Howling Wolf

decade avoiding the place, trying to forget the stories that had been woven into his childhood. Bu

an ever before. She told him that his father's health had taken a turn for the worse. The old man, once a pillar of strength, had become f

onship, the distance between him and his parents had only grown as he pursued his life

felt like relics from another time. Anthony had spent countless hours driving the backroads, and this stretch was no different. Yet, as he neared the familiar l

d seemed narrower now, the trees closer, their twisted branches hanging like outstretched arms. The landscape felt heavier, the s

ame old houses stood on the outskirts, their paint peeling, their windows staring out like blind eyes. As he drove through, he noticed

e of the forest, looked the same as it always had-a modest two-story building surrounded by towering pines. His father's truck was parked outside, its once vibrant b

k with the kind of quiet that only the forest could bring. It wasn't the silence of peace-it was the silence o

arp as ever. She smiled when she saw him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was a

, her voice trembling slig

eariness in her face and the faint sadness that had crept into her features. She looked older

thony asked, already

been himself for weeks. Keeps talk

always with purpose. He had never been one to talk about Windfall Ridge in any significant way, not af

ony asked, followin

e's resting, but you can

weight. The hallway at the top was dimly lit, the soft light from the window casting l

ir was thinner now, his face more gaunt, but his eyes still carried the sharpness Anthony remembered. When he saw his son, a

ice was raspy but still st

said, his throat tighteni

e window, toward the darkened trees beyond. "I've been waiting," he murmure

t his tone was so serious now that it felt like the air itself had thi

it?" Anthony

now. "The ridge," he said. "It's not just a place. It's

about the ridge, but he had never expected his f

"The wolves aren't just wolves. The Silver Wolf... it's wa

losed, and he fell into a peaceful sleep, leaving

, as he reconnects with his roots and uncovers troubling tru