Just as it had done the day before, a dark blue shade coated the skies. Kismet and Banner collapsed onto the damp grass, panting and flinching from fatigue.
“We’re going to die!” Banner howled, turning onto his stomach and beating the ground with his fist.
Feeling the ground vibrating beneath him, Kismet turned to his friend and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Don’t wor--,”
“Shhh!” Banner’s hand shot out and grabbed Kismet’s arm. With his other hand, he tapped his ear and pointed to the forest. “I hear something.”
Kismet pressed his chin against the prickly grass and stared at the dark foliage. His heart pounded so hard, he could feel the beating in his skull. He looked over at Banner, who looked more curious than frightened. Kismet sighed and his body relaxed. He was about to pull his other arm out from underneath him before Banner leaped to his feet and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders.
“Run! Run! It’s a bear!” Banner shoved Kismet into a run and they both dashed down the path they had been traveling. Down the hill they dashed, neither one looking behind them. They hurled over fallen trees and shimmering streams, and knotted vines. Banner broke off a nearby stick and whirled it behind him. A cry from the pursuer reverberated through the ground, urging the two to pick up speed. “Hurry, Kismet! Hurry!” Banner panted. He looked behind him for a moment, but if he had kept his eyes ahead of him, he would’ve noticed the fallen tree in his pathway.
Like a ragdoll flung across a room, Banner’s body flipped over the log and he landed on his shoulders. The breath escaped his chest and all he could see were blotches of black and gray. He pulled his elbows up behind him, bringing himself forward. He shook his head and blinked several times until his vision was clear. Banner looked up, and before he had time to move, a large black creature barreled him to the ground.
“Kismet! Kismet!” Banner screamed as he felt the bear’s monstrous jaws closed around his head. Blood spurted from punctured wounds and explosions of pain shot through the boy’s body. The bear growled and boxed Banner about the body, like it would a fish.
Banner’s one good hand reached out and curled around a rock. Holding the rock firmly in his hands, he threw it up and smacked the bear on the nose. The bear pulled back and snorted. Banner staggered to his feet and while keeping an eye on the bear, picked up a good size stick. He held it behind him, ready to strike the bear if it was to come any nearer.
Kismet threw himself behind a large tree and sunk to the ground. He peeked behind the rotund body to see if he could catch sight of Banner’s shadow. No sign. No shadow. Kismet wrinkled his brows and swiveled his mouth to one side. Carefully, and as quietly as he could, he ventured out. He moved his hand down to his hatchet and kept his eyes fixed ahead of him. Within a few yards, he saw the scuffling of a strong black bear. The bear’s head was shaking back and forth and dirt was flying the skies. Kismet whipped out his hatchet and swung it behind his head. He charged forward, ready to lay the hatchet straight in the bear’s behind.
Kismet clenched his jaw and prepared himself for the bear to notice him as well. If he could hear, he would have heard his steps louder than he had thought. The bear released Banner’s torso and faced Kismet. Kismet hurled the hatchet. To his dismay, the dull end only bruised the bear’s shoulder and only succeeded in making it madder. Kismet stood frozen and right when a swinging paw came within inches of his face, the bear was bashed out of Kismet’s view. A wave of relief rushed through his body and he fell to his knees, amazed at his fortune. Wanting to see the cause of his rescue, he dropped his eyes on a tangled mass of black and red.
Before he could react to the joy of seeing his wolf, a small object struck him in the shoulder. Kismet turned to the source and saw, in a mess of blood and shredded clothing, Banner lying with his eyes flickering in a deathly glow. Kismet crawled over to his side and pulled the limp head onto his lap.
“You’re going to fine…wait and see.” Kismet placed his finger on his friend’s neck and left it there to feel the pulse. There was none.
YOU ARE READING
The Wolf's Boy
הרפתקאותKismet and Prestige are just as unusual as their names. Though one is a boy and the other a wolf, they both desire the same thing: love. Through the years, their friendship grows and they become inseparable. But when their town is hit by a natural...
