Embers

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  “You should start seeing a counselor again,” Piper told me. “Your aunt is only making matters worse. I don’t know how you can stand to be in the same house with her and that creepy man.”

  She reached out and squeezed my shoulder. I tensed in the saddle, fearing that Cricket might attack Rhondo again, but the two horses seemed to have called a temporary truce.

  Piper softened her tone, “It isn’t right what you’re dealing with. You should tell Timmy. If he knew what was going on, he’d have them both kicked to the curb in a heartbeat.”

  If it was as easy as just telling my big brother the truth, I would have done it weeks ago. But he had his own emotional issues to deal with. Mom and Dad’s deaths, and my miraculous survival, had been incredibly tough on him. I didn’t want to give him another problem, and possibly destroy a relationship with one of the few relatives we had left in the world.

  Piper’s face was anxious and I remained silent. My stomach clenched at the thought of what Timmy would do when I told him.

  “Hey, do you want to spend the night?” I tried changing the subject, putting as much enthusiasm into the words as possible

  Piper saw right through my intention and rolled her eyes, saying, “Okay, I know how it is. Go ahead and blow me off as if I’m a speck of dust on the window sill.”

  “I’d never do that to you. I just don’t want to talk about it right now. Can’t we enjoy the ride and talk later?”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t today. I’m going to Quinn’s to hang out.” Piper’s face brightened considerably when she mentioned her boyfriend. The name had the opposite effect on me.

  The fact that Quinn had stolen my best friend away after a few dates, holding Piper captive to his daily need to see her, talk to her—occupy all of her free time—was adding to my depression.

  “What are you thinking, Ember? With that droopy frown on your face, I’d guess that you’re having evil thoughts about my man,” Piper said with one eyebrow raised high.

  I wasn’t surprised. She was very perceptive.

  “Doesn’t it get monotonous being with Quinn all the time?”

  We came out of the shadows of the trees and into a hay field that still needed cutting. The wisps of mist that were floating above the tall grass were beginning to fade away with the rising sun.

  “Just wait until you have a boyfriend, then you’ll understand.”

  “I’ve had boyfriends before, you know that,” I countered.

  Piper shook her head and playfully reached out to punch me in the arm. The action caused Cricket’s ears to pin down and I swiftly reined her far enough away that Rhondo was out of target range.

  “You’ve never had any true boyfriends, Ember Shay O’Meara. You know what I’m talking about.”

  “Don’t want one.”

  “Why are you always so difficult about everything? If you had any sense at all, you’d come with me. Quinn said that Jayce might be stopping by. He’s really nice, if you’d just give him a chance. You know, you two have a lot in common. He’s planning to go into the military too.”

  I gave Piper an icy glare that I hoped gave her frostbite. “I’m not joining the Army to meet guys. You are so shallow.”

  “Then why on earth are you doing it?” Piper demanded.

  I thought while I swayed in the saddle. Piper must know the reason, the real reason. Risking a glance in her direction and seeing her uptight, hen-kicked-out-of-a-box look, I suddenly realized that she didn’t understand at all.

  I cleared my throat and said, “You know how…different I am than everyone else. You tell me all the time that I need to do this or that to be normal. I don’t fit in around here. With Mom and Dad gone, I have no reason to stay.”

  Piper sounded horrified when she gushed, “I never meant that there was something wrong with you. You’re the prettiest girl I know, and too smart for your own good, that’s for sure. It’s that you never want to hang out with other people. Besides me, your only friends are that monster of a horse you’re riding, and a dog.”

  I smiled. She was right. I’d always been a loner, enjoying the company of animals to people any day. Piper was the exception and I wasn’t exactly sure why, except that maybe she was special.

  “I need to get away from here. It’s as if there’s a rope around my stomach tugging on me.” When Piper shook her head, I added forcefully, “And, it’s always been that way, even before they moved in.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I know, but we don’t always get what we want.” I mumbled under my breath, “I know that better than anyone.”

  Seeing the backside of Piper’s brick rancher beyond the grass, I sucked in the sentiment and said, “Go on and have a good time with Quinn.”

  Piper bumped Rhondo’s sides and managed to trot out in front of me. Pulling him sideways, she blocked the pathway that led to my house.

  “I changed my mind. I’ll come over tonight. You need me more than Quinn does.”

  Piper’s concern was touching, but I didn’t want her sympathy.

  “No, no, you don’t have to babysit me. I’m fine, really. It was hateful of me to give you a hard time about Quinn. He’s not so bad.”

  “Are you sure? I can call him right now and tell him I have plans with you.”

  Piper was pulling her cell phone from her pocket and the thought of her mothering me all night sent my heels into Cricket’s sides. Thank God Cricket could out run Rhondo in her sleep.

  She yelled, “Hey, no fair, you come back here!”

  Piper’s voice grew fainter as the last of the trees separating our properties swooshed by. I looked over my shoulder to see her give up and turn Rhondo around.

  At least Piper had kept thoughts about the accident and the priest far from my mind for a little while. But now that I was alone again, they came rushing back in. I glanced down at my bloody arm, flexing it at the elbow.

  Not wanting to dwell on it, I closed my eyes.

  The fire rose before me. Instead of opening my eyes as I usually did to chase the image away, I kept them closed, allowing the warmth of the flames to comfort me, and feeling guilty as hell for doing so.

  Revelation 14:19, 20

  So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

  Ember ~ Three

  “Hey, buddy, we’re back.”

  Tugging Cricket behind me, I opened the stall door. The burly German shepherd whined happily and I braced my feet in the dirt for the impact I knew was coming. Once he quieted, I bent down and rubbed his face and neck.

  “I won’t leave you behind next time,” I promised the dog.

  Angus looked happily up at me with almond eyes, seemingly having forgotten that he’d been upset at all. But even though his mood had lifted, he never left my side while I unsaddled and brushed my horse.

  After Cricket licked the last traces of the snack of grain from my hand, she whirled and galloped through the opening in the gate, and out into the pasture.

  The rumble of an engine sounded behind me and I sagged against the fence. I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. The older model Ford Bronco had a distinctive choking sound that wasn’t easily mistaken.

  Timmy had arrived.

  I became queasy all over again and braced my hands on the top rail. What exactly had I decided to tell my brother, again? I didn’t like being so conflicted all the time. It used to be easy for me to make decisions. Not anymore.

  Angus pushed against my leg and whined. He knew trouble was brewing. I brushed my fingers across the top of his head in thoughtful silence for a moment.

  Finally, I sighed heavily in reluctant acceptance and began walking across the yard. Opening the screen door as quietly as I could, I ducked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. With nowhere else to go, and still not wanting to leave my side, Angus sat on my feet in the cramped space, joyfully panting his hot breath against my legs. />
  I quickly went to work, turning the faucet on and rinsing my arms off. As the pink water swirled down the drain, I probed my skin one last time for some kind of cut or abrasion; anything at all that would make sense of where the blood had come from.

  My eyes rose to the reflection in the mirror. The long, chestnut waves that hung around my face were in a tangled mess. Pulling the elastic band off my wrist, I tied the heavy hair back into a pony tail, and stared at the unwanted freckles the sun had caused to appear on my nose at the beginning of summer.

  After another minute of frowning into the mirror, I decided that I was about as presentable as I was going to get without taking a shower. Very carefully, I pushed the door open and peeked out. The coast was clear.

  Tiptoeing through the kitchen, I paused in the hallway when I heard muffled voices coming from the family room. I rocked on the balls of my feet.

  A hand shot out from nowhere and gripped my arm. With a quick jerk of strength, I was pulled into the corner. My mouth opened in protest, but his free hand was quicker, pressing against my lips.

  “Shhh, girl, it’s just me. I’ve been looking for you. Have you been out riding that crazy horse in the storm?”

  The stink of stale beer and cigarettes reached my nostrils. I held my breath and raised my chin defiantly.

  When I met his gaze, I froze. All of his lewd comments and casual touches came rushing back to me at once. I’d spent weeks evading the man’s attention. At first, it had been an annoying game, but lately, his staring eyes had raised an emotion within me that I’d never felt before—helplessness. I despised the feeling as much as the man. But this was the first time he had ever grabbed me.

  The world suddenly became a shadowed place. His gray eyes shined out at me from the stubble and deep creases of his face. The smile that touched his thin lips sickened me.

  Angus growled, and the rumbling noise finally loosened my muscles. I took a step back, but Marshall still had a firm grip on my arm.

  “I’m damn tired of that mutt always growling at me.”

  “You better let go,” I hissed.

  If I screamed, Timmy would come running. But so would Aunt Connie and my sister-in-law, Chloe.

  Marshall abruptly released me, but followed my backward step. His mouth twisted and he said, “Don’t be getting all riled up, girl. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just worried about you. That’s all.”

  I had had enough. I thrust my index finger into his face.

  “Don’t ever touch me again.”

  He snorted and pressed his lips together. For several seconds, we stared at each other, and even though my heart was pounding as if it was a hammer in my chest, I didn’t avert my eyes. When he finally shifted his weight to leave, I thought I’d won.

  The relief was fleeting. He stopped, and the same as a snake striking, he snatched my finger from the air.

  Angus was just as quick.

  I was sure the neighbors heard Marshall’s scream when Angus’ jaws clamped around his hand.

  “Get him off me, you little bitch! I’ll have the damn dog put down for this. He’s as good as dead!” Marshall spit the words into my face.

  The shallow rage that had been building within me exploded into a million sparks of blinking light.

  Marshall flew backwards at the same time that Angus ripped his mouth away from the hand.

  With blood still dripping from his teeth, Angus cried from the same invisible pain that had knocked Marshall into the wall. I dropped to the floor and wrapped my arms around my whimpering dog.

  What did I do?

  Timmy burst into the hallway first, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of his aunt’s boyfriend grasping his bloody hand.

  “What was that?” Marshall blinked a few times and then remembered his injury. “Dammit, my hand—it’s ruined! The dog nearly bit my hand off!”

  Aunt Connie was as white as a ghost and her mouth hung open, but she managed to pull herself together quickly enough to run to the kitchen and grab a clean dish towel.

  “What happened?” Timmy knelt in front of me, touching my shoulders, only to snap his hands away.

  “Your skin’s on fire!”

  Timmy’s words hardly registered. I was too distracted by the string of obscenities flying from Marshall’s mouth, mixed in with the sounds of my aunt cooing over him like a wounded dove.

  What had happened?

  When Aunt Connie had Marshall braced against her body, he whirled in my direction. A few drops of his blood splattered my face and my stomach rolled.

  In one fluid motion, Timmy was in front of me. My brother still wore his mechanic’s uniform, and I could smell the grease on it as he stood protecting me from the other man, who was easily a few inches taller and thirty pounds heavier.

  Chloe appeared at my side, and I glanced over to see my sister-in-law’s open-mouthed look of horror.

  “That dog is going to die for this, Timmy.” Marshall’s gaze settled on me and the twisted smirk returned to his lips. “And that little bitch will be punished for not controlling it.”

  Timmy’s fist struck out so quickly that if I didn’t see Marshall stumble backward, I wouldn’t have known that he’d been punched.

  “Get out of my parent’s house, both of you, now! Leave!” Timmy shouted.

  “Your daddy wanted me to take care of Ember!” Aunt Connie had finally found her voice.

  Staring up at the petite blonde, I wondered if I had ever really felt any affection for my father’s younger sister at all. Since my grandparents had died when I was young and Mom had grown up alone, drifting between foster families, Aunt Connie had been the only close relative that I’d ever known. She was friendly enough on the surface, but it never felt very genuine. She’d always been occupied with bad relationships with some loser or another. Her entire existence was dependent on having a man, any man, by her side.

  Although she was only in her mid-thirties, she looked ten years older. Her cropped hair was dried out from years of unhealthy living, and her face prematurely wrinkled from too much sun and cigarette smoke.

  My heart hardened at the sight of her. I remembered how quickly she and Marshall had moved out of their crummy little trailer at the edge of town to live in her brother’s house with the excuse of caring for her orphaned niece.

  “You’re wrong about that, Aunt Connie. Mom and Dad had other plans for Ember. And you aren’t part of them,” Timmy said.

  Aunt Connie’s eyes narrowed, but Marshall’s groan got her attention.

  She tightened her arm around him. Before she struggled with his weight out of the room, she said in a quiet voice, “This ain’t over, kids. Not by a long shot.”

  Marshall’s sick smile made my skin crawl before he disappeared around the corner.

  Then I threw up.

  Hebrews 13:2

  Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

  Ember ~ Four

  “He’s not going to kill my dog.”

  I glanced at Timmy from the couch that was strategically placed by the back window. It gave me a clear view of the barn and pasture. Angus was beside me, his head resting on my lap. The dog was oblivious to the conversation about his life expectancy.

  Timmy rubbed his hand over his newly buzz-cut hair in agitation.

  “No one’s going to kill Angus,” he said firmly.

  When Chloe spoke, her voice had a whining quality that grated on my last nerve.

  “But, Tim, you know how Marshall is. He won’t let this matter rest. I can just imagine him getting smashed some night and shooting the dog himself.”

  “That’s enough. Don’t talk like that in front of Ember,” Timmy scolded.

  Chloe nodded nervously. Her face was pale, probably from wiping up Marshall’s blood. I had cleaned my own mess, but I told Timmy that I’d jump in front of a train before I took care of Marshall’s.

  “I’m surprised the cops aren’t here already,” I mumb
led, stroking Angus’ head.

  Silence and thick tension filled the room. I turned away from Timmy and stared out the window into the backyard. Our resident squirrel was climbing into the bird feeder, a miniature replica of our barn, for an easy afternoon meal. Dad had always hated that squirrel for raiding the bird feeder every day. The memory brought the whisper of a smile to my mouth thinking how he had tried to deter it with all kinds of gadgets that had never even remotely worked.

  I looked past the feeder to the field beyond. Cricket was grazing near the fence, and in that instant, she looked up at the house and whinnied. The sight of her triggered a ripple of confidence to grow inside of me.

  “There’s a way to save Angus,” Timmy said. He walked across the room swiftly and knelt before me. “That’s why I came over actually. I had something important to tell you. Now it seems like it was all meant to be.”

  Every inch of me tingled in anticipation as I rubbed Angus’ fur harder, waiting for Timmy to speak again.

  Chloe interrupted. “This is crazy. What are you thinking, sending her down there to live with a stranger?” Chloe shrieked.

  While I stared at her, the last thing she had said boomed in my head.

  Live with a stranger?

  “It’s what Mom and Dad wanted. Now let me talk to Ember about it,” Timmy said, ignoring the exaggerated roll of Chloe’s eyes.

  He turned to me. “Do you remember that time when you were about six or seven and we went down to the Smoky Mountains to visit Aunt Ila?”

  Of course I did. Mom had told us that Aunt Ila wasn’t really related to us at all, just an old family friend. But I never did forget how the woman had stared at me with emerald eyes, holding my hands tightly between her own. Even as a child, I had sensed that there was something strange about her. Not really creepy or threatening, just very different.

  I dropped my head back and inwardly groaned. Like what the priest was talking about different.