I jumped up the crumbly porch and opened the door to my old white Victorian home.
"Mom!" I called out.
No answer.
She obviously wasn't home.

I went into the kitchen and dumped my backpack on the old tile. I took a quick glance around the room. I saw a glass of tasty looking purple juice.
There was a note attached to it. It read:
Dear Danny,
I'm sorry but I had to go to work. So I left you an afternoon snack. I know that juice isn't really a snack but your grandma considered it was. See you tonight.

Love, Mom

I dropped the note and picked up the juice. I chugged it down in one gulp.

I could feel the chunks going down and I knew that wasn't right.

I put the glass down slowly.

I felt nauseated and I could feel the bile rising in my throat. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

I then curled up on the wood floor and fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up and felt thirsty so I stood up and realized I couldn't reach the sink.

Why can't I reach the sink I thought?

I was in awe.

The last time I couldn't reach the sink was when I was 6. I knew that just last night I could reach the sink.

I rubbed my eyes. But instead I saw fur!

FUR!!!!

What in the world! How could I have fur?
I leaped up to the mirror and looked.

Instead of my long golden hair I had short black mangy tuffs of fur. My normally emerald green eyes were a menacingly yellow. My slender tall frame was now sleek and four legged. And the worst thing was the snout. I was used to having a cute nose and now I had a snout.
I was terrified at my appearance. I was too scary. The wolf face didn’t feel like it belonged to me.

I shot out the bathroom door and felt my stomach rumbling like an earthquake. That was definitely a problem.

I looked around and found that there was no way I could open the window let alone the fridge. I could see the wonderfully green pine trees in the forest by my house. I knew that the forest was full of wildlife I could eat, such as: elk, deer, rabbits, moose, and even small rodents if I was desperate.

I perched myself upon the windowsill and waited till dark when all the creatures would be alive. I didn’t have to wait long.

The darkness crept in on me and I found my stomach was so hungry it was aching. I sighed as I realized I hadn’t figured a way out.

DING!

That’s when it hit me.

All I had to do was break the window and rely on my fierce hunter senses to feed me.

I grasped my mother’s favorite vase in my mouth and lightly tossed my little burden.
I heard the sound of crashing glass. I peeked over my shoulder and saw a decent sized hole for my slender body to fit through. Looks like luck was going my way.

I shot out of the hole into the cold dark night. I sucked in huge amounts of pine scented air. I could feel the tiny glass shards stuck in my fur and skin. I was thankful to my luck and to my mothers broken vase. She was going to kill me when she found out.

I realized I would never see her again I was a wolf now and she was a human. The sorrow clung to my heart and I tried to ignore it but it only subsided.

I jogged out to meet the forest and spotted a rabbit. I started the chase and soon the rabbit lost.

The meat was still warm when I had finished. My stomach was satisfied . . . For the moment. I laid down to rest and I looked at the stars.

They were twinkling and they were so far away. I was looking at stars that could have already burned out a million years ago.

I heard a twig snap.

I sat up and scanned the surrounding trees. I spotted it. He was a hunter and he was wearing all camouflage. I could see he was holding a rifle and my heart started to pound against my ribs.

My hunting instincts kicked in, so did my extinct human instincts.

I could stay and fight or I could make a dash for it and hope to make it home and hide in Sam’s doghouse.

I turned to run and heard gunshots.

I bolted towards my house. The wind was rushing through my fur and the sound of my paws hitting the earth filled my ears. The panting of my breath was silent. The trees blurred by and I took hardly any notice to them. The loose glass fell away from my racing figure.

I could see my house and the lights were still out. I saw the broken window and took a leap of faith into the little hole.

I then fell onto the floor of my kitchen and sighed in relief. That didn’t last long. The hunter’s shadow fell over me and his gun barrel came to my face. I howled my first and last howl. Then closed my eyes.

The gun shot never came.


I opened my eyes and found myself in the back seat of my mom’s Acura. I looked at my mom.

“Honey I came home and found you sick on the bathroom floor. I was so sorry that juice made you sick so I am taking you to the doctors. What’s the matter you look like you’ve seen a ghost? But anyways I love you so much Danny.” She said in her sing song voice.

“I love you too mom.”

And then I cried because I was with my mom once more.