A Flurry of Lies

by A. Gardner

  “And this is why I didn’t want to come alone.” I sat up, ready to shut myself in Patrick’s truck if I heard anything that made me nauseous. Although Jenna and her friends were doing a superb job of drowning out background noises.

  “You can pay me back later,” Patrick answered. “And if there’s any funny business, we can always sleep in my truck. It’s practically soundproof.”

  “I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength here.” I held out my hand, and Patrick placed a warm s’more on my palm.

  “You see, I do know how to toast marshmallows,” he stated. “Surprised?”

  “You’re a whiz in the kitchen too?” I bit my lip. “You’re just the total package. No wonder Jenna and her friends couldn’t keep their hands off you.”

  “What?” Patrick repressed a grin but it shined through anyway. “What are you talking about?”

  “They were flirting with you,” I pointed out. “All of them.”

  “Really?” His gaze wandered over to the campsite next to us.

  “Don’t play dumb. You knew exactly what they were doing.”

  “I thought they were just being friendly,” he responded.

  “We’ll see how friendly they are in the morning when they all have splitting headaches.”

  Patrick pulled up a chair next to mine and sat with Miso and me until the fire died down. The laughing and the shouting from our neighbors got worse before it got better. It made for good conversation, and we both covered our mouths when Jenna stumbled into her tent without unzipping the door first.

  When the noise next door died down, Patrick and I retreated to our tent. Miso’s collar jingled as he tagged along. A cool breeze rushed through the air and an icy chill bit at the tips of my nose and ears. It wasn’t unusual for it to drop to freezing temperatures at night. Is it really going to snow?

  I settled into my sleeping bag, feeling safer knowing Patrick was sleeping right next to me. Miso weaseled his way in between us and rested his head on my torso. I was too tired to protest. My brain had been running in circles thinking of ways to trick the mayor into telling the truth for once. My eyes felt heavy. I closed them for what felt like a few seconds.

  I opened them again when the sound of screaming pierced my eardrums.

  Patrick was on his feet in an instant.

  Miso barked as he unzipped the tent door, revealing bursts of faint sunlight.

  Dawn was approaching.

  Ahhh!

  The scream rustled through the trees. It took me a minute to rub the sleep from my eyes and figure out where the screaming was coming from. My heart raced as I exited the tent, horrified as to what I might find. Bears? I hadn’t heard any gunshots, and I knew Patrick and Wade were packing.

  I joined Patrick at the edge of the river.

  The screams were coming from the woods on the other side.

  Chapter 19

  “I’m crossing the river.”

  One of Jenna’s friends looked panicked as she stepped into the rushing water wearing flip-flops.

  “I don’t think so.” Patrick held out his arm and stopped her from going any farther.

  “But Jenna—”

  “We’ll help Jenna,” he assured her. “You want to stay here and be ready to rush down the mountain. She might need medical attention. Where’s your first aid kit?”

  “My what?” The woman grabbed her ears and began breathing shallow bursts.

  Wade stepped out of his tent with Joy. He was shirtless, but he’d managed to throw on his pants before coming to the rescue. He wrinkled his nose and scratched his lower abdomen.

  “Great,” Wade said, overhearing. “She doesn’t even know what you’re talking about.”

  “Stay with her then and be ready for me,” Patrick instructed him. He tightened the straps of his backpack and scanned the river for the best crossing point.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Wade argued. “I’m going with you.”

  Patrick stopped and pointed across the river at a section of trees in the distance. “See all of that? That’s beetle kill. We don’t need any more of us wandering into a forest of dead trees. That’s like asking for it.”

  Wade grabbed his flannel shirt. He pushed the hair from his eyes as he buttoned up his shirt as fast as he could.

  “I’m going with you,” Wade insisted.

  “No, you’re staying here because someone might need to drive down the mountain as fast as humanly possible.” The tone of Patrick’s voice changed when he was assertive.

  Ahhh!

  A few birds flapped their wings in the chilly morning air. More screaming rang through the campsite. Miso barked, and Jenna’s posse began panicking one by one. I knew what needed to be done. Patrick couldn’t go alone, and I’d been on Pinecliffe Mountain more times than Joy had. Jenna’s group also couldn’t be trusted to drive into town in their conditions. Some of them were still passed out from the night before, oblivious to what was going on.

  “Patrick, you go,” I said, pointing across the river. “But I’m coming with you.”

  “Essie—”

  “Don’t argue,” I said. “I know you have a gun, but it would be stupid of me to let you go alone. Wade and Joy will wait here and have the first aid kit ready and the car running.” I linked eyes with Joy.

  “Yep,” Joy confirmed.

  “Besides”—I knelt down and finished tying my laces—“I’m the only other person here with the proper foot gear.”

  Ahhh!

  Another scream was enough to solidify our plans.

  My legs felt like blocks of ice underneath my pajama pants, but I didn’t care. Miso followed along behind me, ignoring Joy’s whistles and calls for him to stay behind. Patrick hopped across a narrow part of the river and held out his hand. I grabbed it, intertwining my fingers with his and hoping that I’d made the right choice. The sound of splashing echoed behind me, and I turned around to see Miso shaking the river water from his fur.

  I waved to Joy and took a deep breath. I didn’t know what I would find up ahead, and I feared the worst. The screaming had sent my mind spiraling out of control. But at least Jenna was still screaming. That meant she was alive.

  “Keep up with me and if anything happens, run back to your aunt Joy.”

  “Are you talking to me?” Patrick glanced over his shoulder looking confused.

  “I’m talking to Miso,” I answered.

  Patrick trudged through the trees. There was no path ahead of us, and the forest seemed to grow thicker the more we walked. I clenched my palms into fists when I noticed the sound of trickling water had disappeared. We were alone in the woods, and already I was beginning to see why Patrick had been so concerned. Some trees were a rich green color with thick, healthy bark. Others were a shade that reminded me of the rusty sinks at the Hummingbird Inn before Clementine had remodeled. It was the beetle kill Patrick had mentioned—dead trees waiting to be repurposed.

  “Try not to touch the trunks,” Patrick muttered. “The dead ones are unstable.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  Patrick stopped suddenly and listened.

  “Do you hear that?” he whispered. “It sounds like crying.”

  Miso sniffed the air and darted forward. Patrick and I followed him deeper into the trees until we reached a clearing. Jenna stood in the center wearing shorts and a tank top. The portions of skin showing looked unscathed. She didn’t move, even when we stepped into view. She was paralyzed as she stared at a spot right in front of her. Miso approached her first.

  “No,” Jenna shouted. “Keep your dog away!”

  My heart pounded as I lunged forward and grabbed Miso’s collar just in time. My eyes went wide at the sight of a snake that hissed and slithered closer to where Jenna was standing. Patrick slowly knelt down and dug through his backpack.

  “Jenna, why don’t you take a few steps back,” I said as calmly as I could. “You’re in its strike zone.”

  “I can’t,” she stammered, sniff
ling. “Every time I move, it moves.”

  Patrick finally pulled a pistol from his bag and carefully aimed it at the snake.

  “Nobody move, okay,” he instructed us all. “As soon as I get a clean shot, I’m going for it.”

  “What if it bites me?” Jenna’s voice came out in almost a whisper.

  “One step at a time.” Patrick took a step closer, his voice as calming as the trickling of the river. I gulped, noticing Jenna’s flushed cheeks and irregular breathing.

  “Patrick, give her a minute.”

  “On three,” Patrick stated. “One.”

  “Wait, I—” Jenna’s breathed at an even more rapid pace.

  “Two.”

  “Patrick.” I gritted my teeth. “I said wait a minute.”

  Before Patrick could say three, Jenna screamed again.

  Miso barked.

  The sudden noise startled Jenna, and she stumbled backward.

  The snake raised its body, hovering close to Jenna’s calf, and struck.

  Jenna let out another scream.

  My eardrums rang as the sound of a gunshot sent the snake flying across the clearing in pieces. Patrick lowered his gun, and I immediately ran for Jenna. Tears ran down her face as she cried and looked down at the bite mark on her leg.

  “Relax.” I did what I could to soothe her. “We’ll get you back to the campsite safe and sound. We don’t even know if that snake was poisonous.”

  “Oh, it was poisonous,” Patrick blurted out as he carefully put his gun away. “Didn’t you see its glands? Its head was heart-shaped.”

  “Oh, no. Am I going to die? No. I can’t die.” Jenna talked faster by the second until she reached a state of mumbling I couldn’t understand.

  “If we can get her to a hospital right away, she’ll be fine.” He knelt down and scooped up Jenna like she was a handful of freshly fallen snow.

  Patrick rushed back through the river at an impressive speed. All of the early morning jogs and weightlifting had paid off. I ran along right behind him, careful not to twist my ankle or run into another deadly reptile. Jenna continued sobbing and didn’t stop even when the sound of the stream right next to the campsite filled the air. Another breeze made Jenna shiver, and I was proud to see that her posse, plus Wade and Joy, were waiting to help.

  Jenna’s friends began crying along with Jenna as soon as they saw her lying helpless in Patrick’s arms. Patrick stepped over the narrowest part of the river again and handed Jenna to Wade. Jenna feverishly wrapped her arms around Wade’s neck, despite the dagger-like glares coming from Joy.

  “Don’t you worry, little lady,” Wade reassured her. It didn’t take long for him to notice the mark on her calf.

  “Snakebite,” Patrick said. “Get her to the doc. Now!”

  Wade and Joy both rushed to Patrick’s truck and started the engine. Patrick turned to me and held out his hand, but the sound of Miso barking stopped me. The barking wasn’t right next to me. Not even close.

  “Darn it, Miso,” I muttered, turning around and running back the way I came.

  The morning breeze grew stronger, and my lungs went tight as I searched every inch of the forest for my spaniel in distress. Not another snake. Please, don’t let it be another snake. Footsteps thudded behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at Patrick. He’d followed me back into the woods.

  Miso barked again.

  I sprinted in the direction of the barking, the sound of the river and the chaos of the campsite fading into the background. All I heard was the sound of my own breathing, birds chirping, and Patrick following closely behind me. One more bark was all I needed to find Miso crouched down next to a hole in the ground—the likely home of rodents or more snakes. Miso sniffed the air and barked again.

  I gulped.

  I didn’t want to know whose house he’d been disturbing.

  “Get over here, boy,” I snapped at him. “Come on.”

  Miso had a hard time focusing on my instructions. I walked briskly in his direction and grabbed his collar, forcing him to follow me back to the campsite. Another brisk breeze ran across my face and made the trees around us sway from side to side. Patrick placed his hand on the small of my back and guided in the right direction. I walked ahead of him, stepping carefully so as not to upset any more wildlife.

  “Are you up for a romantic walk back into town?” Patrick teased. “I’m pretty sure my truck is gone as is everyone else.”

  “There’s Wade’s Camaro,” I suggested. “Although, drive it at your own risk. That thing is his baby.”

  “No way. I don’t even know how he got that car up the canyon in the first place.”

  “Patience and superior driving skills?” I suggested.

  The two of us laughed.

  Crack.

  A stronger wind blew through the trees, pulling a group of dead trees with it. A surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins as my view of the morning sky was blocked by a moving tree trunk that slammed into another one next to it. Crack. Crack. Snap.

  Miso barked, and a pair of thick hands pushed me to the ground. Pain seared up and down my arm as my shoulder collided with the rocks below me. My head pulsed with loud crashes that made me think of a three-car pileup on the side of the highway. I shook my head. My ears wouldn’t stop ringing.

  A tingle on my shoulder caught my attention. There was a cut on my arm, and warm crimson liquid dripped down my bicep and onto the earthy floor. I closed my eyes, waiting for the ringing in my head to stop. When it finally did, I could hardly breathe.

  Miso barked out of control.

  My entire body tensed.

  A tree had collapsed right in front of me.

  And although I couldn’t see him, I knew Patrick was underneath.

  Chapter 20

  There was no doubt in my mind that Patrick was the love of my life.

  The thought of losing him killed a piece of my heart. I couldn’t bear the thought of living without him. I knew I’d never fully recover from the loss. If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.

  My shoulder continued to sting and my eyes filled with tears.

  I wiped them away as Miso continued to bark out of control.

  Stay calm. You can fix this. You can do it.

  “Patrick!” I was afraid to shout his name. What if he didn’t respond? What if he was already long gone and I would never have the chance to say goodbye or tell him how I really felt about him?

  “Over here!” The sound of his voice quenched the fire in my stomach. All hope wasn’t lost.

  “Miso, go find him, boy.” My voice quivered. I waved at Miso to scope out the tree in front of me. I was terrified of moving and falling victim to another rotting tree trunk. I flexed the muscles in my arms and legs. The stinging on my shoulder was my only setback. I carefully stood, following Miso’s lead. He might be hyper at times, but somehow he understood me when it counted.

  Miso barked. I maneuvered around the fallen trunk and found Patrick on the other side. His face cringed when he saw me. His legs were caught underneath hundreds of pounds of heavy bark. He closed his eyes and stared up at the sky. I knew he was holding back painful cries and it hurt me to watch him suffer.

  “Patrick,” I gasped, kneeling at his side. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. His chest rose and fell at a rapid rate, and his fingers dug deep into the earth beneath him. “Okay. It’s okay. I’m going to get you out.”

  “Essie, it’s too heavy,” he breathed. “You’re going to have to go for help.”

  “No,” I protested. “I’m not leaving you here to get smashed to smithereens by more beetle kill. I’m getting you out of here.”

  There was no time to analyze the situation—weigh the pros and cons.

  There was no time to do much of anything but let my instincts take the lead, and my instincts told me to do what I’d been training my body to do for years. Lift. After all, what was the point of a toned physique if it couldn’t bail you out?

  “No. No
.” Patrick shook his head, wincing some more. “Don’t try and lift it. If you throw out your back, you won’t be able to run for help.”

  “It’s just like powerlifting.” I ignored his request and squatted down next to the trunk, preparing to lift it using all of the strength in my arms and quads. A light breeze fanned my fiery cheeks, and Miso stood by watching intensely. I’d never seen him so focused.

  I gripped the thick trunk in front of me and tested its weight.

  Patrick had been right.

  The trunk was heavier than anything I could manage.

  But I had to try.

  “Essie, I’m sorry,” Patrick said, mustering through the pain. “I should never have let you follow me across the river. This is all my fault.”

  “Stop it.” I raised my eyebrows, reminding myself of my sister when she scolded Wade for leaving the toilet seat up. “Now, you listen to me. I’m going to take off as much pressure as I can. When I say go, do whatever it takes to wiggle your legs free.”

  “It’ll hurt,” he said.

  “I know.” Pressure built up behind my eyes, but I held back the tears. Crying would only cloud my vision.

  “Ignore my screaming, okay?” He took an unsteady breath. “Okay?”

  “Okay.” I nodded in agreement. “Are you ready?”

  “Are you?”

  “No,” I admitted. I tightened my grip on the tree trunk and took a deep breath. “And if I look at you, I’ll probably fall apart.”

  “Then don’t look at me,” he suggested. He scrunched his nose, trying to speak. But his legs were under a lot of weight, and I didn’t know if he was bleeding. The thought struck fear into my chest. I could have miraculously lifted thousands of pounds, but none of it would do any good if he’d already lost too much blood.

  “Fine.” I closed my eyes as another breeze rushed across my cheeks. I stayed frozen in place until the sound of leaves rustling and branches moving came to a halt. “I’m going to count to three.”

  “One,” Patrick said for me.

  My heart started pounding, and there was little I could do to stop it.