The Run to Freedom

Wolves called to her in the middle of the night. 10am in the morning. 3pm in the afternoon. While she did the washing and whilst she cooked the dinner. They howled for her to join them day and night. Restless, wanting and unsure she went to bed each night wide awake until the sun rose in the morning along with their calls and another day would begin.

Katie often looked out the window, searching for them. Her deep brown eyes scanning the edges of the forest. She would see a glimmer of silver from the coat of the wolf or the ice blue eyes staring back into her own. She began to dream of them one night after exhaustion had overcome her. Some mornings she woke to find her feet covered with dirt and blood. She could never completely understand or comprehend what had happened. Katie did her best to dismiss the idea that somehow for the night she had slipped away to join them, for a night maybe she was free. The sound of her husband slamming the door behind him as he leaves would remind her. She is still nothing more than a prisoner in her own home.

Katie spent her days thinking of the stories of the wolves. They went back for generations. Known for the liberation the women. The broken and beaten down or the strong and courageous. The stories over time became tainted with the suggestion the women went to their deaths as soon as they entered the woods. They did not go to live with the other women. The wolves were not the safety net for women, instead the death of any broken woman.

She dreamed though. Holding tightly to the dream she would one day run with the wolves, join the other women, her mother in a community guarded with no secrets and no fear. Just courage, conviction, passion and freedom.

The wolves came for her, each night. It was her they were calling to. She knew it before she heard them her heart would pick up pace. Her breathing became laboured and as she felt her skin prick and the hair stand on end she would hear their call. It was the grey one. Somehow Katie knew it was a female wolf, standing up to hip height with icy blue eyes, a shimmer of silver slicked through her grey coat made her seem something of a fantasy. A fantasy that Katie, like Alice wanted to fall into.

May 17th an ordinary day that began in such a twist a year seemed to have gone by before midday even approached. Katie had fallen to exhaustion around 3am in the morning and slept longer than her husband. This morning Henrik was not so forgiving today. Katie woke to the feeling of water being poured on her directly on her face. She than felt the pain as the bucket crashed on top, shrieking in sudden pain, Henrik snapped.

The cotton sheet was flung off of Katie and onto the floor. Sharply Katie's slim frame was ripped from the bed and thrown to the ground. She would not survive this assault, it would be his glorifying moment. Sobbing, Katie begged he relent, promising better obedience and consideration but at that moment his shin connected with Katie's ribs. Henrik's words of abuse did not give in during the physical assault and broken down Katie laid limp on the ground, wishing the end. Determined for the last breath to come. A final release.

It would not come.

What would come was a pounding heart, her breath returned, faster and stronger. Henrik had given in, she heard the door slam for the last time. He had left her and she would never see his dark brown eyes or his dark hair, his brooding nature nor his dark side again. Katie, with all her strength pulled herself up. She spat out the blood left in her mouth and slipping on her white knee length cotton dress she walked to the door. Seeing her husband in the distance approaching the other men she knew she would have to time this carefully. With over 200 metres of clearing between her house and the woods she would have to run as fast as she could for if he sees her, he will charge, if he catches her. There is no survival.

3... 2....1. GO! Katie bolted out the door, she was a good 15-20 metres in her sprint when the door slammed shut echoing across the valley. In the distance she saw the grey wolf,, she focused her attention on the wolf. Nothing else. The wolf watched her, taking a strong stance, chest proud. The grey wolf suddenly bowed her head baring her teeth

"KATIE!" the stormy voice seemed to beat louder than thunder. The ground moved as he came for her. Desperation took over, out of breath already she encouraged her legs. Focusing on the wolf, the wolf which could give her protection as soon as she crossed the boundary 50 metres away. C'mon Katie, a little further, PUSH her mothers voiced raised in her mind, clearer than if she had of been standing next to her.

Breathe Katie. Just breathe, keep going. The screams echoed in the background and though his broad figure was coming closer the sound seemed to be getting quieter. It was getting harder to hear, harder to comprehend. She felt the ground change beneath her. Barren dried land turned to the richer soil of the forest. Freshly fallen leaves and broken twigs on the ground crushing beneath the weight of her. With each step Katie became lighter, a little more spring in her step and the faster she got.

Metres from the grey wolf, she slowed gazing directly into the wolfs eyes. Katie bowed her head letting her soft mousey brown hair fall around her face. The wolf seemed to nod in acknowledgement and turned heading deeper into the forest. Katie knew she had to follow, she turned and looked one last time behind her. She could see her husbands brilliant green eyes seething, his shoulders tight, the anger seemed to be radiating off him. Further in the distance she could see many of the other men glaring at her. Another one run off.

Katie felt a sting of sadness radiate through her body to her heart as she knew what the wives would have to endure tonight becuase of her actions. Knowing they would not judge her or be malicious towards her. Simply take their punishment and dream of the day they will escape to the wolves.

Deep breath. stand tall. turn. Walk. The grey wolf led the way, the silence of the woods was deafeningly beautiful. Hearing nothing but the wind through the leaves and the crunching of the earth beneath her. Here and there she would here the melody of the birds in the treetops or the scurrying of the animals in the undergrowth. The wolf walked on without delay. Silence stayed between them. A comfortable silence neither party finding it necessary to interrupt the peace.

The crashing of water was the only thing that brought Katie back to the present. She began searching for the source of it.