by Kirk Watson
The haakönen pulled up sharply, taking Billy with him into the sky. The squirrel’s scream echoed through the valley as the giant bird lifted him higher.
The haakönen screeched once more before heading into the clouds, and then they were gone.
Lisa threw the tarp off and jumped to her feet. “Billy!”
“Everybody run!” John ordered.
“But you said we shouldn’t run!” Violet said.
“I changed my mind. We have to get out of here. Now!”
Violet fumbled to fold the tarp. John gathered it for her and snatched her paw. Lisa took her other paw, and together they ran. Rollie looked around for a moment, confused as to what had just happened. As comprehension set in, he dropped his half-eaten berry and chased after the others.
For what seemed like an hour, they weaved through the trees with abandon, plunging through the brushes and leaping over the thickets. When they finally stopped, gasping for breath, John scanned the sky, but he saw no signs of the haakönen.
Lisa slumped to the ground and held her head in her paws. “Oh, Billy…”
Violet sat next to her. “Maybe he’s still alive.”
“I doubt it,” Rollie said. “That bird skewered him like a baked apple.”
Lisa dropped her paws and shot Rollie a look of pure bile.
“Rollie, please,” John said.
Rollie dropped his eyes and kicked at the pine needles.
They rested for several minutes before John broke the silence. “Do I need to say any more about fires?” he asked, giving Rollie a hard look.
Rollie traced a circle in the pine needles with his foot, refusing to look up at the others.
John shook his head and brought out the map, noting the position of the stream that ran down the middle. They still hadn’t come across any water.
Either we die of thirst, or the haakönen find us first. We have no choice—we have to take our chances and make our way to the X. But we haven’t even made it to the stream yet… we’re not even halfway.
The soft sound of crying broke his concentration. He looked over at Lisa, who sat on the ground sniffling.
Putting the map away, he walked over and placed a paw on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Lisa, but we still have a long ways to go. It’s not safe here.”
Lisa pulled away from him. “It’s not safe anywhere.”
“That’s true, but we need to keep moving.”
Lisa turned her back. “Then you better get moving. I’m through running. What’s the point?”
“How about survival?”
Lisa didn’t answer. John straightened up, unsure of what to do. Violet pulled on his sleeve, looking worriedly up at him. He motioned for her to go to her sister. She walked over to Lisa and took her paw.
“Then do it for Violet,” John said.
Lisa’s shoulders slumped.
“Fine,” she said, rubbing her nose with the back of her paw. “If it’ll get you off my case, let’s get going.”
They headed southeast, or at least what the compass told John was southeast. The forest grew thicker and the travel more difficult. John hacked a path through the dense brush with the dagger, and after several hours, they heard the sound of running water.
“The stream!” John said. “We must be close.”
The squirrels quickened their pace until they came to a clearing in the forest. A river much wider than John had anticipated ran down the middle of it. The water flowed quickly, frothing as it broke against the jagged rocks jutting from its surface.
“That’s not a stream,” Rollie said. “It’s a torrent!”
“Be that as it may,” John said, “the X is somewhere on the other side. We have to get across.”
Lisa spun around to face him. “The X? Is that where you’re taking us? I told you, John, it’s a trap. We might as well light another fire. At least then the haakönen would have to come to us.”
Rollie nodded in agreement. “It’s suicide, John.”
John held up his paws. “Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t think it is a trap.”
“Based on what?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t know, exactly. Call it a reporter’s instincts.”
“I thought you said you weren’t a reporter anymore.”
John rubbed his neck. “Well, yes. I mean, no. In any case, we have to find the X. What other choice do we have?”
“We could hide,” Rollie suggested.
“Maybe for a little while, but eventually the haakönen would find us. You heard them; no one’s ever escaped this valley. We have to keep moving, and this is the best plan we have at the moment.”
Lisa looked at him skeptically, then looked down at her little sister holding her paw. Violet nodded, and Lisa took a deep breath.
“Okay, John, we’ll try it your way.”
“What?” Rollie exclaimed. “Are you nuts? I say we hole up in some tree and wait those haakönen out.”
Lisa shook her head. “No, John’s right. We have to get out of this forest. You saw what that haakönen did to Billy. I won’t just sit around here waiting for the same thing to happen to my sister.”
Rollie looked down and said nothing.
Lisa turned back to John. “So, what’s the plan?”
John pulled out the map. “Well, first we have to get across this river.”
“How?” Lisa asked. “We’ll be swept away.”
“That is, if we’re not dashed against those rocks first,” Rollie added.
John had to agree. “Maybe we can find a safer place to cross. Come on.”
They followed the winding river, sticking to the cover of the trees. After an hour, they found a spot where it seemed a little less treacherous.
“It’s still pretty wide,” John said, “but there aren’t as many rocks here.” He looked up at the sky. “But it will be dark soon. Let’s make camp for the night. We can cross in the morning.”
Lisa slumped down against a tree. Rollie and John looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Rollie nodded his head towards her. “You better go talk to her, John.”
John took a deep breath before walking over and sitting beside her. He took her paw in his. After a few minutes, she looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry about Billy,” John said.
“It’s just not right,” Lisa said. “He was so young—not much older than me.”
“Far too young,” John agreed.
“And for what? Three stupid points in a senseless game?” She clenched her fists. “Those haakönen will pay for this.”
“I hope you’re right, Lisa.”
“I have to be—for Billy’s sake. He was more than just some marks on a scoreboard; he won’t be erased so easily. I won’t let him be forgotten. Not like this.”
“You two were getting pretty close, huh?”
Lisa gave a slight smile. “He was sweet. I really liked him.”
“And I could tell he liked you, too. In fact, I suspect Billy led a pretty miserable life until he met you. Maybe you can take some comfort in knowing you brought a little happiness into his life, even if it was all too brief.”
Lisa sniffled. “I know he made some mistakes in the past, but once he got away from all that, you could see what a good person he was. He didn’t deserve to die like this.”
“No, he didn’t. But he’s in a better place now.”
Lisa looked at the dark forest around them. “That’s not saying much.”
John snorted. “No, I guess not.”
Lisa gave a grim smile of her own and wiped her eyes.
John placed a paw on her shoulder. “I don’t mean to be callous, Lisa, but right now, I need you to focus on the living. Your sister needs you. We all need you.”
“I know. I’ll pull it together, John.”
“Atta girl. Sit tight; I’ll go find us some food.”
“No, I’ll go. I can’t just sit here. I’ll go crazy thinking about… all this.”
“We couldn’t start a fire if we wanted to,” Rollie mumbled. “We lost our only fire kit.”
Lisa shot him a venomous look as they disappeared into the trees. After they were gone, Violet spread out her tarp and huddled with John underneath it.
“I think Lisa might kill Rollie,” Violet whispered.
“No, she won’t,” John said. “She’s just grieving for Billy.”
“What’s grieving?”
“It’s when you get really sad. After you’ve lost someone you cared about, it’s only natural to get angry. Lisa might lash out, say things she doesn’t mean. But she’s just grieving, so take it easy on her, okay?”
“Okay, John, I will. How long do you think she’ll grieve for?”
“I don’t know. Everybody’s different, I suppose.”
“Have you ever grieved?”
“Yes, Violet, I have.”
“For how long?”
John twisted his wedding band. “A long, long time.”
“Oh.”
Violet placed her head on his shoulder. They rested under the tarp until Lisa and Rollie returned.
“No berries this time,” Lisa said, “but we found these nuts. I’m afraid there’s not much to go around.”
“It’ll have to do,” John said. They sat in a circle and ate the bitter nuts. As the nearby river roared, a sudden thought struck John. “Can everybody swim?”
Lisa and Violet nodded, but Rollie pretended not to hear the question as he stared into the dark forest.
“Rollie?” John asked.
“What?”
“I asked you if you can swim.”
“Of course I can swim. Like a fish.”
“But…”
“It’s just, well, I’m not particularly fond of getting wet.”
“We can tell,” Violet said, holding her nose.
John stifled a chuckle. “But can you make it across the river, Rollie?”
“Ten-to-one says I beat you across, city-boy.” He turned to Violet and whispered, “Last one across is a rotten acorn.”
Violet rolled her eyes.
John doubted Rollie’s boast, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t just leave him behind, no matter how much trouble he had been. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s just try to get some sleep. We’ll cross the river in the morning.”
They huddled together under the tarp, but sleep did not come easy. The nearby river roared loudly—almost loud enough to mask the sound of Lisa softly crying.
Chapter 15
JUST BREATHE
It’s not the fall into water that results in drowning.
It’s the failure to surface.
John awoke to what sounded like pinecones in a coffee grinder, but upon rolling over, he realized it was just Rollie snoring. The sun was rising over the trees. Violet lay curled up next to him under the tarp, sucking on her thumb. He realized Lisa was no longer with them. Looking over, he saw her sitting at the base of a tree with her head held in her paws. Being careful not to wake the others, John walked over to her.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Lisa replied without looking up.
“Are you okay?”
She raised her head; her eyes were red but dry.
At least she’s stopped crying, John thought.
“I’m fine,” she said. “We should get moving.”
“Right.”
John woke the others and they headed to the edge of the trees. Before them lay the river, running fast and wide. John scanned the sky; he didn’t see any sign of the haakönen. “Let’s go.”
The roar of the river grew deafening as the squirrels approached. Standing on its banks, John could see clear through to the bottom; it was rather deep. He looked over at Rollie, who had a concerned look on his face.
“Are you sure you can make it across?” John asked.
“Humph,” Rollie snorted. “Just watch me!” He stuck a toe in the water. “Oh! It’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold!”
“That’s not exactly confidence-inspiring, Rollie.”
“Oh, come on, you babies,” Lisa said. She dived in and broke to the surface. “Whoo! That’s brisk! Hurry up and grow a pair.”
Violet laughed and dived in after her sister. John watched as the two girls swam across. He was relieved to see they were both strong swimmers.
“Well, bugger me,” Rollie said with a grimace as he waded in. “Sonofafish!”
Fortunately, the roar of the river muffled most of Rollie’s curses. The expletives seemed to grow more colorful as the water crept higher up his body.
“Move it, Rollie,” John called from the riverbank. “The girls are already halfway across.”
“Don’t rush me! Ooh! Ahh!” As the water reached Rollie’s crotch, he cried, “Oh, my lucky spoon!” before diving in.
John watched him from the shore. Although Rollie looked rather pathetic with his awkward paddle, he was making respectable progress. Once he had made it halfway across, John felt a little better. He tucked the dagger and map into his jumpsuit and secured the compass in his pocket before diving in.
Oh, my lucky spoon, indeed! The frigid water was shocking, but bearable. He began swimming across with long strokes.
Billy would have been good at this, John thought. He would have been the first of us to cross.
He spied Rollie far ahead of him in the river and pulled harder.
I won’t hear the end of it if I don’t catch Rollie. We’ll just see who the rotten acorn is…
The strong current pulled the swimmers to the south as they approached the opposite shore. Just a little ways down the river, the violent rapids broke against the rocks, but John thought they should make it across before getting pulled into them.
Lisa made it to the other side first and helped her sister to the shore. They stood on the bank, watching the other two squirrels make their way across. Despite his best efforts, John still trailed Rollie.
I gave him too much of a lead.
Rollie reached the bank and pulled himself out of the water, then collapsed to the ground, sputtering.
John was still thirty yards out when he heard the screech. He looked up but couldn’t see anything. The girls pointed to the sky and yelled, but John couldn’t make out what they were saying over the roar of the river. He remembered what Hugh had said.
They’ll attack from the sun.
John shaded his eyes and looked into the rising sun, catching the outline of the silver haakönen; it was diving right for him.
John knew he wouldn’t make it to the riverbank in time. He took a deep breath and dived as deep as he could. The water grew colder as he descended. He could see the riverbed just a few feet below.
Turning on his back, he looked up through the water. The blurry outline of the haakönen was approaching fast. John realized the diving bird could still see him through the clear river. He grasped the dagger and held it in front of him with both paws.
The silver haakönen tucked his wings and dived headfirst for the submerged squirrel. A splash erupted from the river as he broke through its surface.
John could see the haakönen’s fierce amber eyes coming for him. He braced himself for impact.
The haakönen’s beak sliced through the river, honing in on John like an arrow. The haakönen bit down on John’s shoulder, cutting through his jumpsuit and into his fur. His momentum propelled them both deeper.
John felt the riverbed against his back as they bottomed out. The impact knocked his glasses off and forced the air out of his lungs. He was trapped under the weight of the haakönen. His thoughts flashed to Sharon, and then the girls back on shore.
This is it. If the haakönen doesn’t kill me, the river will.
Suddenly, the haakönen’s bite loosened. John looked into the bird’s unblinking eyes, just inches from his own. The haakönen’s beak lay open, unmoving.
; He’s dead! Could he have drowned so soon?
As the current dragged them along the riverbed, John tried to pull away from the motionless haakönen, but he couldn’t separate himself. He realized it was the dagger holding him fast; it was buried deep in the haakönen’s neck.
He released the dagger and pushed away from the lifeless bird, finally breaking free. The haakönen’s body floated down the river, carried away by the swift current. The cut on John’s shoulder bled profusely, turning the water to scarlet. John was running out of air, but he could not find the strength to swim to the surface. His vision began to grow dark in the blood-filled water.
At least I took one of them with me…
It was the motion that caught his eye. Something was swimming towards him through the bloodied water— something rather small. John watched in fascination as the tiny creature drew near, for a moment forgetting his own perilous situation. The creature stopped in front of John, his little legs kicking as he treaded water.
It was a frog, all green except for his yellow belly. He blinked his eyes at John and smiled.
“Hello, John Grey,” the frog said. “Fine morning, isn’t it?”
“Truthfully, I’ve had better,” John replied. “Forgive me, but have we met?”
“We’ve never been formally introduced.”
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. Might I ask your name?”
“I have many names, but you can call me Charon.”
“That’s funny, my wife’s name is Sharon.”
“I know it is, John Grey. I recently spoke to your wife.”
“That’s… that’s not possible. None of this is possible—frogs can’t even talk.”
“And squirrels can’t breathe underwater. Yet here we are, having this lovely conversation.”
John pondered this for a moment. Am I dreaming, or am I dead? “So we are,” he said. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did you and my wife talk about?”
“We talked about many things—life, love, death. But mostly she talked about you.”
“She did?”
“Yes, she wanted me to tell you something.”