The Divide

Chapter 1

Wolves...

That's what they call us.

I personally don't like the name, but that's the one we all received. Maybe the humans could only see what was on the outside...our ears, our fur, our teeth. Those things make us stand out from the humans.

I never wanted to stand out.

My name is Thomas Henderson, and yes...I am a wolf.

As you might have picked up on by now, I'm not really a wolf. That's just a nickname. We sure do look like them, however. I have the long ears, the muzzle, and sharp teeth, the claws, and I'm covered in fur...like everywhere. That doesn't stop me from being clean, though. I take extra time to clean out my ears, brush my teeth, and file down my claws. I even shower twice a day to keep my fur soft.

I use a special conditioner...

I figured that I am going to be called an animal by a bunch of humans on the other side of a silly painted line, then I am going to be the best looking animal in the whole city. My opinion is that I'm the most handsome wolf there is.

Aside from my good looks, and the fact that I keep myself very clean, there are tons of other things that one needs to know me. I guess the main thing is that I am addicted to humans. There...I said it. Studying humans is my biggest hobby. To be honest, I've relished the idea of being a human. I've studied them for most of my life. I've read countless books on the anatomy of humans, human psychology, and human literature. I was the best in my class when it came to the study of humans. I know tons of facts about them. I'm infatuated with them, however, sometimes the infatuation feels like a healthy fear. I could have a debilitating fear of sharks, though I could still enjoy studying them from a distance.

I'm not afraid of sharks...just letting you know.

I wouldn't say that I am afraid of humans either...at least not yet. I haven't been close to one since my father's death. I consider the death of my father a dark reminder of how much the bite of a human can sting.

Humans have become my job...which is great because I consider myself the most knowledgeable wolf on the subject of humans. I'm the best at what I do. I get to study more about humans every day, and I've never gotten tired of it. Ever since I started living on my side of the line, my curiosity in humankind was fed by the wolves desire to "know the enemy."

"The enemy" lives on the other side of the line. Yeah...the humans.

The line was created by the humans, after the city was quarantined. I guess that the humans outside of the city thought that being a wolf was contagious. The thought of coughing on someone and turning them into a completely different being is idiotic. But the idea didn't seem very idiotic to a bunch of humans on the brink of complete chaos. I still sort of hope that whoever thought up the idea of closing up the city gets hit by a bus...a slow bus...with spikes in front of it. Anyway, the surrounding cities agreed that no-one should enter or exit the city.

Almost overnight, the city was surrounded and work on the outer wall had begun. The outer wall was built to completely enclose the whole city. If you wanted to leave the city after the wall was completed, then you would have had to make something that could fly...and you would have needed to pray to whatever you worshiped in the hopes that you wouldn't die.

No one has left the city, and no one feels as if it's possible anymore.

As the wall was being created, the humans decided that segregation was the best, and most "peaceful" idea. The wolves on the side of the line that the humans claimed, were forced out of their homes, and moved onto their side of the line. Some of the human-wolf interactions became violent...I experienced that violence for myself.

The line is heavily guarded by the humans. They're probably afraid that a wolf will cross the line and cough on someone. They're so worried that a wolf will cross the line, that they monitor the line every single hour of the day.

Wolves don't monitor the line, and I don't blame them for not wanting to. The humans do it so well. Let the humans focus on the line, and let the wolves focus on other things. We tend to devote our attention to our hobbies, studies, and jobs.

Honestly, the humans made a huge mistake in their choice of sides. They, of course, desired the older parts of the city that held historical significance. They definitely wanted city hall and the surrounding buildings. They are suffering, however, because of the lack of adequate living space. They forgot all about what they were leaving us on our side. They left us the mall...yes the mall, filled with supplies and food. They left us the apartments in the newer half of the city. We have more than enough space to grow. We even have the university, which doubles as our city hall.

In short, the wolves are thriving, while the humans...well...they're suffering.

And when I say thriving, I mean that the wolf population is growing comfortably, our extremely small economy is successful, and we are becoming more functional as a community every single day.

Leadership in our half of the city is actually efficient. We are led by a president. His name is Thorn. It's kind of a "wolfy" name if you ask me. Anyway, he's been our leader since the line was drawn, and he's done an outstanding job. There are eleven other wolves that form a council with Thorn. Each of these wolves are in charge of a certain aspect of the wolf community. These twelve wolves are the leaders of the community resolve every important decision together.

Remember when I said that I am the best at what I do? Well, I recently became a part of the Council of Wolves. I am the president of the Department of Human Studies. My job is to direct a group of talented students towards new discoveries about humans. I love what I do, and I couldn't ask for a better way to share what I know.

My first day as part of the Council of Wolves was just last Friday. I had the weekend to relax and prepare for the start of a new week. Monday, which is tomorrow, will be my second day on the job. I'm still learning the ropes, as well as every responsibility I have. I am sure that I will make the best contribution that I can to the wolf community after getting settled in. I heard from someone that you work your hardest when you're doing what you love.

I feel like I'm right where I am supposed to be...but...

I just wish that sometimes I can get some excitement in my life. Just a little bit of danger, you know? I love to study about humans, don't get me wrong, but doing that every day can be a little tiring. Nothing new, important, or interesting as happened in the wolf community for a few years, now. I study, I eat, and then I sleep.

I can't be content with just that...

I feel like I need more.