Kiba

• Tengteng Ma, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

In the melody of the howling wind, a vague scent of burning coal lingered. Snow drifted down peacefully, colouring the city a ridge white. Somewhere in the depth of a dark alleyway, a lone wolf sang a song of ‘Solace’ to the silent moon. His golden eyes and pure white fur glistened in the sunset.
Delicate paw prints painted a subtle trail beside an empty river bound to meet the ocean. No matter how far Kiba travelled, the sickening metallic smell would not go away. The city was so different from the paradise in his memory. The beautiful place he had hoped for, was it only in his mind?
Hundreds of days, thousands of miles, how far was he to go? The feeling of sprinting along an abandoned highway, it was almost as if his heart was pounding in his skull, with an empty chest and a ponderous head. Passing countless cities, everything was dyed leaden shades of monochrome. Stacks and stacks of buildings that scraped the clouds, mountains upon mountains of decaying machinery. Everything was to fit the selfish desires of humans. This world was slowly rotting away, Kiba alone understood that much.
Once loved in a strong and devoted pack, he now knew that those times were long gone and never to return. His parents, siblings and friends… he cannot begin to imagine the state they are in. Now, the only place he could still belong was his home, a wonderland where lunar flowers bloom. With each step closer, though, that place seemed further away. So much that he had begun to question its existence.
The twilight melted into the darkness that arose from the boundaries of the city, calling on Kiba’s night vision. His glossy eyes were now a radiant mellow gold, glowing more magnificently than any jewel. That was how he liked to meander through the shadows.
A snowstorm was working its way around the country planning to destroy everything in its path. The night was going to be long and harsh. Kiba had survived many nights like this, but tonight had to be the worst of all. He was so close to the home he longed for, finally almost able to see it, but the storm might steal all that he had. Despair and hope was meddled in the midst of darkness.
***
Somewhere in the depth of midnight, the snowstorm finally calmed. The city seemed so deadly quite after that, and it made Kiba notice how long it had been since he heard a nightingale sing. With the sky languidly lightening, Kiba decided to head out again. He took in a lungful of the icy air then closed his eyes imagining the scenery to be different. In this brief daydream of his, the sky was clear and blue, with not a cloud was in sight. The atmosphere was filled with sweet fragrances from a myriad of flowers.
Reality snapped back as swiftly as it had faded, hauling Kiba’s senses to this cold world, chipping his heart just a little more. Even after a while of rest, his feet were still heavy and aching. Wearily, Kiba crossed a boundless railway track, over the other side was where his ‘home’ lay. He took hesitant steps over to the edge and glanced once at the revolting sight. Enormous chimneys pumping white gas overtook what once was an emerald forest. Not one wolf or even paw print was in sight. He let out a disgruntled howl. In the end, the home he longed for will forever be out of reach.