Return of Shadow Wolf

There are stories that have eluded time;
Such stories deserve to be put to rhyme.
As you know, Shadow Wolf saved my great-great-grandpa from a bear;
At least, that's what happened in the last story I decided to share.

I have another story but, I don't know if it's really true;
Just as with the last story, that judgement will be up to you.
This is another story about the dark, misted, shadowed hound;
So, please enjoy the second strangest story ever found.
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Just north of Juneau, Alaska, there's a town called Sparrow Spring;
This town has three different theories on the same thing.
Some say Shadow Wolf isn't real; he doesn't exist.
Others say he's a demon that lives in the frozen mist.

Still, others say he is there to protect residents
From otherwise horrible, nasty, fatal events.
So far, over half the town believes he's a demon sent from Hell;
Most citizens are told to stay away from where he might dwell.
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Carol Ann Whitacar moved to Sparrow Spring when she was seventeen;
Her family came from a place covered, not in white, but grass green.
Before long, Carol and her family were told to stay out of the wood;
Because, that's where Shadow Wolf prowled; always up to no good.

Some people choose to defend the strange Shadow Wolf's name;
Such people were usually laughed at or looked upon with shame.
Like Carol's neighbor, nineteen year old, Todd Daniel Berkley;
Who often claimed, "Shadow Wolf is good! He once saved me!"

"Of all people," Todd would protest, "I think I would know!
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Shadow Wolf; he's a hero!
See, I ventured into the forest in search of food for my family,
And, I came across a starving grizzley bear whom tried to kill me!

I turned around and, as I started to run, a branch blooded my head.
Shadow Wolf attacked the bear before he could rip me to shreds.
Then, he gently wrapped my wrist in his massive, black snout,
And he dragged me home before I died from bleeding out!"
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Carol Ann Whitacar didn't believe a thing the townspeople said;
She refused to let their crazy ideas fill her head.
Even though she thought he was cute, she had to disagree
With every single word that came from Todd Daniel Berkley.

One bitter cold day, while Carol was stalking through the snow,
She heard a low, loud growl that made her curiosity grow.
She didn't know what that sound was, but she knew without a doubt,
That she would kick herself in the morning if she didn't find out.

She started forcing all thoughts of Shadow Wolf out of her brain;
Convincing herself that the other people in town were insane.
Taking a deep breath, and holding it for a moment or two,
Carol stepped into the forest and the town vanished from view.

She jumped at every twig and leaf that fluttered in the wind's gust.
"Big chicken," she thought to herself in pure self-disgust.
"There's no thing as Shadow Wolf," she said to calm herself down,
"Now, let's find the source of that incredibly strange sound."

Before too long, she came to a field covered in an icy sheet;
If she didn't know any better, she'd say it was grey concrete.
She heard the sound from earlier; it was crystal clear.
Whatever was making the sound was very near.

Carol Ann Whitacar could feel her heart's heavy pace with each pound;
She held her breath as she started creeping toward the strange sound.
She came to the source of the sound, and didn't believe what she saw;
The size of the bull moose in front of her made her stand in awe.

Carol had never seen such a large animal in the wild;
The beast made her feel like a small, young child.
Not knowing a thing about moose, Carol slowly walked toward it;
The moose looked up and didn't like her approaching one bit.

The moose lowered his head, and stamped his foot on the ground;
By this time, Carol wished she hadn't followed the strange sound.
Knowing she'd be ripped apart if she stayed in that one place,
Carol turned and dashed away as the bull-moose gave chase.

Carol ran blindly through the white and snow covered trees;
She ran even when pain started shooting up her knees.
She could hear the moose as he ran closer and close behind her;
Carol silently said her prayers as the woods past her in blurs.

As she ran, Carol found herself on the icy field from before;
Strange thing was, she didn't hear the moose anymore.
She saw the bull moose gingerly put his foot on the ice;
He stalked toward her after he checked the ground twice.

Carol wondered why the moose was suddenly so slow to give chase;
Then, a loud crack made her heart freeze in its place.
She knew that crack, though she only heard it in a TV show.
She looked down and could see the green water the ice held below.

Carol how she'd die first; torn to death by the moose, or freeze,
When, she saw a large, clouded figure appear near the trees.
Carol thought, "So, Shadow Wolf does exist;
No one in town is going to believe this!"

Carol watched Shadow Wolf dash toward the moose and attack;
She gasped in horror as he jumped on the bull's broad back.
Carol saw Shadow Wolf bite into the bull's skin,
As she heard the ice crack behind her again.

Suddenly, the ice could no longer hold her weight;
Carol felt herself plummet to an icy cold fate.
She saw Shadow Wolf finish the moose, who retreated to the shore;
Ten seconds later, she couldn't feel her legs anymore.

Frantically, she scrambled to get out of the frozen lake;
She didn't want to breath anymore, her lungs started to ache.
Just as she was about to give up hope and prepare to die,
Carol Ann Whitacar heard a wolf howl into the sky.

Carol Ann Whitacar watched Shadow Wolf jump into the water next her;
She tried as hard as she could to grab a handful of his black fur.
The last thing Carol felt before she blacked completely out,
Was Shadow Wolf firmly grip her drenched coat in his black snout.

"Someone wrapped me in a blanket; it's so warm and furry,"
Carol thought, "It's probably Mom; she's always one to worry."
Wanting to thank her mom for wrapping her up so tight,
Carol opened her eyes, and was given a major fright.

She saw that Shadow Wolf had wrapped his body around her own;
He had used his own body heat to warm her to the bone.
Carol stared into Shadow Wolf's bright, yellow eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered as she tried to rise.

Carol got to her feet, and instantly felt she was going to pass out.
She steadied herself as Shadow Wolf nudged her with his snout.
Carol watched as Shadow Wolf turned and exposed his back to her;
Numbed, she got on his back and grabbed a handful of his fur.

A few moments later, all Carol forced herself to hang on tight.
As Shadow Wolf ran, all she could see was blurs of white.
She closed her eyes and gripped tighter to the furred skin;
When Shadow Wolf stopped, Carol found herself home again.

As Carol got off Shadow Wolf's back, she felt herself sway;
An instant later, she felt her knees give way.
Shadow Wolf ran to Carol's front door and started to scrape it;
He kept going until Carol's mom called, "be there in a moment!"

During that moment, Shadow Wolf sprinted back to Carol's side;
She owed so much to this supposed-demon, she could have cried.
Carol's mother opened the door and, just before she spoke,
Shadow Wolf vanished into a wisp of black, misty smoke.
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A month later, Carol had completely recovered from the day
That her life was almost forever taken away.
She found Todd Daniel Berkley alone at the only diner in town.
"I believe you about Shadow Wolf," she said as she sat down.
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To be honest with you, I, your narrator, believe Shadow Wolf is real.
But, please, don't let my views change how you, the reader, feel.
I have more reason than other people to believe the stories are true;
If you had my reasons, you would believe in Shadow Wolf too.

The time has come for me to go; but, I have to say before I do,
"Shadow Wolf, this is the second time I have to thank you.
If you hadn't saved my great-great-grandma from the moose's horn,
There's a good chance that I would have never been born."