Chapter 1

     “Let’s go, Mommy! It’s picnic time!” I cry, grasping her large hand with my small one. I tug on her arm, but find my feet sliding backward on the hardwood flooring. My mom chuckles and, grasping my hand, leads me out the front door while calling for my dad. His heavy footsteps follow behind us and I turn to see my dad shutting the door while carrying our basket of food that my mom prepared. 

     “Ready to go, Princess?” he asks me. I nod vigorously. 

    “I can’t wait! We will have so much fun! We can go swimming and eat the food and play tag and making flower crowns and–” 

    “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” My dad interrupts. “Slow down. How about we just plan on eating and going swimming? If we have time, we can also play tag.”

    “Okay, Daddy,” I sigh. I rarely get to go somewhere new, so I want to enjoy this opportunity as much as possible. My father’s large, warm hand grabs the hand that my mom isn’t holding and we walk into the woods together. The trees are beautiful and very tall. I marvel at how big they are before noticing the sound that floats around us. I listen closer and find that it sounds like laughter. I glance at each of my parents and confirm that they are the ones laughing. 

    “What’s so funny?” I ask, confused.

    “Your eyes were so wide,” my mom admits. “They looked so big on your small face that we couldn’t help but laugh.

     “That’s because I don’t normally see such big trees,” I pout, my cheeks warming. My parents chuckle again. As their laughter dies down, I feel a tug on both of my arms. My body follows the tug and I swing forward into the air. Giggling, I regain my footing.

     “Again!” My parents swing their arms forward and I follow. “Again!...Again!...Again!” I cry. By the time that my parents tire of swinging me, we have arrived at our destination. Before us lies a grassy field. Bordering the field is a lake. The blue of the lake contrasts beautifully with the white of the wildflowers that ruffle in the breeze. Giggling, I let go of my parents’ hands and run forward through the field. I take my time exploring the field. Crickets and other insects fly around me as I run, the vibration of my footsteps disturbing them. I stop at the shore of the lake, the cool water soothing my feet. Spotting an interesting pebble, I pick it up. The smooth stone is cool to the touch. Taking the pebble with me, I run back to my parents.

     “Mommy! Daddy! Look what I found!” I cry showing them my pebble. 

     “That’s beautiful, dear. Now why don’t you sit down and eat with us?” my mom suggests. I plop down next to her on the blanket.

     “What’s for lunch?” I ask. 

     “Sandwiches, cookies, and apples,” my dad tells me as he opens up the basket. “Your mom made you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, just the way you like it.” 

     “Yummy! Thank you, Mommy!” I take my sandwich from my dad and bite into it. The peanut butter and grape flavors burst into my mouth. My mom smiles at me as she eats her own sandwich. 

     “How about we play tag after lunch. Then we can go swimming to cool off,” she suggests. 

     My father nods, “That is a great idea.” We continue eating in silence, enjoying the scenery.

     Finishing my sandwich, I ask, “Can I have a cookie, please?” 

     My mom chuckles before reaching into the basket. “You may have a cookie after you eat your apple. You know the rules: no fruits or vegetables, no dessert.”

     I sigh and take the apple from her. The crisp flesh breaks against my teeth and I bite off a chunk. The juice spreads through my mouth as I chew and swallow. I like apples, but cookies are better. Bite by bite, I slowly eat my apple. My dad notices that I’m finished and takes the apple core from me before holding up two chocolate chip cookies.

     “Here you are. Don’t eat these too fast,” he warns. I thank him and take the cookies. They are perfectly chewy and melt in my mouth. I take small bites and savor every mouthful. My mom smiles while watching me and my dad chuckles. Licking my hands clean of melted chocolate, I stand up.

     “I’m done. Let’s go play!” I shout. My parents agree and stand up. We move closer to the middle of the field.

     “I’ll be ‘it’” my mom offers. 

     “Okay!” I cry. “Come and get me!” I run off giggling. 

     “I’m going to get you, you silly little girl,” my mom playfully threatens me. I giggle again and turn to run in a different direction. Glancing back, I see my mom running away from me to chase after my dad who runs in the opposite direction. Then, she turns back towards me. I run away, but am swept off the ground and into her arms.

     “Gotcha. Now you're ‘it’,” she says. I giggle.

     “I’m going to tag Daddy,” I tell her. She grins back at me.

     “That’s a great idea.” She sets me down on the ground and I take off running towards my dad. He sees me and starts running in the opposite direction. We are all giggling and running around when a harsh noise cuts through our fun. A growl, to be specific. My parents move to stand in front of me and I peek around their legs to see five wolves coming out of the woods on the far side of the field. The wolves move forward in a ‘V’ formation. The leader, a light brown wolf with brown eyes, lets out another growl. He steps forward, followed by two light brown wolves, a dark brown wolf, and a gray wolf. They all have matted fur and their snarls are feral. Their eyes seem to shine with a crazy light.