Once Logan made it back to his campsite, miles away, he packed up everything and trudged back to his truck. The equipment was cumbersome, especially due to the nails that made it difficult to walk properly or haul anything. It was almost dark by then. Once he felt sure that no one would notice his odd form coming out of the brush, he climbed into the truck and drove home.
His house wasn’t too far away. The secluded cabin was modest in size, but boasted a breathtaking view of the valley below.
In the house, his first stop was the bathroom. Logan stared at the creature in the mirror, aghast. He didn’t recognize himself. Every inch of his body was covered with hair so thick it could almost be classified as fur, dark brown and wiry, matted in some places, muddied in others. Even his face was covered with a thick mane. The only features he recognized were the brownish-gold eyes staring back at him in shock. And the only word that came to mind was monster.
To think this is what happened if he didn’t trim his hair. He’d never let it grow this long.
Logan rummaged for the scissors, yanking the drawer out and slamming it shut once he found them. But he couldn’t manipulate them. He examined one of his hands. The nails had grown and thickened until they were nearly four inches long. Claws was a better word. They were white and sharp, still covered in the bear’s blood. He’d clipped his nails every day since he was a child, a ritual that had started way before he could remember, probably because his foster parents became tired of being accidently scratched. His nails didn’t break off as they grew longer, but rather they were mysteriously strengthened by the increase in length.
He tried regular nail clippers, but the claws were too thick. Scissors didn’t work either, no matter how he held them. He tossed them onto the floor and stomped out of the room.
In the garage, he found some garden shears. Back in the bathroom, he snipped the claws off, one by one. Then he grabbed clumps of hair and hacked them off with the scissors, letting the clippings fall on the bathroom floor.
It took over an hour to cut all the hair down to a manageable level. Then he grabbed the electric trimmer and finished the job. By the time he’d finished, he was up to his ankles in hair. The bathroom was a mess, but he decided he needed a shower first. Other than wading in the river, he hadn’t bathed in weeks. Completely disgusted, he wondered how he could’ve let it get so out of hand.
He took a long, hot shower, lathering himself completely with soap, twice. Then he stepped out, wrapped a towel around his waist, and began to comb through his mane of hair, which hung down to the middle of his back. He picked up the scissors again, this time with precision, the way he had learned to cut his own hair when he had moved out of the house. Before long, it was cropped short, back to his normal length.
Shaving took longer than normal, since he usually shaved twice a day and this time had a full beard to dispose of. It took him more than one razor, but finally the man in the mirror was his normal self. Normal, he thought wryly. As if that were possible.
The intense wave of self-loathing began to subside as Logan cleaned up the mess. Now he focused on the subtle layers of worry that pricked at his mind. The issue at hand was whether or not Jade had recognized him.
He considered his options. He could question her about it and ask that she not tell anyone about his flaw. But if she’d recognized him, it might only frighten her more, even push her to report what she’d seen. If she hadn’t recognized him, it might be better to leave it alone.
He decided the best thing he could do was nothing, just attempt to live as normal, as though the whole incident had never happened. Although he couldn’t avoid the campus altogether, he would try to make himself as scarce as possible, keeping with his original plan to avoid her.
He remembered something. The leather-bound journal he’d found was on the side table by the front door. He picked it up, brushed off the dirt, and examined the smooth cover. Somehow, the fact that he was holding this item of hers was a consolation for all that had happened, as if it connected them.
Logan hesitated only a moment before firmly deciding that he wouldn’t read it, other than the one sentence that had leapt off the page when he’d found the book lying open in the woods. The possession of the journal put him in an odd predicament. He couldn’t return it to her without facing her again—something he still wasn’t quite ready to do. But Logan didn’t want to dispose of it either. Somehow, that seemed disrespectful.
Logan took the journal into the kitchen and set it on the counter as he mechanically fixed himself something to eat. Idly munching his dinner, his eyes were drawn back to the book. That lone sentence kept creeping into his mind, “More than anything, I don’t want to jeopardize my relationship with Cam.” He imagined her soft voice speaking those words. He wondered who Cam was.
~
Ethan walked out of the gym, tapping his cane in a rhythm on the pavement. He smirked confidently, the only external evidence of his pleased disposition. The workout had been dynamic, challenging. He’d spent an extra twenty minutes bench-pressing more weight than normal, pushing his limits.
As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he relished the darkness. Twilight hailed creatures of the night lurking in the shadows, stalkers closing in on their prey, coercive scumbags grooming their dates little by little until their unwelcome advances succeeded. It was his favorite time of day, and he waited eagerly for its arrival.
Keeping a low profile, he had frequented the gym for the greater part of the week in hopes of finding out more information on the girl so similar to Kelsey. A lesser man might be irritated with no sign of her for five days straight, but he knew the terms of the game. Subtlety was more important than speed. And he knew how to be patient. She was well worth the wait.
Apparently she wasn’t a regular at the gym, meaning he’d have to be more creative. It would have been nice if he could stalk the surfer dude until he ran into the girl. But there were other complications. Which was fine—Ethan enjoyed a challenge. He was weighing his options when his thoughts were interrupted by a slam from the door behind him, followed by a series of coughs and grunts.
A guy strutted out and stood next to him, apparently also waiting for a ride. Ethan inched away. He focused on the satisfying post-workout burn in his arms as he flexed his muscles, which strained tight against his shirt. He glanced at the brute next to him, wrinkling his nose at the stench of cigarette smoke.
The cab took way too long to arrive. The man pulled out his pack and started chain-smoking. Smoldering remains of used cigarette butts flicked down one by one and encircled him like road-kill fireflies, each winking out in turn. The brute coughed again. Ethan shook his head in contempt at the lack of class he had to endure.
The taxi arrived, but before Ethan could climb in, the thug, who had extinguished the last of his pack, shoved him aside. “Get your own cab, freak. This one’s mine.” The man slammed the door closed behind him.
Before Ethan could react, the car pulled away from the curb, leaving him seething on the street. He repeatedly flexed and relaxed his muscles as he tried to control himself. Rage boiled inside him. Weak. He’s the weak one.
Just then, he noticed a woman walking along the deserted street in his direction. He stifled the anger and a smile crept across his face. She wasn’t the particular one he sought, but for the time being, she’d do. She was pretty, but more importantly, she was alone.
Cam Schuyler sat in biology class, daydreaming about the girl next to him and remembering their date last Friday.
Cam had no doubt that he and Jade were perfect for each other. In his moderate dating history there had been no long-term relationships. Sure, he’d dated quite a few women, mostly while he was in California, but never for more than a few months. He’d never met anyone really special, never felt an attraction that went any deeper than the physical.
He had no problem attracting women. Half the time they asked him out. He was open-minded, but the type of girls he attracted all seemed to have only vain int
erests that revolved around dieting, tanning, and gossip magazines.
Jade was beautiful, but in a different way than all those made-up sorority girls. Even now, her sleek, dark hair fell over her shoulders in waves, one delicate strand lying across her cheek. He resisted the urge to reach out and brush it back with his hand. She scribbled notes furiously, occasionally glancing at her paper. Her quiet gentleness mystified him. It was as if she had some secret lying beneath the surface. Part of him was curious, but mostly he found it intriguing without wanting or needing an explanation.
“… canceling class for tomorrow.”
Cam hadn’t heard a word the instructor had said the entire class period, but that snagged his attention. “This is great news,” he said as they headed to the lab. “I needed a day off. Tomorrow is perfect.”
“How so?” Jade asked.
“Didn’t I tell you? Josh and Chloe are staying at my place this week. My roommate Ben is away on vacation until Sunday, so they decided to come down and hang out. Chloe’s staying in the empty bedroom. Of course, that means Josh is stuck on the couch.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Josh is going to freak when I tell him I’m free tomorrow. He’s been hoping to go rafting since spring. He was totally bummed when I told him I had to work on Saturday. This is great.”
She smiled.
“Speaking of the sibs, do you think you might be able to give me a ride home today on your way to work? If not, I can call Josh and have him pick me up.”
“Sure. You’re just off campus, right?”
“Yep. It would only be a few minutes out of your way.”
“No problem,” she said as they entered the lab.
Thirty minutes later they turned in their papers and left. Jade drove him to his apartment, and when they pulled in the driveway, the Jeep was parked out front. He asked if she wanted to come in and say hi to Josh and Chloe, and she barely hesitated.
He wondered how his bachelor pad would appear to a woman like her. Messy, probably. His and Ben’s surfboards and snowboards lined one of the walls in the living room, facing their mismatched furniture. The media cabinet below the television overflowed with DVDs and CDs, and virtually every other surface was covered with their schoolbooks and notepads.
When they entered, Josh and Chloe were watching a movie. Josh was shoving down handfuls of popcorn while Chloe nibbled at a wrap from the café nearby. When she saw them, Chloe jumped up, grinning widely and attacking Jade with a hug.
“Hey!” Josh called from across the room. He was smiling too. “How’s it going?” His greeting was directed at Jade, of course. Cam rolled his eyes, but no one in the room seemed to notice.
Jade seemed pleased even though she blushed at all the attention. He admired how endearing her modesty was.
When there was a break in conversation, Cam took it. “So, guess what? Our class tomorrow got cancelled.”
Josh punched the air in triumph. “Sweet! Rafting! Jade, you in?”
“Um…”
“I hadn’t exactly invited her yet.” Cam caught her eye. “I wasn’t sure if she’d want to go.” He wondered if Class Four was too intense for a beginner, but pushed the thought aside. She’d be with them. What could happen?
“Of course you want to go—right Jade?” Josh looked at her expectantly.
“And I wanted to check with the two of you first, to make sure we were going,” Cam added.
“Of course we are, bro!” Josh said.
Cam looked at Chloe for confirmation.
“I’m in. Jade, you really should come.”
Jade looked between the two of them and back at Cam. He shrugged, thinking this was the way to do it. If he’d asked her, she might have made some excuse.
“All right,” she said. “Put me down for the adventure.”
~
The next morning Cam awoke early to the smell of eggs and bacon wafting into his room. He tumbled out of bed and walked into the kitchen, his hair feeling a bit like a bird’s nest and his eyes still groggy with sleep.
He found Chloe in the kitchen, already showered and dressed. “Man, it smells good in here,” he said. “There are definitely perks to having a woman in the house. I’m starving.”
“Men are perfectly capable of cooking too.” She rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. I bet you haven’t had a hot breakfast since you were at Mom and Dad’s.”
“Does Mickey-D’s count?”
“Of course not. That’s not real food.”
“What am I going to do when you go back?”
“Guess you’ll have to make your own pancakes.”
“Yeah. Like that’ll happen.”
Josh entered the kitchen, combing his damp hair back with his hands and then letting it fall over his face like it usually did.
“Make sure your hair looks extra nice today for Jade,” Cam teased. Josh’s face went bright red.
“Shut up!” he growled, shooting Cam an evil look.
“Seriously, chill out, dude,” Cam said. “I’d almost think you were the one who was dating her.”
Josh and Chloe froze and stared at him.
“So you guys are dating then?” Chloe asked.
“Well, not exactly. We went on one date. I haven’t asked her out again yet.”
“Tell us everything,” Chloe said.
“There’s not much to tell. I took her out to dinner… and then we went for a walk. That’s about it.”
“Did you kiss her?” Chloe asked.
“No. It’s a little early for that.”
“Not compared to your usual,” Josh said.
“Jade is different from the other girls I’ve dated. In a good way.”
“But,” Chloe said, with a hint of concern in her voice, “she had a good time? Things are headed in the right direction?”
“Of course she had a good time.”
“Well, I think she’s great, so don’t mess this one up.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, little sister.”
“It’s okay,” Josh said. “If Cam screws it up, she can always have the younger, but more mature, brother.”Cam groaned.
~
Canon City, the place where the Arkansas River cut through the Royal Gorge, was one of the Schuylers’ favorite rafting spots. After a little over an hour’s drive, Cam, Josh, Chloe, and Jade arrived at the river.
The morning sky was cloudless and bright as the sun cleared the mountaintops. Cam was thankful for its warmth, since the river flowing down from the melted snow up in the Rockies would feel icy cold on their bare skin. The wetsuits were a necessity, as were the helmets, but any exposed flesh—hands, feet and faces—would get chilled each time a wave came crashing down on them.
Once in the raft, the other passengers—an athletic, middle-aged couple—kept to themselves at the rear, leaving the Schuylers to dominate the banter. Between the three of them, there was plenty of trash talk. Every now and then their conversation was interrupted by one of the guides, warning them of an upcoming drop or dangerous rocks ahead. But for the most part it was lighthearted. Cam and his siblings were confident on the water.
During one of the rare, calm moments on the raft, Cam glanced sideways at Jade, wanting to see how she was doing with her latest thrilling adventure. He’d let Josh and Chloe take the front spots on the raft so he could stay close to Jade.
When she caught him looking at her, her face brightened. Then a wave splashed over his side of the raft and pelted him full in the face. As he spat and spluttered, Jade exploded into laughter, and despite the icy water, he couldn’t help joining in. Her laugh was infectious.
Chloe turned around to see what all the fuss was about. Somehow she had narrowly avoided the drenching wave. She looked back at her brother only to be splashed by a second gust. Josh was grinning wickedly at his sister, water dripping off the paddle raised in his hand.
“Josh, you turd!” she screamed at him, grabbing her paddle to return the favor. Instead of splash
ing him back, she clubbed him on the helmet, making a dull thud.
“Hey, cut it out.” He scowled at her.
Jade was still giggling at them.
The guide interrupted them. “Okay guys, you might want to pay attention here for a bit. We’re coming up on a pretty rough spot.” The four of them, along with the other two passengers, clung tighter to their paddles. Josh and Chloe faced forward and braced themselves for the rapids.
Cam squinted in the bright sunlight. He thought he recognized this part of the river from past trips. Here, the tall, jagged walls of the gorge came closer together, and a surge of twisting water fought to rush through. The howl of the rushing rapids was like a roar, muffling all other sounds, as the current suddenly heaved their raft ahead. His heart raced, and he tensed for the culmination. He loved a good thrill. This was what rafting was all about.
They plunged forward, and the girls screamed. Water drenched them and poured over the sides of the boat.
The raft was pulled and tossed, its direction forced by the powerful, sucking water. Cam tried paddling, but it was no use. The raft careened and spun. A wave hit the craft and Cam hung on for dear life. When the water cleared the boat, he looked to make sure Jade hadn’t fallen overboard. He had only a split-second to register her safe before they were thrown into one of the canyon walls.
His first experience of it all was blurry and confusing. A glare from the sun reflected from someone’s glasses blinded him for a moment. Then, water. Rock. Blood. Chloe!
Trapped in an episode of déjà vu, Cam caught a glimpse of the sharp, overhanging rock flashing toward them as the river launched them straight into the side of the canyon. The raft smashed hard against the rock wall and the current yanked them away again, with Chloe fallen and bloodied in the raft.
Empath: The Flawed Series Book One Page 8