Winter's Fury - Volume Two of The Saga of the Twelves

by Richard M. Heredia

  What about going to school and getting an education? If he was gone that long, how could he hope to get into a good college without the proper schooling?

  What about Leeda, his dog?!? Who was going to take care of her? Who was going to feed her or brush her hair? With his father gone so much of the time, who was going to walk her? Who was going to help her get her exercise and keep her strong and healthy…?

  His mother was more afraid of the huge lumbering pet who had come home as a tiny piebald pup and had grown into an eighty pound behemoth of a dog.

  How would she going to fill her food bowl, if she was so afraid of her?

  “Louis… Louis! Jeez, man, why do you zone out so much?” asked Elena in a huff.

  “W-what?” he croaked through a constricting throat. All at once, he was deathly frightened for the life of his dog back home.

  “I was talking to you and you were just staring off, looking at nothing. What’s wrong with you?” she scolded him, frustration scrawled on her face.

  “Oh,” he began, “Sorry, I was… just thinking. What were you saying?”

  “I was trying to change the subject, you dope. Thoughts of home are just too sad to talk about right now. Plus, I don’t want to cry anymore,” she explained with a wistful expression. “I wanted to talk about something funny or cheerful.” She added the latter with a slight pep in her voice.

  Agreeing with her in his mind, the topic of home was a little too depressing to want to deal with at the moment. He asked, “What were you talking about?”

  Her smile was mischievous. “I think Andrew likes the new girl.”

  That made Louis burst with laughter. He was grateful for her in that second. “You do?”

  “Yeah, totally. Look at the way he is just staring down at her, like he’s trying to memorize her or something.”

  He followed her gaze.

  Maybe that’s why he is sitting still for once. The felt himself flush as his mind raced. He likes her!

  “I think you are right,” he consented.

  They both continued to peer over at the tall, lanky teen in the speeding cart next to them. His boney limbs protected the girl on just about every side as he stared down at her in deep thought, unmoving except for his eyes. Every few seconds, he would trace the side of her face where her hair touched the edge of her head.

  Neither of them could tell if she was conscious or not, but Louis presumed she was not. She was still lying limp in Andrew’s lap as if she were sound asleep.

  “Yeah, he likes her,” said Louis, echoing her sentiment.

  “I’ve known Andrew for a long, long time. I have never seen him sit still that long,” noted Elena with a nod in the older teen’s direction.

  “I know, huh!” yelped Louis, his eyes squelched shut by the force of massive grin. “I was thinking the same thing like only a few minutes ago. Isn’t that -.”

  “There it is!” exclaimed Mikalah from the front of the cart, pointing off to the left, some distance ahead of them.

  Both Louis and Elena scrambled to their knees to get a better look.

  Sure enough, there it was - the Eagle Rock Plaza in its entirety complete with a snow covered, multi-story parking lot.

  It was just as Luis remembered, a double-leveled structure about three to three and a half football fields in length. At one end was a huge Target store (the end closer to them) and a Macy’s at the other. Between the two anchor stores were a myriad of small shops of all sorts. There was a Cheek E. Cheese and a small fish market, reeking of various fresh seafood stuffs every time Louis had walked past it.

  He craned his neck around the heads of the girls. He caught a glimpse of Anthony yelling something at Garfield. He had no idea what they'd communicated in those silent seconds. He watched as the big cat, glancing back in the direction of their party, altered his direction. He angled toward two ramps of the parking lot. There was one leading to the snowbound upper lot. The other led down, into the darkened, semi-subterranean lower level.

  The rest of the group altered course to follow Garfield.

  The feline, not hesitating in the least, vanished into the murk of the lower lot.

  It was clear to Louis that Anthony wanted to get out of the storm as fast as possible. The fastest way to do just that was to get under the cover of concrete and steel.

  He noticed the pathway had widened a bit, opening up to the width of a street, one more reminiscent of what he would have seen at home. The way continued on around the mall in the same direction as Colorado Boulevard would have been in his own world. There were no other paths or trails visible. Nothing angled away from the road. They jostled to and fro, as Kenai pulled them over terrain more uneven than what they had traversed prior.

  The sisters were both “whoa-ing” and “whooping” as they bounced and bumped, getting nearer and nearer to the ramp.

  He managed a quick glance backward, seeing Joaquin and Jason running hard behind the sled-tied carts.

  The girls ran behind the teenage boys.

  Derek was trailing even farther back, helping the lagging Hyun, who was clearly struggling with the injuries to her back.

  Mr. Patas brought up the extreme rear. He was just on the edge of his vision, pausing now and then to listen. Then he would make incredible leaps upon his strange, but wonderful toes. He would make up the ground he had lost in huge, twenty-five foot chunks.

  The next moment, they plunged into an even darker gloom as the bear-dog pulled them up and over a small rise in the ground. They plummeted down the ramp, into the lower level of the parking lot.

  Louis glanced around hoping to see the usual cars and SUV’s he was so accustomed to seeing when he visited the mall with his mother.

  His hopes dashed.

  The entire parking lot was empty. It was devoid of motor transportation and people. Even the many pigeons that used to roost in the more secluded corners of the crenellating ceiling were gone.

  He had only a few moments to ponder this. Kenai and the rest of the group, not breaking stride or slowing, made for the three sets of double doors. Each of them led into the “super” general store - your friendly neighborhood Target.

  A few seconds later, they were there.

  They had made it. An impromptu, though subdued cheer sounded when Garfield walked right up to one of the entrances and pushed the electronic doors open wide with his a large snout.

  It’s not locked! thought Louis. Maybe we will find what we need after all.

  Maybe…

  ~~~~~~~<<< ᴥ >>>~~~~~~~

  ~ 20 ~

  Mesmerized

  Day Four, Sunday, 9:59 am…

  Unaware he was doing so, Andrew was looking down at the girl in his lap for a second or two after Kodiak stopped in front of the entrance to the store.

  He had felt her stiffen unexpected against his thighs. She gasped, an almost inaudible sound escaping through her lips. Her dark eyes were opened, searching his face. Her brow pinched together, shock and something else he could not quite pin-point upon her visage. She did not move or say anything, but remained in stunned silence.

  In that first fleeting moment, he did not think much of it. But when her body did not relax against his and she continued to stare, he began to get the impression she did not like the fact he was holding her.

  For the moment, he did not know what to do.

  Her expression changed, no longer a thing of misunderstanding or wonderment or even bewilderment. There was recognition in her gaze – realization, comprehension.

  It was so profound, he could only stare back for a second, then another. It hit him like a num-chuck wielding ninja.

  She knows who I am!

  He felt himself withdraw from her before he realized what he was doing so. He let his arms loosen, his legs relax. He no longer formed a shield against the weather, his heart thudding against the ribs of his chest. Fuck me, man! Please, don’t let her think I’m some kind of creep. Embarrassment began to fill his face. He tried to fight the sen
sation, but failed the moment her eyes found his and locked in place.

  Her expression did not soften; her body remained rigid and unyielding. And yet, she did not shy away or move to sit up.

  “Andrew Ibarra, you should get that girl out of this abhorrent cold. Get her into the marketplace as soon as possible,” boomed Kodiak from the front end of the cart.

  Her voice started him so bad he was a hair's width from shouting with fright. It was only because something, somewhere in the back of his mind, told him who was speaking. Thus, he was able to hold back and not cry out.

  Then, he saw the girl’s orbs follow the source of the thunderhead voice. The small teenage girl in his lap suddenly bled stark terror, a scream forming in her throat.

  “No, NO!” he bellowed, saying it as quick as he could, trying to stop her from losing it. “She’s on our side! Don’t panic she won’t hurt you! I promise!”

  The girl looked from him to Kodiak, back and forth, in rapid succession. Her features drew back in horror, undiminished, though she continued to gaze between them for quite some time.

  Great, now she does think I’m a freak or something, he thought, lost over what to say to her.

  “Wa-wa-what is th-that?” she said.

  He could just discern her words. Her throat sounded hoarse and raw, and made him wince. “Well, that is a long story. And circumstances being as they are, I don’t have the time to go to into right now, but I promise I will fill you in later. Ok?” he implored.

  She did not reply.

  “Umm, well, that aside, first things first. Ah… hi, my name is Andrew Ibarra, as you might have guessed already, and… Umm… Believe it or not, I’m a normal kid from Highland Park just as you, I presume. I, umm... well, we are both victims of a kidnapping. We've been… well, we're not home anymore. We're here in this fucked up place, a place you have been living in for what? Four days now? I’m pretty sure you’re freakin’ pissed off about that, huh?” He hoped he was not smiling all Manson-like. “That’s natural though, so don’t worry about it. Every single one of us is just as angry and hurt as you, especially about all this stupid shit going on. Right?” He bobbed his head, trying to get her to respond.

  She just stared.

  “So, you cool? You ok?”

  She continued to search him, one eye at a time.

  “So, anyway, as I was saying, me and my friends found you in the snow just about frozen to death. Since I was the only with a blanket… umm… we wrapped you in it. We were hoping to warm you up enough so you’d recover. When we got you situated and all, you ah… sort of passed out and went to sleep. You were pretty much done from the cold.” He surprised himself when he found his voice did not quiver. He was able to express his thoughts with some semblance of clarity. This despite the fact inside, he was all knotted and twisted with emotion. His mind was reeling, completely overloaded.

  She seemed to pause, whatever she had been thinking arrested. Her movements stopped, though she still wore a frown as she mentally digested what he had said to her.

  Andrew watched the fear drain from her face as her attention continued to sweep from him to the bear-dog and back again. Wary curiosity flashed behind her eyes. The first shreds of hope surfaced onto her visage.

  Andrew could only wonder at what she was thinking. She was confounding. Her emotions were too swift to follow.

  Still, she had not moved from his lap and only gazed at him with ever-changing orbs.

  “Are you ok? I mean are you strong enough to walk?” he prompted, again uneasy and uncertain.

  She swallowed deep. It looked like it hurt her to do so, because her frown deepened into a grimace of pain. Her attempt to clear her throat made it worse. She coughed a few times, her body clenching with each convulsive spasm.

  “A-ah c-crap that h-hurt… D-do… y-y-you… have any water?” she uttered, hoarse, wriggling free one of her hands to rub at her throat.

  Andrew glanced around to find most of his companions had already gone into the store. Mr. Patas and Anthony were talking just outside the entrance. Sophie was disconnecting the straps from Kodiak, having already finished with Kenai.

  “Hey guys, we got any water with us?” inquired Andrew with a slight hint of urgency. He was adamant she would not feel any more discomfort than was necessary.

  They all stopped what they were doing to look at him. Sophie and Kodiak were grinning at him as if they shared some private joke he did not understand.

  He was about to ask, but Anthony spoke first.

  “Bro, you sitting on all the supplies we brought with us. I’m pretty sure there were a few water bottles in the mix…,” he pointed out with a smirk. His lips he had pulled to one side of his face, skewing his entire expression.

  Andrew stared back and felt heat rush to the surface of his face. All this time he had been sitting on or amongst all the items that had brought with them from the cave – the first aid kit, snacks, water, rope. He had plopped his narrow ass atop of it all, and he had not felt a thing. He had not even realized how uncomfortable they were to sit on, especially with the added weight of the girl in his lap.

  What the hell is wrong with me? he asked himself when he gazed down at her again, mortified, knowing full well she would think him was a complete nut-job by now. Why can I never be smooth or cool with girls like Anthony?

  Still, as he looked at her once again, all the awkwardness seemed to float away like smoke on the wind. He felt something tug at him somewhere far down, at the incalculable middle of himself. It was unlike anything he had felt before, something beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

  “Water?” croaked the girl for a second time.

  What is happening? he thought, distraught. Then he shook the bewildering thought from his mind. He began to rummage about the cart, hoping to grab a hold of something plastic or, for the most part, cylindrical.

  He did not have to search over long though. When he snaked his arm behind himself, he found he had been resting upon two large, thirty-two ounce bottles of water all along. Though it had been freezing outside, he hoped his body heat had kept them from icing up completely. As quick as possible, he yanked one from the back of the cart and brought it around. He noticed, though it was not iced solid, it was mere degrees from being so.

  “Do you think you could drink it even though it’s like super-cold?” he asked, raising his eyebrows, prompting her to reply.

  “I-I… think so,” she whispered and then cleared her throat again, cringing with hurt.

  “Ok, let me help you sit up a bit,” Andrew urged as he placed one of his arms under her shoulders and helped her sit. He had to move a bit to accommodate her new position. It was not a difficult move. He uncrossed his lower limbs and opened them as wide as the width of the cart would allow. She sat in the middle of them perpendicular to his chest, her back leaning against one of his long, bent legs.

  She took the water bottle from him, unscrewed the top and brought it to her lips, taking a tentative sip.

  Andrew watched, enraptured with the smallness of her. It was not as though she was different than any other pretty girl he had seen over his sixteen years. She was just made in miniature. He found, because of that, he could not help but stare.

  She swallowed with her eyes closed as if she expected some new source of agony. But, she did not give any sign she felt any after a few gulping swallows. She opened her eyes and smiled at Andrew, a brightening of her face. Then she took a few more pulls of water that seemed to please her to the fullest. When she came up for air afterward, breathing huge and rapid, she put down the bottle and looked back at Andrew. “You have no idea how good that tasted.” Her voice was an unexpected huskiness.

  Andrew knew it was not the normal way she talked, rather one belying hardship and abuse.

  “It numbed my throat, the water being so cold and all.” Her smile was enough to make that strange thing in the center of him tug once more.

  She must have gone through hell these past four days. It m
ust have been horrific - alone, cold, hungry…

  She was staring at him now with pure interest etched on her face. Her dark eyes still searched, but no longer were they accusatory.

  They alone were enough to break Andrew’s train of thought. “Better now?” he questioned, hesitant, not wanting to upset her in any way.

  “Is all well, Andrew Ibarra?” queried Kodiak before the girl could respond.

  The bear-dog’s resounding voice caused her to twist to get a clear view. Instead of fear and anxiety overwhelming her as Andrew expected, her eyes bulged out of her head. It was as if she had forgotten about the hulking beast altogether.

  Andrew prayed she would not flip out as she gazed back at Kodiak in astonishment.

  She looked between Andrew and Kodiak with eyes so wide she was almost comical looking.

  Maybe she had not realized what she had been looking at before, he guessed to himself. Mentally, he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, she was recovering from hypothermia, right?

  Andrew grabbed a hold of one of her hands and gave it a quick squeeze. He knew it was a bold move, but he hoped his touch would reassure her and not offend her. He turned back toward Kodiak before she could react. “Everything is cool Kodiak. She looks a lot better than she did when we found her.”

  The massive animal harrumphed. “She is still cold, my dear, and this is worrisome. Water alone will not do. We have to get her inside and into some clothing better suited for this weather. And, we need to get something hot inside her belly to keep her from catching a chill, or something worse that may be beyond our means to cure.”

  That seemed to galvanize Andrew. He was wasting time goo-goo-eyeing the poor girl. “You’re right!” he said as he let go of the girl’s hand.

  She was still looking back and forth between the boy and the bear-dog with eyes as wide as saucers.