When it didn’t break, Skylar broke down. She couldn’t even destroy a piece of glass. She morosely made her way to the couch and flopped onto it.
She buried her face in a pillow and cried. She was becoming the monster she swore she would never become. She needed help—wanted it—but the risk was too great. She was going to have to save herself, suppress her beast, even as part of her wanted it more.
And it was trying to take over her life.
Chapter Ten
Skylar and Haley sat on the bench that overlooked the lake at Wild Goose Landing. As they sipped lattes, Skylar admired the moon’s movement across the sky, highlighting the mountains. The water sparkled with life unseen during the day.
After what had happened with Trevor, she didn’t want to be alone, so she’d called Haley over for the night.
Skylar nudged Haley. “How do you control it?”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t?”
“Skye, you’ve become something you’re not.”
“But that’s the point, Haley. I don’t want to be that little girl in the woods killing animals. I want to be normal.”
“It will always be a part of you, and you need to accept that. I have.”
“You might miss it, but I don’t. And I won’t accept it. Look what happened with Trevor.”
Haley rested her head on Skylar’s shoulder. “Free yourself.”
“I can’t. I won’t.”
They sat in silence as Skylar finished her latte. After a while, Haley spoke.
“That book thingy sounds strange. I mean, it starts with the year the three of us were born?”
Skylar hadn’t made that connection. “Maybe it’s only a coincidence, but I need to get that book.”
“Or not. I don’t like this, Skye. We need Morgan.”
“We’ll see.” Skylar wasn’t about to involve Morgan in this.
“Do you like me?” Haley asked.
“Of course, silly, I love you. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“You’re still worried I’m going to ditch you for other friends.”
“I guess so. Like that Carly girl. Skye, am I fun?” Haley lifted her head.
Skylar stood, pulling Haley up with her. She rubbed Haley’s head, and Haley to begin to purr.
“Of course, you’re fun. You’re my quirky little girl,” Skylar said.
Haley jumped onto the bench.“Dance with me, Skye.”
Skylar joined Haley on the bench. “I don’t really know how. Where did you learn how to do this?”
“My mom’s dance workouts,” Haley answered, her eyes pleading.
After a quick glance around, Skye shuffled her feet, creating her own moves. Her arms flung awkwardly, and her hair whipped around her face.
Watching Skylar’s dance, Haley laughed.
“At least I’m trying!”
“I’m teasing! See, I am fun, just like you said.”
Skylar smiled. No longer caring if anyone saw the two of them, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment. Their feet tangled and they tumbled off the bench, landing on their feet.
“That was fun.” Skylar eyed the lake with the spark of an idea, grabbed Haley by the wrist and pulled her toward the water. “Come on!”
The night air was still warm, yet the breeze floating off the water was cool. She kicked off her shoes and socks. The sand chilled her feet. “Well?” Skylar asked, removing the rest of her clothing.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously! I danced with you, now you swim with me.”
“It’s going to be cold.”
With Haley following, Skylar dipped into the water and filled her cupped hands, then tossed cold water onto Haley.
“You’re so mean, Skylar Colt!”
“Haha, can’t catch me!”
Skylar dove in and waded in chest-deep water as Haley floated toward her.
“Brr,” Haley said, hugging herself
“Suck it up, buttercup.” As Skylar used the moniker, it rang with familiarity.
Lake water drenched her face, and Skylar joined Haley in a splashing war. Floating on their backs, they gazed into the starlit sky.
“Thanks. I needed this,” Skylar said.
“Do you think it’ll all work out? You know, with Morgan?”
There was no easy answer. “I sure hope so.”
“We can trust her, she’s our leader.”
The words bit into Skylar’s soul, ripping it apart. Skylar no longer thought of Morgan as their leader, but it was clear Haley still did.
At two in the morning, as they headed back to the car, Skylar checked her phone and saw a text message from Mom.
Missed you at home. Dad and I will be back Sunday for Logging Days. Will text soon. Love, us.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m not sure. Nothing, I guess. Look.” She held up the phone.
“But, they never leave you alone overnight.” Haley sounded perplexed.
“Yeah, I know, right?”
“Guess it’s just us, until Sunday.”
“Let’s go get her!” Haley exclaimed.
“What?”
“Morgan! This is perfect!”
Skylar couldn’t dismiss the fact that being alone would be a great time to truly test Morgan. She revved the engine.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
Skylar hadn’t made a nighttime visit to the cabin in over a year. She’d forgotten the different sounds that accompanied the darkness, the shadows moved, and the eyes that dotted the forest.
“Remember our night hunts?”
“No, and don’t remind me.”
Skylar was still amazed at Haley’s resistance to rehabilitation.
“Do you smell that?”
“Smell what?” Skylar breathed deeply, but only smelled nature.
Tripping over something in the darkness, Haley caught Skylar before she fell.
“Thanks.”
“I practice my night vision. You should too.”
Skylar clicked on the flashlight. “This is my night vision.”
They arrived at the cabin and Skylar watched as Haley sniffed around the door, an action that eerily resembled a dog.
“It’s almost . . . familiar.”
“I don’t smell anything,” Skylar said, then chuckled. “Since your vision is so superior, I guess you wouldn’t mine cleaning out Morgan’s break room. I’ll get her ready while you go take care of business.”
“But she’s coming to stay with us, right?”
“Not until I have everything ready.” She turned the key in the lock.
“She can clean it herself.”
“Will she?” Skylar replied with a smirk.
“No, I guess not,” Halley sighed, as she headed toward the back of the cabin. “If you need me, I’ll be the smelly one.”
Inside, Skylar shone the flashlight around the cabin’s interior.
“Morgan?”
Inching further inside, she came to the thick mound of brush that served as Morgan’s bedding. But though it was warm in the cabin, the mound was covered with blankets and a sleeping bag, the chain snaking from the bedding into darkness.
As Skylar came close to her friend, bundled tightly under covers, she wondered . . . why hadn’t Morgan been alerted to their presence?
She shook the blanket-covered lump. “Morgan, wake up. We’re here to take you…” As she pulled off the covers, a grizzly sight greeted her.
“Haley!”
As Haley rushed into the cabin, Skylar stepped forward, blocking her from the horror that lay beyond. Evan as weakness overtook her, she halted Haley with an outstretched arm.
Still, Haley spotted the kill. “Is it a baby deer? No, a fawn.” Her tone had turned ravenous.
Skylar pushed Haley out of the cabin, and rather than leave, Haley continued to stare from the door.
“Go finish your job.”
Haley reluctantly walked back into the night.
Haley’s favorite meal, Skylar knew it had been left to tempt her.
Haley’s rallying howl tore through the night. Skylar raced from the cabin as a second howl sounded.
In the meadow, Skylar found Haley on all fours, her neck arched toward the moon. She let out another long, mournful call.
“We’ll find her,” Skylar said.
“Why isn’t she answering my calls?”
“Either she doesn’t want to be found, or she’s not here. I’m betting she’s waiting for us in town,” Skylar said, trying to hide her concern.
“Do you think she’s is at one of our houses?” Haley paced, a worried look on her face.
“If she tracked our scent, then yes,” Skylar answered, motioning Haley to follow as she headed for the truck. “But we don’t want someone else to find her first.”
After finding no signs of Morgan at Haley’s house, they rushed to Skylar’s. Rushing inside, they scoured every room, calling Morgan’s name.
“Where is she?” Skylar asked.
“She’s out there, somewhere, lost and alone. Why didn’t you call for her?”
“Morgan can take care of herself. You know I don’t do that anymore,” Skylar said, remembering Haley’s chilling call.
Skylar warmed the leftover Thai food, divided it in two and set a plate in front of Haley, who pushed it aside.
Undaunted, Skylar took a bite. “Mmm, good.” She took another bite.
Haley glanced at the food, and after a moment, she slid the plate back to herself. “I guess I am hungry,” Haley stuffed a forkful into her mouth.
“We’ll search again in the morning. We need some sleep.”
Haley nodded and cleaned her plate, and when Skylar offered the rest of hers, Haley devoured it.
She understood Haley’s ravenous appetite—her own hunger still boiled at the scent of chipmunk.
“I’ll back in a few minutes.”
Unsure of Morgan’s intentions, Skylar didn’t want to find her sneaking in during the night. She still had no proof that Morgan wrote the blood letters, or even if she knew where Skylar lived. She wasn’t taking any chances.
She checked the locks on every door and window and was about to head upstairs when she halted on the first step, frozen in silence.
How could she have been so blind?
She turned to Haley. “At the cabin—was the padlock on the bathroom door still locked?”
“Uhm, yes. I was coming back for the key when you yelled for me. Why?”
Changing course, Skylar distracted Haley with a tummy scratch. “I just wanted to see if you were going to fake-clean it since I forgot to give you the key.”
“Well, I might have,” Haley yawned. “I’m sleepy.”
As Haley bounded up the stairs, Skylar made her way back into the kitchen. She locked the broken door latch the best she could, took the keys from her pocket and dangled them. Confirming the answer to Morgan’s disappearance, she saw immediately what she’d missed earlier.
The ankle cuff key was missing.
Chapter Eleven
The metal cuff was strapped to Skylar’s ankle, escape impossible. Morgan stood at the door. The taste of chipmunk coated her tongue, and when she tried to speak, her lips were sealed with blood.
Dangling the key, Morgan lay the key on the floor, inches beyond Skylar’s fingertips. As she tried desperately to reach for the key, Morgan disappeared beyond the door, only to reappear a moment later.
This time, the door opened from the outside, and from the doorway, Trevor shook his head. Taking Morgan’s hand, they turned, leaving Skylar trapped inside.
Skylar yanked on the chain, the metal slicing into her skin as her eyes filled with tears.
Morgan returned, not with Trevor, but a blank, featureless figure and they stepped inside.
Morgan reached for the figure, who enveloped her in his arms and rushed her outside, shutting the door.
Warm blood trickled down Skylar’s leg. She grabbed for the key, just out of reach. Tears streamed, and she parted her lips with such force that they tore apart. Licking her lips, she felt the ripped, uneven skin—tasted blood.
She was finally able to . . .
She opened her eyes with a scream. Quieting, she saw Haley next to her, still deep in sleep. She brought her fingers to her lips—they were smooth. Unwilling to risk returning to the nightmare, she climbed out of bed. Careful not to disturb Haley, she snuck out of the room.
The night before, they’d watched Trevor’s house for nearly hour before dozing off. Though Haley was eager to see something, it had pleased Skylar that there’d been no activity.
Sipping a latte, Skylar stared at the muted television. Too tired to call her mom, she sent a text. It was already ten, but she wasn’t ready to wake Haley.
Yawning, Skylar stepped onto the front porch. She stretched and was about to sit and enjoy the pleasant weather when she caught sight of something.
She hurried to her car, the car windows painted red, except for the windshield, where a message had been written in blood. She sniffed—deer blood.
HALEY, YOU DIDN’T TOUCH YOUR DINNER
She couldn’t allow Haley to see this. She grabbed a hose and sprayed the windshield first before rounding the car. A red river flowed down the driveway, along the curb, and into the storm drain. A light trace still remained on the car, and the words were still visible.
Dropping the hose, Skylar ran into the house, hoping Haley hadn’t awoken. She filled a bucket with hot, soapy water, and as she headed back outside, a door shut upstairs. She raced outside.
Skylar feverishly scrubbed the windows as the bucket of water turned red. Once the car was clean, she let out a relieved sigh. Washing the bloody water from the concrete, Haley emerged from the house.
“Hey, what are you up to?” Haley asked, inching closer.
“Wanted to give my baby a bath,” Skylar replied, hoping Haley wouldn’t be able to smell the deer as she rinsed away the last of the blood. She pointed the nozzle in Haley’s direction. “Is it your turn?”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Wouldn’t I?” She sprayed water near Haley’s feet.
“Hey!” Haley ran for the house, and Skylar took chase.
“I’m hungry,” Skylar said, breathless, and shut off the water.
“Waffles with peaches and whipped cream?”
“We have huckleberries,” she replied, winding the hose.
“I guess. Then we’ll look for Morgan, right?”
“Yeah, but I need a shower, mind making breakfast?”
Haley flashed a thumb’s up.
Glancing out her bedroom window, Skylar checked for activity in the old house. Seeing none, she went to the bathroom and stood at the mirror. Her reflection looked like a forty-year-old woman. Stepping into the shower, she closed her eyes, allowing the hot water to encompass her, and she wanted to remain there forever.
When she finally opened her eyes, blood poured from the shower head. She shut her eyes tight, and when she opened them again the blood had disappeared.
Skylar shivered, goosebumps formed on her skin even with the hot water raining onto her.
Cooking was not Haley’s strongest attribute. The blackened waffles couldn’t even soak up the overly-sugared huckleberry syrup, covered in a tower of whipped cream. Not wanting to upset her friend’s efforts, Skylar politely chewed the crispy, super sweet meal.
“Delicious. You can make this anytime,” Skylar forced herself to swallow.
“I think I overcooked them a bit. What do you think?”
“Oh no, they’re perfect.”
“Thanks! I’ll make more tomorrow morning. I think Morgan will like them, too.”
“I’m sure,” she responded, forcing apple juice down her throat to keep from choking.
In the backyard, Skylar focused on Trevor’s bedroom window
until she noticed Haley at the fence, looking through the hole.
“How creepy,” Haley commented. “And this used to be your home before—”
“Before that night, yeah. I’d say a creep factor of nine out of ten.”
“Minimum one hundred right?”
As Skylar glanced toward the window, the white sheet fluttered. With a leading hand on Haley’s back, they returned to the house.
“We should be looking for Morgan,” Skylar said.
“Where should we start?”
“Everywhere.”
They saw no sign of Morgan as they drove around Tamarack Falls. When Skylar noticed Haley’s demeanor had turned sour, they switched vehicles and headed into the mountains.
“Don’t worry, Haley. She’ll be at the cabin, I know she will.”
Haley gave no answer, quietly opening her book instead.
Deep in the mountains, Skylar shut off the car, growing more concerned for Morgan’s whereabouts. She turned to Haley.
“I need you to stay here.”
“Why?”
“You know why,” she said, opening the door. “Give me twenty minutes.”
“Yeah, okay.”
After the long walk to the cabin, Skylar found the door still open. A raunchy odor from the decomposing fawn made her want to hurl. She pulled her shirt over her face and stepped inside.
Enough light filtered through the opening for her to see that, luckily, no wild animals had discovered the rotting carcass. She pulled on the chain and the cuff slipped from the deer’s small legs, releasing a torrent of flies.
Swatting, she tossed the covers over the carcass. Her eyes burned and her nose began to run from the stench. She wrapped her arms around the bundle and lifted.
At the tree line, she entered the forest. Struggling with the heavy carcass, her arms gave out and she dropped the blanket-wrapped deer. She gathered some brush and pine needles and covered it.
The rotting stench followed her back to the cabin, her clothes soaked in decay. Inside, she lit the candle to fend off the coming darkness.
Skylar needed to find how Morgan had gotten out. Trying to detect loose floorboards, she stomped around the cabin, listening for hollow areas. She followed the walls, pressing along the beams.
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