by Eve Langlais
“If you so much as utter one word to that human we’re through, Bray!”
Bray stopped and turned towards Dallas, looking down at him just enough to intimidate his brother into taking a half step backwards.
“Who are you to give me orders, little man?”
“This is our herd,” Dallas said, swallowing hard. “I have a say in what’s best for it. If you want to leave us for a human, then you are not fit to lead anymore.”
“And how are you going to stop me?”
“I’ll challenge you,” Dallas said, stammering and tripping over his words. “I’ll lock horns with you and take control.”
“I’d like to see that,” Bray said, laughing. “When that day comes, let me know, because it’ll be the last day I live as an elk.”
“Why?” Dallas asked.
“Because I’d never be able to show my face again after losing to you.”
Dallas just stood there, his mouth hanging open in insult and his fists balling up in anger. Bray had no more time for his childish edicts and demands; he had to get his herd to safety. He turned away and began to lead the herd forward, leaving Dallas to sulk. Unfortunately Dallas was right; if he mated with the human, then he probably wasn’t fit to lead the herd anymore. The scary part was that he didn’t know if he could help himself if she was there–hopefully she wasn’t.
Chapter Five
The funeral was a somber affair for Celeste. While she cried in private, she maintained a stonefaced strong façade in person. Unfortunately many of the old biddies in town took this as a complete lack of compassion or feelings as opposed to the strength it was. By the end of the wake there were rumors that she was going to sell the house, move to another state and never speak to anyone in her family again.
The last part was true. As far back as she could remember, it had been her dad and her. Her mother was long gone; she had run away with a younger man when Celeste was just three. All of her grandparents had died when she was a teenager and her dad didn’t have any siblings or cousins to speak of. It wasn’t her choice to forget her family; she just didn’t have any to forget. But that didn’t stop the vicious rumor mill.
More than once she wanted to sweep all the food people had left off the table and scream at everyone to get out of her house. But that wasn’t the way her dad would have wanted her to conduct herself, so she maintained the stone face. Nothing would get to her today, not outwardly.
Towards the end of the wake she was standing in the kitchen alone, staring out the window, when a familiar voice broke her silent contemplation; a familiar and welcomed voice.
“How are you holding up?” Kaitlyn asked.
Celeste turned to face her. Kaitlyn was still the skinny little beautiful girl she had always been. Her straight dirty–blonde hair still hung below her shoulders and her plain features still looked great, even without makeup. She wore a simple black dress that hid her slender frame, always modest.
It had been at least three years since they’d spoken or seen one another, not since a Thanksgiving long past. Celeste suddenly felt very self–conscious in front of her never–changing friend. When they’d last locked eyes Celeste had been in the prime of her college basketball career and she’d had the lean, hard body to reflect it. Now her workout sessions had been replaced by long film sessions and the only exercise she got was walking from the practice court to her office. Luckily she’d only gotten curvier, as opposed to dumpy, but she was still unhappy with her overall appearance compared to the beautiful Kaitlyn.
“I’m doing fine,” she said, finally answering Kaitlyn after giving her several looks up and down. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I’m here for you,” Kaitlyn said, putting her hand on Celeste’s shoulder. “Anything you need, just ask.”
“I don’t even know what I need.” Celeste collapsed backwards against the countertop, using it to hold her up as she covered her face with her hands. “I took a leave of absence from the team, but I need to go back. Everything is falling apart around me. I don’t want to leave Dad’s house alone until after the season. I want to be here.”
“Are you going to sell it?”
Celeste had to take several deep breaths to keep the tears from welling up, but she managed to do it. “I mean, I kind of have to, but I don’t want to. He was so proud of this place. It was his dream home–the perfect log cabin just on the edge of the wilderness. He loved this house and this neighborhood. I can’t let a stranger mess it up.”
“Has Tyler talked to you?”
Celeste straightened up. She hadn’t spoken to her old crush since high school graduation. Was he even here? She glanced around and Kaitlyn, still as in tune with her friend as ever, read Celeste immediately.
“He’s not here. Well, he was here, but he left. He went home to gather up a few things. He’ll come back after everyone else leaves.”
“He told you that?”
“Well, yeah,” Kaitlyn said, looking at the ground. Celeste immediately felt a knot tie in her stomach. She knew what Kaitlyn was getting ready to say and she didn’t know if she could handle it, but she had to be strong for her dad. “Celeste, we’re living together.”
If she was upset, her face certainly didn’t show it. Instead, she smiled. “Really? That’s great. How long have you been dating?”
“For a little over a year,” Kaitlyn said, still looking at the ground. “It’s really moving fast, but I like that and so does he.”
“You look wonderful,” Celeste said, fumbling for something more to say. “I’m sure it’s because you’re happy.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Kaitlyn said. “But with us not really talking and what happened between you two…”
“Kaitlyn, stop,” Celeste said, putting her hand up. “Please don’t. That was seven years ago, and a lot has happened since then. I can’t call dibs on a guy forever, can I?”
Kaitlyn smiled and laughed. Seeing her friend’s beautiful smile, minus the braces she was used to, actually brought warmth to her heart. “I guess not. Are you seeing anyone?”
“I don’t have time for that. They keep the graduate assistants moving fast. I’m in line for an assistant coaching position, and if I slow down I won’t get it.”
“Well, I’ll just let Tyler speak with you.”
“About what?”
“This is his baby, Celeste. I’ll wait for him.”
So the wake went on without much more conversation. After another hour people said their goodbyes and exchanged fake pleasantries before leaving; even Kaitlyn left. Celeste was alone again, alone in her dad’s empty house.
“I’m never going to get used to this,” she said, looking around at the pictures on the wall. Most of them chronicled her life, but there were a few old western posters dotted around and the odd western wall decoration. She’d never been a fan of the Magnificent Seven painting or the cow skull, but she couldn’t bring herself to take them down.
An hour after everyone left the doorbell rang. She straightened her dress and checked her hair in the mirror; she knew it was going to be Tyler. Sure enough, when she opened the door there he was, staring back at her with the same smile she remembered. Just like Kaitlyn, he’d just become an older version of himself.
“Hi, Celeste,” he said, leaning over and giving her a soft hug. “Did Kaitlyn tell you I was coming by?”
“Yes,” she said, motioning for him to enter. “Do you want a drink? I still have some coffee left over.”
“That’d be great,” he said. “It’s getting dark and cold out there.”
“It does seem like it’s going to be a cold winter. We may even have snow on Thanksgiving.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
They made a bit more small talk and he offered his condolences as she made them some coffee. Finally he sat down on the couch, setting a file down on the coffee table. She sat down in her dad’s old leather chair at the head of the coffee table, leaning over and smiling awkwardly.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Did Kaitlyn prep you at all?”
“Nope.”
“Do you know what I do for a living now?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I’ll just dive right into business,” he said, laughing.
“That’d be great.”
Her response threw him off for a second. He regarded her with a side glance before laughing and shaking it off. “That’s what I like about you, you’re to the point. Celeste, I’m the assistant athletic director at the high school.”
“That’s great,” she said, wondering what the point was. “I’m sure you’re very good at that.”
“I like to think I am. They’ve been giving me a lot more responsibility lately.”
“I’m sure you can handle it.”
He laughed again. “I can. I’ll cut to the chase. They’ve asked me to hire a new girls’ basketball coach and I want you, Celeste. You’re my first and only choice.”
She sat back in her dad’s chair and let out a long whistle. This was not what she’d expected when Kaitlyn said he needed to talk to her. She’d thought maybe he wanted to buy the house, to at least keep it semi within the family. This was huge.
“Me?”
“I’ve talked with Coach Abbott about you at length already, Celeste. He said he couldn’t recommend you for the position enough.”
“You talked to my boss?”
“Well, I had to get permission to speak with you about it. He was gushing at the idea of you taking over.”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking at the ground. “This is all pretty heavy.”
“Kaitlyn talked to me about the house,” he said, looking around. “About how you felt. Think of it like this, you’ll be able to stay here and keep it in your family.”
Was he really taking this angle to hire her? She didn’t know if she should be insulted or impressed with how shrewd he was. It was obvious he really wanted her; he’d gone through great lengths to pull the right strings.
“When would you need me to start?” she asked.
“Well, the girls are having training camp right now,” he said. “I’d say after Christmas break. Right now we have an interim coach, but she’s ready to retire.”
“This is a big decision, Tyler,” she said. “I really need to think about it.”
“I know that,” he said, patting the file he had set on the coffee table. “This is the employment contract as well as information on each player and articles about last season. It’s everything you need to know about the team you’ll be taking over. My card is in there as well.”
“Okay, Tyler. Thank you.”
“Well, it’s getting late,” he said, glancing out back at the dusk sky.
“Sure, sure,” she said, standing up and quickly ushering him to the door. “I’ll call you.”
“Hey, Celeste,” he said, stopping as he walked out the front door. “It’s just wonderful to see you again. I hope you know that.”
“Thank you, Tyler. Same with you and Kaitlyn.”
“She misses you. Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.”
Celeste shut the door and spun around, grabbing at the sides of her face. This was heavy, very heavy. Could she really do it? She’d always dreamed of being a head coach, but at her alma mater and this quickly after her playing career had ended? She’d done well as a GA, taking on more responsibility than most did. Coach Abbott had told her more than once that she was a GA in name only and he saw her as an assistant coach, but still, this was a different animal.
Speaking of animals…
She walked to the back door and glanced out at the tree line, catching a figure duck out of sight just as she pulled the blinds apart. It was him; he was still there and he was still watching. Was he a ghost? As she pulled on her parka only one thought entered her mind: I’m going to find out.
Chapter Six
The November night air was usually crisp and chilly, but never bitter cold like it was when the snow started to fall. Tonight was different, though; it was freezing. As Celeste walked through her backyard she began to have second thoughts.
What if this guy wasn’t what she’d thought he was? What if he was some kind of escaped inmate who lived in the forest? Was she even sure what had happened to her as a child was real? The whole thing had felt like a dream. For all she knew it had been a fear–induced hallucination and there had been no boy who could turn into an elk.
Halfway to the tree line she stopped and looked back at her house. It was a shadowy beast rising up in the distance. It was so dark, so lonely. No, she had to go forward. This was what she needed–she had to find out. This was destiny; there was no way around it. If this truly was the boy who had watched over her since she was eight, then she had to see him face to face. Surely he cared about her. Why else would he watch her for so long? She needed him now more than ever.
Celeste stopped at the tree line, taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the feeling that was washing over her again. It wasn’t a familiar feeling, but she had felt it several times before in her life. The otherworldly feeling was gripping her heart again as alarm bells went off in her head. It had scared her when she was younger, the feeling of natural perversion, like the thing she was about to see was not meant to be seen. Tonight was different, though. Tonight she felt invigorated by it.
“I’m coming,” she whispered to herself as she boldly stepped out of her yard and into the forest.
She had a general idea of where her hill was; it was past the stream and not far from where she had gotten lost before. She checked her smartphone, she still had signal. Her phone had an app that allowed her to set GPS markers that would lead her back. She’d never used it before but now was as good a time as any. She pulled the phone out and set the marker, hoping that her signal wouldn’t fade when she made it to the hill. Her house was obviously visible from the hill, so if all else failed she could just start walking down the hill in the direction of her home and not stop. Unfortunately the forest was so plain; the trees formed a maze that would easily get someone lost if they weren’t paying attention.
Tonight Celeste made sure all her senses were sharpened as she turned on her flashlight and began to walk towards the hill. She had to walk a straight path or she would get lost looking for it. As she walked she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. The prospect of getting lost in the woods was scary, but it wasn’t enough to diminish the excitement she felt.
Questions raced through her mind at a speed she didn’t think possible. Would he be there? Would he speak to her or continue to hide? Would he remember the special moment they’d shared as children? Was he a nice guy? What was his deal, anyway? What was he? Did he love her? Was that why he was always watching? Did he know she had left and recently come back? Was that why he came to watch? Did he know about her father? Would he be sympathetic and console her?
There were just so many questions she wanted to fire at him, hoping he would have every answer. The nervousness was beginning to grow now, overtaking her exhilaration. A few minutes ago she had felt free and alive, but as the trees closed in around her she began to feel alone and scared. In the distance an owl hooted and a tree branch crashed. She stopped and turned her head, not wanting to turn her feet and lose her sense of direction.
There was nothing in the forest, nothing bearing down on her. She heard nothing else except the gentle breeze that was whistling through the trees. The tree branch had probably just fallen due to the wind; she had to keep telling herself that. The owl hooted again, not helping matters in the least.
“Shut up, you stupid bird,” she whispered. It was like a horror movie out here and the only thing that could make it worse would be a wolf howling in the distance. Celeste stopped and listened, fully expecting a wolf to serenade the moon, but luckily the night remained silent.
She had slipped on her snow boots for extra warmth and put some leggings on to cover her previousl
y bare legs, but the biting cold still broke through and numbed her toes. Was it going to snow all winter?
One winter, when she was twelve, it had snowed more than any other winter and food was scarce for the animals of the nature park. The park rangers reached an agreement with the neighborhood association to put bales of hay and feeders in the backyards of houses that backed up to the forest.
At first Celeste had been disappointed because no animals came into her backyard. The hay just sat there for days. But one day it was magical. An entire herd of elk exited the forest and began eating from the hay. They were like reindeer, but bigger with spikier antlers. Immediately Celeste had remembered her elk friend from years past and had begged her father to let her go out and pet them.
Thinking better of it, he had ordered her to stay inside because he didn’t know the temperament of the elk. She had watched from her window as the large male, with wide antlers, had herded the females to eat and then herded them back into the forest. He was so beautiful, so majestic and so in control of his herd. He was the general and they were the soldiers, never questioning his orders.
As she reached the stream and froze, staring at the cold running water, Celeste longed to have that kind of control in her life. She longed to have absolute dominion over everything around her, without a care in the world. If only she had the majestic leader to point her in the right direction at this moment.
Celeste closed her eyes and took a deep breath, putting her hand on her sternum to steady herself as she listened to the tranquil flow of the water. She had broken out into a sweat when looking at the stream before, remembering the day she could have died, but now there was none of that. After a few deep breaths she was ready to conquer the stream and finally return to the other side of the forest.
“I can do this,” she whispered, opening her eyes and taking a step forward. She stopped at the edge, glancing down at the flowing water and muddy bottom. There were a few rocks sticking out of the water, high enough and flat enough for her to use them to get across. With ease she stepped onto the first rock and then the next. The third one was a little bit farther away and she realized she’d have to hop on one foot to get to it.