The Wolfman

            by Audrey Haynes

 

Elice pulled back the curtain in her dining room, already knowing what she would see. It was Thursday night. He would be there because he is always there. The dimming sun set a greenish hue on the hilly wilderness surrounding her house. A forest, filled with crows, lay to the West. To the East, there was only grass and one lonely tree, its slender trunk spiraling dangerously towards the sky. A small fire burned next to the tree, casting an orange glow on the figure beside it.

            The wolfman sat beside the fire as he always did. Elice could barely make out his black slacks and navy coat. In his hand he held a stick, roasting something over the fire. By his side, there lay a small object which Elice thought may have been a wine glass.

            Elice stood transfixed at the window watching the wolfman sit stoically by the fire in the distance. She had to meet her fiancé, Brian, for dinner, but her hand stayed gripping the soft curtain. Suddenly shaking herself out of her gaze, Elice checked her watch. Late, as usual. She rushed upstairs to grab her purse and keys. Before she left, though, she wanted to get a drink. Elice wandered into the kitchen to grab a quick glass of water. She opened the cabinet, thinking about her date. It would be nice to have a dinner just for them again. It seemed like they were always surrounded by anxious in-laws and wedding planners. She rummaged around but couldn’t find any water glasses. She only had champagne flutes and wine glasses. Haphazardly, she grabbed a wine glass. She paused looking at its elegant shape, the slender stem sparkling into the elegant curve of the glass.

            I’m late, she thought and quickly put down the glass to run out the front door. It clicked behind her as she crunched down the gravel driveway. She reached her car and plunged her hand into her coat pocket, extracting the keys to her prius. Scrambling into her car, Elice was soon backing out of the pool of warm light in her driveway into the darkness.

            It was a twenty minute drive to the restaurant where Brian would be waiting. Elice drove the lonely highway in silence; Brian had convinced her that it was dangerous to drive with distractions such as music. This rule also applied to her dashboard Calvin and Hobbes, and drinking coffee while driving. Since she was late, Elice decided to break the other rule and drive over the speed limit. Brian wouldn’t know.

            Elice pulled into a parking space in front of a large, imposing office building. She got out of her car and began to walk towards the Restaurant, glancing at her watch. 7:32, two minutes late. Not bad. See Brian, speeding does pay. Elice began to look at her surroundings as she walked down the rough pavement. She was in the financial district and shining office buildings loomed up on either side of her, making the stars seem more and more distant as she walked. Still, it was a nice night and Elice breathed in the soft night air.

Suddenly the harsh tone of her cell-phone interrupted. Elice rummaged through her pockets for her phone. She finally pulled the offender from the depths of her pocket. The LED screen flashed BRIAN BRIAN at her.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Elice, honey, where are you? Are you still coming to dinner?” Brian’s voice came through the speaker.

“Don’t worry Brian, I’m just around the corner. I’ll be there in a second.”

“Oh, okay. Good. You know I worry when you’re late.”

Elice laughed, “Brian, I’m only two minutes late. Look, I’ll see you in a second. Okay?”

Elice turned the corner to see Brian standing there, clutching his phone. Elice flipped her phone back to the depths of her coat, walking up to her fiancé. Brian carefully placed his phone on his belt loop and gave Elice a hug and a smart peck on the cheek.

“What kept you?” Brian asked as they walked inside the restaurant.

Elice remembered the wolfman, “Oh nothing, just lost track of time, you know?”

“You’re so silly,” Brian chuckled as they walked up to the hostess standing behind a shining wooden podium. “Reservation for two under Gilliam,” Brian said crisply addressing the Hostess.

“Alright,” she said, crossing out his name, “If you’ll follow me I can take you to your table.”

Brian and Elice trailed the hostess through the sea of diners. She sat them at a small table in the corner. “Well, don’t worry about it, honey. I don’t mind,” Brian said as they sat down.

“Worry about what?” Elice asked.

“Being late.”

“Oh, that.”

“It’s fine, don’t be sorry.”

 

As the night went on, Elice found herself drifting off. I must not be getting enough sleep, she thought as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. She watched Brian from across the table. The apparently romantic candle on their table cast shadows on Brian’s face, reminding Elice of the wolfman sitting in the woods.

“…I just don’t think the policy is going to carry out well. It has a good base idea but the execution is poor. It needs more refinement, don’t you think?”

Brian quickly cut off the similarities. “Yea, definitely more refinement,” Elice stumbled back at Brian. The wolfman wouldn’t be talking this. Would he? What would he talk about?

“Honey, you seem really tired. Is everything alright?” Brian’s face stared at her with concern.

“What? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I just...” I was just thinking about the wolfman, that’s all. “It’s just the food.”

“Okay, as long as you’re sure you’re feeling alright.”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m absolutely sure of it.”

 

The evening wore on, and soon Elice and Brian were packing up their tinfoil swan full of leftover ravioli and collecting their scarves. Newly bundled, Elice and Brian left the restaurant and stepped into the night air.

“It’s such a beautiful night out,” Elice gazed at the far-off stars.

“Yes, yes it is.”

Elice pulled herself closer to Brian, still gazing at the sky, “Brian, let’s go to the lake. It will be so beautiful now, with the stars and the moon reflecting across the water.”

“The lake? You mean Birch Lake? That’s so far away, besides the gates aren’t open at night.”

“We can hop the fence, it’s not so tall. C’mon, it’ll be an adventure.”

“Elice, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sure it’s illegal besides we both have work tomorrow.”

“That is true. I forgot we had work. Oh well, you’re probably right.”

Walking down the rough pavement, they had reached Elice’s car. Brian stopped, “Well, I’m parked further down this block, so I’ll leave you here.”

“Okay.”

Brian moved to hug Elice and give her a peck on the cheek. Suddenly, Elice intercepted his mouth with her own and kissed him forcefully. Brian lurched in surprise.

“Well, good night Honey,” he said turning to walk to his car.

“Good night,” Elice called.

 

Elice drove home in silence. She thought about putting a soft bluesy album on, but didn’t. She couldn’t.

Elice pulled into her gravel driveway and halted her car. She got out and walked up to her front door. Her keys jangled as she opened the door and stepped into the silent house, setting down her purse and jacket.

A slight squeaking noise interrupted Elice’s thoughts. Curious as to the source, Elice followed the sound upstairs to her bedroom, confused and somewhat frightened. Relieved, Elice saw only the small wire cage of her friend, Jeanine’s pet rat. Jeanine was in Italy and Elice had received the dubious pleasure of caring for her pet. The furry gray animal was busy running on its wheel. Endlessly, it went around and around.

“Well, you’re supposed to be fed now aren’t you?” Elice crooned to the rat, which easily ignored her. Elice undid the lid of the cage and grabbed the box of rat pellets from beneath the table, pouring them into the food dish. The rat saw her motions and quickly jumped off the wheel and began to gorge himself on food, feverishly stuffing the pellets into his chubby cheeks. Elice watched, fascinated and amused. Elice then went to fill up the rat’s water.

When she came back the rat had resumed it’s exercise on the wheel. Why would it ever waste it’s time like that? Elice wondered scornfully. She continued to watch it. Looking at the rest of the cage Elice realized that the entire rat’s home consisted of a square foot. Enclosed like that, who wouldn’t run forever? Running was futile but so was everything else. Elice stared at the rat and felt a sudden sympathy for the caged animal. It ought to be set free, no one should be held like that. Elice sighed, realizing her friend Jeanine probably would not take to this argument. This rat was precious to her. Oh well.

Elice wandered back downstairs and trudged into the kitchen to clean up. Her glass from earlier still lay on the kitchen counter. Elice picked up the delicate shape and watched it gleam in the light. She walked absentmindedly into her dining room and gazed out at the untamed scenery from her window.

Off in the distance, there was still a small amber glow. The wolfman. Elice gazed out at him, watching, wondering. Still clutching her wine glass, Elice suddenly turned on her heel and marched to the front door. She opened it and stepped out into the soft night and looked up. In the empty landscape, the stars seemed so close. They fell over Elice like a blanket.

Elice turned and walked out on the path that led around to the backside of her house. She slipped around the house until she could see all the hills expanding into the distance and under a lone tree, an amber glow. Soon there was no path and Elice was hinking through the damp grass, her heel sinking into the dirt. Soon she abandoned her shoes and walked, feeling the cool, damp earth bathing her feet. She continued on through the hills, drawing closer and closer to the amber glow.

Elice stood at the edge of the pool of light. The wolfman sat on the grass, his navy coat and black slacks dampened by the grass. Next to him, a bottle of wine and a finely-shaped glass sprawled on the glass. Elice stood watching the fire reflect onto the wolfman’s face. He gave no indication that he saw her.

Drawing a breath, Elice stepped into the pool. “H-hello,” she faltered.

The wolfman looked up, the shadows hiding his expression. His eyes traveled from Elice’s bare feet to the wine glass still clutched in her hand.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello.”