his way back to the kitchen. It seemed like he was making good progress with these kids, and despite their large number, they were all well behaved. Unless you counted the hiding, which Wryleigh still didn't understand. Surely I'm not that scary, right?

And weren't there supposed to be seven kids? Wryleigh hadn't counted the ones back at the sofa, but it felt like he was still missing one or two.

Maybe it was a mistake on the app. He'd have to ask them in a second. But first, a cup of water. Wry crossed over to the sink and opened a couple of cabinets above it, but he found no dishes. He turned around on his heels, scanning the small room until he identified the furnishing he was looking for. The cupboard!

As the heavy paw steps grew closer, Genna and Gentry hugged each other tightly. This was it. This was their end. But as the light began trickling through the slowly opening doors, they knew they wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Ow!" Wryleigh clutched his stomach with a long howl of pain and stumbled backward. Without anything to catch his weight, the wolf hit the floor with a hard thud that knocked the breath out of him. Wry hadn't had time to see what hit him, but something told him it was the powerful kick of two sets of hooves.

The two eldest kids climbed out of the cupboard, ready to run for it, when they saw their five siblings—all safe and sound—come running towards the kitchen. Even little Gideon, still clutching the bag of broccoli against his head.

They glanced at each for a moment, knowing they'd made a mistake.