The Little Wolf They Left Behind

Thick smoke poured from a fourth-floor storage room. I learned later that faulty wiring had ignited illegally stored wolfsbane solvent. The fire also burned through old insulation containing silver compounds—a material that had since been banned in all pack buildings.

My nose and throat burned, and my body grew weaker by the second. The wolfsbane smothered even the faint instincts of the wolf still sleeping inside me. I could no longer tell which direction was safe.

Even then, I did not leave. I lowered my head and forced more chocolate into my mouth. Faster. As soon as I finished, Dad would come back for me.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms lifted me from the bench. It was the woman from the chocolate stall. She covered my nose and mouth with her coat and carried me toward the exit with the fleeing crowd.

Flames had already reached the holiday decorations in the center of the mall. Ribbons burned overhead, and glass ornaments shattered in the heat.

The woman carried me outside and set me down beyond the police line. Then she bent over, gasping for breath.

"Stay here. Don't move."

She held my shoulders and looked directly into my eyes. "I'm going to find a police officer and ask them to help locate your parents. No matter what happens, you must not go back inside. Do you understand?"

I nodded obediently.

Then I saw Chloe in the crowd. A firefighter's blanket was wrapped around her. Soot darkened part of her face, but she was not hurt. I ran over and grabbed her hand. "Chloe! Where are Mom and Dad?"

Chloe shook me off. She rolled her eyes.

"Mom and Dad think you're still inside the mall. They went back in to save you."

A loud buzzing filled my head. Mom and Dad were still inside the fire. They had gone in because of me. I immediately turned and ran toward the mall, which was still pouring out clouds of black smoke. I had to find them. I had to tell them I was already safe.

The woman from the chocolate stall spotted me and ran after me. "Come back! Where are you going?"

I did not stop. I only had time to turn and wave at her. "Thank you for saving me! I have to find my mom and dad! They're still inside!"

While the firefighters were moving equipment, I slipped through a gap beside the barricade. A wave of heat struck me. I ran back to the place where I had been eating chocolate.

"Dad! Mom!" I shouted through my coughing. No one answered.

Melted chocolate leaked out of the box and smeared my coat and fingers. Mom would probably be angry when she saw the mess.

I wanted to tell her I had not ruined my clothes on purpose. I had not disobeyed her either. I was only in such a hurry to find them.

The contaminated smoke made my eyes water and erased every familiar scent. No matter how hard I searched, I could not find Mom and Dad anywhere.

A burning decoration frame collapsed behind me. I tried to dodge it but tripped over the debris scattered across the floor. My knees struck the scorching tiles. I tried to stand, but there was no strength left in my arms. Fire and smoke soon surrounded me. All I could do was curl up on the floor and hold the unfinished box of chocolates against my chest. Before I lost consciousness, I was still praying. "Mommy, Daddy, please make it outside safely."

The pain and suffocation soon disappeared. My body became light, and I slowly floated away from the burning floor. It was so strange. I only had to think about Mom and Dad, and in the next second, I was beside them.

Outside the mall, Mom was kneeling in front of Chloe and carefully wrapping the blanket around her. "Don't be afraid, Chloe. You're safe now." Dad held a hot drink to her lips. "That must have been terrifying. Drink some of this. It'll help."

I was so relieved. Mom and Dad had already escaped. They had never been trapped inside the fire. I floated toward them happily, but Dad turned to the firefighters rushing past and gestured anxiously at my height.

"Have you seen a little girl around six years old? She's about this tall, with brown hair and a white puffer coat. She hasn't had her first shift yet. She can't run very fast."

Dad was looking for me. I rushed toward him and tried to hug his leg. My arms passed straight through his body. I froze, then tried again. I still could not hold him.

"Daddy, Ella is right here!" I stood in front of him, waving both arms. "I made it outside. Please look at me!"

Dad did not react. He repeatedly lifted his head, searching for my scent amid the chaos, but found nothing. He could not smell me. He could not hear me either.

I lowered my gaze to my nearly transparent hands and began to understand what had happened. At that moment, Chloe tugged on Dad's sleeve. "Dad… I think I saw Ella a little while ago."