by Tiki Kos
I bit down on my lip as I flicked off the cell phone and shoved it deeper into my jean pocket.
I whispered a little prayer that this plan would work, and then I turned the heat up to full blast. I knew Mom’s demons would take over and absorb what she had left of her life. I told myself I shouldn’t feel bad; she’d never once tried to stop drinking or gone to therapy. This day was bound to happen sooner or later.
While the warmth made me feel a little better, large snowflakes began to fall outside.
“Where are we going?” I whispered. “I-I-I mean, after we go to the cabin?”
“I found this safe house outside of Riverview. It’s a bed and breakfast, but the owners are good people. They know the situation and are offering us a home. They have a teacher acquaintance who will help you finish your finals, and you will be able to graduate without any trouble.”
“Okay…” I wondered just how long he’d been planning this.
“Okay...” he repeated. “I’m glad you’re on board, kiddo. We’ll stay low for a bit, and once it’s safe, we’ll move to the city. I wouldn’t want to do this without you.” He reached over and wrapped his hand around mine, giving it a little squeeze.
“Are you sure you’re good with this plan?” His dark eyebrow arched and his voice went soft as if he were waiting for a giant no.
“For the first time in a long time, I think I’m going to be okay.” I sighed with relief. “I didn’t want to be there anyway. I hate the town, and they hate me.”
“Me too.” Dad’s harmonious laugh washed over me and soothed my nerves.
I wondered just how legal this was.
Would she come after us? A finger made its way into my mouth, and I chomped down on what little nail I had left.
“Kiddo, you need to kick that habit. Your fingers look raw and rough.”
I shrugged. “I can’t help it.” He wasn’t wrong; they looked like they belonged to someone much older than me. The tops were always uneven and broken, while the skin around the nail was a vibrant red.
“I know you can’t right now, but one day, you will be able to. I believe you can do anything, as long as you set your mind to it.”
I giggled. My dad must have been reading some sort of parenting book. He always dropped motivational lines after he’d finished one.
It was going to take 45 minutes to get to the cabin. I turned the radio onto the Riverview station to find the new hit single from the rock band Banshee. The woman’s voice howled through the SUV, singing about running around the graveyard looking for something to eat. Most of her songs were about zombies, supernatural creatures or witchcraft. She was hailed as one of the top mainstream pagan icons of our time. Her concerts sold out quickly, and there was almost always a religious protest outside of them. Her music wasn’t at all satanic; there were usually underlining political issues in her songs like LGBTQ rights and feminism.
I loved the beat so much it sent goosebumps down my arms. Even Dad hummed the chorus and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
I reclined the leather seat, turned the air vents towards me and adjusted the heat to full blast, shutting my eyes.
I was going to be free.
I dreamt of pumpkin spice lattes and all the fancy restaurants I planned on eating at or working at in Riverview. Goodbye small town, hello big city.
Dad gently shook my shoulders. “We’re here, sunshine.”
I opened my eyes to see the rundown wooden cabin. From the outside, it didn’t look like much. The wood revealed its age in dark spots, and the windows were creaky and frosted. What was not covered with snow showed dated forest green shingles. Every summer since I was six, Dad and I did some renovations. We’d redone the kitchen, my room and a bathroom so far. This year, we were planning on starting on the outside, but I guessed that wouldn’t be happening now.
“I want you to go to your room and grab whatever you want to take with us. I just need time to gather some papers.” The den was on the other side of the house. Dad had converted the sunroom into his office. He said it was easier to concentrate on work while he could take in the sights of the enormous pine trees and mountain backdrop.
I loved coming here. The endless tress. The smell of clean air. The quiet. If it didn’t get so bloody cold, I would spend so much more time here. I loved waking up to hear the birds chirping, or seeing deer roaming around the cabin.
While Dad heaved through the thick snow, I whipped around to see if I could spot a jacket or a sweater. The furnace would take a good 20 minutes to kick in before the house got some decent heat, and 20 minutes was enough to catch a cold in this weather. I got lucky and spotted my puffy winter jacket with a fluffy fake fur trim. I would grab some mitts and a hat once I was inside.
I readied myself for the cold and trudged through the snow, towards the wooden patio. The stairs moaned as I kicked the snow off. There was a spare key hidden in the base of the front light. It wasn’t the greatest hiding spot, but we didn’t really need to be too careful. Not many people made their way up so high, except for hunters and the occasional hikers. We’d never had any problems with them. They usually stuck to the woods. There were other cabins, but some were long abandoned. The closest one to us was a good 30 minutes away.
I shoved the cool metal key into the lock and turned the knob. The door creaked open. A swoosh of cool and musty air came rushing towards me, and my nose crinkled. I opened the closet in the front entry and grabbed a thick wool toque and matching gloves. The furniture was covered in white sheets, making the cabin look creepier than it was.
I tried to flick the lights, but they wouldn’t turn on.
“Dad?’ I yelled out as loud as I could.
No response.
“Dad?”
I went into the kitchen, pulled open our junk drawer and grabbed a flashlight. I had to hit the bottom a couple of times against the palm of my hand before the light turned on.
I headed through the door next to the kitchen. None of us really went downstairs. It was unfinished, filled with boxes from us and the previous owners. It was pretty much where all the spiders went to hide in the winter...or to die. My teeth began chattering as I descended the wooden stairs step by step.
Once my feet touched down on the basement floor, my eyes scanned the whole area. In one corner, we had a makeshift shelf filled with various tools and boxes. In the next was a bulge of stuff hidden beneath a blue tarp.
There were four grimy windows that didn’t let a whole lot of light in.
The floor was made of dark grey concrete. The walls were similar, but had rusted stains dripping down the sides that made them look like a murder scene. It must have been caused by the flooding in the spring. I didn’t want to stay in the basement for longer than needed. I lifted up the flashlight to each corner, finally finding the breaker box hidden behind the furnace. I flicked the switch marked living room, followed by the furnace. A rumbling noise clanked throughout the machine, and I heard the low growl of the fan turning.
In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a winter boot in the far right window nearest to Dad’s den. Why would he go outside rather than through the kitchen door that connected the two rooms?
I heard the muffled bellow of a man’s voice.
Was he calling for me?
To my surprise, I saw four furry legs, followed by a second set. Dogs?
What the hell was going on?
A crash of glass sounded from the den, followed by more frantic screaming.
Shit.
I retraced my steps and ran up the stairs. When I was an about halfway up, my foot missed a step and I came crashing down. My wrists slammed into the wood with a crack. I screamed. “Bloody hell!” Tears of pain welled up in my eyes. I swallowed hard and pulled myself back up, inspected the swelling, then rested my hand tightly against the curve of my stomach.
The blast of a gun thundered throughout the house. Every part of my stomach clenched and bile rose in my throat. I took several deep breaths to stop myself fro
m throwing up.
Dad needed my help.
I scurried up the rest of way, and when I reached the kitchen, I grabbed the biggest butcher’s knife I could find. I tried to ignore the throbbing pain in my wrist as I pushed open the door to the backyard. Multiple tracks were embedded deep in the snow. It looked like at least two people and two dogs.
Who would be up here? Robbers? Poachers? Squatters?
I didn’t know why anyone would bother coming this high up in the mountain to try to loot our cabin. We had nothing worth stealing. Hell, even our house in town didn’t have anything of value.
Someone had to have known we were coming up here.
My elbows shook, and the beating of my heart walloped against my chest.
I needed to be brave.
I couldn’t let Dad down. We had each other’s backs, always, since the day I was born.
He was my hero, and I was his sunshine.
I took a deep breath in, and slid towards the door. I could hear stifled moaning and a crunching of something I didn’t recognize.
The curtains were closed tightly, and the lights were off.
I pushed my face against the crack of the door.
All I could see was red.
I pushed it open with my shoulder.
“Oh my god…” My voice trembled.
Dad was sprawled out like a starfish on the floor. His right leg was missing, and all that was left was a pool of red. Teeth marks dug deep into his jugular, leaving jagged bloodied marks. I couldn’t tell if he was moving or not.
My stomach rolled around and bile coated the inside of my mouth.
The butt of his shotgun was sticking out from underneath the wooden desk. He must have dropped after he fired that shot.
Four wolves stopped feasting on his body and stared at me. Two of the animals were a snowy white, one was grey, and the last was completely black.
Why the hell had they come here? A million questions buzzed through my head, but I didn’t have enough time to think and focus. I had to do something. Anything.
One of the white wolves broke out of the pack and began growling at me. It was bigger than any wolf I had ever seen. I could see the muscle ripple underneath its thick fur. The creature’s paws were twice the size of my hands. It bared its jagged teeth at me and let out another growl.
I remembered reading a pamphlet about encountering wolves. If they saw you and you couldn’t get away, you needed to make yourself look bigger, then act aggressively.
My chest puffed out towards the ceiling.
“Get out of here!”
My eyebrows snapped together. Anger rose through my body like a hot flame. I was so mad, my body began to tremble and the sides of my jaw clenched.
“NOW!”
None of them even twitched a muscle. I ran towards the closest wolf, lifted the knife up, and with one swoosh, cut the animal’s face. As blood poured down its jaws, the wolf snapped towards me. It leapt up and tackled my body to the ground. My head smacked onto the wooden floor with a crack. The room went fuzzy, and tiny black and white dots appeared.
I could feel the tips of his claws dig into the soft, cushiony muscles in my shoulders. Even though I couldn’t see it, I felt the warm blood slide down my chest and onto my belly.
The beast licked its lips then bent its head, nuzzling into my shoulder. It took a bite, its canines sinking deep into my flesh. It twisted its mouth, trying to get a better a position, all the while biting down harder.
I screamed, then shoved the knife as hard as I could into the wolf’s neck. Blood gushed out, drenching my entire face. The animal let out a low, growling moan, then dropped on top of me. It was heavier than I thought it would be. I could hear the other wolves whimper. One of them grabbed onto the wolf’s leg and pulled him off. My entire body shook, and every single nerve felt like it was on fire. I lifted the knife up, waving it towards the other animals.
“G-g-g-get out!” I screamed. “G-get out now!”
My voice vibrated through my ears. I had to blink furiously to keep the room from appearing fuzzy.
The two wolves dragged the white wolf’s body out of the room. The black wolf stood its ground, its blue and green eyes staring through me. He snapped his jaws and let out a howl.
“Y-y-y-you’d better get out of here before I kill you, too.” The knife was shaking in my hand and I tried desperately to steady the weapon.
The animal kept staring at me. Its eyes burned through me with recognition, but that wasn’t possible—animals couldn’t understand humans. I lifted the knife up and swooshed at the air between us.
A grin crossed the wolf’s mouth, revealing jagged teeth with bits of flesh and blood tainting the white enamel. I swallowed hard.
The room began to sway from side to side. Something urged me to close my eyes. I did. I thought it was only for a second, but when I opened them, the wolf was gone.
Dad let out a forced groan. “S-s-sunny? A-a-a-are you okay?” He sounded so weak. “B-baby, y-y-you need to leave.”
He coughed, and coughed again. The coughing fit wouldn’t subside.
When I tried to stand, my legs were too wobbly to move. The whole motion made my head feel tipsy, and my body sway back down. The blood from my shoulder had now soaked through the winter jacket. I knew that wasn’t good.
I dug my one good elbow into the ground and dragged myself towards him. It took all my effort to get across the room, and when I did, I fell next to Dad, landing on the glacial laminate floor.
I wrapped the one hand that still had a fluttery feeling around his. He felt so damn cold and clammy.
“Y-y-you…” he mumbled, then splattered a mist of blood into the air.
“Dad…just save your breath.” I tried my best to smile and keep my voice as calm as possible. I didn’t want to upset him more.
“Y-y-y-ou are my sunshine…my only sunshine. Y-y-you make me…”
The soft melody died. I could see his chest move up and down. It took all my effort to turn my head, but by this time, his eyes were closed. I wanted to shake him with everything I had, but my body had given up.
“D-d-dad?” I knew he drifted in the endless darkness. My best friend was gone.
I squeezed the palm of his clammy hand as hard as I could.
“You…you…make me happy when skies are grey.”
I laid there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, while tears began to soak the sides of my cheeks.
My head shook from side to side. I squeezed my eyelids tightly together and prayed to every single god I could think of, hoping that this whole day was one twisted nightmare, and I would wake up, sitting at my rickety high school desk.
This couldn’t be real. What did my dad do to deserve this ending? What did I do to deserve this pain?
No.
I had to be dreaming.
I grabbed Dad’s hand once again. It was lifeless. I swallowed a large gasp of air.
He was really gone.
Chapter Two
A loud click and mutter came from the vent, snapping me out of the daze occupying my mind.
I knew that sound well.
The furnace had stopped working again.
I needed to get to the SUV and grab my phone to call for help before I froze to death.
I grasped Dad’s arm tightly, then leveraged myself onto my knees. A dull throbbing shot from my neck all the way down to my toes, and droplets of sweat began to pool around the indents of my collar, as though lava was rushing through my veins.
Did I catch rabies from the wolf? Could that be the reason they attacked Dad? I wasn’t sure how long it took to for the symptoms to destroy my body, but I knew I needed to get to the hospital.
I sucked in a sharp breath of air while I pulled myself to standing. I took a step forward, and another, until I was out of the door. The sky was black, the moon was full, and only the shadows were out. At first, I saw nothing—at least, nothing out of the ordinary. Then, I heard a low rumbling growl from the darkne
ss. My eyes were blurry, but adjusted to see the fuzzy outline of a wolf.
No…No…No…
They had come back for me.
I tried to move my legs faster, but one tripped over the other and I ended up face first in the velvety snow. The cold stung my cheeks like sunburn.
I needed to get back up, but my body wouldn’t listen. The wolf stepped closer to me. My arms squeezed tightly together, meeting in the middle of my chest as I braced for the animal to grab my leg.
A high pitched caw screeched through the darkness, followed by a gnashing of teeth and a blood curdling yelp. The wolf whimpered, then ran back into the trees.
Once again, I tried to pull myself up, but buckled back down in failure. A cold shiver rippled through my spine and tears streaked my cheeks. I was going to die here and probably get eaten by wild animals.
With the last of my energy, I held my face out of the snow. A raven swooped down, landing in front of me. He ran the blue black tips of his wings softly against my cheek. The point of his beak pecked at the top of my winter jacket, as if trying to get me up.
“Its…it’s…okay,” I managed to say. “I-I-I can’t do it.”
The bird’s head tipped to the side. He let out a soft caw in argument after poking my cheek.
“I-I-should be with my dad...” I was so tired. My eyelids felt as heavy as stone. They kept trying to close, but I convinced them one last time to stay open, until I couldn’t any longer.
“Dad? Where are you?”
I jerked up, fully awake, but the aching pain in my neck brought me back down on top of the soft bed. The light of the room blinded me momentarily. I closed my eyes for a second and opened them once again. It was still bloody bright. Each of the four posts of the bed were carved into different animals. I recognized the bear, eagle, raven and fox. Above the headboard was a bright teal dreamcatcher, the size of a pillow. The room was painted a warm amber. Pale pink and orange rocks were scattered across tables and shelves. Paintings of traditional Native American tribes hung against the walls.
I didn’t know where the hell I was, but I was alive.