by LA Kirk
"I'm sorry to hear that, dear. I have three open cabins. The cheapest is close to the main road, so it can get a bit noisy really early or late in the afternoon as the tourists bring their boats in and out of the lake. The main dock ramp is across the street from here." She points to the sign that reads Watercraft Dock.
"I'll take it. I only plan to stay until the tires are fixed." I turn to Bobby. "Thank you again. Let me write down my number in case you're able to fix the tires." I grab a piece of paper and pen out of my purse and write down the number and my name.
He takes the paper and looks over at the innkeeper. "I'll talk to you later, Sherry. I might swing the car back this way once I get it fixed."
"I look forward to seeing you, Bobby." Sherry winks before Bobby turns and heads out the door. She watches for a few minutes before she types some information into her computer. "I just need a credit card to hold until you check out and your driver's license to register you."
I rummage through my purse until I find the card I want to use and hand it to her, then wait while she types in my information. A stand with brochures by the door catches my eye, and I walk over to it to read some of the titles. Most are just advertisements for things to do in Michigan or around the park. There's one on wildlife that I grab. I read through it quickly, but it only gives information on the type of fish that can be found in the lake or things to hunt in the area. A throat clearing pulls my attention back to Sherry.
"Your cabin is all ready for you. Here's the key and a map of the place. There's a kitchen in the cabin, but there's a charge for clean up if it's used. You can also walk over to the diner to eat something. It's up to you." A key dangles from a key ring swinging on Sherry's finger. Taking the key, my credit card, and driver's license, I look at the map before picking it up as well.
"Everyone here has been so nice. Thank you for helping me at the last minute." Not that she would turn me down since she had an empty cabin to rent.
"It's my pleasure. If you need anything, just hit pound, one from your phone. It will ring up here to the office."
"I will." I reach down and grab the suitcase Bobby set on the floor and leave to settle into my cabin.
Chapter Two
After reaching the cabin, I realize it sits back further into the woods than I originally thought. Memories of running from the animals flood through me, but I shake it off as I unlock the door and step inside the cozy cabin. In the main room, a small fireplace shares the back wall with a sliding glass door that opens to the woods. Dull yellow and orange wallpaper and almond-colored appliances date the old kitchenette.
To the right is another door. I head over to open it and find the only bedroom in the cabin. The room is decorated in mauve and country blue with a queen-sized mattress nestled into a log bed frame. I place my suitcase on the dresser and put my purse on the desk. I walk through another door that leads to a bathroom and lay my overnight bag on the counter before checking out the over-sized tub with jets. The bathroom appears to be the only remodeled room in the cabin.
Deciding to soak my tired and achy muscles, I turn the water on high. I fold my clothes and lay them on the small counter. As I climb in the tub, I hear a howl. My mind goes on high alert as I try to remember if the wolf in the woods howled. No return howl follows, so the wolf might be alone, which frightens me more because the wolf I ran into earlier was alone, too.
But the wolf would have no reason to track me. Animals don't do that, right?
I set aside my paranoia and step into the tub. Flipping on the jets, I try to unwind. After twenty minutes, the jets shut off. I pull the plug, stand, and shower quickly. I watch as the debris from my fall today washes down the drain.
Once I dry off, I dress in a light sundress and sandals. My stomach rumbles from hunger, so I head to the diner. I hate cooking, and with the added cost of paying for cleanup, I have no desire to fix myself something to eat.
I hike over to the lake diner and take one of the back booths.
The waitress, Katy, comes over and places a menu on the table. "What can I get you to drink, doll?"
"Just water, please." After she leaves, I read through the menu.
After I've decided, I glance up to see five loud men walk through the door. They stomp toward a table right next to my booth. From the noise, I can't tell if they're arguing or just loud talkers. They glance my way, making me shift slightly in my seat. None of them look at their menus, and once they're seated, they stop speaking.
Oddly enough, the uneasy feelings I expect never come. For some reason, I'm calm. Finally, I no longer think everyone is out to get me.
The waitress returns, order pad in her hand. "What can I get for you, doll?"
I close my menu. "I'll take the fried fish with French fries, please."
"Great choice. Nothing beats our fish and chips." She scoops the menu off the table and bustles to the kitchen to drop off my order.
When I notice the men still staring, I turn my attention out the window to avoid seeing them. A shadow passes near the tree line, and I begin to hyperventilate. My hands grip the table as my vision blurs.
Before I realize it, two of the men are at my table. I tear my eyes from the forest line to stare at them. A short blond with near clear blue eyes talks to me, but his voice doesn't register. His hand reaches for mine, and he runs circles over the top of it with his thumb.
"Miss. Miss, are you all right?" His soothing voice breaks through the veil shuttering over my mind.
"Umm... I..." I take a deep breath and start again. "I've had a long day. I'm fine."
The other man across from me catches my gaze. His amber-colored eyes contrast his dark skin and even darker hair. "Did you see something out there? You looked scared for a minute."
"It's nothing. I'm just paranoid. I had a run in earlier today, so now every shadow seems to make me jump." I peer back out the window, but don't see anything. I shrink down some just in case someone is out there.
"That will do it. You look really pale at the moment. You should drink some water." The blond hands me my drink.
As I take a large swig of it, the waitress returns with my food. Both men slide out of the booth and return to their seats. They watch me as I slide the plate in front of me, but my appetite is gone. This feeling of helplessness drowns my senses and seems to be getting worse. Each day my eyes turn a little brighter, and my disposition becomes a little darker.
I push the food around my plate until I feel the seat bounce. I jerk up to find worried green eyes staring back at me. "Hi, I'm Red. No jokes about the color of my hair. The nickname comes from my real name, Jared. I've had the nickname Red before the color of my hair got this bright."
I only half hear him. I think he is trying to be funny, but his voice is flat.
"Hi," I tell him, unsure of what he might want from me.
"Do you mind if I join you?" His food already sits on the table in front of him. I'm not sure how to say no to him now.
"Looks like you already have." I wave my hand at his plate.
"So I have!" He grins and winks, but I notice his eyes wander to the window.
"Waiting for someone?" The trepidation I felt earlier from the shadow is now gone, and I wonder at its absence.
"Nope! Just thought I would join you. We don't get many single women in this area. It's mostly families vacationing or men on fishing trips. What brings you to our lovely town?" He focuses back on me and steals a fry from my plate. He also ordered the fish, but he paired his with a side of hush puppies.
How much do I tell someone I don't know? He knows I'm alone. It would sound odd if I pretended like I was here with someone. No one eats by themselves on vacation. "My car broke down. The mechanic is working on it now, and I hope to be gone tonight." It's not a lie, but I doubt it will be the truth.
"Bobby is the best mechanic in town." Red nabs another fry from my plate. "If he can fix it, it will be done quickly."
My mouth drops open at the mention of Bobby, and I snap it
closed. "How do you know I'm using Bobby to fix my car?" The question comes out more surprised than anything. As much as I want to be suspicious of Red, I can't.
He laughs. "He's the only mechanic in town. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."
I shake my head at him. This day just keeps getting crazier. "As I was telling your friends, it's been a long day. I'm sorry if I sounded like I didn't trust you." Why am I apologizing to this guy? I pick up my fork and start eating. If I finish, I can leave without having to deal with anyone else for the rest of the night.
"No worries. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll go back to my table." Red scoots out of the bench, grabs his food, and goes back to his original seat. Once he sits down, their heads come together, and they begin to whisper.
I refocus on my food, taking quick bites so I can get out of the diner. The waitress walks up to check on me. "Can I get you anything else, doll?"
"I'm almost done. I'll just need my check." I crane my neck to see if there is a cash register to use. "Do I pay here or up front?"
"Oh, the boys over there paid for your meal. You don't have to do anything." She turns to check on the guys' table.
Finishing my last two bites, I slide out and walk over to the guys next to me. I stand at the end staring at all of them. After I have their attention, I address the check situation. "I appreciate you paying for my meal, but that isn't necessary. I can't take your money."
"Hey! You said you had a rough day, and your car broke down. We want to do something to lift your spirits," a shaggy brunette tells me.
"That's sweet of you, but it makes me a little uncomfortable. I don't like feeling like I owe someone." Having the focus of five men unnerves me. I just don't know how to explain that to them.
"You don't owe us anything. Every once in a while, you have to give back. You know, karma and all." The explanation comes from a man with dark brown hair and bright-blue eyes, the last of them to speak.
I smile for the first time today. "You're right. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your meal."
Before they can say anything else, I head out the front door.
The warm night air hits my face, and I can't help but enjoy the clean scent. I lift my face and close my eyes. Fresh pine tree mixes with the wild flowers along the forest edge to refresh my senses.
I slowly walk back to my cabin. My feet ache from running earlier, and the stings on my arms and face burn slightly. The freedom and peace I feel makes up for it. I watch the trucks pulling boats out of the park onto the highway and think back to when my grandpa used to take us to the lake to fish for the day. I understand why people stay out there as late as they can.
Once I make it back to my cabin, I flop on the couch and turn on the television. I take a few minutes to flip through the channels, but nothing stands out as something I want to watch. Just to be safe, I flip through the channels once more, but find the same shows. It doesn't help that the television only gets fifteen channels.
When I try to stand, my stiff muscles protest. I roll off the side and clamber to my feet before trudging back to my room. Slipping out of my sundress, I pull on a tank and shorts. After taking out my contacts, which I manage to do without looking at my eyes, I walk back into the bedroom where the old country bed calls my name. I fall on top of it.
Now that I lay down, my mind turns on. My body's groans get ignored as my mind races back to the events of today and the last two months.
The changes to my eye color aren't the only transformations I've noticed. Recently, headaches hit me a few times a week. These lead to panic attacks and times of extreme paranoia. One day, when I was leaving work, pain hit me hard enough to double me over. One of the bag boys in the store I work at saw me as he was collecting the carts. After helping me to my car, he sat with me for a few minutes until the pain subsided.
My mind races to a time when I was out for a bike ride. I was on my normal trail when chills hit me. I knew someone was watching and following me. I couldn't see anyone when I scanned the trail and the woods along it. Nothing. I pedaled faster until I made it back to the main road that led to my apartment.
That was the same feeling I had earlier today at the picnic area. Maybe, I should stay away from those areas. I didn't feel that way walking back to the cabin, though, so what other similarities do they have? Other than trees and paths, I can't think of anything.
Despite my body's aches, I climb out of bed and pace around the room. At this point, my mind won't go to sleep until exhaustion takes over. Spotting my suitcase on the dresser, I open it and pull out the fantasy encyclopedia. I sit at the desk and flip through the pages.
The sections aren't organized in alphabetical order but by type of supernatural occurrence and then alphabetically. The first section is about the types of supernatural beings. Scanning through the list, I find the usual bad guys: vampires and werewolves. I also see creatures like sprites and elves.
The next section is on magic and the types found naturally and unnaturally. Different creatures have magic within them that they can use directly. Others can wield magic, but they have to use a device to control it. They list some of the items like wands and amulets.
The last section is on warnings. This is where I found the information on the eye colors, except the book mentioned a deep burnt orange color versus my bright tangerine. It mentions that the darker the eye color the more evil the creature.
I slam the book shut and put my forehead on the cover. I should be focusing on medical journals and not supernatural nonsense. The problem is that nothing I read in medical journals explained the color change. Several books mentioned the color of the iris as being hereditary and the color of the sclera changing from white to red when the eye is irritated or infected. The color may also go to yellow or brown because of liver issues or age. My sclera is still white, so the medical books didn't help.
I rub my temple and consider what other options I have because this may be a dead end. At first the contacts bothered me, but now they're just an annoyance. I would rather not wear them for the rest of my life, though.
My other fear is that this may cause other eye issues. I don't want to end up blind if this condition gets worse. It could also lead to my death. I push back from the desk and stand. Grabbing the book, I shove it back into my suitcase. My mind and body pulse with adrenaline as my second wind kicks in.
I head back into the main room and check out the television. Something mind numbing might help me sleep. My finger taps on the channel button as I scroll through the shows. I stop a few times at some of the Sixties and Seventies shows. I grew up watching the old sitcoms because my grandma watched me before and after school. Those shows were her favorites.
But nothing seems to be taking my mind off the events of today. I decide to grab my shoes and go for a walk. With the cover of dark, I opt to skip the contacts to give my eyes a rest. I rummage through the closet and find an emergency flashlight. As I walk out the door, my mind races, but with no chills accompanying it and hope that the wolf has moved on, I continue forward into the cool night.
Chapter Three
I wander around the cabin. The old wood siding peels slightly on the east side, probably from where the morning sun hits it. Mold stains the north side of the cabin which gives it a green tint. Nothing else special stands out. No shrubs or flowers line any of the walls.
After I make my way around the cabin, I head to one of the trails in the back. I grab a stick to swipe across the path as I go. Once when I was in elementary school, we took an overnight class trip. The girls went for a late hike. My friend and I weren't paying attention, and we nearly walked into a spider web that spanned the length of the path. When my friend put the light on it, I was nearly nose-to-nose with a spider the size of my hand. I backed up slowly before running back to my cabin.
I learned my lesson that day. I do not walk paths at night without a long stick to cut away anything that I can't see.
The hike is uneventful until I come up on another
cabin. I hear their television on, so I make a wide loop around to avoid disturbing them. As I come up to the next cabin, I realize this isn't the best place to hike. I turn and head back to my cabin, but instead of stopping, I walk across the now quiet highway and head over to the lake. A gate blocks the main entrance, with a sign that states the park closes at dusk, but I walk around it.
My shoes kick up pebbles from the gravel drive. Cicadas chirp, and owls hoot, ignoring my invasion of their territory. The lane opens up to a wide expanse of water. The full moon reflects off the surface, casting rippled lines across the lake. Waves lap at the edge of the boat ramp, adding to the nightly orchestra playing around me.
Walking to the edge of the dock, I set the stick aside and sit to dangle my feet over the side. My feet don't reach the water so I swing them back and forth to the rhythm of the waves and rest my arms on one of the beams making up the guard rail. Switching off the flashlight, I tuck it into my pocket and lose track of time as I watch the peaceful ripples.
A loud blast, followed by a howl, shatters my tranquility. I jerk around but can't tell where the shots or the howl came from. Quickly, more howls add to the mix, and I feel cornered.
Another shot echoes through the area followed by a pained cry. Not long after, the crunch of shoes on gravel comes closer. Frantic, I search around and realize a boat is tied to the dock opposite me. I curl up in a ball in the corner of my dock and do my best to hide from the oncoming stampede.
After a few moments, hushed voices join the running sounds, and two men jog toward the boat. The taller of the two points at the ropes while he jumps into the boat. The other man moves to undo the knots, but doesn't get far before more running sounds reach us. One of the men shouts, "Hurry," before the shorter man jumps into the boat. Just as they drive off, a man and a dog break through the woods on the far side.
As the newcomers get closer, I realize that the man is one of the ones from the diner, and the dog is a wolf. I stay in my crouched position in hopes they don't spot me.
