Emma’s Page

Ethiopian wolf that I drew.

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Alone: Prologue

             Under an acacia tree on the plains of Ethiopia, four canines rested. With the shade from the leaves overhead and the shadow of the Bale mountain they were content. They had finished their hunt and their stomachs were now plump with rodents. Across the plains, birds started to call in alarm and the Ethiopian wolves pricked their ears. Their red-brown fur was glimmering in Africa's sun, their big ears twitched to listen to the warnings, and their noses sniffed for danger.
             All of a sudden, there was a noise in the air that sounded like thunder. The small pebbles on the ground began to vibrate and hop around. Then, a cloud of dust rose in the horizon and a jeep sped towards the wolves. Frightened by the odd thing, they fled towards their home, towards the mountain. In the jeep sat two men and in the back were two large cages."What kind of wolves are those again?" the man in the passenger seat asked.
             "Ethiopian wolves. I don't know what they are but that's the kind that Canadian zoo wants," the driver replied.
             "Well, those are the weirdest wolves I'VE ever seen," the other man muttered.
             "Stop your whining and get out the tranq. guns."
             "Whatever you say," he responded with regret.
             During the short conversation the wolves had split off and were running in groups of two. They sprinted across the plains, trying desperately to reach cover. Then they heard a soft sound and something thudded to the ground an inch behind a female's tail. The noise came again and she felt something stab her right hindquarter as she yelped with surprise. The male that had been running with her slowed and went to steady her, but she had fallen.

             He sniffed her over, confused as to why she decided to sleep now. Then, the soft sound of air being split through came again and the male felt something thump into his left shoulder. His surprised bark turned into a whine as he curled beside his tranquilized mate, his sight blurring.
             The men quickly loaded the two wolves into one of the cages, then took off after the other pair which was nearing the mountain. The two were dashing and jumping everything in their path as fast as they could, trying to make up for the stumble they had made when their companions had dropped. The soft noise they had come to fear in the short amount of time was heard again and the source hit between the wolves, making them jump apart. They sped up even though they were already going as fast as they could. Their claws dug in, gripped, and pushed off the ground but the wheels of the advancing jeep were faster.
             The tranquilizer gun was fired again, this time whirling to stick in the fur a little behind the male's right shoulder blade. He felt the sting of the dart and tried to keep running but the liquid was already intoxicating him and he slowed to a stop to lay down.
             The female stopped short when she no longer saw her mate beside her and knew what had happened. Her heart battled with her instinct and she eventually went to protect him, snarling and baring her teeth, though she, too, became tranquilized. Then the two men put them into the other cage as the man who been shooting laughed, "Stubborn aren't they? Did you see that one just wait for us? She looked like she was gonna try and kill us. She's pretty brave." The other man nodded and chuckled as they drove out of the plains and headed towards the dock. Though the same man who had tranquilized all four of them felt something stir inside him for the wolves.

             By the time the crates and the men were on the ship, the four wolves were frantic underneath the tarp that had been placed over top of them before they had reached the town. They whined and whimpered and, more than once, one of the men on board the enormous ship kicked the cages to make the wolves be quiet.
             The ship was huge and was carrying a large load of cargo. There were many wooden crates to both sides of the two cages, giving the wolves an uncomfortable crowded feeling. And as the boat rocked back and forth, the loads would slam into the wolves' metal cages, constantly making them lose their footing and fall and creating the harsh ringing sound of metal against metal. Eventually, the wolves anchored themselves to the cage floor by squishing each other against the walls of the cramped enclosure so they could sleep.

             Sometime during the night the ship began to get pushed around wildly by vicious waves. The tarp was pulled off by powerful gusts of wind and rain pounded the Ethiopian wolves, protected by nothing except their durability and stubbornness. The cargo surrounding them shoved and battered the sleek metal cage. The occupants of the cage only let small whines escape for they had faced many wet AND dry seasons that had been worse than this. The only different thing now was that they were on a giant water-walking thing in the middle of a vast body of water.

             But the storm wasn't all bad. Though painful, the rain would give them water and would give the cage a much needed cleaning. And by making the crates slam again and again into the cages one of the locks broke off. The door was slightly stuck but a couple nudges could make it pop wide open. The two wolves in the cage were smart enough not to escape while there was a storm and they had nowhere to run to.

             Yet, the other lock was still intact though a little rusted and, hope as they might, the storm stopped before the lock could brake. So, there the wolves sat, drenched and depressed at the outcome of one pair having freedom while the other stayed and suffered in a zoo, without the freedom of the wilderness surrounding them. They had never had to be away from their home until now and they wished for the long, tickling savanna grass, the warm African sun, and the pleasant, homey scent of the den. But here they were, stuck on a ship that smelled of dead fish and sea salt, while gulls laughed at the boat's prisoners as they glided along air currents.
             After falling asleep multiple times the wolves felt the ship shudder to a stop at last and they jerked awake. The two men from the jeep, along with two assistants from the boat, came and transported the cages down the ramp and into the waiting truck, since the jeep had only been rented. As the men went to thank the assistants as they left, the wolves knew that it was time to make the escape and pushed the door open and took off. As the men turned around they stared in horror as two blurs sped away from an empty cage.

             The man who had driven the jeep yelled, "You check the other cage!" as he went running after the sprinting wolves. The other man looked at the caged animals and the same feeling ha had had as they away from the savanna swept over him once more. He stepped cautiously over to the cage and felt the keys to the lock in his pocket.
             His mind was suddenly filled with a back up plan. To say the lock had been broken and had fallen under the truck. To say how he couldn't retrieve it unless he was all the way under the vehicle. Then say the wolves got out while he tried to get it. He was jolted out of the plan playing before him by the click of the cage being unlocked and the squeak of the door being swung open. Then two more reddish creatures flung themselves out of the enclosure to run into the wilderness of Canada.

             When the man came back empty handed, because the other pair had been clever enough to go the other way, he stared dumbfounded at the now two empty cages in the back of the transportation truck. After a few seconds of silence he raged at the other man about how the wolves got loose and his anger grew as his partner told him the excuse. But the now non-guilty man didn't care because his heart felt lighter at knowing the wolves would be free again.

Hidden

Hidden amongst the grass and weeds, two eyes, big and round, peered out. Watching the strangers as they sit and scribble on notebooks. He is a master of hiding and, when all else fails, fleeing. He has long ears that twitch and flinch when there are sounds... or bugs. Under a rock, in a small dip, he nibbles on twigs and clover. Nervous, wary, he sights the group of people. Just sitting there, sometimes staring into space as if looking for something not visible. He watches as dragonflies appear so close to the writers that they could touch them, yet they don't. He wonders how the dragonfly does not sense danger like he does. As he listens to the water pour from rock to rock and into the river below, he wonders if the strange beings ARE dangerous... or if it's just because of his nature as a rabbit.

 

Moth

Sitting here.
The light from the                computer shining.
A black speck bounces on     to it,
Fidgeting, hopping-slash-   flying.
A tiny moth, attracted to          light.
I inch my finger towards           the dot.
It springs away,
Only to return.
GO AWAY!
I try to lift it off and it flys       again...
And back again,
Skittering across the              screen.
GET OFF!
I try to ignore it,
As it scampers across my        typing.
I flick it away...
Nothing.
Sad, "Awww. That was a   fun game              though..."
Something black in my        peripheral vision,
"YOU'RE BACK?!"
A small gray bug walks   around on the              computer.
"Great! You brought a              friend!"

Sarcasm.

River

Cascading falls, roaring water, shining bubbles, as the river flows. Glistening brown rocks, slippery with moss and algae as white foam goes over and down, dribbling without care. Lichen and ivy cling to over hanging rocks, dipping their leaves, lovingly, into the water. Black birds hopping along the stones peeking out from the river bottom. Tall trees growing alongside the rushing, hurrying falls. Dragonflies touching, skimming the water and daring back and forth. The writing on this page, shimmering a thousand white and silver sparkles, as the river flows to its destination and runs through its definition on the striped paper.

The Forest

Green, orange, yellow, red leaves of the surrounding trees, shadows of hidden creatures.

The sweet chirping songs of birds in the morning.

Rainbow colored flowers resting at the foot of the trees.

Crisp, perfect, clear air of the wild expanse.

Cool breezes, soft leaves, and firm ground.

The Forest