Once there was a boy called Andrew. He had just started his first year of high school. Andrew’s parents gave him everything he wanted: the latest iPhones, designer clothes and even a horse. But all these gifts were not what he needed.
Every night, Andrew would lay in bed listening to his parents screaming at each other. They didn’t realise he could hear them. One night when his pillow failed to muffle the long loud howls below, he packed a bag and snuck out of the front door.
Andrew walked as far as his legs could carry him. The night was long and tiring. He could hear cars passing by but his mind was full of the horrible yells of his parents. Andrew had walked so far he had left his little town behind him and found himself in the middle of a wooded area. There were tall trees everywhere he looked, blanketing the stars above. He sat with his back against a wide tree trunk. The ground was damp but Andrew was so drained he fell straight into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he was wandering around the forest and he heard cries in the distance. He crept slowly towards the whimpers and found an injured wolf. Andrew watched the wolf from behind a tree. The wolf could not stand up; any pressure on his back leg caused him to collapse. Andrew decided to rescue the wolf. He was as grey as the rain clouds and his teeth were as white as snow, but he had a helplessness about him. Andrew went looking for a tall thick and steady tree so he could build a treehouse to keep them both safe.
Meanwhile, Andrew’s parents were frantically searching for him. They had put up millions of posters and contacted the police. Their neighbourhood was in the countryside and full of six bedroom houses which were three stories high. On the outside of town, there were farms with endless amounts of land.
***
Thirteen years later, Andrew had rescued over three hundred wolves, two bears and some smaller animals such as squirrels and rabbits. Over time, he became friends with every animal in the forest. Andrew felt lonely and often thought about his horse Jimmy and his parents. He had helped all of the animals and they didn’t need him anymore. So he decided it was time to go back home.
He started releasing the animals one by one, but the first wolf he had rescued wouldn’t go. He was much older now and much slower. Andrew knew he had to take him with him. He began his journey back home. It was a short journey. The forest was just outside his home town.
When he arrived home, his parents were speechless. They were still together and asked many questions . At first his mother felt uncomfortable with the wolf in the house, but eventually, they became close friends. She even taught him to eat at the table and use the toilet.
Now every summer, Andrew and his family go camping in the forest for a week or two to visit the animals – and catch up with some old friends.
Confictionarium 