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When the Wolves Come Out
Short story contest
Part 1 Coming
I thought I was a Normal, until my fifth-tenth birthday came. I’d always felt Normal always fit in. I was in fact utterly shocked on Deciding Day when I was declared a Wolf of the Pride. The pride is where we live it’s where we’ve always lived it is all that I and everyone I know has ever known. We are not all equal people. We are divided into five groups. The Scum Of The Pride, The Normal People Of The Pride, The Special Workers Of The Pride, The Powerful Ones, And The Wolves. The life of a wolf is important they are the protectors of everyone. Each are held with the upmost respect no one would ever do one wrong. They can actually become the wolves whenever they would like but the young (like me) are at its mercy for our training months. This is what is to come months of training maybe years I don’t know it depends how I respond to the trials. I was of course nervous the trials were near and I couldn’t be more unprepared. Because I had foolishly cast myself off as a normal not anything of any special skills or tasks. The honor of being a Wolf was huge larger than any other. I am being rushed by my trainer to the train. This train only holds one other person Marceline. She is apparently also a Wolf. But many of us saw it coming she seemed like a Wolf the way she was always observant and when danger came she sprung right to the occasion. She was actually now that I got one of my first real good look at her very pretty. Beautiful even to some but she seemed unapproachable the kind of person who wouldn’t just welcome you it’s like you had to sneak in quick and agile. Well that had never been my thing and I guessed I would be getting to know her pretty soon training would start immediately. At least I could do it with someone else. The train PA system announced its arrival in 30 minutes it wasn’t a long trip but it was straight into the mountains where they stayed. I was nervous but I wanted to talk I decided that my only other companion would be forced to fill that role so I spoke “, Hey Marceline finally got to be a Wolf right?” Marceline looked up at me with a sort of fire in her eyes and said “, I never wanted to be a Wolf this is not a world I wish to protect.” I was completely baffled why would she say this being a Wolf was a great honor who wouldn’t want it? “What do you mean Marceline? Don’t you want to be a Wolf it is the greatest honor.” I said Marceline looked at me sharply and said “This is no honor it if anything is a curse.” Now I was really confused being a Wolf meant only the greatest for you and your posterity. Why would anyone not want that? “But Marceline” I said “How can you not want this it is such a great thing.” I think she was about to say something when an attendant came in to announce we were arriving and to grab our bags and get ready to enter the living place of the Wolves. I grabbed my bag form above and so did Marceline she gave me another look that said don’t trust them. I was nervous why would Marceline not want this? It is an upmost honor to be chosen and you can’t turn it down, not that anyone has ever wanted to. The door opened and I walked into the fading daylight Marceline at my back and my fears with me now. Why would she question them? I looked back at her for the answer that was cut off but she wasn’t paying attention to me now she was looking past me and past the mountain into oblivion.
Part 2: A Most Unlikely Outcome
We were walked towards a cabin like room it wasn’t very large. We walked inside being led by the attendee and as I walked through the door I really felt the shock of what was going on. I was to be a Wolf and my partner didn’t want to. Could someone just opt out? I hadn’t thought so but maybe she could through the training maybe they would say they were wrong and just forget her and let her live as scum. But no they never had those who were chosen as Wolves but never made it were often subject to stories. They were said to become the very monsters they are trying to protect us from or that they were killed off and some say that they are just left to starve in the Wilds. But rumors were just rumors and it is better to just believe that it all will go well. Our cabin was smallish having a main space one bedroom and an outhouse a few feet out the door though the main room was nicely furnished I realized that with only one bed I may be forced to sleep on the couch. Not a huge deal but annoying and of course me being stupid me decided to say “So we have to live together?” The attendee shot me a look and then said that “Once I passed my training I would earn my own space but that was something I must earn it in due time” of course everything in due time. I put down my bag on the couch and turned to face the attendee and Marceline. I asked the attendee “What can I call you?” She looked at me curtly and said “You Mr. Marcus Tretale may call me 5th Wolf.” I was shocked that was a high position in a group of roughly 60 Wolves. “So why are you escorting us around?” I asked. She looked at me with a sort of gleam in her eye and said “It is my job.” “But” I said “Why would a high Wolf like you need to hang around us?” “Because the future of the Wolves is important. You do know that there have been rumors of an uprising and our future Wolves must be prepared.” I thought then to Marceline on the train is that what she wanted to tell me? Is that why she distrusted this great place? Was she in on some kind of uprising? And the seemingly most eluding question. Why in God’s name would they want to up-rise? I thought I would just have to ask her when Miss 5th Wolf here left. She then said “Well I must leave you two alone be prepared for tomorrow that is when your training will start. She left and closed the door behind her I looked at Marceline and started speaking but she cut me off saying “She’s still listening you know.” She then yelled out the door “K we can handle ourselves now” I then her footsteps and most likely the sound of 5th Wolf murmuring unhappily. I asked the question “Talk in the bedroom?” She nodded at me and I slipped into the only bedroom in the whole cabin hut thing. She looked at me and said “Look we don’t have much time and we need to get going before it starts.” She said trialing off. I was now really confused and had a million questions I said what was most on my mind “Are you part of an uprising?” Then before she could answer “Before what happens?” She looked at me and said “Yes I am part of an uprising Mark I am the leader of the uprising.” I was utterly stunned and had really nothing to say so I let her continue “Mark they are going to brainwash you like everyone else has been. There is no training Mark they just go do it and then you’re stuck for life and Mark I can’t let that happen.” She looked at me again clearly a little shaken and scared “With me or against me?” I still was hard of speech so I just asked how many are uprising.” Hundreds Mark hundreds.” But Marceline you’ve always seemed like a Wolf how can you of all people be the leader of an uprising?” She looked at me and said I learned it years ago I was still young maybe 12 and it was that day those two Wolves came to our school we were leaving but I had to sue the bathroom so I slipped out the other door and I heard them talking and saying “Did you see anyone worth turning?” I had closed the door before they saw me but I had learned then that they must somehow change you to become a Wolf. But Mark please answer me are you with me or against me?” I at that moment had a feeling like my whole life was flashing before me and I knew this decision would change the outcome but a different sort of thing was playing in my min. Was this a test? Were they trying to test my infidelity towards them? I looked at Marceline but saw truth in her eyes and also weakness I knew this was for real and I said the words I never thought I would ever say. The phrase I had never thought about. I set in motion something I had never dreamed about I said “Yes.”
Part 3: When One Plays With Wolves
Marceline smiled for a brief moment something I had never seen her do but it was not lasting. She looked at me and said “Well we have no time to waste take nothing it’ll only slow you down.” She walked to the front door and opened it she peered out and said “It is good that we can go now and we would be in trouble if it was the full moon.” Which I took to mean they were at their most powerful. We slipped out and headed towards the gates but as anyone could have predicted were guarded. I asked “How do you plan on walking out?” She turned to me and said with another one of those seldom smiles “Were not going through there were going to hop the fence over there.” She said pointing a fair distance behind us. “The why are we walking over here” I asked. She then said “To throw them off of course.” We walked towards them and received acknowledgment in form of a nod we waved and then when they weren’t looking we peeled off. I asked Marceline “What was the point of that?” She replied “It will make them think we were around there for a while I hope maybe we can have enough time to get back warn the others and get out.” And by the others you mean the other rebels?” Marceline looked at me with a no duh expression and said “Yes Mark yes.” We walked towards the farther buildings in which I’d only heard shaky descriptions and rumors. Now seeing them I realized that they truly were beautiful to bad I’d never get to be inside of one then again it was also sort of a good thing. Being it that I was being kept from a prompt brainwashing. We made it past the buildings and to the back fence area there were no gates or clear ways through somehow I knew we would jump it even though it was a fifty foot fence. I thought about how they would probably see us jumping it pretty big flaw there Marceline I thought. “Hey Marceline how do you plan on having us climb that thing?” She looked at me and said “Climb it? We’re going to dig under it.” I then felt the need to ask “With what shovels?” And she responded “The ones from that shed over there.” “And how do you know about that?”” Oh” said Marceline “I have my ways.” We walked over to the shed and Marceline opened the door which was not locked we grabbed the shovels and hurried away knowing that there would be trouble if anyone saw us. We ran back to the fence and in unison started digging it didn’t to my surprise take long. In fact it take all of five minutes to get a decent hole and we started going and trying mostly with our hands to get through. I finally after several minutes of work got through and then that was sadly the same moment a loud voice yelled “Hey what are you newbies doing?” We then got through the hole and started sprinting. We had been running for maybe five minutes when the alarm was raised and the Wolves dispatched. We ran with all of our speed but they were changing into Wolves and they were coming towards us gaining every second. Five hundred feet and closing four hundred three hundred two hundred one hundred fifty they were right behind us and there was a ways to go. We I then realized were done. My adrenaline stopped pumping so viciously and my legs gave out Marceline saw me give up and also lost her fight. In seconds they were on us and there was no getting out. The Wolves changed back and some asked things like “Why would you run?” and “Oh there will be major consequences now.” We were brought back up and while Marceline took that time to spew obscenities, I just went limp and prayed. In the end I realized how had been too quick to throw away what I believed in and to believe her. And I learned something else. I learned exactly what happened to trainee Wolves who didn’t make it, and let me tell you first hand it isn’t pretty.
Short story contest
Part 1 Coming
I thought I was a Normal, until my fifth-tenth birthday came. I’d always felt Normal always fit in. I was in fact utterly shocked on Deciding Day when I was declared a Wolf of the Pride. The pride is where we live it’s where we’ve always lived it is all that I and everyone I know has ever known. We are not all equal people. We are divided into five groups. The Scum Of The Pride, The Normal People Of The Pride, The Special Workers Of The Pride, The Powerful Ones, And The Wolves. The life of a wolf is important they are the protectors of everyone. Each are held with the upmost respect no one would ever do one wrong. They can actually become the wolves whenever they would like but the young (like me) are at its mercy for our training months. This is what is to come months of training maybe years I don’t know it depends how I respond to the trials. I was of course nervous the trials were near and I couldn’t be more unprepared. Because I had foolishly cast myself off as a normal not anything of any special skills or tasks. The honor of being a Wolf was huge larger than any other. I am being rushed by my trainer to the train. This train only holds one other person Marceline. She is apparently also a Wolf. But many of us saw it coming she seemed like a Wolf the way she was always observant and when danger came she sprung right to the occasion. She was actually now that I got one of my first real good look at her very pretty. Beautiful even to some but she seemed unapproachable the kind of person who wouldn’t just welcome you it’s like you had to sneak in quick and agile. Well that had never been my thing and I guessed I would be getting to know her pretty soon training would start immediately. At least I could do it with someone else. The train PA system announced its arrival in 30 minutes it wasn’t a long trip but it was straight into the mountains where they stayed. I was nervous but I wanted to talk I decided that my only other companion would be forced to fill that role so I spoke “, Hey Marceline finally got to be a Wolf right?” Marceline looked up at me with a sort of fire in her eyes and said “, I never wanted to be a Wolf this is not a world I wish to protect.” I was completely baffled why would she say this being a Wolf was a great honor who wouldn’t want it? “What do you mean Marceline? Don’t you want to be a Wolf it is the greatest honor.” I said Marceline looked at me sharply and said “This is no honor it if anything is a curse.” Now I was really confused being a Wolf meant only the greatest for you and your posterity. Why would anyone not want that? “But Marceline” I said “How can you not want this it is such a great thing.” I think she was about to say something when an attendant came in to announce we were arriving and to grab our bags and get ready to enter the living place of the Wolves. I grabbed my bag form above and so did Marceline she gave me another look that said don’t trust them. I was nervous why would Marceline not want this? It is an upmost honor to be chosen and you can’t turn it down, not that anyone has ever wanted to. The door opened and I walked into the fading daylight Marceline at my back and my fears with me now. Why would she question them? I looked back at her for the answer that was cut off but she wasn’t paying attention to me now she was looking past me and past the mountain into oblivion.
Part 2: A Most Unlikely Outcome
We were walked towards a cabin like room it wasn’t very large. We walked inside being led by the attendee and as I walked through the door I really felt the shock of what was going on. I was to be a Wolf and my partner didn’t want to. Could someone just opt out? I hadn’t thought so but maybe she could through the training maybe they would say they were wrong and just forget her and let her live as scum. But no they never had those who were chosen as Wolves but never made it were often subject to stories. They were said to become the very monsters they are trying to protect us from or that they were killed off and some say that they are just left to starve in the Wilds. But rumors were just rumors and it is better to just believe that it all will go well. Our cabin was smallish having a main space one bedroom and an outhouse a few feet out the door though the main room was nicely furnished I realized that with only one bed I may be forced to sleep on the couch. Not a huge deal but annoying and of course me being stupid me decided to say “So we have to live together?” The attendee shot me a look and then said that “Once I passed my training I would earn my own space but that was something I must earn it in due time” of course everything in due time. I put down my bag on the couch and turned to face the attendee and Marceline. I asked the attendee “What can I call you?” She looked at me curtly and said “You Mr. Marcus Tretale may call me 5th Wolf.” I was shocked that was a high position in a group of roughly 60 Wolves. “So why are you escorting us around?” I asked. She looked at me with a sort of gleam in her eye and said “It is my job.” “But” I said “Why would a high Wolf like you need to hang around us?” “Because the future of the Wolves is important. You do know that there have been rumors of an uprising and our future Wolves must be prepared.” I thought then to Marceline on the train is that what she wanted to tell me? Is that why she distrusted this great place? Was she in on some kind of uprising? And the seemingly most eluding question. Why in God’s name would they want to up-rise? I thought I would just have to ask her when Miss 5th Wolf here left. She then said “Well I must leave you two alone be prepared for tomorrow that is when your training will start. She left and closed the door behind her I looked at Marceline and started speaking but she cut me off saying “She’s still listening you know.” She then yelled out the door “K we can handle ourselves now” I then her footsteps and most likely the sound of 5th Wolf murmuring unhappily. I asked the question “Talk in the bedroom?” She nodded at me and I slipped into the only bedroom in the whole cabin hut thing. She looked at me and said “Look we don’t have much time and we need to get going before it starts.” She said trialing off. I was now really confused and had a million questions I said what was most on my mind “Are you part of an uprising?” Then before she could answer “Before what happens?” She looked at me and said “Yes I am part of an uprising Mark I am the leader of the uprising.” I was utterly stunned and had really nothing to say so I let her continue “Mark they are going to brainwash you like everyone else has been. There is no training Mark they just go do it and then you’re stuck for life and Mark I can’t let that happen.” She looked at me again clearly a little shaken and scared “With me or against me?” I still was hard of speech so I just asked how many are uprising.” Hundreds Mark hundreds.” But Marceline you’ve always seemed like a Wolf how can you of all people be the leader of an uprising?” She looked at me and said I learned it years ago I was still young maybe 12 and it was that day those two Wolves came to our school we were leaving but I had to sue the bathroom so I slipped out the other door and I heard them talking and saying “Did you see anyone worth turning?” I had closed the door before they saw me but I had learned then that they must somehow change you to become a Wolf. But Mark please answer me are you with me or against me?” I at that moment had a feeling like my whole life was flashing before me and I knew this decision would change the outcome but a different sort of thing was playing in my min. Was this a test? Were they trying to test my infidelity towards them? I looked at Marceline but saw truth in her eyes and also weakness I knew this was for real and I said the words I never thought I would ever say. The phrase I had never thought about. I set in motion something I had never dreamed about I said “Yes.”
Part 3: When One Plays With Wolves
Marceline smiled for a brief moment something I had never seen her do but it was not lasting. She looked at me and said “Well we have no time to waste take nothing it’ll only slow you down.” She walked to the front door and opened it she peered out and said “It is good that we can go now and we would be in trouble if it was the full moon.” Which I took to mean they were at their most powerful. We slipped out and headed towards the gates but as anyone could have predicted were guarded. I asked “How do you plan on walking out?” She turned to me and said with another one of those seldom smiles “Were not going through there were going to hop the fence over there.” She said pointing a fair distance behind us. “The why are we walking over here” I asked. She then said “To throw them off of course.” We walked towards them and received acknowledgment in form of a nod we waved and then when they weren’t looking we peeled off. I asked Marceline “What was the point of that?” She replied “It will make them think we were around there for a while I hope maybe we can have enough time to get back warn the others and get out.” And by the others you mean the other rebels?” Marceline looked at me with a no duh expression and said “Yes Mark yes.” We walked towards the farther buildings in which I’d only heard shaky descriptions and rumors. Now seeing them I realized that they truly were beautiful to bad I’d never get to be inside of one then again it was also sort of a good thing. Being it that I was being kept from a prompt brainwashing. We made it past the buildings and to the back fence area there were no gates or clear ways through somehow I knew we would jump it even though it was a fifty foot fence. I thought about how they would probably see us jumping it pretty big flaw there Marceline I thought. “Hey Marceline how do you plan on having us climb that thing?” She looked at me and said “Climb it? We’re going to dig under it.” I then felt the need to ask “With what shovels?” And she responded “The ones from that shed over there.” “And how do you know about that?”” Oh” said Marceline “I have my ways.” We walked over to the shed and Marceline opened the door which was not locked we grabbed the shovels and hurried away knowing that there would be trouble if anyone saw us. We ran back to the fence and in unison started digging it didn’t to my surprise take long. In fact it take all of five minutes to get a decent hole and we started going and trying mostly with our hands to get through. I finally after several minutes of work got through and then that was sadly the same moment a loud voice yelled “Hey what are you newbies doing?” We then got through the hole and started sprinting. We had been running for maybe five minutes when the alarm was raised and the Wolves dispatched. We ran with all of our speed but they were changing into Wolves and they were coming towards us gaining every second. Five hundred feet and closing four hundred three hundred two hundred one hundred fifty they were right behind us and there was a ways to go. We I then realized were done. My adrenaline stopped pumping so viciously and my legs gave out Marceline saw me give up and also lost her fight. In seconds they were on us and there was no getting out. The Wolves changed back and some asked things like “Why would you run?” and “Oh there will be major consequences now.” We were brought back up and while Marceline took that time to spew obscenities, I just went limp and prayed. In the end I realized how had been too quick to throw away what I believed in and to believe her. And I learned something else. I learned exactly what happened to trainee Wolves who didn’t make it, and let me tell you first hand it isn’t pretty.
