Seeking Shapeshifters

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  “What am I going to do, boy?” I asked, attempting to put the key in the ignition.

  Keetah rubbed his head against my face. I scratched behind his ears before gazing at him, searching for any strange markings or signs he might be magical. I didn’t know how else to explain his pulling a Houdini on me. But his sad brown eyes looked as they always did.

  “There are far too many secrets around here,” I said under my breath.

  Chapter Nine

  Haunted

  When I got home, I checked the answering machine to find several messages from Matt asking if I was okay. I shivered. His calls had to be a coincidence. He always checked up on me so it didn’t mean anything right? But even I knew better, especially after what’d happened the day he’d left.

  Keetah scampered under the table at the sound of Matt’s voice on the machine, and I almost laughed until I saw the strange expression on the dog’s face. He acted like he’d gotten chastised for doing something wrong.

  Slumping down at the table, I picked up the phone to call Carsen, needing to talk to him. I dialed, but it rang to voice mail. So I left him a message, urging him to call me as soon as he got in. But I wasn’t sure if he would. I wanted to believe he loved me enough to do so, but I was aware of the impact this had on the tribe.

  Cradling my head on my arms, I wondered what to do. A part of me wanted my dad to know he’d been right, that there were shifters amongst the Inuit tribes, yet I didn’t want to expose Carsen or his people. I loved him and didn’t want anything to happen to him. This meant I’d have to lie to Dad and find a way to keep him from uncovering the truth.

  Tears streamed down my cheeks. He waited for so long to be able to prove the existence of supernatural and crypto-zoological creatures. Every time he turned around, things got screwed up and he became the laughingstock all over again. Just once, I wanted an investigation to go right for him.

  Yet, who knew what’d happen if the outside world determined shifters existed. It made me queasy to think about people trying to dissect Carsen or Ferren, or even Talon for that matter. This totally sucked. I had the key to all my dad’s problems, and I couldn’t even share the news.

  But these weren’t the only things plaguing my mind because I had no idea what the elders would say about me finding out about them. Suddenly, I didn’t feel safe anymore.

  The shrill ring of the phone resonated in the silence like an alarm, and I rushed into the kitchen nearly knocking a lamp off the living room table trying to grab it.

  “Hello?” I said out of breath.

  “Ima, what the hell’s going on? Where have you been?” Matt sounded both relieved and angry at the same time.

  “I’m fine. I went for a walk to check the cameras and ran into some polar bears,” I said trying to hide the disappointment in my voice.

  The truth was I hoped it was Carsen calling to tell me everything would be okay. But I was happy to hear Matt on the other end, even if I was getting my butt chewed.

  “Ima.” His tone softened. “You know better. Your dad told you not to venture out without us. You could’ve been killed.”

  “I know. I was just restless. There’s not a ton of people here to talk to. Besides, I went online to chat earlier, but you weren’t around,” I said.

  “I’m sorry. My mom had a rough night and we spent some time at the hospital.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s resting.”

  “I really am all right you know.” The last thing I needed was for him to worry. I mean, he had enough to deal with already.

  “Are you?” he asked.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the chills that radiated over my body like shattered glass. I didn’t understand why he was so aware of my feelings or my whereabouts. How did he know when I was in danger? I wanted answers but knew he’d twist the conversation around until I told him the truth.

  “I’m lonely. Having both you and Dad gone has been rough.” My hand clenched the phone tight.

  “I knew I shouldn’t have left you.” His words sounded distraught, almost regretful.

  “No, your mom needed you. Anyway, I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

  He sighed on the other end. “Promise you’ll call if you’re in trouble.”

  “Promise,” I said, crossing my fingers.

  Keetah glanced at me from under the table then covered his head with his paw, like he didn’t want to witness the lie.

  “Don’t cheat, Ima, I know when you’re being dishonest.”

  “What the hell?” I screeched. “You’ve so got some explaining to do.”

  “There are some mysteries best left alone. Let’s just say I’m more aware of what goes on than you think.”

  Okay, was that supposed to be an answer? It left me more baffled than before.

  “I don’t like secrets.”

  “Good, because neither do I. When you quit lying to me then maybe we can discuss this further,” he said.

  “You’re impossible.”

  “So I’ve been told. Listen, now that I know you’re alive I guess I can let you go.”

  “Did you want to talk to Keetah?” I said with a snort.

  “Is he going to talk back?”

  “Yeah, he’s sticking out his tongue as we speak.”

  Matt chuckled on the other end, making me smile. Regardless of his constant razzing and overbearing “big brother” routine, I missed him.

  “Glad to see you still think you’re funny,” he said.

  We stayed on the phone for another twenty minutes chatting about our upcoming investigation and for a brief time I forgot about my rotten day. However, when we hung up my world came crashing back down.

  Darkness plastered the room in shadows and the wind howled in eerie chorus. I shrank back against the couch remembering why I’d been scared in the first place. I was alone, and it was nighttime.

  I crept to the door and locked it then moved around shutting the drapes and blinds. Flipping on the lights, I went into the kitchen to make a sandwich, when a loud bang sounded from the back of the house. Startled, I dropped my bread on the counter.

  Keetah growled and came to stand beside me. My heartbeat pulsated in my ears. Maybe a wild animal had roamed into town, or maybe the wind had knocked something over. I voted for the wind because it seemed less scary, even though it made the least sense. Just keep your imagination in check and everything will be fine. I pretended not to hear anything and finished making my turkey sandwich.

  The scent of dill filled the air as I cracked open a jar of garlic pickles. At least I’d be safe if any vampires showed up. One sniff of my breath and they’d be toast. It’s too bad they weren’t the ones after me. Okay, so I guess it was probably a good thing they weren’t coming for me because they thrived in the dark and well I had enough problems to deal with.

  I inhaled my dinner then ushered Keetah down to my room. After I kicked off my clothes and pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and matching top, I rushed down the hall to brush my teeth. It wasn’t real late but I didn’t think I’d make it through the night if I stayed up any longer. My mind needed to shut down and quick.

  I turned on my nightlight then slid beneath my covers. Keetah plopped down on the bed next to me his ears raised and head cocking back and forth. We both glanced at the window.

  “This is ridiculous,” I said aloud. “We just need go to sleep.”

  I closed my eyes, determined to be brave. But my mind wandered back to Carsen. All I saw behind my lids were images of him shifting and the sound of his bones cracking. I sprung upright in bed, propping myself up on my pillows.

  With a sigh, I realized it was more than that though. He never called me back, which scared me more than the fact he was a shifter. Did this mean he didn’t want to see me again? My bottom lip quivered and a soft cry escaped. I ached with the thought of him not wanting me. In the matter of a day, I might have lost not only my first boyfriend but my friends as well.

&nbs
p; With my shirt sleeves balled around my hands, I scrubbed at my eyes trying to wipe away the blurriness. This was why I shouldn’t get attached to people. But deep down I held out hope they’d gotten busy and couldn’t return my calls. Jerking my blankets up around my neck, I hugged Keetah like he was a stuffed toy.

  I shut my lids once more begging for sleep.

  Scrape.

  I held my breath and listened more intently.

  Scrape.

  Something was beneath my window. Clutching my blankets around my shoulders, I watched Keetah spring from the bed to investigate the noise.

  “Keetah,” I said, trying to remain calm.

  Panic immobilized me, and I felt as if I was stuck in quick sand. Bum-bum-dum-duh-dum came the sound of drums. It surrounded my house, echoing like a band of troops marching off to war.

  This isn’t possible. A soft blue glow formed around the small baleen basket that sat on my dresser—the gift that’d been left on my porch. Despite my training as a paranormal investigator, I was petrified.

  I reached up and touched the necklace Carsen gave me.

  “Please,” I whispered.

  A dark mass darted across my room, blocking out the dim light coming from my nightlight. I rolled off my bed and crawled across the floor. Keetah barked in warning, crouching down next to me. We made it to my bedroom door, like snails, we ducked low to the floor, and I pressed myself against the wall and maneuvered into the hallway. Please don’t let it see me. With the carpet scraping against my knees, I moved slow and deliberate, trying not to make any noise. Each pocket of darkness seemed bleaker than the last, and the hall seemed endless. Sweat coated my brow, as I made my way into the bathroom, the only room in the house without a window.

  I locked the door behind me, and pushed the laundry hamper and cabinet against the door then hunkered down next to the bathtub. My breath came in gasps, my chest pounding under the strain of my erratic heartbeat.

  The drums grew louder as if someone used my house as a bongo. I covered my ears with my hands and cried. I didn’t want to be alone—not now. Maybe the elders were attempting to scare the hell out of me, and let me say it was working.

  I spied the cordless phone on the vanity counter and scooted across the linoleum to grab it. My fingers trembled as I dialed Matt’s number.

  “Please answer.” I chewed on my fingernails.

  “Ima?” His voice sounded far away, the static nearly drowning him out.

  “Matt.” I sobbed. “The drums are back, they’re surrounding the house. And, I saw a—a shadow figure in my room.”

  “Shh…okay listen to me. Where are you now?”

  “I’m in the bathroom with Keetah.”

  “All right I want you to stay calm. First of all turn on the light,” he said.

  I inched over to the switch and welcomed the light when it poured down like sunshine upon Keetah and I.

  The dog placed himself in front of the door, guarding me against whatever was on the other side.

  “Okay, it’s on,” I said.

  “Now recite the Lord’s Prayer.”

  “What?”

  “Ima, good grief what do we do when we’re investigating a haunted house and we sense malevolent spirits?”

  “Ugh, right—sorry,” I said, stammering.

  If we ran into bad spirits, we’d go room by room blessing the house and saying the Lord’s Prayer. At times, Dad called in a priest to aid in this endeavor, depending on what we dealt with.

  I began reciting the words from memory while Matt spoke them in unison with me. After we completed it, I sighed and the drums quieted some but didn’t disappear.

  “Any changes?” Matt said with concern.

  “Less noise is all.”

  “Okay, now I want you to sing,” Matt said.

  “What? Are you crazy?” Didn’t he understand the concept of hiding? It meant one had to be silent!

  “Just do it, try something Irish.”

  “Oh, right because I know tons of Irish tunes, Judas. Matt this isn’t karaoke night at the pub.”

  He chuckled then turned serious once more. “Your mother was Irish you should know a couple of songs.”

  I didn’t see the point of this tactic. “Oh so do you want to hear Danny Boy or Molly Malone. I’m sure the ghosts will like to do a jig while I’m at it.”

  “Just sing, Ima.”

  I cleared my throat, belting out Danny Boy, which I only knew because of Brady’s parents and many nights around the campfire. As I sang, I felt myself start to relax and I concentrated on the words and melody. The fear fell away with every note I crooned.

  At one point, Matt joined in and sang with me, which was kind of fun, in spite of being locked in my bathroom and hiding from monsters.

  When I ran out of Irish drinking songs, I listened to Matt sing a few. I rolled on the floor laughing when he attempted to make one up about Keetah sipping a pint and dancing a jig.

  My eyes grew heavy after awhile. “Hey, Matt?” I stifled a yawn.

  “Yeah?”

  “Will you sing to me until I fall asleep?”

  “I’ll stay on here for as long as you need me to.”

  “An all nighter then,” I said, giggling with fatigue.

  He chuckled softly. “Your wish is my command.”

  And so I drifted off listening to the soft, enticing sound of Matt’s songs. I was sure nothing could harm me as long as he was there. It was like his music protected me from the evils of the world.

  In the back of my mind, I wondered at this, how I knew Matt would keep me safe even though he was hundreds of miles away?

  Chapter Ten

  No-contact

  I woke up on the bathroom floor, Keetah still by the door. With a yawn, I shifted, stretching my sore muscles and a towel slipped off my shoulders. I stared at it, not remembering having covered up with it.

  The cordless phone lay on the floor next to me, its low battery light glaring back like an angry eye.

  I lifted the phone to my ear. “Matt?”

  All I heard on the other end was static then his voice crackled on as if he was in a deep tunnel.

  “I’m here.”

  “You stayed on the phone all night for me.”

  “That’s what friends do, Ima, they look out for each other.”

  Friends? I bit back the sorrow that threatened to drown me. I wasn’t sure if I had any friends in Point Hope. I wanted so badly to tell him what happened the day before, to make him understand what I was going through. But I didn’t.

  “Thanks for everything, I mean the singing and the keeping me sane thing,” I said with a forced laugh.

  “You’re welcome. Now why don’t you go get some food, I’ll call to check on you later.”

  “Alright, I’ve got to go charge the phone anyway. Take care.”

  I hung up then eyed the cabinet in front of the door. I took several deep breaths before moving the stuff out of the way. Good news was, I didn’t hear any drums or strange thumps. I started to relax some. At last, I poked my head into the hallway but didn’t see anyone lurking about.

  Keetah rushed past me then went room to room checking things. When he came back to my side, I was sure everything was in order. I moved about the house but didn’t find anything other than a couple open windows.

  Shivering, I relocked the windows, the winter air frigid and unforgiving. Even though my dog already looked around, I still double-checked under beds and in closets for any strangers. When I was sure everything was secure, I threw on my coat and boots and searched outside the house. I shuddered finding no footprints or proof that something or someone had terrorized me during the night.

  I had half a mind to run up to the church to get some holy water to sprinkle around the doors and windows. But the last thing I needed was people to think I was crazy or have a reason for checking up on me and Dad.

  For the rest of the day, I waited by the phone for Carsen to call but to my disappointment, I didn’t hear from
him. I left him two more messages urging him to contact me, but after awhile I gave up. No sense in getting my hopes up.

  ****

  “Honey, I’m home.” Dad’s voice woke me Monday morning.

  I stumbled from bed bleary eyed and half-asleep. “Hey,” I said watching Jefferson and one of his companions come in behind him.

  “Jefferson and Dave are going to stay on with us tonight. They’ll be out most of the day exploring the town but will be back in time for dinner.” Dad gave me his infamous warning glare. Like that’ll stop me from anything.

  “Those are some great prints you got pictures of,” Jefferson said. His lips curved in a sneer.

  My breath caught in my throat and panic raced through my body. The prints, oh crap, I forgot about the pictures my dad already saw. I had to find a way to deter them from looking into things. But how?

  “Yeah, I’m not sure what to make of them,” I said, attempting not to freak out.

  “Ima’s so modest.” Dad laughed.

  Don’t I wish? Instead, I had to hide the fact my boyfriend would make a great throw rug. If he was even still my boyfriend.

  Jefferson glanced at me for long moments before following Dad to the spare room to put his gear down.

  I raced to my room and threw on my school clothes, before grabbing a bagel and jetting toward the door.

  “Ima, school doesn’t start for another forty-five minutes,” Dad said.

  “Um—yeah, well I have to see all my teachers with my assignments for when we’re gone.” The words came out in a rush.

  “Then I’ll run you up. I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

  He showed Jefferson and Dave where the food was then gave them the keys... To my Jeep! Now I’d probably have to scrub primate pheromones off my steering wheel. The last thing I needed was to attract monkeys while driving down the road. That’d be a great ice breaker. I could picture it now, furry creatures stuck to the hood of my vehicle.