He Comes

    He traveled long into the night, through forests, over mountains, across rivers. Moving ever onward through the rain and cold, the drawing pulled him on.



    Days flowed into night than into days as his senses followed a path known only to him. Emergency pounded at his heart as he forced his tired feet to move faster. Time was running out. He thought back to the beginning of all this, a time when he was happy enough to lie in the shadows and watch the world pass him by.

    His dreams had become more than what they had been. Each day, they grew more clear as a yearning crawled inside his heart. Sleep was becoming harder to find as his nose became pointed ever northward. He did not start out wanting to go. No, the seasons were changing and snow would start soon. But his sleep became restless as the days passed and his waking hours no longer brought him amusement. The day finally arrived when he knew he could wait no longer and the journey began.



    Ahead of him, through the trees, shone a lonely light. His journey was finally at an end. Slowly he walked up to the lighted window and saw a small flame shine out of a glass lamp shade. The light welcomed him as though it had waited for just this moment. He gazed further into the room and saw a tiny bed pushed up against the far wall. He waited for this is where he needed to be.



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    Sarah Ann huddled in the warmth of her blanket and stared, sad eyed, at the ceiling. She had spent her days in this room, this bed, for so long, she felt she would be there when she was old. A sudden cough brought her up straight. Only by sitting up against the headboard could she keep from choking. Tears traveled along her jaw and dripped off onto her hand. Loneliness settled once more, like a wet shroud, covering her from head to toe.

    "Whoever you are out there," she whispered, "Whatever you are, can you hear me? I feel so sad and alone, won't you please send me a friend?"

    Sarah sighed a laid back on her pillow. She had asked for this every night and no answer came. Maybe there was no one listening after all. Maybe this was all there was.

    A sound at the window drew her eyes. At first, all she could see was darkness. It took a moment to realize it was not the dark of night, but the darkness of something else. Sarah did not feel fear, it was hard to fear when you have been stalking death for so long. She slipped from the bed, holding on to anything that came to hand to keep from falling. Weakness threatened to drop her to her knees, but she held firm, determined to reach the window. The closer she came to the window, the more of what stood there was revealed. For the first time in months, a smile touched her thin lips.



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    He watched her as she rose and stumbled toward the window. Yes, this was where he was suppose to be. It had been so long since he had been called that he had forgotten the gladness and joy that could lift his spirit. He watched as she struggled with the window until, finally, the glass rose. A pale, tiny hand reached out and touched his cold, wet nose then rose to his head. He closed his eyes and felt the light of love flow through his soul.

    "You came," she whispered.

    The wolf pushed his head through the window and laid it on her shoulder. He felt the illness that ravaged her small body. He knew if he had waited much longer, he would have been too late. He looked in Sarah's eyes and drew on every bit of magic left in his old hide. For long moments they stared at each other before the wolf withdrew. He walked away, back into the trees, only glancing back once. Sarah stood at the window, watching him as he left, her hand held up in a silent good-bye.



    Morning brought the news of an old wolf who had died in the forest. When he was found, a puppy lay by his side, asleep. The other news that day was the story of a miracle. The dying girl who, suddenly, was ill no longer.