Twelve wolves sat alone in the forest. All were staring at the little girl (who was about six),that sat humming before them. She had wandered into their forest six months ago and now they were used to her. The leader a large gray male sat closest intent on the interesting conversation that he and the child were having telepathically.

'So can I live with you guys or not?' The little girl thought to him.

'Yes, but only on one condition.' The wolf looked around at his pack. 'You must become a wolf...and then we'll accept you..."

'But how do I do that?'

'We'll turn you into a pup and then you'll grow...'

'But what if-'

'Do you want to become one of us or not?'

'I just want to get away from...me...and my dumb, stupid, human body.'

'Then come...'

He led her to a clearing where the sun never showed and there was a glittering pond surounded by strange dark blue flowers. The wolf looked to her for a moment then spoke tellepathically.

'Swim...'

She looked puzzeld but didn't object him. She took off her dirty little calico dress and plunged into the water. for a secound she stayed under, marveling at the strange plants in it. She grabbed a leaf-like plant and innocently sniffed it. The moment she exhailed the sweet smell of it she turned into a wolf pup almost automatically. She yelped in surprise and howled for the other wolves to come and help. They ran to her and looked down at the small body in wonder...

"What did you do to me!?" She yelped at the leader.

"Exactly what you wished for..."

"But..."

"You wanted to be a wolf and now you are a pup."

"How-?"

"Some questions aren't meant to be answered little one..."

The wolves howled with laughter (literally). Suddenly, a group of campers came up to the pond and the wolves scattered, leaving her alone. A man, once her beloved father, stepped up to her and picked her up by the scruff. Her mother stood nearby and beamed at her husband.

"A cute little wolf puppy!" She took her in her arms and cradled her like a baby."Marla would love to see this..."

"Maybe if Sis' didn't die she'd still be around to see-" Her brother started, but her mother shot a sharp look at him and he quieted.

She usually wanted to gag at the sight of her family but now she loved them. She wanted so much to give them a hug and say 'I love you' to each and every one of them. Her mother put her down and she tugged at the woman's skirt leg. She sat and looked up at her father lovingly.

"It's me!" She whined."It's you daughter, your sister! It's Marla! It's Marla!"

They left her alone and she ran after her on her small legs. Soon, they turned around and her brother picked her up.

"You're coming with me sweetpea...hmm...that's a nice name for you...yea, we'll call you Sweetpea."

So, she lived as her brother's pet for ten years and lived as his pet.Once while walking in the woods with him she saw an old playmate of hers that had grown into a very handsome boy. He stroked her ears lovingly as if he knew that it was her and started speaking to her brother.She sat for a second recalling every dumb, horrible thing that had happened to her as a pet. When the boy left she whined a loving 'goodbye' to him. He seemed to understand and patted her head while whisperinggoodbye quietly. One day hermother, father, and brother were found dead in their home and she had no choice but to run to the boy,Martin. She spent a long while sadly pacing around the nieghboorhood from the empty house of her parents to Martin's home until she finally got over their deaths and focused on protecting her love, Martin. Marla always slept in bed with him and lovingly snuggled up to his warm body in the winter. Martin never tried to push her off he just looked deeply into her eyes as if searching for something. She hoped that it was the real Marla...and not the canine one.She hated herself much more than she did before her becoming a wolf and continually thought of ways to change back but no matter what she tried or where she went she never became human.

One day he went to the forest with a girl that he liked and sat near the pond's edge. They talked and kissed several times but Marla made sure that kissing was as far as they could go. She sat next to Martin and nipped him sharply each time he kissed the girl. It was annoying but he gave up after a while and they sat staring at the pond. Suddenly, the girl pushed him into the pondand he stayed under the water for a few seconds and came back up as a wolf the same age as Marla. He shook himself off as if it was perfectly normal and ran his girlfriend into the pond. She came out as abobcat and shook herself off as if used to it. Marla was overjoyed to see Martin sitting in front of her and licked his face.

"I knew that you were Marla all along!" He looked to her happily.

"Ahem...?" His girlfriend sounded jealous.

"Backoff, bitch!" Marla growled.

"Excuse me? Says the one who actually is one..." She flicked her tail.

"Will you two stop it already?" Martin whined.

"So, how did you know that the water would turn you into a wolf?" Marla asked.

"I've been a wolf for days at a time...you just need to get someone else into the water for you to change back."

"You mean that I can change back now?"

"Yea..."

"I don't think that I want to..."

"Me nieghther."

"Hello! Martin c'mon, ditch that bi-" His girlfriend started.

"I don't feel like it...how's about you get lost?" Martin growled.

"What?!"

"You heard the guy, beat it!" Marla thought that the moment was bittersweet and turned to Martin. "And as for you...I'd just like to say how harsh that was..."

"It was for you..."

"But if it ruins someone else's life...I don't like it."

"I thought that you hated her?"

"I do but not that much..."

"What was the whole beat it thing about anyway then?"

"I was just living up the moment..."

"...but I wasn't."

"And?..."

"What do you mean?"

"I love you but-"

Suddenly a hunter's rifle went off and all was quiet.All that was left of them after that only Martin's corpse and Marla's neardead body were left. Blood poured out of Marla's mouth and neck as she inched to the pond. She lapped up a single mouthful of water and had her body back.

"...But I love being myself more than anything else..."And she dropped to the ground.