by Sage Hunter
Tessa took advantage of the distraction and ran back into the house, setting every lock on the door and rushing back into the kitchen.
“This isn’t over!” said Lucas, lifting his motorcycle back upright and hopping on top of it.
With that, he revved the engine and flew down the path, disappearing down the road, the bear watching him carefully as he left, as though to make sure he was gone. Tessa listened as the engine faded, the sound diminishing as Lucas drove away.
From the safety of the kitchen, she watched as the bear looked towards the house, then back towards the road. He looked to Tessa like some kind of guard at his post, making sure that no one approached without his knowing. Then, after a time, he disappeared back into the trees, leaving Tessa in the silence that there had been only a few minutes before.
CHAPTER 7
Tessa spent the rest of the day inside. Between Lucas and the strange bear that seemed to be lurking on the property, in her home with the doors locked and her mace nearby was the only place he felt safe.
She couldn’t shake the image of the bear, how it didn’t seem to be some ordinary animal; it seemed as though it was behaving in an intelligent, planned way, like it knew that simply being there would be enough to intimidate Lucas into leaving. And Henry’s comments about how there hadn’t been bears in this area for decades further confused her. Just why were these strange animals making themselves so obvious to her?
Spending the rest of the day trying to work on her art, but distracted by what was going on in her life, the day slowly passed. Tessa had no idea if Lucas would return or if the sight of the bear was enough to keep him at bay. Either way, she knew that he wasn’t the type to just give up; it was only a matter of time before he returned.
The evening arrived and Tessa sat in the living room watching trashy television, reality shows picked out specifically so she wouldn’t have to think. Sitting with her legs draped under her on the couch, Tessa found herself looking at her wedding ring, spinning the band around her finger with her other hand. Taking her ring off was something that wasn’t entirely new to her- she did it every night before bed- but during the majority of the day, it was on her finger. As she gazed at the facets of the stone, she realized that even today, after all that happened the previous night, she had put it on without thinking about it.
So, taking a sip of wine, she worked the ring off of her finger and set it on the coffee table, trying on for size what it might be like to not wear this ring during times she normally would’ve, what it would be like to feel single. Tessa looked at the thin band of slightly paler flesh that wrapped around her finger under where the ring would normally be. Looking at it, she felt a sense of longing, of emptiness; she’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.
But before she could consider these thoughts further, the power to the house cut out abruptly, leaving Tessa in total darkness.
She began to panic as she fumbled around in the dark, wondering what happened, why the electricity cut out. Standing up, she walked with slow, careful steps around the living room, fearful of bumping into anything.
Then, the fear that there might be someone responsible for the cutting of the power gripped her.
That it might be Lucas.
Tessa fumbled in the dark, finally finding her phone and flicking the flashlight on, a bright, cone of light projecting from it. She waved the phone around as though it were a cross being used to ward off malevolent spirits, and, to her relief, found that the living room was empty.
Then, she spotted a figure outside. It was a dark outline against the bay windows of the kitchen, followed by a pair of shorter, skinnier men. Tessa felt her heart jump up into her chest, realizing that this meant the power being shut off wasn’t simply an accident. Now scared that she might be spotted, she flicked off the phone flashlight, the silver glow of the moonlight outside the only source of light, bathing the front lawn in an otherworldly, milky glow. With quiet steps, she moved to the kitchen and withdrew the slim, sharp knife that she used for cutting chicken and held it out in front of her. Tessa knew that if these three men wanted to do something terrible she’d be no match, but it made her feel better than nothing.
Her limbs felt tense and tight as she spotted the three figures, now further away from the house. Moving closer to the window, she watched as the figures, two small and scrawny, one tall and bulky, dash away from the house and into the woods beyond, a small amount of relief washing over her as they vanished into the darkness.
After standing still for several minutes in order to make sure they were gone, Tessa set the knife down, pushing it away from her as she did so, the thought of having to inflict such violence on someone repulsing her on a deep level.
Surrounded by darkness, she knew now that she was likely safe, but the possibility of the men returned was stark in her mind. Tessa debated whether or not to run to her car and drive into town, but even the idea of leaving the house to do that was too much for her. Turning her phone flashlight back on, she debated what to do next.
But before she could think too much about, Tessa spotted a now-familiar rustling in the tree line. But unlike earlier, when one bear emerged, it was now the same wide stretch of movement that she saw when the bears approached her last night.
Terrified, she watched as the pack of bears walked out of the woods, numbering ten in total, with one bear, just as before, larger than the rest. The larger bear walked forward, moving onto the lawn. And just as before, it rose on its hind legs. But unlike before, it didn’t roar. Instead, it waved one paw in a great swipe in front of its face.
Tessa felt insane for thinking this, but it almost seemed that the bear was trying to get her attention.
Then, the bears split up, surrounding the house and pointing their bodies away from the home. Tessa watched them take their positions, all of the bears evenly distributed around the house, as though forming a perimeter. Tessa felt as though she was in some kind of bizarre dream as she watched these bears exhibit behaviors that she could only describe as “human-like.” Once each of the bears assumed their position, they leaned down, poised and ready with the moonlight shining on the sleek, black fur of their backs.
Tessa didn’t know what to do. She knew that their behavior could easily be interpreted as penning her in just as easily as it could be interpreted as protecting her. But something about the bears being there instilled in her a feeling of safety, as though she knew their presence was benevolent. Returning to her living room, she sat back onto the couch and before she could give the matter any further though, slipped into a deep, exhausted sleep.
CHAPTER 8
Tessa looked over the massive, clean slice through the main power line that led from the solar panels on top of the house to the generator. Sure enough, it was cut clean through. And judging from how it was done, there was no way that an animal could’ve been responsible for it.
It was the next morning and when Tessa awoke her first act of the day was to run to the living room window to see if the bears were still there. But they had left, no sign of their presence remaining.
Returning inside to take a shower, she was in for another surprise, however. When she turned the water on, nothing but a weak dribble resulted. She moved through the house, checking every source of water, only to encounter the same result. She realized that not only had the men cut the power, they’d cut the water as well.
And her trip outside to look things over only confirmed this.
She headed back inside, and looked through her phone for the nearest electrician, paying close attention to the ever-draining battery display in the upper right-hand corner. Flipping through the results for “electrician,” she found that there was only one place within a fifty-mile radius. She pulled the listing up and looked it over.
“Atticus Swift – Brenlan’s #1 Electrician – Available For Emergencies”
This was followed by the number.
Tessa figured that if anything was an emergency, having the electricity cut by an angry, drug-
dealing ex was it. She tapped the number and waited for an answer.
“Atticus Swift, electrician,” came the voice on the other end, a low, purring male voice.
“Oh, hi,” said Tessa, a little startled by the voice; she was expecting a kindly old man to answer, not what she had heard. “My name is Tessa Henderson. I live up a-ways up Bear Mountain.”
“Of course, Miss Henderson,” said Atticus. “How can I help you?”
“I had a little bit of an issue with my electricity last night,” she said.
She felt somewhat hesitant to tell him that someone cut the power, but she figured she might as well tell him the truth, figuring that lying to an electrician about something like that was probably just as pointless as lying to a dentist about how much candy you’re eating.
“Someone cut it,” she finished.
“Sorry to hear that,” said Atticus. “Well, the good news is that if it’s cut, it can be pretty easily fixed; not like the wiring went bust or anything. I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume you want this fixed as soon as possible?”
“Yes, please,” said Tessa.
“Well, lucky for you I just had a cancellation for around eleven. That work for you?”
Tessa looked at the time, seeing that she would only have to wait a couple of hours.
“That’s perfect,” she said.
“OK. Well, sit tight, don’t touch the wires, don’t open your fridge unless you need to, all that good stuff. I’ll be by around then.”
“Great, thank you so much.”
“Of course.
With that, Tessa hung up. And as she stood with the phone cradled in her hands, she couldn’t shake just how attractive the voice of the man on the other end was. She set the phone down and shook her head, deciding to kill the time until he got there by taking a look at the water main.
Slipping on her sandals, she walked towards the massive, circular water pump in the backyard. Taking a look at the pipe, she saw that just like the electricity, it had been cut through cleanly. Fortunately, it was simply a matter of replacing the section of PVC pipe and turning the water back on, which she was able to do in ten or so minutes. She headed back to the house and flipped the water on, and after a few groans and strains from the pipes, water sprayed from the sink, cool and fresh.
Tessa nodded at her handiness, happy that Lucas had taught her how to deal with a broken pipe. But thinking of Lucas, aside from the distress that the subject brought her, she now chastised herself for realizing that it was almost definitely him who cut the power and water last night, likely him and a couple of his meth-dealing buddies.
She felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. Tessa understood now that not only was Lucas essentially living a double life, but now that she didn’t take him back, he was determined to make her life as difficult as possible. Stepping into the shower for a quick rinse, she wondered what she would do if he continued to harass her. She knew that there was no chance that she’d take him back, not after what he’d done to her. Tessa didn’t know what Lucas was capable of; he had always channeled his passionate emotions into his art. [T1]She realized now that she was going to learn what it would be like to be on the receiving end of the hostile shades of those sentiments.
Frustration running through her, she stepped out of the shower. After drying herself off and throwing on some simple, light clothes, Tessa walked into her studio, put on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, turned up her music up as loud as she could take it, the classic rock feeling as though it might shatter her eardrums. She set to work with her paints, knowing that working on her art was the only possible thing that could even begin to soothe her rattled nerves.
Tessa lost herself, painting with intensity and wild abandon, her brush strokes slashing across the canvas, yet leaving on the most precise and minute details. Stepping away from the canvas, she looked at the painting approvingly; it was nearly done and ready to sell.
But before she could get back into her work, she spotted a figure out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a man standing just outside of one of the large windows. Tessa took in a sharp gasp, her paint dropping to the floor and splattering everywhere. Her first instinct was to call the police, but as soon as she came to her senses, she remembered that the electrician was due to come by. Checking her phone, she saw that it was fifteen after eleven already- the time had flown by.
She gestured for the electrician to meet her at the front door, and though she couldn’t make out his features through the window, she saw that he gave her a thumbs-up of acknowledgment.
Her face hot with embarrassment, Tessa walked with short, quick steps to the front door. Throwing it open, she gasped at what she revealed.
It was the electrician, alright, but this man was far from the skinny, small-town handyman she was expecting. The first trait Tessa noticed was his height: he was tall, a good few inches over Lucas, who was himself a taller-than-average man. His face was strikingly handsome, with soulful, sensual hazel eyes, a nose with a straight, strong bridge, sandy-blond hair that was tousled and wet-looking, and a wide, red mouth turned upwards in a roguish smile. His jaw was wide, and his face was slim, his bone structure more what she’d expect from a New York model than an upstate electrician. He was dressed in a simple, white shirt that hung from his square-shouldered, strapping torso, with a pair of loose blue jeans on below, and a stylish pair of brown Red Wings on his feet. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost guess he was one of those hipster guys she’d seen all the time in Brooklyn who liked to dress in blue-collar styles, but she could tell right away he was the real deal- a man who actually knew how to use his hands.
“Afternoon, miss,” he said, his low, melodic voice the same one she’d heard on the phone a couple of hours ago.
“Oh my God,” she stammered. “I’m so sorry if you were waiting a while. I just lose track of time when I’m painting sometimes. Please, come in.”
“Not a problem at all,” he said, stepping over the threshold.
Tessa noted that if he was upset, he didn’t show it in the slightest.
“I’m Tessa Henderson,” Tessa said, still coming to grips with how handsome this man was. “Can I, um, get you something to drink?”
“Atticus Swift,” he said. “And a glass of water would be just fine, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all,” said Tessa, rushing towards the kitchen.
“Are you a ‘shoes-on’ or ‘shoes-off’ kind of home?” he asked as Tessa filled a glass of water.
“Oh, on is fine. I’m not too fancy here.”
She returned to the living room and handed Atticus the glass of water.
“Thank you much,” he said, before taking a long, slow drink, his Adam’s Apple bobbing as he swallowed.
Tessa took the glass from Atticus, her eyes on his thick, ropy arms.
“Now, let me take a look at things, if you don’t mind,” he said with a smile.
“Oh, sure,” said Tessa. “Well, like I said, I think someone cut the electricity.”
Atticus’s brow furrowed.
“Well, that’s no good,” he said. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds, miss, but have you spoken to the police about this?”
“No, I haven’t gotten a chance yet.”
Atticus’s face flashed an expression of mild skepticism as he walked to the nearest light switch and flicked it a few times.
“You weren’t lying,” he said. “Totally out.”
He turned his expression back to Tessa, who felt like she might melt under his gaze. And as she looked into his eyes, she sensed something strange, something...familiar. It was almost as if she’d met him before, somewhere.
“Why don’t you take me out to where the line was cut? That’d be the best way to get to the bottom of this, I think,” he said.
“Sure, right this way,” said Tessa. “Just right outside.”
Atticus gave a smile and a nod, and headed back out the front door. Tessa’s eyes went straight to his ass a
s he walked, paying special attention to the way it flexed and tensed as he walked. She couldn’t understand what had come over her, but she couldn’t stop looking at him. And as she walked at his side, she felt a strange crackling of heat between them, as though the space between their bodies were charged with energy.
She led him in the direction of the electrical main.
“Sorry,” said Tessa, feeling the wet slickness of dew on her bare feet as she walked. “But I have to ask- have we met before?”
“Hm,” said Atticus, giving the matter some thought. “I don’t believe so.”
“You ever go to Hannigan’s?” asked Tessa.
“Yeah, I’ve been. Probably recognize me from there. The town isn’t all that big, you know? Bound to run into the same people.”
“Yeah,” said Tessa, not entirely convinced.
They approached the main, and Atticus let out a slow whistle as he looked over the clean slash through the main line.
“Yep, that definitely wasn’t an accident.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Well, I like I said on the phone- it’s a clean cut, and shouldn’t be too hard to fix.”
He turned back towards Tessa.
“You can go ahead and get back inside. I’m going to get my tools and get to work.”
“Sure,” said Tessa.
She started to walk off, but stopped and turned back around.
“I’m going to be in my studio again with my headphones on, so if you need me just come on in.”
“Will do,” he said, flashing another smile of pearl-colored teeth.
Tessa walked back into the house with quick steps, her eyes fixed forward. She couldn’t shake the strange mixture of feelings that was going through her mind. First, was her immediate attraction to this man. It was intense, gripping her like a massive hand; she couldn’t take her eyes off of Atticus’s lean, muscular body, his simple workman’s clothes hanging off of him in just the right way. And his face was so gorgeous and striking that it was almost difficult to look at.
And on top of everything, she just knew that she’d seen him before, that she’d met him somewhere, sometime. He hinted otherwise, but there was something familiar about him, and what’s more, the familiarity seemed recent, as though she’d met him within the last week. But the only place she’d been was that horrible party where she’d found Lucas and Atticus didn’t strike her as the type to be doing meth with dozens of teenagers.