Bearly Familiar

by Lilly Wilder

  “OK,” Rene concluded, “let’s assume I believe this crazy idea that humans can somehow transform into bears, then what happened?”

  She eyed them both carefully. Maybe they both escaped the lunatic asylum and the guy who was here was trying to get them back? In that case, wouldn’t they come with a white van, and a whole load of doctors and male nurses, instead of sending one guy in the middle of the night?

  No matter how hard she tried, no reasonable explanation seemed to make any sense. Then, she remembered what Sherlock Holmes always used to say.

  When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

  “You believe us?” Hyde asked.

  “I agree to a willing suspension of disbelief,” she confirmed, “for the time being, at least.”

  She still couldn’t wrap her head around it, but she was willing to believe him. After all, doesn’t everyone wish that magic was still alive in the modern world?

  “Thank you for that,” Hyde smiled weakly, and Jesse did the same.

  Out of nothing, a bond was suddenly forged between these three people. Small, but unbreakable and permanent, one person’s compassion and understanding built a bridge of togetherness that was about to make her embark on a journey of a lifetime. She had no idea where she would end up, but Rene Olsen always yearned for an adventure of a lifetime, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to let go and try it out. Sometimes, taking a risk paid off.

  “We escaped because we didn’t want that lifestyle any longer. It wasn’t for us. We wanted so much more, and ever since we got here, we realized how right we were in thinking that. There is so much more to life than the woods. But, ever since we escaped, our lives have been in danger.”

  “But, why?” Rene didn’t understand. “Can’t they just let you go?”

  “No,” Hyde shook his head. “Because, there is one other thing I didn’t tell you.”

  A cloud of foreboding descended upon them, and Rene waited patiently.

  “What is that?”

  “My father Haera, was the leader of our clan. He always ruled with a firm, but righteous hand. He was the kind of leader everyone wanted to be. And, that earned him the respect of not only our clan members, but all other clans around us, which was a big deal, in our world.”

  “How many clans are there?” Rene asked, curious about this entirely different lifestyle, she couldn’t even imagine.

  “There were five where we lived, but there are many more scattered all around the world. We hide in the mountains, in the deserts, where you people rarely travel. We keep a low profile, that’s why you never hear of us or see us. We don’t allow you to.”

  “That makes sense,” she smiled. “I guess we’ve grown numb, us people of the modern world, and we stopped believing that magic exists. It’s so sad.”

  It seemed that she was getting more and more immersed into this story, believing what this magical storyteller was telling her. Her little heart lit up, remembering all those fairy tales she used to love as a child. Could it be that some parts of them were true?

  “When was the last time you saw your father?” she wondered.

  “On the day that he was killed,” Hyde’s words filled the room with a sense of impending doom.

  Those horrible words hung between them like daggers, and everyone was trying to avoid them, but they were still there, aimed straight at them. She decided to take the bullet.

  “He was killed?” Rene repeated, frightened of what she might hear.

  “Yes,” Hyde nodded, “by the leader of the opposing clan. His name is Culore. The most malicious man I’ve ever seen. His clan is pure evil and they respect no bounds. That was why no one said anything when he killed my father, and if I hadn’t acted quickly and escaped, I would probably be dead, too, by that same hand.”

  “Why does he want you dead?”

  “He wants to rule all the clans together,” Hyde explained. “But, he can only do this if there is no clan leader or any of his descendants left. That is why he has to kill me and show everyone my head. But, that’s not the worst thing.”

  Rene suddenly realized why the man came looking for Hyde’s son. The realization crept up her back, like a little six legged spider, creeping and crawling.

  “Parker is my son, so even if I’m dead, he is next one in line to be the clan leader, whether he’d like to be or not. That is why they’ll never let us be, as long as we’re alive, because that means that my father’s line still lives.”

  “Would it be the same if Parker was a girl?” Rene suddenly remembered to ask, not that it mattered.

  “No,” Hyde shook his head. “If she’s old enough, he’d marry her and become the clan leader that way. If she’s still under age, he could adopt her.”

  “They would allow that?” Rene was horrified that someone could adopt a child whose parents he murdered.

  “There would be no one to stop him, so he could do whatever he pleased.”

  “Isn’t there anyone to stand up to him?”

  “Whoever tried that is pushing up daisies right now. The best way I can protect my son is to just stay away and hope they don’t find us,” Hyde concluded, sounding defeated.

  “But… you can’t spend your entire lives hiding from those people!” Rene almost shouted, and then realized she was doing it. “You just can’t.”

  “There isn’t much we can do,” Hyde shrugged his shoulders.

  “You forgot to tell her about the coins,” Jesse reminded him.

  “What coins?” Rene looked at Jesse, then back at Hyde.

  An air of mystery filled up the room. It smelled like adventure, like something Rene would love to be a part of.

  “Oh, that… that’s just a legend. We don’t even know if it’s true.”

  “Tell me,” Rene pleaded.

  Hyde sighed, before starting.

  “A long, long time ago, there were two people, a man and a woman, and they loved each other more than life itself. Legend has it that the woman got sick, and after a short while, died. The man was inconsolable. Upon burial, he placed two coins on her eye sockets, even though those were the last two coins in his pocket, and he had no means of obtaining any more in the near future. He had grown weary of life, tired, and he begged Death to take him, but it wouldn’t. The man didn’t want to bury her at first, but eventually, he had to. He dug her grave in the middle of a forest clearing, surrounded by all kinds of wild flowers, and buried her there. He nailed a small cross, made of weeping willow branches, and placed it on the pile. As night drew near, he remained there, and eventually fell asleep. When morning caught him, he was still there, lying on the grave. His fist was clenched, and when he tried to open it, he realized that the night frost made it hard for him to open it immediately. He waited a little, then finally, managed to get his fingers to spread out. In his palm, he was holding a strand of her honey colored hair, with a red ribbon tied to the end of it. He had no idea what happened. The grave was intact. Did he, in all this madness caused by the loss, dig her up, cut a strand of her hair, and then bury her back again?”

  Rene was listening to him intently. Jesse seemed to share her interest, even though he himself knew the story by heart.

  “As he was wondering what happened, they say that the earth cracked open, and Charon himself walked out of the dark depths, holding a lantern. He looked like Death himself, wearing a long black robe, with a big hood over his head, hiding his entire face. The only thing the poor man was able to see was a set of gleaming eyes, staring right into his very soul. The man stumbled backwards, and Charon, silently, extended his bony hand towards him. His fingers spread open, and the man saw two shiny coins resting there. He couldn’t believe it. Those were the same two coins he had placed on the eyes of his beloved before he buried her. The man fell to his knees and started crying. Why was Charon giving him back her fare? Would he not take her across? Was she doomed to wander forever in t
he world between this one and the next? Charon urged him to take the coins, then pointed downward. Even though he didn’t say anything, the man understood exactly what Charon was trying to do. He was returning her fare, because he agreed to take them both across. They say the man was found dead the following morning, lying next to her grave. The coins were gone, too. Then, years later, one of our ancestors claimed to have found those infamous coins, and we had been guarding them ever since. During the Great Wars, they got lost, and now, no one knows where they are.”

  “That’s a heart-breaking story, and I do like the drama, but, how would they help you?” Rene wondered, still thinking about the story she just heard, fantasizing that one day, someone would love her that much.

  “They are worth more than any of us could ever imagine,” Hyde explained. “I could exchange them for my freedom, for my son’s freedom. Culore is greedy and if there’s anything he likes as much as power, it’s money.”

  “Are you sure those people would accept that? What about the hierarchy, the right of the next one in line?” she continued asking.

  “I could renounce my position, but to men such as Culore, that isn’t enough. He doesn’t believe his own shadow, let alone the man whose father he killed. And, he is right in feeling that way, because I am not sure I would ever be able to forgive him for what he has done to me and my clan, to my father. But, I didn’t have Parker back then. I was a young man, a foolish man, who acted based on his emotions and impulses. I am different now, and maybe, things could have a different ending this time.”

  “Do you even know where to start looking for those coins?” Rene asked, in disbelief. “I mean, if you’re right, they could be anywhere. They could even be lost forever.”

  “Legend also says that the coins will eventually find their way back to their original hiding place,” Jesse added.

  Rene noticed that he sounded better, as if he wasn’t in so much pain any longer. The thought made her glad. As for what he said, that was just another version of her words: they could be anywhere.

  “And what is the original hiding place?” she asked him, wondering what the coins looked like.

  “If we knew that, we’d already have them,” Hyde said. “However, we do have a clue. Legend also says that the full Moon reveals a trail in the woods that leads to a tree with crossed roots that look like a heart. There, underneath those very same roots, the coins would be hidden.”

  “But, that could really be anywhere,” Rene’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  It all sounded like a fairy tale, only whoever came and attacked them tonight was very real. They wouldn’t be able to wish him away.

  “Jesse and I brought some of our old books with us, and we’re sure that the location is hidden somewhere in there, but no matter how many times we tried reading them, we couldn’t find anything.”

  He sounded defeated. However, Rene’s curiosity peaked at the possibility to take a look at some old books, and maybe solve a mystery. When she was a little girl, she loved reading Nancy Drew and always tried to solve the mystery before Nancy announced the solution. Now, she could do it in real life.

  “Maybe I could be of some help there?” she suggested. “I could take a look at those books, maybe see if you guys missed anything. After all, three heads are better than one.”

  “You know, that’s actually not a bad idea at all,” Jesse interjected.

  “Then, it’s settled,” Rene smiled.

  She could already imagine herself leafing through the old books, with that faint musty smell, that awoke every single sensation in one’s being, evoking images of endless fantasy worlds, of brave princesses and damsels in distress, of fire breathing dragons and old treasure, of romance and love that never dies.

  “Now, I think we all had enough excitement for one evening,” Hyde rounded up their conversation. “And besides, I think I need to drive Jesse to Keith’s place to have him checked out, see if anything’s broken.”

  “Are you OK to drive home on your own?” Jesse asked her, and she just nodded.

  “I think so.”

  Rene just wanted this crazy day to end finally, and maybe, just maybe, when she woke up the following day, she’d realize this was all just a screwy dream, caused by too much sugar before bedtime.

  Chapter 8

  Unfortunately, the new morning didn’t bring any new revelations. On the contrary, the events from the previous night burned freshly and brightly inside Rene’s mind, and she couldn’t think of anything else, even though it was Saturday and she could do whatever she wanted, even if that was to stay in bed and lounge all day.

  Rene loved Saturdays. It was the only day she didn’t have any plans for, the only day that truly belonged to her. She usually had a cup of coffee in her favorite cafe, sitting at a small terrace that made her feel like she was in Paris on an early spring morning. They always served a little freshly baked croissant with their morning coffees and that added to the charm of the place. Then, she’d take a walk in the park, just doing some people watching. Sometimes, she would visit a book store and, on rare occasions, she would even buy a book, when it wasn’t too expensive. She needed to save every penny and that felt like a burden. She yearned for the days when she wouldn’t need to count every single penny in her wallet and when she’d be able to spend a little more on herself, without feeling guilty.

  Rene was changing, when she heard a soft knock on her door.

  “Come in!” she shouted to Alice, who immediately peered in.

  “You came home pretty late last night,” she eyed her in a provocative manner, “do you have anything to report?”

  “What do you mean?” Rene pretended she didn’t understand what Alice was talking about, and just kept putting on her t-shirt and leggings, which were her usual go to at home.

  “Maybe you had some sexy one on one time with your hot boss,” Alice winked at her.

  “If I told you about the night I had, you wouldn’t believe me,” Rene sighed.

  Before she could say anything, Alice already rushed out of the room, and Rene knew she was waiting for her in the living room, to hear all the juicy details. She wondered if she should mention anything. Hyde and Jesse talked to her in confidence. She didn’t want them to find out, somehow, that she was unable to keep a secret. Still, this was too much to keep to herself. Also, Alice was her best friend. Who was she going to share such crazy bits from her life if not with her bestie?

  She walked into the living room nonchalantly and sat down on the sofa next to Alice.

  “So?” Alice’s eyes gleamed with interest.

  “Don’t you know that curiosity killed the cat?” Rene teased.

  “I just want to know what he’s like in bed, that’s all,” Alice defended herself and both girls laughed.

  “We didn’t have sex, you nympho,” Rene picked on her friend playfully.

  “What else could be worth reporting?” Alice wondered.

  “A guy broke into their home late last night,” Rene started, and the look on Alice’s face transformed from mild interest to full blown enthrallment.

  “Oh my gosh!” Alice pressed her hands to her lips.

  “Luckily, Jesse was there, so…”

  “Wait a second,” Alice waved her hands in the air frantically, preventing Rene from continuing her story. “You’re telling me that the other hottie was there? While your boss was away and the kid was sleeping? Are you serious?”

  The look on Alice’s face was priceless. Rene felt like laughing, but she managed to suppress the urge.

  “It’s not what you think,” Rene defended herself.

  “It never is!” Alice laughed.

  “He came to help, the fuse was out, so I had to call him, because Hyde was at work,” Rene tried to explain.

  “Aha,” Alice nodded, but that mischievous gleam in her eyes was still there.

  “Seriously, do you want to hear the story or not?” Rene needled.

  “Chi
ll, I’m just having some fun,” Alice joked. “Come on, tell me the story.”

  “Well,” Rene calmed down, and continued where she left off, “like I said, Jesse came over to check the fuse box and he went down to the cellar. But, before that, he asked me a few questions which were kinda strange. Like, if I’ve seen someone lurking about or basically anything weird. I thought the question was bizarre, but Jesse is like that. An oddball. And, this would be enough of an explanation, if Hyde didn’t ask me those same questions a week earlier.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Mhm,” Rene nodded. “So, he went to the cellar and told me to stay in Parker’s room.”

  “Why there?” Alice wondered. “Wasn’t he asleep already?”