III.

It's a moonless night, today. It's all so dark that even the lights of the porch can illuminate nothing but that one meter and a half separating the entrance from the steps.

I'm not really sure I want to go out, but I have to keep my promise with the wolf. I have abounded with the meat, today, and now that we share a moment I feel more and more attached to him, as if he represent the only thing to prevent me from going mad in the solitude of the last few days.

Still, I have no news of Dad. Everything is silent, including his phone that offers the answering service every time I try to call him. I'm starting to be worried, but I have no way to contact him, so I let these days pass one after the other, slow and inexorable.

I just opened the door, when a howling breakes the silence of the night and I know it's him: I feel it on my skin, bones, in the blood flowing. The dishes slip from my hands and shatter on the floor, filling it with pieces and a nauseating mix of meat and milk. I ignore them and rush out, with trembling hands and legs that have difficulty responding to my will.

Another howl, closer this time, and he appears, with a bloody nose and a deep cut on the chest. He is limping and seems so suffering that my eyes are filled with tears. I approach and his bark this time doesn't scare me. I touch him lightly with my fingertips, regardless of what might happen to me.

"What did they do to you..." I look around, but of course there is no one who can help me.

What happens after is as sudden as strange. I hear other howlings, then my wolf runs to the porch and slips into the house without looking back. In panic, I follow him and close the door. I just trapped myself inside the house with a bloody and wound creature that could attack me at any moment. Despite being in bad shape, I'm pretty sure he has the strenght to fight again.

Oh, I'm so intelligent.

I move cautiously, peering in every corner in search of his hiding place, but I don't need much time to find him, especially since he's not hidden at all.

He's semi-unconscious on the carpet in front of the fireplace and his breath is heavy, fatigued.

"Do not get mad, okay? I just want to see if I can do something to help you." I say, with a calm and reassuring tone. I continue to murmur words of comfort as I touch his side with consideration. Snarls, but he does not move.

"It hurts, right? I'm going to take a little hot water and bandages, hold on." I caress his back gently and his shiny eyes follow me as I walk away, as if not wanting to be left alone. Once in the bathroom, I fill the bowl with warm water, grab some towels and sterile gauze rolls and go back into the living room.

What I find, however, it's not what I have left.

There's a boy, lying on the carpet where before was the wolf. And he's completely , full of mud and blood and apparently asleep. I put the basin with water on the table before I'll let it fall to the ground and cover my mouth with both hands, to cushion the terrified scream.

Meanwhile, he stirs slightly, mumbles something unintelligible and cover his ears with his hands.

I fidget on side, without knowing how to behave.

There's a boy. He's . And I'm alone. And the wolf is gone. And I'm panicking.

"Curse. Damn, damn, the phone! Dad! Oh, Mom, where are you?" I mumble, confused. What do you do in these situations? Should I call the police, right? But it takes an hour and a half to get here and in that time fram can happen an infinite number of things. What if he's a serial killer? And what if-"

"EunAh, stop screaming, my head is about to burst."

The stranger knows my name, I realize.

"You're a stalker! Oh my God, why me? What have I done wrong?" I bring my hands through my hair and grab the vase on the piano, realizing I'll need a blunt object. I don't think I can do much, given my ridiculous size, but I'm not going to give up without fighting.

"You're freaking out." the boy kindly makes me notice. On his full lips appears a smile of mockery that makes me even more nervous and that reminds me of something that I can not focus on.

That smile is familiar, yet it's the first time I see it.

"You say?"

Here we go again with the sarcasm, EunAh.

"EunAh..."

"Hmm."

"It's me."

"Should I know what you're talking about? And why are you , for God's sake!" I step in his direction, raising the pot over my head, ready to throw it at him at the first suspicious movement. He snorts again, and gives me one indechipherable look with these incredibly expressive eyes that-

"It can't be."

It may not be possible such a thing. Yet his eyes are the same as my wolf. And even the wound on his side. And the split eyebrow and the mud and the blood and-

"Breathe."

"I'm going to faint."

"Just breathe."

"No, no. I'll pass out."

"EunAh."

"You're my wolf." I stutter. Then my head begins to spin dramatically, everything loses its contour and the boy/wolf/whatever laughs and his voice seems a snarl.

Everything becomes dark.

When I regain consciousness, I'm lying on the couch and my head hurts so much I'm afraid it could burst at any moment. I massage my temples, muttering, then I open my eyes and take a look around: everything is in its place and looks normal. The floor is clean - even if I'm pretty sure I spilled milk and meat on it, the fire is burning in the fireplace and t