The Wolf

By Josh Ward

              I was at my house in the middle of the woods. It was one of those nights home alone, but the where the dogs were getting on my nerves; they just wanted to play and would not leave me alone. My dog Bear, a big dumb yellow lab, was just sitting there staring at me right in the eyes, or his eyes where saying just play with me. I was just too tired from football parties. Then my other dog Sadie, a smaller chocolate lab, was attacking Bear and jumping on his back. I had finally had enough! I got up from my chair and went to the sliding glass door. The dogs thought we were going to play, but they were wrong. When I stepped outside, Bear went straight to his big tennis ball that he loved to play with. I played with them for a little bit, throwing the ball down the hill. After about five times of throwing the ball down the hill, I started to walk to the kennel. Sadie and Bear knew what I was doing. They were walking really slowly and did want to listen to me. It was not the first time I did this to them. They are all ways wanting to play and what not. I still was going to put them in the kennel, as much as they hated it.

     The house was a lot quieter now that the dogs were outside. I could finally watch my movie in peace. I was not even five minutes into my movie before I heard the dogs barking outside. I went to the back door to see what they were barking about, because they never bark. When I got to the back door, I looked outside and there it was a--wolf. It was a lighter gray color, and it was bigger than any dog I have ever seen in my life. When I looked into its eyes, I felt like there was something keeping me from moving. Even though there was a glass door in between us, I just couldn’t move. I don’t know if it was the fear or the fact that I have never seen one before. It was unbelievable. I didn’t know what to do; the dogs were going crazy over the wolf.

     Before I could think twice about what to do, the wolf was gone over a hill and disapeared into the woods. The hill was big and there was no point in chasing it. I just stood there for a bit before I grabbed the phone and called my mom. I told her I saw a wolf.  She didn’t believe me for the longest time, but after about ten minutes of telling her that it was the truth, she finally believed that I saw a wolf in our back yard near Idaho City. It only took twenties minutes to convince her.

I did not go outside for about thirty minutes, and when I did go outside, I had my 22 pistol in my hand. When I let the dogs out they were fine; it didn’t even faze them. Bear still just wanted to play ball. So I played with him until my mom came home. I was only out there for about forty-five minutes.  When my mom got home, it was just like twenty-one questions, as if it were any other time she came home. She just wanted to know if I was fine, which I was.

              Up until then I had had no idea that there were wolves in the area. I know the game--deer, elk, turkey-- in Idaho City has gone done tremendously. I used to get an elk every year, but last year I didn’t get one for the first time. I didn’t even see an elk the whole time I was hunting.  I had heard the hunters in Idaho City talking about how they had seen them, but Idaho City is about a thirty minute drive. The only animals that I had seen where I live are deer, elk, turkey, and foxes, but never a wolf.

              I will never forget the power that I felt when a saw that wolf. It was definitely like nothing I have ever seen or felt before. I had heard that the gaze of a wolf is unbelievable, but I did not believe that until I saw one for myself. The strength of the animal was like nothing I have ever felt before. I understand why people would worship a wolf.