by Cate Maroon
I woke the next morning in an empty room, in an unfamiliar house. I could hear Jackson and the others downstairs talking in hushed voices, presumably not to wake me. The smell of bacon wafted up the stairs and alerted my stomach to how hungry I was. I grabbed a hoodie and threw it on over my pajama top—after all, they said they wanted me to treat this like my home. I made my way downstairs and followed the sound of the voices into the kitchen. I was surprised to see that not only was it eleven thirty in the morning, but that the twins had not gone to school.
“Good morning,” Jackson said, handing me a coffee.
“I can’t believe I slept so late. Have you guys been up long?”
“Just a few hours,” one of the twins said like it was no big deal.
“Work starts early on the farm,” Hunter shrugged.
“Are you hungry?” Jackson asked.
“Starving.”
We all grabbed a plate of food and joined Max who was at the table reading the paper. We ate in silence, everyone enjoying the pancakes, bacon and maple syrup.
“Do you guys need any help today?”
“No, we are just about done until we have to get the cattle in tonight.”
“Can I help? I wouldn’t feel right staying here and not chipping in with the work.”
“Sure, if you really want to.”
“I do. What’s everyone’s plans for the rest of the day?”
“Me and Hunter are going to a cattle auction,” Max said looking over his paper at the boys.
“We were just going to hang around the house,” the twins stated.
“Correction, you are going to tidy up the house, starting with the pig sties you call bedrooms,” Max said, not bothering to look over his paper.
As soon as Hunter had finished eating, he left with Max. The boys all gathered around the sofa, flicking through the television channels until they found something which caught their attention. Jackson and I went upstairs, him going to clean his room, while I went to put away my clothes. Once I had finished, I decided to help out with the housework. Jackson helped and between the two of us, we made light work of the upstairs with the exception of the everybody else’s bedrooms. After we had finished, we went downstairs to motivate the twins.
“Are you two going to sit there all day?”
“Most of it.”
“What about your rooms?”
“We will do it; Dad and Hunter won’t be back till it’s time to get the cattle in.”
“Just go and do your rooms, so me and Kayla can clean up down here.”
“Fine,” the boys moaned in unison, before reluctantly getting up off the sofa and going up to their rooms.
“I can’t believe how messy the twins are,” I grimaced as I pulled an empty chip packet from the couch.
“You will get used to it. Boys their age are animals,” Jackson laughed. “When we are finished in here, do you fancy going for a walk? We could take a picnic basket?”
“Yes, to the walk but can we do a rain check on the food? I’m still stuffed from breakfast. How about we cook dinner for everyone when we get back?”
“Okay it’s a deal.”
When Jackson started to head in the direction of the woods, I had the same unnerving feeling as the last time I was here.
“You can calm down, I told you that the forest isn’t scary. Besides, I said I had a surprise to show you the last time you were here.”
“I remember.”
“Well, the surprise is through there.”
“Are you sure it’s a nice surprise and not a return to your stalkerish ways?” I laughed.
“I promise, I think you are going to love it.”
Reluctantly, I followed Jackson’s lead, not that I had a choice with how firmly he was holding my hand. We walked for quite a while and I was beginning to think we were lost as everything looked the same. The trees were so tall that they blocked out almost all the natural light. I followed exactly where Jackson placed his feet, not wanting to trip over one of the rocks that were bigger than my hand. Boulders were dotted around in any large space between the trees.
“Almost there,” Jackson said excitedly.
The trees were starting to thin out in this part of the forest, making it a lot less scary.
“Close your eyes and trust me,” Jackson whispered.
I did as he asked because I did trust him. In fact, I trusted him more than I have anyone else in my entire life. I looked around and it was breathtaking. We stood in the middle of a clearing on the edge of a steep embankment and opposite us was a small waterfall that flowed in a lake twice the size of the one near my house. There was a giant rope swing and a tree house at the bottom of the cavern.
“Wow, this is magical.”
“Do you like it? We used to play here all the time as kids. It’s our special place, mine and my brothers.”
“I do, I love it and knowing it’s special to you and your family makes it even more special to me.”
Jackson lead me carefully down a narrow path that lead to the bottom of the cavern. We sat next to the lake and I dipped my toes into the water, which was surprisingly warm. The sound of the water falling into the lake was so relaxing.
“Have you heard from your parents?”
“No, and I doubt that I will, until they are ready to come home.”
“Will you go back home when they come back?”
“I doubt it.”
“Shall we head back? It’s starting to get late.”
“Just a little while longer?” I asked, wanting to soak up the relaxing energy a little while longer.
Chapter Ten
Kayla
I finally got up, ready to go back to the house. Jackson lead the way and I was glad because there was no way I would have been able to find my way back on my own. It did not seem to take as long to get back to the house as it did to get to the waterfall.
We made our way inside the house. The twins had resumed their positions on the couch and were so engrossed in the television that they didn’t see us come in, that or they were still annoyed we made them clean their rooms. Jackson and I headed straight to the kitchen so that we could decide what to cook for dinner. We settled on mac and cheese with bacon; it was quick and delicious and knowing that his dad and Hunter would be home, we were extremely limited in our options. Jackson found some garlic bread in the freezer, which would work well as an accompaniment to dip into the gooey cheese. I was salivating at the thought. I loved this kind of food but it was not the sort of thing my parents brought, so I usually settled for a ready meal version when they were out of town. I sprinkled some extra cheese on top and placed the dish back in the oven. After turning up the oven slightly so that the cheese on the top could brown slightly, Hunter and Max came in from the cattle auction.
“Something smells good!” Max called.
“It will be ready in five,” I called back.
“Great, we will go wash up,” Hunter called back.
Jackson laid the table, while I made a big bowl of salad. I placed it in the center of the table with a plate of garlic bread on either side. I put the thick, wooden chopping board on the table to protect it from the hot dish. Jackson took the macaroni to the table, while I grabbed a knife and large spoon to dish it up with. Everyone joined us at the table. The Taylors all loaded their plates high and I realized that Jackson was not kidding about how much they ate.
We ate in silence aside from the odd moan that let me know everyone else was enjoying the food as much as I was. When everyone had finished, I got up to clear the table.
“Sit down Kayla. The twins can clear up,” Max said, causing the twins to groan.
“Why us?”
“Because you two have probably been sat on your butts all day.”
“Whatever,” Jay grumbled as they both got up, taking a handful of empty plates each.
We all watched some television, before everyone went off to their own bedrooms. Jackson did not come with me to my room and I was a
little disappointed, but figured he was tired. I took a shower before getting into bed. The light of the moon streamed in from a gap in the curtains but I decided to leave it because I was not used to sleeping in a strange room. The small amount of light in the room was settling. I had never been afraid of the dark and would not say that I was now. However, I was not used to the house and like all old houses, this one creaked and groaned.
I woke up with a start, hearing the wind howling angrily. I got up and went to close the window but was frozen to the spot when I saw glowing eyes in the forest. A pack of large wolves emerged and they were coming toward the farm. I was scared but it was not like they could get in the house. One of the wolves glanced up at me. We stared at each other for what felt like a long time but was probably just seconds, before it darted off back into the trees. It howled loudly then the others looked at me too, before they all ran in the direction of the other wolf. I quickly closed the window, and pulled the curtains closed. Being watched, even by an animal, made me feel very unsettled.
I lay back in bed with the covers pulled tightly up to my neck as I was freezing. It took me a long time to get back to sleep and even when I did, I was restless. I dreamt about the wolves and they were chasing me. No matter how fast I ran, I could not escape them. I did not usually have bad dreams but when I did, they were always about animals and the forest.
Waking up feeling groggy, after not sleeping much, I felt like my body was sapped of energy. I could hear Jackson and his brothers downstairs but I could not move. My dreams were so vivid last night but I put it down to the vast amount of cheese I ate last night. I know it was probably an old wives’ tale but when I was little, my grandma always warned me not to eat cheese at night because it gave you nightmares. Just thinking about my grandparents made me feel sad. I grabbed my phone from the drawer next to the bed and text both my parents, hoping for some good news.
How are gramps, and grandma? Do you know how long you will be away?
I was not expecting a reply, so I was surprised when I got one almost immediately. They are getting better, I do not know how long we will be gone, it could be weeks, but more likely months.
I pondered about not seeing my parents for months and I was okay with it. I still wanted to see my grandparents though. I decided that no matter what my parents said, I would be going up there for a visit as soon as I knew my grandparents were well enough for visitors.
I decided to stay in my room a little while longer, hoping that I could go back to sleep for a few hours. I pulled the blankets over my head to block out the light that was coming in through the curtains. It was pointless, so I dragged myself out of bed and into a cool shower, hoping it refreshed me enough to not spend the rest of the day walking around like a zombie from a television show.
I threw on my shorts and vest top. It was going to be hot today and I wanted to try and help out more around the farm while I was staying here, especially as Max wouldn’t have any money off me to pay toward my upkeep. I tied my hair up in a messy bun and made my way downstairs.
Jackson was the only one in the house when I eventually emerged for the day.
“Where is everyone?”
“Dad and Hunter are out for the day, and the twins are around somewhere.”
“They haven’t gone back to school?”
“Not yet, Dad said that we might as well all go back together.”
“Okay, I guess that’s a good idea. When are we going back to school?” I asked, even though I dreaded the answer.
“Either next week or the week after. It depends on when you feel up to it.”
“Is never an option?” I asked, only half joking.
“Unfortunately, not.”
“Are you sure your dad doesn’t mind you missing time off school?”
“We haven’t long moved in, so I think he is grateful of the help.”
“That’s good. Speaking of help, I would like to do more around the farm but I’m not sure where to start. Do you think you might be able to show me a few things that I can do?”
“Yeah, I would like that and I’m sure Dad would appreciate an extra pair of hands.”
“Great, let me just grab something to eat, really quick and I will be ready to go.”
Jackson sat with me at the kitchen table while I ate a bowl of cereal. I washed and put away my dishes once I was finished and we headed out into the fields.
Jackson showed me the horses and where they kept the hay. I kept glancing out to the edge of the woods where I saw the wolves last night, still feeling on edge. In all the time I had lived here, I had never seen a wolf, never mind five of them.
“Is something wrong?” Jackson asked, sensing my concern.
“I saw a pack of wolves last night.”
“Are you sure? We don’t usually get wolves out here.”
“Positive. They came from out of the forest and were running toward the house.”
“Maybe it was some of the animals on the farm; they could have gotten out again or some deer.”
“I know what a wolf looks like Jackson.”
“I know, it’s just maybe the light was playing tricks on your eyes or the stress of being in a different house. I saw how scared you were of the forest yesterday.”
“Why can’t you just believe me?” I asked angrily. “I saw a pack of wolves, five of them to be exact and I made eye contact with two of them before they ran back to the forest. “
“Okay I believe you.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just that I’m tired. I hardly slept after that: too much cheese last night gave me nightmares.”
“I will stay in your room tonight, and for however long you need me to until you feel more relaxed and settled.”
“Are you sure your dad won’t mind?”
“No, he knows you’re going through a lot right now. Once I explain to him what you saw and how freaked out you are, he will be fine with it, that’s if you want me to?”
“I do, I really think it will help to calm me down so that I can start sleeping properly again. I don’t know what it is but when you are close, I feel safe and calm.”
“I’m glad,” he smiled, taking my hand.
We fed the horses together, then Jackson showed me where the hose was to fill the troughs for the horses and cows. We watered the horses first, then fed and watered the cows.
“How often does this need doing?”
“At least twice a day if it’s not raining.”
“Is there anything else that I can do?”
“Well, the barns could do with a good clean and a lot of organization, but that is a big job that will take weeks to finish.”
“It’s not like I haven’t got the spare time.”
“Okay, if you really want to do it, I will help.”
“Great, how about as soon as we have finished sorting all the barns, we go back to school. At least that is one less thing for your dad and Hunter to think about.”
“That’s actually a really good plan and it would make things a lot easier around here for Dad if the barns were sorted. He just doesn’t have time with all the other jobs that need doing around here.”
We made our way to the smallest of the three barns but it really was not small at all—it was almost a third of the size of the house. Hunter opened the doors and he really was not kidding when he said it was a big job. The smell of rotting hay and stale air almost knocked me off my feet. Jackson handed me a bandana from his pocket and I followed his lead by tying it around my face for protection from the smell. We got to work quickly. I shoveled the muck off the floor and Jackson wheeled it out into an area on the edge of the forest, where it would continue to decompose into the earth. By the time we had to call it a day, we had already cleared out half of the floor and the place was beginning to look and smell a lot better. We walked inside together, both smelling of sweat, and the distinct smell of the barn, which had soaked into my hair and clothes.
“I need to take a bath for at lea
st a week to get this smell out.”
“Go for it, I’m going to grab a glass of water. Do you want one to take up with you?”
“Yes please.”
As soon as Jackson passed me the water, I made my way up to my room and straight into the bathroom. Not wanting to sit in the dirty water, I decided to take a shower to wash off as much of it as possible before I start to run the bath. I sit on the edge of the bath, drinking my water while I waited for the bath to run.
Chapter Eleven
Jackson
As soon as Kayla went upstairs, I texted the twins to meet me at the house, waiting for them to come home before I called my dad.
“She saw us.”
“She doesn’t know anything.”
“We need to be more careful.”
“That isn’t an option right now.”
“I agree, we need to try and find the wolf.”
“The twins haven’t gotten anywhere today.”
“That’s why we need to look for him at night. He cannot stay in his human form forever. When he shifts, we need to be there.”
“Then we need to find a way to be more careful when we leave and get home.”
“I’ll have a think. Maybe there is another way we can get into the forest out of the view of Kayla’s room.”
“That could work.”
“We will be home soon, there isn’t much more we can do here today.”
I end the call. The twins go off in separate directions and I go up to take a shower. Hopefully, Kayla takes a little longer in the bath than I will, not wanting to make her more suspicious by taking longer than she did. I had just gotten out of the shower when there was a knock on my door. I threw on a t-shirt before I opened the door.
“The twins are ordering pizza; do you want anything?”
“Yeah, I’m starving.”
“If you can get them to wait, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”