"Get your ass up here, Justin!" I heard my dad scream. I groaned as I hauled my bag up the trail, the snow imbedding my paw prints in a line all the way back to the car. The snow felt a little warm, it was melting right beneath my feet. It's close to the end of February, so I guess the snow is starting to die out. Whatever sense that makes. I caught up with my dad, who was giving me a snarl. "You're a god damn Arctic Wolf! I'm taking you out for a week in the forest out of my own love for your history, Justin... Your ancestors spent many years in the cold, you should be able to sit outside for ten seconds without freezing." Dad says. I sighed, scratching my neck. "Dad... Did you really have to bring us to a forest? We could've just sat in the car with the AC on full blast with a bag of wheat. Couldn't have been that tough." I snap back. He smiles, rubbing my head. "You're a smart kid. But there's no backing out of this. You're gonna know how hard it is to put up with what our ancestors put up with every single day. Now, hand me the map, Justin." He asks. I give him the map, and he stops. "The lake is just a little to the right of the Big hallowed tree... That should be close by." Dad says, clearly frustrated. We go forward, and I take out a snack bar. I start to chomp on it. "We've only been out here for 2 hours, Justin. Put that back." He says. I groan, and put it in my pocket. I swear, he's way too connected to our 'ancestors'. I want him to- for just once - listen to me and turn back. His fluffy ass hasn't even been in the cold for a solid week. Mom is at home cooking for my little bro, most likely, but I know she's super worried about camping in the freezing cold forest with limited food. My dad isn't exactly the smartest wolf, and that's clear as daylight. I think he's just d-
I feel myself trip over something, and I faceplant into the snow, the snow melting instantly. "Shit! Justin?" My dad panics, pulling me up. I feel blood from my nose leak all over the snow. "Ah, son... You have to be careful, you tripped on a tree root..." He says, putting a piece of tissue up to my nose. I grab it, throwing it on the ground. "Whatever dad, I don't need to be babied anymore. It's just a little fall, so back off." I say in embarassment. He laughs to himself, and looks down at the ground. "That's a good point, you don't need to be babied anymore. I'll make sure to keep that in mind when I'm setting up the tents." He laughs. I walk forward, and he walks along with me. I spot a Hallowed tree a few minutes later, making me groan. "FINALLY." I yell. I look at the lake in disappointment. "That lake?... That's the biggest lake you could find, dad?" I ask. He nods, and points at the lake. "It was bigger when I came here a few years back. But it's big enough for me and you, plus a car maybe. Nice ice cold water." He says calmly. I throw my backpack on the ground, pulling out my tent and sticking the rods in the ground. I look over at my dad, his tent already done. "Son you're doing that all wr... You know what ... You're old enough. I don't want to baby you anymore. I'll just hang out in my tent with my cozy blanket. And maybe I'll take a nap! If you're not done by then, I'll take two!" He jokes. I roll my eyes, trying to put the folds into the rods, failing miserably. He goes inside his tent, and I hit my head against the rod. "Stupid... Can't even do the basics..." I whisper to myself. I get up and look around me. It's not too cold, in fact, it's pretty cool. Just a light breeze and snow make a steady chill down my fur. I feel my tail sway lightly as I lean against one of my rods. This isn't so bad... It's pretty relaxing if anything. Maybe if I came here without dad, I'd be more relaxed. He's such a prick to me, because I don't express what my ancestors had to go through. He really feels distant from me and closer to my ancestors, it pisses me off. When I denied to come, he gave me a sad look. He knows that I can't deny that stupid look... I just feel like if I'm gonna do something this big for him, he'll stop being so harsh on me and finally see me as the man I am. I bend down and start getting the tent together, using my dad's layout as inspiration. I finish, and it's... Half baked. My dad comes out, and eyes it with concern. "If it ever gets cold in that tent, you can come in my tent-" "I won't get cold..." I cut in. He sighs, rubbing some snow off his fur. "Fine. But you know our ancestors-" "Cuddled up for warmth? Yeah, I don't care. Just one week of this torture and we go back. Then maybe you'll torture Liam instead of me." I say, looking away from him. He doesn't say a word, only making the tension in the air higher. He breaks the tension with a sigh, him heading to the lake to get a small drink of water. I put my stuff down in my tent, attaching my flashlight to my shirt. A few hours passed, and the sun started to fall. I felt a chill down my spine, as the forest started to get darker. Dad takes out a magazine, and reads it with his flashlight directly on it by the hallowed tree. Probably another "Heavy Meowtal" or whatever it was called... Cuz our ancestors totally had Magazines. I can't tell if he's doing it to piss me off, but I'm not paying any attention to him. I get inside my tent, puting on my varsity hoodie from last year's Freshman pep rally. The cold seeps in through the holes in the tent, making me shiver a little. "Stupid fucking tents... Where'd he get this, the dumpster?..." I whisper to myself. I close my eyes, putting the hoodie over my eyes as I drift to sleep...

I wake up in the snow. I slowly bring myself up and wobble trying to do so. I looked around. Red fog filled the air, my nose leaking drops of blood into the snow. The tents were no where in sight, and the fog was too thick to see where exactly I was. "Dad?... DAD!?" I yelled. But to no avail... I was alone. I walked forward, covering my nose as hot red liquid slithers down my hand. I wipe the blood on my hoodie, my paws smeared with my blood. I reached under my hoodie and grabbed my flashlight, only to realize fog reflects the light back at me. I put it back in my pocket, and I go forward... "What the hell is happening..." I whisper, shivering from the increasing cold. I see a pair of eyes glow in front of me. I feel a slash to my chest, and-

"Hey, HEY! Wake up, Justin!" I jump up, my heart beating insanely fast, to see my dad holding a bottle of water. The sun was peeking through the tent, and I was relieved. "You don't look so good, Justin... Your nose is bleeding again. You must have broke something up there..." He says. I get up and push him aside, breathing in the fresh air. "Sorry Dad, I just had the worst nightmare..." I say. He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Venting to me is relying on me, remember? No babying?" He mocks. I slap his hand away, and I hear him groan. I walk over to the lake, getting a nice drink of cold water. I watch my dad take off his shirt and pants, and I scream. "DAD WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I yelled. He looks at me confused. "I'm... Going to wash off in the lake. Is that a problem?" He asks. I look down at the lake. "Yeah, it's our water supply!" I say. He points at the water bottle he had in his hand. "I've collected plenty of water from there and stored it in these bottles. Now, if you must, i can't dip in the lake with the rest of these clothes on. Besides, I literally described the lake as big enough for two of us and a truck. Did you think I meant for us to drink?" He said, sarcastically. I get up and walk away as he dips in the lake, nude. "God I hate nature..." I say, walking down a trail. "Where are you going!? Take the map!!!" He yells. I brush it off and walk down the trail. It's a straight trail anyway. I touch my pocket, and I pull out the flashlight. "I... Don't remember putting you there..." I say, walking silently. I walk for 15 minutes, sitting down on a log. My feet are already tired, and I'm sweating... In the cold. I didn't care... As long as I got away from my dad. It's like he's trying to make me wanna uppercut his fucking jaw! Cuz damn is he succeeding... He's always riding my ass about not being like my ancestors... I'm a man. I can do whatever of my free will. So what if I'm not like the Arctic Wolves before me... What sense does it make to berate me on that... Fucking lunatic... I get up, and I feel the need to piss. I lift my leg up and I pee on the log, hot steam coming from the frost. I wonder what my mom would be doing right now... Probably telling Liam he's too young to date... Again. He's got the hots for this little Deer across the street from our house. She's around his age, but not close to mine. He's only 11, she's 10. I'm 17 and I have a romantic interest in nothing. I just have never felt the need to love. I never get horny, either. Guess I'm just not cut out for the love scene. I finish pissing, pulling my pants back up as I head back to the camp site. I pulled out the snack from yesterday and nommed on it as I got closer to the site. I spotted dad with his pants on (thank **GOD**), his chest fluffy and white. "Oh, hey son, how was the trail?" He asked. I don't answer, instead picking up sticks and putting them in a pile. I grab some rocks too. "You're building a campfire? Our ance-" "Actually, our ancestors COULD HAVE DONE THAT. They were just too stupid that they couldn't figure out fire." I cut him off. He growls at me, and I growl back. He sighs, sitting down by the lake, his head downwards staring into the water. "Good, stay there punk..." I said in a low tone. I rub two stones together and I catch the stick on fire. I gasp, not actually knowing that'd work, and I smile. The snow around it melts instantly, and the fire crackles. Warmth... Finally... I look over at dad. He's still staring in the water. I guess he got upset... Whatever, he upsets me all the time. Why should I show HIM any mercy? I feel blood leak from my nose again, dripping into the snow. "Oh for fucks sake..." I whisper. I put my hand over my nose as I look over at dad. He's staring back at me now. His eyes were red, red as the fog slowly coming around. His neck was twisted, and bloody. I jump up, watching the fire turn blood red as the fog surrounds me. "Oh no not this again..." I feel my heart pounding. This felt so real... I spotted my dad get up and slowly come towards me. I was frozen in place. He was getting closer... I closed my eyes, and shoved my hand in the fire. I opened my eyes to my dad rushing towards me. I screamed, gasping for air. He got to the ground and pinned me down. "DONT KILL ME!!!" I yelled. He looked at me with a worried expression. I noticed he was back to his normal self, the fog was gone... The fire turned a normal color. Dad pulled my arm to him, and he gasped. "Justin, you put your hand in the fire!? What the fuck were you planning on accomplishing!?" He yells. I try to get up, but he pushes me to the ground. "You're not gonna push me away this time, Justin, I'm gonna heal your burn." He growls. I scowl at him. He thinks to himself. "Ok... Ok ok ok, I need to douse your hand in cool water... This water is too cold..." He says. He grabs a water bottle, and puts it above the fire, before pouring it on my hand. I clench, and he forces my arm down. "Non stick clothing ... My shirt!" He says. He takes off his shirt, wrapping it around my burn. He hugs me tight, making me a bit woozy, before he pulls me close to the fire. "Sit here by the fire... We can't let you get too cold... I'll get you some water. You've gotta stay hydrated." Dad says calmly, getting up to get water. He gives me a bottle, and I drink some. He smiles at me, giggling a bit under his breath. I look away from him, sipping silently. "Where'd you learn to do that anyway..." I ask softly. He pats me on the head. "The Heavy Meowtal magazine had an issue on fire. You're lucky that worked... For an adult comics magazine, they sure pulled through huh?" He said. I smiled a tiny bit, and nodded. "Stay by the fire... I'm gonna get some more sticks. I wouldn't usually help make a fire, but... I guess I would rather have my son recovering than suffering." He laughs, making me chuckle. I never knew he could be so caring... And he broke his own rules for the camping trip... Maybe I'll let him help me a little... Dad pats me, and sits beside me. "I'm actually kinda impressed that you made a campfire. And you're right... They could have made a fire. You're a smart kid. But please... Be more careful." He says, patting me softly on the head. I nod my head, looking down at my burned hand. "It should be fine within the week. Take it easy..." He smiles. He gets up and walks off to the trail, presumably to piss. I drink more from my water, breathing in the cold air. It was nice and quiet, only the soft breeze of wind making the fire lean sideways. I lay down in the snow, the fire nice and warm, and I doze off.

I opened my eyes to the red fog again. I groan as I see the fire emptied out and black. This time, the tents were here. I looked around, but the only tree I could spot was the hallowed tree. It looked... Younger. Shorter. But it still had the relative look. I bend down, and I pick up a stick. It looks like someone poured water over the fire. I spotted the pond. It was much bigger than before, in fact, it was more like a landmark. I hear a loud moan, and I look to my left. And that's when I saw it...
A wolf, bleeding from his nose, his head misshapen, and his eyes yellow. I fall backwards, frozen in horror. It slowly walks towards me sluggishly, moaning with a graspy voice. I close my eyes... And nothing happens. I open them, and I spot him dead on the ground. I look up, spotting an Arctic Wolf with red paint stripes on his face. He motions upward, and I stand up, wobbly. He puts his hand on my chest, breathing slowly. I feel a sting in my chest and-
"Justin... Wake up, kiddo." I hear my dad say. I slowly open my eyes, happy to see dad again. I instantly hug him, and I feel him hold tighter. "It's time for you to get in the lake, Justin. You don't smell the greatest, kiddo. I'll leave you to it, I left some water and a vitamin bar in the tent for you." He pats me, and walks off. I stare as he walks slowly off into the distance. I get up and brush the snow off. What the hell was that nightmare... Am I in danger?... I start taking off my clothes, and I get in the lake. It's cold as hell, and I grit my teeth as I breathe hard. I can feel the bottom of the lake, so it's not too deep. The cold water does feel nice in a way... But my arm kinda hurts. Guess that's what I get for burning it. I've been having nightmares that seem way too real to be just a figment of my imagination. I feel my feet graze something in the lake, and I bend over to pick it up. I feel around, only feeling the ground and the water sifting through my paws. "What the hell..." I say. I jump out of the lake, in shock. I grab a towel, wiping myself off, as I sit beside the sunken fire. I don't feel like getting my clothes on. I need to warm up anyway. I spot my dad coming back, and he gives me a weird look. "Out already? I left for like a minute." He says, looking directly at my face, presumably because I'm nude. "Yeah... It's the cold. I'll get used to it." I lie. He hands me my clothes. "Even our ancestors wore just a cloth." He says. I put on the clothes, and stop. "Hey... Dad? Perhaps did our ancestors wear red on their face? Or maybe... Didn't speak?" I asked. Dad starts putting more wood in the fire pit, handing me stones to rub together. "Well, yes! They wore blood from their brothers on their face, as like a blood pact between their families. Probably why they didn't last long. Probable blood loss, I'm guessing. But they did invent the Arctic language we use today. Probably around the 500's. They were very friendly, in fact, these woods were a hot spot for Arctic wolf camps. That's why I chose it." He said, smirking. I stare at him. "Was there anyone in particular that stood out?..." I asked. He rubbed his chin, thinking back. "Yeah. Zero. He was the chief and leader of the tribe in these woods. He had a scar across his back, as legend says. I imagine it's huge, you know, cuz he was a warrior. I have a book on him back at home..." He says, smiling. I set the fire, and he jumps back. "Good job, Justin! Almost took off my fur there, but good on you!" He praises me. I feel my tail sway. "Thanks dad...." I say. He smiles at me, and sits beside me. "It's day 3 kiddo, you feeling like you can survive another 4?" He asks. I sigh, looking at my arm. "Yeah dad... I'll be fine." I reply. He chuckled and pulls me to his chest. His heartbeat is steady and nice. I guess I shouldn't have been so tough on him the past two days... He's a really good dad... He lets go of me, and looks up. "Shit... It looks like it's gonna snow more seeing those clouds. You wanna share a tent today, son?" He asks. I nod, completely aware it'd be awkward. I get up and stretch, my tail wagging fast. Soon the sun came down, and the snow got rougher. I felt a huge breeze as the fire got put out. I feel my dad pull me into the tent and hold me close. "Cuddled for warmth." He whispers as my eyes close.

I opened my eyes to see the snowstorm up close. The wolf was in front of me, holding his arms up. I cough as my nose bleeds, and I walk around to see he had a huge scar across his back. I smile as I reach out to touch him. He looks back at me and gives me a smile as well. "Justin..." It said. I gasped. These dreams are so real...