by Dakota Lake
“There’s enough left over for you if you're hungry,”
Then he disappeared. I heard footsteps on the stairs. He was taking breakfast up to Seth, why would he do that? Maybe Seth was really hung over or he didn't want to come out of his bedroom maybe he had been beaten up again?
Either way he would have to come out sometime and I would find out what was going on. I heard Micah coming back down the stairs then the front door banged. No goodbye then. There was plenty enough left over food if I didn’t know any better it looked as if Micah had made extra just for me. After I finished eating I had to clean the kitchen though, Micah had managed to spread his cooking skills all over the place and just left it in a mess. Caitlin picked me up around 11.30am and we went to watch the boys play soccer.
It was raining but we found shelter under the canopy of a small snack shack located next to the playing field. I enjoyed listening to the girls gossip about the boys and pointing out all the people that were in their year at school. Josh was constantly glancing over to see if Caitlin was watching and Robbie was showing off trying to get the attention of any girl that would look at him. Caitlin dropped me off at the cabin late afternoon. Seth's truck was parked out front and the motorcycle was parked round the side of the house but Seth wasn’t around so I guessed he was still in his room. There was nothing on TV and I didn’t fancy the idea of wondering off into the woods again, so I stayed closer to the cabin on the safety of the porch.
I settled down on the bench with my sketchbook. I enjoyed art at school but didn’t consider my work anything exceptional. I was deciding on what I could sketch close by when a bird landed on the porch railing, not just any bird. It looked like the same bird from last night with the white splodge on it's head but this time I noticed a tag on its leg. It looked like a raven but I'd never seen one with white markings but then again I’d never seen a raven before except in books, it had shaggy feathers and a curved black beak definitely not a crow. It hopped along the railing and started to squawk. It tilted it's head to the side, it was watching me.
BOOM!!
Gunner's paws loudly thudded against the window pane behind me. He started barking aggressively at the bird, but the bird didn't move instead it seemed to be taunting the dog as it stayed there squawking. I quickly went inside shutting the door behind me, when I looked back out the window the bird was gone. Gunner stopped barking, let out a growl and got down from the window, then he went back to his spot on the couch. I sat down next to him with my sketch pad there was something weird about that bird but I couldn't figure out what. Instead I found myself sketching the bird. The sun had started to disappear behind the trees, I hadn’t bothered to put a light on as I was to comfortable, gazing out of the window watching the light fade. I was about to motivate myself and try and find something to make for dinner when the headlights of a car lit up the front room through the window. A moment later Micah opened the front door without knocking. He spotted me and frowned, I ignored him and went into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and randomly started moving items around to see what I could make, plus with my head been in the fridge it was a good way of avoiding Micah's gaze.
I found some bacon and eggs but didn't know which one I wanted to eat more. Maybe both? I heard him walk into the kitchen his boots made such a noise on the floor.
“What are you doing here...again?” I asked.
“I just stopped by to drop this off for Seth, car parts.” he said dumping the box on the table, I was still hiding in the fridge.
“What's this?” he asked leaning over the fridge door.
I straightened up and looked at him, he was holding the picture of the raven I had drawn. “It's just some sketch I did.”
He just stared at me waiting for me to continue.
“Of a bird, a raven I think. It was outside the cabin earlier,”
He frowned. “You saw a raven outside here?”
“Yes isn’t that what I just said?”
“Sure it wasn't a crow?” he asked clearly not convinced I'd seen a raven.
“No it was pretty big, not like a crow. It had something on it's leg though I think it was someone's pet or something,”
“This thing on its leg was it like a tag like the racing birds have?” he asked, I couldn’t be sure but he looked concerned maybe.
“Yes have you seen one before? Does it belong to someone?”
He didn’t answer.
“Since when are ravens used for racing?” I asked.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, like I had said something stupid.
“They're not,” he said still looking at the picture as he walked out the kitchen. I only saw the back of him but it looked like he folded it into his pocket, I didn't know what to make of it so I just let it go he was acting stranger than normal.
“Seth up yet?” Micah called from the other room.
“I don’t know he hasn’t comedown stairs yet.”
I heard Micah's boots on the stairs.
He wasn’t up there very long before two sets of footsteps came back down. I moved to the bread box deciding I wanted a bacon sandwich.
Seth walked into the kitchen and Micah leaned against the door frame.
“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” I asked Seth.
“No I’ll just grab something at work I have to be there in twenty minutes, I’m running late.” I nodded.
“So I should be back around seven” hate.....night shifts....boring! I heard him say in his head. “You work all night?” I asked, realising I would be here all night on my own again. “Yeah I’m covering for a friend, just for tonight you'll be all right,”
He turned and walked past Micah playfully punching him as he went.
“Thanks for the parts. You coming?” he asked Micah.
“Actually I have nothing to do tonight. I was going to park the truck in the garage and fit those parts for you.” he said casually glancing at me as he turned around in the doorway to face Seth. “Well I mean if you want, but I was going to sort it at the weekend,”
“No It's fine I have nothing better to do. You'll have to take your bike though,”
“What! I can't take your precious truck just this once.” Seth said in a comically shocked expression. “No, no one else drives the Dodge but me, you know this already,”
“I’ll just get wet then when it rains, seeing as they forecast torrential rain.”
“Better take a rain coat then,”
Seth grabbed his keys of the side. “You sure you don’t have anything better to do tonight then fix my truck?”
“Nope nothing else planned for tonight. Anyway I want to stick around for a while, make sure this wild child doesn't throw a party and drink all the booze.” he said with his back to me. I pushed passed him in the doorway so I could get to Seth.
“I don’t need a babysitter I’m seventeen not seven,”
“No ones babysitting you Ruby. I'm not even going to be in the house I’ll be in the garage.” Micah said to me.
I looked over my shoulder at him trying to figure him out, maybe he genuinely wanted to fix the truck but I got the feeling he was keeping an eye on me. I was a little scared of been left in the cabin by myself at night but if Seth knew that he wouldn’t want to leave me or he'd make Micah stay all night and he was already over here enough as it was. Micah moved over to the kitchen table and picked up the box.
“I need to go, just pretend he's not here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Seth said closing the front door behind him.
I turned to look at Micah, he was smiling at me but it seemed false.
I couldn’t decide whether Micah being outside was a good or a bad thing, he behaved strangely and the fact he knew what I could do made me nervous. Why hadn’t he said anything? Both of them were just carrying on like normal. Nothing here seemed normal to me.
I finished preparing my sandwich and for some bizarre reason found myself headed out to the garage to see what Micah was up to. The truck was jacked up and
he was underneath it. I started tucking into my sandwich unsure whether he knew I was there or not, I had finished it by the time he said anything.
“Is there something you want?” he asked.
“Do you talk to everyone like that?”
He rolled out from under the truck and sat up.
“Well is there anything I can help you with or did you get lost on your way from the kitchen?” “So last night I woke up and came downstairs to find someone had lit a fire and I remember telling you I didn’t know how to light it,”
I had moved over to the tool bench and was lining up the tools in a row casually glancing over at him. He was watching me carefully, more like studying me.
“So was it you? Did you drive all the way up here just to light the fire, for me?”
He stood up and came over to the bench switching the tool in his hand for another. “You said you were cold, you were whining about it on the phone,” he said walking back over to the truck. “So yes I came over and lit the fire so what,”
He crawled back under the truck.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were asleep, I didn’t want to wake you.”
“So you could of still woken me, I was a little creeped out when I woke up and there was no one in the cabin and the fire had magically lit itself.”
He didn’t say anything, I thought maybe he was ignoring me on purpose hoping I’d leave. “Thank you,” I said walking away. “I was really cold last night, I still think it's a little weird that you came into my bedroom and covered me but it's the thought that counts,”
“What?”
I heard a thump under the truck followed by a variety of choice words.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. What did you just say about your bedroom?”
“You covered me,”
“I What?”
I got the feeling he had no idea what I was talking about.
“The throw at the bottom of my bed, you covered me over with it, didn’t you?”
Micah was dead still under the truck and had been silent for too long, for once I wished I could see his face.
“Yes, yes I did. I just forgot I'd done that that’s all, it's been a long day.”
He was lying and he was really bad at it. Someone else had been in the cabin he was covering for them pretending it was him, that made no sense. But I needed to make sure. So if it was him he would probably think I am completely nuts after what I was about to say. Deep breath in. “You forgot how could you forget covering me.....I was completely naked! It's how I like to sleep,” “Seriously....going to kill him.” he mumbled.
I barely heard it, I don’t think I was meant to though.
He rolled out from under the truck and sat up looking at me. I smiled trying to act embarrassed as I would have been if that had really happened, I was cringing on the inside. Just saying it out loud was embarrassing enough for me.
“I'm sorry I shouldn’t have done that but you know that’s probably why you were so cold. Might want to put on some clothes tonight and if it helps I kept my eyes shut the whole time.” he said trying not to smirk.
“Well that’s good to know,” I said whilst backing away. “So this is awkward, I’m just going to go,” He nodded and shot back under the truck.
Micah was lying to me but why? Who had been in my room? Someone obviously that wasn't meant to be.
I hurried back to the kitchen and rushed around as quickly as possible cleaning up my mess, then I practically ran up to my room. I wedged the desk chair up against the door knob deciding I didn't want another late night visitor plus I didn't entirely trust Micah I would just have to skip brushing my teeth tonight there was no way I was leaving this room again.
Chapter Seven
The rest of the week passed by quickly, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Micah came over to the cabin a lot and I mean a lot but I managed to avoid him each time choosing to hide in my room, sitting at my window drawing or reading. I didn't see the raven anymore.
Caitlin rang me Wednesday to go shopping with her and Aimee, we travelled to another town called Copeland Harbour. It took nearly an hour to get there and I would of got lost if I was driving myself as it was all back roads through the woods. It was a busy coastal town, full of people, shops and other attractions which included a fairground on the pier. The only things I purchased while I was there was a top I got on sale and two small wind chimes which I later placed in my bedroom, one next to the window and one on the door knob.
I slept better that night knowing that if anyone was to enter the room either by door or window I would know about it.
Caitlin and Aimee picked me up on Thursday night to see a movie in town. Friday night we met up with boys at Big Dave's Bowl which everyone referred to as The Bowler. I was upset about it being the last time I would see everyone but I was sure Seth would let me come back as soon as the next holidays rolled round.
Saturday morning came round and Seth hadn’t even mentioned driving me home once. I made breakfast on my own, Seth's truck wasn't outside so I assumed he was at work. I spent the morning cleaning, tidying and vacuuming it's not like I had anything better to do plus it was a nice way of saying thank you to Seth for letting me stay, I even attacked the oven which was well over due for a clean.
By the late afternoon I was curled up on the couch with Gunner under a blanket watching anything that looked half entertaining. The sky had started to turn dark and I could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance approaching. I made simple cheese on toast for dinner but Gunner insisted on sharing half of it. The rain started to roll down the windows as the sun faded the storm gradually moved closer. I kept turning up the volume to try and drown out the noise, Gunner let out the occasional whimper obviously not a fan of the thunder.
Outside was now a sea of darkness. I checked my cell to see if Seth had sent anything but there was no service and the house phone hadn’t even rung once. Maybe he would be home soon? I hoped. Trying to focus on the TV became much more difficult, with the noise coming from outside and the darkness of the night looking in I found my eyes drifting to the large window nearest me. Each time the lightning struck it lit up the sky and I got a clear view of the porch and the trees in the distance. The shrill ring from the phone startled me and had me on my feet in seconds, I hopped over the Couch to get it.
“Seth,”
“That was quick,” Seth replied.
“Well I’ve kind of been waiting for you to call or message, where are you?”
“I sent you a few messages, I’m guessing you didn’t get them?”
“No the signal is really bad tonight.”
“Well I’m still at work you probably guessed. I stayed longer as they needed the extra hands, I leave at ten,”
I glanced at the clock on the wall it was 8.55pm. The thunder rumbled loudly right above the cabin. “Hows the storm your end?” he asked.
“Loud,” I replied.
“Look Rubes I have to go in a minute so listen, there’s matches in the top drawer in the kitchen and candles under the sink.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“The cabin sometimes loses power during the storms they can get pretty bad up there,” Great! Like this wasn’t scary enough all the lights might go out any second.
“Okay I really have to go now. You going to be all right?”
“Yeah I'll be fine it's only a little storm.”
The thunder cracked loudly above again, maybe not so little.
“I'll see you soon,” I said hanging up the receiver.
A chill went down my spine from the coldness in the room, I quickly got back under my blanket. The TV started to flicker as the sky lit up outside. The next loud bang sent Gunner shooting off the couch and up the stairs, I was just considering doing the same when everything in the cabin went black. The power had gone out.
Not good, why did this have to happen the night I was on my own. I got up and felt my way to the kitchen al
ong the wall and counters to the drawers.
I rumoured through the drawer hastily pulling stuff out and chucking it on the counter half in a state of panic the other annoyed I hadn't come straight of the phone and found everything ready encase this happened. Pens, loose change, paper clips, bottle openers where were the matches? My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark but I still had no idea what was in the drawer, I was still desperately searching when a gust of cold wind from behind me made me stop what I was doing. I spun around to find a tall hooded figure closing the door behind them. Who was it? Had they seen me? I was still weighing my options up, between running away or going for the knife block when the person removed their hood
“What's wrong with you?” a familiar voice said.
I was so relieved which was strange, the idea of being stuck in a power cut with Micah would have normally scared me but right now all I wanted to do was hug him for coming to my rescue. I was freaking out more than I cared to admit.
“I don't like thunder,” was all that came out my mouth.
“Really. I would of never of guessed.”
I was sure I heard him laughing under his breath he was probably grinning at me as well. Gunner's heavy paws strolled past me, he grunted a bark towards Micah as if saying hello then scurried off again.
“What are you doing coming in the back door? You scared me just waltzing in like that, you could have been anyone.”
“Why would I knock when I have a key, Seth gave you the front spare I’ve got the back.” he said walking over to the sink.
From the cupboard underneath he retrieved something probably the candles, I hadn’t got that far yet. He then moved over to where I was and stuck his hand in the drawer pulling out something. I couldn’t see what until I saw the spark from the match he lit, lighting the two candles he put one on the counter and handed me a half used one that had obviously been used from a previous power cut. “You stay here, I’ll find some more candles.”