New Home New Town New Life

"We're here?" I paused. "This is where we are moving?"

"Yes. This is our new home. It's not much, but it's home" My father said.

Looking at this old, gross house that is going to take forever to fix, I let out a sigh. "There is no was I'm going to live here. Drive me home. I'll live on my own there."

"Oh come on Pen, this will be a good new home. Just like the last one."

"Not a chance Hank. I'm not living here. To be honest, I'd rather live beside Mom's grave. In a grave of my own."

"Pen, that's enough. We are going to live here and will you please stop calling me Hank? I'm your father so call me Dad or something."

"Not going to happen. You left Mom when she told you she was pregnant. I'm not calling you anything but Hank."

I'm Penelope Windford. My mother died about a month ago. My father, unfortunately, is Hank Freeman. He's not the best person in the world. Hank is more of a one night stand guy. When my mother died, he took me in. He doesn't know how to raise anything. Not even a dog.

"Pen!" Hank called for me.

"What?"

"Can you help me unpack please?"

"No, I'm busy."

"What are you busy with?"

"I'm going out." I was blunt.

"But we aren't done unpacking yet." He was practically begging.

"Are you really going to take my right to go out on my own away from me too now?"

"No. I'm just asking for help. Don't parents ask their kids for help anymore?"

"Not really. They do it themselves nowadays."

"Well I'm old school, come help me."

"Not a chance, I'm out. Later!"

I walked out of the house, hearing Hank calling me. Telling me to come back. "You can ground me all you want. I'm not going to listen to you, asshole." I muttered to myself. I walked around in the forest. Feeling like I was being followed. "Hank, I'm not helping you unpack your shit." I turned around, but no one was there. "Whatever." I mumbled. I kept walking, but I also kept feeling like I was being followed. "Okay enough! Come out!" I yelled, but nothing came out into view."I will wait you out!" I paused. "I mean it!" Still, nothing came out. I huffed and sat down. I had patience, and a lot of it. I will wait them out.

I sat there for almost two hours, when a small pearl white wolf cub came out from behind a tree. "So you were the one following me." It sat there and waited for me to get up. "I'm not going to move. If you're here, your mother isn't too far away." I t whimpered and laid down. "I'm still not moving. I don't feel like getting killed over your cuteness."

I sat there for another ten minutes before I finally gave in. I sighed and got up, slowly walking over to the pup. "Where is your mother?" I asked, patting its little head. It whimpered again then let out a long and loud howl. I stood up with my heart pounding in my chest. I waited about twenty minutes, but nothing came. "You lost your mom." It whimpered and nuzzled up to my to my legs. "Oh, no. I can't bring home a wolf. My dad would kill me." It looked at me, giving my those cute puppy eyes.

I gave in and walked home with it in my arms. "You are very lucky that you are cute, but I don't think Hank is going to like this." When I opened the front door, I could hear Hank yelling from the kitchen. "Don't tell me."

I ran to the kitchen. I was right, Hank was trying to cook. "Hank! Put the fire out!"

"What do you think I'm doing!"

"Not with that!" I grabbed a half full pot of water and dumped it on the fire. "Jeez! What are you trying to do? Burn down the house?"

"No. I was trying to cook dinner for us. You know, food."

"Well, from now on, leave the cooking to me. You clearly can't cook."

"I wanted to at least try to be a decent father, but fine. I'll leave the cooking to you." He looked away. "Why is there a dog in the house?'

"Uh, because I found it, and, it's not a dog. It's a wolf."

"What!?"

"Yes, a wolf."

"Put it back were you found it! Now! Before its mother comes looking for it!"

"Its mother is dead!" I yelled over Hanks panicking.

"What?" He said. He was a lot calmer now. Or, at least seemed like her was calmer.

"Its mother is dead. It howled and nothing responded nor came to us. So I told it I would take it home."

"What's the gender?" Hank asked.

I shrugged. "Don't know. I haven't looked." Hank walked toward it quickly and went to touch it. "I wouldn't touch it if I were you."

"Why not?" He reached out, and it bit him. "Ouch!"

"I told you." I gave him that I told you so look.

"Why doesn't it bite you?"

I shrugged. "Because I saved it. I guess.

"Will you please stop calling me an 'it'!? I'm a girl!"The wolf spoke.

Both my father an I stared at her in shock. My brain couldn't handle what just happened. "Did- Did you just--" My words trailed off and I fell over.

"Hello?" A girls voice said. I opened my eyes to see the wolf pup standing beside me. "Oh good! You're alive. Most of the things that fall like that are things I have killed or just croaked on their own."

"Well, I didn't croak. I just fainted. But, why are you talking and where is my dad?"

"Well I see you didn't croak, and what's 'fainted' mean? I can talk because I'm from a different part of the forest. I also put your dad on the couch."

"It means you have had an over whelming experience and your brain can't handle it. How did you get Hank on the couch?"

"I picked him up. Like I said, I'm from a different part of the forest."

"What part?"

"A part where you humans can't get to. There's many animals there, talking ones too."

"Try me. Take me there, I'd like to see this place."

"I can't take you. The elders will be really mad at me. Same with my Daddy."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"I don't have one. I'm not old enough to have one, so everyone calls my Six."

"Well, in my part, everyone gets a name the day they are born. Like me, my name is Penelope but everyone calls me Pen. A nickname."

"Well, I'm Six."

"Well. I'm going to call you Snowflake."

"But that's against the law. I cannot have a name." Snowflake finally stopped the sass she had, but it was replaced with fear.

"Are you anywhere near your father or the elders?" I raised my eyebrow at her.

"No. I'm about ten miles south from them."

"Well than, your name is Snowflake." I smiled brightly at her. She sighed and sat down, shaking her head.

I headed to the living room. I attempted to wake Hank up, but he wouldn't wake up. So, I grabbed a blanket and put it on him. "I hope you know this is all you're getting out of me Hank." I whispered.

"He sleeps so peacefully, doesn't he?"

"He does, but I still hate him. Though I think I just have to get to know him a but more."

"That is all you have to do, but with the way you are fidgeting, you aren't ready for that yet."

I shook my head. "You're right. I'm not ready."

"When you are ready, I can help you through it. If you would like that."

I nodded. "That would be good, but right now, I think we should get to bed."

"But I'm a night creature." Snowflake protested.

"Snowflake, don't make me pick you up and carry you in bed."

"I'm coming." Her voice was nearly emotionless.