A step into the Wild
It had begun. The dark of night mixed with the white of the moon had started the stirring of his blood. In an instant he knew that what he had planned, to be just a long awaited camping trip, would turn out to be so much more. All that was human in him was soon to vanish.
His many failed attempts at happiness were behind him now. He no longer felt as though he need to try to fit in to a human's life. His lack of social understanding was irrelevant now. The night was alive, and he could feel it. In the back of his mind a lone wolf howled in the night.
The moon, it was calling to him. His skin tingled, and his ears twitched. His eyes went wide with excitement. The forest musk filled his nose and made his lungs burn. Somewhere far off an owl hooted. The salty taste of blood, his own blood, filled his mouth. Dancing with spirits, the fire before him crackled with life. All of his senses were sharpened by the night.
Then the pain hit. Every joint in his unimpressive human body was wrenched out of socket. Every muscle screamed with firry burn. Not a single tendon felt whole. From the base of every hair to the tips of every finger and toenail he felt as if he had been stuck by lightning. His heart was beating thunder like the charge of a thousand stomping horses. In an instant every bit of suppressed emotion came screaming out of his throat in an animalistic howl.
His body was transforming into its true form. Claws pushed out where only flimsy nails had been. Teeth meant for the kill extended where dull ivory had once stood. His nose forced it's way to the end of a muzzle that extended beyond the limits of a human face. Long ears of a hunter sprang to attention. His muscles tightened and grew. A wave of energy rolled up from the tip of his spine to the base of his skull and back down. A tail, strong and flexible extended out the back of his pelvis. Fur strong and full sprouted out of every pore over his body.
His knees bent and he rolled down into a crouch. He was a new animal, a creature of the night. The stalker of the forest. No longer human, but not fully beast. The vale of darkness no longer hung closed before his primal eyes. His sharpened sense of smell now opened every shadow. The night spoke volumes to his spirit.
The far off moon called to his beating heart. It demanded his attention on the horizon. Without a heartbeat's hesitation he was off. Springing form the patch of pine needles that bore his weight, he lurched into motion. Bounding clearly three times his own body's length. Arching gracefully through the air off of hind paws down to the fore paws.
Then it hit him. He didn't know how to land. His body and spirit were willing, but his mind was unsure. In a tumbling flop he crashed to the ground. His elbows gave way and he landed nose first in the dirt. Humbled, he came to a rest staring up between his own out stretched legs looking at his tail. Some sense returning, it was clear that knowledge is not automatic. He lay there half expecting the night to laugh at him.
With a kick, both legs sprang back carrying the rest of his slim bulk with their momentum. He was up and back into a crouch. A shake ran from the tips of his ears to the end of his tail. Small bits of dirt and pine needles flew into the air off of their hiding places among his fur. The claws of both his fore and hide paws dug into the earth ready to try again.
Now with much less reckless abandon, the first steps were taken. One forepaw forward, the opposite hide paw to match. Small bits of leaves and chips of decaying wood crushing under foot. The other forepaw extended, and the last to match. The spongy ground receives his presence. Success at his first steps into the wild.
Faster now, fore and hide extended. A pine cones crushes. The other fore and hide move as one. And the world moves a turn. Knowledge, acceptance, an understanding of life is gained.
The woods begin to slip by. A gallop now. Paws padding down light and firm on the world below. His heart begins to beat faster. A cool breeze rushes through his new whiskers and wiggles through his fur. Scents of earth musk and the sleeping pass by in puffs and wisps. All his muscles pulling at the ground and pushing off again. Faster he runs.
In an instant he lightly bounds over a fallen log. Gracefully now he lands on his half wolfen paws. His weight shifting effortlessly from front to back as his attention has moved on before his rear paws even land. His body is now under his control. He runs on.
Even faster now he moves. Over a bush, beneath a low branch. His heat thumps on faster, matching the pace of his feet. Then a tree, it is directly in front of him. Turning he leans his weight to the side. In surprise his tail bends in his intended direction. He turns quickly with balance and precision. He is amazed at how much grace a tail gives to even the clumsiest fool.
Now up to full speed he bolts among the trees. He is a wild blur running thorough the night. His eyes make out the approaching world in front him in great detail as he advances upon it at great speed. Up a slight grade in the forest floor he climbs now. Fore paws tearing at the earth, pulling him bound after bound onward.
As he leaps another log he sees it. A break in the ground, now not more than three hearts beat away. It is a stream or creek, maybe a cleft in the earth. Not far to fall, but a full distance to leap. Two hearts beat away now, his mind is made up. He lightly falters his steeps to match with the edge of the cliff. One heartbeat left, he forces the last doubt from his mind.
With all his might he springs into the air. Small stone are dislodged from the bank and fall to the water below. His muscles tighten as he pushes away from edge. He arches up into the air, floating momentarily in the night sky. He feels as though his heart has stopped as his body reaches the apex of fight. His tail, pointing straight out behind him like an arrow, angles down slightly to follow the arc and direct him to the other bank. The other side of the gorge rushes to meet him as thoughts of his fall at the campsite flash though his mind. With a grace unmatched by all the moments of his life up to now, he lands on the grass that marks the other side.
He runs off through the meadow that extends beyond the forest. The moon is bright in the sky above. Across the land a single clear howl rings out strong and loud. The excitement of truly being the form that his spirit has always yearned for over whelms him.
He runs free and strong up to the peak of the hillside. Leaning back hard on his haunches he slides to a stop just before cresting the rocky top.
Not a cloud lines the bright night sky. Every star shines it's very brightest for the newly born were'. Most of all, as the very throne of the sky, shines the moon. Most proud in the sky and blessedly glowing for his very presence. He now truly knows what it means to be alive and all the wild earth and heavens about rejoice in his ever-lasting love.