I hadn’t climbed that fence since.

I was scared out of my wits by the hostility I experienced from the animal. I didn’t know what I saw. I didn’t know what I heard that day. Memory of the howl still sent chills down my spine. Although fear did stop me from climbing over the fence again, it didn’t stop me from sitting by the fence every day, staring out into the forest.  I couldn’t get the boy’s face or the creature out of my head. I couldn’t decide which of the two fascinated me more.

Sehun, I named him. Se, to represent new. And Hun to signify discovery. He was, after all, my new discovery. I drew his face in the mud with a stick as I recalled the incidents that happened that day. How did a boy like him end up with that animal? He was about my age, around ten years old, give and take a little. I saw the way the animal sided him, brushing his body against the boy, like it was supporting or protecting him.

I still had many unanswered questions but I didn’t dare speak to the elders of the village about what I saw. I knew that I would be severely punished for trespassing the fence and breaking the old and ancient rule. Instead, I spoke to the village chief about the howl, saying that I heard it one night.

“A wolf.” He turned to me, fear shone bright in his eyes, “You must have heard a wolf, my child.”

“A wolf?”

“A merciless killer. A horrible monster. I pray you would never come face-to-face with one. No one had ever seen one and lived to tell the tale.”

“What does it do? What does it eat?”

“That’s enough questions from you, my child. You shall not ask about this issue anymore.” His voice was soft but firm and strong, a warning issued.

“Yes, sir.”

A wolf.

A fitting name for such a brilliant creature.

I honestly thought I would never get to see Sehun or the wolf ever again. Until one day, I saw a flash of silver weaving through the trees. At first I doubted my own eyes, assuming that it was simply my imagination. And then as I continued to sit by the fence, I shook off that possibility. The one I saw at the pond had fur as black as midnight. I couldn’t have possibly imagined the silver fur, haven’t seen one in my life before. From that day on, I sat at the fence with my eyes trained on the forest, keeping a vigil for any sighting of the boy or the animal.

I waited and waited.

Hours became days. Days became months.

Soon I grew frustrated and impatient. The boy and the black wolf were slowly becoming a hazy memory in my mind. I wanted to see them again. The fear was still there but as the days went by, it was overshadowed by my desire to see the boy and the magnificent creature again. So one day, when I spotted some movements in the woods, I climbed the fence once more.

There was no need for a second look. I didn’t need a second invitation. There was no hesitation on my part. I eagerly scrambled over the fence and raced towards the forest. I knew the way to my pond at the back of my hand and before long, I arrived at the exact same spot when I met Sehun and the creature with him.

Silence.

There was nothing. Not a single sound. Not a single movement. There was a kind of eerie peace that reminded me much of the calm we always had right before a terrible storm at the village. The only sound I could hear was the thudding of my own heart. I crawled to the foot of the cliff and waited with my back against the cliff in hopes of catching another glimpse of the wolf or the boy.

Suddenly, a white tailed fawn leaped from the cliff, over my head. It landed in the pond with a tiny splash, before frantically sprinting towards the forest. Before I could register that the deer was trying to escape something, a majestic being flew over my head and landed in the pond with a big splash.

A huge silver furred wolf.

It was bigger than the black one I saw before. At that split second, I saw the mythologized epitome of a savage ruthless killer. The way its entire body was built for the hunt. The way its eyes were intent on his prey. The way it gracefully leaped off the cliff.

Abruptly, it stopped mid-hunt and turned towards me. It must have caught a whiff of my scent.

I must say that it was the longest moment of my life. I didn’t dare to move. I didn’t dare to draw a breath. I could have screamed, but I didn't. I just lay there frozen, watching the winter-white wolf stalk towards me. There was no longer the hunting intent on his face, but its body was still crouched low ready to spring so I couldn’t be sure. My hands gripped the rocks of the cliff for support as my legs started to give in to fear. They went weak as I slowly fell to the ground. I was in a corner, with my height much slower than the wolf. It felt me in a very vulnerable position where I could neither hide nor run. I had nowhere to go, no options to choose from but to stay rooted to that spot and pray that nothing bad will happen. I meant no harm to the wolf and I could only hope that it understood.

It stopped right in front of me and lowered his head. It prodded his wet nose into my hand and against my cheek, casting a shadow over my face. His huge yellow eyes looked into mine and I held onto those eyes for as long as I could. Yellow. And, up close, they flecked brilliantly with every shade of gold and hazel that I had ever seen. I didn't want him to look away, and he didn't. I wanted to reach out and grab a hold of his fur, but my hands stayed on the cliff face, my arms frozen to my body. I continued to hold my breath as his nose ran along my chest, sniffing and investigating every inch of me. And then he lifted his head up high and howled loud and strong. It wasn’t the same bloodcurdling howl I heard before. Somehow it lacked the same menace and warning.

Then it stood there, tall and proud, its eyes still trained on me.

I garnered the courage and lifted one hand towards him. Instead of heading straight for his fur, I lifted my hand to stop right in front of his face, as if asking for permission to touch it. I waited for him to cover the distance between us but he neither moved forward, nor did he move back.

Then, I heard the sound of the soft pads of animal feet above me. A wave of fear swept over me as I watched one by one, more wolves descending on to the pond and stood in front of me. Twelve, I counted mentally. None quite as big as the silver on directly in front of me, but all equally as frightening and ferocious-looking. My hand, which was in midair, instantly retracted back and flew to cover my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

I had just wanted to glimpse of the wolf. I most definitely did not sign up for this. The village chief’s words replayed in my head like a broken record.  

No one lived to tell the tale.

A merciless killer.

A horrible monster.

A dreadful feeling swept over me.

I was going to die.