Juim turned over in the real world, being pulled into memories too painful to remember.
Their mother returned, covered in blood, with a full stomach. Juim squeeked a protest at the taste of blood in her milk, but it soon dissapeared. Soon she fell asleep, and all of the sudden it was months later. Juim was just learning to fly, carefully tucked in the back of the cave, away from wayward winds that would carry her out of the cave. She wasn't ready to fly out in the open yet. She heard a howl of outrage, causing her to forget to pump her wings. She hit the ground with a loud yelp, then hushed up. She tucked in her tail and her ears twirled back. She snuck forward and nipped all of her brother's tails, reminding them silently to crawl back as far as they could in the cave. Their mother had been sure to drill that into their brains. They huddled in the back and heard their mother's wings flap frantically.
'You can't have them!' she yelled, and a strange voice laughed.
'Their mine as well.' said a male wolf.
'Please, they're just learning to fly. Wait until they can fly better to take them away.' Juim could hear the pain in that offering.
'I'll be back for them.' said their father menicingly. 'Oh, and don't get any ideas about leaving. I'm always watching.' The frightened pups stayed where they were until the strange wolf's wingbeats were inperceptable. They then bolted out of hiding, crowding around their mother.
'Will you really give us to him?' asked one of the nameless brothers, worried.
'I'll find a way out of this, love.' said their mother, a worried look plastered to her face.

Butterfly Wolf, November 2018
Rat, August 2018


