Long long ago when there was widespread use of lambs for their fur and meat, A friendly and nice lamb was living on a farm located far away from civilizations. It was a big farm housing numerous animals from birds to mammals. It also has a vast array of crops dedicated to commercial use. One can say that this could be hell for those animals but the lamb considers it as her home. The lamb is well-known for her obedience to her owners not even trying to struggle if they wanted to shave all of her furs. She loved the look of her fur when it is fully grown so she cannot deny that it felt bad losing it.

One day when the night is as dark as the sky can be. The chilly breeze can even feel like your skin was burning, but the difference is it doesn't feel hot but it felt cold. Extremely cold.

The lamb was desperate to create even the tiniest heat by rubbing her own body. She suddenly notices a small creature huddling from the far side of the pen. Curiously, she slowly crept up to it to examine what it is and what is it doing in there.

"Uhm, Hello? What are you?"

It has black fur, so black that it is impossible to see it outside when it is night. The creature recognizes her and huddled up even more as if trying to protect itself from her. The lamb felt that it was scared of her and didn't want her presence there.

Trying to lessen the tension she tried to speak to it in a more gentle and caring way.

"I was just trying to know you, I'm sorry if I scared you."

Finally, the creature leaned up and stared at her straightly.

"Let me be, I won't stay for long, as you know it is extremely cold and I can't stay outside." The creature tried to talk and negotiate with the lamb.

At first, the lamb thought that the creature was some kind of a dog and it was just lost. But when it finally talked with her and showed its unusual sharp fangs she immediately realize that it is was in fact, a wolf. A black feral wolf.

"Uh... I just- what?" The lamb struggled to speak as it hurriedly tried to back away from the wolf.

"Hmm, still the same as ever." The wolf proceeds to lay again accepting the terrified stare of the lamb.

The two mammals stayed still for a while as the lamb tries to gather her thoughts as to what it can do about the situation.

He seems harmless. Why is he here? Doesn't he know that if he got caught they'll surely kill him? And if they did, it isn't their fault because they'll do it to protect us. We're family! The lamb thought to herself.

"You can't be here. You'll be in danger when they found out that a wolf is inside the pen! Plus, I can't exactly feel safe when I can be attacked by you when I fell asleep."

"Well if you we're to fall asleep in the first place. Right?" Something that sounds like a smirk is heard from the wolf.

"Look I just want to take a shelter here. I won't try to eat you or anything because I just ate earlier and I am stuffed."

The lamb tried to talk once more but in the current situation, she is in no way in a position to make demands from the wolf. Maybe it's instinct but she knows that if she pushed the wolf too far something may happen.

If he's no longer hungry, then he will not try to eat me right? Right? The lamb just tried to reassure herself because it seems she has no way around this.

"Hmm, I've got to say it's kinda weird that you're stuffed then in another hand you're here trying to make a shelter with a lamb."

"The weather judges no one. If it's cold to you then surely it will be cold for me, right? As for why I am no longer hungry, it's because I found a cooked chicken from a guard nearby."

"Chicken?" The lamb slightly trembled when he heard that the wolf had just eaten a chicken moments ago.

"Hey. I didn't kill that chicken the guards did. I said they even cooked it right? It's their fault for not paying attention." The lamb just stared at the wolf as he tried to defend himself.

"You're defending the wrong places here you know? But I understand." The lamb felt a little at ease as she bickered with the wolf.

"Can you tell me why did you find yourself in here? As I know the wolves work with a group right?"

"I'm with no one. I work alone and I don't need anyone to be alive." The wolf suddenly turned cold to the lamb resulting in the lamb feeling anxious because of it.

"I see I'm sorry." The lamb felt something was on the wolf's mind as he said those words in a cold stern way.

"Let me ask you a question lamb. Are you satisfied with the way you are living right now?"

The lamb is taken aback by the sudden question that the wolf asked her. She didn't know what to say and didn't have the words to ask anything.

"I mean, as I've seen you we're living inside this farm. Have you ever wondered what was outside these walls? Yes, the pen is a good place to take shelter when the weather is tough and unforgiving, but when it's all over I know that I will go back out there because it makes me feel free."

"I don't know what to say. All I know is that the other side of these walls is dangerous that's why our owners make us secure inside this pen."

"Well, you can't ask the right questions if you don't know what questions are needed to be answered." The wolf said as a matter of fact.

"Do you know how many creatures are out there? Some even fly and some even swim. Don't you wanna see them? Some of them seem delicious too." The lamb listened to the wolf's rambling noticing his enthusiasm when he describes the outdoors.

"It's weird how I see myself in you when I was small." I've always followed the pack. The pack knows everything so I should just follow them. The wolf thought to himself.

"How is a wolf seeing itself in a lamb? That's not even funny."

"That's why I said it is weird. Hmm, I've always followed the pack back then. Do all the things they want me to do. They even forced me to kill a friend to show me how they do things. They always tell me that it's for my own sake and they're doing those things for me."

"And... I ended up eating my friend." The lamb felt the wolf's sorrow and guilt as he said those words.

"That's why I left the pack, and ever since I've lived and survived even though I don't have a pack."

The lamb tried to comfort the wolf in any way she can but in the end, it was all futile because the wolf stood up after a while and stared straight at the lamb's eyes.

"I'm gonna go now, it's almost morning and I don't want to endanger myself and you when I overstay myself in here."

The wolf left and vanished in the darkness of the night as the lamb contemplates how the wolf told her that he sees himself in her.

How am I in any way similar to him? All I know is this farm, this pen, and those owners who tended to my needs. They take care of us and in return, I give them my fur. Am I a prisoner in that sense? But, the outside huh? I wonder if I can explore out there.

Weeks passed and months passed the lamb had regrown her fur and was expecting the owners to harvest it from her. She was waiting for quite a time now but the owners never came. The lamb tried to kill time while waiting when she notice that the gate for the pen was left partially open.

"Why is this open?" The lamb tried to peek outside the gate and saw the different pens aligned and the trees that are normally obstructed by the walls inside the pen.

The lamb finally made up her mind and left the farm. As to her surprise, she saw how beautiful the nature outside the farm is. The farm always smelled bad because of the feces and fluids coming from the animals in there. But here the wind felt amazing, it felt cold but not chilly. It felt comfortable. This is the first time that she purposely disobeyed her owners.

I've got to say, this is fun! I didn't believe wolf before but not anymore! The lamb trotted around and jumped while exploring the area wherever she wishes to go.

Time has passed as she left the farm. It is around the afternoon when she felt hungry and thirsty.

"Hmm, I'm hungry. Good thing there's water in here. At least I can drink some." She drank the water from a nearby river as she thoughts to herself how she can solve her problem with being hungry.

I've always eaten the feeds back at the farm. What can I eat here? Can I even eat this thing? The lamb thought of ways to solve her problem but unfortunately because of how she's used to living at the farm she never knew how to survive out here.

This is the first time she recognized the danger of this beautiful but unforgiving outside world. But the beauty outweighed the worries inside her mind. As she drank more water from the river she noticed a silent yet distinct howl nearby. She curiously crept at the source of the sound. While slowly walking to avoid danger.

It was a shallow cave. On closer inspection, it's more of two giant boulders leaning to each other. Inside was some creature laying down while crying silently.

It was a wolf. The first outsider friend that the lamb made. She immediately recognized the dark fur of the wolf and called out to him.

"Wolf! It's me, lamb! I never expected you we're telling the truth but I am so wrong!" Maybe to her excitement she unnecessarily raised her voice. Nonetheless, it caught the attention of the wolf.

It just stared at her deeply clearly trying to remember who she was.

"Help me. Please lamb, can you help me?" The wolf tried to sit up while asking for help from the lamb. It never made sense how the dignified and prideful wolf suddenly asked for help. But lamb immediately got close to the wolf and asked him what she can do.

"Hey, what's wrong? What happened to you? While asking those questions she noticed how skinny the wolf have become. It's almost like he never ate for three days straight.

As she realized what was going on it was too late because the wolf got hold of her and trapped the lamb inside his claws.

"What are you doing wolf! It's me! I'm your lamb friend!" Panicking and trapped inside a cave she just resulted screaming at him.

"Lamb? Grrr..." The wolf is blinded by his hunger and tried to bite the neck of the lamb. Maybe it's just chance but the lamb, fortunately, avoided the bite but suffered a wound near her neck.

The wound is not fatal. But the blood loss is. Because of this tragedy, the lamb tried to kick the wolf back to give herself some distance from him.

"Please lamb help me!" She doesn't know how to respond to him but due to the wolf being severely wounded and starved he can't chase her effectively.

"I was, I'm sorry! I never wanted to do that! I..." The wolf cried loudly as if he gave up chasing her anymore.

The wolf and the lamb just like before found themselves sitting in front of each other. One was bleeding due to a wound in her neck and a wolf crying while he can no longer move due to exhaustion.

The lamb regretted going out and disobeying her owners if she didn't do it she must be still inside the farm and probably getting a nice meal safe and sound. She asked why and why did the wolf have to hurt her.

"I was your friend! Why?" The lamb finally managed to speak and asked the wolf why did he do those things.

"It was hard. I tried to survive here on my own but I eventually resorted to doing things that the pack did that I hated. I never wished to hurt you. I... just felt hungry and I can't think straight. I'm sorry."

The lamb silently listen to the wolf as he explain to her what was going on with the wolf. The lamb wished to see her owners once more. She suddenly missed the security and safety they provide to her. But at the back of her mind, she wanted to help the wolf with the support of her owners. The lamb slowly got up and approached the wolf trying to fight the urge to run and help the wolf in any way she can.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard. A hole at the center of the wolf's skull was found. Blood was dripping at the wolf's face. The lamb just stood there shocked as to why her friend wolf just stopped moving.

"Bull's eye!" The man said, clearly happy with what he did.

The lamb stared at the face of the man. It was her owner. It was the same face she was so obedient with. Many questions are swirling in the lamb's mind. The man approached her, got hold of her neck, and stared at her wound. The lamb can't make a move. Maybe it's because of shock or how hard the man is holding on to her.

"Her wound is shallow it can be fixed." The man told to his friend at the entrance of the cave.

The lamb can't think straight, she felt relieved that the owner found her. But felt mad because the same owner killed her friend in front of her. Still, she trusted her owner.

I can still live, right? I won't die, right?

The lamb asked herself desperately.

"I've got to say, if not because of that lamb's howling earlier we would not found them inside this cave! Hahaha! Who would have known that we'll find them in here?"

"Yeah, this lamb is a good girl. She always followed my orders. That's why I am so shocked when I didn't find her this morning inside her pen." The man patted the lamb as if trying to soothe her.

"But still, it will be a pain to bring a wounded lamb back home right? It's quite far. The friend told the man in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, yeah, it will be a pain. We can always sell her fur and eat the meat." The lamb didn't understand a single thing that the owner is saying but she felt safe with him.

"Here." The friend tossed a sharp knife at the man.

The lamb saw the sharp knife that her owner is holding. She refused to believe it but when she felt the hot sensation of the blade cutting her neck alongside her breath ceased to push air, it was apparent. She realized that the wolf and the lamb are similar. Similar in more ways than one. The lamb existed to be exploited and the wolf existed to be scrutinized. It was sad. It was maddening. But she has no power to oppose it. No one. Not even the scary terrifying wolf.