Wolves

Wolves are the scariest thing in the world.
 Or the world in my head at least. I have many many irrational fears, including but not limited to audience participation during a show, having to use those orange things in the plane that give you oxygen while you are plummeting to a watery death, ect. I could go on and on but the one thing that I am most deeply terrified of is wolves. It goes back to one June night when I was seven. It was hot, too hot to sleep with the covers on (always a bad idea) and after finally finding the coldest spot on my pillow I fell asleep. It was the kind I night where all the windows were open and the mosquitoes buzzed around my head. I had left my dream catcher in the car so I knew it was coming. I was in a car driving to the beach. Our Subaru, which made total sense at the time other than the fact the my old dog was panting behind me and we bought that car after he died. I was sleep so I leaned against the car window and closed my eyes. I was daytime but car trips warranted unending naps and songs. When I opened my eyes I saw a paw. Out of the corner of my eye but I saw it. It had dirt between the claws and coarse grey hair grew in tufts around it. I squeezed my eyes shut and it was gone. I kept napping thinking I had dreamed it. When I opened my eyes again it was slow, just like in the movies when the screen blinks back and forth from black to a blurry reality, but in that moment I saw the worst thing any six year old can see. A wolf to rival all wolves. His head had replaced the paw and his teeth was covered in blood and his tongue hung lazily out of his mouth. And just as he opened his mouth to say something to me I woke up in a cold sweat. For some reason, ever since that night I have been absolutely terrified of wolves. Not the cute ones at the zoo but the ones in the storybooks and pictures. I couldn't read the tale about Red and her Grandmother and I spent every story time in the hall when we listened to Peter and the Wolf during story time. Since then I have grown up and learned to get over childhood insecurities and fears but I have never been able to shake my fear of wolves. I wonder if I ever can?