Post by Koa on Jan 18, 2011 23:28:35 GMT -5
Posting this from WolfQuest~
Hello all,
Decided to do a short story based on The Open Window by Saki. (which, to my knowledge is now in the public domain..if it isn't then please tell me and I'll lock this story.) I felt it would be something different besides some of the usual stories/plot lines around here.
It won't follow the plot quite exactly, as I've had to (obviously) change some things for it to be appropriate for this board/rules. But, as you read and if you are familiar with The Open Window, then you will find that it can be similar to it. I had a great time changing the story around and into a wolf version, although it is rather heavy with dialogue.
Enjoy!
THE OAK TREE
A lone wolf began to take heed of the scent of another wolf that loomed over his keen nostrils. One could say he was a nervous fellow; always glancing about and at the shadows that loomed so near. Frantic, pale eyes searched the area for the wolf. The nomad found no visual signs of the stranger, and so he began to head off into the forest.
Night began to fall, and then night turned into dawn, then into a bright afternoon and then fell quite lovely into dusk. The wolf had been fleeing for awhile now, running from the shadows that reached out for him and into his mind. They played with his thoughts, and frightened him terribly. A natural coward you could say, as he was obviously not a bold fellow.
"Hello," another wolf said quietly.The uneasy male glimpsed a faint shadow in the distance, but as his quivering eyes began to settle, he was able to make out the figure of a young female wolf.Both animals were tense as they caught each others' gaze. The male's hackles rose, and, although the female kept quite calm, she too was a bit surprised by the stranger's sudden appearance.
"We do rarely get any other wolves around here," the youthful female explained.
"I see," he replied.
"Why so tense?" the female asked.
"It is my nature," the male answered apprehensively. He was quite afraid of strangers that were not of his own blood.
"Oh. Well, I must be off to tend to my poor mother," and with that, she bid him farewell then left with a brief sigh to end her disappearance.
The male wondered of what made her mother so poor and full of despair, but as he became more timid of the unfamiliar landscape about him, he turned tail and headed in the opposite direction.
After his nerves had settled somewhat, he returned to the spot where he had met the female. He lingered among the territory, like a shadow himself, and becoming into what he was so afraid of. Another shadow then suddenly joined with his, and to his surprise, the female wolf was standing directly next to him.
"Hello again," the female breathed, and then continued to say, "...did I happen to scare you?"
"No, not at all."
"Well, someone would think so with that tail between your legs."
A brief moment of silence flew by, and then the female ignored this and started up more conversation.
"My mother is around here somewhere; I reckon she'd like to meet the stranger who has been wandering around our pack territory for quite some time now. She may not be quite friendly, and naturally we are quite wary of strangers when they are roaming around. Can't trust all strangers- can I trust you?" she said as her eyes tried to peer into his own, and then as she did this they both looked away.
"I could use some company before I head off again," the male whispered; his voice quivering violently.
Without another word, the female led the male through the darkening forest, and then began to tell something to the male that he had been wanted answered for a decent time.
"I must tell you why my mother grieves and is poor in morale, as I mentioned when we first met."
Full attention was on her now as the male somehow pushed aside his nervousness and began to listen intently.
"Go ahead," he said.
"Mother will often be seen, sitting very patiently by a lovely oak tree. Such a terrible thing happened only some time ago," she paused, waiting for his reaction. He began shaking and his eyes were slightly wider than normal, yet he managed to keep them fixed on her muzzle as it began to slowly spill out words of this story. "Why, her mate and my two dear older brothers left one night to catch her a meal when she was raising me. My two older sisters stayed with us, though since then they dispersed after they finished helping to raise me. She waited for them by the oak tree, and as time passed, their faces were never to be seen again. Quite saddening, and she still sits by that old tree, thinking that they will come back. I don't have the heart to tell her that they will, as I saw their bodies scattered about recently in the remains of a bog. Sometimes, I even dare to think that when the fog is thick, they will come back, even though I know it isn't possible."
By the time she finished her story, the male had already sworn he was numb because he was so terribly trembling.
"Oh dear, don't be scared!" she exclaimed. It was a decent time ago, and you've got me! It's not like you'll come across dead bodies alone or anything; I'll be here as well."
He stared at her, at a great loss for words.
"Very well. Do be careful on how you approach my mother. She is quite wary of strangers; especially males, as she is afraid they will take the place of her mate. I do try to tell her that taking another mate could comfort her in the end and help us all survive, but she has yet to believe me."
The young wolves strode along, and at dawn's peak, they came across the seemingly lonely female senior.
"Oh, so that is who has been with the shadows for so long?" she said as she eyed the stranger intensely. Yellow shadows crossed with rays of gold and hints of amber made up this elderly wolf's orbs of sight, and a well-kept coat the color of the brown earth itself was displayed on this lovely wolf.
Her voice was notably rigid and stiff as she further addressed the newcomer, and her hackles were slightly raised. The outspoken young female who had led him here surprisingly hadn't said a word, and as always our nervous friend was shaken and quite uneasy.
"I'd like to know where you found him," she demanded.
"Quite a good walk from the oak tree, mother," her daughter replied.
"Well then. We rarely get strangers around these parts, so I am rather untrusting of lone nomads and strangers, naturally. Though I suppose my lovely daughter has already told you that."
Not paying attention to the question, the male didn't respond right away, and thus, he created a moment of silence. His attention snapped back to her as he temporarily quit his nervous glancing and quivering.
"She has," he answered as his voice quaked.
"I expect for my mate and sons to be back here any minute now. Don't mind me; I'll be waiting by the oak tree, as they pass that way when they come back from a hunt. I have been thay way myself when I am not raising children, as I am now. Have a little one. I will be leaving now before I get too carried away with my rambling. Unless of course, you would like to join me?"
Her daughter glanced over to the anxious and restless male, and then with a clever thought, she agreed to join her mother.
"You are coming with me; it'll be fun."
The male was very wide-eyed now, and blankly stared at her.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come along," the young female pleaded.
Now too scared to even think, the male had no choice but to follow. At least, if he did wander off, he wouldn't discover any dead remains of the mother's mate and sons alone.
----
"Here we are. They should be arriving any second now. I am fortunate to have quite a fine mate and offspring," the mother rambled on as she was eager to see the outline of their figures against the oncoming fog.
"Do you think they will arrive this time?" the bright female questioned as she cleverly began weaving another tale in her quick mind.
Out of the gray vapor that had surrounded them now, three animals began to approach the trio. A large male, at the time the nervous fellow assumed it was the mate of the mother, was followed by two quite handsome sons.
There was no relieving this fellow free of his nerves now. The damage had already been done, and this had made everything much worse. Traumatized by the sight of the so-called "dead" wolves, he fled and almost knocked over his younger female friend in the process.
The family exchanged greetings and news about the hunt, and then the father asked about the stranger who had just retreated from the sight of his arrival.
"Who was the fellow that just fled? You could have sworn bears were coming for him or something of that nature," the father asked as he trotted over to his daughter.
"Oh, he was some stranger who I met awhile ago. A nervous one, at that. In fact, he told me how scared he was of bears and thought they would come out for him any minute and gobble him up. Although, I think bears will avoid us if they can; never have met a bear myself. I do think, however, that he thought you and my brothers were bears. I assume that is why he fled rather hastily," she replied.
"That certainly explains it then."
Hello all,
Decided to do a short story based on The Open Window by Saki. (which, to my knowledge is now in the public domain..if it isn't then please tell me and I'll lock this story.) I felt it would be something different besides some of the usual stories/plot lines around here.
It won't follow the plot quite exactly, as I've had to (obviously) change some things for it to be appropriate for this board/rules. But, as you read and if you are familiar with The Open Window, then you will find that it can be similar to it. I had a great time changing the story around and into a wolf version, although it is rather heavy with dialogue.
Enjoy!
THE OAK TREE
A lone wolf began to take heed of the scent of another wolf that loomed over his keen nostrils. One could say he was a nervous fellow; always glancing about and at the shadows that loomed so near. Frantic, pale eyes searched the area for the wolf. The nomad found no visual signs of the stranger, and so he began to head off into the forest.
Night began to fall, and then night turned into dawn, then into a bright afternoon and then fell quite lovely into dusk. The wolf had been fleeing for awhile now, running from the shadows that reached out for him and into his mind. They played with his thoughts, and frightened him terribly. A natural coward you could say, as he was obviously not a bold fellow.
"Hello," another wolf said quietly.The uneasy male glimpsed a faint shadow in the distance, but as his quivering eyes began to settle, he was able to make out the figure of a young female wolf.Both animals were tense as they caught each others' gaze. The male's hackles rose, and, although the female kept quite calm, she too was a bit surprised by the stranger's sudden appearance.
"We do rarely get any other wolves around here," the youthful female explained.
"I see," he replied.
"Why so tense?" the female asked.
"It is my nature," the male answered apprehensively. He was quite afraid of strangers that were not of his own blood.
"Oh. Well, I must be off to tend to my poor mother," and with that, she bid him farewell then left with a brief sigh to end her disappearance.
The male wondered of what made her mother so poor and full of despair, but as he became more timid of the unfamiliar landscape about him, he turned tail and headed in the opposite direction.
After his nerves had settled somewhat, he returned to the spot where he had met the female. He lingered among the territory, like a shadow himself, and becoming into what he was so afraid of. Another shadow then suddenly joined with his, and to his surprise, the female wolf was standing directly next to him.
"Hello again," the female breathed, and then continued to say, "...did I happen to scare you?"
"No, not at all."
"Well, someone would think so with that tail between your legs."
A brief moment of silence flew by, and then the female ignored this and started up more conversation.
"My mother is around here somewhere; I reckon she'd like to meet the stranger who has been wandering around our pack territory for quite some time now. She may not be quite friendly, and naturally we are quite wary of strangers when they are roaming around. Can't trust all strangers- can I trust you?" she said as her eyes tried to peer into his own, and then as she did this they both looked away.
"I could use some company before I head off again," the male whispered; his voice quivering violently.
Without another word, the female led the male through the darkening forest, and then began to tell something to the male that he had been wanted answered for a decent time.
"I must tell you why my mother grieves and is poor in morale, as I mentioned when we first met."
Full attention was on her now as the male somehow pushed aside his nervousness and began to listen intently.
"Go ahead," he said.
"Mother will often be seen, sitting very patiently by a lovely oak tree. Such a terrible thing happened only some time ago," she paused, waiting for his reaction. He began shaking and his eyes were slightly wider than normal, yet he managed to keep them fixed on her muzzle as it began to slowly spill out words of this story. "Why, her mate and my two dear older brothers left one night to catch her a meal when she was raising me. My two older sisters stayed with us, though since then they dispersed after they finished helping to raise me. She waited for them by the oak tree, and as time passed, their faces were never to be seen again. Quite saddening, and she still sits by that old tree, thinking that they will come back. I don't have the heart to tell her that they will, as I saw their bodies scattered about recently in the remains of a bog. Sometimes, I even dare to think that when the fog is thick, they will come back, even though I know it isn't possible."
By the time she finished her story, the male had already sworn he was numb because he was so terribly trembling.
"Oh dear, don't be scared!" she exclaimed. It was a decent time ago, and you've got me! It's not like you'll come across dead bodies alone or anything; I'll be here as well."
He stared at her, at a great loss for words.
"Very well. Do be careful on how you approach my mother. She is quite wary of strangers; especially males, as she is afraid they will take the place of her mate. I do try to tell her that taking another mate could comfort her in the end and help us all survive, but she has yet to believe me."
The young wolves strode along, and at dawn's peak, they came across the seemingly lonely female senior.
"Oh, so that is who has been with the shadows for so long?" she said as she eyed the stranger intensely. Yellow shadows crossed with rays of gold and hints of amber made up this elderly wolf's orbs of sight, and a well-kept coat the color of the brown earth itself was displayed on this lovely wolf.
Her voice was notably rigid and stiff as she further addressed the newcomer, and her hackles were slightly raised. The outspoken young female who had led him here surprisingly hadn't said a word, and as always our nervous friend was shaken and quite uneasy.
"I'd like to know where you found him," she demanded.
"Quite a good walk from the oak tree, mother," her daughter replied.
"Well then. We rarely get strangers around these parts, so I am rather untrusting of lone nomads and strangers, naturally. Though I suppose my lovely daughter has already told you that."
Not paying attention to the question, the male didn't respond right away, and thus, he created a moment of silence. His attention snapped back to her as he temporarily quit his nervous glancing and quivering.
"She has," he answered as his voice quaked.
"I expect for my mate and sons to be back here any minute now. Don't mind me; I'll be waiting by the oak tree, as they pass that way when they come back from a hunt. I have been thay way myself when I am not raising children, as I am now. Have a little one. I will be leaving now before I get too carried away with my rambling. Unless of course, you would like to join me?"
Her daughter glanced over to the anxious and restless male, and then with a clever thought, she agreed to join her mother.
"You are coming with me; it'll be fun."
The male was very wide-eyed now, and blankly stared at her.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come along," the young female pleaded.
Now too scared to even think, the male had no choice but to follow. At least, if he did wander off, he wouldn't discover any dead remains of the mother's mate and sons alone.
----
"Here we are. They should be arriving any second now. I am fortunate to have quite a fine mate and offspring," the mother rambled on as she was eager to see the outline of their figures against the oncoming fog.
"Do you think they will arrive this time?" the bright female questioned as she cleverly began weaving another tale in her quick mind.
Out of the gray vapor that had surrounded them now, three animals began to approach the trio. A large male, at the time the nervous fellow assumed it was the mate of the mother, was followed by two quite handsome sons.
There was no relieving this fellow free of his nerves now. The damage had already been done, and this had made everything much worse. Traumatized by the sight of the so-called "dead" wolves, he fled and almost knocked over his younger female friend in the process.
The family exchanged greetings and news about the hunt, and then the father asked about the stranger who had just retreated from the sight of his arrival.
"Who was the fellow that just fled? You could have sworn bears were coming for him or something of that nature," the father asked as he trotted over to his daughter.
"Oh, he was some stranger who I met awhile ago. A nervous one, at that. In fact, he told me how scared he was of bears and thought they would come out for him any minute and gobble him up. Although, I think bears will avoid us if they can; never have met a bear myself. I do think, however, that he thought you and my brothers were bears. I assume that is why he fled rather hastily," she replied.
"That certainly explains it then."