Woody grasped the latch on the gate. It had rusted shut and even though she had a key entry was denied her. Undaunted, she tried to scale the wall. She almost made it to the top when she slipped and fell heavily to the ground. When she fell, she knocked her head against the brick...with a gasp she lost consciousness and hidden in the flowering shrubs that grew along the wall no one could see her limp body lying on the ground.

The rusty blue van slowly climbed the hill. The driver concentrated on the road ahead as if it would disappear if he took his eyes off it. Cars trailed behind the van as if they were in a parade. At the top of the hill the cars began to pass one by one as if impatient and one car driver even honked his horn and shook his fist as if in frustration or anger. The driver of the blue van glanced up and as if in sorrow shook his head and muttered under his breath. Going down hill the van did not pick up speed, as it should. Instead it lurched and the motor worked in spasms. The driver's brow furrowed in the realization that the engine was definitely running for nearly the last time.

The sky was grey, not unusual for a spring day but the day before had been very warm almost like a hot July day. The two ladies shivered and observed the great expanse of room in front of them.....If they got busy and did something then perhaps they wouldn't feel the cold, or so one of them reasoned. It was getting hard for them to maintain their house and all the chores, they were both approaching 90. As they sat on the faded settee they drank tea and remembered...

Once upon a time in the deep dark woods there lived a little wolf. She was called Wuff by all the others in the pack. She was not a big wuff nor was she as aggressive as some of the other ones in the pack. She lived happily in the woods until one day she found a garden. The inhabitants were not afraid of her in fact they welcomed her and her mate. They let her lounge about and enjoy the peace and beauty. One day when she went to the garden, the gate was open but when she went in, there was no one there. They had all left the poor lonely little wuff. She was devastated.

One by one the inhabitants returned to the garden to bid hello to the little wuff. Sadly, little wuff was nowhere to be found. One inhabitant, who had to leave her den soon to greet the newest baby in the family (born to her sister in the wee hours of the morning) simply left a note for little wuff reading, 'Be not sad, my friend. You are loved even in our absence. We will all be together soon.' (debijean)

And the Wuffs rejoiced, for a new member of the pack is always a celebrated event, and, even when the wuffs are far apart they pass the news to other members so all may hear the news...... (xcaliper)