گرگینه ی باتلاق فیور فصل 18

The Werewolf of Fever Swamp - Chapter 18

My bare feet felt cold and wet as I made my way slowly across the dew-covered grass. The night air was heavy and still, still as death.

When I came close enough to see what was lying in a heap on the grass, I uttered a faint cry and started to gag.

I pressed a hand against my mouth and swallowed hard.

I realized I was staring down at a rabbit. Its small, black eyes were frozen open in terror. One of its ears had been pulled off.

The rabbit had been ripped open, nearly torn in half.

I forced myself to look away.

My stomach still heaving, I hurried back over the wet grass to my open window and scrambled back in.

As I struggled to pull the window shut, the howls rang out again, rising triumphantly from the nearby swamp.

After breakfast the next morning, I led Dad out to the back yard to show him the murdered rabbit. It was a bright, hot day, and a red sun climbed a pale, clear sky.

As soon as we stepped off the back stoop, Wolf appeared from around the side of his house. His tail began wagging furiously. He came running excitedly to greet me, as if he hadn’t seen me in years, leaping onto my chest, nearly knocking me over.

“Down, Wolf! Down!” I cried, laughing as the dog stretched to lick my face.

“Your dog is a killer,” a voice said behind me. I turned to see that Emily had followed us. She was wearing a red T-shirt over white tennis shorts. She had her arms crossed in front of her, and she was glaring disapprovingly at Wolf. “Look what he did to that poor bunny rabbit,” she said, shaking her head.

“Whoa. Hold on,” I replied, petting Wolf’s gray fur. “Who said Wolf did this?” “Who else would have done it?” Emily demanded. “He’s a killer.” “Oh, yeah? Look how gentle he is,” I insisted. I put my wrist in Wolf’s mouth.

He clamped down gently on it, being careful not to hurt me.

“Wolf may be a bit of a hunter,” Dad said thoughtfully. He had been staring down at the rabbit, but now he turned his glance to the deer pen.

Huddled together at one end of the pen, the deer were all staring warily at Wolf.

They had their heads lowered cautiously as they followed the dog’s every move.

“I’m glad they’re safe inside that pen,” Dad said softly.

“Dad, you have to get rid of this dog!” Emily said shrilly.

“No way!” I cried. I turned angrily to my sister. “You have no proof that Wolf did anything wrong!” I shouted. “No proof at all!”

“You have no proof that he didn’t do it!” Emily replied nastily.

“Of course he didn’t!” I cried, feeling myself lose control. “Didn’t you hear the howls last night? Didn’t you hear those frightening howls? It wasn’t a dog howling like that. Dogs don’t howl like that!”

“Then what was it?” Emily demanded.

“I heard them, too,” Dad said, stepping between us. “They sounded more like wolf howls. Or maybe a coyote.”

“See?” I told Emily.

“But I’d be very surprised to find a wolf or coyote in this area,” Dad continued, gazing out toward the swamp.

Emily still had her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She gazed down at Wolf and shuddered. “He’s dangerous, Dad. You really have to get rid of him.” Dad walked over and patted Wolf’s head. He scratched Wolf under the chin.

Wolf licked Dad’s hand.

“Let’s just be careful around him,” Dad said. “He seems very gentle. But we don’t really know anything about him—do we? So let’s be very careful, okay?” “I’m going to be careful,” Emily replied, narrowing her eyes at Wolf. “I’m going to stay as far away from that monster as I can.” She turned and stormed back to the house.

Dad made his way to the shed to get a shovel and box to carry away the dead rabbit in.

I dropped to my knees and hugged Wolf’s broad neck. “You aren’t a monster, are you, boy?” I asked. “Emily is crazy, isn’t she? You’re not a monster. That wasn’t you I saw running toward the swamp last night, was it?”

Wolf raised his deep blue eyes to mine. He stared hard at me.

He seemed to be trying to tell me something.

But I had no idea what it could be.