Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  “Oh?”

  “No more parties with crazy, unstoppable party animals—or wild, furry animals either.”

  “Yeah. Tell me about it. And we might want to avoid Barney-colored drinks and Long Island iced teas too,” I said, looking at her.

  She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “Do you really think they’ll get my truck back in time?”

  “Jesse promised he would, and up to now, he’s been a man of his word.”

  “Maybe, but we don’t’ even really know him.”

  “He said his friend’s a mechanic. I’m sure it will be fine.”

  “I hope so. If not, I’m dead meat.”

  “Why was that guy chasing us anyway?” I asked. “What did you say to him?”

  She sipped her water. “Nothing out of the ordinary...and he seemed nice at the party. He just went all psycho. Maybe Jesse’s right. Maybe he was high.”

  “If he was high on drugs, how the heck was he able to find us in the dark woods?” I asked.

  “I dunno. How’d Jesse find us, especially when he was shot and bleeding all over the place?” she retorted.

  “Yeah, you’re right. That was weird.”

  “I think there’s something Jesse’s not telling us,” Julie said.

  “Why were you invited to that party?” I asked.

  “I met Jed in town, and he was inviting all the pretty girls. He said I could bring anyone I wanted to bring. But there is something else I’ve been wondering.”

  “What?”

  “If Jesse’s such a great guy, why would he hang out with guys like them in the first place?”

  “I don’t know. And why won’t he go to the hospital like a normal person?” I asked, trying to put two and two together. “Anyone else would insist on going to the ER.”

  “He’s either scared to death of needles or he’s hiding something,” Julie said, then ripped the bandage off her neck. “Speaking of hospitals, how does my battle wound look?”

  “Not bad at all. There are just a couple deeper spots where the glass must have nailed you.”

  “I can’t believe my taste in men,” Julie said. “Out of everyone in the party, I pick the one that oughtta be locked up.”

  “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”

  “At least one of us lucked out.” She smiled. “You got Jesse’s number, right?”

  I smiled and held up my phone proudly. “Yep. Mission accomplished.”

  The door creaked open, and Julie’s mom walked in. “Julie, where’s your truck?” she asked.

  “I parked it in the garage after Taylor and I washed it.”

  “Honey, it’s gonna get dirty again around here, no matter what you do. No sense in trying to keep it spotless,” she said, smiling.

  “I know, but I want it to look nice for as long as possible.”

  “You girls are up awfully early,” she said.

  “We pulled an all-nighter,” I said.

  “Sounds like fun. I remember having girls’ nights like that. Did you paint your nails and—”

  Julie grinned and nudged her mom playfully. “Mom, I’m not twelve.”

  She laughed. “Right. Pardon me for forgetting that my little girl isn’t so little anymore. Anyway, I’m making breakfast. How do pancakes sound?”

  “That’s nice of you, Mom, but we’re kinda beat. If you don’t mind, we’d kinda like to sleep for a few hours.”

  “Sure, but don’t sleep all day. I’ve got some plans for us. I figured we can go to—”

  “Mom,” Julie said, “we’re tired, and you worked all night. Can we talk about the plans later?”

  She smiled again. “You’re right. We could all use a little shut-eye. Sweet dreams, you two.”

  *

  A while later, after a nice, long nap, I peeked out the window, only to see Julie’s truck sitting in the driveway, good as new. Even the back window had been replaced. That was so nice of Jesse, I thought.

  A few minutes later, a horn beeped, indicating that my mom was there to pick me up.

  “Thanks, Julie,” I said. “I gotta go, but it’s been...interesting,” I said, smiling knowingly at her as I grabbed my overnight bag and rushed out the door.

  “Right,” she said. “It was a howling good time. We’ll have to give it another shot sometime.”

  We both laughed at her punny-ness as I walked out the door.

  * * *

  Chapter 8

  A few days passed, and I hadn’t heard from or about Jesse. I was so worried about him that I couldn’t eat or sleep. Not knowing whether he was alive or dead, the anxiety overwhelmed me. I tried calling him a few times, only to get no answer.

  When my phone finally rang with a call from his number, I was ecstatic. “I’m recovering nicely,” he assured me. “Don’t worry.”

  I thanked him countless times for fixing Julie’s truck, silently thanked God that he was okay, then hung up the phone.

  After that, we talked sporadically but texted each other every day. I thought it was best to let him recover at his own speed. I would have paid him a visit, but his mother didn’t want anyone stopping by until he was fully recuperated. “Doctor’s orders,” he joked, though it was technically true.

  *

  Before I knew it, a month had passed by.

  Jesse had a job at the zoo, and when he told me they were hiring, I filled out an application, interviewed well, and managed to land a part-time position. If nothing else, I had all my dad’s lectures and all that Discovery Channel and Animal Planet documentary knowledge to go on when it came to dealing with animals—not to mention I’d survived a mountain lion attack and a run-in with a huge pack of human-harassing wolves.

  My first day of work at the zoo was also Jesse’s first day to return after his injuries. He’d told everyone that he had a “family emergency” to deal with, and nobody was the wiser.

  I smoothed out my brown, short-sleeved, button-down shirt. It was part of my uniform and had the logo name of the zoo and my name embroidered on it, and it looked kind of cute for safari wear.

  As I stood there trying to get a grip on my new job responsibilities, Jesse walked into the room with an adorable baby raccoon in his arms and a bottle of milk specially made for the little creature. His shoulder-length hair was tied back, and while I tried not to stare, I couldn’t help it; he was so absolutely gorgeous that I was sure I’d never want to take a sick day off of work. His uniform was the same as mine, but it looked so much sexier on him. The material stretched across his broad chest and across his muscles, not too tight but just perfect, revealing a tribal tattoo around his bicep. I hadn’t seen it at the party under his jacket, but I wanted to know what it meant, if anything. I decided it best to leave that conversation for somewhere outside the workplace.

  “This is Herman,” Jesse said.

  The little raccoon was furry and had a bushy, ringed tail, as well as the blackest band of fur around his eyes, just like a mask.

  “He’s so cute!” I squealed.

  “Yeah. We’re trying to rehabilitate the little guy. The zoo receives hundreds of orphaned and injured wild animals every year. We do our best to fix them all up and release them back out into the wild as soon as we can so they don’t become too dependent on humans or lose their natural survival instincts. If you kneel down on the floor, you can feed him,” he invited.

  “I don’t know, Jesse. I mean, I’ve never fed a raccoon before. I’ve only fed Max.”

  “It’s easy. I’ll start, and then you can jump in.” He set the baby on the floor and held the bottle at a downward angle.

  The little raccoon stood on his legs and gripped the bottle with its little paws, perhaps the most adorable thing I’d ever seen—well, besides Jesse’s eyes and Max when he was a puppy.

  “Okay. Ready to take over?” he asked.

  I gazed up at him and smiled. “Sure.”

  He knelt behind me and touched my shoulder as I fed the critter. “You’re doing good.”

  The racco
on lapped away at the bottle with its little pink tongue, but it was difficult for me to concentrate on feeding Herman with Jesse’s hot breath raining down on the back of my neck. Still, I tried to tune out the gorgeous creature behind me and pay more attention to the cute one in front of me.

  “Tilt it a little higher,” he said, touching my hand.

  His hand lingered on mine, and I felt a jolt of electricity. I’d never felt such chemistry with anyone else before. No words could describe it. My heart was racing like a rabbit’s as his hand rested on top of mine.

  Finally, he slowly lifted that scorching hand away. “You’re a real pro,” he said, “and Herman likes you.”

  I smiled. “So...what else can you tell me about the zoo?”

  “Hmm. Well, we have 190 animals representing 80 species here, and there are all kinds of exhibits, special events, and educational programs. If ya want, I’ll give you the grand tour later.”

  After we fed the raccoon, Jesse took me to a different room, where five ducklings were frolicking in a shallow, heated pool, playing with a stuffed mama.

  “What happened to their real mom?” I whispered, as if the fuzzy yellow things could understand me and might be offended.

  “She was hit by a truck. Her four babies were lost and confused, following around humans because they didn’t know what else to do.” He paused to look down at the chirping quintuplets, then continued, “We’re gonna get them big and strong, then release them back into the wild.”

  “Gee, Jesse, it’s amazing what you are all doing here.”

  Jesse picked a little fluffy chick up. It was so touching to see that big, strong, muscular man holding a defenseless little bird, and it melted my heart all over again. “Shh. Don’t be afraid,” he told the baby. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

  As he gently and sweetly patted the little animal’s head, I saw a softer side to him, a side that showed that he genuinely cared for the animals. I grinned from ear to ear as I watched him place the little one down with its paddling brothers and sisters.

  As promised, Jesse did give me a grand tour. He seemed to know everything about the place, and I enjoyed our walk around the place.

  At the aviary, an outdoor enclosure filled with birds, he pointed. “One turkey vulture and two bald eagles live here.”

  “Ew! Sorry, but the turkey vulture isn’t as pretty as her bald eagle friends,” I said.

  His gaze shot up to the repulsive-looking bird. “Maybe not in everyone’s eyes, but I named her Beauty Queen.”

  I laughed at the irony as I gazed up at the large, dark brown bird with a red, bald head and neck like a turkey’s. “I’m sure she appreciates you flirting with her,” I joked.

  “She came to the zoo as a juvenile with a broken wing,” Jesse said. “There were complications, and the vets here weren’t able to save her wing, so we can’t release her. She’ll be a permanent resident, and I’ve grown quite fond of her. You know what they say.”

  “What?”

  “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said with a smile. “She’s a sweet bird.”

  “I’m gonna love working here,” I said.

  “Yeah, I never get tired of it. I love my job. It sure beats flipping burgers.”

  “I can tell you’re passionate about it.”

  He smiled sheepishly, obviously uncomfortable taking compliments, even though he deserved a million of them.

  “These birds are so big,” I said, gazing up at his feathered friends.

  “Beauty Queen has a wingspan of about five feet—at least the wing that’s still good.”

  “She’s a vulture, right? I bet she’s got bad breath after eating all that dead meat.”

  “Maybe, but she can’t help what she was born to eat. It’s just the way nature works. No one can help the card we’re dealt. Just like us, these birds and all the animals in this zoo and in those woods out there have to live and make do with what their bodies want as a food source. Maybe she despises eating carcasses, but she’s stuck with it. It’s eat or die.”

  “Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be so quick to judge,” I said. “She probably thinks we’re gross for eating pizza.”

  He laughed. “I’m not that much older than you, but I’ve learned it’s best not to judge anyone until you’ve walked in their shoes—or flown in their feathers, as the case may be.”

  “I absolutely believe that. So anyway...what’s next?”

  “How about some lions and tigers and bears?” he joked. “And...wolves?”

  “Sorry, but I’ll pass on the wolves,” I said, clutching my heart.

  “Bad memories, eh?”

  I let out a breath. “Yeah.”

  “I’m so sorry about all of that.”

  I bit my lip. “You know what? Let’s not drudge up old memories. I really don’t wanna talk about it.”

  “I agree. Let’s let bygones be bygones and just...start over.”

  “I think we deserve a clean slate.”

  All of the sudden, the door opened, and in walked a short redhead with her hair tied back in a ponytail. “Hey, Jesse,” she said, “there’s a guided tour waiting for you.”

  He looked at me, then back at her. “Taylor, this is Jeanie, my best friend in Big Bear Lake. We’ve been through a lot, and I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’ll show you the ropes while I’m gone. See ya later,” he said and walked out the door.

  I grinned. “See ya.” As soon as he stepped out of the door, I turned my attention to Jeanie. She had natural red hair and beautiful blue eyes, though not nearly as beautiful as his, for it would have been impossible for anyone to replicate those gems. I sighed when I realized his best friend in the world also had the perfect figure, with not an ounce of fat on her.

  “So...how’s your first day treating you, Taylor?” she asked, making it obvious that someone had already told her my name.

  “Great.”

  Getting straight to the point, she blurted, “I saw the way your eyes sparkled at Jesse before he left.”

  I arched a brow but said nothing.

  She continued, “It’s best to stay away from him.”

  I couldn’t believe she was marking her territory already. “And why’s that?”

  “He’s a player, that’s why. Jesse has dated half the girls in this town.”

  “Isn’t that what dating is all about, trying to find the right person? I mean, I’ve dated lots of guys, and—”

  She shrugged. “Fine, honey. It’s your heart that’ll get broken, not mine.”

  I wasn’t sure what to stay. I wanted to tell her to butt out because it was my chance to take, but instead, I just kept my mouth shut.

  She shot me a serious look. “Look, Jesse’s a great friend to have, but if you step out of the friend zone, it will go all to hell. Trust me. I know firsthand.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, assuming she was just jealous.

  At that moment, our almost-heated conversation was stopped when our boss, Ms. Aikers, walked in and met Jeanie’s gaze. “I need you to check all the enclosures and make sure every animal is in its place.”

  “What’s up?” Jeanie asked.

  “Somebody was attacked and killed by an animal. The sheriff is out front. We have to make sure none of our animals have escaped, especially the bears. This is top priority, and I’m putting every employee on top of it.”

  “Oh my gosh! Who was killed?” she asked.

  “A tourist, hiking in the woods.”

  “That’s gonna be front-page news,” she said. “The media is gonna swarm this place if it’s got anything to do with us.”

  “I know,” Ms. Aikers said, looking at both of us with a worried expression on her face. “Let’s just hope none of our animals got out.” With that, she stormed out of the room.

  At that very moment, the wolves crossed my mind, and I feared that the same group of brave, possibly rabies-infected canines had devoured someone. “I ran into a pack of wolves in the forest that weren
’t acting...natural,” I chimed in.

  “Really?” Mr. Aikers said.

  “Yes. They stalked me and my friends and—“

  Jeanie laughed. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, and before I could say another word, she bolted out the door, with me hot on her heels.

  We checked every pen in the zoo and were relieved to find that all of the zoo animals were present and accounted for. Still, it didn’t make me feel much better. Somewhere in those woods, someone had been killed, and I was sure those wolves had something to do with it.

  * * *

  Chapter 9

  When Jesse’s number showed up on my caller ID, I quickly answered.

  “Taylor?” he said.

  His voice sent shivers down my spine; hearing him say my name was an adrenaline rush like none I’d ever felt before.

  “Yes, this is me,” I said.

  “What are you doing on your day off tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I don’t have any big plans. Why?”

  “Do you like to rollerblade?”

  “Sure.”

  “Cool. I was wondering if you’d like to meet at the Alpine Pedal Path. It’s a paved path that runs along the north shore of Big Bear Lake.”

  “I’ll be there!”

  “Great!”

  “Do you mind if I bring Max?”

  “Sure. Is two p.m. all right?”

  “Perfect,” I said.

  “Goodbye, Taylor.”

  “Goodbye,” I said, and he hung up the phone.

  *

  I thought Friday would never come, but it finally did. I dug through my boxes but couldn’t find the outfit I wanted. When I finally found my spring pastels, I threw on a white tank-top with a mint trim and a big mint and silver heart, and I had pants to match. I finished the summery look off with a cute white pair of sandals, but then I realized tennis shoes would be better for the occasion, so I slipped my bright white ones on. I took one last glance in the mirror and smoothed out my eyeshadow. I wanted my makeup to look natural and not caked on since we’d be outside in daylight.

  My heart leapt in my chest when Max and I pulled into the parking lot of the Alpine Pedal Path and I saw Jesse standing there. Again, I took in his chiseled features, and he looked so handsome and cute in his rollerblades and helmet that I simply had to rush out of the car with my dog to greet him. “C’mon, Max,” I said, “and you better be a good boy today.”