5| White Handkerchief

Jonea recoiled in fright. She was groping for anything she could use as a grip. Until her hands felt the rough and fibrous tree trunk, and Jonea realized she was standing in the middle of nowhere. Her foot tripped over a tree root.

"W-what is that?" Jonea screamed as a large grey wolf jumped at her.

The girl fell and lay on the surface of fallen leaves, almost rotting. Her hands gripped the damp forest ground.

The large grey wolf had dense fur. The pattern of his fur is partially grey. In some parts, it has a darker colour close to black, such as on the neck and nape. He had bluish-grey eyes that flashed sharply.

The wolf lunged at Jonea and pinned the girl's chest to the ground with its two front legs. His front snout is right opposite Jonea's tiny nose. It took Jonea a few seconds of silence to realize her dire situation.

"Aarrhhh!"

The girl flailed her hands to avoid the wolf's long muzzle attack. She screamed in fear. Jonea's legs kicked the leaves and the ground. She tried to escape, but the wolf kept pinning her so Jonea couldn't run anywhere.

The girl kept screaming for help while closing her eyes. After all her vain attempts, Jonea realized something was wrong.

'This wolf is not attacking me!'

Something was wetting her crossed hands in front of her face. Jonea felt a thick and warm liquid with a fishy smell.

'Wolf saliva?' she thought. 'No! This is… blood?'

When Jonea opened her eyes, the wolf collapsed next to Jonea.

"What happened? Did someone kill him?"

Jonea looks around. She hoped that someone would show up and save her, but no. On the other hand, she felt relieved.

Jonea immediately sat down and walked away from the big wolf. When she was about to stand up and run away, Jonea saw that her hands were covered in blood.

"My blood? Whose blood is this? I don't feel hurt."

The girl watched the grey wolf lying helplessly.

"Oh, you're hurt? But what should I do? You scared me. Have you come to ask me for help?"

The wolf just lay there doing nothing. One of its front legs seemed stuck by a large metal plate.

Jonea panicked. Instinctively she wanted to get out of there and save herself. However, when she saw that the wolf was in pain and Jonea was fine, she felt pity. The girl took off her backpack and started crawling towards the wolf.

"I will help you, okay?" Jonea stared at the wolf's bluish-grey eyes, which looked helpless. "But please don't hurt me. But how can I help you?"

The girl was completely confused and restless.

The wolf didn't move or even show any reaction, which might make Jonea run away in fear. After feeling safe, Jonea dared to extend her hand. Very carefully, Jonea stroked the wolf's dense fur. The fur around the wolf's stomach felt softer than the other parts.

"Oh, your fur is so soft and warm," Jonea muttered subconsciously.

The wolf just lay down and winked at Jonea.

"Okay, I think you're in pain and need some help. Where do you come from? I didn't even think that there were still wild animals like you in this forest. Are you lost? No, I mean, did you escape from the zoo?"

Jonea kept talking to divert her nervousness. Slowly her hand began to move to the wolf's injured forelegs. When Jonea touched the metal plate, the wolf quickly retracted its forelegs.

Jonea jumped in surprise. “Sorry, did that hurt you? I'm sorry. But, we have to let it go."

Joe bit her lower lip.

The wolf looked groaning. Blood kept dripping from his wound.

Slowly, the wolf stretched out its forelegs again. As if that was a sign that he was ready. Jonea nodded firmly and stroked the wolf's injured leg to calm it down.

"I'll take it off, okay? This is going to be very painful, I know. But we have to do it. I'll start on the count of three!" said Jonea. "Oh, did I wish you understood human language?"

The wolf's face remained flat.

"I'd be crazy to expect a wolf to smile or laugh. Even showing a painful reaction, you probably won't be able to. Forgive me."

Jonea is very nervous.

'Wolves only have one face. Killer face!' thought Jonea.

The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After pulling and exhaling several times, Jonea opened her eyes again. She began to bring her hand closer to the metal plate.

"Okay... I'll pull it out on the count of three! Let's begin!"

Jonea rubbed her palms together.

"One..."

squeak!

Jonea broke her promise. She said she would remove the plates on the count of three. But she actually pulled it out after the first count. The wolf howled in pain as the metal plate ripped from its forelegs.

"Wow, it worked!" shouted Jonea.

The wolf immediately stood straight even though his steps staggered a little. He tried to get closer to Jonea, but his body fell again, and blood was still coming from his scars.

"Wait, you want to pounce on me after I save you? Damn it!"

The wolf only howled softly.

"Don't move much. Your wounds are still open."

Jonea took her bag and searched for something. "I guess to keep it here. Where is that thing?" muttered Jonea. "Ah, found!"

She wrapped a white handkerchief around the wolf's injured leg. Jonea tied him tightly so that the blood would stop.

"It won't help much, but it will stop your bleeding. I hope you're doing well after this."

The wolf started to stand up and balance his body with his legs wrapped in a handkerchief by Jonea.

She was shocked when Jonea saw the iron plate she had just removed. "Isn't it silver? Who threw away silver this big to hurt you?"

When Jonea turned her head, the wolf was gone.

"Wow, how fast did he go? I didn't even hear the sound of his footsteps. By the way, this silver is quite expensive too. Maybe I can sell it at a jeweller later."

Jonea shrugged. After cleaning the silver from the blood stains, Jonea put it in a bag.

The girl immediately ran back to the school building. She was too late and kept going in circles without knowing the right direction. She walked back up the path she had come from.

Jonea has reached the correct building and is about to climb the stairs. Suddenly she heard the screams of the students.

"That's B4! B4!"

All students, both boys and girls, ran in the same direction.

Jonea was confused. She was pinned in the middle of the stairs. All the students pushed and pushed past her roughly.

"Move!" said one student. "You're just getting in our way!" He pushed Jonea's shoulder.

Four youths walked in groups entering the main door. Hunter Abraham led at the front, followed by Elmar Delamo and Edison Fuller, who walked on Hunter's right and left sides. Aland Hamilton was walking in the rearmost position—a young man with silvery grey hair and an earring.

Jonea was curious to see the crowd. She turned around and went down the stairs. Jonea joined the crowd with other students.

"I can’t see them!" Jonea grumbled.

Out of curiosity about the figure of B4, who was hailed by the whole school, Jonea finally stepped forward with more effort. She searched for gaps until she arrived at the front row.

"So they're B4?" muttered Jonea. "What's so interesting about them? They look like random students."

Jonea wasn't interested in Hunter Abraham or the other B4 members. Just as Jonea was about to turn around, she saw something that caught her attention.

"That handkerchief?"

Jonea saw her white handkerchief tied to one of the B4 members' hands. At the same time, Hunter suddenly stopped in front of Jonea.

All of the previously hysterical students suddenly fell silent.