September 2020

When Ruby, a wolf, gets separated from her pack, she must find a new one—or survive on her own Red eyes sparkled in the shadows of night and injected fear like a shot into any animal that glanced in their direction. This proved true for the deer that was staring, lost in the eyes, wondering if her blood would be as red as the pulsing pupils. A furry, red creature sprang into the air and collapsed onto the deer. It was a wolf. Alone. She had been alone for a week. The wolf hadn’t expected that a little run to clear her mind would get her lost from her pack. She chewed the deer in sadness and confusion, wondering why she couldn’t sniff her way back. The stars peppered the sky in dots of glowing life. So still, so quiet. It had been a hard week, but somehow she had powered through it. “Ruby, why haven’t you returned yet?” her mom would be asking. Suddenly, a beating of air sounded through the still night, and Ruby looked up. A strange metal bird with huge propellers on top created a whirlwind of snow, questions, and fear as two strange, furless animals emerged from it. Hoomans, thought Ruby. Her pack had talked about how dangerous they were and about the shooting object they used to poach: a gun. They were also horribly naked, without any fur covering their bodies. Instead, they wore fake fur to cover up. They each held a gun. Fear struck like lightning at her heart as she snarled, but one of their gun’s shots hit her in the neck with a loud, cracking peal. A sharp pain shot through her body, and she collapsed. Ruby woke up to the sound of a voice. The two hoomans were chattering. “That wolf is a beauty—the reddest coat I ever saw,” one said. “Agreed,” said the other. “And the eyes. Got a perfect ruby sparkle, like an albino. Except her coat is red too!” Ruby felt sick from the swaying that was going on beneath her feet. A cage of cold metal bars surrounded her, and Ruby shivered in fright. How long have I been asleep? Suddenly, the pit of her stomach dropped, and a feeling of descent made her insides lurch. Then she felt a sting on her neck, and she fell over. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the gun that had made the shot as she closed her eyes. This is the end, she thought. Ruby woke to a hot sun beating down on her red coat, which glistened like a flower against the green grass. She looked up at the sky; a soft blue lake dotted with clouds greeted her eyes. She sniffed the air and a flurry of smells played in her nostrils, some of them new and unrecognizable. Where am I? Ruby wondered. She looked around and saw a forest and a stream beside her. She trotted over and drank. Cool, refreshing water slipped down her dry throat. This place is amazing, thought Ruby. But this new land hadn’t fixed anything about being alone. She still needed a pack. Ruby looked around and took off into the forest. A few days passed, and soon, Ruby knew the park well. She knew it was called Yellowstone, and she knew hoomans often visited here for a trip. It took a little bit to get used to the heat. She stayed in caves at night. After a while, however, she realized that she had been seeing a lot of deer. Too many deer. The sun sank beneath the mountains as she traveled to Old Faithful, a famous geyser in her new home. She often saw wolf packs over there, hunting and talking about the geyser. That was how she heard its name and learned about its popularity among the hoomans. She never joined these packs. They’re just a gang of nutheads, she thought. They said things differently too. Humans. “Must just be a mispronunciation,” Ruby whispered to herself. But if she wanted to fit in, she had to say it like the Yellowstoners. Soon after she had set out, a waning crescent moon sent a luminous glow across the hills. She soon arrived at Old Faithful and saw signs around the shop that was next to it. Become a Yellowstone Junior Ranger! Bike to Morning Glory Pool! Bikes are allowed on the paved path between the Old Faithful Lodge and Morning Glory Pool. What were these mysterious letters? Probably advertisements, like humans like to do. All of sudden, a huge, roaring wave of water shot up from the earth, steaming and boiling. Ruby flinched as the geyser erupted, laughing and gurgling, churning and broiling at 204 ° Fahrenheit, until she saw a deer. She ran toward it just as the geyser’s water ceased; the deer took off into the forest. For some reason, it turned around, right into Ruby’s paws. It fell, dead, as Ruby swiped at its neck. She looked over to where the deer had suddenly turned and saw a young, grey, wolf, probably around four years old—Ruby’s age. “You,” he said. Ruby didn’t know what to say. “I’m Ash,” said the new wolf. “Go back to that last part. What are you talking about? You’ve heard of me?” said Ruby in surprise. The wolf just stared. “Of course. It’s not like you see a red wolf just wandering around with no pack. You should seriously join one, but not with the morons that hang out by the geyser. Those guys are twerps.” Ash thought they were idiots too! “Yeah,” Ruby replied. “My name’s Ruby, by the way.” The wolf looked around. “Okay, Ruby. We should get back.” “Back to where? You’re all alone. What happened to your pack?” Ash chuckled. “I got lost, but I know my way back. Tonight they’re meeting at Den Four.” Separate meeting dens? I wish my pack were that organized, thought Ruby. “You could come with us if you