• I saw the wolf. It was staring at me. We were in the woods and I could feel a hundred eyes all focused on me. The wolf went farther into the woods then waited for me to follow it. I did. It went farther and farther in until we reached a small clearing. I looked around in amazement. It looked beautiful. There were flowers blooming every color of the rainbow and they ranged in size and shape. I felt myself smiling. I looked around for the wolf but couldn't find it. I was alone. Everything faded black then I was in the clearing again only this time I was lying on the grass and flowers beside Eric. He's eyes seemed to glow in the twilight setting. He smiled then kissed me. It was how I remembered it from gym class. His lips were still soft but firm. Then I was in a dungeon with a shadowed figure standing over me. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. They were a bloody scarlet red.
    "You two will never be together as long as I have my way!" he growled. His fingers turned into claws and I felt the tips pierce my skin. A trail of blood rolled down my chin. I whimpered. The man smiled and I saw fangs peek out.

    I screamed. I put a hand to my throat and removed my hand. To my shock and horror, a trickle of blood ran down my throat. I jumped up and got dressed. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I glanced at the clock. It read 3:11. I groaned. I'd probably fall asleep and get yelled at Spanish. Oh well. I wandered over to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale and looked like I'd just seen a ghost. I'd been holding onto my neck while looking at the mirror, afraid of what I'd see if I removed my hand. I slowly did and saw that it wasn't a claw slash like in my dream. There were too neat puncture marks equal distance apart. It puzzeled me for a moment. I shrugged it off then wrapped a scarf around my neck. It was still summer but it was a nice scarf. I didn't want Ashley or maybe Eric to freak about it. I went downstairs and saw to my surprise that the wolf was curled into a ball on the doormat. I gasped and backed away. I couldn't help but think that I wanted to touch it's fur and see if it was as soft as it looked. It's eyes were closed so I assumed that it was sleeping. I crept closer and closer to it and it never moved. I smiled to myself. It was never this easy sneaking up on Pooters. I looked around to make sure he wasn't going to do anything stupid to wake up the wolf but he wasn't even downstairs so I took the few last steps until I was standing beside the wolf. I reached down and pet it. It moved and I froze. It rolled over and exposed it's stomach. I smiled and continued petting it. It's fur was softer than Pooters' and felt silky smooth. I kept petting it until I felt it's breathing quicken. I reluctantly pulled my hand away and back up. It's eyes fluttered open and it gazed at me with cool eyes. I gazed back at it. We stayed that way for I don't know how long before I started walking towards it. It's eyes widened and it backed up against the door. I stopped. It was never good to corner an animal or I knew they'd attack. We stared at each other for about five minutes before it walked right past me and went upstairs. I ran after it and saw it diappear into my bedroom. I heard Pooters hiss then he ran past me and hid under something. I walked into my room and saw the wolf curled up on the foot of my bed. I carefully got under the conforter. It didn't move until I was under. It got up and layed next to my head. I flinched away from it but then it started licking my face. I laughed and shoved it's head away. Obviously, this wolf was tamed. I scratched behind it's ear and I heard the blankets move. I looked down and saw it's leg shaking. I laughed again before rolling over and drifting off into an undisturbed sleep. Well, undisturbed until my mother came to wake me up.

    "Mom! Calm down!" I yelled over mom screaming. The wolf, I'd decided to call it Fluffy, had flattened his ears and hid under my bed. She had started screaming as soon as she'd walked into my room. She ran for the broom when she saw Fluffy dart under the bed. I ran after her and grabbed the broom before she could.
    "It's going to kill you! I have to get it out!" she cried and grabbed for the broom. I held it out of her reach.
    "Mom! Chill. He's not going to kill me." I tried to think of something I could say to calm her down but I drew a blank. "Look he's obviously tamed or else he wouldn't have slept beside me all night without hurting me," I said desperately. I made Mom pause. "Look Mom. Everything's fine. I, uh, know the person who owns him. It's, uh uh," I failed for a name. Not Ash. She was scared of Pooters and anything with claws. I didn't have any other friend close enough to let me take care of their pet. Then I got one. "Eric's! Yeah. He, uh, found it in the woods! And since it was nice he took it in. He asked me if it could stay over for last night. He, uhm, had to go . . . stay with . . . his, uh, cousin?"
    Mom looked like I was insane. I wasn't sure if it was my crappy story or if she thought I was crazy to take in a wolf. She finally stopped staring at me. "Fine. But take him back. I'm going out for a while," she said. She grabbed her coat then left without another word. I stared at the door for a while before I sighed and sat down and the dinner table. Fluffy came and sat down beisde me. He looked upset. I scratched behind his ear and faked a smile.
    "Don't worry boy. Everything's fine. But you can't come back inside okay? I don't want Mom to freak out and hit you with a broom." I said and he whimpered. I knelt down and hugged him around the neck. He nuzzled closer to me. I pulled away and then opened the door. He ran outside and into the forest. He glanced back once and I smiled and waved. I liked to think he smiled back.

    At school I told Ashley about what had happened. Eric happened to pass by and smied ackwardly at me. I smiled back. Ashley looked over her shoulder and say Eric. She yelled at him to come and sit with us. It's hard to not listen to Ash so he did.
    "Hey, tell him about last night too," she said. I smacked her but proceded to do so. I added that it had been to my house before. Eric didn't seemed to shocked to hear about a wolf but Ashley had never seen one. It was like telling her I'd seen the chupacabra eating a goat. "So, what happened after your Mom freaked? You just came to school?" she asked. I nodded.
    "After I let it out of the house, of course. Didn't want Mom coming back and trying to kill it again. That would've sucked. Oh, and Eric? I kinda said it was your pet wolf. So if she asks can you lie for me?" I said folding my hands hopefully. He smiled.
    "Yeah sure. Just don't expect me to let her talk to him. He's probably half way to the next town by now." He got up. "I have to go. Someone's waiting for me outside." As he walked away I could swear I heard him mutter something. It sounded like " i'd do more than lie for you" but I couldn't be sure. And while Ashley couldn't stop talking about her newest crush, Ian Wilder, I sighed and tuned her out. I couldn't help thinking thinking that Eric was probably the coolest guy I'd ever met. That and I wished I could get a second date with him.