Crystal Rose

by Leah Rhoades

  Crystal.

  I jumped, the whisper so close it brushed my cheek and seemed to flutter through my hair. It circled me, and I whirled to see what had touched me. Of course, nothing but emptiness surrounded me, and I huddled in on myself. My trepidation left a bad taste in my mouth as my nerves grew tauter, and I gazed fleetingly toward the woods, fearing the worst.

  Everett was a hunter. What if they’d gone into the woods and gotten lost in the dark? My heart palpitated in my chest, and it had nothing to do with the way I felt in Luke’s arms. It had everything to do with knowing the creature that killed my grandmother still resided out there, still stalked its prey.

  And it would come for Luke and his father.

  Terror filled me, but I was also fueled by a fierce determination to save them. I had been too young to save my grandmother, too unprepared. I’d changed that over the last few years, during my own private time, and I could use those skills now.

  I marched over to the car and reached into the glove compartment, grabbing the two daggers I kept stashed. I’d taught myself to wield them pretty well and knew that I could at least defend myself if attacked. I could definitely do some damage to protect someone else.

  I hooked them on my belt and hurried around to the trunk, popping it open and grabbing my shotgun. I thought about the pistol I had in the wheel well, but the spray of shotgun shells would do more damage if I didn’t have time to take aim the way my grandmother taught me.

  I made sure the gun was locked and loaded, the clicking sound echoing and bringing back eerie memories that were distant and yet too close for comfort. I stared darkly toward the line of trees, finding the spot where my grandmother had gone in and never come out. It hadn’t grown over like so much of the rest of the area, and that spoke volumes.

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, I raced toward the entrance and didn’t stop until I was under the canopy.

  Entering the dark world beneath was like stepping through a portal into the past, into a place that shouldn’t exist. Nothing had changed, save for the thickness of the trees and the height of the branches, which still hung heavy with leaves overhead. The crunch beneath my feet was thicker, and I stepped lightly, listening with intense focus to my surroundings.

  Welcome home, Crystal. I tried to ignore the way it spoke to me. I wasn’t a little girl anymore, and I would not let my imagination run rampant. I continued doggedly forward, searching for signs of disturbance, a trail left by Luke and his father or by something more sinister, tracking them the best I could without a flashlight to draw attention to me. You belong here, Crystal.

  I clenched my jaw against the draw, the taunting words that came with a musical lilt into my head. Nothing could stop me. I would find the two men, and we would return to the cabin safely. And if I had my way, they would climb in their SUV and follow me back to the city.

  I froze as the rumble through the brush crawled up my spine and stopped my heart. It filled my head, and I closed my eyes to focus on the direction it issued from. I thought it was to the left. I held my breath and listened, hearing the footsteps that grated against my soul and tempted me to run again. They came faster, harder, pounding the ground from my left, and I spun around just as it broke free of the shrubs half a football field away.

  It was huge, and black, and its eyes glowed as it roared at me. My stomach twisted, and I thought I might be sick, but I pointed the shotgun and fired as it leapt toward me. I missed, the backfire knocking the gun from my hand. I cursed and screamed as I fell back, the wind leaving me with the impact.

  I knew I would die as the beast landed on me, its face a twisted mockery of a wolf with teeth as long as my forearm. It struck my shoulder with one large paw, tearing the flesh, and I cried out in agony as I reached for one of my knives.

  I rolled and shoved the blade through a massive paw, hoping to at least distract it long enough that I could scramble toward the gun. Its yelp deafened me, but it backed away, and I slashed at its leg, trying to do more damage. It reared back, as if ready to attack again but then stopped, its enormous, distorted head covered in matted fur turning to stare in the distance.

  I heard it, too, and a wave of hopelessness washed over me. There was another one.

  I might be able to escape one, but I could not battle two and survive, even with a shotgun.

  The beast in front of me dashed away, whimpering and favoring its front paw as it trotted off quickly, but the other one still beat its way toward me. Gasping for breath as pain seared through my shoulder, I stretched toward my gun and had my fingers curled around the barrel when hot breath hit my ankles.

  I yanked the gun toward me as a snarl sounded, and I turned toward the new creature, terrified I hadn’t moved fast enough. But rather than attacking, it stood and stared at me, sniffing the air, its eyes feral and bright and far too intelligent to be anything natural. Its lips curled back in a menacing snarl, and I swallowed harshly against the scream that tried to bubble out of my throat.

  I inched the shotgun into my grasp, but I wasn’t as quiet as I’d hoped. Those eyes shifted instantly to the weapon. To my utter disbelief, the creature reared back and let out a chilling howl that sounded like a warning. I couldn’t move as I watched it stretch its thick neck, but when those eyes locked on me again and it crouched like it was ready to pounce, I didn’t hesitate.

  With my shoulder burning and tormenting me agonizingly, I pushed to my feet and ran at breakneck speed back to the car, not caring when I twisted my ankle and nearly fell. I caught myself with my free hand, the shotgun in my other, and I cried out as a sharp pain shot through the injured shoulder and made my vision blacken at the edges.

  I pushed on, the howl sounding again, and I felt hot tears pouring down my cheeks as I finally thrust my body into the driver’s seat and slammed the door behind me. I didn’t know how I planned to drive, with my right ankle swelling and my left shoulder bleeding profusely and burning like a hot iron pressed against it, but I cranked the engine and spun the wheel, determined to get out of there.

  As I drove, I prayed Luke and Everett weren’t dead, that somehow, they’d been asleep in the cabin and just hadn’t heard me. Or maybe they’d gone out with an old friend in another vehicle. I couldn’t think about it too deeply. I had to leave without looking back, and I could never, ever return.

  I didn’t even consider a trip to the emergency room. I didn’t want questions about the injuries, though I knew the tears in my shoulder probably needed medical attention. Cleaning, antibiotics, and probably stitches. But I drove straight home and went for my first aid kit with my hands shaking so badly I could barely get the alcohol poured on the wounds. They were ragged and bloody, and they dug deep into my flesh.

  I winced and cried liberally as I cleaned it, getting the dirt and leaves out of it and slathering ointment over it. I dropped the gauze at least four times before I finally managed to get the damn gashes covered. By then, my exhaustion meant I couldn’t handle doing anything with my ankle. Instead, I swallowed a few over the counter pain pills, hobbled to the bed, and laid down, curling into a fetal position and falling asleep before I could think too hard about what had happened to me tonight.

  ***

  I stared at my phone as if a random text from the great beyond would tell me whether or not to press the button to call. For two days, I’d holed up in my apartment, nursing my ankle and shoulder. While the former had recovered, the latter had a dull ache and burned with heat that resonated of infection. I hadn’t looked at it today, terrified of what I’d find. There was a reason I hadn’t continued in the medical field, and I could just imagine that my shoulder was now nothing but bare bone and shredded flesh.

  Images of my grandmother’s remains sickened me, and I fought the nausea that was fueled further by the pain, which wouldn’t seem to dissipate no matter what I took to ease it. It was that haunting image that forced my hand. Whether or not Luke ever wanted to see me again, and whatever I’d done to make him turn tail and run with such
vehemence, I couldn’t stop worrying that he either had or would meet the same fate. And I couldn’t live with the idea that I might have been able to do something about it.

  With determination, I held my breath and pressed the button, waiting as it rang. Fear and hopelessness grew and squeezed my chest tighter as it went unanswered, and then there was a click, followed by a brief silence. “Crystal?”

  My name on his tongue sent shivers down my spine, easing some of the horror that had ridden me like a racehorse for two days. For a brief moment, I forgot why I’d called, the physical memory of our bodies pressed together making me tremble with need.

  Then the face of the monster loomed ominously, and I cleared my throat. “It’s me.” I winced; Luke had obviously figured that much out.

  “I’m glad you called,” he rasped, his voice low and quiet. Was he hiding from his father? I clenched my teeth, angry that a grown man couldn’t speak to a woman on the phone without worrying about his father’s disapproval. I could just imagine him trying to sneak through the living room and out to the patio to talk. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the hold Everett had over him had been a major factor in his running out on me.

  “Are you?” I asked, biting my lip and leaning back against the couch. I’d considered calling from my bedroom, where I’d spent so much time since my encounter with evil, but I felt like it was time to move. Besides, my bed was an intimate space, and that made it uncomfortable for this conversation.

  He paused, and I thought I heard the swing of a door in the background. When he spoke, his voice was a bit louder, and I knew I was right about the situation. It didn’t give me any satisfaction. Instead, it just instilled greater fury in me. “Yes, I am. I owe you an apology. I would have called, but I didn’t think you’d answer with the way I left things.”

  Good. He felt bad about it. I wasn’t going to tell him it was alright because, as bad as my shoulder hurt, the real agony was in my chest, where my heart still felt shattered and trampled. Stupid me.

  I decided it was time to get to business. “That’s not why I called. There’s something I need to tell you, something about the cabin and the woods…” I trailed off. It didn’t matter how I introduced the subject or presented the facts. I was going to sound like I was off my rocker.

  “Crystal, can we talk in person?” He sounded desperate, and I scowled. I didn’t want to see him; it would bring up too many emotions, too much personal drama. We’d had two dates, and I felt like some melodramatic teenage girl who threw her heart out with abandon and fell in love with any boy who gave her the time of day. I couldn’t allow myself to dredge that up in front of him, or I’d never forgive myself.

  And admittedly, that could easily distract me from the task at hand. If he tried to make amends, I would be putty in his hands, and I might lose my nerve.

  “I don’t think that’s the best idea, Luke.” I closed my eyes and could almost smell the trees and fresh turned earth on him. No, I refused to subject myself to that enticement. “This is a conversation about the business between us, Luke, about the rental agreement. I need to disclose something important about the woods around the cabin. I—”

  “Please, Crystal,” he cut me off, begging now. “I have to see you. I want to explain myself. And you can say your piece as well. If you don’t like what I have to say, you can walk away, no arguments. Okay?”

  I wanted it to be okay, with every fiber of my being. I’d already started to enjoy the thought of shedding my antisocial loneliness in favor of having someone to trust, someone who was there when I needed intimacy, someone I could love. But I just didn’t see it going well.

  “Crystal, I don’t want you to feel rejected. I want you. And I don’t just mean your body.” His voice was still gruff, but I could hear the sincerity, as well as the defeat in his tone. It tore that recent wound in my chest wide open, and I sighed.

  “We could meet in a coffee shop,” I suggested, still hesitant. I convinced myself that, if I was surrounded by people, I could hold it together.

  I was greeted with a long silence. “The things we have to discuss aren’t suitable for a public place, Crystal. I think you probably know that.”

  I shivered at his tone, the words feeling like a veiled threat. At the same time, I knew it wasn’t aimed at me; he was afraid of something, too. What did he know? Had he seen the beasts, the same ones I had? I looked around, considering inviting him over, but the way he’d run out, coupled with the horrible nightmare I’d had that melded him with the beast, silenced me.

  “Come to the cabin,” he said, a very stringent request.

  “No, Luke, I can’t. The woods…” Panic clasped at my throat, and I pressed my free hand against it, as if I could stop the wild fear from clawing at it.

  “I told you I’d keep you safe, didn’t I?” he asked. “Crystal, I would never let anything happen to you. I need you to understand just how important it is to me that you’re safe.”

  I wanted to ask where he’d been last night, when I was attacked, but that was bitterness and pain talking. He couldn’t have known.

  I bit my lip, considering his request. I hated the idea of being at the cabin. I hated the memories of my past, and the new memory so much more potent and kept at the forefront of my mind by the aching heat in my shoulder. But then, when I’d been there in Luke’s arms, I’d felt safe, protected.

  I told myself that, maybe, there was something about Luke that truly held the monsters at bay. Why else would they have held back and not attacked until he was nowhere to be found? The forest wanted me, for whatever reason, and it was only when I was alone in the dark that the scary things came out of the shadows to take me.

  Gathering my nerve, I told him, “I don’t want to do this, Luke. But I need to talk to you, so if you insist I have to come to the cabin, then I will.”

  “Yes, I insist.” He sounded adamant but relieved. “Can you come tonight?”

  That was too soon, and I felt like I could never work up the courage that quickly. At the same time, I knew if I put it off, I’d talk myself out of going entirely. Or worse, something would happen to Luke and his father, and I’d have to live with that. Before I could think it through any further, I told him, “Yes, I’ll come.”

  “I’ll make dinner.”

  I started to protest, but I heard his enthusiasm and just couldn’t do it. Sighing, I told him, “I’ll be there around six.” I hung up, not waiting for him to say anything else. I was already reeling, wondering how I’d been convinced with so little fight on my part. It was almost like Luke held some sort of sway over me, controlled my thoughts, and my desires automatically lined up with his, no matter what was rational.

  I got up, knowing I would have to shower, and that meant dealing with the injury marring my shoulder. I didn’t look forward to it and would have to be gentle with my touch, so I figured I’d better get going so I could take my time. I didn’t know what to expect, had no idea what Luke wanted to say to me, but I knew I needed to be at my best to present my insane ramblings without him laughing me out of the room and calling to have me committed.

  Chapter 11

  Luke shook the stir fry in the pan, the sizzling grating on his nerves. His senses were tuned to the sounds around the cabin, waiting for the low buzzing of the Passat engine to creep up the road. He glanced at the clock again and clenched his jaw. Crystal was flawlessly prompt, and it was five after. Had she changed her mind about coming?

  His nerves were raw, and his hackles were raised. He’d already fought with his father, who was now camped out in the bedroom with a fever from the exertion. The guilt rode Luke, but Everett Wesley had asked for it.

  “You stupid son of a bitch! Why would you invite her back here? Hasn’t she caused enough trouble?”

  Luke had slammed his fists on the arms of the chair at either side of his father, glowering at him as he leaned down and got in the older man’s face. “You have no right to give me any shit at all! If it wasn’t for you, everything wo
uld be smooth as silk! I wouldn’t get so overwhelmed every time I felt something other than anger. I wouldn’t be stuck nursing a sick, hateful old man who doesn’t even want me around. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have had to leave New York to start with!”

  His father’s eyes had narrowed to slits, fury and derision simmering to a boil. “Boy, you better watch how you talk to me. I am still your sire, and you’ll hold your tongue or pay the price. I won’t let you ruin things, when I have so little time left as it is.”

  Pushing off the chair and shaking his head in disgust, Luke had scoffed. “I brought you back here to get you well, you ungrateful old bastard. And all you do is sit here and wallow in self-pity, trying to make me feel like a dick for having interest in something other than a man who doesn’t want to live anymore.”

  “I tried hunting!” Everett jutted his chin out defiantly, gripping the arms of the chair now and looking as though he wanted to launch himself at Luke.

  He snarled at his father. “You call that hunting? Go to bed, old man. I’m done caring.”

  But Luke’s father had taken greater offense and stood too quickly. His ankle had rolled, his foot taking too much weight, and he’d cried out, nearly falling down. Luke had moved like lightning, catching him and draping his father’s arm over his shoulder as he hauled the ever waning weight to the bedroom, tucking him into bed and redressing the wound before placing a cool, wet rag on his forehead.

  His father was still sleeping, and somehow, Luke felt guilty, as though he’d caused the fever. Maybe it was better that Crystal wasn’t coming. He wasn’t free and never would be, if his father could help it. And yet, when the first sound of tires on gravel carried to his ears, Luke’s heart pounded hard and heavy in his chest, and he quickly turned off the burner, willing the fever to keep his father unconscious so he could focus solely on his guest.