"Get up girl!" Mr. Jackson growled, shaking Abigail Brooke awake, "It's already 5:30, you've overslept, change into your work clothes and start your chores."

Abigail hopped out of bed, hoping to look awake, and grabbed a worn pair of scratchy mud-covered denim overalls, and a torn, three sizes too small, tee-shirt.

She didn't know why her grouchy uncle always reminded her to were 'work clothes' that's all she had, apart from her night gown, which really was too cold in winter, and the memorial dress she had been wearing the day her parents died.

She pulled on her worn winter boots, although they really didn't do much against the sloppy mud and slushy snow patches of spring. It was too dark out to see much, and all the stars were covered with clouds, but Abigail could still make out the silver lining of the moon. The moon, her only friend, it was there whenever she was upset, its beautiful white wedding veil rays pieced through the clouds as if they weren't there, and came for a soft landing over Abigail. The world seemed to grow just a bit brighter.

Abigail Brooke worked all the way up to 3:00pm, when she was finally allowed a lunch break. She ate what, precious little, there was left of the stew Mrs. Jackson had made. Her aunt and uncle had already eaten, they practically stuffed themselves at noon, and then when Abigail had her break all she got what was left.

Tears came to Abigail's eyes when she remembered when life used to be fun. Her parents would play with her, and help her with her chores. They did most the chores, not like here where she did almost everything. She remembered the day she stood by her parent's grave, they had died together in a ship wreck. She had been only fourteen, that was a year ago.

The social service worker announced she would be staying with her uncle, whom she had never even met. Apparently a worker was supposed to come every few months to see how Abigail was doing, but for some reason that never happened.

The moon's silver show

Washes away my anger

My friend is the glow

In the sky, a hanger

Mmmmmmmmmm, mmm

mmm, mmmmmmmmmm

Abigail hummed the familiar lullaby softly as she went back to her work, it was kind of a dumb little song, but it helped her calm down. As it started to dim outside, the moon began to climb the horizon. Abigail waved to it, and it seemed to wink at her.

Abigail whispered a thanks to God for creating the moon, things seemed much less lonely without it, and it was a sign to her that God was always there.

It was 11:00 at night when Abigail finally slipped into the house and slumped into bed. She didn't bother changing into her night-gown and drifted to sleep. She woke up, way too early, to the eerie howl of a wolf, very close to the house. She could hear her uncle and aunt mumbling fearfully, scurrying away from the door, which was hanging on just one hinge. But Abigail did not pull back; she ran up to the door and opened it wide to stare out into the night. The radiant cool, yet comforting, moon beams lit up her hair. She stared out into the night, watching for wolves, as she had often done every time they howled, and finally she caught a movement in the dark. She squinted as a silver wolf stepped into view and walked over, stopping only meters from the house. Its fur seemed to glow just as much as the moon and its eyes were just like the moon's, well how Abigail always imagined the eyes.

Abigail sighed in awe, the wolf looked into Abigail's eyes, but not in the threatening way wolves would normally do, but with love, it took a step closer. Then let out a long, low, beautiful howl. Abigail shut her eyes and let the howl carry her to wonderful places, prancing threw fields and dancing with the moon. When the wolf finished the howl it disappeared back into the dark. Abigail could here her uncle pleading for her to close the door, not that it would do much, a wolf could easily knock it down, even by accident. Abigail shut the door and went back to bed, her life feeling as high as it could here. Abigail chuckled at the fact that her uncle and aunt would be scared silly; she could feel their trembles vibrating the house.

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Abigail Brooke stared out into the night, hoping for another glimpse of the 'Moon wolf' she had first seen 3 weeks ago. It came by every few nights now, she hoped she would see it again tonight, but her eyes started to droop she slumped into her bed.

Lightning hit the tree next to Abigail causing it to burst into flames and fall across her path. She dodged it, but the burning cinders seemed to jump up at her, stinging her legs. Another flash of light and a tree fell right towards Abigail! Last second the Moon pushed Abigail out of the way.

Wait a minute, the Moon? Abigail woke up with a start to see the house falling apart around her, the smoke burned her eyes. She couldn't see, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.

Someone grabbed her shoulder; her uncle actually came to save her! He gripped so hard his nails dug into Abigail as she was pulled to safety out of the house, and off into the forest. Her rescuer didn't stop until they were in the middle of a swamp, probably the only semi-safe area in the dry fire-prone woods.

"Th-thanks," Abigail blinked out the smoke and looked up to look at her uncle. Her eyes widened when she realized that her rescuer was not her uncle like she had guessed, not even a man at all, it was a wolf... the wolf, the moon wolf. The majestic, shaggy creature nuzzled Abigail's head down to rest on a pile of moss. The wildfire was spreading quickly towards them, but, as if a magical force surrounded the swamp, the fire passed around in a blazing circle. Abigail shut her eyes and imagined the fire leaving, and slowly drifted off the sleep.

When Abigail awoke she was soaked from laying on the moist swamp ground, but she was happy. She hadn't slept this late in ages.

"Hey girl," She could hear her uncle calling her "Abigail, are you there, are you alright?"

Abigail got up hesitantly, and then turned and ran the other way, she ran through the scorched remains of the forest, the charred remains of broken branches burned her feet. The fire fighters must have got there quick, because the forest wasn't a complete mess. Abigail could hear running behind her, they had spotted her. But when she looked back she was, once again, surprised to see the silver wolf catching up, he adjusted his speed to match hers, and they ran together until they finally came out into wide fields. Abigail plopped down laughing for no reason, and the Wolf plopped into the ground next to her and rolled around on his back.