Under the Full Moon

RORY POV

"Look at this view!!" I loved living in Alaska. Views like these made me feel incredibly lucky to live here. As I kneeled to catch my breath, I looked out over the hillside and across the vast valley below me. Gentle rolling hills made their way to the forest edge, and a small rushing river flowed through the grassy hills.

I never hiked solo, but I was glad that I did that day. Work at the wildlife sanctuary had begun to pile up over the last hunting season, and I needed a break. This day was unique, as I would do a solo hike on Saffron Mountain. A notoriously secluded trail wound itself around Saffron, weaving in and out of a remote spruce-filled forest. The trail was narrow and covered in cones and needles. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the local wildlife as well. Despite seeing animals every day at the sanctuary, I was looking forward to seeing a few in their natural habitat.

After snapping a few photos of the pristine view, I started to make my way back down the mountain. The crisp and clean mountain air was intoxicating, and the quiet of the forest was incredibly soothing. It had taken me an hour to hike up the mountain, so I took my time hiking down, keeping at a leisurely pace. I was in no rush to get back to the sanctuary and was enjoying some quiet, contemplative time to myself.

But as I made my way down the winding trail, I couldn't help but feel the presence of someone. Or perhaps the presence of something. I stopped momentarily to catch my breath and listen for nearby wildlife sounds. It was tranquil save for a few sparrows and chickadees in the white spruce trees. Maybe it was a squirrel or some other type of rodent running around the forest floor making all that noise. I shrugged and continued walking.

But then I heard the noise again. It sounded like something significantly large, crushing sticks and brush in its path. This time I stopped and waited. Slowly turning in a full circle, I scanned both sides of the trail and forest and searched for any signs of wildlife or humans. The forest was extremely dense, but the trees were thin, so the probability of an animal or human walking beside me without me noticing was slim. I did not want to run into something large unprepared. So, I decided to check my backpack and make sure I had brought my bear spray.

I didn't find the bear spray, and I wondered if maybe my mom had borrowed it and had forgotten to return it to my backpack. I sighed as I zipped my backpack shut but became increasingly alert; I felt confident I was being watched. I felt someone or something was watching me. And then I heard the growls.

I could see four wolves approaching me out of the corner of my eye one black wolf, two grey wolves, and a brown wolf. The black wolf walked slightly ahead of the other three. I calmly put my backpack over my shoulders and turned around to face them. I had been trained for this. I needed to stand straight, appear as large as I could, and walk away from them slowly. I didn't plan on running or turning my back on them. I tried to keep a close eye on them without making direct eye contact, especially with the black wolf as he edged closer.

All four wolves growled and snarled in unison. They looked p*ssed. But in my training, I had learned that wolf attacks were extremely rare. And wolves were usually frightful of humans. I knew they most likely wouldn't attack if I didn't run. But as they edged closer, I began to walk backward with more speed. However, this was dangerous, as I couldn't possibly watch where I was going and watch the wolves simultaneously. I was a short human, five-foot-three to be exact, so I puffed out my chest and maintained a serious facial expression attempting to mask my racing fear. I was deathly terrified, and all the training I had endured did not prepare me for this.

The black wolf picked up his pace as the trail wrapped around a bend in the hillside. They were continuously snarling and growling, baring their sharp teeth and fangs. Eventually, I assumed they would pick up their speed and try to surround me. As I tried not to make eye contact, I attempted to avoid staring into their glaring mouths. I knew how powerful those fangs were and the damage they could do. I knew I did not possess the strength to fight off one of these wolves, let alone a pack. I quickly tried to think about my next move. Should I call for help?