“Ella, look it is snowing outside,” Denim called out, shaking Ella’s shoulder.
Throwing her head back on the wall of the train compartment, Ella Rose Francis was dozing. She was in the brim of falling deep in sleep any second but was jolted with Denim’s sudden call.
Feeling irritated, she flipped to the other side with her eyes still closed. The light penetrating from the glass disturbed her sleep, so she pulled the quilt above her head. She completely ignored what Denim was saying.
The train was running at its speed, which was making Ella sleepy. They were passing by the woods and seeing everything covered in white, Denim Turner, Ella’s best friend, was not able to resist. So she dared to wake Ella, knowing that she might turn into a beast if being disturbed in her sleep.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty. See how beautiful it is. You are the one who wanted to see the snow, right? Now, why are you not missing the chance? Come one, wake up…” Denim tried to pull the quilt.
“Stop it, Den. Let me sleep,” in a sleepy tone Ella blurted, gripping the quilt tightly above her head.
“What about snow then?” Denim raised a question in disappointment.
“We are going to be in Waillus Hill for the whole session, Den. I can see it whenever I want, so please not today. Let me sleep in peace.” Ella shut her eyes tight.
“But this is your only chance, Ella Rose. It is the last snowfall of this year. The school will start in spring and end in fall. You are not going to get this chance again, wake up…” Denim insisted.
Ella took a deep breath trying to not lose her temper. “Please, leave me alone. I don’t want my beast to come out, Den.”
“Fine, don’t complain to me afterward,” Denim muttered in annoyance and dropped back on her seat. She grabbed the magazine kept beside her and started to flip the pages.
Ella was about to fall asleep under the warmth of a quilt, suddenly she jerked, getting a glimpse of green eyes.
Hastily, she opened her eyes wide. “What the hell was that?” she muttered underneath her breath. Then slowly she pulled down the quilt till her nose.
Her blue eyes widened the moment she got fascinated by the sight outside the window. The forest which was green when they were traveling to Angelwood Academy, a day before for the school tour, was completely different. The green forest had turned completely white by the last snowfall of the winter.
It seemed like she was inside the beautiful painting of a talented artist, who had painted the white scenery. It made her feel like she was living on the painting as one of the artist's characters. The white powder was dancing in the air and falling on already white ground and trees.
The scene outside that window was not enough for her to quench the thirst of her eyes. As she was about to pull down the quilt and open the window suddenly, her eyes caught a giant white wolf darting at her from some distance.
The train passed the wolf and she thought it was gone. But suddenly she saw the wolf right outside her window running along with the train. She was scared to death and was not able to make a single move. She kept on staring at it with chills running through her spain.
“Den, look…” was all she could murmur in a trembling voice.
“Don’t talk to me. You didn’t obey my command, so I am not going to obey yours,” Denim stated in annoyance. Her eyes were still fixed on the magazine.
“Look…” Ella commanded with her eyes still glued on the wolf.
Denim averted her gaze at Ella, retorting, “What is wrong…” she gulped the last few words when she followed Ella’s gaze and saw the white wolf running outside the window.
“What the hell?” Denim muttered gulping hard.
Ella didn’t say anything as she was carefully darting the wolf. She was getting lost in those yellow pupils which were deep like the ocean. The feeling of having some connection with that wolf for many years rose in her heart and it was totally strange for her.
The snow was falling on the white fur of the wolf and vanishing on it. Its eye was fixed on the compartment where Ella and Denim were. It was gazing as if he had seen something which belonged to him and wanted to grasp that thing.
But suddenly it falls on the ground. Ella hastily pulled down the quilt and pressed her hand against the windowpane trying to look for the wolf. She saw it was struggling to get up but its leg was bleeding and making the white ground turn red.
Ella was not able to comprehend. She saw it finally getting up and running again. She rushed out of the compartment and started to watch the wolf one after another compartment that she passed by.
“Liam… what are you doing?” She entered the compartment which was passing by the wolf and snatched the knife from the boy. He was about to attack the wolf with the knife taking his hand out of the window.
“Ella…. Give me that knife…” Liam snatched the knife from her hand.
But the knife slashed her palm. “Ah!” she screamed out in agony. “Are you out of your mind?” she yelled, pressing her palm with her other palm.
“God, Ella, show me your hand.” Liam pulled her wrist.
“Don’t touch me. Why did you hurt that wolf?” She pulled her hand away.
“Wolves are predators. They can attack us if we don’t attack first,” Liam explained, still trying to reach out for her wound.
“He looked nothing like he was going to attack us,” Ella defended the wolf but as her eyes fell on her hand, heavy bleeding made her sick and dizzy.
Liam took the chance and pulled her wrist. As he wrapped his handkerchief around her wound, suddenly she passed out on his arms.