Good Girl

Lily was well-behaved. She never made a mess, she never made noise, and she always listened. There were times when she would misbehave and be sent to her crate or her toys would be taken away, but it was always followed up with praise, treats, and apologies.

There were many things she wasn't allowed to do.

If she was found entertaining herself with the wrong things, they would be taken away. She was only allowed to play with the toys that the people had gotten for her, not the ones that the others had.

"They're not good for you," the people of the house always said.

Sometimes, there would be others over, and they didn't say those things. They let her do whatever she wanted. Maybe they didn't know.

There were two of them this time. Their names were Winston and Ramona. Winston was a tall man with a goatee and dark hair, and Ramona was a shorter woman with pale red, curly hair. Lily hadn't seen them before, but the people must have known them. They were showing the two around, telling them where her crate was and how they stored her toys.

When they reached the living room, Winston motioned to the TV.

"What about the TV?" He asked. "I brought some movies–"

"Don't turn it on. It scares her."

Lily didn't remember ever being scared by the TV. It was just a screen. What was there to fear? Last time she watched it, it was fun.

"Okay," Winston said.

It seemed like the people wouldn't let her get away with anything this time.

—•—

She spent years between daycare, home with the people, and occasionally, home with Winston and Ramona. Daycare was the most interesting of the three. It was where she met others like her. As time passed, the way the people referred to daycare changed, but it always stayed the same.

The day would begin with a gathering. Lily and the others would be drilled on every trick they knew and work on new ones until about halfway through the day. Then, they would eat and it would be time to go outside.

Many of the others came with toys. They weren't soft and simple like hers were. Some moved or made noise. There were ones with sharp-looking pieces and dark colors; nothing like her bright and round ones at home. The others' toys reminded her of the things that the people always said would scare her, but she didn't find them scary at all. They were fascinating.

Without the people there, no one could stop her from playing with the others and their toys.

One of the others tried to give her a toy once. She couldn't take it home, so she hid it in a corner. The next day, it was gone.

—•—

As the years passed, the types of toys she and the others played with changed. They still played with the soft toys and the sharp ones, but now there were ones that were just meant to be held and looked at. The ones the people of the house gave her weren't nearly as interesting as the ones the others had, but she couldn't look at them for long. If she took one home, they'd take it away.

This particular one was beautiful. She wanted to keep looking at it, but it was almost time to go home.

"You can take it if you want as long as you give it back," the one who lent it to her said.

So, Lily took it and hid it as best she could. When the people picked her up, they didn't notice. As soon as they arrived at home, she went to her crate.

It was risky. She couldn't shut the crate, only the people could, so they could walk in at any moment. But it was worth it.

She looked at the toy, soaking it in. A wave of joy enveloped her.

The door swung open.

Lily threw the toy behind herself and grabbed the nearest one.

"What are you reading, Lily?" The person asked.

"Uh," Lily said, staring at the toy. She turned it towards them. "This."

"What's it about?"

She had no idea. Her heart rose to her throat.

"Um," she said. She fumbled with the toy. "I uh. I don't know."

The person frowned.

"Lily, what is that?" They said.

She followed their eyes to a sight that brought pain to her chest. The toy had fallen from behind her. Lily reached, but the person grabbed it before she could. They bared their teeth and scrunched their brow.

"This isn't one of the books we bought for you," they said. "Where did you get this?"

"School," she said, the word coming out as a squeak.

She was never able to give it back.

—•—

There came a day when the people no longer wanted her in their home. They didn't force her out—not exactly—but it was months of small remarks and strange glances. So, she gathered her things and went to the only place she could: the woods.

The trees stretched above her, branches clawing at the sky. As the moon rose, they only grew sharper. Then, the sky darkened completely and water fell. She stopped under a tree by a stream for shelter, placing her things at the roots. She curled up and went to sleep.

Something touched her. It was slightly damp but surrounded by softness. Warm air came from it.

Lily opened her eyes to the stare of a wolf.

It sniffed at her again, then stuck its nose into her neck. Its fur brushed against her face. Then, it pulled away.

It was pure white, but red tinged the fur around its mouth. It licked its lips, exposing reddened teeth.

When it spoke, it had Winston's voice. She hadn't heard it in years, but she always remembered it.

"Lily?" It said. "Is that you?"

"Yes," she said.

It ran its long, slippery tongue across her face. Against the dim dawn light, its eyes nearly glowed.

"Come with me," it said.

Lily rose from her place.

"Okay," she said.

The wolf walked on all fours, so she did the same. It curled its lips to grin at her with needle-sharp teeth. Then, it howled.

More wolves slinked in from the surrounding trees. Some had their mouths open, tongues hanging, while others simply stared. The largest one came forward, licking its lips. They surrounded Lily on all sides, fur and muscle pushing into her body.

Their eyes glowed, too.