by Katt Rose
The loud cracking of a branch caused Ace to spook. He jumped forward with an awkward thrust. I swayed to the left and had to gather myself quickly before I went over. I held the reins tighter than normal and urged Ace to circle so he didn’t bolt. Even though a saddle separated myself from Ace, I could feel his muscles bunch into tight knots. His breath blew out in quick snorts as he began to dance unsurely. As I fought to keep him under control my eyes caught the black figure, the source of the stress.
The bear stood motionless as it watched the chaos it created. I stared at its glossy coat in wonder and fear. The bear met my eyes and stood swiftly on its hind legs. Fuck. I could keep Ace reined in no longer. With a tug, he tore the reins from my grasp and bolted. I leaned as low as I could over his neck, fighting to stay on. As I struggled with my seat, I reached desperately for the swinging reins. I managed to get a clumsy grasp of them and attempted to pull Ace to a stop.
“Whoa, Ace. Whoa!” My words were useless as the wind tore my voice away. The bitter breeze whipped and broke my hair loose from its ponytail. Shit. I glanced warily at the fast moving ground before us. My stomach dropped as I realized Ace was a runaway horse. All I could do at this point was fight to stay on. The snow covered ground below us was dangerous at these speeds as it masked the terrain and hidden obstacles. With a firm grip I desperately tried to pull Ace to another stop.
“Ace, whoa! Stop!” I yelled as loudly as I could and leaned back deeper into the saddle.
He did not slow. He carried on with a renewed sense of urgency. I stole a look behind me, and to my relief, the bear was nowhere to be seen. With the threat of being followed by a hungry bear off the list, my attention was again focused to stopping my horse. Ace lunged forward and the ground below us gave way. The cracking ice nearly split my ear drums. I gasped as the cold water pooled up to my waist and my teeth began to chatter wildly. Ace snorted repeatedly as his legs kicked below me. I hung on for dear life and begged for my legs to move at Ace’s side to help guide him out. Turn around, Ace. Go to shore. Turn around. I thought it over and over, hoping he would read my mind.
The water rose to Ace’s chest and I felt the panic course through him. “I-i’it’s o-o-o-okay,” I chattered.
As the water deepened, my body went weak and I toppled out of the saddle. The sheer shock of the cold stole my breath. I kicked my legs and arms furiously in an attempt to swim. I didn’t know how deep the water was, and I didn’t want to find out. The water thrashed around me from my horse’s body and the world went temporarily dark. Aaron’s image flashed through my mind. My vision came black in a blinding flash. I tore my eyes to the white shore and I could swear he was there. Fight Emmy, don’t let go. Don’t let me go.
I let out a scream of rage and kicked my legs. “Ace!”
The splashes of water sent the broken ice dancing as Ace thrashed in a panic. My eyes locked on to him as the whites of his eyes took over the brown. He snorted wildly as he fought to keep his head above the water. I swam toward him as fast as I could. My brain worked slowly as I made my way to him. His primitive eyes followed my every move, as I grew close. Finally I reached him. His breathing slowed and his legs quieted as fatigue set in. Worry and uncertainty kicked at me. “Swim Ace, swim. Why aren’t you moving?”
Out of frustration I slapped his rear end. He shuddered and tried to lunge forward. He was abruptly pulled back and the fear in his expression was undeniable. My heart dropped into my stomach in defeat. And then it clicked. I reached my arm into the dark waters and felt for the problem. His stirrup was snagged on a fallen tree under the murky water. I desperately tried to free the stirrup but I was sloppy as the cold took over. My legs grew tired trying to keep me afloat and I began to sink. With a desperate kick, I managed to keep my head above water as my hands felt for the cinch. My frozen fingers worked as quickly as they could to loosen the saddle off Ace completely. He felt the pressure release and his legs worked rapidly. He found his way out of the icy waters and stood unsurely in the snow.
He snorted like a dragon and paced the shore frantically. Swim. Keep moving, swim. I kept my gaze glued to the shore and my horse. I forced myself to swim until I reached the shallows. I urged my body to walk, but my legs were useless. I sank to my hands and knees into the mud and crawled on the shore. I fell on my stomach and somehow forced myself to flip onto my back. Ace stood next to me and shuddered from the cold. My body shook beyond control as I fought to gather my voice. “Go Ace. Go to the barn. To the barn, go!”
He hesitated. “Go!” I screamed.
He jumped from the harshness of my tone and took off. I let my head fall into the snow and begged he would make it back. I squeezed my eyes shut and desperately tried to envision heat. Fire, the embers of burning wood, anything that could erase the suffocating chill. My teeth trembled so hard I feared they would crack in half.
“Emmy, stay with me.”
“It’s so cold.”
“I know, but stay with me. Don’t fall asleep.”
Sleep. Oh, how I want too. “It’s so cold,” I complained.
“Stay with me.”
I blinked my eyes open and the world appeared white and hazy. My breath came out choppy, and I shivered from head to toe. My body had begun to grow numb from the cold. “I don’t feel anything anymore.”
I was met by silence. I blinked my eyes rapidly and hoped the world would clear. It was useless. It was though I was looking through a set of drunken goggles. “Aaron? Where did you go? Aaron?” My voice was taken by the falling snow.
“Watch for the bear. It’s coming.”
I yelped from the closeness of the voice though no one was there. “Aaron? Aaron don’t leave me,” I sobbed.
A strong male voice cut through my sobs. “I found her!” Warm hands gripped my limp body. “I’ve got you Emmy, it’s okay. Hang in there.”
The world began to move ever so slowly, I realized I was being carried. “Here, let me take her.” My vision began to come into focus. I gasped suddenly as the image of a black bear appeared.
“Watch for the bear.” Aarons voice rang loud in my ear.
I began to squirm. “No, no. Put me down. Let me go!”
“Shh, shh. It’s okay, Em. We got you. Quick, open the truck door.”
The arms were warm and strong. My body was useless and slow. A truck door swung open and I was nestled carefully into the warm cab. A blanket was draped over me. Two voices shouted at each other but they began to fade as the ringing in my ears took over. The warmth from the truck nipped at my skin and began to burn. Look at them, Emmy. look at them. I willed my brain to connect to my body. Look up. Just look up. I focused my gaze on the driver.
My heart caught in my throat as Chase gripped the wheel in a ghostly form. His worried eyes flicked from me to the road before us. He forced a smile. “Stay with us, Em. Do you hear me? Stay with us. Stay with me.”
My brain began to click to life, but it wasn’t firing on all cylinders. The truck jostled violently from left to right as the ruts in the road gripped the wheels.
“Shit,” Chase cursed.
My body bounced into the passenger. My head sank into the firm chest with a gentle thud. The passenger wrapped his arms around me and tugged the blanket tighter around my sopping body. “I’ve got you, it’s okay. Once we saw Ace running wild, I gave Chase a call. We knew something was wrong. I’m glad we found you.”
I craned my head and looked up. Craig Brooks smiled back at me. My heart dropped to my stomach. My eyes fell to his tattooed forearm. It’s a bear. “Oh God.” I did my best to push him away. My body did not cooperate but my voice could.”Don’t you touch me! Get off of me!”
“Jesus Christ, Emmy. Calm down.”
“Don’t touch me!”
Chase’s voice cut through the cab. “Keep her still she’s not thinking clearly.”
Craig clasped his arms around me in a vice like grip. “Stay still and calm down.” He looked from me to Chase. “Are we almost there?”
&n
bsp; Chase’s voice was clipped. “Soon. Hold on to her.”
I didn’t fight his grip; I knew I was outmatched. The only thing I could move was my eyes. I met Craig’s crisp blue eyes with a fierce glare. His stare locked into mine and I saw the linger of realization. I glared more darkly.
“We’re here.” Chase jumped out of the truck and took me from Craig.
“Get her inside, quickly.”
“Aunt Sam?” I moaned.
“It’s okay, honey. Your Mom and I are right here.”
“Where do you want her?”
“The bathroom.”
Images passed by in a quick blur. My head spun as my brain worked overtime trying to make the figures fit. Aunt Sam. Mom. I’m home.
Aunt Sam shooed Chase out of the room and shut the door. Audrey and Sam worked quickly as the wet clothes were stripped off. They fell to the floor with a heavy plop.
“Do you have her Audrey?”
“Yes.”
“Help me lower her in the tub. Gently, not too fast.”
The warm water bit my skin like a rabid dog. “Stop,” I cried. “It hurts, please stop.”
Audrey’s voice shook gently. “It’s okay, honey. It’s going to help you. Shh, shh.”
My Jell-O like limbs were no match for their gentle strength. My body lowered into the warm water. I let out another whimper until I was submerged to my neck.
Audrey leaned over the edge of the tub and gripped my hand tightly. “I’m right here, honey. You’re safe now.”
I let my mom’s soothing words fill my ears. The burning began to subside as my skin adjusted to the heat. My clacking teeth eventually halted.
“We can take her out now.”
Audrey hesitated. “Leave her in for a moment. I’ll give her some warm clothes to put on.”
Aunt Sam nodded. She stroked my hair and smiled wearily. The door creaked open and Audrey and Chase stepped inside. Audrey nodded toward Sam. “I think Chase can handle it from here.”
Aunt Sam nodded and rose stiffly. “I’ll put some tea on.”
Chase shut the door carefully behind as the women exited the room. He lowered himself onto the cool floor. His gray eyes locked with mine. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. You scared the living shit out of me.”
My lips trembled into a weak smile. “I’m sorry. I thought it was solid ground, it all happened so fast.” A brief flashback of Ace’s terrified rolling eyes flashed into view. “Oh no. What about Ace? Is he okay?”
Chase gripped onto my forearms. “He’s okay. He ran into the barn and caused quite the fuss. Miranda took really good care of him. He’s tucked in and was given warm mash.”
A sob broke. “My poor boy. I can’t believe I put him through that.”
“Hey, shh. He’s going to be fine. It’s over now.” Chase stood up and helped me rise. He wrapped a towel around me and brought me to his chest. His arms wrapped me in a vice like grip as he rested his chin on the top of my head. “Please don’t ever do that to me again. Em, you were blue.”
I fought my arms to wrap around his torso. “I’m still here.”
“Let’s get you dressed.”
The towel slipped away and I lifted my arms into the air as Chase lowered the oversized sweater over my head. I stepped into the pyjama pants. I looked down at the familiar shirt and my heart fluttered. It once belonged to Aaron. A hand flew to my chest as the realization hit.
“Are you okay?”
Chase’s voice tore me away. “Yeah, I’m fine. Can we go see Ace?”
“Of course. Are you sure you want to leave right away?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
Chase hesitated slightly. “Please don’t tear my head off for this, Em. I’ve just noticed that you haven’t been spending a lot of time with your mom.”
My anger sparked but fizzled like the end of a shooting star. I sighed heavily and leaned against the bathroom counter. “I’m scared to be around her. I hate it when she’s “here” because instead of enjoying the moment, all I can think is how long will it last this time? And I hate it when she disappears because I wonder if she’ll ever come back to us, or is that it? Is she gone forever? I’m so tired of the back and forth,” I took a gulp of air and continued. “Does that make me a terrible person?”
Chase softened his voice. “No, Em. It makes you human. I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong way to deal with it. These situations don’t come with a playbook. However, I think you’ll regret not spending as much time with your mom as possible. I don’t want to see you regret anything later on. Get to know her, in any mental state she’s in.”
I stole a glance at the reflection staring back at me. Coward. I turned away and nodded. “Can we go?”
“Yeah.”
I followed Chase into the kitchen. Without speaking to me, Aunt Sam knew what I was thinking. A flicker of disappointment passed through her face. I took a deep breath and walked to my mom. I gave her a tight hug and let the warmth of her body spread to mine. “I’m okay, Mom. But I need to see Ace.”
Audrey returned the squeeze. “Please be safe.”
“I will. I love you.”
Audrey let go and took a step back. She studied me and smiled. “I love you too, honey. So much.”
I kept my eyes low to avoid Aunt Sam’s gaze. Craig waited wordlessly by the front door, clearly eager to leave. Chase took my hand in his and we ran for the truck. We hopped in and Chase fired up the engine and began the drive to the barn. I sat in the middle, sandwiched between Craig and Chase. My eyes stayed locked on his now covered forearm. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo.”
Craig gave me a sidelong glance and a cheeky smile. “It’s not the only one I have.”
Chase groaned. “Behave yourself or you’re walkin’.”
Craig grinned and gave a silent shrug. I persisted. “What does the bear symbolize?”
“Strength.”
“I see.”
Craig snorted. “What does it matter to you anyways?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Craig’s smile fell. He tore his eyes away and focused on staring out the window. We pulled into the barn lot and scooted stiffly out of the cab. We entered the barn quickly and Craig disappeared around a corner. I stopped for a second before my concern for my horse took over. I walked down the alleyway to the familiar stall.
Ace stood in the corner with his thick winter blanket on. He pulled hay from his slow feeder. My limbs relaxed at once. “Hey, buddy.”
I unlatched the stall door and stepped inside. Ace tipped his ears forward and took a single step toward me. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Ace stood quietly until he got bored of the situation. He shuffled back and I let my arms drop. He began pulling at the hay eagerly. I smiled and quickly began looking him over for damage.
“He’ s okay.”
I turned quickly at the sound of Miranda’s voice. “Oh?”
Miranda’s sharp eyes sized me up in a matter of seconds. Her features hardened slightly and she began to fidget with her necklace. “Nice clothes.”
I looked down at the oversized pj’s and shrugged. “They’re warm and dry. I can’t complain to much.”
“I suppose not, given the situation you were in.”
“Were you the one who looked after Ace?”
Her hand began to fidget at the necklace once more. “Yes. I was nearing the end of my lesson when Ace barrelled into the barn. Everyone went into a panic. One of the girls saw you head out for a ride earlier. When a riderless horse comes back, it means nothing but trouble. He let me get close to him, so I dried him off and got him settled.”
I took a step toward Miranda. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
Miranda stepped backwards, putting a noticeable gap between us. “It’s not necessary. I know you would have done the same for me.”
I nodded slowly, taking in her busy hands. I
studied closer and felt the tingling of realization hit. Her fingertips clasped onto the cross on her necklace firmly. She pulled it left to right, right to left. Craig stepped in behind his sister and watched me wearily. His eyebrows pulled together and his gaze was heavy in caution. “I think we should head home, Miranda.”
Miranda dropped her hands and nodded. “Okay. For what it’s worth, Emmy, I’m glad you’re okay.”
I nodded wordlessly and watched the siblings walk away. Craig stole one last glance my way before they disappeared from my sight. My brain began working at warp speed, clumsily putting the missing pieces together. They weren’t quite clicking in a smooth motion, but I was getting closer to something. I could feel it.
Chase laid his hand on the small of my back. “I think we should get you home.”
I looked up and smiled. “Okay.”
I followed wordlessly and hopped into the vehicle. We pulled into the driveway and stepped inside the warm house. The fire was almost out. Chase hurried to feed it more wood. I excused myself briefly and rummaged in the closet for Aaron’s hidden box. I found what I was looking for; the torn photos of Aaron’s smiling face and the faceless woman he was next too. I traced the ripped photo and studied it closely. The missing women’s face offered me nothing but there was a trace of her hair. The silky mocha coloured hair. I sat in the corner of the closet and stared at the torn photos. It could be her. It very well could be her. With a grunt of frustration, I placed the photos back inside the box and put them away. I stood stiffly and closed the door softly behind me. I walked into the living room and fell heavily on the couch. My eyes closed instantaneously, and I let the beating from the day take me into the dark. My last thoughts were of the Brooks. I had some digging to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
I held my breath anxiously as Elayna pulled her features together seriously. “Well,” I began. “Am I crazy?”
“No,” she began slowly then stopped. Her perfectly manicured brows pulled together. “If Aaron and Miranda were together, I never knew about it.” Elayna paused. “So what are you going to do? Ask her point blank? I think we both know how that will turn out.”