The Rules for Disappearing

by Ashley Elston

  Ethan just laughs. “You’ll see.”

  At the farm, we make our way back to one of the big sheds that houses all the tractors and equipment. There are a few men hanging around, all dressed like us.

  “You came!” Catherine calls out to me from the shed.

  She comes jogging over to where we are, Will following close behind her.

  “Hey! I didn’t know you’d be here.” This makes me feel so much better. I was really worried about being the only girl and possibly, no, probably, embarrassing myself.

  “Yeah, what could be more fun on a Sunday night than riding around in the dark looking for wild animals? Even with them here.” She points to another truck that Emma and Ben jump out of. Great.

  They keep their distance, and Catherine pulls me in the opposite direction, saying, “You’ve got to see this.”

  I get my first glimpse of the dogs. They look like biker dogs, with black vests and collars with metal pointy things. “What are they wearing?”

  Ethan comes up behind me and says, “Armor. The dogs are outfitted with Kevlar vests, chest armor, and extra-wide collars. It’ll protect them from major injury.”

  It’s official. I have left planet Earth. “Is that enough?” I don’t know how I feel about this. It seems cruel. “Do you have to use the dogs?”

  Ethan puts his arms around my waist and pulls me in. “I promise this isn’t as bad as you think. The dogs love it. They love the hunt. We rarely have an injury, and when we do it’s usually just a cut or gash that needs some stitches.”

  He moves his mouth close to my ear. “If at any point you want to stop, we’ll stop. Have you ever been hunting before?”

  I shake my head. I look at Catherine and ask, “Is this your first time, too?”

  “No, I’ve been a few times. It’s insane but fun.”

  “Whatcha talking about?” Will asks. He’s carrying a crate full of small electronic devices.

  “Meg’s a little nervous,” Catherine answers.

  Will laughs and says, “Don’t feel sorry for those hogs. They can destroy a whole field overnight. If we can’t get a handle on them we won’t have any farmland left.”

  “And this has to be done at night?” I ask.

  “Yeah, that’s when they’re on the move,” Ethan answers, then reaches into the crate and hands me one of the devices. “These are transmitters. They fit on the dog’s collar. We’ll have a GPS unit that tracks the signal. That’s how we follow the dogs in the dark.”

  This whole thing is bizarre, but it’s also pretty sophisticated. I watch as Ethan puts transmitters on all the dogs. We walk to a row of ATVs, Bandit following us closely, and I climb onto one behind Ethan. Bandit jumps on the back and settles in on the rack behind me.

  “Can he ride like that?” I ask.

  “Yes, he’s been riding there since he was a puppy. He’s fine.”

  Will and Catherine jump onto the ATV next to us.

  “Glad to see it’s not just you and Bandit tonight, Ethan. I was starting to worry about you,” Will jokes.

  “Ha. Ha. You’re just jealous my dog actually likes me.”

  Ben and Emma walk toward us, and the ribbing stops. There’s a definite change in Ethan’s mood when Ben gets near.

  I lean in close and whisper in Ethan’s ear. “Why is he here?”

  “His dad’s farm borders ours. Hogs are equal-opportunity nuisances—they don’t care whose property they’re on. Ben’s dad can be an asshole. If we invite him on the hunt, he won’t bitch about us riding across his land to catch one or get our dogs back—forget we’re doing him a favor by getting rid of them.” Ethan points to two men near the dog pens. “The one on the right is my dad, and the one on the left is Ben’s.”

  They have a map out and are studying it by flashlight. Ben’s dad is loud and moves his arms while he talks. A lot. The light from his flashlight dances through the night sky. Ethan’s dad shakes his head and points at the map, and then Ben’s dad stomps off.

  “I guess I don’t understand. Do your dad and Ben’s get along?” It sure doesn’t look like it.

  Ethan shifts toward me and says quietly, “Used to. It’s a long story and one I’d rather not get into right now.” He squeezes my hand to soften the brush-off.

  “Where’s Will’s dad?” I ask.

  Ethan laughs and points to a rather large man with the biggest beer belly I’ve ever seen. He’s leaning against a truck with a bottle in one hand and a cigar in the other.

  Ben and Emma get on the ATV one over from us just as the men let the dogs out. Before I can grasp what’s about to happen, the dogs are gone and the little light on the GPS unit starts blinking. Ethan cranks up the ATV and turns to me. He’s excited and pulls me in close. “Don’t freak out on me.”

  And then his lips are on mine. It’s a quick kiss but enough that I feel it in my belly.

  The ATV takes off, and I feel the urge to hold on to Bandit before he falls, but he’s standing on the back rack, feet firmly planted, and seems to be enjoying the ride. I glance behind and see that several others are following us. I lean forward and shout in Ethan’s ear so he can hear me over the roar of the engine. “Are we tracking all the dogs?”

  “No, we’re tracking the bay dogs. They go out and find a hog and corner him. Then the dads come in with the catch dogs. They’ll pin the hogs down.”

  “So what happens after that?” My voice sounds hysterical, but I can’t help it. We’re flying down the side of a field; empty raised rows on one side and woods on the other. Before Ethan can answer me, we turn into a break in the woods where everything is pitch-black except for our headlights. I look behind us and see that one other ATV has turned off, too.

  “Once the catch dog has the hog, we go in and tie him up. Mouth closed, feet together.”

  I wait for him to finish, but he doesn’t add anything else. We’re moving slower now that we’re in the woods, but still quicker than I’m comfortable with.

  “Then what?”

  Ethan maneuvers the ATV over a log, and adrenaline pumps through my system. I’m terrified and excited at the same time.

  He gets us back on somewhat flat ground and says, “We put them in a cage. Cart them off. We donate the hogs to a local group, who butcher them and distribute the meat to people who need it. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

  We ride through the woods for a while with the moon full above us. Once my eyes adjust to the darkness, I can see a break in the canopy of trees around us. It’s almost bright out here. Every little part of me feels alive.

  There’s no telling how many miles we’ve gone. The light on the GPS screen stops, and so does Ethan. It’s amazing how quiet it is once he cuts the engine. The other rider pulls up close and turns his ATV off, too. It’s Ben and Emma. We all look around, no one really wanting to make eye contact.

  I can hear the dogs barking in the distance, although I can’t see them. I finally whisper to Ethan, “What’s happening now?”

  “The dogs have found some hogs, but they’re circling around, probably trying to figure out how to get to them.”

  “How many will there be?” I ask.

  Ethan shrugs. “You never know. Sometimes one, sometimes two or three.”

  Ben yells out to Ethan, “I’m going to check it out.” And they’re gone.

  It’s just us, alone in the middle of the dark woods. Bandit jumps off and goes sniffing around. “Is he okay?”

  “Yeah, probably just stretching his legs.”

  It’s silent again except for the howling in the woods. My hands are on Ethan’s hips, and he pulls them forward so I’m hugging him from behind. He leans back, and I lay my chin on his shoulder.

  “Are you sorry you came?” he asks quietly.

  “No. Not yet, anyway,” I whisper in his ear, and bury my face against his back. Faster than I can think about what he’s doing, he spins me around until I’m straddling him and starts kissing me. I lock my legs around his waist and kiss him back. Our heavy c
oats make it hard to get too close, but I try anyway. He pulls my scarf off, and his lips find the spot on my neck I like so much.

  The rumble of an approaching ATV has me squirming back to my seat, but Ethan’s reluctant to let me go. I win in the end, just as Will and Catherine pull up to where we’re parked.

  “Where are the dogs?” Will asks.

  Ethan points to the patch of woods in front of us. “In there. Dumb-ass went to check it out.”

  Will and Catherine laugh while I struggle to get the scarf back on. Ethan keeps his hands on me—my leg, my arm, my hands. All this touching is so distracting.

  Ben and Emma fly out of the woods, and Ben yells, “I’m calling the dads.”

  Ethan picks up the GPS screen, studying it. “You need to make sure they got them first. Looks like the dogs are still circling around.”

  Ben’s phone is out and he’s dialing. Ethan seems pissed but doesn’t say anything else.

  “They’re gonna be mad if you call them too soon,” Will says in a low singsong voice.

  Ben shuts his phone. “I gave them our coordinates. They’re on their way.”

  We hear the approaching vehicle, and I move away from Ethan. I haven’t met his dad yet, so I’m not crazy about him catching us all cuddled up.

  Mr. Dufrene and Mr. Landry pull up on a larger all-terrain vehicle that has a small truck bed on the back that says RANGER on the side. Behind them are two kennels with dogs in them.

  Mr. Dufrene turns to Ben. “Where are they?”

  Ben points to the heavily wooded area in front of us. “In there.”

  “Are they pinned yet?” Mr. Landry asks.

  Ethan glances at the little lights on the GPS. “Not yet, still circling around.”

  “Why on God’s green earth did you call us if they weren’t pinned? The other group is closer to having one ready than y’all are.” Mr. Dufrene hits the steering wheel with his hat, then whips the vehicle around. Ethan’s dad throws us an apologetic look before they head back the way they came.

  Will leans forward on the handlebars of the ATV. “Told you not to call him.”

  Ben cranks his ATV and slams it into gear. His vehicle jumps, and he and Emma head into the wooded area. Emma glances back for a second—the look on her face shows she’s scared.

  “What the hell.” Ethan cranks our ATV and hollers to Bandit, “Load up.” The dog lands on the back of the ATV in one move, and we chase after Ben and Emma.

  Once we’re moving, I lean forward. “Is this bad?” I say, trying not to panic.

  “No, it’s fine. Ben’s an asshole. The dogs will get them, but Ben wanted to be the one to call the dads in. Everything’s a friggin’ competition with him.”

  It’s darker in this section—almost no light from the moon down here. I can hear the dogs ahead and the rumble of Ben’s ATV, but I can only catch a glimpse of his lights.

  The dogs go crazy. They’re yelping and howling, and then I hear another sound. It’s a loud grunting noise.

  “What is that?” Catherine asks.

  Ethan starts driving a little faster. “It’s a hog.” Our lights flash over Ben’s ATV, and we stop. Three bay dogs surround the hog, and they’re barking so loud it hurts my ears. Ben shifts around and I get my first glimpse of a feral hog.

  Oh. My. God. It’s huge.

  If I were standing next to it, it would come up to my hip. Its tusks are long and it’s jabbing at the dogs, but they seem very good at staying just out of range of the tusks.

  Ethan jumps off. He grabs something from a compartment on the back of the ATV and turns to me quickly. “Don’t move.” Will follows him, and Catherine starts her nervous giggling behind me.

  Now I’m really freaking out. They walk toward the hog, and I glance around nervously. What if there’s another one they don’t see and it comes after us? I look for Emma across the clearing and see she’s crawled up on the back of their ATV. She looks as scared as I feel. Ben’s on the phone. I’m assuming he’s called the dads again.

  Ben hangs up and shouts commands to the dogs, and Ethan starts yelling at him. I can’t make out any of the words over the barking dogs.

  The hog lunges in the direction of Ethan, and Bandit is off the ATV.

  “No, Bandit! Come back,” I scream. I chase after him, and Ethan yells something in my direction. I can’t make out the words, but I catch a glimpse of what he’s got in his hand. It’s a gun.

  Chills race down my back, and everything sounds like I’m underwater.

  I feel someone grab me from behind. Hands on my arms, pulling at me. I twist around and it’s Catherine. I yank free and start running.

  The hog lunges again, and there’s a gut-wrenching yelp. Will and Ben run toward Bandit. He’s lying on the ground, not moving. Ethan raises the gun at the hog, his body seeming to move in slow motion, and fires, the loud crack vibrating through me. It hurts as it travels through my body.

  Something wet sprays my face, and I wipe it off. My hand is covered in blood. The hog drops, and the smell of blood and gunpowder hover in the air. I fall to my knees in the dead crunchy grass. This is wrong. This shouldn’t be happening.

  My mind spins so fast, it makes me dizzy. Images start firing through my brain, but I can’t sort them out. I squeeze my eyes closed to make it stop, but it doesn’t work. I hold my head in my hands as every horrible image from my nightmares now plays in vivid color.

  Ethan drops down beside me. His mouth is moving, but I can’t understand the words, and the features of his face start to blur. The trees spin around me, and I can taste bile in my throat. I look at the gun where Ethan dropped it on the ground, and then at Bandit. Will is trying to stop the flow of blood. This is wrong. Catherine and Emma shout at each other, but I can’t hear them either, and Ben is back on the phone. There’s a humming in my ears that drowns out everything else. I shove my fingers into my ears, trying to make the sound go away.

  And then everything is black.

  RULES FOR DISAPPEARING

  BY WITNESS PROTECTION PRISONER #18A7R04M:

  Confine yourself to your living space as much as possible, especially at night. Remember, nothing good ever happens after midnight.

  I’M trapped in the room again. The voices are loud but distorted. There’s blood everywhere. I look down. It’s coming from me.

  I wake with a start. There’s a crowd over me, and Ethan helps me up to a sitting position.

  I lean back from everyone and ask, “What happened?” My throat feels rough and scratchy.

  Ethan’s brow scrunches up. “You started screaming and then passed out. How do you feel?”

  I’m looking at Ethan’s face, but that’s not what I see. I’m back in that room from my nightmare. I’m behind something. A couch. It’s leather. It’s so real, it’s like I’m actually there, right now. I reach my hand out to feel its buttery softness, but all I hit are dead leaves. My jaw gets tight like I’m going to vomit. This isn’t real. This can’t be real.

  “Meg, are you okay?” Ethan twists around and screams, “Dad, I need to get Meg out of here.”

  Now there are sounds. Screaming, loud, angry ones. My head vibrates with the noise. I sink back down to the ground, but Ethan picks me up and helps me into the Ranger I saw his dad riding in earlier. I curl up in the seat, and every time my eyes close, I’m back in that room. I open them quickly, scared of being sucked into that dream. Mr. Landry is at my side. I look at his face but I see Mr. Price, Brandon’s dad, instead. And there’s blood pouring from his chest. I dig my palms into my eyes, hoping to erase the image.

  “Take her home, son. We’ll see about Bandit. Will’s got the bleeding stopped, and they’re wrapping him up now.”

  “You want me to come with you?” I hear Catherine ask.

  “No, stay with Will. Help get Bandit back to the truck.”

  I want to tell Ethan to stay, to take care of Bandit, but I have to get out of here.

  We drive fast through the woods, and Ethan keeps one arm acr
oss me the entire time. Every dark shadow from the surrounding woods looks like it’s trying to close in around me and suck me in.

  I drop my head against Ethan’s shoulder, and my eyes drift closed. Brandon’s face fills my mind, but it’s not the tanned beautiful face I remember. His eyes stare past me in a lost sort of way, and then there’s blood. Everywhere.

  “No!” I scream, and shake my head, hoping to erase the horrible things there.

  Ethan slows the Ranger and pulls me to him. “Meg, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I’m so not fine. Not at all.

  We make it back to his truck and he helps me into the passenger seat, handing me a bottle of water.

  “I’m so sorry, Ethan. Is Bandit going to be all right?”

  “Yes, he’ll be fine. Just a gash in the shoulder. They gave him a shot to help with the pain. I’ll take him to the vet first thing for a few stitches, but other than that, he’ll be good as new. I probably won’t be able to pick you up in the morning.”

  We leave the farm, and I fight down the images forcing their way through my head. I focus on the white center line of the road and try not to think about anything else.

  “I’m worried about you. Are you okay?”

  I take a deep drink of water and wipe the back of my hand over my mouth. “I can’t talk about it right now.”

  I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to even think about it. The nightmare scrolls through my head, and it takes every bit of determination I have to keep from falling apart.

  “Are you taking me home?”

  “I can’t decide if I need to take you home or the hospital.”

  “Home. Please take me home,” I beg.

  Ethan is quiet but keeps looking over at me.

  “What about the hog?” I ask.

  “Dead. It was either him or Bandit.” I can hear the heartbreak in his voice.

  He really should have stayed with his dog rather than having to deal with me. I pick at a dried flake of blood on my hand, and then I realize I’m covered in it. Once I start, I can’t stop. I rub my hands together, hoping to get rid of every piece, but it’s not working.