Introduction

Phillip Mauger was a simple young man, unlike most individual’s in their early twenties in the 21st century, his goals didn’t consist of seeking fame, money, or power. He just wanted to survive, enjoy nature; find people he could call family.

Although he was simple in his pursuits; goals his features were not.

Phillip has dirty blond hair that was shaved with the same color eyebrows; facial hair. His eyes were dark green; looked as though you were staring into an endless sea of Evergreen trees.

He weighed about 190 pounds, was 6 feet 3 inches tall; had pale white skin that looked like porcelain even though he spent his free time outside, hunting and fishing in Central California.

Growing up hunting and fishing, Phillip learned at a young age to appreciate, respect; value all life whether that be plants or animals. He felt all life had a purpose within nature; felt needlessly taking life was an inexcusable act that deserved punishment.

Phillip had a fairly typical childhood, but slowly disconnected from his family as he grew in age. This was mainly due to their religious values; fervent beliefs that ostracized other people who did not conform to their values; beliefs. His family’s strange beliefs; values only pushed Phillip farther and farther away from them, while strengthening his passion for nature.

Due to his family relationship, Phillip spent more and more time in nature. After spending most of his childhood and young adult life in nature, he came to realization that there were no gods. He believed in (Charles Darwin’s) philosophy about the “theory of evolution”; believed humans were animals, not the creation of gods.

He felt this way because all animals grew to adapt; evolve to better suits the environments that they inhabited; believed this concept did not exclude the human race.

He came to believe gods were a fictions idea created by people who didn’t understand the phenomena’s that happened around them or were just true believers. He had nothing against people who believed in gods, he just didn’t like to be force fed their values and ideas.

Due to his own belief an unrepairable rift formed between Phillip; his family, which led him to claim dependency at the age of 16. Because of this, he barely graduated from high school at the age of 17.

Because of his goals in life, Phillip never really indulged in the idea of going to college. He came to believe that a college degree would not help him in achieving his goals, but he did believe that having a stable job with flexible hours would help in him in achieving his goals.

With these thoughts Phillip ignored the callings of higher education; went into trade school as a locksmith at seventeen. After two difficult years within trade school he graduated at nineteen; was offered a two-year apprenticeship at a Mom and Pop locksmith shop.

Located, near the southern entrance to Yosemite Nation Forest, in the small town of Oakhurst, California. He took the offer without hesitation, to get farther away from his family, while attempting to achieve his goals; try to better understand nature as a whole.

Chapter#1: Just Another Day Being a Locksmith.

This Leads us to present day where Phillip Mauger, age 21 is preparing for another typical morning as Locksmith in Yosemite Valley...

*ring, Ring, RING, RRIIINNGG*

Phillips hand shifts from underneath the covers of his bed to grab his cell phone without looking at who was calling; answers the phone.

(Phillip) “Hello?” *yawns*

(John) “Phil we just got a call from Yosemite National Park. They requested you to head up into the valley and re-key gate locks at the northern point of the park beyond half dome, just like you did for the southern entrance last March.” Phillip’s boss John Desparo stated

(Phil) “Do you want me to head up now? I have Jimmy Reneta coming in to the shop at 7:30am to get his Harley Re-keyed.”

(John) “Yup, the Park Rangers want it done sooner than later... Also, the Ranger who requested you for the job said that they’ve been having some problems with Poacher’s using those gates to illegally access that end of the park; I’ll get Skip to cover the shop and help Jimmy out at 7:30.”

(Phil) “I’ll get ready and head up there; re-key the gates at the end of the park John. *long pause* But, isn’t that part of the park where the park relocated some of the wolves from Yellow Stone, because of the bring back the wolves’ initiative?... *shifts uncomfortably in bed*

(John) “Yup it sure is, good luck *chuckles*. I call the rangers back and tell them you’ll be heading up that way. Alright drive safe Phil; see yah at the shop later on today.”

Without responding, Phil hung up his phone; looks up from his bed and stares across the room at Colt his German Shepard and say’s “The more I interact with people the more I like you Colt.” Colt looks at Phillip with knowing eyes and proceeds to jump on Phillip, which forces him to get up out of bed; let Colt outside to go take a shit like every dog does in the morning.

Phil got Colt on his 17th birthday, he did his best to train Colt to become a good retriever due to the amount of bird hunting he consistently does; succeed for the most part. Colt’s only issue is he hates other dogs with a passion, similarly to his owner’s disdain for other people, mainly arising from his less than healthy family relationship.

With that said, even with his disdain for people, Phillip still gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, until they gave him a reason not to. Due to their mutual disdain for others of their own kind, Phillip and Colt have bonded considerably over the 4 years they’ve known each other.

Phil considered Colt; Nature to be the only family he had, especially after being disowned by his parents and brothers because of his own beliefs; inability to accept the gods they worshiped.

After proceeding with the normal morning routine, Phillip begins to load up his truck for the job ahead. After finishing loading, he takes a sip of his coffee, while looking the clock on the dash of his truck, which reads 5:00am.

Phil jumps in his truck while whistling for Colt. Who comes running; jumps in the bed of the truck, meandering around the loaded tools and lays down in his usual spot right behind the cabin of the truck which is conveniently clear of tools.

Phil heads off like any normal day of work, heading to his first call of the day. Little does he know, it will be a day that changes his life forever…

After a half an hour drive into the Yosemite’s interior, Phil pulled up to the last Ranger check point; started checking in with the Rangers.

(Phil) “Hello *yawns* Name’s Phillip; I’m with Oakhurst Lock & Key, I’m here to replace the locks up north beyond half dome you want re-keyed. Is it fine if I head on through?” As Phil stares; reads the rangers name tag which reads (Dan)

(Dan) “Morning Phillip; yes we got a call earlier telling us to let you through. Just be on the lookout for wolves, their wily bastards that’ll stalk you for miles.” The ranger plainly states while waving Phillip through the small check point.

(Phil) "Thanks for the head up, if thats all i go get started on the locks"

Phil starts heading into most northern end of the park that was cut off to the general public, after re-introduction of the wolves into Yosemite National Park.

Phillip looked around as the sun began to peek through the immense Evergreen trees and other fauna that doted the landscape and began to think how lucky he was for being able to work in this National Park on occasion; to enjoy the beauty that was ever present around him.

The bird’s started chirping accompanied by the sounds of small mammals rushing through the underbrush, started to trickle through the open windows of the truck. Phillip proceeded to check his rear-view mirror and check on Colt. Colt has his head stuck over the bed of the truck enjoying the wind blowing on his face; the fresh smell of Evergreen trees as the two continued on their way to the first gate.

As Phillip looked at the clock as he pulled up to the first gate, the clock read 5:55am on his dash.

He grabbed his tools from the bed of the truck; proceeded to re-key the first lock which was embedded within a huge steel framed gate. Due to the simple design of the lock he finished it quickly, without any issues arising.

He then began to load his tools back into the truck, but Colt began to snarl; growl at something off within the forest.

Phil continued to load his truck but never let his back face the direction Colt was barking. He knew something was around by tone; the way Colt continuously snarled at a specific spot within the forest off to the right of the gate he had just re-keyed. Looking around at the expansive forest in front of him, Phil saw nothing amongst the mighty Evergreen trees, so he continued to load his tools into the truck.

After Phil finished loading the tools, he walked over towards Colt who was still snarling into the forest. Phil reached down grabbing Colts collar gently, while pointing at the bed of his truck.

Colt looked at him, then back into the forest in front of both of them. Colt backed away from the forest; then jumped into the truck but never took his eyes off the forest to the right of the gate. Phil, immediately jumped in his truck; started driving off on his way to the next gate to re-key before anything could happen.

After 10 or so minutes of four wheeling down various dirt roads, Phil arrived at his next gate to re-key. He jumped out of his truck; walked over to back of the bed of his truck and pulled the tailgate down; began to scratching Colts head for a bit, while saying. “Thanks Colt, don’t know what that was, but didn’t think we’d stay around to find out.”

Colt barked in an approving manner, then jumped out the truck and began to walk around; piss on everything as male dogs usually do. Phil began to unload the truck and glanced at the clock which read 6:06am.

After finishing unloading his tools, Phil began to start re-keying the lock fixed within the gate. While in the middle this process, Colt began to snarl; growl at something off in the forest behind Phil.

Phil immediately stood up; attempted to turn around and see what Colt was snarling at…

*BANG*

Pain exploded throughout Phillips chest, it was so much that he almost passed out on the spot. Luckily the adrenalin that started pumping throughout his body saved him from immediately blacking out.

He then began to feel something hot run down the left side of shirt. As he noticed this he felt a severe pain that slowly wash over his chest in waves. Phil clenched his teeth from the pain, while looking down at his chest. He saw blood begin to start pooling underneath his light blue work shirt, that now had a quarter sized coin hole in it.

Blood began to drip down from the hole in his shirt onto the duff and detritus covered ground at his feet.

Colt continued to snarl; growl in the direction that the shot had come from.

Phil slowly began to slink onto the gate he was working on about 30 feet from his truck. His back was turned to the area the shot came from, while he tried to steady himself on the rails of the gate but was startled; frightened to see a huge grey wolf slowly walk out of the underbrush on the other side of gate staring Phillip Straight in eyes.

As, Phil stared at the huge wolf, he became in-tranced in the its ocean blue eyes that looked familiar but couldn’t recognize where this feeling came from.

Realizing he was stuck between a rock and hard place, Phillip just fell to his knees while facing the huge predator, with only a steel gate; its horizontal bar’s separating him from the apex predator.

Phil then used his left hand to immediately apply pressure on his chest covering the exit wound, as he screamed from in pain. Muffled screams can be heard through his clenched teeth (ahhhh)

Pain continued to flood over him in waves as he applied pressure to his wound that was on the lower left side of his chest in-between the two last ribs on the left side of his chest.

He then shifted his right hand around his back; felt the warm sensation of blood flowing onto his hand as he searched for the entry wound on his back. As he applied pressure to the entry wound on his back, he continued to stare at the huge grey wolf in the eyes. He guessed this wolf was pushing 150 pounds easy.

He then heard voices coming from behind him a way’s off.

(Poachers POV)

Two men began running to where they believe they downed the wolf they’d been tracking for several months, yet consistently lost due to threat of Rangers; Fish & Wildlife Wardens tracking them.

(Poacher#1) “I know I shot that damned fucker, did you hear it scream!” the man stated as he began to start up the small hill, dotted with thick Evergreen trees that separated his line of sight from what he had shot.

(Poacher#2) “are you sure!?!?! I thought I saw a guy stand up in front of the Mongrel at the last second Jeff!?” *doubt trailing within the man’s voice*

As Jeff began to almost crest the top of the small hill; get a better view of the area he had just shot into, he saw white truck parked near where he had shot.

(Jeff) “FUCK!! HENRY GET OVER HERE NOW!”

Hearing the yells emanating from behind him a way’s off, Phil continued to apply pressure to both his wounds but didn’t dare take his eyes off the wolf in front of him.

While starring into the eyes of the wolf, he soon felt the familiar sensation of Colt rubbing his head on Phillip hand, that was attempting to covering the entry wound on his back, getting a fair amount of blood and onto his fur in the process.

As Phil kneeled on the ground locking gazes with the biggest wolf he’d ever seen while hearing the yells of stupid poachers that shot him. He felt a stifled laugh leave his lip’s, but he started to cough up blood between his laughs as the pain continued to wash over him, he continued to laugh wildly as blood trickled from his mouth. As he laughed, he attempted to rhetorically ask questions; talk to himself….

“hahaha *coughing up blood, followed by hysterical laughter* I guess this is how it ends? Shot in the back by poachers. I guess this is it, I die here, in the dirt, like the animal I am.” As thoughts of dying ran throughout his mind, Phil began to think of Colt; instantaneously making a choice.

Phil then let go his back with his right hand, as he grabbed Colt by the snout; taking his eyes off the wolf to look at Colt.

He then brought Colts eyes level with his own, as he looked into the eyes of the most supportive family member he’d ever he had; said “Survive you damn mutt” As tears rolled down his face.

He recounted the times he spent with Colt over the last 4 years, how much happiness having Colt in his life had brought him; how alike the two were. Phil’s gaze became cold and desolate like forest that suddenly had gone silent. He then hit Colt as hard and he could in the ass with his free right hand and screamed! “GET OUT OF HERE COLT!”

Colt looked at Phil, then the wolf, and then in the direction of poachers. While whimpering, Colt took off like the bullet that shot Phillip and speeded off into the woods away from the truck, without looking back….

As Phil finished screaming, he felt something lick his mouth where blood trickled out, then it immediately wrenched down on his throat through gap in the horizontal bars of the gate he had been working on.

He felt his face get ripped forward; twisted to the side, as his face forcefully smashed into the gap between the horizontal bars of the gate. As he looked forward straight into the eyes of the wolf, that had its jaws wrapped around his throat. Phil continued notice something familiar in them, that he couldn’t place…

Surprisingly enough Phil didn’t attempt to eye gouge the wolf in front of him or do anything to get it to stop, it appeared he just gave up, except he didn’t. He desperately wanted to survive.

Phillip new with one shake of its massive head it could easily snap his neck, so he did not provoke the wolf further; attempted to be as non-threating as possible. He came into the wolfs territory willingly; now at its mercy.

Slowly putting his right hand back onto the wound on his back, he attempted to speak in immense pain, as wolf slowly crushed his throat; vocal cords along with it…

“hhhhuuuuuunn *muffled coughs* huunn rrrhhhmmnndd tuff…” The wolf just continued to stare straight into Phil eyes, as the muffled; broken words came out his mouth.

(Poachers POV)

As this happened Jeff and Henry looked from the atop of the small hill while watching with bated breath, as the events unfolded before them.

(Jeff) “I shot him…?!?! WHERE THE FUCK DID HE COME FROM!!!!”

(Henry) “Clearly dumb shit! Now we are going to have to burry this sad fuck after he bleeds out, but that comes after we kill that damn wolf, we’ve been after it for too damned long.”

(Jeff) “DAMNIT HENRY! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMEONE WAS IN MY SHOT!?”

(Henry) “He stood up as you shot, dipshit! How am I supposed to stop a moving bullet Jeff? Any bright ideas?!

The men began to slowly advance down the hill, while looking at the man and wolf.

Phil couldn’t hear a word either of the men said, nor had he seen that were staring intently at him; the massive wolf latched onto him. Phil was far more focused on the wolf tearing his throat out.

Instead of focusing on his escaping, he was entirely focused on trying to say something to the wolf but kept failing due to the sheer strength of the wolfs jaws that were clamping into his throat.

As blood began to flood into his mouth from inside his throat, making it difficult to speak, but he still tried in depression to survive.

(Poachers POV)

As the Poachers, began to advance closer to try to get a shot with their rifles at the wolf, which was biting onto the throat of the kneeling man in front of them. They heard his voice, it came out as only a whisper, he said something that made them stop and stare at the slowly dying man…

(Phil)” run *cough* run you mutt *cough, spits blood* their hunting you, not me.” As blood trickled out his mouth he smiled a crooked smile, while bearing his bloody teeth at the huge predator in front of him.

Jeff and Henry stared in disbelief, why was the man in front of them trying to talk to the wolf that they’d had been hunting? What would, mumbling into the wolfs face accomplish? The two men thought to themselves. They couldn’t understand what the man was doing, they were just so baffled at this, they stared to laugh at the dying man in front of them.

(Jeff) “HAHAHAHA” *laughing so hard he lowers his gun*

(Henry) “AHAHAHA, he thinks he’s the wolf whisperer!!!” *following suit in his fit of laughter, he lowers his gun*

(Phil POV)

As the huge wolf and I, continued to stare at one another in the eyes. I realized what was so familiar about the wolfs eyes...

They were a mirror image of my own eyes not in color but experience. Cold, desolate, and alone… The wolf and I began to gain a better understanding of how similar the two of us were with in this short exchange.

Just like Colt, we wanted a family, people we could trust and rely on; who accepted us for who and what we were.

As I thought this, the wolf suddenly let go of my throat. It looked at me, while appearing to nod its head at what I was thinking.

Then the wolf proceeded to zoom off in the opposite direction of the two men behind me, running significantly faster than any animal I’d ever seen, while following the exact path that Colt had ran off to earlier.

(Poachers POV)

The sight of the wolf sprinting off at full speed brought Jeff and Henry back to reality as they stopped laughing.

(Henry) ”GOD DAMNIT, it got away AGAIN; all because you shot someone, DAMMIT JEFF!”

(Jeff) “You didn’t shoot at the son of uh bitch when it just ran off, so I don’t want to hear your bitching Henry. We need to clean this shit storm up before the Rangers or the Wardens get here. I’m sure they heard the shot; they’ve already been patrolling the area, hell their might be some around here already.” He calmly states.

This surprised Henry, usually he had to be the calm and collected one with his stupid cousin, but his cousin was making a very valid point.

Then the two men began to quickly to discuss their plans of what to do with the dying man in front of them, that they both felt had costed them their long-awaited trophy.

The first plan they came up with was to leave the dying fucker to bleed out on his own; get the hell out of park. The second plan was to knife the dying man to not attract any more attention to them, then move him; burry him somewhere outside of the National Park….

(Phil POV)

I continued to stare through the steel gate into expanse of Evergreen trees where the wolf had run off to, then shifted my right hand to cover my more serious throat wound and apply pressure to it. While doing so, I listened to the plans the dip-shits that shot me, came up with.

A small smile appeared on my lips even though my life slowly continued to drain from my body. I couldn’t help but smile; think.

Several thoughts continuously rushed throughout my head. The first is that an Apex predator, A wolf had understood me better than every human I had ever encountered in my life, even my fucking own Parents; siblings… On top of that, the wolf, had more decency and common sense than the two human scumbags behind me.

This just made my smile become distorted and wicked. Rather than fess up to their mistake; these scumbags are plotting how to best hide my body once I’ve been stabbed or how flee the from the scene of my murder while letting me bleed out.

This is why I like animal’s more than humans. Animals don’t lie, they’re not greedy; they don’t kill for sport or because they can. Interaction’s like these, only help to validate my utter disdain for most of the human race. {Author Note: Phillip believes humans are animals; in this instance is not calling them that for the purpose of identitfying the minute differences between humans and other animals.}

I then recalled the fact that I know not every human being is not a piece of shit, there are good people out there, I just have the shittiest luck with people...

I continued smile wickedly with my bloodied teeth showing; then I thought about the simple fact that at least I get to die in such a beautiful place, it was comforting thought.

I only hoped Colt would be adopted into the huge wolf’s pack, by some stoke of luck or to make it back to the Ranger’s checkpoint we passed on the way in. I just wanted the only living family I had to survive.

As I felt my consciousness start to fade, I thought of my death was inevitable, but didn’t wish for life, or beg to escape my situation. I just accepted what was to come; was happy that the pain would go away; that my body would help to support nature long after I was gone…

As I though this I felt something extremely hot grab onto my legs, it felt like someone was pouring boiling metal from a caldron on top of my lower legs. I then felt myself being dragged around like a rag doll through the detritus and duff of the forest floor; then straight into forest floor into a shining golden light….

(Poachers POV)

Jeff and Henry stopped talking; watched intently, as a pair of huge ethereal golden arms shot out from the forest floor.

The base arms stayed attached to where they had originally popped out of the ground while the forearms; hands continued stretched over to the kneeling man.

As soon as the hands wrapped around the man’s legs, they forcefully dragged his lifeless body back to the arms bases and disappeared in a flash of golden light into the forest floor.

(Jeff) “…Troubled Breathing*……”

(Henry) “you saw that to…. right?” his voice barely audible

(Jeff) “…… I wwah wah wish I hadn’t, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to un-see that…..” the man whispered.

Henry “Let’s, take this as god almighty blessing us, for shooting that fucker. we need to get…. ” Henrys voice was cut off by the abrupt sound of distant howls.

The howls emanated from where the huge wolf and dog had just run off to. As the sound of a single dog; wolf desperately howling permeating throughout Yosemite National park more; more wolves began to join in unison as the sound began to echo throughout the forest.

Phillips’ dash clock read 6:10am…