THE HOWLING WOLF

Lublin is a small village in Poland.  Now it's rainy season. It is raining outside and cold wind is blowing. The scent of rain-soaked soil is floating in the air. Alexa is smelling that scent. Doriana entered the room and saw her daughter sitting by the window. Doriana lowered the lantern from the shelf of the table to light the fire and said to the girl,

"Close the window. You have become wet.

Alexa looked at her mother once and looked back to the rain again. Doriana lowered the lantern on the table and closed the windows one by one. Alexa got up and went to bed. 

She is looking at the lantern with one glance.  Doriana handed over a bag to her. As soon as Doriana left the room, Alexa took the bag and put it aside on the table.  She took a notebook from the shelf of the table. All pages of the notebook are written!  She will have to make a new book again. She left the notebook and took the bag in her hand. 

A few bunches of colored wool and two cuts. She have to knit three sweaters. Alexa is knitting very carefully. One of her special qualities is that she does any work very skillfully.  She is also quite good at studies. 

She is about to cross the boundaries of school and go to college.  Her friends have left the village and moved to the city for study. But Alexa's parents did not allow her to go out of the village. Alexa also planned to travel to the city under the pretext of studying.

But Doriana hoping for her help, put her daughter to work.  Alexa did not drop out of school because there was no college in the village.  Her childhood friend Julian moved to the city for study. With his help, Alexa bought college books and trying her best at home. When Julian comes to the village on vacation, she learns the rest from him.

Alexa returned to reality at Doriana's call.  She had been busy making dinner in the kitchen for so long.  She came over and said in surprise,

"one sweater is done !?

Alexa shook her head and smiled and said, "Hmm, I will finish the remaining two sweaters tomorrow.

Doriana smiled and said, "Well, it's already late. Come on, Your father is waiting.

Doriana left the room.  Alexa folded the sweater. Put the wool and cut into the bag, extinguished the lantern and left the room.

Alexa's younger brother Daniel is busy in gossiping with his father Allen.  Alexander's father, Allen Markzick, is a florist by profession.  Alexa pulled up a chair and sat down.  While eating, Allen called out to his daughter,

"Alexandra !!

Alexa's full name is "Alexandra Markzick. Everyone calls her Alexa in short. Only her father affectionately calls her by her full name.

Alexa looked at her father and said, "Yes, Dad.

Allen said, "I'll be gone a little early tomorrow morning. Bring me two baskets of flowers if you can."

Alexa nodded and said to her mother, "Mom, Call me at the dawn tomorrow.

Doriana said in tense mood, "Dawn! means it's dark all around !! I'll call you in the morning, get out when the sky is clear.

Alexa didn't speak anymore. She knew there was no point in explaining to her mother.  If she don't go out in the dawn, it will be too late to pick flowers.  She decided in her mind that she would leave at dawn. 

Alexa turned off the lantern light and lay down on the bed.  Outside, the rain has stopped, and cold air is blowing through the windows.  She fell asleep in the cold air.

Alexa's two-story wooden house is at the far end of the village.  Behind the house are Alexa's crop fields and orchards.  They have merged into a hilly slope shaded by trees and bushes. 

It is said that a lot of wolves live in that mountain forest.  In winter, wolf herds attack the sheep of almost all the farmers' farms in the village. 

Alexa woke up at the sound of knocking, got out of bed and slowly opened the door. It was pitch dark outside.  She entered the room and closed the door, but did not sit on the bed. 

Alexa was walking around the room. Once annoyed, she took the bag from the table and took out the wool and cut. The sky has cleared a bit after dark, but nature has a long way to go. 

Without further ado, Alexa wrapped a sweater over her lucid gown and a scarf around her neck. She took the lantern from the table and left the room. She left the kitchen with two flower baskets for the purpose of forest at the back of the house.

The other day she waits for her friends and goes to the forest together to pick flowers.  But she have to take flowers this morning, so she will not be able to call anyone in this dawn.  Better a poor horse than no horse at all.  And after a while her friends will come too. 

Alexa walks slowly through the orchards, through the orchards. As soon as she entered the forest, she was busy picking flowers. 

Due to the rain all day yesterday, the soil of the forest has become wet and muddy. The sky is slowly clearing, The birds are chirping all around.  Alexa stood up with two baskets of flowers.  When she looked back, she saw the footprints of wild animals in the rain wet mud !! Alexa paused, whispering in her mouth, "Wolf !!!

Alexa sat down in a chair with two baskets of fruit on the dining table.  She filled a glass with water and drank.  Alexa's father Allen got ready and came out of the room and see her girl sitting still.  He pulled up a chair and sat down. Alexa looked at him for a while and smiled sweetly and said,

"I have brought two baskets of flowers.

Allen laughed and put his hand on the girl's head and said, "It's time for me to go.

The rented carriage came and stopped in front of Alexa's house.  Doriana handed Allen a medium-sized hand-woven bag.  Alexa asked in surprise,

"You're taking a bag of clothes !! How long is the tour dad !?

Carrying the luggage in the carriage, Allen said to the girl, "This is a week's journey. Be careful not to go out later in the evening unless necessary.

After kissing her forehead, Allen got into the carriage and sat down.  Alexa came to her room after saying goodbye to her father.  Doriana is calling for breakfast.  After freshened up, Alexa went to the dining room and sat down. 

Pigeon soup, bread and vegetables for breakfast.  Daniel has been crying ever since.  Dad didn't tell him why before he left. Alexa handed her brother a spoonful of soup and said,

"Daddy will be back soon, and he'll bring you a lot of toys and chocolates."

Daniel turned the spoon back and began to eat.  Alexa smiled and focused on eating.

Today, the sun is shining all day long, and it is very hot.  Alexa is knitting a woolen sweater at Emily's house.  Emily and Alexa are childhood friends.  Seeing their friendship, it would seem that they are not girlfriends, they are two sisters. 

Emily and Alexa became involved in various gossips while knitting sweaters.  Emily has no parents, she is close to her older sister Ella.  But after Ella's marriage, she had to live alone in the whole house. 

Although she was scared at first, now she has become accustomed to it. Emily has a huge farm. Ella and Emily have built the farm together.  The farm has hens, chickens and sheep. 

Alexandra did not notice when the afternoon rolled into the evening.  Emily looked up at the sky and said anxiously,

"Looks like it's going to rain, it's going to be evening. It won't be okay to go out now, Alexa.

Alexa was worried too. She put all the wool, cut and sweater in the bag.  She said to Emily,

"Hey, it's not evening yet, just a few clouds. It's too late for the rain.

Emily grabbed Alexa's hand and said, "Let's stay here tonight. What's the point of going this evening !?

Reassuring Emily, Alexa said, " Nothing to do. Dad has gone to town. Mom and daniel are alone at home, I have to go. Get ready in the morning and come to my house.

Emily laughed and said, "Well, be careful.

Alexa hurried out of Emily's house.  Their home is far from Emily's home.  It takes ten minutes to reach by carriage and about half an hour on foot!  The carriage runs on this road till afternoon, but not a single carriage is found as evening falls.  At night no one leaves the house in Lublin. Who knows when the wolf will attack!

Evening has fallen, the sky is not good.  It can rain at any time.  Alexa's home at the far end of the village.  There are no more houses around her house.  Only crop fields and orchards !! 

It's raining cats and dogs, and Alexa is cursing herself in her mind.  Why is it so late!  How late to return now !!  In the meantime this rain !!! 

Today, there is no relief from the mother's reprimand when she returns home wet. Alexa is thinking and moving fast. 

Suddenly it seemed that someone was coming after her !!  She quickly turned her head and turned back. Where! 

As far as can be seen, there is no sign of people on the road !!  Noticing that, Alexa increased her walking speed.  And after a while, Alexa's house, their two-storey wooden house standing far away from here can be seen.

Suddenly it seems that someone is watching her from very close !!  Alexa quickly turned her head and looked around.  She could not see anything in the pitch dark.  But her sixth sense has sensed the existence of something terrible.  Alexa quickly stepped out and ran into the house.