Beast

by Kim Faulks

  My brother’s cheeks flushed red as he glanced across the table, meeting mother’s eyes before nodding. I felt the burn from my side of the wide dining table.

  “Ah, pastries. I see our cook has been whipping up a treat for you, Gretel.” He eased into the seat at the head of the table, then craned his neck to see around the flowers in the center, eyeing my empty plate. “Are you not hungry? Too many strawberries from the garden I expect.”

  I scowled and shook my head, finding a stray seed between my teeth. He glanced to the plates piled high in front of my mother and brother and slowly nodded. His brown eyes weren’t quite as bright as he glanced to me. No words were needed. “Well, maybe we can grab a few to go. You’re still set for our walk today?”

  Something inside my chest leapt to life. “I have my new boots on, Daddy. I thought we’d head past the big boulder.”

  One eyebrow rose, but I caught the laughter in his voice. “You’re going to wear me out. I’m exhausted just thinking about walking so far. We might need cook to pack us a lunch along with the rest of those apricot pastries.”

  “I’ll be coming, too,” my brother growled, before glancing to our father. “If that’s okay with you, sir?”

  I couldn’t deny the swell of pride in my father’s chest, still the words slipped free of my lips. “You’ve never wanted to come before. You don’t like the forest.”

  Her gaze cut deep as my mother snapped. “If he wants to go, then he can go. You don’t get to decide who does what in this house.”

  She can’t hurt me. She can’t hurt me.

  I kept repeating the mantra in my head as I fiddled with my napkin.

  “Sophie. The child meant nothing by her remark.” Father’s soothing tone didn’t dampen the fire.

  She turned her hostile eyes on him. “Why are you always defending her?”

  He tried to reach for her hand. She jerked away from his touch, leaving him to grasp her napkin instead. “Because you seem to be always attacking her. She’s only thirteen, my love, and needing time with her father. Regardless, we’d love to have you accompany us, Hansel. Good, sturdy boots are what you’ll need, son. Your sister seems to be intent on providing exhaustion.”

  The conversation stilled with the scrape of a chair. Mother’s heavy steps rebounded, moving like thunder behind my seat. I glanced up at the last moment, catching the hatred in her eyes, before she was gone. The skirt of her yellow dress swept around the doorframe, then disappeared. She should’ve worn black, to match her scowl.

  I rose from the table, setting the butterflies in my belly in a flutter. “Please excuse me. I’ll go and help cook gather food and water for our trip.”

  I didn’t need to see the sadness in his eyes. Inside I was already amongst the pines, following the woodpeckers from tree to tree.

  ***

  I raced ahead, cutting through the long grass on the edge of the forest to dip into the dark underbrush. Father’s laughter chased me as I gathered my skirt to keep it from catching on broken twigs and branches. I waited for them to catch up, dancing around the butt of a fallen pine.

  Their heavy steps sent the birds racing for the sky as they approached. I fell in place beside my father, then lagged behind as his long strides swallowed the forest floor.

  “I’d like to learn more about your work.” Hansel’s steps quickened, knocking into the back of my leg.

  I flung out my hands as my leg buckled. I hit the ground. Thorns pierced the heel of my hand.

  “You okay, sweetheart?” My father’s first grasp pulled me from the sticks and leaves.

  I nodded and swiped my skirt as I stood, shooting my brother a glare. “I’m fine.”

  “I thought you were used to this forest?” Hansel taunted. “You should be a little more careful, Gretel.”

  I wanted to slap that smirk from his face. Why was he here? He’d never wanted to come before. My knee burned. I didn’t have to lift my skirt to know the graze was there. For just a second I wanted to be a kid again, finding hidden pockets of butterflies in the occasional shafts of sunlight that broke through the trees.

  I hobbled until the snap of a branch wrenched my gaze to a flash of white against the darkness. I fell farther behind, scanning the blackberry bushes for the movement. I gritted my teeth at the sound of my brother’s voice and kicked a rock at the edge of the stream.

  The water chilled my palm, turning my skin numb, but I scooped the refreshing treat into my mouth and raced to catch up. I was out of breath by the time I caught sight of my father’s leather boot. He leaned against the boulder, his foot propped up on a jutting edge. “Well, we’re here princess, what now?”

  I scanned the small clearing, searching the tangle of thorny brush for the dark berries. “You can rest for a while, Daddy.”

  “I’m not a kid anymore. I’m the man of the house. I want my own jobs. I want my own money.” Hansel kicked the rocks against the boulder.

  I turned from his whiny voice and headed for the thicket fighting a smile as father sighed. “You’re too young, Hansel. Appreciate being a kid for as long as you can, son.”

  I stared at the mess of vines, finding the mass of dark berries. Thorns jutted like sharpened teeth from each branch. I yanked my sleeve lower and reached through. My nail sliced through the flesh of the first blackberry I grasped, squirting juice inside my hand. I grabbed all I could hold and yanked my filled fist through the stiff hedge. Juice ran down my arm. I chased the trail with my tongue.

  “Give me one.” My brother snarled behind me.

  I nodded toward the mass of berries. “Get your own.”

  He lunged, seizing my arm. With a ferocious twist, he jerked me forward until my nose nearly touched his. “If I tell you to do something, you do it.”

  Different person, same venom. All I heard was my mother as the ache bit deep. The berries slipped from my weakened grasp. Tears sprang to my eyes as Hansel shoved me into the thorns.

  The bush snagged my dress as I wind-milled my arms, gaining my balance as the sharp spikes clawed me. I stumbled out of reach, then whirled to face him. “Get away from me. Why are you being so mean?”

  “Because you’re just a sniveling brat.”

  I rubbed my arm and the ache spread like poison. “I’m not a brat. I’m the same age as you!”

  I wrenched my head toward the rocky outcrop, searching for my father. “What’s going on with you and Mother? Why is she acting so strange?”

  Hansel leaped forward, gangly legs eating the ground between us. His heavy breaths scattered my plaits. “It’s none of your business.” He glanced over his shoulder, then turned back and snarled. “You better not say a word to anyone, or Mother will take the whip to you.”

  I felt the weight of his threat. I’d seen her cruel hand once before. I didn’t need to give her another excuse to show her mean streak. Hansel strained to look over his shoulder, but his eyes sparked when he turned toward me again.

  “You’re scared of him, aren’t you? You’re scared of Father.”

  His top lip curled back, white teeth glinted. “No, I’m not. You say a word about this and I’ll—”

  “You’ll what, Hansel?” I jumped at the booming voice, finding father’s narrowed gaze trained on my brother.

  “Nothing, Sir. I... I....” Hansel stuttered, shuffling backwards.

  I wanted to tell him then, spill what I knew, which wasn’t much. But there was something going on, something that made my heart race and sent a chill down my spine. My brother hung his head and Father waited.

  “You know you can talk to me, son. Both of you can if you have any problems. I know I’m away a lot, but if there’s something bothering you, all you have to do is send word and I’ll come home immediately.”

  My chest swelled with pride as Hansel muttered. “Yes, sir.”

  My brother was scared. Scared of what Father would do if he found out the truth. I had to be brave, for both of us. “Daddy. There’s something....”

  My words died a
t the sneer on my brother’s lips. His eyes sparked with rage, his fists clenched by his side. Fear turned to hatred. We were twins, carried together in the womb, born three minutes apart. Yet, in this moment, we were strangers. I didn’t know this person anymore.

  “Go ahead, sweetheart. Tell me what’s on your mind.” My father’s hand settled lightly on my shoulder. The touch was careful, protective. Nothing like what I witnessed in the dining room. Nothing like what was happening between my brother and my mother.

  What would he do to keep his secret safe? I shook my head and mumbled, “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

  My father’s hand dropped away. “Right, then. We best be getting back before your mother has a fit.”

  I wrenched my arm out of Hansel’s reach and bounded in front, cutting though the trees before finding the trail.

  “Not too far, Gretel.”

  I nodded at my father’s warning, but I could feel Hansel behind me, waiting to twist my arm or worse.

  My boots slipped on the dry needles as I raced through the clearing. Remnants of the berries stuck my fingers together as I clenched my fists tight and pumped my arms.

  “Gretel, wait.” Hansel growled. Leaves crunched hard at my heels. His steps outmatched mine, forcing me to sprint. I speared through the thick clump of trees. Branches slapped my face. The sting bought tears to my eyes.

  “I just want to talk. I won’t hurt you!”

  A voice inside screamed. Don’t trust him.

  The trees now looked the same as I pushed ahead. I scanned the soiled ground. The worn path was no longer under my feet.

  “Come back here, you bitch!”

  My heart thrashed inside my ears as I raced along the steep rise. My boots slipped and I slid backward, knocking into my brother. He wrenched my hair, jerking my head backwards.

  “I said stop.” His chest pressed hard against me as he huffed.

  I cowered from the touch, testing his grip on my hair. The strands pulled taut, bringing fresh tears to my eyes. “Let me go, Hansel. Let me go. I promise I won’t tell.”

  Through the blur I caught the shift of his gaze. Something just out of sight growled as my brother whispered. “No you won’t. You won’t say a thing, ever again.”

  His hard shove at my back slammed me forward. My teeth gnashed, sending the shock through my jaw. My feet couldn’t catch up as Hansel punched me again, propelling me over the rise.

  I spied the sheer drop below a second before the ground gave out. I hit the rocky floor, feet first. My knees buckled. Pain tore through my foot and raced along my leg. My screams echoed in the gully as I lunged forward and grabbed my ankle.

  I skirted my boot with my fingers as I followed the incline. I stuttered, as Hansel stared at me. “No. Please, don’t leave me here alone.”

  I blinked and he was gone. Rocks tumbled down the ridge, one tumbled higher to smack into my head. I cried out with the blow and slapped my hand to my head. Grey seeped into the forest. I blinked, trying to clear my sight, as my feeble whimper echoed around me. My heart lurched when at last, Hansel peered over the edge again.

  What is that? He held a dark bundle that kicked and squirmed.

  A distressed cry rang out as Hansel let go. I clawed the hard rocks under my body, screaming as the pain struck my foot like a poisoned lance, but I couldn’t let the helpless creature hit the rocks. Making a final, painful lurch, I opened my arms. The small bundle of fur hit my chest, knocking me off my feet. The back of my head smacked the ground. The bear cub cried and squirmed. I stared into the whites of his eyes, and the splash of white in the middle of its forehead as a thunderous growl cleaved the air.

  A growl that didn’t come from the babe in my arms.

  The cub squirmed harder, answering the call. A mammoth black beast bounded over the ledge. All I saw were teeth as the mama bear snarled. Someone was screaming. The piecing wail sliced through my head. The burn tore along my throat. I closed my mouth, ending the sound. My injured foot dragged as I scurried backward, still clutching the cub.

  A flash of white cut across the black fur that filled my vision. Another animal moved fast, bounding between the massive mother and me. A wolf, white as snow, skidded to a stop beside me. The wolf’s sharp fangs glistened. I stared into blue eyes so icy, they froze the breath in my lungs. The fangs sank into the nape of the little bear’s neck. Snatching him from my arms, the wolf bounded away.

  The ground shuddered as the bear followed the cries of its babe. I listened to the thunder while I wrapped my arms around my middle and held tight. A shudder tore through my body. The ripples spread, casting a shadow over my world. My brother tried hurt me.... No, he tried to kill me.

  Leaves rustled just out of sight. I jerked my head up at the sound and reached out with trembling hand, searching the forest floor around me. My fingers brushed the rock. I clawed the edges, lifted the weight in my palm and pulled my arm backwards.

  The slow patter grew louder. From the curve came a glint of white. His nose peeked out from the corner, then his eyes, his head, and the rest of his body. The wolf edged closer, head lowered, hypnotic blue eyes trained on me. An ache bloomed inside my chest.

  “Shoo! Go away.” I hefted the rock in my hand as the animal came closer.

  He was skinny, not quite full grown, but not a pup. The whine drifted toward me on a breeze. He trotted closer, keeping his tail low, but his head lower. I sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to scream.

  Shuddering in fear, I whispered, “You saved me. You saved me from that bear.”

  Closer still he came, until all that separated us was the length of his body. I searched his eyes, finding life in the bright blue. Lowering my hand, I let the rock slip free.

  “You’re not going to hurt me, are you?” My sharp intake of breath made the wolf flinch.

  I sucked in my breath at the touch of his wet nose. Trembling fingers grazed the hard ridge, riding higher between his eyes. I kept his gaze and sank into the depths of blue. A white wolf with crystal blue eyes. I’d never seen something so beautiful. I traced the edges of his ear, jerking my hand away when the pointed appendage flicked to and fro. The soft bark that the wolf gave sounded like laughter.

  “That tickled, didn’t it?”

  His stretched his neck, sliding the ear under my hand. I tried again, finding the edge of the cartilage before his ear jerked away. “Okay, I’ll stop.”

  I drifted my fingers down the coarse edges of his fur, then sank deep into the downy undercoat until I touched skin. “My name’s Gretel. I wonder what your name might be?”

  I shook my head. “Wolves don’t have names, do they?” His blue eyes sparkled, urging that train of thought. “Then, I’ll have you give you one. You’re white like a cloud. Cloud, how does that sound?”

  He dropped his nose close to the ground, shaking his head as he sneezed.

  “No, I don’t think so. You’re more important than that, coming to save me like my own guardian angel, like my own protective ghost.”

  The wolf wrenched his head up. I caught the spark in his gaze. “Ghost. That’s it. That’s what I’ll call you, Ghost.”

  He jerked his head higher, sniffing the air, catching a scent that eluded me. He let out a sharp bark, then a howl that tore through my head. The moment was broken. I lost those blue eyes. My wolf turned and bounded away.

  He was gone before I knew it, slipping through the forest as though he lived up to his name. A faint cry echoed. My father’s panicked call rang out.

  I screamed until my throat caught fire and the echoes of my father’s steps neared. Rocks clattered to my feet as he towered above me on the rise. “Gretel. Dear God, child, are you hurt? Did you fall?”

  My brother followed to stand beside him. I couldn’t answer as they disappeared along the ridge, only to surface moments later. I reached for my father as he darted around the bend to drop at my side. His hands fluttered helplessly as I reached for him.

  I clawed his shirt, desperate for his embrace as my br
other came up behind him. Hatred glinted like sharpened steel in Hansel’s gaze. I’d never been afraid before, not truly afraid.

  But as my brother reached out to smooth my hair, I felt fear taint my soul. He whispered, “You really need to be a little more careful, Gretel. One day, Father may not be here to save you.”

  Chapter Two

  Gretel

  The scent of pine lingered on my father’s jacket. I gripped the collar tightly and waited. For three nights, blood and fangs had haunted my dreams. And for three nights I woke crying out a name—Ghost.

  My fingers found every crease as I padded to the window and stared out into the night. I searched for my wolf in the woods and yet, he remained hidden. There was another specter here. A ghost in the glass stared back at me as I draped the jacket over one arm and lifted the other to the glass.

  My reflection was stained somehow, as though this wasn’t really me. This image was of another. She was just a girl. Her long auburn hair was braided, hanging over her shoulders. Her eyes were wide. Those chestnut eyes seized me, whispering a secret I couldn’t quite hear. I pressed my fingers against the icy pane before a glint of yellow in the darkness sped my heart.

  I leaned closer. My breath misted the window, leaving the view hazy and distorted. I rubbed the surface with the heel of my palm and stared into the night. Fog raced across the plain toward the forest like white caps on an incoming tide.

  The flicker of yellow light appeared again, then disappeared. For three nights, the same nightmare had wrenched me awake. Three nights, I spied this same amber sparkle in the dark. My belly tightened. I ached with both the dread of knowing that something terrible was about to happen and the need to know what bad thing came our way.

  My toes ached from the bite of early winter. I tucked the end of my nightgown over my feet and tried to rub some warmth into them. The strange yellow flicker came once more. Only this time, the light was closer.

  I followed the gleam until my eyes burned. There was no one else out here, no one except for us. We were a hard twenty minute ride from the nearest town of Blacksland. Far enough from the townsfolk, yet not far enough when trouble brewed. We weren’t equipped to deal with trouble, not with Father away. He’d been gone for months now, signing a new business deal. We made money off the forest that surrounded us—a lot of money—but Father wanted even more. His trip to Boston had lasted longer than usual.