West's Wonderful World of Writing Whimsy

Hello all! Here I am going to encase all of my occasional and sporadic writing pieces. Each section will have a label and a short summary, especially if the writing has changed- mainly because I tend to write a lot of 'one-shots' versus finishing a single work. If you have any politely-worded critiques you wish to bestow upon me, please PM me. Do not post here. Anyways, I don't think there's really anything else that should or could be said here, so I'm going to jump right on into the action.

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The Wolf Within

A short drabble based upon a non-traditional werewolf (basically somewhere in between a shapeshifter and the traditional werewolf 'controlled' by the moon). So far the character is unnamed and the plotline is undecided. This is just for me to write under whenever I get the inspiration and is not necessarily edited frequently either.

Last Edited/Written: 01/10/2019, 10/16/2020

Photo Reference for Wolf Character

The pads of her paws had long since worn thick with callouses, their rough edges pricked with tiny tears. As they scraped along the rocky terrain, they knocked pebbles from her path and grew sore with every step. The greens and browns of the forest blurred together as the canine moved further into the thick brush. There was little heed paid, her pointed ears folded tightly to her cranium as thorn-filled bushes pricked at her pelt. The sounds of birdcalls and the subtle rustling of the forest around the creature were natural and kept her moving at a meandering pace.

Green-flecked hazel eyes finally flickered upwards and away from the endless sprawl of the forest floor. They blinked with laziness towards a squirrel as the rodent released a series of chirping warning barks and scampered away and up a nearby tree to escape the path of the peculiar wolf. She'd lost track of where she was, didn't even know how long she'd been traveling in that direction. Had she eaten recently? Had she even drank anything recently?

The subtle but sharp scent of fresh water halted the limber canine in her tracks, nose lifting. It twitched fervently, head turned right and then left until she decided on the strength of the scent. This was likely the first real thought she'd formed in days; the first goal she'd set for herself. She couldn't remember having such a solid grasp of things in a long, long while. It was a pleasant change to purposefully swing her muzzle around and lope off in the direction of the subtle but fresh scent that beckoned her closer. When the expanse of the creek spread out before her, she halted once more. The hazel of her hues glimmered brightly in the sunlight as she peered into the rippling surface. The thick pelt that encased her being was made of layered hues of silver, golds, creams, and whites that reflected the sunlight in its glittering layers.

This is me.

The cool splash of the water along her underbelly and over her ankles was a fresh, stark relief to the warmth of her pelt. Her dry tongue was immediately wet, maw lowered into the shallow flow with sudden thirst. As the ripples faded slightly, her maw hovered an inch over the water and she peered into the surface, until the image of herself came into focus. Silvery cream fur that darkened into a valiant ginger-gold around her ears and ruff, and brilliantly amber speckled eyes that seemed wild and exhausted all at the same time. Her ears perked as she gazed into the water, maw slowly tilting until she realized what she was doing and grinned. Long, sharp incisors reflected in the image, ones she bared with a sudden burst of pride.

It was when she lowered her maw to lap at the water that the sudden rush of memories unsteadied her limbs and sent her careening backwards, out of the shallow water at the creek's edge. Crimson puddles in a pathway, leading down the hall. Pawprints stamped into the blood. Vibrant yellow eyes. The wolf was on her paws again, the entire bottom half of her body soaked and dripping onto the dirt below. Paying the creek little heed, the wolf splashed past the shallow embankment ontothe other side until thick brush encased her in a thorny embrace. A man in dark clothing. The metallic glint of a gun. Two identical-tinted wolves disappearing into the brush. She broke into a run and darted between brambles and tree trunks, tail low and swaying out behind her.

She scrabbled over a sudden dirt-hill, the thick and twining roots grasping at her slender limbs like firm hands, and finally clambered over the crest of the incline. One simple misstep among the roots and vines sent her slipping downwards, claws scraping at nothing and sore paw pads protesting until she was tripped up and sent breathlessly onto her side down the opposing side of the incline. The ground she slapped onto was harder and rougher than before, and the sudden screech and blare of a harsh horn told her that something was utterly, sincerely wrong.

On her paws in an instant and moving, the same screeching and blaring car slid past her, right onto the same area of asphalt she'd been stretched upon. Her sides heaved with the effort of her breath and she turned in her panicked scramble to safety, watching as the metal automobile slams into a tree and finally falls silent. Shit. Shit. No. There was someone in there. She'd caused someone to wreck. And what could she do? She was stuck with goddamn paws at the moment, so the correct answer to that statement at the present was nothing. Halted on the opposite side of the road now, the wolf gazes at the car with clenched teeth, unable to draw her eyes away.

Who was inside of the car? Were they even conscious? Sure, the wolf had an aching body herself, but would that be anything compared to the pain this person might face? Might be facing already? Unable to stop once her first paw is lifted, she stepped slowly towards the car as the scent of fumes and gasoline only increased. She made it to the broken window, her paws pressed to the side of the car, before she finally spotted the human inside, alone and unconscious.

(1/?)

For a long moment, she wills herself to shapeshift. To push past the boundaries of her present state and transform into a more suitable body. One with opposable thumbs, at the least. But no matter how much she tried to will her being to shift, it wouldn't budge. And so she was left, standing on her hind limbs and staring into a wrecked vehicle in the form of a very large predator. On some unknown and possibly unrealistic highway for a wolf to be spotted on. Likely not thinking correctly- and likely thinking too quickly- the wolf used her nose to shove the handle of the door upward while she simultaneously tugged on the top of the door with a heavy paw. Being careful of the glass, she managed to yank the door open an inch and then use her nose and muzzle to budge it the rest of the way open.

Yes. Point one for team 'no-opposables'.

The next problem came in the shape of the human's seatbelt. It halted her long enough for her to consider why the hell she was doing this when she had her own problems. Maybe it was because she had her own problems and she really didn't want to think about them right now. Or maybe it was because- is that the smell of gasoline and is it growing stronger? After a moment, she could definitely confirm the stench as it  expanded and rose from the confines of the engine. The thought of the car suddenly bursting into flames, with the human- and possibly her- inside, sent her into a flurry of motion.

The long incisors she'd felt so proud of earlier were put to work as she ripped and tore through the rough material of the seat belt with some difficulty. When it was finally loose and the human freed, the canine grew hasty. Better bruised and cut up than on fire in their car, she thought to herself. With one quick and precise movement, she used her muzzle to snatch up a thick mouthful of his jacket and yanked the man from the car. Dragging him a few paces away and onto the side of the roadway, the wolf paused for a moment to catch her breath and admire her 'handiwork'.

A sudden gust of broiling hot air and a lick of flames curled over the odd pair and then swam over the hood of the car in an intense blast, forcing her low to the ground instinctively. Flames were already visible inside the passenger side interior and she felt a sense of relief at having thought so quickly as to get the human out of there. The slender canine remained where she'd half-crouched over the lower portion of the human, her stance almost protective. When she turned to blink down at the man, her limbs still quivering from the strength and shock of the explosion, she ound that his eyes were very much open and he was very much awake and staring very directly at her. The vibrant gold of his hues were too alike to a wolf for her to feel at all safe or prideful anymore.

Leaping away, the fur along her ruff and spine began to bristle and stand tall, the now gentle fire behind her forgotten as she put distance between herself and the human. Lips wrinkled in a cautious warning, she eyed him as he slowly went about sitting up and looking over the scene. She gazed at him long enough for him to possibly put together her rescue - if he was smart enough - and maw tilted as she watched his expression turn to one of considerable awe. She heard him mutter something under his breath, but she didn't quite catch it as he brushed himself off and stumbled to his feet. A slow trickle of crimson was noticeable on his forehead.

Ears twitching, perking towards him and then settling back, the wolf gave a lash of her tail as she began to step backward across the roadway. Her eyes remained narrowed on his figure the entire time. Perhaps it was the effect of the blast. Perhaps she was too zeroed in on his unearthly-golden gaze. But then his hand was raised, mouth opened as he stepped towards her.

It was a miracle the impact didn't kill her. She likely had her supernatural genes to thank for her life, in all reality. But maybe the car had slowed enough - the person likely peering at the crash site - for her to only be thrown off her paws and into the roadway further on. The breathless gasp of a yelp that left her maw sounded more like a broken shriek, akin to the squeal of the brakes as the car finally stopped a few feet from her downed body. Her vision blurred, darkened, and then swam with stars. It was a struggle to breathe, let alone even think about moving.

The metallic stink of blood slowly emerged the longer she lay there, her paws flexing and clawing at the asphalt as she unconsciously continued a struggle to flee from the humans. Footsteps approached after what seemed like an eternity. The panic she felt almost surpassed the pain that slowly blossomed past her fading adrenaline.

"Oh God, sir, this isn't your dog, is it? It looks like a wolf!"

There is no answering reply, only a new set of footsteps that approach at a slower pace. They stopped short and then there was a soft, caressing touch across her side, her paws slowing and stilling as she stiffened. The growl she released was a threat and a promise enlayed in one. You are not pack. Do not touch me. The touch was gone as quickly as it came, leaving her lying on the asphalt as her sides heaved. Her vision slowly returned, eyes blinking quickly as it blurred and swam around the edges, then faded to something akin to normal sight. Stars danced in her peripheral view. Twitching her paws, she tried to stand and her left side and hind limb protested aggressively until she was forced to sink back to her side, eyes closed.

"Uh, Miss? Would you mind.. do you have any extra towels in your car? I'm... I'm going to try and get her off the roadway."

"Towels? Are you sure? If you can pick her up, I can take you both into town and she can get examined by the vet... and you to the hospital. That's your car there, in flames?"

Panic seized in her throat and the wolf began to struggle again. One pair of footsteps receded a few paces. The canine listened to the man as he cleared his throat, her ears flicking forward and back as she whimpered quietly. The man's following words both confused her but calmed the panic she'd felt before.

"Yes, Miss. Please. I'll be waiting here with her. I've already called a friend. I'm not even sure if she'll let me handle her. She's my friend's dog, you see." Something must have startled the other human, or perhaps made them uncomfortable, and the woman hurried back towards her car and soon returned. The wolf blinked  and licked her maw instinctively, watching as a sheet was tossed into the crouching man's lap. "Thank you."

"Yes, well. Good luck. All of my information is on that card should you need to contact my insurance or me personally, for vet bills, you  know," she stared at them both for a moment, then turned and departed in her car, careful to avoid where the odd pair still remained in the road. When the hum of the car finally slipped out of earshot, the wolf set her gaze directly onto the humans', as if daring him to touch her. His unnaturally golden eyes caught and held hers for a long moment before he leaned onto his knee before her.

"Look," he said softly. "You understand me. I know you do. So please. Let me help you. Let me at least get us both out of the road, okay?" His gaze held hers for an intense eternity. "I did not call a friend. I figured you didn't want an audience." After another long moment, he heaves a breathless chuckle and she finds her gaze wandering over the dark black locks that curled loosely over his forehead. "I will need to call a tow truck, or... someone. Fuck. I had almost paid that car off."

Gingerly, and with an amount of effort that was surprising to her after how long she'd laid there - she should've been healing at a faster pace by now - the wolf lifted her head and blinked at him, slowly. The rest of her body fell still and after a moment she laid her head back across the asphalt, feeling somewhat dizzy.

"Alright. Alright. Here goes nothing." He placed the sheet over her shoulder and back as she lay there quietly, moving with slow and calm carefulness. Stepping behind her, his hand hovered over her body and the sheet for some time. "Please. Don't. Bite. Me." Oh, it took every ounce of her being not to give into that specific instinct. Especially as his hold enclosed around her abdomen and lifted her from the roadway.

(2/?)