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The Wolf and The Husky

Prologue to "Mystery in the Woods"

By: Bruno Schafer

The wolf pressed his pitch black trench coat to himself as he felt a sharp blast of cold wind blow past him.

"Damn this weather." He muttered to himself as he trudged on through the cold. "Why do I find the need to live in this stupid climate?" He asked his companion, a female husky who was in her mid-20s.

The husky gave a brief chuckle at her lupine companion's comment. "Because you decided a job up here was worth it, or at least that's what you told me when you first moved up here. Besides, I don't think it's all that bad." She said, teasing her friend.

"Yeah Angela, because your fur keeps you warm." The wolf stated in faux-frustration with his friend.

"Yours should too Brendan, you ever think about getting that checked out by a doctor?" Angela asked.

"No," Brendan responded, "It has nothing to do with some medical condition. The issue is that I was not built for this kind of cold."

"Just give it some time and you will adapt to it, I promise."

"Whatever you say. Now, come on let's just get going, I want to get to somewhere that I can warm up."

"Okay," Angela replied before giving a tired yawn.

"Not sleeping well?"

The husky was silent for a couple of seconds before giving a reply, "Yeah, I haven't been, I guess I am just stressed, masters thesis and all."

"You see, that's why I am glad that decided I was done after getting my bachelors. I swear I was about to be sent to a mental institution right then."

"At least you could get a job with your major without having to continue on."

"True."

They continued to walk down the sidewalk for about five minutes before reaching the apartment buildings where Brendan lived.

Brendan put the key into the door for his apartment and turned the door handle. "Do you want to come in for a minute?" He asked Angela as he had his paw pressed onto the door, preparing to push it open.

"Sure." She replied.

The wolf gave a nod before pushing the door open and walking into his apartment, Angela following right behind him.

"I'll make some tea." Brendan said as he took off his trench coat before walking off to the kitchen.

Angela walked over to a cabinet that leaned up against one of the walls and held a number of pictures on the top of it.

"Can I ask you something?" She called out as she began to look over some of the wolf's pictures, her tone held no real emotion.

"What?"

The husky took a deep breathe in before asking, "Have you ever had a dream, or rather a nightmare, that continued to haunt you even after you wake up?"

"I have had a couple." Brendan answered, "Do you mind if I ask why you are curious about this?"

"It's just, for the last couple of nights I have been finding myself waking from all of these dreams where I would find myself in the middle of woods, being hunted by something. I am not sure what's hunting me, but..." Her voice began to trail off.

"Relax, that is a very common type of dream that everybody and their brother has every now and again." Brendan said in a soothing voice as he set down a cup of hot water on his small coffee table and dropped a single teabag into it.

"No! No, it's not anything like those, oh dammit I can't describe it properly and I don't think anyone else could either. Still though, the images from that dream are stuck in my mind, like a deep scar." She told him, her voice beginning to get more hysterical as she continued.

Brendan walked over and put a paw on the husky's shoulder and began to lead her over to the coffee table. "Angela, listen to me, it was just a dream. Now, drink some of the tea, hopefully it will settle your nerves."

Angela took a seat on the sofa and picked up the cup of tea and took a single gulp, ignoring the heat of the tea as it poured down her throat. "Maybe," She said as she tried to compose herself, "Maybe you're right. Thanks."

Brendan gave her a friendly smile, "Don't mention it."

At that moment, a clock on the apartment wall chimed out the time, causing the two to look up at the clock.

"Crap, its four o'clock already, my class begins at 5! I need to get going, I'm so sorry." Angela said as she stood up from the sofa, clenching the cup of tea in her paw so as to not accidentally spill its contents.

"It's alright, don't worry. I'll see you later." Brendan said as the husky raced out of the door.

A couple of days later Brendan awoke to the sound of knocking at the front door of his apartment. Groggily, the wolf pulled himself out of bed and put on his trench.

"Hold on a second." He called out in reply as he walked over to the door, turned on the outside light, and took a quick glance out the peephole to see who would be stopping by his apartment this late at night. On the other side of the door were two cops, one an older looking male German Shepherd and the other a black furred cat, also male.

"Good morning sir." The German Shepherd said when the wolf opened the door for him and his companion. "My name is Officer Bergmann and this is Officer Michaels, may we come in?"

Brendan stepped to the side so that the two police officers could enter the apartment, just being grateful they weren't going to require him to stand with the door open for however long they would need to talk with him. It was much too cold outside for that.

"So what can I do for you two officers?" Brendan asked after shutting the door behind them.

"Two things: First of all, are you familiar with a Miss Angela Grishina?" The German Shepherd asked, eyeing the wolf with suspicion.

"Yeah, I know her, she's my best friend." Brendan replied, "Is something the matter, and is she okay?"

The German Shepherd breathed out a sigh, he knew how this usually went and he hated seeing the responses from the loved ones when he told them. "I'm afraid that we have received a missing person report for her. Can you tell us how long it has been since you last saw her?"

"Just a few days ago." The wolf responded before he realized what the dog had meant by the question, "What, do you think I had something to do with it?" He said, his voice beginning to rise in volume.

"We're not saying that sir, please calm down." The cat said, speaking for the first time since the two had arrived.

"Then what are you saying?" Brendan asked.

"Listen, we're just like you right now, we just want answers. All we ask is if you have any idea of where she might be, that you tell us."

"I'm not sure."

"Did she say anything the last time you two were together?"

Brendan thought for a couple of seconds before the memory of some of Angela's comments came back to him. "Yes, though I don't know how helpful this will be, she mentioned something about dreams that she was having. She didn't say much about these dreams, but there was something about them that bothered her. She said that she was being hunted by something in these dreams, but to my understanding those kind of dreams are common."

There was silence for a couple of moments before the German Shepherd spoke up, "Do you mind if we search the apartment real quick." He said in a voice that made it clear he wasn't asking.

Nervously, the wolf nodded his head in response.

"Stay in here, sir." The German Shepherd said before turning to Officer Michaels. "Alex, keep an eye on him."

The cat nodded his head in acknowledgement.

After the German Shepherd went to search the apartment, the feline cop turned to the wolf who had his paws pressed up against the back of his head in such a way that forced his ears down against it.

"So," Officer Michaels said in a curious voice, "how close were two?"

"We were just friends, nothing more."

"Sure," The cat said in response, his voice picking up a skeptical tone, "Whatever you say."

"Listen, it seriously was not like that, we were just friends." Brendan replied, doing everything in his power to not show any sign of anger.

"Alex, quit trying to piss the wolf off." Officer Bergmann's voice rang out from the wolf's bedroom.

"Sorry sir."

Another awkward silence filled the room, this one lasting around half an hour, before the German Shepherd came back. "Well," Officer Bergmann said as he turned to face Brendan, "I didn't find anything of damning significance, however I would suggest you stay here in this apartment block while we continue our investigation."

Brendan was floored by this. They found nothing that could link him to his friend's disappearance and yet he was still a suspect.

"What the hell? I thought you just said that I have nothing on me that should make me a suspect, and yet I am still under house arrest!" The wolf shouted.

"Just because we haven't found anything yet, doesn't mean we won't. If in 48 hours we haven't found anything linking you to this, then you will be free to go." Officer Bergmann stated, trying to calm Brendan in the only way he could. "It's just procedure." At this the German Shepherd and the Cat turned to walk out the door.

"Is there anything I can do to help find her?" Brendan asked, his voice just barely stable.

Officer Bergmann reached into his pocket, pulled out a small notepad, and scribbled something on it. "If you think of anything else that might be of interest, just call this number." He said as he placed the piece of paper on the small coffee table in front of Brendan.

"Thank you, I will." Brendan said, his voice breaking with sadness and fear.