The Howling

Short Story #1 of Complete The Story Series

It was that fleeting hour of the day when the moon and sun are high and bright at the same time. Like many things in my life, these summer nights wouldn’t last much longer. I sat quietly on a grassy hillside, enjoying the summer breeze. Like the summer nights, this breeze too will not last. It was my favorite time of the year, though.

The moon began to show itself more by the hour.

Time to head home I thought to myself.

I decided to take the long path home through the lavender field. The way the final Summer full moon shone down on the purple fields held a certain kind of magic.

One can only enjoy this walk during short times of the year; the wolves reclaimed this land a short time ago. It was a wonderful reclamation but many dangers remained; plotting, preparing, waiting for the right time to strike. Villagers to the west were often the most destructive of these lands and its inhabitants.

For now, they keep their distance. And I fear the treaty will not last long.

Off in the distance, the embers escaped through the cobblestone chimneys rising above cottages. Stood at the end of the trail to take a moment to reflect on what remained from the war before the treaty could be signed.

Much was lost.

As the moon rose higher in the sky, I heard the howls of many hungry wolves, all not far behind me.

“Soon”, I whispered.