"You have pet wolves?"

Life is full of confusing mazes which surprise you and test you. I had my first encounter with a maze when I met Scarlett for the first time, and I was bullied for something I had no idea about. Maybe I still don’t know. But I do remember her calling me the odd one out, the kid who didn’t deserve to be a Robinson just like my dad.

The second maze occurred when I lost my parents but all those times, I had my brother protecting me, guiding me. Today I felt lost. My soul was desperate for help, but I just kept running from the people who might have helped me- my best friends. For a while, I heard them shouting my name, but I just hid behind a tree. I wanted to be alone.

This morning all I did was hate, Caleb. And I was right. I need to hate him. he deserves it. But his every touch, every move made this weird sensation. It was like someone sent electric shocks down my spine- in a good way. And all these confusing emotions combined with all the secrets his family is keeping made the anger burst when his words pricked me. I kept running. My focus was on the way ahead and I could feel the fresh air hit my skin and suddenly I stopped. I looked around to realise- I was lost!

The idea of losing my way in the forest where 4-5 people go missing mysteriously every year didn’t make my will of being alone look like the need of the hour. I looked around and saw a small opening to a cave. The idea of going inside a dark, unknown cave in this mysterious forest was not appealing at all. I ignored the part of me begging to rest for a while and turned around to find my way back to Caleb’s place. I couldn’t have run this far.

I always loved camping with my brother and dad, but the fear of getting lost, never stopped me from wandering alone in the forest, because then I knew someone will look for me if I lose my way. I believed in them. Today I was scared. Well, scared would be an understatement. I was petrified. Yes, my friends love me, but they will take time to figure out that I am lost. Caleb is not coming with a search party to look for me, that was obvious. I don’t mean anything to him. He didn’t even care to give me an invitation with my name on it!

I was walking and jumping over the rocks and my eyes were desperately searching for something familiar. I looked around and for a second my heart raced when my brain said, ‘this is something we saw earlier'.

But the moment of victory dance by the hormones was pretty short-lived. In front of me was the same scary cave again.

I sat on the nearest rock and just stared at the path I came from. It was a simple route when I came, how is it this complicated. The moon was shining brightly, but the darkness was still winning. My phone was about to die which meant soon I will not even have my phone’s flashlight too.

I closed my phone and kept it in my pocket and stood up to look for some wood to put on fire. But due to moisture, all the wood was wet, which meant it wouldn’t get burnt that easy.

After searching and picking up some branches, I ran towards the entrance of the cave. It was better than staying out in open. Keeping the small pile of wood at the entrance I put some mosses on it so that it is easy to burn them. all the years of scouting coming in handy today!

After an hour of relentless trials, I could finally put on the fire. I sat near the fire and the warmth took me in its loving embrace. I knew the night will be long and sleeping is obviously not an option. I was about to move closer to the burning pile of woods when some weird sound caught my attention. I looked around frantically to make out the source of that rustling sound.

“Who is it?”, like an idiot I asked.

No answer! I sat down thinking it must be a rabbit or some small animal passing by. Well! Small was quite necessary here to keep my heart from exploding. I reached out for my phone when the rustling sound interrupted me again.

“Who is it!”, the shiver in my voice embarrassed me as well.

No answer again! From all these years of watching horror movies and survival shows, I had learnt not to walk towards the mysterious sounds. But I was out in open, and I couldn’t have done anything even if the sound came running towards me. Slowly I picked a log I had kept by my side and lit it with fire. This would keep the wild animals away at least.

I looked in the direction of the sound for a while and finding no movement I sat down but still held onto my weapon tightly. I was about to look the other way when something jumped out of the bush. A wolf!

I looked at it petrified, and my hands started to shiver but I stood up and pointed my weapon towards it. It worked as the wolf took a step back.

“Don’t hurt me. I swear I am lost.”, I cried like a fool. The wolf tilted its head as if it could understand me. The wolf seemed lost too. None of us moved for a while and I was about to put the burning log down as a sign of peacemaking when three more wolves jumped out. I was surrounded by predators. They were majestic but scary. They growled at me, and I moved the burning log in front of each of them trying to scare them.

 I faced the wolf which came first, and I realised it was gone. It had vanished. Did it run away? Was I abandoned by the only good wolf? I heard the growling again and turned around and was taken by surprise when two of them pounced on me.

“Don’t kill me please!”, I whispered with my eyes closed. I could feel their faces near mine and all I could think about was, how I will never get to see my brother the last time before dying.

The third wolf came walked ahead and I could feel its paw on my forehead. I closed my eyes tightly and prepared myself to embrace the pain coming next. Well, maybe running away from Caleb was not a brilliant idea. I was waiting for all the torture to end when suddenly the weight was lifted off me. I sat up looking around. I saw the three wolves were tackled to the ground by four other wolves! What in the world is happening here?

“Are you okay?”, a worried voice asked and before I could see who it was someone pulled me into a hard rock chest.

I know this chest, this smell, and this voice. It was Caleb! My eyes were fixed on the fighting wolves. When did he keep pet wolves?

“I am so sorry!”, he whispered making me realised I was safe now. Tears started flowing and I hugged him back. Holding him tightly and feeling safe in his embrace, I felt the electric shocks again. He tightened his arms around me and let me cry.

“I was so scared!”, I whispered, and he nodded.

“Of course, you were. Why would you run into the forest like this? We were all so scared.”, he scolded lightly. Maybe he was afraid to hurt me again.

“I am sorry!”, I whispered and he chuckled.

“What?”, I asked finally letting him go.

“Hayley saying sorry! That is amusing.”, he smirked. The jerk is back! I laughed too.

“Can I ask you something?”, I said.

“And here she is, the curious cat!”, he mocked but nodded anyway.

“When did you keep pet wolves.”, I asked. He looked at me in disbelief and then burst out laughing. Well, I was glad I could make him laugh, but I still don’t understand what was so funny about my question?