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"And if this world goes up in flames, just take my hand, don't be afraid. I'll fight for you, until my days on Earth are done. 'Cause two hearts are better than one." - BETTER THAN ONE | the score
“Alright, Sammy, last one!” Tara called over the stretch of snow separating her from frost-dusted, black fur. Her sister shook the pastel, tie-dyed monkey chew toy she held in her mouth like it was prey, her playful growls making the younger smile. “Come here!”
Sam stopped to look in her sibling’s direction. Her ears stood up, and her golden gaze glowed amongst their snowy surroundings.
“You want me to throw it or not?!”
She bounded over to her.
The younger Carpenter jumped back to avoid being slammed into. Like anyone would expect from any other dog, her big sister was very frisky in her werewolf form, romping around in the snow like she was just a puppy.
She pointed to the ground. “Drop it.” And the stuffed toy was dropped at her feet. She picked it up and prepared to throw it. However, there was one thing missing. “You know the rules, Sam,” she smirked, “You gotta sit first.”
Sam’s ears retreated, and she licked her lips. Her back end lowered a little like she was going to follow the said- rules , but her excitement got the best of her. Her tail was wagging, spreading more frost into her fur as she watched her toy religiously.
“Sit, Sam.”
She whined.
“ Sit! ”
And she did, her golden gaze wide with anticipation as she huffed.
“Good,” Tara praised. But she had to test her with a few more tricks, just because it was the last round of Fetch for the day. “Now, shake.”
The black wolf raised her paw, nearly going to paw the hand that held what she wanted.
“Okay, now lay down.”
She hesitated, starting to whine again as she tried to get up out of her sitting position.
But her baby sister snapped, “No, Sammy!” She used her free hand to point to the ground, “Lie down.”
She obeyed this time.
“Good girl!” Tara let her have the win and threw the monkey as hard as she could, “Go get it!”
And Sam raced away. She actually covered enough land before it hit the ground, so she jumped to catch it in her mouth. Her paws hit the snow in a breaking effort that led her skidding to turn around and face Tara, who praised her.
“Nice catch.”
The werewolf trotted over and lowered her head to place the toy into her sibling’s hand. Tara took it, then pet her between the ears.
“Alright, are you ready to go inside? It’s getting dark.” While she didn’t receive a response that clarified she was in agreement, the younger Carpenter turned her back and took it upon herself to lead them both to the back door.
Shaking the snow from her pelt, Sam followed her, but she took her time in doing so. The sky was hued pink in its setting state, while the birds flying overhead were only silhouettes. In fact, the winter skies were serene enough to let her spot the first star in the sky. It wasn’t Christmas just yet, but it was a few days before Tara’s birthday.
And Sam knew that there was something special she could show her.
As Tara approached the door, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure her follower was in pursuit. However, her older sister had stopped a few yards away, refusing to go any further. “What’s wrong, Sam?”
The canine blinked at her, staying where she was. Her ears twisted as she looked over a little, giving the illusion that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go inside.
This made her tilt her head. “What is it?” She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder through the window and shook her head, “You don’t wanna go inside?” She watched Sam bow, like she did whenever she wanted to play. “No, I told you that was the last one. We’re not playing anymore,” she reminded.
She just wasn’t taking the hint. Well, if that was the case, the werewolf didn’t mind taking initiative herself. She broke out of her downward dog and rushed forward, slipping between her little sister and the door to keep her from going inside.
Tara barely had time to turn sound, before Sam’s muzzle nudged her away from the door. She jumped away from the cold, wet nose catching the warmth of her neck. “Sam, what are you doing?!” she squeaked, trying to raise her shoulder to shrug her off.
But Samantha just replied with an amused growl and continued to herd her back into the snow.
“Alright, alright!” the younger leapt away, “I’m not going inside.” She shook her bangs from her face and quizzed her again, “What do you want?”
The she-wolf dropped herself to the ground, low enough to where Tara could get on her back, and shuffled forward. When she met confused chocolate eyes, she gestured her head over her shoulder.
“You want me to get on your back?” Her tail wagged as a ‘yes’ , so she grabbed a hold of her scruff and climbed on, like she was a horse.
Sam got to her paws, careful not to rock her rider around too much as she felt her scruff be gripped tightly. She bit back a whimper, but bowed her head to turn it and gently nudge Tara’s leg as in telling her, “hold on tight.”
Tara noticed this and moved one hand to pet her head. “I’m okay,” she assured. She rode a horse before and had been given many piggyback rides by Sam when she was little, but she had never rode on the back of a wolf before. “Don’t buck me off, Sam…”
Her big sister gave a huff and shook her pelt out as best she could with a swish of her tail. She felt Tara’s legs press against her flanks and her fingers curl into her skin, which told her she was ready. So, she broke away, only having to take a few long strides, before she met the fenceline. It wasn’t high of a jump for an 8-foot werewolf. In fact, it was actually not even a strenuous jump, more like she was just leaping over a small stream of water or a narrow ditch.
After clearing the fence, all that stood between them and the rest of the world was wilderness, forestry that canopied above the earth and a maze of trunks that gave them a challenge.
But nothing in the world could stop the Carpenter sisters, no matter how complicated. They were only chained to each other, which meant they could go anywhere and do anything as long as they were together.
Like she had recalled from horseback riding all those years ago, Tara leaned forward, keeping a partial hold on her sister’s neck as she flew at nearly 80 miles an hour. Everything was a blur in her peripheral vision, and the sting of the winter air was numbing her face. She squinted through the snow flurries that fell from the coniferous trees, hearing Sam’s gruff panting over the wind.
Sam’s paws were in perfect rhythm with her sense of direction. Her eyes were open and alert among the white wild, while her little sister’s body kept the cold from slipping its frosty fingers against her spine. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, but it felt so good to run without any fences or walls to keep her in. At first, she hadn’t been sure of her werewolf-shifting abilities. She thought they were dangerous and nothing more than a curse. However, she had learned that moving on four legs at unimaginable speeds and sustaining enough endurance for a lifetime was the most thrilling thing in the world. It thrilled her more than killing did. There was just something about running, something about beating the wind and lengthening her spine with every stride. It was like a dream, except it was real.
Plus, Tara never saw her any different from the way she had before she had been cursed. She was still her older sister and her best friend. She just had both a sibling and an incredible pet in the same token. How awesome was that? And now Sam was able to control it…
The black werewolf huffed as the air burned her lungs. She weaved through the trees like a snake through tall grass, leaping over unsteady ground and gaining speed on the straight paths.
On her back, her baby sister ducked from branches and kept her face close to the bristling fur that granted some warmth to her wind-burned cheeks. Even though this was entirely different, she couldn’t help but be reminded of when they were little. Sam would crawl around on the floor and act like her personal steed, carrying her wherever she pleased.
“Okay, fine,” Sam sighed and got down on her hands and knees. “Get on.”
“Yay!” Tara hopped on her back and grabbed two strands of her long hair. “Giddyup!” she hollered, yanking on her makeshift reins.
But her sister just ducked away, “Ow!” She tried to turn her head to make her let go, “Don’t pull my hair, Tara! That hurts,” she told her. The pulling sensation left her scalp and was followed by an ashamed apology.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay. Just use my shirt or something,” the older offered. She then felt the collar of her shirt be clutched by little hands.
“Okay!” The 4 year-old’s energy was restored as she tugged on the shirt and repeated herself. “Giddyup, horsey!”
And Sam did as she was told. Like a horse did, she jerked her head and pawed the carpet, before she set off. Tara was getting bigger now, so her weight kept her from being able to go too fast, however that didn’t stop her from encouraging it.
“Faster, Sammy! Go faster!”
Anything for her little sister. Samantha braced her back and picked up her pace as much as she could. It must have been enough for the younger, because an excited squeal answered her increased speed.
Tara giggled, continuing to fidget with her big sister’s shirt as she ordered. “To the kitchen!”
And to the kitchen, they went.
“Sam, where are we going?!” Tara brought herself back to the present as she hollered over the wind. She had remembered always wanting Sam to go faster as a kid, but she never imagined she’d be going this fast without being in a car.
Her older sister kept on, eyes set on the break in trees up ahead. She unleashed a couple of barks to encourage her to find their destination.
Tara followed her lead, but she wouldn't be sure until she actually saw that it was the end.
The sisters broke out of the forest’s coverage to meet the last bit of sun setting in the horizon. Tara hadn’t realized how much high ground they’d gained through the woods, and while she wasn’t comfortable with being up high, she knew that Sam wouldn’t let her fall. The moon was glowing and the stars looked like tiny fairy lights on an indigo stretch of sky.
But that wasn’t what caught Tara’s attention.
Sam slowed her pace to a trot and then a walk, before she stopped to let her sister off. She put her muzzle out to keep her from getting too close to the edge of the cliff they were on and gently huffed when she was pet as a ‘ thank you’.
The younger Carpenter jumped off the werewolf’s back with her eyes glued to the assortment of arrayed colors along the northern horizon. They shimmered, like a mere reflection of Heaven on Earth, green, purple, and blue blending into one swivel of art across the world and crystallizing the snow.
Aurora Borealis.
“The Northern Lights,” Tara breathed in awe. She had never seen them in-person before, only in movies, paintings, and pictures on the internet. It wasn’t a dream of hers to see them, so-to-speak, but one thing was for sure… She never thought they would be this beautiful or seeing them for herself would feel so surreal.
Beside her, Sam stood with the cool-coded gradient softening the golden glow of her werewolf eyes. She felt the weight of her sister lean against her, and she gave a soft sigh.
Tara glanced up at her with a small smile on her face. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”
The canine’s ears went back and she gave a gentle whine as she leaned down and licked her cheek. She couldn’t actually speak to her, like she would a human, but if she were to, the words were so simple and pure.
“Happy Birthday, Tara. I love you forevermore.”
But the younger knew the words without them being said, and she closed her eyes to press her forehead against the side of her big sister’s warm face. “Thank you, Sammy,” she whispered into her fur, “I love you too.”
A loving noise that almost sounded like a growl rumbled in Sam’s throat as she nuzzled her, then drew away so her girl could continue to admire the aurora that shined for her.
Anything for her little sister.