Falling for the wolf

"Eva, come down now please!" Lucas's scream takes me out of my thoughts as I take one last look at my house. My father is a sheriff and has been transferred to Telluride, a town in Colorado. A town of which I know nothing and I know no one. I feel so bad, I feel like I will miss my friends, my classmates. All my life living here and now I'm leaving. I hope to return one day. I took my bags and went downstairs, I have no idea what will happen to this house, I don't know if they will sell it or what, but I will really miss it.

I left the house, dad and Lucas were waiting inside the car. Lucas took it easy, too well, I would like to be like him and that things hardly affect me. Or well, pretend they don't. I put the suitcases in the trunk and got in the back seats. I am the youngest in the family, I am sixteen years old. Lucas is seventeen, my older brother. Dad divorced mom many years ago and my mom married another man. They live a bit far.

"Are you okay, Eve?" Dad asks me as he starts the car.

"Yeah, fine," I lied so as not to worry him. Dad knows what it means to live here, he knows it's my favorite place, he knows my friends are here, my grandparents, everything. But I had to get used to the idea that I won't be here anymore for a while. “Do you think your transfer will be for many years?” I wanted to know.

"I really don't know, honey, besides, strange things are happening in Telluride lately. I have to find out what kind of person or animal does that kind of thing.

“What things?” I asked.

“There have been disappearances in the woods. That's why you can't be separated from your brother when you go to class, you leave together and come back together, okay?"

"I don't think the lady wants to hang out with her older brother. She’s embarrassed” Lucas annoys me.

“He's the one who's embarrassed, Dad, he doesn't like me to see him make out with his girlfriends.

"Girlfriends? You make me look like I have a lot.”

“And it is not like that?” Dad supports me.

“Not at all. I'm a one woman man,” Lucas said proudly.

I rolled my eyes and looked for my headphones, it will be a very long trip and I need to distract myself with something so I don't feel nauseated.

•

My eyes were closed, I was almost falling asleep when I heard a crash and then a sudden stop. My eyes snapped open and I took off my headphones. We had stopped.

“What's happening?” I slipped back into reality. I don't know how much time had passed but I felt like it was a long time.

"I think the tire exploded," Dad explained to me, "Lucas, let's change it. We're getting there." He got off. Lucas took off his seatbelt and also got out of the car. I put the headphones aside and lowered myself. As soon as my body went outside I felt a cold wind go through my body, I hugged myself and looked around me: there was nothing else but a forest, some fog, a horrible silence and further on a sign that said Welcome to Telluride. Yes, we were just arriving.

Dad began to remove the tire and together with Lucas began to change it. I didn't feel alone at that moment, apart from Lucas and my father I felt that there was someone else there. It gave me chills, it gave me a little bit of fear. In the distance, between the branches of the trees, I could see the full moon rising. It was yellow, big and beautiful. I was stunned by such a spectacle.

"Look at the moon," I pointed out. "How beautiful."

“Photograph her,” Dad tells me. I looked for the camera in my bag and took several photos of the landscape. How beautiful it looks. “It's getting dark and it's not good to be out here,” he murmurs.

“Why?” Lucas asks. I was distracted reviewing the photos I had taken, until I noticed something in one: there was a shadow between the trees, right there in front of me. I looked from the camera to the forest, in that same place. I only saw something dark and big. Like a silhouette. I looked at the camera again and changing the lighting I found that thing.

It looked like an animal, a wolf perhaps. Although I wasn't too sure.

“Ready.”

The tire had already been changed.

"Let's go." Lucas took my arm and led me into the car.

“What's the matter?” I wanted to know totally surprised. Lucas hardly took care of me.

"I won't leave you alone out there."

I rolled my eyes and hugged him. After all he is my brother.

The car started and we began to enter the town. It wasn't bad, it had mountains, a town surrounded by trees, forests, and fog. I didn't even know where we would live. Dad kept driving more and more until he reached a point where there were almost no houses, just a few kilometers from each other. He parked in front of a white house with a more or less large garden.

"Kids, this will be our home for a few years," Dad said. When he said years, it made me sad and nostalgic at the same time because I didn't want to spend years here. Really not. Next to us was another house almost the same as ours. The lights were on and it looks like they were having a party very soon because there was loud music and movement inside.

Great, noisy neighbors.

We got out of the car to get our things. I took my bags.

"Don't let the noise bother you," Dad murmured as he was the first to head to the entrance.

"Whoa, whoa." Lucas stared at the house “Do you think they'll kick me out if I go to that party?” He asks me.

"Why would they?" I looked at him. The truth was that I wasn't interested in that party or who lived there.

“Because many people tend to be jealous with new people.” says Lucas “And something tells me that the people of this town are very problematic” with that said, Lucas headed for the house as well. "Come on inside, Eve!"

Just when I was going to take a step, a car arrived in front of that house, a few meters from me. Its light blinded me.

"How rude," I muttered to myself. But nobody got out of the car and they didn't turn off that light. I closed the trunk of my dad's car and wanted to load the two suitcases but I didn't know when they had become so heavy that when I wanted to walk I tripped making me almost fall on my face to the ground. And to my shame, the guy or girl from the car was there seeing my misfortune.

I looked towards the car.

"Could you turn off the light?" I asked whoever was there. “It is a bit akward.” I went back to my bags. Lucas doesn't even come to help me. The car lights went off at that moment. "Thanks," I mumbled sarcastically but it was more to myself.

“You are welcome.”

I jumped in fright in the same place and put a hand to my chest because there was someone standing right in front of me. I stood still watching that tall boy, black hair looking at me curiously. At what time did he get out of the car and come to me? I didn't even feel it! How weird.

"You scared me." I rolled my eyes at him. I had no intention of chatting with the guy. I took my bags and tried to move forward.

"Do you need help, girl?" the man asked me. His voice was so manly and bossy. At least that's how I felt. I imagine that it will be one of those boys who believe the big thing.

"No, I can alone," I replied.

“I'm serious.”

I stood still in my place because I had only lowered my gaze for a microsecond and this boy was in front of me, blocking the way. I looked behind me and then at him.

“How...?” I wanted to ask how he got there so fast but I'm sure I'm on the moon. “Forget it. Who are you? I told you I don't need your help, young man.”

He smiled sideways and only now I realize how handsome he is. Something hit my chest at that moment, something I couldn't hide. Perhaps he also noticed the same thing because he immediately turned serious, his jaw clenched.

“You're right. You can alone” said that he turned and went to that neighboring house.

I didn't understand what the hell had happened or who that boy was but that he was weird he was. I took my suitcases with trembling hands and decided to get closer to my house, however just at that moment a wolf howling was heard too close.