Wolf Storm

by Dee Garretson

  Stefan heard Raine’s mother’s voice in the upstairs hallway. “It’s good for your acting to be stuck here. My acting coach used to tell me to work with my emotions. This place is perfect for that. You’re supposed to feel cut off from everything, and you really are!”

  “Next job I’m staying at a five-star hotel, no matter what,” Raine answered. Stefan wondered if she’d get that put in her contract too. He felt weird eavesdropping, but he didn’t want to go upstairs and have to speak to them.

  “Fine.” Raine’s mother sounded like she wasn’t even listening anymore. “Mark made it clear I didn’t need to be at dinner with all of you. I can take a hint. Jeremy’s father invited me to the restaurant in the village, so we’ll leave you all to work out the problem with Stefan.”

  Stefan heard the sound of heels clicking down the stairs, so he ducked into the empty office room. There was a narrow staircase at one end. He went up it as quietly as possible, pausing to make sure the coast was clear. So what if he was being a big chicken? A person could only take so much in one day. Back in his room, he dropped onto the bed, so tired he couldn’t even think straight.

  When he woke up, the lodge was quiet, very quiet, like the snow had muted everything and everyone. The silence didn’t seem right; he could tell from the faint light coming in the window it wasn’t that late. People should still be working, but when he looked outside, most of the vehicles were gone from the parking lot. He could see one car in the distance, slowly making its way down the winding road, the taillights like two red eyes barely visible in the swirling snow.

  Someone knocked on his door. “Stefan, it’s Jeremy. Are you there? Can I come in?” Jeremy sounded panicked.

  Stefan opened the door, and Jeremy almost fell into the room.

  “You’re still here!”

  “Where else would I be?” Stefan rubbed his eyes, feeling groggy.

  “The lodge is empty! My dad said I was supposed to stay in the room and do my homework until six o’clock and then go eat dinner with Mark and you. I just went downstairs and there’s nobody here. Everyone’s disappeared!”

  Chapter 8

  Echoes

  “I’m scared,” Jeremy said. “It’s really creepy here with nobody around.”

  “Somebody has to be around.” Stefan rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the fog in his head. “There were fifty people here a little while ago. I know your dad went into town, but where’s Amanda?”

  “She went to her hotel. She doesn’t have to stay with us once we’re done for the day. Our parents are supposed to be in charge then.”

  Stefan stuck his head out into the hallway. All the doors were closed. “Did you knock on anybody else’s door?”

  “No, I didn’t want anyone to get mad at me for bothering them.”

  Stefan wasn’t quite sure what to do. He knew all the rooms on the floor had been renovated for them, but he hadn’t figured out who was in what room. There were nine in all, one each for him, Heather, Raine, her mother, Mark, the assistant director, the producer, and Jeremy and his dad in a room together. He didn’t know who, if anyone, was staying on the third floor.

  Jeremy twisted his hands together. “I heard a noise downstairs near the dining room but I was scared to go look. There weren’t any voices, just rattling noises, like chains. Do you think there are ghosts here?”

  “Don’t be silly.” Stefan checked his watch. “It’s only five thirty. I don’t think a ghost would be out roaming around now. Maybe people are in their rooms just resting. Let’s go downstairs and see if we can find someone.”

  It was a little eerie walking down the silent hallway; no sounds, not even the drone of a television, came from any of the rooms. Raine was supposed to be here, but Stefan didn’t really want to knock on the doors like he was looking for her.

  When they went down the stairs, there was no one in the lobby. The dining room, lit only by one dim chandelier and candles, was empty, although food was laid out on a long table. The room could have been a movie set too, some medieval fantasy movie where people gnawed on turkey legs in a huge hall. There were no sounds of rattling chains, but there was a giant stone fireplace at one end with a snarling wolf head mounted on a shield above it and faded tapestries on the walls.

  “That wolf head is scary, isn’t it?” Jeremy said. “Though it’s really mean they did that to a wolf. This place is kind of spooky, don’t you think?” He pointed up to the exposed rafters in the ceiling. “I thought I saw something move up there at lunch.”

  “It’s probably just a mouse. I’m sure the place is crawling with them,” Stefan said, “since it’s been shut up so long.” He could just imagine how many mice could have taken up residence in such a huge old place. They waged a constant battle with them at their house, and they had a cat to help. A clanging noise came from behind a door at the end of the room.

  “See,” Jeremy whispered. “What’s that?”

  Before Stefan could answer, the door opened and a small, round woman in an apron came out with a huge platter. She smiled when she saw them and said something not in English.

  So much for a ghost. Stefan hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he relaxed at the sight of the woman. “Hi,” he said. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak . . . whatever language that is. Slovakian?”

  The woman set the tray down with the rest of the food and gestured toward it, still talking and smiling.

  “It all looks great,” Stefan said to her. “I think she wants us to eat.” He was starving, and the food smelled really good, but he didn’t know if it was okay just to start eating.

  “Do you think we should go ahead?” Jeremy asked.

  “Yes,” Stefan said. “When Mark gets back, we’ll just eat again.”

  Stefan couldn’t really name most of the food. There were bowls of dumplings, and potatoes in a sauce, and different kinds of meats on platters. Several of the dishes were topped with bacon, so he filled his plate with those, figuring anything with bacon had to be good.

  “I wish it wasn’t so dark in here,” Jeremy said. “I still think it’s creepy.”

  “It just needs some more lights.” There were candles on all the tables, so Stefan set his plate down to grab a few. He put them on the table right under the chandelier, where there was the most light, and retrieved his plate. Too hungry to wait for Jeremy, he took a bite. Whatever it was, it tasted good, kind of like spicy fried chicken, except he wasn’t sure it was chicken.

  Jeremy brought his plate over the table just as Raine came into the room carrying her dog. Stefan knew he couldn’t avoid her forever, but he really wished she had stayed away a few more minutes until he was finished.

  “Where is everybody?” she asked. “Weren’t we going to eat with Mark?”

  “He’s not back yet and we got hungry,” Jeremy said.

  “Oh. I guess I’ll wait for him. I have a lot of studying to do.” Raine didn’t look very excited at the prospect.

  “Eat with us,” Jeremy said. “We’ve decided we’ll eat again when Mark gets back. And it’s not like Amanda’s going to give you a detention if you don’t finish your homework.”

  “Well, I guess I can have something.” Raine put Mr. Snuggums down on a chair and then went over to the serving table. The only thing she came back with was a bowl of some sort of brownish soup.

  “Do you know how few vitamins are on that plate?” She pointed at Jeremy’s plate as she sat down. Stefan hadn’t noticed it was piled high with bread, potatoes, and desserts.

  “No,” Jeremy said. “How few?”

  “Basically there are no vitamins on that plate. You should get at least one healthy thing.”

  “I don’t like food that has colors in it,” Jeremy said, “except pizza and dessert. Anyway, potatoes are vegetables, right?” Jeremy took a big piece of bread and slathered butter on it and then dipped it in some potatoes. Raine gave a snort of disgust.

  “What are you eating?” Jeremy asked her. “It looks bad.”

/>   “For your information, it’s lentil soup and it’s delicious.”

  There was an awkward silence after that. So much for the whole family idea. Mr. Snuggums sat perfectly still, eyeing Stefan’s plate intently. Stefan thought the dog looked glum, but then he’d be glum too if he had to wear a fuzzy green sweater with a moose on it.

  “How many outfits does Mr. Snuggums have?” Jeremy asked.

  “I don’t know. My mom likes to buy them. She’s the one who changes his clothes all the time. It keeps her busy and out of my hair. And you don’t have to call him Mr. Snuggums. That’s just my mom’s silly name for him. His real name on his pedigree is Horizon’s Namcha Barwa.”

  “That’s better?” Stefan asked. Was she joking?

  “Pedigreed dogs always have long names. I call him Kep when my mom’s not around. You can too if you want. Did you ever read . . .” Her face turned red as she cut off her sentence.

  “Kep’s good,” Stefan said, not understanding why she was blushing.

  “It’s the name of a collie in a kid’s book I used to like. I know he’s not much like a collie, but he’s a good dog.”

  “Does Mr. Snuggums, I mean Kep, always breathe so funny?” Jeremy asked. “It sounds like he has asthma too.”

  “I think it’s because his face is all smushed in,” Stefan said. “Nothing could breathe well like that.” He kind of felt sorry for the dog, moose sweater and all. And it was easier to like the animal if he could stop thinking of him as Mr. Snuggums.

  “He’s a pug,” Raine said. “That’s the way they breathe.”

  Kep put his chin on the table, and Jeremy patted his head. “If I wasn’t allergic to dogs, I’d like a golden retriever.”

  “I’d like one too,” Raine said, “but I can’t exactly carry a golden retriever around under my arm on set.”

  More silence. Stefan bit into something that turned out to be a giant plum dumpling. It was heaven. After he finished, he started on the other dessert. “I don’t know what these thin pancakes with the chocolate are called, but they’re great.”

  “They’re crêpes,” Raine said, rolling her eyes like he was an idiot for not knowing that. “You’ve just consumed about a pound of sugar.”

  “So?” He was getting fed up with her. So what if she was a famous movie star. “Who made you the diet police? What are you, some mini-adult disguised as a kid?”

  “Fine,” Raine snapped. “Eat what you want. I don’t really care anyway.”

  “Fine.” Stefan picked up the last crêpe and ate it in one big bite.

  There were more moments of silence and then Jeremy said, “I wonder if Cecil is going to eat. He’s supposed to be here.”

  Raine shuddered. “He gives me the creeps.”

  “I think he’s nice,” Jeremy said. “My dad told me he used to be famous.”

  “Don’t you know about him?” Raine spoke in a low voice, her gaze darting around like she was expecting people to overhear.

  Jeremy’s fork stopped halfway to his mouth. “No . . . what about him?”

  She leaned in toward them and said, “Most of the movies he’s worked on were cursed.”

  “How can a movie be cursed?” Stefan scoffed.

  “It happens.” Raine nodded her head like she was agreeing with herself. “Either people get hurt or weird, spooky things happen. I heard it started way back on the first movies he worked on. Every set had more than their share of accidents, and after one movie, both the director and the lead actor died before the movie was released. They think it was because the movie was about an ancient Egyptian curse and they used a real sarcophagus, a cursed one, in the movie.”

  Jeremy let out a little gasp.

  “I don’t believe anybody could use an actual sarcophagus,” Stefan argued. “Those are only in museums and they don’t loan them out. What does that have to do with Cecil anyway?”

  “He was the mummy in the movie!” Raine said, as if that explained anything. “And then he starred in The Cave of Blood. I heard the actors would find little drops of real blood all over the set in weird places. And right near the end of filming, a stuntman was found dead in the prop coffin one morning when they unlocked the soundstage.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “They never solved the murder.”

  “That’s awful!” Jeremy whispered back. “Do they think Cecil did it?”

  Oh great, Stefan thought. He wished Raine would stop talking. With his luck, Jeremy would be the type to have bad dreams. The kid’s room was right next to his.

  “Are you sure?” Stefan asked. “This all sounds like one of those urban legends. How do you know all this?”

  “Everybody in Hollywood knows.” From Raine’s tone, he could tell she was angry at him for questioning her. “That’s one of the reasons he hardly ever gets work anymore. He hasn’t done a film in five years. For some insane reason, Mark has a soft spot for him because he grew up watching Cecil’s horror movies.”

  “He was just acting in them, you know, because he’s like . . . an actor,” Stefan said.

  “Don’t you think it’s weird he chose to be in those movies? I almost backed out when I heard he was hired for this movie, but my mom said we needed the money for a new house. If terrible things start to happen though, I’m gone.”

  Just then Cecil shuffled into the room, looking really tired. “Rather a slow night tonight at Chez Location restaurant,” he said to them, using a very exaggerated British accent. He straightened up and surveyed the room, acting like he was adjusting an imaginary bow tie. “I see I shall easily get the best table in the house without needing to tip the maître d’. I hope the service isn’t overly slow.”

  Stefan was relieved when Jeremy laughed, like he hadn’t really believed Raine’s crazy stories. There was still a bit of chocolate sauce on Stefan’s plate so he scraped it up with his fork, trying to decide if he wanted more.

  After Cecil sat down with his own plate, Jeremy blurted out, “I know you used to be famous because my dad told me so. Did you ever get to meet Daniel Radcliffe when you were?” Stefan suppressed a groan. If Jeremy had been one of his brothers, he would have kicked him under the table to let him know that wasn’t a polite thing to say. Jeremy kept talking, not noticing the stillness that had fallen over the table. “I wish I’d been old enough to audition for a Harry Potter movie.”

  Cecil’s expression flattened out for a few seconds and then he said, “No, sorry. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Radcliffe. And your father is right. I was famous. Once. Would you like to see one of my best tricks?” He turned away from them for a few seconds, and when he turned back, Jeremy let out a yell. Kep growled, and Stefan had to clench his teeth shut to avoid yelping himself. Cecil’s hair hung in thin gray strands, his eyes bulging out. He hunched over, one side of his mouth twisted up in a sneer, his hands held out like claws. It was as if they were watching some hideous creature crawling out of a grave.

  “Wow, how did you do that?” Stefan asked. “Can you teach me?”

  Cecil relaxed back to his normal self, pushing his hair back into place. “Only some of it. The eyes are just something I have always been able to do. You have to be born with the ability, if you want to call it that.” He took a couple of bites of bread and then pushed the plate away. “I don’t think I’m very hungry after all. These old bones need to get to bed because jet lag is setting in. Tomorrow I will help you begin to tame the planet, but tonight I need my wool blanket.”

  The cook came out of the kitchen talking away, pointing first at the table, then making eating motions. Stefan said, “I’m sorry, we don’t understand.” The woman threw up her hands and went back into the kitchen.

  “I suspect she wants to clean up. If you want anything else, I’d get it now.” Cecil got up, and Stefan was surprised at how much older the man suddenly looked. “Good night, children.” He moved off slowly and Stefan heard him say, “‘And all the rest forgot for which he toil’d,’” like he was talking to himself.

 
The wind howled in the fireplace, stirring up some ancient ashes and rattling the windows. Stefan could see it had started to snow again. The flakes were blowing against the panes so hard it was like they were pelting them. With Cecil gone, the room grew much emptier.

  “What did I tell you?” Raine said. “He’s bizarre.”

  “I like him,” Stefan said.

  “What’s that noise?” Jeremy stood up and glanced around. “It sounds like howling.”

  “I don’t hear anything,” Raine said. “I wonder why no one else is eating. They must be about done putting things away.”

  “Almost everyone else is staying in town,” Jeremy said. “Mark told my dad it was too expensive to refit the whole lodge, so they just fixed up the rooms on the second floor and a few on the third for us and some of the crew.”

  Stefan was about to say he needed more dessert when a banging sound and then the howl of a wolf cut him off. The weirdest thing about the sound was that it seemed to echo inside the building.

  Jeremy went over to the window that looked out onto the ski slope. “The door to the wolves’ motor home is opening and shutting! It must have come unlocked. And it’s all dark in there.”

  Stefan joined him. “I’m not sure there were any lights on in the first place. It’s not like wolves need a night-light.” Another wolf started to howl and the sound echoed above them, except it wasn’t really an echo, because it came out at the same time.

  “Am I the only one who thinks it sounds like the wolves are inside the lodge?” Raine asked.

  So it wasn’t just him. “Maybe it’s something to do with the storm. You know sound travels in weird ways.”

  “I don’t think it travels like that, up the stairs and into a room above us. Do you think some wolves got inside?” Raine asked.

  “They can’t get inside,” Stefan said. “It’s not like they can open the front door. They’re smart but not that smart. And why would a wolf come inside and go up to the third floor?”