The Wolf and The Lamb (Willowtree Special Southbound)

A creative piece submitted to The Needle.

As with all pieces in our Creative column, this article does not represent the views of The Needle.

Willowtree Special Southbound, By Briar Upshaw

The shape spoke. “You ever hear the one about the wolf and the lamb?”
Her fangs and eyes shone in the minimal light that spilled in from the door. She
waited for a moment before continuing. “Lamb’s living in a nice fenced in farm
on the outskirts of the village, right near the woods. One day a wolf comes in
and slaughters some sheep. Then more, then more, even the farmer with his
shotgun can’t stop the attacks. The sheep tell the lamb that there’s nothing to be
done, that this is the way of the world, but the lamb disagrees.

Her form was tall and broad. She had a relaxed posture. “Breaks out one
day, goes up the mountain, and demands the wolf teach it how to be powerful
and ruthless and monstrous.” A flash of light from outside illuminated her
wedge-like muzzle. “Lamb trains for years, growing up to become this twisted
monster with horns like railroad spikes and jaws that could crush bones even if it
couldn’t digest the meat. Wolf tells the lamb that the training is done and they’re
going to go together to the sheep pen to hunt.”

Her uniform came into view. Old, without pins or flags, sewn and patched
until little beneath remained. “Lamb walks behind wolf. Wolf doesn’t so much as
turn around to see the lamb drive its horns into the big dog. Lamb slaughters
the wolf in front of all the sheep then says ‘I’ve saved you, we don’t have to live
in fear anymore.’ But the rest of the sheep are terrified. The lamb is a monster.
The lamb broke the laws of nature. They don’t even recognize their kin anymore.
The lamb walks off into the woods and that’s the last the sheep ever hear of it.
Soon enough, the ‘laws of nature’ return back to how they once were."

Ladd Waters, decorated counter-intelligence operative and veteran of
two wars, coughed and glared at her. His top half had not yet received the
message that his bottom half was exsanguinated on the floor of the boxcar.
“Now imagine that the sheep were able to recognize their kinship with the
one who went through hell trying to save them, that maybe she was a monster
but she was still as deserving of love and affection and community as the rest of
them.” Her eyes were alight, and shining with tears. “I don’t just destroy, I
deconstruct. And I live with people who can build something better from what I
do.” She took a step forward and growled the last words. “So there’s not a force
on this planet strong enough to stop me from protecting them.”

he train moved out from a copse of trees to reveal the warm buttery
skies of twilight. The sun was out of view and the purple and pink brushtrokes
over the clouds looked like fingers reaching out.

Seems I’ve been rambling a bit. Sorry about that.” She produced her gun
and pointed it at him. “Still, hell of a final view, huh?”

Her eyes moved across the skies. She didn’t bother to look at him while
pulling the trigger.