Big Wolf; 🐺

A little while later, as I was coming down the mountain road, I saw the old mountain house. The anger from the incident in the town center instantly faded from my face. The moment I saw the house, everything melted away. It was like a living, breathing structure, the magical place I remembered from my childhood. But it looked like it had aged over the years.

I got out of the car and approached the door, the veranda creaking under my feet. The key was still in the same spot, under the flowerpot in front of the window. I picked it up and, with trembling hands, pushed open the heavy wooden door. In that moment, it felt as though the silence of years came crashing down on me. Everything was screaming that no one had touched it in a long time.

I shook my head and laughed to myself.

"Grandma..." I said, calling out to the empty house. "You really left me an old, dusty mountain cabin. Did you ever think about how I was supposed to celebrate Christmas in this place?"

Yes, it looked daunting, but I had to start somewhere. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

I swept and wiped for hours. My hands were aching now, and some back pain had joined in too. But the house was slowly beginning to remember itself.

By the time I finished, the sun had already begun to sink behind the mountains. And at that moment, I remembered the kitchen supplies I had loaded into my truck.

I rushed outside, walked up to the truck, grabbed the first box in my arms, and carried it inside. It took three trips to bring everything in.

As I set down the last box, my phone rang. Maya's name was flashing on the screen. Maya was my closest friend in the city, she had supported me in every way for years.

"Hello," I said, a little out of breath.

"Eva! Oh God, you finally picked up! I was going crazy. How are you? Are you okay?" she asked. Her voice sounded genuinely worried.

I flopped onto the old velvet couch to rest for a moment.

"I'm still standing, haven't collapsed," I said with a laugh.

But she was still worried. "Don't put on an act, tell me how you really are," she scolded.

I was about to put on my "I'm fine" mask again. Then I thought of my loneliness and everything I'd been through this week. I chose to be honest.

"Ugh, fine... This place is a total madhouse, Maya. The people here have genuinely lost their minds. They refused to sell me food. I had to drive to a town an hour away."

"What? Eva, that's absolutely insane! If they're treating you like that, why are you still there?"

"I made a promise to my grandmother," I said, my voice softening. "I'm celebrating Christmas here!"

There was a brief silence. It was clear Maya didn't want to upset me, but she was worried about me being there.

"Eva... you gave her a beautiful funeral. You honored her. Do you think you haven't done enough? I think you can come home. You can even come to me. You don't have to torture yourself in those freezing mountains," she murmured.

I closed my eyes. I thought of the memories in this town. My grandmother's wise, loving gaze came to mind. In that moment, everything made sense.

"She wanted to spend her last Christmas here. She specifically wanted to be here, with me. I made her a promise, Maya. I think it'll be good for both of us. I'll rest for a few weeks, then I'll come back. Besides, it'll be like therapy for me, peace and quiet..." I said defensively.

"Alright," Maya said, helplessly. "What did you do about work?"

"I talked to the hospital. I took two months off," I said.

"I see..." she said. Her voice paused. "But Eva, please don't forget your vitamins. You hate the cold, that mountain house must be absolutely freezing. I'm worried you're going to get sick," she said.

I laughed. She was right, but I had to appear strong. "If you keep talking like this, I'm going to freeze stiff on this couch. I need to get firewood, I need to light the fireplace..." I muttered hurriedly.

"Okay, okay! I'll let you have your alone time, but show signs of life every now and then."

"Deal. Talk later, Maya." I hurriedly hung up.

I stood up and put my coat back on. The sun had nearly disappeared, and the air was cooling fast. I needed to get a fire going before dark.

The woodshed was about twenty meters from the house. I opened its creaky door and grabbed an armful of firewood. I loaded my arms so full I could barely see in front of me.

I started walking toward the house. My long, ash-blonde hair was whipping in the wind. Since I couldn't see ahead, I turned my head sideways as I walked.

And that's when I saw it. At first I thought it was an illusion, but there it was.

At the entrance to the forest path... about ten meters away... stood a massive wolf. How could it be a wolf? It was far too large for a wolf. It was literally the size of a bear. Its reddish-brown fur gleamed in the fading daylight. But what truly froze me were those eyes, burning amber eyes. So different from any wild animal. Intelligent. Aware. Staring straight into my eyes with a piercing gaze.

I flinched at the image that suddenly flared to life in my mind, these were the eyes I had seen in my dreams since childhood. Those familiar, warm, longing eyes of that man...

I had been seeing this man in my dreams for as long as I could remember. He was the sweet, innocent playmate of my childhood. As the years passed and I grew older, those eyes had transformed into dreams filled with my darkest and most passionate fantasies, a muscular, attractive man. Now, how could a wolf have those eyes? God, I thought my brain was playing tricks on me. For a moment, I was stunned.

When I stepped back in fear, my foot slipped on the ice.

The firewood in my arms scattered onto the snow with a crash. I had fallen flat on my back. My breath was knocked out of me. I couldn't move.

Then I pulled myself together. When I turned my head in that direction, it was gone. Vanished.

I rubbed my eyes. I looked again, but the path was completely empty. There were only trees, snow, and silence.

"What's happening..." I whispered, trembling. I couldn't stay out here any longer, I had no idea what animal might come to visit me next. I needed to get back inside before something made me its dinner.

I jumped to my feet, grabbed a long piece of firewood to protect myself, and frantically scanned the surroundings with my eyes. Nothing. No tracks, no shadow, no movement.

Did I imagine it? Is this PTSD? Or am I losing my mind?

I quickly gathered the scattered firewood, glancing over my shoulder every second. Then I ran for the house.

The moment I stepped inside, I slammed the door shut and locked it. With shaking hands, I set about lighting the fireplace.

Once the fire finally caught, I calmed down a little in its warmth. Sometimes people who have experienced psychological trauma can have hallucinations. Maybe that's what had just happened to me.

I hadn't had coffee in days. Yes, as a caffeine addict, I hadn't even thought about that during the grieving process. I went to the kitchen and made a strong, dark cup of coffee. I sat down on the floor in front of the fire and began to sip it in the silence.

Then the wolf came back to my mind.

"Even if it was real, it's just a wolf. A very large wolf. Perfectly normal for the mountains... right?" I murmured to myself.

I had experienced quite enough action for one day. Now I just wanted to rest. But the universe chose to surprise me again.

Suddenly, there was a clicking sound at the door. I nearly spilled my coffee in fright.

I fixed my eyes on the door. Who would be knocking on my door at this hour? On top of a mountain? In the middle of nowhere?

The worst-case scenarios immediately began spinning through my mind. The townspeople? Or had that giant wolf learned to knock? Summoning my courage, I rose to my feet, heart pounding.

I went to the window and looked outside through the frosted glass.

On the veranda stood a young woman about my age. Her curly red hair was braided in two plaits, she had freckles on her cheeks, and her face wore a warm, reassuring smile.

Cautiously, I opened the door a crack.

"Yes... how can I help you?" I asked.

Her smile widened. "Hi! I'm Eleanor!" she said cheerfully.

I just stared for a moment. Was I supposed to know her?

She laughed. "Oh, sorry! Um... you don't remember me. I'm Elly!" she said.

I frowned. My brain was running slowly from exhaustion. I didn't know her. Who was Elly? As I wrestled with the thought, a memory materialized before my eyes.

A girl with mud all over her face, laughing, gap-toothed, hair a mess. We used to play together as children.

"Elly?!" I exclaimed in shock. "I can't believe it! Mud-pie Elly?!"

"That's me!" she squealed with delight.

I threw the door wide open and hugged her.

"Welcome back!" she said, her eyes shining. "I heard you'd returned to town. I figured you might be missing a few things your first night, so I came to see you right away, thought I might be able to help."

This was genuinely the best thing that had happened to me today. A familiar face, a face that still cared for me, seeing her made me so happy.

"Come in!" I said. "It's absolutely freezing out there."

She smiled and stepped right inside. She walked toward the warm glow of the fire, rubbing her hands together. Then she looked at me with a tender expression in her eyes.

"I still can't believe you're here," she said.

I was so excited, I managed to say, "Me neither, I'm so glad to see you right now." I think I had found something in this cursed little town that would let me breathe a little...