Dawn to Dark

by Halston James

  “You are so boring,” Rose lamented, batting her eyes cheekily at Lily. “I’m going for a walk, come and join me, please?”

  Lily sighed again. Rose wasn’t going to give up. “Okay, just for a short walk, Rose, I need to cook tonight.”

  A satisfied, but mischievous grin broadened over Rose’s face as she skipped out the door, chivvying Lily along like a sheepdog herding the flock.

  Although Lily ambled along slowly, she had to admit, there was really something about these woods. They gave such scope to her imagination; sword fights and duels, and magical creatures . . . She considered writing a book. Wouldn’t it be amazing to put it all down for someone else to see what she saw? Rose would never sit still long enough to read it. Maybe if she made Rose the heroine. Her thoughts were interrupted, and Lily grinned when she realized Rose had climbed a tree and was hanging upside down, her knees crooked over a branch, red hair dangling in a braid like a piece of twisted rope. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief, and before Lily realized what she was going to do, Rose flipped herself off of the branch. Lily watched, her heart in her throat, as Rose landed lightly in a perfect gymnast’s stance. “I swear you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days. That or you’re going to kill yourself, and then mom will kill me!” she accused, glaring at Rose, but with a slight smirk of awe.

  Rose grinned at her twin, a chuckle escaping her throat. Lily looked so funny with her hand on her chest, seemingly gasping for breath. Rose liked scaring her. Lily had perfect features with her long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a figure to die for. She didn’t even realize how beautiful she was. Rose was a red-head and freckled, and she had to work twice as hard to look half as good. She didn’t resent Lily at all because beauty wasn’t her thing. Rose was into gymnastics and sports, and didn’t really care much for dating, preferring to compete and study sport. But school was over for now, and she just wanted to have fun.

  Before they knew it, a few hours had passed. Lily was stressing about making dinner, and Rose figured she could use a bath. She’d had a ball but was dirty after her usual gracefulness had left her at some point, and she’d fallen in the mud. It was worth it, though, because Lily had laughed so hard she snorted a little, and it was rare for that to happen. Rose loved to see her sister laugh.

  They turned toward the cabin and began the trek home. The trip home was much quicker since they headed in a straight line. They chatted about what they intended to do once they started University next year. Rose was determined to study sports, and she also wanted to train for the Olympics, she wanted to be the best of the best. Lily wanted to write and to study archaeology because she adored all the mythologies, histories, and cultures of the world. Something about them captured her imagination, making her feel more alive. And her mind longed to learn more.

  Arriving at the cabin, they paused, noticing the door was open. “Did you close it, Rose? You pushed me out the door so fast I can’t remember.”

  Rose looked confused, and she stared at the door for a long time. “I don’t know, I really can’t remember.”

  Lily shrugged, she really should have checked herself before they left. “Shall we just go in?”

  Rose nodded agreement, and they headed inside with Rose talking animatedly and Lily just smiling at her sister’s antics. Rose’s first few steps took her past the threshold, and she stopped suddenly, freezing to the spot. Lily was behind her, so focused on closing the door that she bumped into Rose, rebounding and almost falling to the floor. “Rose! That hurt.” Rose turned frantically, waving at Lily in a shushing motion. Lily looked at her confused. A deep throaty growl emanated from in front of them. Lily peered past Rose and discovered what had made her freeze. She felt her throat tighten. There was a bear in the living area! It was lying in front of the fire, as if it was right at home. It must have growled whilst sleeping, as it appeared to have not noticed them.

  Lily backed up to the door slowly, pulling Rose with her. She took a moment to look around, knowing that opening the door behind her was not an option, as she would have to turn around and put her back to the bear. There was no way that was happening. Recalling the ladder to the loft, which led to the sleeping area, she tapped her sister on the shoulder and pointed. Rose nodded once tersely and headed slowly for the area with Lily hot on her heels.

  Huddled together in the sleeping area, they peered over the edge at the bear. They were in for a nerve-wracking night. Lily’s mind was busy with thoughts. She knew it was silly to think of it, but her book was next to the chair in front of the fire. She had left it there earlier that day, and now she really wanted it. Come to think of it, the fire was roaring. How was that even possible? It should be dead, or at least embers. There seemed to be fresh wood put in there. She whispered to her sister what she had noticed. Rose looked at her with a baffled expression, but shrugged. Rose was always one to shrug off anything she didn’t understand. Lily sighed with frustration for about the twelfth time today. Rose could be so dismissive. They lay there most of the night just staring at the bear, terrified it would awaken and destroy the place, unsure whether it could climb the ladder to eat them.

  They must have drifted off at some point through the night. They were woken by the sound of the bear growling as it was standing at the door. It looked up to where the girls were. It was impossible for it to not know they were there–keen sense of smell and all. Not to mention, Rose snored and Lily talked in her sleep. Frozen in their places, the girls held their breath. The bear just stared; it seemed to be asking something. Letting out a loud frustrated growl it retreated to the living space and sat on the rug where it had slept. Looking up at the girls again, it’s growl changed to a low rumble. It just sat there. Rose moved first. She raced over to the ladder, slid down it like a fireman on a pole, and raced to the front door, ripping it open and running back to the ladder, before climbing quickly up to Lily. Lily just stared at her open-mouthed. “Rose!” she exclaimed raggedly.

  Rose whispered, “What else could I do? We need to get it out, or we will be stuck up here starving to death. Also, I stink.”

  The bear stood up again. It clumped on its hind legs to the now open door, where it paused and turned to look at the girls upstairs. Its eyes seem sad, Lily thought, her soft heart going out in sympathy, Why does it seem so sad?

  The bear then turned and walked slowly outside. Rose again slid down the ladder, slamming the door behind it. “Like that would stop it, Rose. If it really wanted to get in it would,” Lily stated.

  “Yeah, but it didn’t break anything. What kind of weird-arse bear was that? Anyway, I need a shower and food in that order. I know one thing, though, I’m not going outside today!” Lily agreed with that completely and walked into the kitchen area already thinking of food, showers, and her book.

  They had a pretty uneventful day, preparing food and reading. Rose practiced yoga, and busied herself around the cabin. They ate tea and looked at one another. “I’m going to bring some food up to the attic for an emergency bear survival kit. That was so weird.” Lily nodded her agreement. They had avoided talking about the strangeness of the bear the previous evening, pretending it never happened. Rose went into the kitchen and got some snacks and water bottles, taking them up the ladder to the attic room.

  Lily was reading her book when she heard some movement outside, and scratching at the door. Nervously, she looked around. The scratching became a light tapping. Was someone lost? She walked soundlessly but nervously to the door, looking up at her sister who had popped her head over the loft’s edge curiously. She put her finger to her lips and reached for the handle. Opening the door slightly, something pushed from the other side. Her mouth opened, and she wanted to scream. A wolf was pushing through the door, but before she could move, it had brushed past her and prowled into the living room. She looked up at the door again, and the bear was right there.

  Lily stared into the bear’s sad eyes again, transfixed.

  “Lily!” Rose hissed “Lily, get up here.”
Lily backed from the door slowly, nervously looking over her shoulder to where the wolf was sniffing the food pot, before moving to the fireplace. She turned abruptly and ran to the ladder, climbing it as fast as she could. Once she reached the top, she spoke to Rose.

  “Something very strange is going on, Rose. A bear and a wolf finding shelter together?” It seemed that this was all the animals were after. They sniffed around the cabin for a few moments before returning to the fireplace. Evenings were becoming quite chilly, and winter was fast approaching. Rose gasped and poked Lily in the shoulder, causing her to break from her musings. Rose pointed at the bear, it had somehow managed to grab hold of a log with its paws and tossed it on the hearth awkwardly. “Well, that explains a few things.” Rose abruptly jumped up from her stomach and slid down the ladder. She ran to the door, pushing it shut before returning to the attic. Lily looked at her strangely.

  “What? No use wasting a fire if the door is open,” Rose replied innocently.

  Lily shook her head. “Besides, I don’t think they want to hurt us, Rose. It’s strange, but I think they just want somewhere to sleep.

  The next morning, they woke to a quiet ‘whuff’ from below. Rose was awake first. She moved to the edge and looked down. The bear was sitting comically on the floor, his legs folded like a 2-year-old child, sitting and waiting for his morning tea, and the wolf was looking up at the edge where the girls were located. Lily had joined Rose by this stage. The wolf stared at them then looked at the door and back at the girls. It winked at them then slowly backed up and sat next to the bed. Rose giggled and slid down the ladder again, walked to the door, opened it, and stood there. The wolf stood up, whuffed happily, and left the cabin. The bear lumbered slowly to the door, looked up at Lily’s astonished face, nodded its head, and followed the wolf. Rose closed the door behind them, looked at Lily, and burst into laughter. Lily grinned. “That was risky, Rose, either of them could have killed you.”

  Rose shook her head. “No, Lily, I don’t think so. I had a feeling. As a matter of fact, if they come back tonight, I’m staying downstairs to see what happens. Just in case, I’ll keep a clear line of sight between me and the ladder.”

  They spent the remainder of the day in nervous anticipation. Lily thoughtfully prepared food for the wolf and the bear, hoping it was enough for the animals. She and Rose went for a ramble in the surrounding forest, Rose suggested they go to the nearest store and call their mother, informing her they would stay the winter. Lily agreed and thought they would need to stock up on supplies. It took half the day to get there, but they purchased what they needed and spoke to their mother, who agreed to let them have an extended stay, warning them to be careful of wild animals. They promised they would before they hung up. Rose started giggling at that, and Lily looked at her and grinned. If only their mother knew. She sobered. It was probably good that she didn’t. She’d freak.

  They headed home carrying their items. It took a bit longer than normal because they had extra things to carry, not wanting to make too many trips to the store while they were here. Rose heard some rustling on the right side of the house. She nudged Lily with her elbow, nodded in that direction, and picked up the pace. They reached the door, Lily opened it, and they walked to the kitchen.

  Lily deliberately left it ajar, and Rose glanced at her quizzically. She shrugged, “Didn’t think I’d leave you down here by yourself, did you?”

  Rose smiled in relief, and they put their provisions away. Lily stiffened a little as they heard movement at the door. Rose smiled and shook her head slightly, and both girls continued going about their chores. Rose put a simple meal on the stove, while Lily picked up the meals she’d prepared earlier that day for the animals.

  Taking a deep, shaky breath, Lily bravely walked to the living area, moved to the hearth, and placed the plates on the floor. Turning, she saw the wolf sitting on his haunches just inside the door, watching her with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth in a silent smile. The bear was behind him, waiting patiently.

  Standing to the side, Lily gestured. The wolf stood with a pleased ‘whuff’ and bounded into the living area, the bear close behind. Lily smiled happily and turned to Rose who was staring at her open-mouthed, then she smiled, “You are braver than you look, sis.”

  Shaking her head, Lily demurred, “Just practical. It seems they like us.” Both girls laughed as Rose dished up their meal and with a mischievous smile, led them to the lounge chairs near the fire. Rose plonked herself down in the one closest to the wolf, and Lily took her chair near the bear, the animals glanced at them and turned back to the fire.

  The wolf shifted closer to Rose and rubbed his head on her knee. Startled, she tentatively moved her hand over to his head and scratched his ears. He whuffed happily and pushed his head into her hand more firmly. Lily, seeing this happen, reached out to the bear slowly and rubbed her hand through its fur. The bear shifted, and she snatched her hand back fearfully, but the bear curled up beside her, like a contented cat. She laughed and fell to her knees beside him. They spent a pleasant evening relaxing with the animals before retiring for bed.

  2

  This bizarre relationship between the girls and the animals continued throughout the winter. Whenever the girls were low on food, the bear and the wolf would inevitably show up with some meat, or sometimes fish for them. They ate well. The animals spent some days with them as well but more often than not left for the day and returned in the evening.

  After about two months when the weather outside had settled, the bear and wolf took to wandering for longer periods of time, often being gone for days on end. Rose and Lily spent their time exploring. Lily felt like she was in one of her books, everything seemed surreal, like being in a winter wonderland. Rose was quite happy to indulge her, enjoying the outdoors and the opportunity to get some exercise. Being cooped up in the cabin during bad weather was not her style.

  At first, they stayed close to the cabin, but after a few days, they decided to venture further afield. They wandered aimlessly, loving the freedom that they had, knowing that there was only a few weeks left for them to enjoy their break. Not long left for them to figure out the enigma of the animals that had befriended them. Today, deep in their own thoughts, they forgot how long they had been walking. Suddenly, they realized it had started to get dark.

  Lily kept looking around apprehensively. “Rose, do you know where we are? I think we’re lost.”

  Rose scoffed at her sister, but she looked around at their surroundings and saw that she didn’t recognize anything, either. She wondered where they were. It was getting dark, and not knowing exactly where they were made their predicament a little frightening. Lily started to become worried. Rose, as was the norm for the two of them, grew calmer as her sister became more stressed. She looked around and decided on a course of action.

  “Lily, come on then. We came from this direction, let’s head back that way and see whether we can recognize anything.” At a loss for words, Lily could only nod and follow because she trusted her sister’s instincts far more than her own. Silence seemed to descend around them. It was unnatural, and the girls could tell something was wrong. Not a sound could be heard, not even the rustling of leaves, or a chirp from a bird. Nothing. Even Rose started to feel nervous, Lily could feel it through their clasped hands, sending her into a state of near panic. If Rose was concerned, she should be downright terrified. Breathing in short sharp painful gasps, and feeling like she couldn’t breathe, Lily dropped her sister’s hand and started to run. “Lily!” Rose screamed after her.

  Lily couldn’t breathe. Blind panic made her vision blurry and her thoughts incoherent. She couldn't recognize her sister’s voice. She heard crashing in the brush behind her, spurring her onto speeds she never thought she'd be able to reach. Something collided with her from behind, and she started to scream loudly.

  "Lily! Lily, it's me Rose, please, Lily, just breathe."

  "R-Rose?" she questioned, finally able to breat
he enough to form a cognizant thought and respond. But wait! If Rose was holding her down, who was chasing them? Lily swallowed. She could hear noises, feet rushing through the bush. It wasn't the bear or wolf, it was definitely feet, and it was definitely following their path. She tried to scramble to her feet and run again, but Rose was still gripping her, begging her to answer. "Rose," she cried out, "someone is chasing us, run!"

  Rose let her go and got up quickly, "Come on."

  Taking the lead for once, Lily pulled her sister after her as she ran. Whatever was behind them was rushing and coming up fast. Both girls were gasping for breath and terrified. They sensed a feeling of menace–that something wanted to hurt them, and would enjoy doing so.

  They had almost reached the end of their strength. Lily was sobbing, her chest burned, and her legs were like jelly. She felt like she couldn't take another step, but the thing behind them seemed to be tireless. She imagined she could feel its malevolent glee as it neared. She gasped in shock as her arm suddenly jerked backwards, pulling her to a stop, and looked back fearing that Rose had been caught. She hadn't. Rose had just stopped, and her head was cocked sideways, as though listening to something else. No measly feat as far as Lily was concerned. It was hard to hear anything over her own harsh breathing and the sound of whatever it was behind them.

  "Lily, can you hear?" Rose asked in a near whisper, Lily tried to hear whatever it was that Rose could hear but had no luck, she just shook her head. "A voice, Lily, a man to the right. I think he is swearing!" Lily listened harder, conscious of the thing behind them getting closer with every second. Then she heard it.

  "Oh, for freak’s sake, someone help me!"

  She looked at Rose and nodded, and they moved toward the voice. Rose noted that their follower seemed to fall further behind, as if it didn't realize that they had changed direction. She moved confidently toward the man calling for help. Lily, eagerly on her heels, was relieved to have some human contact. Hopefully, this man could help them get back to more familiar ground.