[Logan73]

Here's the beginnings of a new story. As always, I'll try to update as often as possible but no promises.

A Wolf in Extra Large Clothing
By Logan73

I met the Wolf family the summer before starting college. I was eighteen years old and thrilled to be out of the festering cesspool that had been high school I remember it was on a Tuesday afternoon when I was feeling especially heady regarding my new freedom, and so reasoned that a leisurely walk around the neighborhood at a time when I would ordinarily have been crammed behind a desk would be especially liberating.

Now I should mention that such walks were not a very common activity for me, being rather bookish and not terribly fond of physical exertion, nor of the great outdoors in general, but as I said, this was a special occasion. I had traveled only a few blocks when I was struck suddenly and painfully by football.

I was too surprised to really get hung up on the pain, so when I rose to my feet, my first thought was not of the blood rushing from my nose, nor the possibility of a broken bone, but I was concerned rather with the origin of the unexpected projectile.

I did not have to wait long for my answer. Before I had time to do more than blink in confusion I felt a hand on my shoulder and a deep voice was asking me if I was alright.

?I?m fine,? I answered, quite calmly I think given the circumstances. My vision was coming back into focus and I could make out the source of the voice. I was a little taken aback by the figure before me. He had long blond hair past his shoulders and appeared to be about my age, but while I stood a respectable, but by no means showy, 5?10? this man was a burly giant of at least 6?4?. His broad face and toothy smile conveyed warmth and friendliness, but under his baggy clothes I could see that he was packing considerable muscle. I had better be nice. He was talking again, so I made an effort to pay attention.

?I?m really sorry, man,? he said. ?I didn?t see you there and it just got away from me. Wow, that is a lot of blood.?

I touched my nose gingerly and flinched at the pain, for the first time conscious of my injury. My fingers came away bright red.

?I don?t think it?s broken,? I said tentatively, poking at my wound again for good measure. ?Don?t worry about it. It was an accident, and it doesn?t even hurt that much.? That last was a bit of an exaggeration, but I didn?t want to show weakness in the face of such an imposing stranger.

?Well, why don?t you come inside and get some water on it? You can?t walk around like that. I?m Jim, by the way.?

I look up and saw that he was beckoning me towards one in a sea of nondescript, suburban houses that lined the street. As we walked inside, he made no effort to pick up his football from the ground, which I thought was classy.

?I?m Mike,? I replied, still a bit dazed.

The interior of the house was not what one would suspect from its quiet suburban lawn. It was very messy, but not in the heavy, cluttered way favored by packrats. It was a kinetic sort of messy, as if the house itself possessed a great deal of energy. It seemed odd to me that such an obviously active dwelling could now be so eerily quiet. These were my thoughts as my host escorted me to the bathroom.

A few minutes and one hot washcloth later I was feeling good as new. Jim apologized some more and I assured him that it was nothing, but that I had better be getting home. As I was leaving, I thought I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye, causing to turn sharply.

It was only a shadow and it moved quickly, but I had time enough to get a good look at it. It was definitely a woman?s shadow and it seemed to me (although it could have just been an artifact of the now setting sun) that it was a very long shadow indeed.