Day 34: 11 December 2025

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 Short Story -- Hunger Makes Them Bold


Clang. Clang. Clang.

The bell rang out into the night.

A night that was black. A night that was freezing. A night that…

And that’s when another sound drifted across the air.

A howl. Followed the excited barks.

The hunt was on.

It had been a long winter. The wolves were hungry and their hunger was making them bolder.

It was winter. Shutters were already closed tight. Doors were already locked if they had a lock. There had been fires — for cooking and warmth — although it was late enough now that many of them had died down to just embers.

Another howl.

The wolves were in the edge of the village now.

In their houses, families gathered together wrapping themselves in quilts as far from windows and doors together. A child whimpered. A baby cried. Mothers tried to quietly soothe. Fathers and sometimes mothers and older children grabbed pokers, frying pans, hefty logs… anything that could serve to put up some sort of fight of a wolf got in.

There was no need for another a howl. The pack was running around the village now. They sniffed at the doors and windows. No house went unnoticed. They were scenting for weakness — a gap, a loose board. They smelled the fear of the villagers and it made them even hungrier. A few tried forcing doors with their lean shoulders.

Mothers pulled their young children closer, burying their little terrified faces into their skirts. People wielding anything adopted a sturdy stance.

Some of the wolves were scratching at the doors as well. If they couldn’t break through perhaps they could dig in.

A howl was thrown up to the wind now coming from the opposite side of the village. The lead wolf calling his brothers and sisters back to himself.

The scratching and thumping stopped. There was a rush of paws on the icy snow as the wolves ran to assemble by their leader.

Tomorrow there would be minor repairs to do. Perhaps some doors and shutters to reinforce. Wood boxes to refill.

But at least there wouldn’t be any funerals.

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