Wild Things Can Happen Here

By Alexandria Santiago

This book is dedicated to my best friends and family who Have helped me through all the stress and worries of life and school by Making me feel loved.

And my cat too even though he attacks me.

Maple Leaf Writing Project

Brattleboro, VT

Copyright 2019

Chapter 1

I wake up to the bright light shining through my bedroom window, the teal walls look like a bright white. I get up tiredly not wanting to get up. I walk to my closet and put on a baggy light blue shirt and red sweatpants. I brush my orange hair but leave it down.

After I finish changing, I go downstairs to get something to eat. I look at the fridge to see a note from Dad again saying that he ‘had to go to work early’, I roll my eyes and just grab leftover waffles from the fridge. He always says that he Is ‘going to work early’. he will never be with us because he would rather be a work. Does he even care about us at all?

I look around to see that Mom and Amanda are in the living room reading a book and Mark is not here. I think Mark Is in his room doing homework or on his phone. As I go and put my dish in the sink I see Mark come into the kitchen. He just grabs a cup of water and nods, acknowledging me. I nod back at him and go to my room to get my bag. it's like me and my brother have these secret codes we use without noticing but I don't mind it.

I pick up my bag and pack it with my camera, water and jelly beans as I put on my favorite beanie and fluffy coat. I'm going to meet up with my best friends so I need to hurry. I run downstairs and quickly put a note on the table that I left, and shove open the door. I start running down the street to get to green shell street, where Sam and Vincent live. I smile as I see their house number. I rush up the steps almost tripping and knock on the door. The door opens to their mother, Sarah. Who smiles at me and invites me in. Vincent and Sam’s famIly really like me.

“Vincent and Sam should be here soon,” Sarah explained as she goes back to folding some clothes. I look around and see vincent and sam coming down the stairs and come towards me.

“You ready to go?” Vincent had asked.

“Yeah,” I said as we walked out the door waving goodbye to sarah.

Chapter 2

“so, how's life back at home?” sam asks as we walk over a log and deep into the forest.

“it been...great,” I say gravely and walk a bit faster.

“They still have not noticed you much lately?” vincent says as he and sam sit on a log to rest.

“As usual,” I say as I climb into a tree, looking down at sam and vincent. For a few seconds we have some comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the woods. We can hear birds singing their daily morning songs. The sounds of squirrels running quickly along the ground looking for food before winter. The slightly cold wind moves our hair and clothes around. in the distance Is the gurgling of the rivers. The yellow and red leaves swirled about, doing nothing. I loved all of it.

“Hello? Earth to nora?” sam waves a hand in my face. I shake my head as I get out of my thoughts.

“Wow we thought we lost you, we were gonna have to get a spaceship to get you,” vincent says jokingly.

“I get it, vincent.” I jump from the tree.

“But you do space out all the time. Why Is that?” sam asks as we start to walk to our cottage again.

“My mind Is a place where I can create a better life,” I say as we can see the cottage in the distance coming closer.

“That's great,” vincent says sarcastically as we walk over the bridge that goes over a river.

I start to jiggle the handle of the door. “There we go!” I yell as I finally open the door.

Chapter 3

I open the door and we walk inside. I close the door behind us and look around as we take off our shoes, hats and jackets. The walls are cobblestone cover in vines and sometimes the place smells like a smokey french cafe. The floor Is a dark wood that Is covered in a little bit of dirt. This place was once an abandoned house but we fixed it up and made it our new home. There's a kitchen, bathroom, living room and everything you could ever need in a house. it even has great hiding spots. When you walk into the small living room you see a big fort we set up with pillows and blankets for comfort. I set down my bag and plop down on a pillow and cover up with a blanket. Vincent and sam do the same. We all start talking about our lives at our homes. Sam and vincent's lives sound so much better then mine. I start spacing out again and think of a plan. What If I...ran away from home? I start to ask vincent and sam about it to see If they would help me on my plan. They look worried but they agree to help me. I tell them that I can just live in the cottage. After we finally make a plan we realize how dark it Is outside. We pack up our things and go our own ways home. As I walk home Suddenly I trip on something and fall on my face.

“Oww…” I wince and rub my knee. I look at what I tripped over to only see a tiny stump with a necklace tied around it. The necklace Is a silver wolf with black eyes and it sparkles in the dark.

Why Is that there?. I think we should leave it there, it's owner might be looking for it. I get up and wipe the dirt off my legs and start walking again. When I get home, I close the door quietly and sneak up the stairs to my room. When I get in my room I close the door again, and slump down on the door. I sigh when I see a note on my desk. I get up and walk to the note, I pick it up and read it. it says ‘dear nora, I folded your clothes for you while you were away. Try to be more early next tIme. Sincerely, mark.’ I smile at the note and silently thank him for caring about me. I change into the clothes that mark set for me and put away the ones I was wearing. I set my alarm clock for early in the morning. If I want thIs plan to work, I have to be early before anybody else wakes up.

Chapter 4

I hear my alarm go off loudly and I try to quickly turn it off. I open my door quietly and look around the hallways to see If anyone had heard it. it seems like no one did. I go into my room again and start to pack my bag with my basic stuff that I need to live in our cottage plus my camera. I open my dresser drawer and I pull out the rope I stole from dad. Yes, I know that's bad but he won't miss it since he never is home. I open my window and a rush of cold air comes hurling at me. I shake my head and tie the rope to a hook on my wall, I drop the rest of the rope onto the ground. After I softly land on the ground I start to run into the woods, I think that this Is the direction of the cottage. when I finally stop running and look around me I realize that I'm in a part of the woods that I don't recognize. I obviously took the wrong path, how could I be so stupid? I start to look around for something to follow or something that's familiar. I see nothing and curl into a ball and start to cry. Why am I crying so loudly? I stop crying and realize that it wasn't me that was crying. I look up from my ball and see a wolf. WAIT A WOLF!? will it hurt me? Wait of course it will hurt me it's a wolf. The wolf starts to walk toward me very slowly, But I stay there in my place frozen in fright. it looks kinda scared. I suddenly jump at the sudden warmth at my head. I turn my eyes to see the wolf licking my head, it kinda hurts. But I can see what the wolf looks lIke a little bit in the dark. it seems to have dark fur but it's eyes are closed. The wolf Is really big, well I mean it's a wolf. I suddenly pass out but can still sense that I was being dragged.

Chapter 5

I wake up to the strong smell of pine trees. Wait pine trees?! I stay stIll so I can make a plan on how to get out of where I think I am. I feel something next to me, it Is moving. No, it Is breathing… I open my eyes to see a rock ceiling. I groan and sit up fast when I get some dirt in my eye. Suddenly the thing that was next to me picks up it's head and stares at me. I look around frantically for my bag but I see no hope of it. All i find is my camera slightly covered in dirt around my neck. The creature yawns and stretches once it got up, I realize it's the wolf from before but I can see it clearly it now in the daylight. it has dark fur and I now see that the eyes are blue but it was not big like it was in the dark. You can see now that it Is very small, was it a pup? The wolf pup walks to me and starts to whimper at me. What do I do now? Is it hungry? I think it's hungry! But how am I going to get food for it? Wait, don't tell me I have to hunt. Maybe I can catch a rabbit? I see a white rabbit over there! I will probably scare it If I sneak on it. I grab some sticks and grass, I can remember how to do this from summer camp two years ago right? I manage to tie the grass with the sticks to make a trap for the rabbit. I grab some of the leftover jelly beans from my pocket and place them in the trap. I think rabbits like jelly beans. I lightly grab the wolf pup and I'm ready for it to bite me, and take it behind a tree with me. The rabbit Is slowly going towards the trap. The wolf pup wiggles out of my grasp in discomfort. I run to the trap when it snaps closed on the rabbit, trapping it inside.

Chapter 6

the wolf pup licks it lips from eating it’s food but it leaves a little bit. The wolf pup nudges the piece of meat towards me. Is it trying to get me to eat? But I can't cook it. Or maybe I can. I grab a stick and place the meat on the stick and hold it over the fire. The smoke rises up into the sunset sky. I look over to see that the wolf had fallen asleep. I guess I will be following this little guy around until I find my way home. When I look at the meat it looks done so I take a bite of the meat. it Is the perfect amount of smokiness and chewiness. I finish a little of the meat and I save it. I lie down on the ground trying to sleep. But I can't, I miss mark. I miss vincent and sam. I can't believe I'm saying this but I miss home. the pup whines in its sleep and crawls over to me. I close my eyes and manage to sleep for the night, even with the strange growling in the distance.

Chapter 7

I wake up to the pup barking loudly and when I open my eyes I see we are surrounded by a wolf pack. When I stand up they start to growl louder and the pup runs next to my legs. We can't run because they would probably chase us. We could distract them! They look hungry so instead of them eating us I could give them that piece of meat I had left. I take the piece of meat out of my pocket with the wolves staring at me. I hold it in my hand and pull it back. When I throw the meat as far as I can I run and pick up the wolf pup not caring If it bites me. Half of the pack go after the meat and the others stare at us and snarl. I shift in place nervously and throw a rock to hit a tree and the wolves snap their heads at it but by the time they look back we already left. I stop running and place the pup down, I think we are safe. I see a cave close by and I nudge the pup to it with my foot. I'm going to take a breath by the lake and it can sleep, it might be tired from all that has happened. I look at the lake staring into the cold water. I snap my head when I hear a growl behind me. I see one wolf from the pack crouching down ready for attack. Where did it come from?! The wolf slowly walks to me still growling. I back up and my feet almost fall into the lake. The wolf stops walking and lunges at me. I fall backwards into the lake. it Is really cold... I wanna go home...I miss mark...I start to cry remembering my big brother mark. The cold water surrounds me...covering me in cold darkness...as I slowly...fall. Right as I'm about to close my eyes and lose my hope I see a shadow...swimming towards me…is that...mark…?

chapter 8

I feel warm...wait why am I warm? I open my eyes slowly, being almost frozen in a lake. it lightly stings to open my eyes but I look around. ThIs Is not my room...thIs Is mark’s room! I look around to see mark and vincent sitting and hugging each other. when Mark sees me he immediately hugs me tight in an embrace. Vincent goes down stairs and let's us have a moment.

“Nora...don't ever leave me again!” mark yells but crying. “Everyone was worried that you were not at school for a few days!”. I have never heard his voice before...he always stays quiet and never talks. I feel a warm liquid run down my cheeks, numbing my face a little...I'm crying again...but heavier. I start to shiver.

“I'm sorry mark…” I reply. Suddenly my mom pushes the door open with tears running down her cheeks. Some old and some new. “Nora!” my mother cries and runs to me, hugging me in a tight warm hug. I can't believe I'm getting everything I ever wanted in life...being noticed.

“Are you ok?” my mother cries hugging me and mark tighter.

“Mom where Is dad?” I ask mom once we all stop crying. My mom let's go of me but mark still holds on to me.

“He left us because he wants to do more business.” my mother explained. I knew it!

“Also your sister would like to say something too” my mother said and moved out of the way showing the door. standing there was my sister who in all these years I had thought hated me. She walked to me and said

“nora...I'm-” I cut her off and hugged amanda.

“Don't worry, you don't have to say anything”.

“Nora?” my mother asked.

“Yes?” I answered.

“why don't we all bake a cake together?” my mother asks, smiling.

“I’d like that…” I reply. The others agreed.

“I got you a gift…” mark tell me bringing out a box. I open the box to see a wolf necklace...it looks familiar though...

“I love it mark, thank you.” I say and hug him again. When I let go I ask

“so...what's with you and vincent if you don't mind me asking?” as I tie the necklace on.

“Well...we are...together?” mark says slowly. I start to squeal and hug him tight. I'm so proud of him!

Chapter 9

I lay in my bed thinking about what had happened in this time. I got lost in the woods... met a wolf pup...ran from a hungry wolf pack...got pushed into a river by a wolf...and now I'm home...and everything Is perfect...I almost close my eyes when I hear a sound through my window. it was a sad howl from a wolf... MY wolf...I walk to my window and join in the howl...a howl to tell us that we were always together...and a howl...to promise that we would meet again...as the howl ends I lay back onto my bed. I do hope that one day we meet again. I touch the necklace that mark got me. As I close my eyes I feel something twitching on my head and something swaying on my legs...and I'm too tired to notice that the eyes of the wolf necklace are glowing red...and my drawing book starts to flip it's pages by itself and settled on one photo i never took...the end of book 1: wild things can happen here.