by Katt Rose
“I don’t like the idea of you digging around, I don’t want you to get hurt.” He stood and began to pace. “Look, I’ll try to help as best as I can. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Don’t go jumping into something without thinking it through, okay? We don’t know who’s doing this. It could escalate into more.”
His words made me uneasy. He was right; it could escalate into more. Of what, I wasn’t sure, but I certainly didn’t want to find out. “I promise. I’ll tread lightly.”
Chase sat down and stared at the letters. “Whoever this is has been watching you for awhile. They knew where you lived before, and they know you’re back. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
I shivered. “I don’t either. I wish it would end already.”
“Let’s see what we can dig up. If this escalates, we’re going to the police. Do you understand me?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Chase frowned. “If I find out who did this, they’re going to be sorry. Man or woman.”
I stood up and rummaged through the fridge, grabbed a bottle of wine and unscrewed the top. “Care for a glass?”
“Fill me up.” He stood in front of me and we clinked our glasses together. “Drink up.”
I laughed and lifted my glass before taking a long swig. “Care to get drunk with me tonight?”
“Hell yes.” He paused. “I think its mandatory this evening.”
I tilted my head back and let the strong liquid pour into me. His words were an understatement.
I wish I could say there was something remarkably different that night than any other. But there wasn’t. Chase and I were heading back from a trip in town. It was mid November. By 4:30 pm the roads were dark. I remember the way the road sparkled and glittered like diamonds. Nick Cunningham was on the radio and we sang along to ‘California.’ Chase’s voice cut through the cab inside the truck; his silken voice sent goose bumps down my spine. I remember the way my eyes drifted to his stature until that moment pulled my gaze away. The lone twisted tree illuminated from the flickering taillights ahead. It was hard to see in the dark, but I remember the way I squinted desperately trying to make out the scene before me. Chase flicked on his high beams and drove with a quickened speed.
A black Jeep teetered at an awkward angle. It’s back wheels still spun in mid air. Smoke rose like a slow dance in the cold air. The front end was crushed in; the tree now bore the Jeeps scar. “This doesn’t look good,” Chase muttered to himself.
I dug through my pocket until I found my phone. I began to dial 9-11. “Emergency, what would you like to report?” The voice spoke like a loudspeaker in my ear. “There was an accident. We’re on…” my voice faded as a sticker on the back window stopped my heart. I knew that logo anywhere. Aaron.
“Oh God,” I cried. My body went weak. My fingers released their grip and the phone clattered to the floor below. I tossed the door open and took off running on unsteady legs.
“Aaron!” My scream echoed amongst the silent night. I slipped twice but somehow managed to scramble upright and broke into a breathless run. I reached the teetered Jeep and slid into the ditch. I laid onto my stomach and peered into the dark vehicle.
“Aaron, can you hear me?” My eyes pleaded to see. My heart beat wildy in my chest and my limbs began to tremble. “Aaron? Can you hear me?” Again, I was met by silence. “Oh God, please no. Aaron say something!”
An inaudible moan caught my attention. I adjusted my position into a seated one and pressed myself against the drivers window. My eyes frantically took in the crumpled Jeep and knew I couldn’t open his mangled door. “Hang on Aaron. Stay with me.”
I ran toward the passenger side and took in the damage. The hood of the Jeep was pressed into the tree, the hot steam from the warm liquids hissed into the night. The drivers side was on its side, pressed into the unforgiving ground. I placed my trembling hands into my hair and had never felt so helpless in my life.
A beam of light broke my dismay. Chase jogged toward me, and god bless him, he had a flashlight. “An ambulance is on the way. Put this on.”
I stared at his outstretched hand; he offered a headlamp. I shakily placed it around my head and flicked on the light. “Chase, it’s A-“
“I know babe. Let’s see what we can do.”
A scream tore into the night and I felt the sickness burning the back of my throat. Chase paled and I saw his hope evaporate. His eyes pierced into my soul. “Let’s get him out.” His left hand dangled at his side and turned white from gripping the first aid kit with everything he had.
“Chase, what if-“
Chase gripped my hand with a breakable force and we ran toward the Jeep. Chase shone the light into the cab and I let out a gasp. Aaron was slumped over the steering wheel. Blood ran down his head in a steady stream. Aaron turned his head ever so slowly toward the light. His eyes found mine and relief temporarily replaced the fear.
My hands worked the driver door desperately, but it wouldn’t budge. The ground acted like a vice, keeping a life in its hands.
“Chase, try the passenger door!”
“It’s locked!” Chase’s frantic eyes assessed the situation. “Em, the windshield!” I ran toward Chase, my frantic mind not being able to make sense of anything. Chase gave me a boost onto the hood and I scrambled toward the opening. “I’m right here Aaron. I’m coming.”
Broken glass cut into my clothes. I felt the sting as they diced into my flesh. I adjusted my headlamp and continued on. “Cover your face Aaron. I’m coming in.”
Headlights cut through the darkness and Chase went out to meet them. I assumed it was the ambulance and kept moving forward with my mission. The windshield was cracked and weakened. It was the only way in. I aimed my foot upward and with all my might I let it connect with the glass. It took three good stomps and an area shattered. The sound of Chase’s voice followed by another arguing caught my attention briefly. I tried to find their voices in the dark but then Aaron let out a yell. My heart leaped into my throat and I dove toward the entrance I had made. I reached my arms into the vehicle and wriggled onto the front seat, careful not to jostle Aaron.
“Em, I made a mistake. I think I screwed up.”
“Shh, Aaron. It’s going to be okay. I’m here.”
My hands worked methodically. My brain was moving at a million miles an hour, I couldn’t keep up to its thoughts. I unclicked the seat beat from Aaron, and quickly assessed the damage. “What hurts?”
“Everything,” he moaned.
Shit. “Can you move?”
Aaron nodded. “I think so.”
“Good. Let’s try to get out through the windshield.”
Aaron looked up dubiously but he nodded fiercely. “Okay.”
I grabbed one of Aaron’s arms and placed it around my neck. He used his free arm to pry himself up as I began to lift. The yell he let out no longer sounded human.
“Stop, Em. Stop!”
“Oh my God. Aaron, what hurts?”
His face paled and he fell back onto the seat. Tears began to blur my vision. I kneeled over him and my hands began to work gently and quickly. The thick blood trickled down his face and knotted his hair. I tore open the first aid kit and found what I needed; gauze. I gingerly wrapped the bandage around his head and kept going. I worked at his sides and he flinched.
Aaron grabbed my forearm and pleaded with his eyes. “Em, don’t look. Please. I can tell its bad.”
His grip was meant to be strong but it was weak. His skin had paled considerably and his temperature had grown cold. My teeth began to chatter as I lifted his shirt. A dark bruise the size of a large book had taken over his stomach; the deep colors spread over healthy flesh like a cancer. My eyes flew to his and the tears fell from his eyes.
“That bad, huh?” He smiled weakly. He tried to sit up but it was too much. His rebel yell filled the night and deafened my ears. He began to cough violently. He tossed his head to the side and I saw with a sickening jolt the amount
of blood he spit out.
I yelled out into the night. “Chase! Where are you? Where is the fucking ambulance?”
“Em. It’s getting cold.”
I tore off my jacket and wrapped Aaron tightly. “I’m getting you out, do you hear me?”
Aaron smiled softly and closed his eyes. “I’m not worried.” Aaron fought to open his eyes and clasped onto my hand. “Where is she?”
“Who?” My eyes scanned the crammed confines. “It’s just you and me. No one else is here.”
“She got out?” Aaron let his head fall heavy and peace seemed to find him. “Good.”
Delusions are setting in. My breath came out shattered and my heart slammed against my tender chest. A rush of adrenaline tore through my freezing body and the world began to swim. I stared into the softly lit night and watched as the ice began to take over the shattered glass. A womens muffled cries filled the night and I remember thinking they sounded like my mother.
It’s moments like this they say the world stops turning. The noise deafens and things go clear. That’s not how I remember it. I remember the terror that took over my every fibre. I remember the way my teeth chattered and my heart felt like it was going to explode. I remember the fear that threatened to crush me. But most of all, I remember the way that life fades from another. The skin drains of color, slowly, but it seeps out of the body enough that you notice. A grey film takes over the flushed reds and signs of life. I will never forget the way Aaron looked at me like he knew. He smiled so softly as his grip weakened until he could no longer hold on to me.
The way a body stills once the soul slips away is something I will never forget. It’s that exact moment that replays in my mind on a terrible loop; Aaron’s hand slipping from mine and falling to the floor. How I pounced to his chest and desperately listened for a heartbeat and heard nothing, The way his breath stilled and his eyes grew vacant.
Flashes of red and white from the ambulance interrupted the icy night. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. My breath blew white smoke. Snowflakes drifted inside the broken window. I watched as they twirled and landed softly on the broken body. In that moment my heart blew into a million tiny particles and I released an agonized scream that tore through the night, if not the town. A loud thud pulled my attention to the passenger window and I saw Chase’s wild eyes. He violently pried at the door trying to reef it open. My swollen eyes fell back to Aaron and an angry rush tore through me. I ignored the ambulance attendants who shouted at each other over the firemen. I grabbed Aaron and tried to pull him away toward the broken window.
“Emmy, no!” Chase’s sob cut into me. He was sprawled onto the hood of the Jeep and stared at the sight before him in horror.
“We have to get him out, Chase. Help me!”
Chase let out another sob. “Emmy, leave him.”
“Get her out of the vehicle. What are you waiting for?” An unknown voice hollered the order to Chase. He shook his head and a shudder coursed over his body. His gray eyes pierced into mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into the night air. I fought him; I kicked and screamed like a stubborn child. In a last ditch effort I reached out and grabbed onto Aaron’s arm.
Chase breathed hot breath into my ear. “Please let him go. I can’t do this.”
“Let me go!” I scrambled out of his grasp and dove my torso back into the cab. My legs dangled uselessly on the crumpled hood. I gave Aaron a hard tug. “Wake up damn you! Come back God dammit!”
A tight pressure grew around my waist and an unknown voice filled my ears. “Let him go. You can’t be here.”
“Get off of me!”
The pressure grew and began to tug me out. As I thrashed a flicker of light caught my eye. It glittered from under the passenger seat. My eyes locked onto the shine and registered it as a gold chain. The brief moment of my lapse in attention was enough for the stranger to win. Aaron began to grow distant as I was pulled back. I outstretched my arm one more time and that’s when the shard of windshield met my exposed skin. The stranger yanked back and I felt the point go deep into my tender flesh. The crimson liquid was warm as it oozed freely. It temporarily warmed my freezing skin.
“Dammit. I need a paramedic!” The firefighter scooped me up and set me into the snow. “Can you hear me?”
I held my severed arm close to my body, enjoying the warmth the wound brought. My gaze grew unsteady as I stared at the stranger. He snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Can you hear me?”
I forced my eyes away and took one last look at the ravaged Jeep as the crew cut open the door. A paramedic ran toward me in slow motion. Chase was right at her side. The paramedic gripped me securely and led me toward the ambulance. Chase’s skin took on an unhealthy glisten. He reached out toward my back carefully. “Em.”
I will never forget how I reacted to his worry and grief. Rage flowed through me like I had sprung a leak. It washed over me until I could feel nothing but the burning heat. “Don’t touch me,” I spat.
Chase recoiled and the hurt sprung to his eyes. “Em, don’t. Please.”
Tears blinded my vision as I struggled to breathe. “You took me from him. I could have gotten him out. I could have saved him.”
We both knew that was a lie, but he kept his mouth shut. Chase stood silently as he watched me get loaded into the ambulance. I lied down on the stretcher and held my arm close. The pain had begun to grow and I let it fester. I needed to feel something; anything other than the loneliness I knew was waiting for me. I stole one last glance at Chase. His gray eyes were already filled with an emptiness that would later hit me hard. This was the beginning of the end and we both knew it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I swirled the wine in my glass before taking another long sip. I closed my eyes as the liquid warmed my throat. I glanced at Chase who gave me a lazy smile. I grinned back before I fired the shot. “Chase?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember that night with Aaron?”
Chase froze and nodded slowly. “I could never forget it. Why?”
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, I’m not sure why.” I paused and furrowed my brows. “I don’t remember everything clearly, there’s a few parts that are hazy.”
“That’s understandable. There was a lot going on that night…”
I nodded quickly. “Where were you when I was in the Jeep with Aaron?”
Chase moved his eyes to his wine glass. He stroked the stem with his thumb and stared into the liquid. “I had my hands full.”
“With what?”
Chase sighed loudly and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. “Your mom showed up. It was all I could do to keep her from looking into the Jeep herself.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. “My mom was there?” I whispered. “How did she know?”
The color drained from my skin and the world began to spin ever so slightly. I pulled my gaze to Chase. He read the assumption in my eyes and took my hands in his. “Don’t go there. There wasn’t a dent on her car, believe me I looked.”
“The letter…”
Chase shook his head. “Don’t go down that road. We don’t even know who is sending those letters. For all we know it could be a low life looking for the high. Your mom’s an easy target.”
“I know she is but there’s always that chance. Her mind was starting to get fuzzy around that time…”
Chase pushed back his chair and stood. He pulled me up and nestled me into his chest. “Your mom loves you and Aaron more than anything in this world, even the days she can’t remember. If she was somehow there when Aaron’s Jeep went off the road, she would never have forgot that, let alone kept it a secret. You know that.”
I sighed heavily and wished I could quiet the small voice of doubt that had begun to grow. “I know.” I glanced at the clock and the dying fire. “Can we go to bed?”
“Yeah. Let’s put this day to rest.”
Chase slipped his hand in
mine and led us to bed. I settled into the warm crook of his arms and felt the effects of the wine kick in. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander freely into the depths of the memories I wanted to forget.
The night should have been pitch black, but it wasn’t. The sky was clear and the full moon transformed the snow into glittering diamonds. Within the thick forest I wasn’t alone. I marched with nervous determination as I longed to find the clearing amongst the trees. Tire tracks caught my attention and I ran into their path. A deep urgency fuelled me to keep running, though the cold winter air burned my lungs. The tracks began to descend as I quickened my pace. A snow covered tree root clawed at my foot and sent me tumbling into the white powder. I scrambled upright and held my breath, listening for the thing that hunted me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on high alert as I felt the hidden gaze watch my every move. The cracking of a branch in the distance sent me lurching forward once again.
I ran until I could run no more. I stopped to gather my breath and calm my trembling limbs. A few feet ahead of me, the dark shape moved between the trees. Its shadow was quick and lithe despite the bulkiness it showed. My heart began to bang within my chest and my eyes scanned the forest rapidly. My gaze stopped as it spotted solace. I lunged forward toward the familiar mangled Jeep and reached for the cold handle. Before I could force the door open, a heavy, blunt force sent me flying. I stayed on my belly and crawled underneath the Jeep. Heavy black paws ambled past me. They paused and I heard the beast smell for my scent. It lowered its black snout to the snow and I knew it found me.
I said a silent prayer and stared at the undercarriage of the Jeep. A gold chain swung from the brake line and I clasped it toward me. The chain swung lazily in my fingers and I studied it carefully.
“Don’t move.”
I fought the urge to yell as the once familiar voice rang loud in my ear. “Aaron, where are we?’