Wolf Inside

By Kevin Oh

Every individual has a hidden self, the vicious and voracious inner wolf, which spontaneously appears and takes over the body. The only difference between each individual will be the time when this beast shows itself. For me, the time came when I was in third grade.

         My sister had always bullied me, and because I was too weak, I remained a victim. She took pencils, snacks, bags, and even money from me. She always had whatever she desired and her maneuvering always kept her from trouble. She would often say, “Oh, I was going to give it back to him tomorrow. I don’t know why he doesn’t know how to wait.” I would always be the one punished for lack of patience, and she would give me her sly smile and pay me back for telling on her. The acute scent of her perfume stung my nose, her theft filled her room and emptied mine, and her mouth shot out thorns when she spoke. Thinking of her boiled my blood and made me angry enough to keep me from sleeping. I had had enough of her, and she would pay, however, I did not know then that this growing anger would release the animal.

         The beast first took me to my sister’s room. One by one the wolf picked up her belongings and destroyed them. It snapped her precious pencils, shredded her daily diaries, pulled the heads off her dolls, and wrote her name with curse words on her belongings in blood-red color (a particular insult in Korea). The beast’s heart punched against my chest, not from nervousness but rather from excitement.  The demolition of her room started the war.

         When my sister found out about her room and her belongings, she charged at me. Not even giving me time to hear a Fe Fi Fo Fum, she grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back. My old self would have gotten down on his knees and begged for his life;, but now the wolf completely engulfed me.  I only felt my blood boiling from anger and even joy.  My Face was red, my eyes were wide and glaring, and I blurted out curse words. The beast filled me, and I could do nothing to prevent it. My sister punched me in the nose, making blood stream down both my nostrils, but blood did not stop me. I charged and charged. No matter how many times I was pushed back with a greater injury, I continued to charge. The beast wanted her completely defeated.

         The wolf in the tale of the Little Red Cap uses sly methods to effectively consume both Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. I was surprised and scared when the inner wolf took control of me. I did not realize when the war took place, but as time passed, I gradually noticed the filth in my psyche and the brutality of my actions. The beast wanted to destroy my sister from the inside and consume her afterwards. It is scary to think of the thoughts and the emotions the beast caused me to feel back then. The wolf should never come back; who knows what I may do then?