Lone Wolf

No sooner had I horded some food, and packed up my valuables—special care taken to leave behind any items from my last job—did I find my new solace under the open sky violated by this most untimely of visitors. Violating my legroom I could take, for his quiet, almost unsettling, disposition was all but reflected in his diminutive size; violating my seclusion I was willing to put up with, for I knew there were no boundaries in the wild; but interrupting the strict time plan I was on was an aggravating speed bump on a road that had to be tread with great swiftness.

Our paths converged the day before this; with him asking for a drink and a sack for the night. I agreed, but whether it was to help this lame dog over his stile—apparently being a misplaced family member, of which I’m still doubtful—or out of a fear of turning the lame dog into a desperate wolf, I don't know.

Now here we were, a scene deserving of a decoration in irony; a troubled man having made his living artfully working the trust of others, now lending a hand to a man he hardly knew – a man who could possibly slice him to shreds over a can of baked beans. A thin piece of fabric was all that separated us from the dangers outside, but whether the real danger lied within was something I was still questioning.

He was a man of few words, cunningly avoiding my questions. He also possessed a habit of abbreviating his responses, and glancing over his shoulder during, which led me to believe that his being pursued was a grave possibility. Not one to distrust a man’s intentions, I was mad at myself for allowing my natural instincts throw doubt upon this man; his blemished face, tattered clothes, and slow eyes certainly did not help his cause. He also had an air of indifference to him; one limited to children, and the mentally deranged, but I seriously doubted whether his character belong to the company of either.

We heard something that sounded like a footstep on the brushwood outside that interrupted our harmonious rocking. The little man’s eyes started to move rapidly in directions I never thought possible. The noise kept up, increased in intensity and was getting closer with every passing second. The creature outside was definitely not a critter.

Coming to a realization, his eyes fixed on me. With new-found confidence, I saw the feeble look in his eyes give way to sharp rage, and I knew at once my natural instincts were right. He was then to utter the words meant to be the last three I would ever hear.

“...your last chance...”

I didn’t respond. My past had caught up with me just in time for my trip of redemption. After getting no reaction from me, he turned his back and, just as I heard the distant howl of a lone wolf, he crawled out into darkness.

Word count: 497