The story cover art is by my daughter, Raaka Mori. =j
Previously on A Maddisun Tale...
Vancouver Island, B.C.
The young wolf running through the dense trees of Vancouver Island knew she’d finally done it—she’d finally gone too far. Her mother, Luna, would exile her to the farthest end of the island, if not completely off it.
She turned quickly, just before a Douglas Fir tree, and ducked into a rotten and hollowed-out knot of a Garry Oak tree she’d used as a hiding place since she’d found it.
Luna’s firstborn slowed her breathing and calmed her mind. Looking out, she could count the eyes in the dark. Her brothers were right on her tail, but she spent so much time here that it was hard for them to track her.
She waited until she’d accounted for all four of them, bolted out of her hiding place, and headed back from where she came. She might have enough time before her brothers returned to calm her mother down.
It had almost been a year since her mother came to Vancouver Island. Luna, who came from the Rockie Mountains of Idaho and Wyoming, loved the ocean, the lake, her mate, and her offspring. It truly was perfect—even her firstborn, whose name, if you tried to translate it, would mean “Mayhem.”
She had hoped that her only daughter would lose interest in human things over time, but she grew even more curious. Eventually, that curiosity would put the den in danger, so she did the only thing she knew would work: She sent a message to Charlie Jones.
Charlie had brought her here at her request because while she did enjoy the company of humans, she had never spent any time with others of her kind. It was in that way she finally came to an understanding of her daughter’s curiosity about humans.
Her four sons had just gone off looking for their sister after reporting the events of her latest… adventure. Luna was relieved Charlie was already on his way. It was time to let her daughter know.
About an hour earlier…
Green Point Beach, Vancouver Island
Several girls danced around a campfire while a large Bluetooth speaker blasted “Royals” by Lorde.
They all had marshmallows on long, thin pine branches, letting them catch fire, then shooting shots and spraying the flavored vodka. It looked like they were breathing fire. The young female wolf lay quiet in the treeline, watching.
When they sang, “And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule,” they howled like wolves, so the young female wolf joined them.
The girls stopped, looked around, and paused the song for a moment before letting themselves believe they didn’t just hear a wolf howl.
After pressing play, they’d just about relaxed when they sang the line again at the end, which left no doubt a wolf was howling with them because the young wolf had stepped out of the tree line by that point and was about 50 yards away, howling past the end of the song.
The young girls all screamed and ran off, so the wolf walked up to the campfire and, after very careful deliberation with herself, chose to take the bag of marshmallows over the box of graham crackers.
She was ducking back into the treeline when she heard the motor of an ATV heading her way and was out of sight of it before its headlights lit up the beach, but there they were, those eyes in the dark—her brothers. Three of them turned and ran off, presumably to tattle on her, but the smallest of the litter and last born stayed and walked up to her and sniffed the marshmallow bag.
They each took a side of the plastic and pulled until the bag tore open and the marshmallows fell on the ground. They both ate their share and then lay quietly out of sight of the park ranger’s flashlight. When he left, he gathered the girls’ things and rode back to the campground.
If you translated it, the sibling wolves’ conversation would have gone like this…
“Mayhem, you gotta stop living up to your name! Mom’s gonna exile you!”
“Maybe she should.”
“Thanks for sharing the marshmallows. At least if you have to leave, we’ll have this tasty last-minute snack.”
“You’re welcome. I wish they didn’t run off. I was only singing with them.”
Back in the present…
The young female wolf shook herself free of the water on her fur as she walked out of Kennedy Lake and onto Laylee Island towards her pack’s den.
Her mother was waiting for her.
“I’ve sent for Charlie Jones. He’s coming to pick you up.”
The young wolf was taken aback.
“Are you serious? Really? You’re letting me go?”
Luna sighed like only a wolf mother can.
“Just do me one favor?”
This had the young wolf’s full attention.
“Give Larry a really hard time for me. He’s so much fun to mess with.”
Seeing a wolf smile is something you have to experience to believe it for yourself. However, it wasn’t far from that Island smile we’re all familiar with around here.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver…
Mouse stood there momentarily, looking at the motley crew in her loft.
Amanda's arm was in a sling, and her cheeks were bruised. Brodie’s head was bandaged. Crutches were next to Moska, whose right ankle was wrapped with an ice pack.
Charlie and Samantha were in the shower, but she gathered they were fine.
“This is a “You should see the other guys” moment, right? Do we still have a helicopter?” Mouse’s voice broke at the end, and the tears came. She ran over to Amanda but remembered in time to take it easy on the hug.
“Everything’s going to be perfectly fine, Mouse.” Amanda, wincing a little at the hug, is happy to be home.
Danny and Miss Jackson came running in, happy to return to their castle. Penny was behind them, carrying the pet carriers and her and Mouse’s bags.
She set everything down just as Charlie and Samantha exited the bathroom.
“Who wants to hear the Gummy Bear Crucifix mix of Maddisun’s new song?” -Penny, holding up a CD.
The Jukebox at The Diner will return on Friday, Aug. 2nd, with the release of Maddisun’s new song, “Crawl,” and will include the Gummy Bear Crucifix alternate mix.