Goldilocks

by Patria L. Dunn

  He was well behind the chase that had taken place through the woods, and up over the slippery hills, the wolves scents scattered and dodging as well as Hannah’s. Jake had balked at the metallic odor fresh blood left in the air around him, but had pressed on surprised to find himself standing just under the entrance to his home. One of the wolves had fallen a treacherous twenty feet from the top of the hidden cave, it’s severely broken neck just starting to heal when he’d found the limp animal.

  Jake had been ready for the second wolf, his claws spearing straight through the animals chest as it had hurtled itself from a low boulder on top of him. He’d tried to leave as little blood as possible on the ground, but slitting their throat before dragging them to a thick pocket of brush had proved messier than he’d intended. It had only bought him precious minutes, his mother undoubtedly in the area, hunting. Upon her return she would panic the second she smelled all the blood, but she would panic more if she found Hannah before he did.

  Jake hadn’t thought it possible, but muddy footsteps started right at the lip of the secret entrance and then staggered back behind the waterfall of vines that had long since hidden the place from prying eyes. He ‘d sniffed in disbelief as he entered the open door of his home, searching the main room for the girl he’d done nothing but daydream about over the last few weeks.

  He could hear her quiet pants, her erratic heartbeat practically thudding in his sensitive ears. She was hiding, and he didn’t want to scare her, but shifting wasn’t an option. She’d spotted him, once again as a bear, her green eyes wide and flashing as she dashed from his parent’s room with a shrieking scream.

  Without thinking Jake shot upright on hind legs, his paws shaking as he tried to tell her that he meant her no harm. But what would have been completely normal to his parents, frightened Hannah even more, his words coming out as a ferocious roar to her ears.

  “Stay back!” Hannah screamed as she grabbed a carving knife that had been left on the kitchen counter, spinning so that she faced Jake from across the table.

  She looked almost comical to him, swinging the blade wildly as she inched her way along the counter top, her eyes darting from him to the door.

  Jake immediately dropped to all fours, frustrated that he couldn’t douse the fear that etched every line of her beautiful features. Tears fell from wide green eyes as she repeated her warning, her lower lip trembling when he moved to follow her around the table. She couldn’t see that he was trying to give her space to exit without worry, and the low whine that whistled outside the cave only caused more tears to fall, her face crumpling as she stopped frozen halfway between the door and the table now.

  The wolves would be fully healed in a matter of minutes, and he had to get her out of there before either that happened or his mother arrived. Jake felt silly, slumping to the floor on his belly, but he did his best impression of a sad looking puppy, his muzzle resting on his spread front paws as he stared across the room at her.

  Hannah’s mouth hung open in surprise, the knife lowering slightly as she looked Jake over before meeting his eyes. Her head shook in disbelief, her hands trembling at her sides as they fell.

  “You’re not going to hurt me are you?” she whispered, her face pleading as she looked towards the door once again.

  Jake thought better of trying to answer, only turning his head slightly so that she saw that he wasn’t something to be afraid of.

  “I think I might have better luck with you in here than out there,” Hannah muttered, swiping at the wetness on her cheeks.

  She still regarded him warily, but he could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she looked around his home, and then to him again sprawled out on the floor.

  “I know you can’t understand me, but maybe you’re a pet?” she guessed, shaking her head at the thought. “A pet bear, who doesn’t eat people hopefully,” her brow lifted, her eyes going to the knife in her hand.

  Jake’s head rose from his paws, watching in surprise as she squatted enough to set the knife down on the floor between them. She watched him carefully as she talked, inching closer until there was only a few feet of separation.

  “You wouldn’t believe the night that I’ve had,” she whispered. “These wolves…the sizes of bears!” she shook her head at the thought regarding his massive size in disbelief. “Well I thought the size of bears, but then again I’ve never seen a bear as big as you are!” she exclaimed, her hands on her head. “Great now I’m talking to myself,” she muttered, and Jake almost laughed, watching as she started back around the table towards the door. “I’ve got to get out of here!”

  It was a low mournful moan that sounded more like that word ‘no’ than a growl, but it stopped her in her tracks once again. Jake’s weight shifted as he lifted slowly onto all fours again, hating the fearful look Hannah tossed back at him. She was poised to run, but at this point she’d probably run straight into the mouths of two almost fully healed wolves.

  There was no more time to show her how docile he could be, Jake had to get her out of her now. He walked slower than he wanted, giving her a wide birth as he headed back out the open front door. Halfway down the tunnel, a glance back showed her still frozen to her spot. A gargled howl from outside of the cave set her moving before he could think of another way and she was behind him almost immediately, following at a safe distance.

  If it was a snake it would have bit her…

  Hannah hadn’t searched the full length of the lip to the cave to see if there was any kind of footing she could use, she’d been too scared. But the bear led her right down a stone staircase, imbedded at an adjacent angle in the hill. The waterfall of hanging vines were wide enough to cover their existence from the ground, but far enough out so that the bear could move easily down them without being detected.

  Flat ground had never felt so good. Hannah would have hugged the animal had it not been for the way its sharp teeth barred at the sound of another howl. She followed the bear’s gaze down over the hills she’d been chased up, surprised to find a dot of yellow light twinkling through the treetops.

  Only a generator could create that type of electricity out here, and Hannah’s heart leapt as she thought of the cabin. But there were a whole lot of woods between her and the safe haven, causing her to hesitate as she thought of the possibility of more wolves.

  One look at the bear and Hannah’s breath exhaled as she took a step forward in the direction of her home. Call her crazy, but the bear’s look said: ‘I’ll protect you’, and for some strange reason she believed he would.

  Jake watched as Hannah backed away hesitantly, her lips pulling into a determined line when she finally turned and started down through the trees. Had he not had business to take care of, he would have walked her home. The thought brought a smile to his lips, his head turning to face the direction his father should be coming from at any moment. Another day, another time; he was already going to have a lot of explaining to do.

  Chapter 14:

  “So are you going to tell me what happened last night?” Paul finally asked, when Hannah came around to his side of the table to take his plate.

  He’d been headed up the trail to go and look for her when she’d come running down, her face flushed and tears in her eyes at the sight of him. The sleeves of her favorite red jacket had been torn, her hands scraped and bloodied, but she’d insisted that she was fine. He’d listened to her cry quietly in the bathroom, and then watched her go straight to her bedroom and shut the door. He hadn’t known what to do or say, so he’d left her alone, but after their quiet breakfast together this morning, he knew that something was definitely still bothering her.

  “Hannah…?” Paul questioned when she didn’t answer immediately, her loose blonde locks hiding her face from him as she went about cleaning up the kitchen.

  “I just got lost in the woods, that’s all,” Hannah mumbled, forcing a smile as she glanced over her shoulder at her father. “I told you, I stopped to rest and must have fallen asleep
. When I woke up, it was dark, and I guess I just got scared. I lost the trail for a little bit, but then I saw the light from your flashlight, and…” her words trailed off when her father moved from his seat to stand beside her.

  His eyes said he didn’t believe her, but the hug he wrapped her in said that he’d been worried about her, and wanted to make sure that she was okay.

  “You scared me Hannah,” Paul admitted to his daughter, planting a kiss on the top of her head before releasing her. “That trail scares me. I’ve said it before, and this time I mean it. No more running in the woods.”

  “But Dad,” Hannah shook her head, her thoughts going over the plans that had started to form during her sleepless night.

  “Hannah, don’t fight me on this. I already worry about you, and being in the woods alone is dangerous. When I’m not working, if you’d like me to come along on your run, then fine, but for now…” Paul shrugged, ignoring the annoyed look on his daughter’s face. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you way out here after all,” he mused, his gaze shifting to the open living room window. I’m up to my waist in problems at the mine. I keep having to jump up and leave, and you still don’t have any friends.”

  “I do have friends!” Hannah stopped him, nodding her head when her father’s eyebrow rose in question. “I was actually going to ask you if I could take the Jeep today and you take the car.”

  “And how will I get home? And what do you need the Jeep for?” Paul asked, already shaking his head at the request.

  While ‘Big Red’ was proving to be a dependable vehicle, he still didn’t want his daughter driving it when she didn’t need to. Every morning he drove her to the one stop shop in town to pick up the Audi. They parted ways there, her going to school over in Lake City, and him heading down to the mine here in Hinsdale. In the afternoons, he picked her back up at the one stop shop, where they parked the Audi until the next day. It was as far as these roads would allow the sports sedan to go, and he didn’t want to be stranded while he waited for her to finish practice.

  “I’ll pick you up, just like you pick me up,” Hannah shrugged as she finished the last of the dishes and went about gathering up her homework from the table. “It’s just that, Lindsey and Beth wanted to skip practice today and come out to the cabin. We all need a break, so I thought we could hang out here for a couple hours, and then I’ll drive them back. You usually don’t leave the mine until around six, right?” Hannah smiled sweetly, grabbing her father’s keys from the counter and tucking them in her back pocket.

  “Why would they want to come here, and not the mall or something?” Paul questioned, looking around at the tiny living space. “I mean, what would you girls even do?”

  “There is no mall,” Hannah reminded him with an eye roll. “And I guess they’re just curious,” She added with a shrug, heading for the door so that she didn’t have to look her father in the eye. “You wouldn’t believe the rumors I hear about this place!”

  “Oh I probably would,” Paul laughed, grabbing his bag of tools from the floor before following his daughter out onto the front porch. “Just promise me that you won’t take them in the woods,” he warned, his gaze moving to the trees surrounding them.

  “Promise,” Hannah nodded firmly, glad that she hadn’t had to tell another lie.

  She’d considered telling her father about the wolves attacking her last night, but the shotgun he kept in the corner reminded her that he had once enjoyed hunting, and probably wouldn’t hesitate to go into the woods himself if he knew about the mutant sized animals she’d encountered. The wolves she wasn’t worried about, it was the bear she didn’t want him to find. He’d saved her life twice now, and as stupid as it seemed –considering the fact that it could kill her in seconds- she didn’t want it harmed.

  She wanted answers, and the cave seemed to be the key. She just had to find it again.

  **********

  “Hey you! Snap out of it!” Beth giggled when Hannah’s head jerked around to face her and Lindsey again. “I said, who are you looking for?” she repeated herself, glancing around the cafeteria at the hoard of students still flooding in.

  “Nobody,” Hannah answered immediately, stabbing her plastic fork into the wilted salad on her lunch tray.

  “Could have fooled me,” Lindsey snorted, poking her elbow into Beth’s side. “I think she has the hots for one of the lacrosse players over there. She’s been staring that way since we sat down”

  “Don’t talk about me like I’m not sitting right here,” Hannah snapped, ignoring the wide eyed stare Beth fixed on her.

  She wasn’t in the mood for their chatter today, but she still needed them to get her father off her back about having no friends.

  “Look, I’m sorry,” Hannah offered, shaking her head. “I’ve got a lot on my mind today, but I really wasn’t looking for anyone,” she lied, pointing to the clock on the wall behind her. “Got a dentist appointment right after lunch; was just checking the time,” she explained.

  Another lie.

  “Well even if you did like someone, we wouldn’t tell,” Beth grinned, winking at Hannah as she took another bite of her own salad.

  “I don’t,” Hannah answered firmly, forcing a smile. “But I was wondering if you two wanted to come by the cabin for lunch on Saturday. We could go running, or just hang out…”

  “I’d love too!” Beth chimed before Lindsey could protest.

  “Yeah, because we’ve always wanted to see what the inside of a haunted cabin looks like,” Lindsey agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes when Beth shot her a withering look.

  “Come, don’t come,” Hannah shrugged. “It was just a thought,” she added, shoving her tray aside before glancing behind her once again.

  It had been bugging her since last night. Once she’d gotten over the shock of the wolf attack, she’d lain in bed all night, thinking of the bear and the cave she’d found. Like the wolves, he was bigger than any of his species should have been, but it wasn’t his size that scared her. It was his eyes. The way that he’d looked at her when she’d come running from behind the bedroom door. They were almost familiar to her, if that made any sense. She’d sat beside Jake long enough to know that his eyes were the same color, but it was the same gold flecks that lay within them that had the wheels turning in her head. It was the extraordinary features of the bear’s face that made her question the almost human expressions she found herself remembering. The shock, and then the pleading look that was now forever burned in her memories when she’d raised the knife.

  Any way she thought of it, it was impossible to make a connection, but there was one, she was sure of it. And her suspicions had only grown when Jake had been absent from government class today. He also wasn’t at his normal table in the cafeteria now. It had been her intention to ask him to come with her into the woods today. He was the only one that probably wouldn’t laugh at her. They weren’t exactly friends, but something told her, he would have gone. Rumor had it that his family lived somewhere out in the woods of Hinsdale. If anyone around here knew about the mutant animals, it would probably be him. But he wasn’t here, and she didn’t know when she would be able to get the Jeep from her father again. She had to go back today.

  Lindsey and Beth had moved the conversation on without her, both of them arguing now over who the cutest boy was on the lacrosse team. Hannah half listened to their chatter, counting down the minutes in her head to when the end of lunch bell would ring. Her father would be upset when he learned that she’d skipped school, but she already had an excuse worked out, and he’d never had any problems from her before. This would be her last lie to him; whether she found answers or not, she’d already decided to tell him everything.

  Chapter 15:

  Hannah almost expected her father to be waiting for her at the cabin when she walked in. A few quick blinks and you would miss the town, but driving ‘Big Red’ through Hinsdale in the middle of the day had drawn more attention than she wanted. One of the four or fiv
e people that had waved at her when she passed was sure to know her father, and would probably mention seeing her the first chance they got. It was a small town, and she was learning quickly that everything was news around here.

  She wasted no time changing into the running clothes that she’d set out this morning, securing her pack around her waist before slipping in a steak knife in place of the mace she’d lost somewhere in the woods. The dried mud caked to her shoes from the previous night, left a trail of crumbled dirt on the floor as she made her way back into the living space to grab a notebook and then to the kitchen counter. There was no time to clean up the mess, but she hoped she would be able to before it was time to head back into town. A quick note, to her father, let him know that she’d had to go into the woods one more time, and she would explain everything later. She signed her name as she normally did, with a few extra x’s underneath for love just in case she didn’t return as soon as she’d planned.

  The thought gave her pause, the pen falling from her fingers to the table as she read the note over again. Her father would never forgive her, for disobeying him, if she didn’t return. But that wasn’t going to happen. He was out there…

  The bear’s pleading face flashed through Hannah’s memories, and she grabbed her ruined jacket from the back of the kitchen chair in determination, tying it around her waist before heading out the door. Up here in the hills, the summer heat -that would normally just be peaking back in D.C.- had already started to wane, giving way to cooler fall type temperatures, allowing a chilly breeze to waft through the trees. Overheard the limbs seemed to be waving at her, welcoming her back into the forest again, but there was no admiration for the beauty she’d been in awe of yesterday.