by Ava Hardy
I grabbed some socks and underwear out of a drawer before shoving them into one of the inside pockets. I knew I was in over my head and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought about calling Stacy or my gram again. I wanted a second opinion, advice, something. But knowing them, I would be talked out of this whole thing, and if by chance the world did end because I didn’t do something, well, I’m sure I’d spend all of eternity paying for it somehow. I shuddered at the thought. I’d never been one to call myself overly religious or say that I believed in one particular God, but I did imagine that there was a place for the souls of the damned to spend their days suffering for the life they lived. That wasn’t the type of eternity I wanted.
Moving back to my closet, I started to throw shirts, sweaters, pants, and anything else I could find towards my bed. Most of them landed on or near my suitcase, a few hit the floor without a chance of making it to their intended destination. By the time I was done, there was no way the mountain of clothes I had created was going to fit into my suitcase. I was going to have to pare down a lot or find another suitcase to bum off someone ’til I got back. The problem with that was giving away the fact I was leaving. Suddenly I remembered an old duffel bag stuffed into the corner on the shelf in my closet. It would do the job perfectly.
My mind drifted back to the night before as I folded my wardrobe and fit it in my bags like I was playing an ultimate game of Tetris. Who cared if the boys made fun of me for bringing so much? They were the ones that were kind of vague on where we were going. I know, another red flag. All they could tell me was that they had a general idea where to find our first element and we’d have to work together in order to find it. It was the sketchiest scavenger hunt I’ve ever heard of.
When I expressed my concern to both of them that they were either loaded up on some really good shit or the world’s best manipulators, I swore that Chris was about to get down on his knees and beg me to believe him. Not that he would actually do it, but the look in his eyes made me want to take every word back. It was as if I just killed his dog that he had had since he was a kid. Everything was so hard to believe and they kept saying that they understood and reminded me that I had to keep an open mind. It was a vicious cycle; my mind not being as open as they would like, Chris getting ready to plead their case, and Blake about ready to throw in the towel.
I still wasn’t sure. Magical creatures. Saving the world. What sane person would actually believe it? Even with pictures. I mean that’s what Photoshop is for. Right?
Even with questioning them, here I was, packing my bags and getting ready to meet them in a few hours. And then what? I guess we would be on our way to wherever. Chris said that we had to meet with someone, an elder, I believe. It was the perfect time to give him a lifted eyebrow but I had somehow managed to keep my facial expressions to myself. Good thing I did because he went on to explain that there are a few elders around the world that can assist in the way of guidance. I started picturing Yoda’s older brother. Not nearly as mysterious and with a bit more hair.
Chris spoke for most of the evening and I started to realize several things about him. The biggest and most important, which I think convinced me that they were serious, was the fact that he spoke as if his life depended on it. He had this conviction in his tone that just rang true and he never hesitated when answering a question. Being the biggest softie I had ever met, he was an extremely passionate person and I could tell this after only being around him for twenty minutes. If you were in trouble, you would call Chris and he would travel hours to be the one that gave you the shirt off of his back. But for all his sweetness and his determination to make sure things turned out for the best, there was something about him that proved he had a secret. I doubted it was anything serious. I believed that something happened in his past to make him so anxious to save billions of people. Something sad or tragic, so in his own way, he was probably more like Yoda than the elder. All knowing, yet mysterious. However, he had Yoda beat tenfold in looks. The man was beautiful.
Blake, on the other hand, was different. Just as attractive, he seemed a bit rougher. He didn’t have time for bullshit as he wanted to get going, get things done. There were brief comments from him that almost seemed pushy, but not in a typical pushy sort of way. He was more eager than anything. It was as if all the energy he felt was balled up and he needed to release it right that second. It was kind of amusing actually. Almost like a child on Christmas morning but not as loud and not nearly as annoying. His fuse was also shorter when it came to my questions. I know that makes him sound like a jerk but it didn’t come across that way. He was a doer. Chris was a talker. Though I suspected for them both to be sitting across from me, Chris was a doer as well.
The more I thought about last night, the more I realized I was actually quite comfortable going on this trip. Together, they told me the whole story or as much as they knew, and while I was still waiting for more proof other than some pictures, I could feel something between the three of us. Call it destiny, call it what you will. There was something there. I couldn’t explain it but it was like something clicked inside of me and said, “Kiera, you must do this.” Because this sounded so absurd, I knew nobody would believe. I am teetering on the wall of disbelief. My plan was to text my parents that I went on a road trip with friends and leave it at all. When I returned, there would be a million questions but I’ll deal with all of that when I return.
Pausing as I held a pair of pants in my hands, I smiled as I thought about how my night with Chris and Blake ended. We stayed ’til the restaurant closed, and none of us wanted to leave. Luckily, there was a twenty-four-hour coffee cafe across the street. Blake bought me a cinnamon roll as Chris found us a semi-secluded table. Our conversation shifted. No longer did we need to talk about the journey we were setting out on together but instead it was like we were all old friends. We laughed, ’til we almost cried, and we talked about our pasts, our dreams for the future. It felt good; really good. By the time we parted ways near the entrance to my building, I actually felt like I had known them my whole life. I smiled at them as I gave them one finally wave before I retreated inside, where everything came rushing back to me. Thinking about it now, a small part of me wondered if it had all been a dream.
I looked down and realized that everything was packed. The ‘to pack’ list I created had lines through most of it and I only needed my jacket, phone charger, and my toothbrush. I grabbed the last few things and shoved them into my suitcase before I zipped it up. My jacket was tossed on top because I planned on wearing it the entire time. When I was warned that we would be traveling somewhere colder than Seattle, additional information was given to me. Because they were werewolves, their internal body temperature ran warm. The car was probably going to be a little chilly for me. For that, I did roll my eyes at them. I couldn’t even be carted off to my death in warmth. At least at that joke, Blake laughed. He was starting to get me.
There was only one thing left to do.
I walked over to my desk in the corner of my bedroom and opened my laptop. I took a seat as I waited for Windows to boot. Chewing on my lower lip, I wondered if I was making the right decision. As much as I had wanted to do this, I had always been a planner. Under normal circumstances, I would have everything lined up and in order. Spontaneous was not something that was used to describe Kiera Jones.
With my email open, I started to type.
Dear Roger,
I regret to inform you that I need to submit my letter of resignation. Friday was my last day and I will not be returning. I will be going out of town for the unforeseeable future and I am not sure when I will return. If you could please give Stacy Nelson my personal effects, I would appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Kiera Jones
For a moment, I thought about adding how it was a pleasure to work for him but it was a lie, and bullshit fluff. I read over it a few times, my stomach in a knot by the fifth read-through. I had money in savings, I told myself. If this
road trip failed, I’d be alright for a little while. I needed to do this, for myself at least. With one last push of confidence, I hit send.
The faint sound of a car horn blaring shook me out of my thoughts and I glimpsed at my clock. It was probably the two knuckleheads that convinced me to go on this crazy idea of an adventure. I smiled to myself as I gathered my things. It was probably Blake that was raring to go and Chris was sitting there, telling him to calm down. The smile stayed on my face I as pulled my stuff through my small apartment. When I made it to the door, I gave everything one last look before I locked up, and went to the elevator. I still couldn’t believe I was doing this.
Chapter 5
I stared out the window as the city turned into suburbs, and then eventually, country fields. I had no idea where we were going except to meet with someone they referred to as an elder. Apparently he had more knowledge than all of us put together. We were headed south and I was hopeful that we would keep going ’til we hit California. I intentionally forgot their insistence that we were going somewhere cold. Maybe this person, this elder, would say we had to head to Mexico. I closed my eyes and pressed my face against the cool glass to take in as much of the sun as possible. Winter always felt like it would go on forever.
We were using Chris’s brand new black SUV for the journey. If I had seen a Suburban when I walked out of my building, I would have joked that they were part of some government agency. The tinted windows and shiny black exterior screamed Men in Black. But this was a Toyota, I think. It still had the new car smell but I knew that wasn’t going to last long. I was riding with two men that would stink it up pretty quick after a few days on the road. Luckily for me, I had the whole back seat to myself. I had leg room to spare and could stretch out for a nap if I wanted. The only downside was I had no way of controlling the radio. Right now, Blake was singing along with some indie rock band that he said was really popular in Canada.
I looked away from the passing scenery and turned my head to watch Chris from my spot behind Blake. The man was extremely focused on the road but I knew that his mind was probably a million miles away. He seemed like the planner. Every detail combed over before a decisions was made. Quite the opposite of the other man but a quality I found admirable. Chris was a true leader and took his duties very seriously. I wondered if he ever served in the military and made a mental note to ask him about it later.
Turning my attention away from him, I noticed a small white light flashing out of the corner of my eye and glanced down at my phone. Someone sent me a message. I wonder who was about to send a search party after me. It took me a second to enter in my password to unlock the screen but I laughed when I read my new text.
Are you dead yet?
Blake stopped singing and turned his head towards the back. When I didn’t say a word, he went back to his singing.
I looked at Stacy’s picture and smiled for a moment. She was probably freaking out by now, picturing all the horrible ways this trip could end.
Not yet. I wrote back. Nothing exciting has happened. I’ve been sitting in the back of an SUV. Before you ask, no I am not tied up and in a trunk.
After taking note of the time, I put my phone back down and reached for my bottle of water. I took a few sips before looking back up front. Tempted to ask if we were there yet, I didn’t really want to be that person but I was feeling a little restless. All talking ceased about an hour or two ago and all we had left was Blake’s singing. Didn’t that drive Chris crazy? Or was he even paying attention? It wasn’t that Blake was a terrible singer. If he put on music that the general population could sing along with instead of his specialized Canadian-only playlist, I might join in. Time might pass much more quickly.
It was about ten minutes later when Chris turned off the highway and we were on a smaller, two-lane road. More and more trees were appearing and the mountains grew larger as we headed towards them. Damn it, I saw snow. So long sandy beaches, hello freezing cold.
Soft talking started up between the two men in the front and I leaned forward to try to pick it up. My hearing was excellent, as they pointed out. However, I think the music was chosen specifically to drown out their voices.
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked over the music. I didn’t appreciate not being included in whatever was being discussed and it threw out another red flag.
“It’s not important. You don’t need to worry about...” Chris started to say just as Blake told me that they were talking about the elder.
I crossed my arms over my chest and held my breath for a second. Chris was willing to hide information and that wasn’t sitting well with me. Blake, on the other hand, proved he was my go to guy for information. I didn’t like secrets but I had to remind myself that I was as much of a stranger to them as they were to me.
Chris sighed and it was obvious that he really didn’t want to discuss this with me.
“I’ve never met this elder before,” He started to explain. I briefly wondered what changed his mind but didn’t question it as he continued. “Neither has Blake. We don’t know what to expect.”
His eyes went to the rearview mirror and stared at me for a moment before returning to the road.
“You don’t have to worry about it. Elders aren’t dangerous. There are some that like to play tricks but that’s mostly because they are bored. They’re isolated a great deal and don’t get many visitors. So you’ll need to be on your toes.”
I thought about what Chris said as I glanced at Blake. The dark haired man was staring out his window, deep in though. His mind was probably going over the meeting, much like mine was.
Keeping my arms crossed, I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes for a moment. I tried once again to picture this person…or was it a creature? I didn’t even know. What made them an elder? What did that even mean?
Blake’s voice broke through my thoughts and I opened my eyes.
“You probably have a lot of questions and I’m surprised you haven’t voiced them yet,” He stated, turning his head to look at me in the back. “Elders are some of the most knowledgeable people in the world and not the world that you know. I’m talking about our world, the magical one. So you can stop picturing someone like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking because you’d be way off base.”
I smiled a little. He was getting used to me and my jokes.
“Are they wizards?” I asked without a second thought. My imagination pictured Dumbledore hiding out in a cabin, waiting for his owl.
The look on Blake’s face wiped the smirk off of my face. I slouched back in my seat and turned to look out the window. These two needed to loosen up.
Chris turned the vehicle onto a dirt road and I looked up at the mountains as we drove alongside them. I had to crank my neck to see all the way to the top and the view was breathtaking. Having only seen them from a distance, I never grasped how tall they really were.
Fields of grass stretched out on either side of the vehicle. On the side opposite of me, the grass went for miles. Each blade desperately needing to every bit of the sun as it could during this cold winter day. On my side of the vehicle, the field ran for a mile or two before it disappeared into a dense forest. The tall trees had shadows that stretched all the up to the snow covered peaks. It was beautiful.
Up ahead, I could see another large cluster of trees that eventually joined together with those along the mountain range. I hadn’t seen evidence of another person for at least thirty minutes and I declared it. We were in the middle of nowhere. Why would the Elder live here? I hoped they had a roommate or something ’cause it would be incredibly lonely out here.
The vehicle slowed as we reached the edge of the tree line and Chris put the vehicle in park. I watched as he pulled the keys from the ignition and then proceed to get out of the SUV. I sat there frozen for a moment, feeling a little confused, but then Blake did the same. I immediately undid my seat belt and opened my door. I scanned over the grass, searching for a house. There wasn’t anything
there.
“What are we doing?” I finally asked, looking up at Blake when he came to stand near me.
“We have to walk the rest of the way,” he explained before heading towards the front of the vehicle.
Walk? Holy crap, this guy was really off the grid. I wasn’t sure if this was a good time to say that I didn’t really have a lot of experience being in the woods. I was a city girl, born and raised. The few times that my family and I went camping, it was in a motorhome at a campsite that had full hookups. We took hot showers and never roughed it, as some people claim they do. Now I don’t want to say that I’m afraid of getting dirty or trying this whole “being one” with nature bit. I just hoped they didn’t expect me to do something crazy like swing from the vines across a river like I was Tarzan.