Moonlit Meetings With A Lycan

The setting sun tinted the spire of St. Margaret's Church a warm golden hue. Lindsay Shaw clutched her rosewood rosary, her eyes downcast before the white porcelain statue of the Virgin Mary. Her voice was as soft as a wisp of fluff floating in the air. "Please bless me with a smooth love life. Either I'll be picked up by a handsome man tonight, or I'll muster up the courage to take him home. I'll win the lottery, and I'll grow younger and more beautiful as I live."

With that, she placed the small white candle in the candlestick and fished a few pennies from her canvas bag, clinking them into the brass offering box next to the statue.

As they drove down the mountain, Lindsay kept muttering: Why aren't there any priests or nuns in this church? Not even a single one, like in a movie. There were no clergymen in black robes and gentle eyes like those in other places. Only two gray-haired old ladies knitting at the doorway, occasionally glancing up at the people who came. She had hoped to meet a young priest like the tall, handsome young man in his robes on TV.

The more she thought about it, the more she wondered: Could a wish really come true in a place like this? Even more embarrassing was the thought: When she had just tossed coins into the offering box, had those two old ladies noticed that she had thrown only pennies? There was even a crumpled five-cent bill among them... It would be so embarrassing if word got out. She hoped they hadn't noticed.

The road down the mountain was narrow and winding. Fortunately, there were no people or oncoming traffic, so Lindsay Shaw's driving was terrible. Technology can handle it.

It was raining, the drops growing heavier and heavier, with occasional flashes of lightning and thunder.

The windshield wipers worked tirelessly against the glass, back and forth, but my vision was blurring.

Finally, she saw two men, two sturdy, tall young men, soaking wet. They raised their hands, signaling they wanted a ride. Of course, Lindsay Shaw wouldn't stop. Who knew if they were fishing? How many kind-hearted drivers, wanting to help the bad guys, had become illegal operators? The world was too dangerous, full of traps, and the possibility of them being robbers couldn't be ruled out.

In her imagination, she saw her own body, smeared in the dense forest. It was a mess, lying among the vines and ferns, a feast for bacteria and small animals, while the car, wallet, clothes, bank cards, and phone were taken by the vicious robbers.

Darkness was everywhere. As a female driver, and a beautiful young one at that, she needed to maintain a heart of stone and a keen eye for suspicion to survive. There were countless tragic examples of this in online news.

So she didn't stop, but drove away as if nothing had happened.

To this day, she still couldn't understand why, with her lack of faith, she would drive dozens of kilometers alone to the Purple Mountains outside the city on a weekend.

On a bend, an SUV lay on its back, its wheels facing the sky. In the bushes below the road, five people stood in the rain under a roadside tree, also signaling for a ride. Among them were children aged eight or nine and people in their seventies. A middle-aged, overweight man with blood gushing from his face, and a plump woman with an arm that looked like it was broken, at an odd angle, as if she had an extra elbow.

Lindsay Shaw still didn't stop, but sped past, completely ignoring the flailing arms and cries of pain.

She thought, maybe they were just fishermen, just putting up some money and acting more convincingly. Don't let them fool you.

Of course, if this group had official certification as non-fishermen, and someone credible could confirm they weren't scammers or... If they were the villains, she would have stopped and offered all possible assistance, but—

When they reached the mountainside, the rain was still heavy, and the road often looked like a stream, with rocks and mud forming small dams on the asphalt.

Suddenly, Lindsay Shaw spotted a large dog on the side of the road. It looked very wolf-like, with erect ears and blue eyes. It looked very similar to the wolves in the zoo, only with sleek fur, larger size, and a stronger build.

Lindsay Shaw braked to slow down. As she got closer, she could see clearly that it was a large husky, sitting under a tree, its fur dripping wet, and looking at them with a strange solemnity.

It must be... Someone had taken their dog to the mountains for a trip and then lost it. Huskies aren't known for following their owners, and if they're not on a leash outdoors, they can easily wander off and be lost.

In a sudden, inexplicable surge of kindness, Lindsay Shaw decided to help this lonely, large dog. If possible, she'd take it back to the city and help it find its lost owner.

The dog wasn't a robber, couldn't fish, and didn't have complicated, malicious intentions. If it wasn't around, it was certain it wasn't being exploited by any criminals.

Without help and care, its fate could be dire. Many people enjoy eating dog meat, and someone might even take it away and take it to the pet market. Sell it here or keep it for yourself.

She parked the car next to the dog, looked carefully to make sure no one was around, and then whistled at it.

By human standards, the large dog was clearly smiling, its mouth wide open, its tongue hanging out, perfectly fitting the basic definition of a smile. Then it walked over, wagging its long tail somewhat awkwardly.

It was a truly beautiful Husky, but a bit too big, taller and larger than an Alaskan Malamute. It was a bit too strong, even for a male. With its massive head and powerful teeth, it looked like it could chew through a cow's leg bone. It would probably be easier to bite a human leg.

She said gently, "Dog, have you lost your owner? I'll take you back and we'll slowly find your owner, okay?" "

The large dog came to the car door, splashing water as raindrops hit it. Once it left the shelter of the bushes, it was immediately soaked.

It was still smiling, nodding slightly, as if it understood what she said, a strange light in its blue eyes.

She reached out and gently stroked its head. Its fur was damp, and she could feel the heat radiating from its body.

She opened the back door, and it jumped in without hesitation, sitting naturally on the clean seat, completely ignoring the water all over its body and the mud on its paws.

She could feel her car shake, as if a fat person had entered.

What a heavy dog, it seemed to weigh over 60 kilograms. This seemed a bit unrealistic. The Huskies she remembered seemed... It almost seemed impossible that it had grown this big.

She closed the car door and drove on. The thunderstorm continued, as if it would never stop.

The dog sat calmly in the back, a certain solemnity, like a legendary gentleman or lady.

She kept an eye out for anyone looking for the lost dog along the way, but it didn't look like any of them. Despite the continued rain, she kept the rear window open so anyone outside could see the dog inside.

Somewhat strangely, the large creature didn't stick its head out the window like many of its kind. Instead, it sat in a gentlemanly posture, as if it had just been through military training, a habit it couldn't break.

And so, she returned to the city with the large dog she had found.

On her way back from the community parking lot, the large dog walked obediently a little behind her on the right, showing no intention of running around. This surprised her greatly, and she wondered if it was a Husky. Could a Husky behave like this? It seemed completely unreasonable.

Lindsay Shaw speculated that one of the dog's parents might be a German Shepherd or a Golden Retriever, or perhaps some other large, docile, and intelligent dog. Therefore, it wasn't of pure pedigree, possessing the appearance of a Husky without the tendency to run around.

How did it get separated from its owner? Based on what she'd seen so far, that seemed unlikely.

Could the owner have deliberately taken it outside and abandoned it? That didn't make sense either. Such a lovable dog could easily be given to a friend or relative; it would surely be well-received.

Back home, Lindsay Shaw first found a large bowl and poured some mineral water into it for the dog to drink.

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