But I was not to see the dawn. I awoke to the urgent tugging of tiny hands at my face and in the darkness I could hear Nicolae’s frightened voice. In an instant I was wide awake and clutching my little brother to my breast, suspecting he had awoken from a bad dream. But even as I offered comforting words the reason for his fear became apparent and I froze, sheer terror preventing further response.
The eyes that peered at me through the darkness were glowing, menacing eyes the like of which I had never seen before. The blood-curdling growl rolled from furled lips, exposing teeth that glinted even in the faint star-light. Yet all I could do was stare back, mesmerized by this dread spectre.
If I had never seen a real live wolf before, the fairy-tales of my childhood were replete with their menacing imagery and I needed no lesson in natural history to know our very lives now hung in the balance.
The beast patrolled before us, walking back and forth just metres distant, fulvous eyes never leaving us for a second, and I knew it was selecting which of us it would choose for its meal.
If fear paralysed my body my brain was working actively and I determined that if one of us must fall prey to the creature that the others might survive, then such was the burden I must assume.
Somehow I found strength to draw Nicolae to my side, edging his tiny form behind my own. Remembering Elone, I reached out blindly with my hands, my eyes never leaving those of the creature before us, until I found her arm and gently, slowly, began to bring her towards me. She stirred at my touch and murmured unheard words. I hushed her quietly, urging her to be calm and still, fearing she would panic and incite the wild beast to bring forward its inevitable assault.
Fear concentrated my senses and somehow my eyes were able to discern Elone’s form in the darkness. I saw her turn to face the animal before us and as she did so her own eyes widened, her mouth opening to scream. It was an instant response for me to clasp my hand across her mouth to stifle the cry, drawing her terrified, shaking body to my own, forcing her behind me, where she clutched at Nicolae.
I could feel their defenceless young bodies tremor against my own and knew their fate rest solely on my ability to defend them.
I whispered, “Do not scream, children. Do not do anything. Just stay perfectly still.”
Whether through fear or understanding they kept both still and quiet.
I pushed my hands behind me, offering the comfort of my touch, and felt them reciprocate. Before me the growling beast stopped in its tracks and turned to face us head on. I held my breath and was aware the children had done the same.
Elone began murmuring and I wanted to hush her, but hardly dared speak myself, for fear of inciting the beast further. I found the words, whispered from the side of my mouth.
“Elone, be silent. You will anger him.”
But even as I spoke it dawned on me that Elone was speaking in Hebrew, and I realised from the ritual chant that she was at prayer. I found solace, somehow, that this small child, just nine years old, could be so composed in the face of danger and for an instant wished I too had some conviction in a higher being on whom to call, but the thought was quickly dismissed as the beast before us raised its head and let out a blood-curdling howl that clave the dark night like a sharpened axe.
I could feel the arms of the two children clutching at my waist, could hear their panicked breathing as they fought to hold back their screams, and I knew I must act.
I tried to visualize the ground on which we lay, hoping to recall some means of evading the canine predator that even now was preparing for its final assault. The trees, I knew, were tall, but lacking lower branches that might enable our escape upwards. Yet to contemplate out-running this creature of the night, even without the handicap of the forest’s cloak, seemed futile.
As the wolf moved closer, looming minatorial from the darkness until I could smell its foetid breath and see the saliva drip from snarling fangs, I whispered to the children, “Prepare to run, little ones. I will count to three and then you must run. Run as fast as you can, both of you. Do not wait for me. I will try and distract the beast while you flee. I will catch you up later, do you understand? Nicolae? Elone? Please say you understand.”
“We understand,” Elone said. She clutched at my arm. “I will care for Nicolae, Anca. God will care for you.”
I felt tears well in my eyes at her words, for she must have realised the sacrifice I intended, but there was no time for sentimentality. I knew that, if the two children were to have any chance at all of survival then I must act now.
I clutched at a fallen branch and whispered to the children, “I love you, Nicolae. You too, Elone.” Then, “On the count of three. As fast as you possibly can. One. Two. Three! Go, Nicolae! Go, Elone!”
I jumped up, brandishing the fallen branch in my hands and took a step towards the creature, screaming “Come on, you foul beast, take me! Run, children, run!” I could hear their panicking steps as they made off into the darkness, but dared not turn to confirm their absence, nor even to ascertain their direction. There was anyway little point, for I knew I would not see them again.
My only thought was to hold this hideous creature at bay long enough that they might make their escape. The branch I held was of no consequence, for it could not possibly stave off the imminent attack, only offering the children precious seconds to get away.
I saw the wolf turn in the direction of the children, attracted by their commotion and, taking a deep breath, hurled myself forward at the beast, determined to have its undivided attention.
My bravado seemed to startle the creature, for it reared away, evidently unused to counter-assault, but the respite was short-lived. Seconds later the creature turned on me, moving closer, now undaunted by my feeble lunges with the branch.
The fear that had previously paralysed my movement now provided the adrenalin I needed to turn and run and I did so, pausing only to be sure I was heading away from the children.
As I left the clearing the starlight vanished and with it all semblance of visibility, but I ran on regardless, conscious only of the loping movements of the wolf behind me. I knew I could not possibly outrun the creature and guessed the beast was pacing me, waiting until I stumbled or fell exhausted to the floor before moving in for its final, ferocious attack.
I ploughed on through the darkness, somehow maintaining my balance, treading a precarious path through the undergrowth until I felt my breathing labour and knew I could not continue much further. I took comfort that the children must be far distant by now and found the energy to make a final spurt forward, reasoning that every step I managed would be a step towards their survival.
Then suddenly I was falling, as my feet became entangled in the debris of the forest floor. I hit the ground hard, knocking the air from my lungs, and turned to see the wolf lunging towards me. For what seemed like an eternity it hung in the air above me and I could see its every hideous feature in pornographic detail.
Then it was on me, my arms thrashing wildly in a feeble attempt to hold back its weight. Fulvous eyes shone like lanterns before me and I felt saliva splash across my face, blinding me. Puissant claws tore at my body and I screamed with pain.
The last thing I remember was the wolf’s mephitic breath as the razor-sharp teeth pierced my skin.