Willow

by Donna Lynn Hope

  Lacey was in the bed of the truck wrestling with Justin. My eyes were trying to register what was taking place while my mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened to me. We seemed to be losing speed and I nudged Haven and cried out, “Go!”

  Reece’s truck was nearly out of sight although I could tell Reece had driven to a stop in the ditch and as he did, Lacey and Justin went flying into the air before falling to the ground. I was incapable of crying out although the rush of adrenaline was surging through me. Haven had been riding off road but steered onto concrete before taking a left onto a dirt road. We were minutes from reaching Crested Butte and I was frightened for Amber and Reece.

  “Stop, we need to stop!” I shouted.

  Haven ignored me and kept riding up the winding dirt road.

  “What about them!” I cried out.

  Haven ignored me. We were still riding through dense forest with no houses in sight. We rode for several more minutes before a house came into view. It was two stories tall and made of logs. There was a two-story deck that seemed to wrap around most of the house. I could hear the rush of water nearby but couldn’t see the source of it. Haven pulled up to the front of the house and parked and as soon as he did I slid out from behind him and almost fell as my knees buckled. I put my hand to my forehead and was trying to organize my thoughts so that everything made sense. That’s when Haven spoke.

  “I know you’re scared,” he told me gently. “Let me-“

  “What the hell just happened?” I demanded. “What about Amber and Reece?”

  “They’ll be fine. I can assure you of that.” He looked past me into the distance. “They weren’t after them…”

  I heard him but the rush of thoughts and questions were coming at me like a bullet.

  “What about Lacey? She was on top of that truck!” I shook my head, confounded. “How in the hell did she get on top of the truck?”

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured me. And then he smiled in admiration. “Lacey can handle herself.”

  “And me? Why were they after me?” I almost began laughing through the hysteria.

  Haven came closer and pulled me into his chest. I felt like laughing as much as I felt like crying. The shaking continued and I felt his arms tighten around me in comfort. I pushed away from him. My head was beginning to hurt as the surge began to dissipate. I felt myself grow weary.

  “I need to call the police and I need to go home. I have to see if Amber and Reece are alright.”

  “Come inside,” He beckoned. “You need warmth.”

  “Did you hear me?”

  “I can guarantee that they are okay. You can talk to them soon. Trust me,” he said.

  He took my elbow and guided me up the steps and I was too tired to argue. My body felt weak and I couldn’t tell if the chills were from the dip of adrenaline or the fear over everything that had happened.

  Once inside I looked around. The interior was immaculate and sparsely decorated. A stair case was to our left and my eyes widened as I stared into the green eyes of a black and white tabby; he was resting on the window sill looking down at me. His expression was one of disinterest but he didn’t look away.

  “That’s Grendel,” Haven filled in. “He’s Levi’s. You’ll meet him soon enough.”

  “He’s impressive,” I said as the cat’s eyes narrowed into slits.

  Haven took my hand and guided me to the living room where orange flames danced in the largest fireplace I had ever seen, which was the main source of light in the vast room. I sunk into the dark leather couch and stared into the fire. My eyelids grew heavier as each second passed. I felt Haven’s form next to mine as his arm encircled my shoulder; I was too tired to pull away. I heard footsteps, a little slow, almost a shuffle.

  “Is this Willow?” A soft, musical voice asked.

  I didn’t turn around; I was dangerously close to falling asleep.

  “Lauren,” Haven announced. “We didn’t wake you did we?”

  I felt his fingers apply faint pressure to my shoulder and I looked up to see an older woman smiling down at me. Her hair, mostly ash blonde with gray flecks, was swept back into an up-do and she was wearing a dark blue wrap. Her nails were short and she wore what looked to be an emerald ring on her middle finger. Her delicate features were symmetrical and refined. She was certainly a lovely woman but she had to be quite old.

  “I was reading dear,” she answered before turning her smiling face back to mine.

  “Young lady, would you like some tea or maybe some hot cocoa?”

  I acknowledged her by pursing my lips together. “Tea sounds good. Thank you.”

  “Willow, this is Lauren Hohl,” Haven introduced. “Lauren, this is Willow Scott.”

  We smiled at each other politely before Lauren turned and walked away.

  “Is she your grandmother?” I inquired as I turned my waning attention back to the fire.

  “No,” he said firmly. I could feel his eyes searching my face. “She’s related to Levi.”

  His grandmother I presumed, although I said nothing.

  We sat in mutual silence. I could feel his eyes penetrating me and when I felt him look away I glanced over at him to see his intense gaze linger on the fire before us, and then, I heard the same graceful shuffle.

  “Here you go sweetie,” Lauren announced as she came in with a silver tray.

  I admired the tea service and found it charmingly old-fashioned. I thanked her and took a sip of the fragrant sweet tea.

  “It will warm you up,” she said before leaving again.

  Once she did Haven murmured, “Remember, there are things we need to discuss, things you need to know. I thought there would be more time but tonight proves there isn’t.”

  I shook my head and put my cup down. “What I need is to talk to Amber and Reece and then I need to call the police.”

  “It won’t do you any good to talk to the police,” Haven stated. “This is not a matter for them to handle.”

  “Haven,” I protested. “We were attacked! Those men are dangerous! How can you not want them arrested?”

  His eyes flickered from blue to sinister azure and for a minute I thought he might hit something.

  “Some things are without a logical explanation. Things people should not and cannot know about,” he insisted turning my face to his. “For their safety and ours.”

  I averted his eyes. He wasn’t making any sense.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying you need to know who you are, what we are and what they are.”

  I stared at him. It was becoming all too real. It was as though I was about to hear bad news and I wasn’t sure I could handle it.

  “Come with me,” he beckoned.

  He rose from the couch and offered me his hand. I took it and stood but pulled away as he led me into the hallway. There were several photographs hanging on the wall and he stood in front of an old black and white portrait. In the portrait a boy and girl sat side by side, holding hands. They had to be siblings as they both had the same curly blonde hair and fair eyes. Even though they had the same coloring they looked nothing alike. The boy appeared to be a year or two older and was wearing a sailor suit while the girl was wearing a pale dress and pretty white boots. Her hair was parted on the side and swept into a large bow. The boy stared silently and solemnly from the photo while the girl wore a slight but lovely smile.

  “Levi,” Haven pointed to the boy. “And Lauren, circa late 1940’s.”

  We heard the door open and turned to see an attractive man standing there, followed by Amber and Reece. The man looked to be in his late 20’s and had dark blonde hair.

  “That’s Levi,” Haven pointed out.

  I stared at the man and felt my blood begin to boil as I pondered whether Haven was trying to make fun of me.

  “That’s impossible,” I stated turning to look up at Haven. I was so angry I thought I might cry.

  “How, after everything I’ve been through tonig
ht, could you even attempt to make jokes?”

  Haven continued to look at me and I dared him to make a fool of me. Our silent interlude was interrupted by Levi.

  “Look who I found,” Levi announced as Amber ran up to me.

  Before I could say anything she had me in a tight hug. Reece looked relieved but fatigued. His hair was completely disheveled and his face expressed worry as lines furrowed on his forehead. He didn’t even look at Haven but approached me slowly. Levi went to stand next to Haven and the two looked at each other for a moment before Levi whispered and Haven nodded. He turned to Levi and I heard him say, “It’s contained then?” Levi nodded once. “Only the runt got away. They always run.”

  I looked from the two of them to meet eyes with Reece. Amber let go of me and exclaimed, “Thank God you’re alright!”

  I managed a smile, feeling completely reassured to see them both.

  “Amber, I was so scared something happened to you and Reece.”

  “No honey, we were fine,” Reece interjected.

  I saw him raise his hand, as if to touch me, but he pulled back and painfully looked to the side. Amber took my hand, “We’re here to take you home.”

  No answers, no further explanations, just ordinary statements. I was too tired to press the matter but I knew something had changed, something was off and as much as I wanted to know, I was scared of knowing.

  Out of frustration and sheer exhaustion I sighed heavily. “There is nothing I want more than to climb in bed and sleep the night away.”

  I didn’t look at anyone in particular and headed towards the door. I could sense Haven following but I heard Reece tell him, “I’ve got it from here.”

  There was an intake of breath and a brief pause.

  “You can’t protect her like I can,” Haven claimed.

  “Protect her!” Reece objected. “I think you’ve put her in enough danger. If it weren’t for assholes like you-“

  “Her very existence is dangerous, something you have no control over,” Haven declared hotly.

  I looked over my shoulder to see Haven and Reece within arm’s length of each other. Levi had followed and was standing on the deck. He appeared relaxed but his eyes were vigilant. I momentarily saw a form fade away from a window upstairs. Tired of the fighting and tired of the cryptic conversations I exclaimed, “Would you two stop it! Reece, are you coming or not?”

  Reece ignored me as he and Haven continued their pissing contest.

  Haven’s cheeks drew in slightly, “We will finish this later.”

  “Count on it,” Reece hissed.

  “Men,” I muttered under my breath.

  Amber exhaled, almost in a laugh, “No doubt.”

  Then, and only then, did Reece follow us to the truck. Haven didn’t move an inch. I shivered as I waited for the warmth of the heater. I looked at Reece but he seemed a million miles away. Amber was resting her chin on her elbow as she looked into the vast night. No one spoke. As the heat filtered through the cab my eyelids grew heavy and the next thing I recalled was the change in movement as we stopped in front of Anne’s house.

  “Alright sleeping beauty,” Reece announced. “Time to wake up.” I felt him shift and realized I had fallen asleep on his shoulder and my eyes widened as I discovered I had drooled on him. Reece noticed and chuckled. “Parting gift?”

  I was embarrassed so I looked towards the house. The porch light was on but from the absence of all other lights it was apparent Anne had already gone to bed. That was good I thought. Less questions and less chance of me getting in trouble for arriving home so late. I glanced over at the dash board and sighed. It was almost 3 a.m.

  “Reece, I really need to talk to you and Amber.”

  “Later, okay? None of us are in very good shape right now,” Reece answered.

  I looked behind me to see that Amber had fallen asleep too. During the ride home she had used Reece’s jacket as a blanket and her legs were curled up underneath her.

  “Okay then,” I acquiesced. “But call me tomorrow.”

  I climbed out of the truck and hurried up the porch steps. I let myself in and heard Reece pull away. I locked the door and turned to see Pandora waiting for me. She seemed subdued, probably feeling just as tired as I was. I quietly hung my jacket, removed my shoes and headed up the stairs, hoping my late arrival wouldn’t be betrayed by any noise. I turned on the bathroom light and was shocked by my haggard appearance. My hair was a ratted mess and I had circles under my eyes from where my mascara had bled. I also had some scratches on my face but no glass had penetrated very deep. I wiggled out of my clothes and pulled on a night shirt. I untangled my hair and began brushing but I winced from the pain. I had been hurt more than I had realized. I took a washcloth and bar of soap and carefully began washing my face. Once my teeth were clean I climbed into bed and motioned for Pandora to lie down near me. The last thing I heard was the distant howling of a wolf, or was it the wind?

  Chapter 15

  “Reece called for you,” Anne announced as she buttered an English muffin.

  “Oh?”

  I massaged the back of my head where I felt a lingering soreness and picked up a glass of orange juice.

  “I didn’t want to wake you. He said he would call back later today.”

  Anne looked up at me as she placed the knife in the sink. “Did you have fun last night? I was so beat I went to bed early. I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  “Fun?” I stated nervously. “Yes, we had fun.”

  Seeing that I wasn’t going to expound on the matter she eyed me suspiciously and let it drop.

  “Well, I have some news,” she said as her face lit up. “Jericho has invited us to spend Thanksgiving with him and Reece.”

  Surprised, I reached for a box of cereal. “Really?”

  “Would you like to go?” She asked as she searched my face for an answer.

  Seeing her uncertainty I felt bad for my obvious lack of interest. “I think that sounds really nice, we should definitely go.”

  Anne smiled in return. She looked happy, even hopeful.

  The next few days were nothing if not monotonous. Reece and I had talked, but much was left unsaid, as if it all should have been forgotten. Because of that, and the things we kept locked inside of us, there was a barrier between us. I feared we were growing distant but I had a hand to play in that as well and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be close to him or I wanted to stay as we were, which was safe, even if it wasn’t satisfying. It was as though I didn’t have a place anywhere or with anyone.

  Belonging.

  That was it. I lacked a sense of belonging and if I could find something to anchor myself to, I might find the peace that seemed to elude me.

  I put my pen down as I closed my diary. I pushed it to the side and grabbed a pillow. I folded it and placed one arm underneath it and rested my head on my other arm. It was only mid-day and the wind hissed through the window as it hinted of a drop in temperature. I looked over as Pandora entered the room by pushing on the door with her nose. She looked at me and went right to the window. She seemed to be looking at something but as usual I didn’t see anything.

  At school the next day I sat down by myself and looked around the cafeteria while I unpacked my spread. I spotted Tavia who was eating lunch with Adam, her admirer from the dance. I could even see that they were holding hands under the table and I smiled when he fed her a cheeto. Just then Reece entered the cafeteria and Tavia called out to him. While they were talking I felt someone sit beside me. I looked over to see Amber push her tray away. She looked ill.

  Feeling concerned I asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I think I’m coming down with something,” she answered. “And I’m really cold.”

  She pulled on her jacket and was hunched over.

  “Let’s go to the nurse,” I said. “You should probably go home.”

  Before she could answer I heard Reece ask, “What’s going on?”

  He didn’t wait for an
answer. He was at Amber’s side immediately and was helping her up. I grabbed her backpack and followed them to the office. Reece came out a few minutes later. He ran his hand through his straight hair and said, “Her mom is picking her up.”

  We began walking and decided to talk in the library. Other than the student who was sitting behind the desk reading, it was noticeably empty. We found a small couch in the back, behind some bookshelves, and placed our things on the circular table in front of us.

  Reece was still quiet, which was unusual for him. I tried to break the ice.

  “I saw you chatting with Tavia. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken with her, how is she doing?”

  Reece chuckled softly and looked at me for a minute before answering, “It kills you to sit in silence doesn’t it?”

  “Who me?” I asked innocently before laughing a little. “I actually love silence, just not uncomfortable silence.”

  “Ahh,” he said, still grinning.

  “So Reece,” I ventured. “It’s been a while. I was hoping we could discuss what happened the night of the bonfire. We talked but we never really discussed it.”

  “I knew this was coming,” he said. “There is no easy way to explain it.”

  “What is there to explain? All I want are the facts. I was there, remember?”

  “The fact is I’m not too keen on sounding like an ass. Reality is one thing, explaining it rationally is another.” He leaned in close to me and lowered his voice. “You were there Willow, you saw them. Do you think they were normal?”