Wolf Storm

by Dee Garretson

  “How do you know what a wolf would or wouldn’t do?’

  A louder howl came from both outside and above their heads.

  “That’s not my imagination,” Raine said.

  Chapter 9

  Nightfall

  “What if it’s that wolf Stefan saw this morning?” Jeremy said, his voice wavering. “What if it sneaked inside earlier and it’s been hiding here all day? There are lots of empty rooms upstairs.”

  Jeremy sounded exactly like Stefan’s brothers whenever he was babysitting them. They were sure the instant his mom closed the door behind her, all the hidden monsters were going to pop out. He always had to take action fast before they scared themselves silly. “I’ll prove there’re no wolves inside.” Stefan pointed in the direction of the lobby. “Come on, let’s go look.”

  “I’m not staying here by myself!” Raine said.

  The three of them walked out of the dining room and paused at the bottom of the central staircase. “I don’t hear anything now.” Stefan tried to sound optimistic.

  “It’s only been a few seconds,” Jeremy said.

  When they reached the second floor, it was completely empty and silent except for a faint snore coming from what Stefan assumed was Cecil’s door. Raine made a face at it. Stefan hadn’t noticed before, but the hall smelled like Cecil’s pipe tobacco and pine. It was a good smell, not the least bit spooky.

  The staircase to the third floor was at one end of the hallway. It was much narrower than the main one, the boards so worn down they sagged in the middle. “I hope somebody checked these out,” Stefan said, worrying the wood was rotten.

  “I’ll go first.” Raine moved in front of him and started creeping slowly up the stairs. They creaked but held. She stopped and looked back at them, beaming. “This is so great! I feel just like Nancy Drew! I wish I’d brought a flashlight. On the cover of The Hidden Staircase, she has a flashlight to light the way.”

  And Raine was the one who thought Cecil bizarre. “Um . . . okay . . . Can we keep going, Nancy?” Stefan said.

  A noise, like scratching or skittering, came from above them before anyone could answer Stefan.

  “There’s something up there,” Raine whispered.

  “It’s mice, I’m sure,” Stefan spoke as loud as he could. “You don’t need to whisper. They know we’re here.”

  Another faint howl echoed down the stairs.

  “I didn’t know mice could howl,” Raine said. “Unless they are werewolf mice. Or I guess they would just be called weremice. You know, that might make a great story!”

  The image of tiny shaggy mice with ferocious teeth wasn’t something Stefan needed to think about. “Raine, can we concentrate and keep going?”

  At the top of the stairs the scent of tobacco and pine disappeared, replaced by a musty smell, and the odor of . . . of peanut butter. The skittering sounds came from one room about midway down. The door was ajar, a light shining from it. As they started toward it, a white shape burst out and glided silently down the hall away from them, disappearing into the last room at the end.

  “It’s a ghost!” Jeremy screamed, clutching Stefan’s arm.

  “It’s an owl,” Stefan said, after he got his voice back. “They don’t make any noise when they fly. I bet it lives in here just like barn owls live in barns, catching mice. I told you the place would be crawling with them.”

  “Wow! An owl in a hotel!” Raine exclaimed. “This is going to make a great story to tell reporters! I want to see what’s in that room. Maybe there’s a nest.”

  Inside the room were two open duffel bags on the floor and a jumble of clothes. The peanut butter smell came from a tipped-over open jar of peanut butter on the nightstand. Peanut butter mouse tracks made a path across the table and down to the floor.

  “There’s where the noise is coming from.” Stefan pointed at a receiver on the dresser. “It’s a sound monitor. The other part must be in the wolves’ motor home so the trainers can hear what’s going on. This is the trainers’ room.”

  Another howl came from the monitor. Jeremy crossed over to the window. “Why do you think they are howling? Maybe something is wrong.”

  Stefan joined him, not able to remember if there had been any lights on earlier in the motor home. It was completely dark now. He could just make out the door, swinging back and forth in the wind. Every once in a while a particularly strong gust would push it against the side of the vehicle, and each time it hit, one of the wolves howled.

  “They sound really unhappy. Why isn’t the wolf handler taking care of it? Isn’t he out there with them?” Raine asked.

  “No. He went into town with my aunt to have dinner.”

  “They left the wolves here all alone?” Jeremy said.

  “I think wolves can take care of themselves. They’ve been doing it for thousands of years.”

  “These wolves are locked in cages. How are they supposed to take care of themselves?” Jeremy sounded indignant.

  “It’s not like the handlers sleep in there with them anyway. You’ve seen the place. It’s as nice in there as it is in here.”

  “Maybe they’re upset because Inky isn’t there. Someone needs to go out and fasten the door,” Raine said. “So they don’t get cold.”

  They both looked at Stefan. “Good idea,” he said. “Raine, why don’t you go?”

  “I didn’t mean me. I want to get back to studying.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Jeremy said.

  Stefan sighed. He knew the wolves wouldn’t stop howling with the door banging. “Okay, but we’re just fastening the door and leaving. It’s really cold out.”

  “Great! I want to get my flashlight first.” Jeremy ran out of the room, and Stefan wondered why he sounded so excited about going out in the cold and the dark.

  Raine walked over to the window. “I think this is what they call a real blizzard now. Look how the wind is blowing. You should tie yourselves together with ropes so you don’t get lost. I read that in a book once, Little House on the Prairie, I think. You can get lost just a few feet from your own door and freeze to death. Maybe I’ll go with you after all.” For some reason she sounded thrilled at the idea of braving the storm. “Where do we get some rope?” She ran to the hallway like she was expecting to find a hardware store there.

  “Raine, I’m sure we can make it out and back long before you could find enough rope. We’re not out on the prairie. Why don’t you stand at the door and yell for us if it looks like we’re getting lost?”

  This satisfied her, but once Stefan and Jeremy left the lodge, Stefan wished they had followed her idea. The wind sliced into him, blasting so much snow at his face he could only see a few feet in front of him. Jeremy grabbed onto his coat and buried his own face in the fabric of Stefan’s. It was really dark. The only illumination came from the windows of the lodge, and they were already getting snow-covered again, so that they glowed very faintly, like candles almost spent. The motor home seemed so much farther away than Stefan remembered.

  When they finally reached it, the door had slammed shut, and Stefan had to wrench it back open. Inside, he groped for the switch, but when he moved it up and down, nothing happened.

  “Why aren’t the lights going on?” Jeremy asked.

  “The power’s out. A line from the main building to here is probably down.” Stefan hadn’t noticed one on the walk out here, and it made him very nervous to think of a live power line hidden somewhere under the snow. The place was already freezing, so Stefan pulled the door closed after them.

  Jeremy shone his flashlight around the room and it reflected off the eyes of the wolves as it passed over them. They were all sitting upright by the doors of their cages, except for Phoebe, who was gnawing on the latch. Natasha growled when she saw them.

  “We’ll have to take them inside with us,” Jeremy said. “They’ll get too cold out here, don’t you think?”

  “They won’t get too cold. We’ll just shut the door. They have fur coats and the
y are wolves. Regular wolves live outside in the winter.” Their glowing eyes made Stefan uneasy. The animals looked wilder and bigger in the dark.

  “But these aren’t regular wolves. We can’t leave them out here. It’s up to us to take care of them.”

  “Jeremy, I’m not the guy here who gets to decide stuff.” Stefan didn’t want to get into any more trouble. After hurting one wolf, what would they say if he let the others out?

  “You’re the oldest here, I mean besides Cecil, and he’s sleeping, and the cook, and she doesn’t speak English. It’s just like in our movie—because no one else is here, you’re in charge.”

  “This isn’t the movie, though, and people will be back in a few hours. What if they run off?”

  “We’ll put leashes on them!”

  Stefan could tell the kid wasn’t going to give up. A tremendous burst of wind shook the vehicle so hard, it tilted to one side. Boris barked and the other two wolves wagged their tails excitedly. Phoebe reached her nose up to the wire of the cage.

  “What if the motor home tips over?” Jeremy asked.

  “I don’t know if it can tip over.” He didn’t want to find out, but maybe it would be better to take the wolves inside. Maybe Hans would forgive him for hurting Inky if he took care of these wolves. He hesitated, unsure which was the best choice. When the motor home swayed again he made a decision. “Okay, I guess we can’t leave them out here.”

  They opened the cage doors. Boris and Phoebe came out, but Natasha refused. She stood at the back of the cage, a low rumble coming from her throat.

  “Let’s go,” Stefan said to her, swinging her door open as wide as possible. The rumble grew louder.

  “Or let’s not go.” He took his hand away from the door slowly.

  “We can’t just leave her here.”

  “I’m not going to reach in there and get bitten. We’ll just leave. Maybe she’ll follow Boris.” He snapped a leash on Boris’s collar and then turned to Phoebe. She shrank away from him. “I’m not coming after you,” he said to the wolf. “You’ll have to make up your own mind.” He still felt uncomfortable treating them exactly like dogs. Even dogs would bite if you tried to force them to do something they didn’t want to.

  When he tried to open the door to the outside, he couldn’t. It felt like someone was standing outside pushing against it.

  “Here, take Boris’s leash,” Stefan said, handing the end to Jeremy. He braced his foot more firmly on the floor and used both hands to shove on the door. It opened a few inches and then the wind caught it, blowing it open and banging it against the outside wall again. Wind and snow rushed in, and Stefan fell back. The storm was a frenzy now. He could see a wall of swirling white outside, but he couldn’t see the lodge anymore. It was unbelievable.

  “Jeremy, I think we should stay here until the storm calms down.” The motor home rocked to one side, and Stefan had to grab the door frame to keep his balance. He could hear one of the wolves slipping across the floor, its toenails scraping against the linoleum. The door slammed shut.

  “We can’t! What if the whole thing tips over?” Jeremy sounded panicky.

  Stefan didn’t know what to do. Even if the vehicle was stable enough, could they spend the night here with no lights and no heat? The motor home shifted again and Jeremy made a noise like a sob.

  That decided it. “Okay, we’ll go. I’ll get the door open again and then hold it so it won’t hit the wolves. You lead Boris out.” He handed the leash to Jeremy. “Just walk in the direction of the lodge and we’ll be able to see it soon.” He hoped that was true, and that people didn’t really get lost in blizzard just a few feet from safety. Stefan was ready for the door this time. He grabbed hold and shoved out just enough. When he felt the wind grab the door he went with it, out into the cold. The door hit against the side of the motor home, and Stefan flung himself flat against it, pushing his feet hard against the step.

  “Go, Jeremy!” When Jeremy stepped out, Stefan thought the wind was going to knock the boy over, but Jeremy bent down and shuffled forward. Boris followed him, and Stefan was relieved to see Phoebe edge forward. She paused at the entrance and looked out into the whiteness. Jeremy had stopped and was looking back.

  “Keep moving!” Stefan yelled over the wind.

  When Jeremy and Boris had taken a few steps toward the lodge, Phoebe launched herself out the door after them, catching up quickly. Stefan peered back into the dark of the motor home. He couldn’t see Natasha. “I’m not waiting for you,” he said, feeling silly for talking to a wolf. Her head appeared, and then the rest of her. She didn’t even glance at Stefan; she just bent her head to go after the others. He saw Jeremy fall and flounder in the snow, so he let go of the door and jumped off the steps.

  Once he was out in the full force of the wind, he felt like he was trying to walk through solid air. He figured out a bent-over shuffling motion that helped him keep his balance, but each step took a concentrated effort. When he got to Jeremy, he reached down and hauled the boy up. Jeremy was shaking, one hand clutched to Boris’s fur.

  “It’s only a little farther!” Stefan thought he could make out a light from the lodge though the snow was caking his eyelashes so much he could hardy keep his eyes open. Grasping Jeremy’s arm with one hand he practically dragged him back to the lodge, while trying not to step on Boris, who was pressed against his other side.

  Luckily, Raine was waiting to open the door wide enough for them, so Stefan gave one last boost to Jeremy and pushed him through, collapsing next to him on the rug. Boris and Phoebe crowded in after them. Natasha stood for a moment outside like she was debating whether or not to enter, but she finally slunk in, keeping close to the wall. Raine slammed the door shut.

  Stefan lay for a minute trying to get his breath.

  “I didn’t think it was going to be that hard for you,” Raine said, her voice shaky. “I was about ready to come out and help.” She helped Jeremy up and began to brush the snow off of him.

  “That was really scary!” Jeremy said. “But it was worth it. We rescued the wolves!”

  Stefan sat up and pulled off his boots, rubbing his numb feet. He thought Boris was the only wolf who looked pleased to be “rescued.” Phoebe was crouched as close as she could to the door, and Natasha nosed at the door handle like she wanted it to open.

  “We’re not opening that door for you,” he said to her.

  “What do we do now?” Jeremy asked. “The wolves seem really nervous.”

  “Why don’t we just sit down and act normal, so the wolves will relax,” Raine suggested.

  The cook walked out of the dining room and shrieked in surprise, backing up and then peeking around the corner of the door frame. She gestured at them and the wolves, jabbering away.

  “It’s okay,” Stefan said, even though he knew she wouldn’t understand. “They’re tame.” He tried to smile reassuringly. How do you pantomime a tame wolf? He made patting motions with his hands and then realized how ridiculous that looked.

  The cook continued to talk. She pointed to the library, then pointed at the wolves, making sweeping motions with her hands.

  “She wants us to put them in there,” Raine said.

  “It’s probably not a bad idea,” Stefan said. “People will freak out when they get back here tonight and find a wolf lounging on the rug.” The cook threw her hands in the air and disappeared back into the dining room.

  “I don’t think anyone’s getting back here tonight,” Raine said, holding up her phone. “Mark, my mom, and Jeremy’s dad all called. Don’t either of you have your phones with you?”

  Jeremy patted at his pockets. “I guess it’s in my room. I forget to carry it around. Did my dad sound mad?”

  “No. He just wanted to make sure you were okay. And now my mom called and said there was an accident on the bridge right outside the village. They think the bridge might be damaged and they’re not letting anyone across it right away. They have to wait until morning to see how much damage the
re is. There’s no other way up here.” Raine smiled.

  “Does Mark know there’s no one here but us and Cecil and the cook?” Jeremy asked.

  “No, he called first, and when I talked to him I thought the parental types were coming back tonight so I didn’t tell him. And there was no way I was telling my mom.”

  “Maybe we should call my dad,” Jeremy said. “We can’t be here by ourselves.”

  “We’re not by ourselves. What can they do anyway? If they can’t get across the bridge how are they supposed to get here? We’re fine.” Raine laughed. “I stay at home with just a housekeeper all the time. And she’s so busy watching television, she wouldn’t notice if I left for a few days. It’s great when you think about it. We’re snowbound!” She twirled around. “No one to bother us!”

  “But they’ll be worried, don’t you think, Stefan?”

  “No they won’t,” Raine answered for him. “I didn’t tell him you were out collecting wolves. It’s usually better not to let adults know things that will worry them. There’s no point in getting everyone all crazy. You do not want to see my mother in one of her lunatic modes.”

  “What about your aunt, Stefan? Won’t she be worried?” Jeremy asked.

  Stefan doubted if Heather had given much thought to him, and his mom would have no reason to call back in the next few hours. “No, Heather won’t worry, and no one should try to drive in this anyway. It’s snowing way too hard now.”

  Raine’s phone rang. “Hello?” she said. “I can’t hear you very well.” After a few seconds she handed the phone to Stefan. “It’s your aunt.”

  Sometimes Heather surprised him. “Hi, Heather?” There was music blasting in the background.

  “Stefan,” Heather yelled. “I heard we can’t get back tonight. Everything okay?”

  He hesitated. Raine was right. What good would it do to worry people?

  “Everything’s fine.”

  “What?” she yelled.

  “FINE! I’ll see you in the morning.”