A Helping Hand

Basically this chapter changes everything in the book...

Chapter 3

The lunch bell rings and I walk into the hall. Danny grabs my arm and spins me around. My books fall to the ground.

          “Sorry.” He says. “I wanted to ask you something.”

          “It’s ok.” I say.

          He picks up my books and hands them to me.

          “Thanks.”

          “No problem.”

          We start walking down the hallway towards my locker. He stands next to me while I put my books away.

          “I had fun the other night.” He says.

          “Me, too.” I say with a smile.

          “Do you wanna do it again?”

          “Another date?”

          He nods and looks into my eyes. For a moment I’m unable to breathe. Words cannot describe how I feel right now.

          “Uh…s-sure!” I stutter.

          “Great! So, uh…what do you wanna do?” He asks.

          “Are there any good movies out?”

          “Yah. There’s that funny one about college.”

          “Oh, yah. I know which one you’re talking about.”

          “Do you wanna see that one?”

          “Do you?”

          “I’m up to anything. So…sure!”

          “Okay. I could use a good laugh, anyway.” I chuckle.

          “Heh! Nice. So, tomorrow? Say…sixish?”

          “Yep. Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

          After the day is over and I’m on my way home, I begin to think about my date tomorrow. I’m sort of worried about what I’m going to wear. I can’t wear what I wore last time. But, that was a good outfit. I’ll phone Lindsay when I get home.

          A black Mercedes pulls up next to me and parks. I try to ignore it. The window slides down and a head pops out. Chris. Great. Not the person I want to talk to right now.

          “Hey... Melinda.” He says, trying to sound cool.

          “What do you want?” I say, slightly annoyed.

          “For you to come to your senses and date me.” He says with fake confidence. That’s why I don’t want to talk to him. I knew this is what we would be talking about. I used to like him. Used to. But, I realized how self-centered he was and stopped. He found out about my crush a little late and immediately started asking me out. For some reason, with all the times I’ve said no, he still asks me out on a weekly basis. It’s rather annoying. 

          “That won’t be happening anytime soon.”

          “Why are you so stubborn?”

          “’Cause you can’t seem to grasp the concept that I’m not interested in you.”

          “Ouch. Tres harsh.” He teases.

          “Go away.” I sigh.

          “What’s the magic word?” He smiles.

          “I’m not using manners with you.” I scowl.

          “Meow!” He laughs.

          “I’m leaving. And if you follow me, I’ll get a restraining order against you. Bye!” I sarcastically smile.

          “Fine.” He sighs. “Bye.”

          After I get home, I plop down on the couch and flick on the TV.

Three-hundred-twenty-four channels later, my eyelids begin to fall. No! Stay awake!

I’ll go for a walk. That’ll keep my mind running.

I grab a book off my vanity-I don’t bother to choose a specific title-and head out the door. A chilly gust of wind pushes me against the screen. I need a sweater, but I don’t feel like going back inside. My long sleeve shirt should keep me warm for a while. Besides, I won’t be gone for that long.

I head off on my way towards the woods with my book in my arms. Thinking about my book, I look down and see that it’s one of my favorites. It’s about a group of friends that turn into werewolves at night. It’s pretty cool. They can communicate while they’re in wolf form because their minds are connected. They just think something and the other wolves can hear it and respond. It’s very convenient.

I see a spot under a tree on the side of the road. But, it’s too close to the cars flying by, so I walk deeper into the woods. There’s a good place to sit at the roots of an old Oak tree. It’s got sunlight pouring through its canopy, so I’ll have perfect lighting while I read. Once I settle down against the trunk, I sink into my story and let my mind unwind.

 

 

 

 

About fifteen minutes later, I float back to reality. I pull out my cell phone and look up Danny’s number. I stare at his digits and sigh. I’m not going to call him. That would make me look desperate. I look around and admire the intangible essence of nature surrounding me. I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to relax. Oh gosh. I could sleep here, too.

I sweep my eyes across the trees once more before I go back to my book. My gaze catches the eyes of an animal hiding in the bushes. My back stiffens as it stares back at me with hungry eyes. I hear it whimper and my back relaxes.

“Awww. Are you ok?” I start to stand up.

The animal recoils back into the bushes.

“No! Wait! Come back!” I start to walk towards the bush.

I hear the animal back up and begin to run away. I push through the bushes to see a tan wolf limping through the trees in the opposite direction. As soon as I see that it’s injured, I take off after it.

I follow its low whimpering deep into the woods until I’m not even sure where I am. At one point I was about to turn around and go home. But, then I heard it let out a low moan and felt that I needed to help it. The wolf dragged me deeper and deeper into the woods, into an area I’ve never even see before. I stop to lean against a tree and catch my breath. I look around, attempting to figure out where I’ve been led, to at least try to salvage any hope of finding a way home. I’m lost. I’m lost in the woods and I’m chasing an injured wolf. Maybe somewhere in my thick skull, I believe that the wolf is actually a werewolf. That would explain my spontaneous behavior. I’m not normally known to chase an injured animal deep into the woods. I have got to find a way back. There’s no way I would be able to help the wolf, anyway. I can’t even hear where it went.

I turn around and face back towards the way I came, but all of the trees look the same to me. Well, if I don’t try, then I won’t be getting anywhere. I take a deep breath and slip through the trees at a relaxed pace, trying not to panic.

I walk a little further and come to a clearing in the middle of the trees. It’s a big open field full of over grown grass. My eyes scan the field, looking for the wolf, and find nothing. I look back towards the middle of the field and see a small formation. I begin to walk towards it without thinking. As I get closer, I can make out what it is. It’s a small well. The base is made of old rocks that are covered in water stains and the top is a tiny awning with a rope tied to a bar in the middle. The rope is all chewed up, like someone tried to cut it with a dull knife. I peer over the edge and almost plant my face in the water. I spring back, surprised, as I realize just how high the water level is. It’s almost to the top. How odd. Well water shouldn’t be that high. My throat burns of thirst as I look at the crystal, clear water. I touch it with my finger to test the temperature. It’s cold. I cup my hands in the water and bring them to my lips. The water instantly quenches my thirst as it trickles down the back of my throat, leaving a cooling sensation. It felt so good that I instantly go back for more. I fill my hands with water and bring them to my mouth again and again. I can actually feel the cooling water running through my blood. The strange feeling makes me shiver.

Once my belly is sloshing around with water, I straighten back up and really notice the well. The details of the woodwork, the pattern in the alignment of the rocks, the carvings in the awning. My sight lingers on the last detail I see. I lean in closer for a better look.

The inside of the awning is filled with carvings of wolves. Not just little carvings, they are huge ones, also. Some are carvings of packs, while some are of wolves howling at the moon. They’re beautiful. They look like they’ve been here for a few decades. I stand up straight and run my eyes over the well, one last time.

I turn back around and gasp. The tan wolf is sitting in front of me. Motionless.  It must have come up behind me when I was looking inside the awning. I stare into its eyes without breathing.  They’re a bright, lime, green. The color hypnotizes me for a second. Then reality slams back into my thoughts. I’m still lost. I’m lost in the middle of a field with a wolf. It could be hungry. But, then again, it would have attacked me by now. I back up against the well as the wolf’s eyes follow my movement. I start finding it difficult to bring air back into my lungs. Its stare is making me shake. Now that I’m closer to it, I can get a good look at it.  I run my eyes over the wolf, looking for any injuries that made it limp earlier. My gaze falls over the imperfections of its appearance. Its fur stands out the most. My eyes lock on it. It’s scruffy and a light tan. The color reminds me of beach sand. It’s a strange color. I look at the wolf’s head, trying to avoid its eyes, and notice a hole in its right ear. That probably came from a fight or something. Next I look at the wolf’s legs. That’s when I find the injury. Its front left paw is all cut up and bloody. I feel a wave of compassion to help.

“Hey. Are you ok?” I whisper.

It whimpers again.

“I can help you. But, you need to trust me.” I bend down and lean forward.

The wolf begins to growl. I stop moving.

“It’s ok. I won’t hurt you. I just want to help.” I reach my hand out slowly.

The wolf takes a snap at my hand. I flinch, but continue to reach forward. It growls louder. I know it’s going to bite me, but for some reason, I don’t care. My hand inches closer. I close my eyes. I’m not interested in watching it bite me. I hear a low moan and open my eyes. I’m touching the top of its head. The wolf’s eyes are closed as well and I begin to run my fingers through its fur.

“See? I’m not mean. I just want to help you feel better.” I could barely force the words from my mouth. I’m still shocked that it didn’t bite me.

I look down at its paw and whisper, “Can I see your paw?”

Unbelievably, it lifts its leg up to my hands. My mouth plummets open.

“Uh-hhh…ok…” I stutter. I examine the wound. It looks fresh, like it got stuck in a bear trap. This will be difficult to fix. I stroke the top of its head once more and say, “Ok. I’m gonna take you home. I’m gonna make your leg feel better.

As if it understood me, it drops its leg and begins to wag its tail.

With my mouth still open, I mutter, “Okey dokey. Follow me.”

The wolf begins to limp after me, as I walk towards the trees. I keep an eye on it, making sure it doesn’t trip or anything.

“You know, I wish I could carry you, but I’m not that strong.” I pause for a minute and stop walking. “I’ve got an idea. Do you trust me?” The wolf wags its tail. That must mean ‘Yes.’

          I bend down and gently left its paw off the ground. Then I reach around the front of it and grab the other paw. I lift both of its forearms until the wolf is standing on its hind legs. I wrap my arms around the wolf’s torso and hug it against my body, then, I begin to walk.

          I make my way through the trees with the wolf against me. Its thick fur is warm and homely, just like a dog’s. I look back up into the wolfs eyes and whisper, “It’s ok.” When the wolf is standing up all the way, it’s taller than me. I feel like a child hugging a Great Dane. Even though the animal is so big, it isn’t very heavy against me.

          When we reach the road, I look around, trying to figure out how far from home we are. I spot the tree where I was going to sit and remember my book. It’s still lying on the ground, next to the tree I sat in front of. I look back at the wolf’s paw and decide to get it later. The wolf is my main priority at the moment.

          I reach my house and let go of the wolf. My keys clank together as I unlock the door, and lead the wolf inside. Luckily, my mother isn’t home. If she was, she would throw a fit. She wouldn’t have been okay with me bringing a wolf inside the house. I watch the wolf as it walks over to our couch and lies down in front of it. That’s where Charlie normally lies when my step dad watches TV. My eyes widen when I think of Charlie. He might come into the living room and see the wolf. Ugh! I do not need a dog fight on my hands. I search the house for our canine, but find no sign of him. Good. I pull out my cell phone as I walk back into the living room. The wolf is still lying in front of the couch. Even better. I look through my contacts and punch call. My mother answers on the fourth ring.

          “Hello?” She says.

          “Mom? Hey. When are you gonna be home?”

          “Not for another couple of hours. Why?”

          I think for a second and answer, “Uh…’cause I was getting hungry and I was gonna make dinner. But, I wanted to check with you before I do. I didn’t know if you had any food in particular that you wanted for dinner.”

          “Oh. No. Make whatever you want.”

          “Ok. What about Tom? When will he be home?”

          “Last I heard, he won’t be home for a while. Ok?”

          “Ok. See you later.”

          “Later.”

          I shut my phone and look back at the wolf. I’m gonna need some help. I flip my phone open again and find a new number. I push the call button again and wait for an answer.

          “Hey, Mel.” Danny says.

          “Hey.” I say, impatiently.

          “What’s up?” He asks.

          “I need your help. Can you come over here? Fast?” I ask.

          “Yah. Be there in a few minutes.”

          “Ok. Bye.”

          “Bye.”

          I sit down on the couch and rub the wolf’s back. It tries to sit up, but I stop it.

          “No. You need to stay put. Don’t move. One of my friends is coming over to help. Just lay down.”

          Six minutes pass and there’s a knock on the door. I get up and open the door.

          “Hey. Thanks for-”

          “Hey, Melinda.” Chris says, stretching out my name.

          “OH MY GOD! YOU COULDN’T HAVE PICKED A WORSE TIME TO SHOW UP! GO AWAY!” I yell.

          The wolf is behind me, instantly. After hearing the anger in my voice, it probably got protective. I hear growls coming from inside its chest. Chris looks down and gasps.

          “HOLY FREAKING CRAP!” He yells. “WHAT IS THAT?!?”

          “Do you see why you need to leave?!?” I yell back.

          He spins around and runs back to his car. At the same moment, Danny is getting out of his Pick-up. He’s wearing a Varsity jacket from a school in California, a red T-shirt, and faded blue jeans. He gives me a puzzled look as he reaches the steps.

          “It’s a long story.” I say.

          He stares at me, examining my mood. He shrugs and says, “Ok. So, what did you need my help with?”

          I move my leg a bit to push the wolf backwards, away from the door.

          “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” I say as I shut the door.

          I turn back around towards the wolf and walk over to the couch. I sit down and pat the seat. The wolf walks over and lays its head down on my knee. I lift its head and stare into its eyes.

          “Ok. I need you to be nice. This is my friend. He’s very nice. He’s here to help me. He’s not going to hurt us. Can you behave for me?” I plead.

          The wolf wags its tail, as if to say ‘Ok.’

          “Good. Now stay here. I’m gonna go get him.” I say as I get up and walk towards the door.

          The wolf growls softly. I turn back around and say, “Hey! Behave.”

          I open the door and stop Danny before he walks in.

          “What? Am I not allowed inside?” He teases.

          I purse my lips and close my eyes.

          “It isn’t that. I need you to not freak out when I show you what’s on my couch. Can you do that?” I say with my eyes still closed.

          “Ok. I won’t freak out. Can I come in now?” He laughs.

          I open my eyes and look at his face. His eyes look slightly worried.

          “Do you promise?” I ask.

          “Promise.” He smiles.

          “Ok. ‘Cause if you freak out, it’ll get mad.” I say quickly.

          “Wait-what?” He asks.

          “Don’t ask.” I sigh.

          I pull him inside and shut the door.

          I look back at Danny. His eyes are glued on the wolf. There’s a low rumble coming from its mouth. I push past Danny-who’s frozen stiff-and sit down next to the wolf. I touch my finger to its nose and say, “What happened to behaving?”

          The wolf licks my finger and attempts to sit up again. I push it back down, gently, and say, “I said ‘No sitting up.’”

          I look back at Danny. He’s still standing in the doorway.

          “I told you. Please don’t freak out.” I say, quietly.

          His eyes drift from the wolf, to me. He takes a deep breath and says, “It’s ok. I wasn’t going to freak out. I’m just a little…” He searches for the right word. “Taken back.” He sighs.

          “So can you help me?” I push the issue.

          “Umm…sure.” He pushes his lips into a thin line.

          “Thanks. I owe you.” I relax and smile.

          “Yah, you do.” He laughs.

          I watch as Danny takes a seat in the recliner across from us.

          “So…what do you need help with?” He asks, rubbing his hands together.

          I move my hand under the wolf’s paw, which is now hanging off the side off the couch, and lift it so Danny can see the damage.

          “Oh.” He sighs.

          “Yah. I don’t know what happened to him, but I followed him into the woods.” I say with my eyes still locked on the wolf’s.

          “Well, first thing’s first. We need to clean the wound and then we gotta bandage it up. You got a First Aid kit?” He says, leaning towards me.

          “Yah. I’ll go get it.” I say, walking out of the room.

          My shuffle across the floor as I walk back into the living room. Danny’s got his right hand on the wolf’s shoulder and his left hand on its forehead.

          “How’d you get him to calm down?” I accuse.

          “I moved over towards him. He didn’t get angry so I touched him.” He mumbles with his eyes on the bleeding paw.

          He lifts its forearm very gently and turns to me, “Can u bring me a warm, wet, towel? There’s dirt in the cut and it’ll cause an infection. Plus we need to moisten its skin before this heals the wrong way.”

          “I’m on it.” I dart into the laundry room and grab an old towel out of the cabinet and run to the sink.

          “Here.” I say, as I hand the cloth to Danny.

          “Thanks.”

          He goes back to examining the wound. Ever so gently, he dabs the cut until the blood ceases. I sit next to the wolf’s giant head and cradle his face in my lap. I run my fingers down the bridge of his nose until his eyes shut. Once they’re closed I lean down and whisper, “Relax. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

          I watch Danny as he cleans, sterilizes, and wraps the wound in gauze. All the while, I stroke the wolf’s enormous ears, keeping him calm. I gaze into its big green eyes and lose myself in another trance. Danny is the one that brings me back to Earth. He places his warm hand on my shoulder and shakes me.

          “Mel?” He asks.

          I shake my head, “What?”

          “Come on, let’s take the big guy home.”

          “You’re done? That was quick.”

          As I get to my feet, a wave of heat ripples through my body and I lose my balance. Danny’s arm catches me before I land on the sleeping wolf.

          “You alright?” He says, peering into my eyes.

          “Yah. I’m fine. Just tired.”

          “Well you know where to take him, seeing as you’re the one that found him, so you lead us into the woods.”

          “Ok. Lemme just wake him up. I guess I did a good job at keeping him calm.” I laugh.

          Not wanting to shock the poor creature, I crouch down to the wolf’s face and breathe, “Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up. We’re gonna take you home now. Come on. Wake up.”

          Slowly, the wolf opens his eyes.

          “There you go. Come on. We’re gonna take you back to the woods.”

          The wolf watches me as I stand back up. Danny’s arm automatically wraps around me.

          “It’s ok. I’m fine.” I smile.

          “Just making sure you don’t lose your balance again.”

          The wolf sees Danny’s arm and grows protective. He growls deep in his chest.

          Danny brings his hands back to his sides.

          I pat my finger on his nose and say, “Hey! None of that. We just did you a favor.”

          “Ok I’m gonna carry him.” Danny says, reaching his arms towards the wolf.

          “Are you sure? He’s really big.” I question.

          “No. It’s ok. I got him.”

          With a tender touch, Danny wraps his arms around the wolf. He then, lifts the giant dog over his head and rests his body on his shoulders, so that the wolf’s belly is against the back of his neck. He balances the wolf and takes a hold on the front legs in his left hand, and its back legs in his right. He turns towards me and laughs.

          My mouth is hanging wide open. “You are way too strong.”

          “Yah. But most girls like a guy like that.” He teases.

          “Oh shush.” I roll my eyes.

          “Lead the way.” He says, shifting the wolf into a more comfortable pose.

          We head out the door and down the street, towards the big green sign that says “Welcome to Bayfield, Wisconsin!”

          We reach the tree where I left my book and I grab it on the way deeper into the trees.

          Walking back into the woods, I retrace my tracks until I’m sure I’ve reached where the well should be.

          I stop to take in the shapes and colors, trying to jog my memory.

          “It’s around here somewhere.” I say, spinning in a circle.

          When I’m sure I’m lost again, I stop walking.

          “Why are we stopping?” Danny asks from under the weight of the wolf.

          “Because we’re lost.” I say.

          “Well, that can’t be good.”

          “You’re not tired yet?” I accuse.

          “Nope.” Danny smiles.

          I look around a bit more until Danny mumbles, “So are we lost, or are you remembering where we are?”

          “Nope we’re totally lost.” I smile.

          “Why are you smiling? Isn’t being lost a bad thing?” He frowns.

          “Not when you know where you’re going.” I say, still scanning the trees.

          “Wait…what?”

          “Follow me.”

          I take off through the trees with Danny at my heels. Seconds pass, and the trees open up to a clearing. The same clearing with the well. I turn to Danny and say, “This is where I found him.”

          He lifts the wolf off his shoulders and sets him on the ground. Danny laughs as the wolf licks his hands saying, “Thank you.”

          I turn back around and search the field for the well. I spot it in the center with a few leaves blowing past the base.

          Staring at the well, I realize, I have no idea how I found this place. Instinct took over, I guess. I had no clue where this place was and I just pulled it out of thin air.

          I turn back around to Danny, who is bent down scratching the wolf’s tummy, and say, “Hey. I wanna show you something.”

          “Ok.” He says as he stands back up.

          “It’s over there.” I point.

          “Le’z go.” He slurs the words together.

          The wolf limps after us as we cross the field. I reach the well first and cup my hands in abnormally high water. I bring the water down to the wolf’s muzzle and say, “Here. Drink this.”

          The wolf laps up every single drop on my hand before I fill my hands a second time.

          “You thirsty?” I tease, pushing my hands towards Danny.

          “Yah I am. But I don’t feel right sharing germs with the wolf.” He laughs.

          I laugh, too, “Take a drink. It’s clean.”

          Danny bends his head under the awning and fills his hands with the clear water.

          After a few minutes, his belly is full of the water, as well. I’m still pumped full of liquids from when I first found the well.

          “Man. That’s some good water.” He mutters, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

          “I know, right?” I smile.

          “Uh…where’d the wolf go?” He says, looking around.

          I look around and notice the wolf’s absence. “I guess he took off.” I was honestly too distracted by Danny, that I really didn’t pay much attention to the wolf. “He probably just wandered home.” I scan the field once more before looking back at him.

          “Well, we did our job. We helped him get back home.” He says, putting his hands in his jean pockets.

          “Yep. Now, we have to get home.” I laugh.

          “True.”

          “This way.” I  start walking away in one direction.

          “Hey. Wait up. I don’t wanna lose you.”

          I blush. Danny notices the change and laughs.

          “You know, you’re really cute when you do that.” He chuckles.

          “Thanks.” I blush even more.

          He laughs and wraps his arm around me and rubs my shoulder, holding me against him. I sigh. I’m perfectly happy. I helped an animal and now I get to walk back home with Danny. I don’t even care if we get lost. I’d still be happy.

 

         

 

Author's Note

There r probly a few grammar mistakes...