A Somali Werewolf in Ottawa

Once Muhammad got back to his dorm at Carleton University, he relaxed a bit. The game was several hours away. He logged on Facebook to check his messages. Imagine his surprise when he saw a friend request from Saleemah. He smiled, and added her. Then he began typing her a message. Halfway across Ottawa, Saleemah logged onto Facebook, determined to undo what Christine had done. She didn't want anything to do with Muhammad. Guys were trouble, and a good Muslim gal stayed away from strange, forward men. Saleemah checked her inbox, and saw a message from Muhammad : "Greetings, my sister. Asalam Alaikum. I'm so glad you added me. I thank Allah that you helped me out this morning. I'm still new to this thing. You seem to have the hang of our....shared condition. I want you to know that I respect you and want to be friends. I thank Allah that I'm not the only one like this. Sincerely, Muhammad."

Looking over Saleemah's shoulder, Christine Lalonde read every word. He must be lonely, Christine said aloud. Saleemah grimaced, silently thanking Allah that Muhammad hadn't divulged anything too revealing in his message. See you tonight, she typed. Then she signed off. Christine pulled another chair and sat next to Saleemah. The young Algerian woman looked pensive. She looked at Christine, and there was a look of elemental loneliness in her eyes. I am afraid to trust...others like me, Saleemah said. Christine hugged her gently. Poor Saleemah, Christine thought. There was so much tension between Muslim men and women these days. Especially in light of honor killings in North America, and clashes between traditionalists and liberal Muslims on gender issues. No wonder Saleemah felt lonely. She felt she couldn't trust her own people. Take a chance, Christine said. I will be there for you to support you, every step of the way. Saleemah nodded, and thanked Christine for being there for her. Then the two young women laughed and decided to get ready for tonight's game.

Saleemah looked pensively at Christine. Not for the first time she wished she could tell her best friend her most terrible secret. The fact that she was a Wolf. And unlike werewolves of legend, Saleemah and her kind weren't human beings transformed into wolf-like creatures by the light of the moon due to the bite of another creature. Nope. Nothing like that. Saleemah was born this way. Three years ago she became aware of her unique genetic heritage. The blood of the Wolf ran through her veins. Every time the moon rose, she would transform. Saleemah silently said a prayer, thanking Allah for Christine's friendship. Maybe being friends with Muhammad wouldn't be a bad thing. After all, they were the same kind. In more ways than one. Outside, the sky remained pale as night fell. Without needing to check the weather channel, saleemah knew that a snowstorm was coming. A big one. Fortunately, she knew she wouldn't have to face it alone. At long last, she had friends.