<span style="font-style: italic">It was gone ten by the time Clyde made it to the right yard. It was as hot as hell, even the snails were melting on the asphalt, despite it being well past his bed time! It stunk of burnt rubber around this road and it sounded-- well, it sounded like a dog crying and had done for the past three days... The family were called the Keats and he'd even heard his mother talking bad about them, however the shock of seeing the wolf tied to the front fence had still rocked the foundations of his little world!<br/><br/>The minute he'd seen the poor, limp animal, patches of fur skinned plain free, chest heaving under the labour of sickness, line of ribs on plain show, stripped with open wounds... he'd set his mind on one thing; he had to save her!<br/><br/>Until now bad people like this only existed in cartoons, it was scary but... well ... he had to play The Hero!<br/><br/>The knots were slick in his hands for blood, sweat and mud, he could barely keep his grip. Small pin-pricks of pain burst across the nine year old's palms like a line of fire as the rough, stray threads of rope jabbed at him. Desperately he hushed the whining wolf, "Please!" he begged her, breath running ragged, "Please be quiet!!"<br/><br/>Tears of terror stung the corners of his eyes and his nostrils burnt for the dreadful scent of animal pee, where the poor wolf had been left in the same place for too long, "Please, please, please be quiet!!" the child sobbed. There was a small burst of triumph as the tie around her hind leg went slack only to be interrupted by a twitch of the curtain from the house.<br/><br/>He'd heard stories... such horrible stories! Joshua had once told him The Keats kept their deformed son in the basement with the dogs and he sent them after intruders! <br/><br/>A whimper of sheer, blood churning terror slipped the boys tongue. He gripped the wolfs scruff until the skin of knuckles turned white, frozen on the spot, eyes stuck dead on the window of the house. It was ... a false alarm. Tears pouring freely down his baby round cheeks, he started up again a new wave of lip-quivering, nose-bubbling determination. I mean, if they couldn't love her... Well he CERTAINLY would! This ... this was HIS wolf now!!</span><br/><br/><br/>Clyde grinned widely, running a hand through his hair and admiring his handiwork.<br/><br/>Buddy's Emporium! A perfect red paint job! It had to be the best thing ever! Buddy, his dads best friend, slapped a figure rattling palm around the back of his shoulders, "Well kid," the old man purred, "How good is our little shop lookin'! Give us a day or fifty and we might even make us some profit!"<br/><br/>Clyde chuckled with him and scratched the old man's wolf behind the ears.<br/><br/>His own, the lovely, quiet Lottie, was too busy sulking on the bench at the shop window. Apparently the dark furred girly wasn't a big fan of painting. It was probably the smell, "So ... do I come in on Monday?"<br/><br/>Buddy's wolf yelped cheerily.<br/><br/>"Well Ruby seems to think so!" He laughed.<br/><br/>Lottie's ear turned upwards as she listened to the gentle hum of conversation, probing it for mal-intent as she often did.