Encountering Wild: Part Two

     I was sitting next to him that day, watching him sleep soundly and listening to the fire crackle and break the wooden logs. Hopper was out shopping, Bloo and Tiger were playing volleyball, and Genee was out on the beach. If I glanced out the window, I could see his stiff body resting upon the golden sand, flickers of pleasant electricity occasionally zapping the wind. His face was that of yearning, and his eyes were glued upon the ocean; he had always been fascinated by liquids, but this fascination could never be quenched because of his odd condition. I knew that Genee dearly wanted to splash and play in the ocean, but he couldn't. Not until a permanent cure has been created, or even a temporary one.

     I turned away from the window, and my eyes rested upon it's previous sight. It was then that I noticed that Wild was staring back at me. His ears were perked up now, and his fur looked nicer, cleaner. Although his head was still close to the ground, his eyes were thrown upwards as they gazed at me intently.

     "Hi," I said nervously and quickly flashed a smile upon my face. "Looks like you're awake now."

     Wild continued to stare, but I noticed that his eyes flinched when I started to speak.

     "Do you understand me?" I asked nervously. Like before, though, his body remained still and stiff.

     "Are you... hungry?" I asked once again, and this time, I saw the smallest change of expression upon his face. He was hungry. Completely relieved now, and less nervous, I stood up abruptly and briskly walked towards the kitchen. By the time I reached the fridge, though, I realized that I had no idea what type of food Wild wanted.

     "Er.. Wild... is it all right if I called you Wild?" I shouted across the room and turned around to face him. This time, Wild wasn't stationary upon the floor; instead, he was slowly limping his way towards the kitchen, his eyes still glued fixedly upon me. The nervousness that had just recently left me returned in an instant, and I felt completely stiff and awkward as I stared at his slow approach.

     Suddenly, without warning, a fierce growl erupted from Wild, and he threw himself upon me. His teeth were bared, his eyes were like fire, and his claws were stretched to it's full extent. I screamed in surprise when his body knocked me to the floor, and I felt his claws scrape across my left arm sharply. My eyes instantly became watery, and I grabbed my arm in pain. I could still feel Wild's heavy paws upon my shoulder, and I felt his warm breath fall upon my face. His growl was deeper now, even fiercer; I instantly regretted taking in this wild creature.

     "CT!"

     And just as quickly as Wild had toppled upon me, I heard a rush of electricity scream across the room and slam into Wild's body. My eyes instantly flew open, and I sat up and turned to the left. I saw Wild's limp body resting upon the floor as bolts of electricity writhed across his fur. His eyes were still open, red with fury, and his tongue was lolled out. He desperately tried to scramble upon his legs, but he fell upon the floor weakly and continued to gaze at me. I could still hear echoes of his ferocious growl in my ears.

     "CT, are you all right?" Genee asked nervously as he stepped closer to me. His eyes were filled with worry, but I could tell that he was angry. The calm static that flickered upon his fur was blue, and the fur upon his neck was standing up.

     "Yes, I'm all right. Wild just scratched my arm a bit," I said with a chuckle. "Just a few bandages would fix it up."

     "I told you that we shouldn't have brought that thing into the house," Genee said with a growl and threw a fierce look at Wild, who was still gazing at me with red eyes. "Let's just leave him in the forest."

     I nodded when I heard Genee speak those words, but my heart wasn't in it. Despite the fact that Wild did attack me, he was worse off than before. I knew that if I were to leave him alone, he wouldn't survive, and I did not want that guilt to hang over my head my entire life. I couldn't leave him... I refused to.

     "Genee, no, we can't. We have to take care of him."

     Genee's once passive expression instantly turned to that of anger, and he threw a spiteful look at me, and threw a hateful one at Wild. Yet, he did not question my reasoning; instead, he turned tail and stalked off towards his room. He knew better than to argue with me, for I was quite stubborn, and even if he did prove me wrong, I still held fast to my beliefs. Genee has learned to live with this part of me, and he wasn't about to fight with it over some wild creature.

     I slowly pulled myself up to my feet with the help of a nearby table; my arm still stung, though the stinging wasn't as painful as before. At least the scratch wasn't deep, and it could easily heal in just a few days. It did not render me from doing any other thing. I glanced at Wild once again, and his eyes were closed now. His stammered breathing was deafening in my ears, and my eyes watered slightly when I saw him twitch slightly when another volt of electricity shot through his body.

     "You poor thing," I whispered softly and approached him. I did not touch him, though, since I did not want to become yet another victim of Genee's condition. Instead, I just stared at him, patiently waiting for the static to die down so that I'll be able to care for him yet again. "The stinging will die down in a few minutes, Wild, so just... keep resting."

     Wild's eyes fluttered open when he heard me speak, and he continued to stare at me with his red eyes. I heard him growl slightly, as if he did not want to be near me, but I ignored this noise. I smiled briefly at him and ran my right hand across the scratch on my left arm; the stinging was starting to die down.

     ***

     Hours later, during the evening of the same day, Wild's minor static problem had disappeared, and he was once again resting before the fireplace of house 463. My arm was bandaged up, and I, along with my four pets, were spread about the living room, gazing at Wild as he slept.

     "So he attacked you, CT?" Tiger asked calmly as he flexed his spotted wings and turned to face me. "Why? Did you provoke him in anyway?"

     "Yes, he attacked me, Tiger, but no, I did not provoke him. Or at least, I don't think I did," I replied softly.

     "It's obvious that he isn't exactly tame, though," Bloo muttered to us and rested his chin upon his hand. "I think he's part of the Wild Lupe Clan that exists upon Mystery Island."

     "Wild Lupe Clan? What in the world is that?" Hopper asked perplexedly and knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Is that some sort of cult?"

     "No, Hopper," Bloo said exasperatedly and glared at her in his tiresome way. "The Wild Lupe Clan is a group of wild Lupes that have existed upon Mystery Island for many, many years. That's basically all I know of them, though. Have you ever read anything about this, Tiger?"

     Tiger shook his head in response, but his eyes were furrowed, as if he wasn't exactly sure. "I'm not positive, but I have read many books about wild Lupes upon Mystery Island. The thing is, though, these Lupes disappeared ages ago once more civilized inhabitants started to appear here. Of course, some people say that they still live in the shadows of the Island's forests, but the majority say that no living wild Lupe still exists."

     "So this thing," Genee spat out and turned a sour gaze upon Wild, "cannot be a wild Lupe, since they're supposed to be gone, right?"

     "I'm not entirely sure, Genee," Tiger said softly. "I've seen pictures, drawings, and read detailed descriptions of wild Lupes, and this one, the one CT calls 'Wild', highly resembles them in major ways. First off, his fur is coarse and thick, unlike the soft and thin ones of tame Lupes. His teeth and claws are long, thin, and sharp, and his body structure is lean and muscular. The real indicator, though, is his size. He's quite large, too large to be normal, in fact."

     "But they're extinct," I muttered calmly. "So Wild can't be wild."

     "I hope that you're right, CT," Tiger said, his eyes still riveted upon Wild's dozing form. "I've heard terrifying things about wild Lupes. Although they can't speak, many believe that they have the brains and wit to learn words if they're placed in a civilized home for a period of time. Also, wild Lupes attack, eat, and destroy without reason. The smallest thing irritates them, and they have short tempers. That's why they usually don't live in packs, or groups, since they always end up fighting everyday. It's a known fact, though, that sometimes groups of wild Lupes will attack a singular one just for the heck of it. They apparently can't be tamed."

     "Has anyone tried taming one before, Tiger?" I asked.

     "Yes, they have. The sad part, though, is that all the captured ones escaped one way or another. Something in their blood, perhaps instinct, always calls them back to the wild."

     "That's an unfortunate fact," I muttered softly and rested my chin against my right hand. Despite the evidence that I had just previously heard, I still did not want to believe that Wild was a raging beast, one that couldn't be tamed. I thought that I, perhaps, could tame him if I was given the right amount of time and patience.

     "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm as sleepy as the Turmaculus. I'm going off to bed," Bloo muttered as he stretched, yawned, and blinked sleepily. "G'night everybody."

     As Bloo walked off, he was followed by Hopper and Tiger. Genee, though, rested on his plastic-covered bean bag for a few more seconds before he departed. Still, I could sense a hint of reluctance at leaving as he exited the room. I knew that he still didn't trust Wild, and that he feared that Wild might attack me again. This time, though, I knew that I would be ready if Wild did attack me again. Before, he surprised me, but now, I won't be caught off guard.

     I stared at Wild for a few more seconds, for I was reluctant to leave as well. He looked so peaceful and quiet, not ferocious at all.

     I was going to change him, I was sure of it.

To be continued...