RISE OF THE WEAK WOLFIE

I’ve been a weirdo since birth. Skinny legs, almost no hair, and a body so small I can pass as a Labrador retriever. I am an alien. My mom, desperate to make something strong about me, named me Ripper. As if that would help at all. Everyone called me “Rip”. The Arctic wolf pack, a powerful one, teased me for my whole childhood. But, I guess I’m still lucky. It’s hard to survive in an Arctic wolf pack.

My mom, Myna, shielded my near-bald body from the cold. She hustled me under a tree, and I watched the snow blanket the ground. Shivering, I stuck my cold nose into my mom’s fur. Suddenly, Head Toper swaggered toward me. 

“Rip! I bet you’re cold! Here, for your birthday, I caught this animal, and the skin was way too thick to eat, so I skinned the animal and here’s your warm blanket, li’l shrimp!” He grinned as he tossed me a skin. “Am I really a wolf, or am I a shrimp, mom?” I asked. My mother stroked my head. “You’re a wolf. What’s more, you’re Ripper.” 

The skin was very useful that day. My dad, Wolv, was really thankful for this skin and he immediately went to thank Head Toper. He and Head Toper have been best friends for their whole life. Pearl, my twin sister, took me down to the frozen lake beneath the mountain, and she found this beautiful pearl rock, which she gave to me as her present. Dad’s present was a drawing. It was our whole family: Him, my mom, me, and Pearl. My mom’s present was simply everything that she did for me.

The next day, the whole pack went out to hunt. Head Toper made sure that I came along. Pearl and I played and skidded on the ice. Suddenly, a bang rocked the mountainside. It was the hunter. We ran, but a bullet rocketed through the air and struck my sister. My mom and I were in front of everyone, so far in front I couldn’t see the eyeballs of the wolves at the back, but we immediately turned around and started rushing toward Pearl, who was rolling down the steep mountain. Dad had been running near her, and he chased her down. I gained on them surprisingly fast. Pearl was nearing the cliff. “WOLV! Come back, there’s nothing you can do!” Head Toper yelled. Dad ignored him, and just before Pearl fell off the edge, he jumped on her, his paws scrabbling on the ground as he tried to get a hold of something. Pearl’s momentum took them both off the cliff, and they plummeted down, down.

“NO!” I screamed, swerving to a stop right before the edge. Then I heard two faint sickening crunches and I knew it was over.

I headed up. My mom and Head Toper rushed toward me. My mom was at a loss for words, shocked into silence. Head Toper crouched down to my eye level. “Rip,” he said quietly. “Come sleep.” I went to bed, tears streaming.

Morning came, and I woke up early and started to experiment with sticks. It was a dry day. I got soaking sticks, damp sticks, and dry sticks. I rubbed wet with wet, damp with damp, and dry with dry, wanting to see which stick’s bark would come off first. I rubbed the dry sticks together, but as soon as I started rubbing more fiercely, a spark leapt off, and a fire grew. The wind pushed the fire to Head Toper’s place. Suddenly, he jumped out, yowling, a crazed look in his eyes as his face caught on fire. All wolves dashed out, and started crying out, “Put your face in the snow!” “Stop, drop, and roll!” “AAAAAHHHHH!” Luckily, Head Toper managed to put out the fire. When he looked up, his face was a mangled, distorted mess. “Who,” he growled. “WHO made that fire!” He caught sight of the sticks and immediately deduced what had happened. “WHO WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO RUB STICKS TOGETHER?!”

I was the main suspect. “Ripper!” he yelled. “Why would you do that?” I opened my mouth to answer, but he put up a paw. “Never mind. It’s not worth listening to anyway.” He turned and walked away, the whole pack, all following behind him, except my mom. The two most awful days of my life were there, in a row.

∞∞∞

One day, they went out to hunt. I was starving, so I decided to come.

“Follow me!” Head Toper yelled to our pack. Then he caught sight of me and snorted. “Go away, Baby-Rippy. You’re not allowed to hunt. You don’t fit in!” I peered around at the other giant wolves. I saw the muscles rippling under their skin, and I knew Head Toper was right. I backed away to our domain and slowly draped my skin over my weak and microscopic body. 

A couple hours later, the pack came back, grumpy looking, with some gross-looking birds. They were terrible. There was barely any meat on them, and the parts that had meat were very stringy. 

Without warning, Head Toper materialized next to me. “What expression is on your face, skinny? Disgust? You think the meat I caught is gross?” I shook my head. Head Toper growled. “You’re defying me! I see right through you, tiny! I have more rights than you! Do you want to have your remaining fur pulled out?” I shook my head quickly again. “That’s it!” Head Toper screeched. “You’re out of the pack!” He yanked me up by the tail and flung me down the mountain. I rolled into trees, tree stumps, and tree roots. Finally, I stopped by the frozen river. I didn’t even have my skin. I settled down and closed my eyes miserably. Those wolves’ muscles were helping them a lot. How many things can blue eyes do? I settled down for bed. I lay there silently, and slept.

∞∞∞

BOOM! A rock bounced off my head. I glanced up dizzily. Rockwell, one of Head Toper’s lieutenants, had chucked a small rock at my head. Head Toper’s second lieutenant, Caslon, was picking up a rock also. Head Toper appeared out of the shadows just as Caslon threw the rock. The rock flew into my shoulder and I went head over heels. Head Toper laughed. “Regret denying me, cub?” I struggled up and sped away. “Just because you’re speedy, doesn’t mean you can escape me!” Head Toper’s voice was far away. Me? Speedy? I looked around, but the world was just a blur of color. I arrived at a shady spot and curled up. It was nearly morning, but I could sleep a little. 

Now it was morning, and someone was calling my name. “Ripper! Ripper!” It was my mom. “I’m here!” I yelled, and my mom came barreling through the trees. “What happened?” she asked. I told her about the night. “Ah, that Head Toper.” I shrugged. “Let’s go back.” I said, and we trudged up the mountain. When Head Toper saw me, he took a few breaths, closed his eyes, and forced a smile. “Welcome back, Ripper.” He looked like he wanted to say scaredy-cat, but held back. Mom led me back to our space. My skin! I dove on it and wrapped myself up. My eyelids were betraying my eyes, and I fell asleep.

When I awoke, the pack had gone hunting. I decided to take a walk like always, so I could be alone with my thoughts. I walked down the mountain, going toward the frozen river. I crossed under the thorn tree, but this time, a pain shot through my legs and I collapsed on the ground.  I moved my leg and howled. A colossal thorn was stuck in my paw. I thrashed around, grunting painfully. Through my squinted eyes, I saw a bundle of white, nearly camouflaged with the snow. It was a bunny. He froze when he crossed me. Then in a flash, he was off, hopping for his life. But suddenly, he hesitated. Carefully, he tiptoed toward me. Eventually, he arrived at my leg. It took some thought, but finally I stuck out my leg trustingly to the bunny. He opened his mouth and gently pulled out the thorn. My vision slowly cleared, and I saw the young bunny clearly, burying a bloody thorn into the snow. My hunger was overwhelming, but I knew this bunny just probably saved my life. The bunny stared at me, ready to make a dash for his life any moment. I took a deep breath. “Let’s take a walk, okay? And I’ll introduce myself, and you can introduce yourself.”

His name was Benny, and he lived with his mother, father and two sisters. He paled when I told him I was in Head Toper’s pack. “H-he k-k-killed-d my b-brother f-f-for f-fun,” Benny stuttered. “Oh, he hates me. I’m weak anyway,” I assured him, sticking out my skinny legs. I looked at the sky. “It’s around time the pack’s getting back. I should go,” I said. “Same time tomorrow?” He nodded, and hopped away.

I rushed up the mountain just before the pack got back. Head Toper wasn’t swaggering now. “Our pack—” he faltered. Mom glared at him. “Fine.” He sighed. “I missed the hare when I dove.” Mom seemed satisfied. That night, we didn’t have food. We all went to bed with empty stomachs.

Day after day, I went to visit Benny. We had tons of fun, talking, racing, building snowmen, having snowball fights. One day, Benny decided that I earned his trust. He led me to a forest, and between two trees, there was a hole, just big enough for a bunny. “This is my home,” Benny said excitedly. “My mother, father, and two brothers and one sister are down there right now. We feast tremendously down there because we have so much food.” Benny and I chatted for a while. After a little bit, I yawned, tilting my head back to the sky. When I saw it, I yelped and almost had a panic attack. I was late! I raced to our domain. Head Toper was waiting for me, with Rockwell and Caslon behind him. “Where have you been?” he demanded. “Nowhere,” I stammered. “Nowhere?”

He walked past me, but as he did he jammed his shoulder into my head. I fell on the icy ground. Rockwell and Caslon followed Head Toper, careful to step on my paws as they went. Whimpering, I rolled behind a tree and hid my snout and eyes between my paws. Head Toper looked around, and the smuggest grin crossed his face. I followed his line of sight and panic squeezed my heart. Footprints! I had forgotten to cover my footprints.

Head Toper howled loudly, and the pack immediately came running. Damascus, my uncle, said gruffly, “Yes, Head?” Smirking, Head Toper nodded to my footprints. “Ripper’s made a discovery. Is that right, Ripper?” He  smiled. Then I felt something like stubbornness, something I’d never felt before. “No, Head Toper. And it is not for you. It is private, and none of your beeswax.” Head Toper’s face twisted in disgust and embarrassment. Trying to ignore me, he said, “Small party: Me, Rockwell, Caslon, Ripper, and Myna to rein Rip in.” We followed Head Toper down the mountain. Worry was seizing me like Head Toper’s grasp. Finally, the forest was in sight. 

Benny was ten yards away from the hole, and his face crumbled when he saw the group. “Get him!” Head Toper roared. Rockwell and Caslon dove after Benny, and Head Toper joined too. Benny yelped and fled. When Benny zoomed past me, he looked up at my face and his meaning was clear: How could you? Tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face. Mom glanced at me, unmoving. I wanted to help Benny, I really did. I just wasn’t strong enough. Head Toper snapped at Benny, missing him by inches. I shouted out, anger seizing me, and barreled into the chase.

I spread my limbs out, blocking the three heartless wolves. “Run, Benny!” I screamed. Head Toper tried to walk past me, but I moved in front of him. Suddenly, Caslon knocked me over, and they all ran towards Benny, whose head was in the hole, but his behind still in plain sight. Head Toper streaked towards him, and bit him hard, on the tail.

Benny shrieked. “Darn, I honestly should not have eaten so much.” A wave roared in my ears, even louder than when Head Toper snapped at Benny. It felt as though a red hot poker was being dragged across my heart. I lunged forward, and bit Head Toper as hard as I could on his side. With a grunt, he let go of Benny. Benny wriggled away. Head Toper turned to me, his eyes gleaming with malice. “So,” he whispered. “It has come down to this.”

I stood tall, and looked twice as big as I normally looked. “You have betrayed the pack.” Head Toper hissed. “No, you have.” I said calmly. Head Toper said, “May I ask, how?” I took a breath. “You were obviously going to eat Benny all by yourself. A Head shouldn’t do that.” Rockwell and Caslon turned to him resentfully. Head Toper paced, foaming at the mouth. Benny chose that time to pop out of his hole, cheer, “Go Rip go!” and go down again. My mom proudly stood next to me, and Head Toper angrily opened his mouth to say something. Without warning, a gunshot sounded. It was unmistakably the hunter.

Mom and I fled to one side, Head Toper and his lieutenants fled to the other. When I looked over my shoulder, Head Toper was looking back too. His yellow eyes were red and looked lit with fire. “This isn’t over, Ripper.” He called over the gunshots. “This isn’t over.”

∞∞∞

As soon as I felt that it was safe to come out, I led my mom to Benny’s home. We met his mom, Penny, his dad, Denny, his sister, Jenny, his brother, Lenny, and his other brother, Kenny. Then all of a sudden, Mom turned to me and asked, concerned, “Rip, are you cold?” “No, why?” I said, confused. “Well, you don’t have your skin…” My mom’s voice faded. I looked down and realized I had left my skin back at our home. “I’m filled with warmth because of the love here, I guess.” I said, smiling broadly. But then the smile dissipated. “Mom and and I have to leave soon.” I told Benny. Then I turned to Mom. “We’re going back to the pack.”

After ten minutes, we arrived at our home. I spotted Head Toper immediately, his sharp features, scarred face, and cruel, angry eyes. At the sight of me, his face twisted. “Scram.” He snarled. “You horrible head,” I barked. “And you could do better?” Head Toper leaned toward me, his scars prominent in the moonlight. I wondered if maybe the fire I caused had burned him inside more than his face. “Yes.” I said. “Let’s ask the pack.” He said quietly. We turned toward the wolves.

One wolf, Andale, stepped up and said, “Head, you were great before. You were one of our most awesome Heads ever. Then, your face got…” He searched for a word. “Mangled. Wrecked.” “Destroyed?” I supplied. “Yes.” Andale said, nodding at me. “And, you started treating Rip horribly, but the whole pack too. Maybe you’re a little broken.” The other wolves murmured in assent. Head Toper looked shocked. He looked at me, wounded, and I saw him like the old Head Toper I knew. Then the doors behind his eyes closed again, and they turned as cold as icebergs. He hurried down to the cliff where Dad and Pearl fell off. “This is for you, Wolv.” He whispered in a hoarse voice. “I’ll meet up with you soon.” And he looked up at our pack one last time, then turned and jumped off the cliff.