Morning. Finally, it was morning. The new light began to chase away the remaining night's darkness. It was a faint glow the little wolf noticed first, but his dizzy head made him think he was dead. He called out softly, "Heaven?"

He opened his eyes. When he felt the cold wet water stream over his little eyes and body, he knew he was in reality. He gave a small whimper and slowly stood up. It had been a long night, and his legs were wobbly. His eyes burned with sea salt and soreness from his night sobs. He tried to close them but they continued to burn. The little wolf jumped and howled in pain. He rubbed his eyes furiously, desperate to rid the salt.

The fiery pain finally subsided. The wolf gazed at his surroundings, the ocean environment lightening gradually. The light was not as strong as a usual sunny day. It might be raining up on the surface lands and skies. His older sister would know the weather just by looking at the activity of the waves above.

But that was the last person he wanted to see.

Eli angrily shoved the thought of her out of his mind. Ireena was mean. She had tried to hide something serious from her own brother. But the worst thought gnawed at him like demon fangs. What if she did it.

That's not possible, the tiny wolf thought, She's my sister. She's always been very nice. We've almost never fought, so why would she do something so horrible? She's never yelled at me before. Tears threatened to make a reappearance, but Eli kept them down. His eyes hurt too much already.

With nothing else to do, not sure where to go, Eli began to walk East, where the sun rises. He did not want to walk back home, where his poor parents lied dead. Or so Ireena said. Eli wasn't sure if he could trust her anymore. If she tried to hide that... What else has she hidden for the three years of Eli's life with her? He decided not to think about that.

The only thing the little wolf could actually focus on was that he was famished. He had not eaten since yesterday afternoon, when he left from his young wolf combat training lessons. But he was stuck in the middle of the ocean, with no idea where any other territory was. This was dangerous. The other water wolves were very adamant about boundaries; trespassing was a large offense that was taken quite seriously. The only way Eli could distinguish a territory was by looking at the gate design. But the gates could be placed miles away from the territory, and they are not very big.

Eli started to swim instead of walk, so he could not risk walking right onto a wolf's territory, and just swim over it.

Eli ha not noticed how much his strength had diminished in a twenty-four hour period. He leaped up to swim but his forelegs gave out mid-stroke. He let himself slowly sink and tried again. It was even harder the second time. He let himself sink again to the sandy floor. He had no other choice but to take the risk and walk on four legs, to an unknown destination.

The poor little wolf felt like he was suffering more than a three-year-old baby wolf should. Every step he took his legs trembled. His eyes were sore and felt as heavy as rocks. His gait was unsteady due to his dizzy head and hunger pangs. The sun no longer shone, and the ocean was a dull greenish-gray. Eli could hear the ocean currents rushing with an impeding storm above the surface. He shivered, feeling cold and empty.

Suddenly Eli felt a rush of water whip past his body. Eyes wide, he whipped his head this way and that. What was that? It couldn't be the water on its natural currents-- this wave felt too sudden.

A grating, high-pitched voice spoke, "What is the matter?" Eli's first response was a scream. He flung himself around a few times in a panic circle and then made a run for it. His weak legs didn't help, so his speed was slow and awkward; the adrenaline in his system was the only source of energy keeping him going. Eli peeked behind him as he ran, and noticed a dark red blur following him at a steady pace. Panting hard, body functions in overdrive, Eli kept running.

It was as if his body finally gave up. Eli tripped, sending him flying forward for a long distance. He landed on his face, still flying with his face in the sand at the same time, screaming the whole way. He came to an abrupt stop, hitting his smothered head into something hard. Eli was baffled he wasn't blind yet, barley able to see anything with the sand and salt in his dry, puffy eyes. He gingerly lifted his head. What he saw made the little wolf think he was just in a nightmare. A living nightmare that is.

An immense, shaggy, dirty, gaunt, repulsive maroon wolf stood eye-to-eye with tiny Eli. Its eyes were blood-shot, a bright red iris surrounded by strong white eyeballs that seemed to scream at the baby wolf. Eli was frozen, his muscles locked up from exhaustion. There was nothing else he could do but lie there, whimper in terror for whatever would happen next.

The gruesome beast before Eli grinned a terrifying wide, fang-rich grin, displaying its yellow teeth and green gums, thick drool pouring from its hideous black lips. "What's the matter little guy? Don't I look nice?" He panted loud an heavy, smothering Eli with its beyond rancid breath. Eli just lied there, crying. "Oh, don't worry cutie. I just want to play with you a little bit." Its voice sounded like a branch scraping against a rock.

"Why should I believe you?" Eli cried, his face still smushed in the sand at the beast's feet.

The maroon devil ignored the question. "Actually, let me rephrase that." He stood up to his full hight, massive and intimidating. "LET ME INSIDE YOU."

And with that, Eli let out one final scream before him and the beast were one.