Polarity of Us

by K. B. Ladnier

  Hannah jumped excitedly in her seat as we descended the mountain into the valley, both of us looking back and forth through every window to see everything we could. I was suddenly very thankful Hannah had convinced me to go on this trip. With how amazing this place was, I doubted she’d get me to leave anytime soon.

  Aunt Em traveled through the middle of the town, driving past a variety of store fronts. There was a library, a movie theater, a few cafes that either served coffee, sandwiches or more hearty meals like smoked meats, and even a pub. The library was my favorite thus far. I couldn’t wait to explore it the first chance I got.

  It was around eight o’clock at night, so some places were still open and there were a few people milling around as we drove. I couldn’t wait until morning so I could explore more thoroughly.

  “Auntie, this looks more like a small city than a small town. I was expecting like maybe a grocery store, a pub and the library, but this is amazing!”

  Aunt Em laughed as she continued through the center of town. “We have around two thousand people here. Most of them have lived here their whole lives. It’s great here, though. Water comes from wells and the town has its own little power plant just on the other side of the mountains. The closest city is almost two hours away, so we’re secluded. We have maybe four police officers and firefighters are volunteers, but the people here are very nice, and you get the best of the city and the country.”

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea for vacation,” Hannah groused from the front seat.

  I laughed and gave her little punch to her arm. “Would you relax? That is a good thing. Give it a chance.” I didn’t care about any of that stuff. Just the idea of being away from the city was enough for me.

  As we pulled out of the town center, we started driving past smaller cabins; Aunt Em pointed to one of them as we went.

  “That one is mine, but unfortunately, I only have one bedroom and a couch.”

  “Wait. Then where are we staying?” Hannah asked in confusion.

  “There are a few cabins around here that can be rented out for visiting families of the ones who live here. You’ll be staying in the one closest to me. It’s got two bedrooms and one bath. There’s a small kitchen and even a little porch swing for you to enjoy.”

  My excitement flourished at hearing about the swing, and the fact that we’d get a spot all to ourselves. I wouldn’t have minded staying with Aunt Em, but having that extra dose of privacy was perfect.

  We finally pulled up to a small two-story cabin. It was very narrow and slightly worn down, but in general, very cozy looking from what I could see in the dark. We hopped out and unloaded our bags, following Aunt Em as she led us up the few small steps.

  When my foot hit the second step, there was a loud crack just before it caved beneath me, sending me to my knees.

  “Ow! Shit!” I shouted when my knee hit. I tugged, but my foot was caught on something and I couldn’t pull it out. “I’m stuck.”

  “Are you okay?” Hannah asked, her and Aunt Em having to use some effort to help to lift me up and out of the hole.

  Leave it to me to do something like this after barely being out of the car for five minutes. Was the universe that much against me? It just had to throw rotted wood beneath my feet after only taking a few steps into what was supposed to be a vacation. Why did this kind of shit always happen to me?

  “Yeah, I’m good. I think the wood was rotted.” I dusted the dirt from my jeans and righted myself.

  Aunt Em unlocked the door and reached inside to flick on the porch light, showing us a lot of the wooden planks along the porch were all rotting.

  “Well, damn. Sorry girls. I know someone who can probably fix these for you. I’ll give him a shout in the morning to come by and check it out.”

  I picked up my bags and followed them inside. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea with how bad my luck is. Does he live in town?”

  Aunt Em smiled, turning on the rest of the lights inside. “Next door actually. You’re separated by at least a few hundred feet and the trees are thick, so you can’t see his place from here at night.”

  I peered through the open door and could slightly make out the glow of a dim light between the trees, but nothing else. She wasn’t kidding about the thickness of them here.

  I closed the door and took in our surroundings. While the outside looked like it needed work, the inside was just the opposite. It was cozy and inviting with dark, cherry wood flooring and sand colored walls. The inside seemed more like a cottage than what you’d expect for a log cabin. There was a fireplace against the wall in the living room, a small TV set just above the mantle. The couch, two chairs and little end tables were all made of beautifully carved, lacquered wood and had dark red cushions. The kitchen sat immediately to our left with no wall separating the two. There was a small stove, a double-sided sink, and stainless-steel fridge. I grew excited to see a little, two-seater dining table next to the window that overlooked the snow-covered yard.

  The stairs were intricately designed with swirls and carvings of bears on the end handles attached to the railing. I walked over and ran my hand along one of them, in awe at the amazing detail the person responsible for them used in getting the faces just right.

  “This place is stunning. I wasn’t expecting this,” I said to Aunt Em over my shoulder with a grin.

  “I’m actually with her on this. I almost worried the tub would be a large metal bucket and we’d be sleeping on moth eaten cots,” added Hannah as she slipped off her scarf and jacket, glancing around the room with a pleased expression.

  “This is Canada, girls. Not the boondocks,” Aunt Em chuckled. “I stocked the fridge with what I remembered were your favorites. I called the mechanic in town while I was on my way to get you. He’ll have your car ready with new tires by early afternoon. I’m going to head back now and let you two get settled.”

  We both hugged her and thanked her for coming to the rescue.

  “There’s a café we passed on the way in that has great breakfast. I’ll pick you girls up in the morning and we’ll celebrate you being here,” she said, kissing both our cheeks and saying goodnight before leaving.

  “I’ll race you upstairs for first bedroom pick!” Hannah was barely finished with her sentence before she took off upstairs, leaving me to shout a curse before racing up after her.

  Four

  Bastian

  “Addy! Put down your book, it’s time for bed!” I called to my ten-year-old daughter from outside her bedroom door.

  I swear, no matter how many times I asked my kid to stop reading so she could get ready for bed, she’d still ignore me at least the first three times I asked.

  “Sorry, Daddy!” She said when she opened her door and walked towards the bathroom. “I had to get to a good stopping spot or I wouldn’t be able to sleep without knowing what happens next!”

  I laughed at her exasperated facial expression and shooed her to brush her teeth.

  Every day, I marveled at how much like her mother Addylin was becoming. Sometimes, it was impossible to look at her and not see Evelyn in the way she crinkled her nose or smiled.

  She had the same white hair and blue eyes as me, but her mother’s curls, cute button nose and even the same little dimples in both her rosy cheeks. Her face was always lit up with a smile, which currently was missing two of her baby teeth. It only added to how adorable she was.

  But the more she grew and looked and acted like Evelyn, the more the ache in my chest grew at her loss.

  It had been seven years since I lost my wife. Seven years of missing her. Seven years of raising Addy alone. Seven years my little girl had to go without a mother. It was the curse of being what we were. Something that all of humanity believed to be either myths or stories told by writers who wanted to put a little magic in the world.

  We were polar bear shifters and possibly some of the last left on this continent.

  The ones that I’d known about were wiped out by hunt
ers, killing them illegally for their furs because they believed we were just animals. Unfortunately, whatever form we died in, was the form our bodies stayed in after death. Those hunters never knew they were killing and skinning people. My people.

  My friends. My family. My wife.

  Addy was only three when it happened, thankfully not old enough to remember the full details of the horrors that transpired that night. We only escaped because I’d taken her ice fishing at a new spot I’d discovered for some father-daughter bonding.

  I thanked God every night that Addy didn’t see what happened, but I also cursed him for taking away my Eve.

  We moved away from Alaska after that. We couldn’t go too far or risk looking out of place in our second forms, so we still had to stay within the upmost area of the Northern Hemisphere.

  I found this town by accident, but was relieved to have done so. Most of the people here believed and respected the myths surrounding people who walked in the skin of animals. It gave us hope that we’d be safe.

  No one in town knew what we were of course. Well, except for one. Emery Hudson, a neighbor from down the road, happened upon us mid-shift as I was teaching Addy to hold the form. As much as I wished I could tell Addy we were never to change again after that, it was impossible to avoid it. If we went too long without shifting, our bodies forced us into the shift anyways.

  At the time, I thought the mountains were perfectly secure. But, Miss Hudson was an avid environmentalist and loved hiking the harder to reach trails. She saw us. Instead of cowering in fear however, she accepted us and promised to keep it secret.

  She even offered to watch Addy for me when my furniture making business skyrocketed and made me have to start traveling for deliveries. Since she knew the possibilities of Addy shifting uncontrollably, I felt relieved to have her. Though sometimes, that woman could be a handful with how cheeky and flirty she was.

  After a particularly awkward flirtation, she finally let me know it was all in good fun and she wasn’t truly interested in me like that. It was easier after that and she became a good friend to me.

  “Daddy, will you read me a story before bed?” Addy asked as she exited the bathroom, clasping her hands together and giving me her best baby, cub eyes.

  “You were literally just reading.”

  “So? Reading is good for me. You said so.” She had me there.

  As crazy and outspoken as Addy was, she was also extremely bright and soaked up books as fast as she drank chocolate milk.

  “You’re not allowed to be smarter than me,” I joked, poking her in the ribs and causing her to giggle.

  “Maybe you should read more, then.”

  Touché.

  “Alright. Get tucked in and I’ll grab one,” I relented with a smirk. It really wasn’t fair how wrapped around her little finger she had me.

  She squealed in delight and made a running jump onto her bed, throwing her cloud patterned comforter over herself. I laughed at her as I grabbed one of her favorite books about a little polar bear who always got picked on for being so small.

  She never liked the ones about princesses who needed to be rescued by a prince, but instead liked adventure that had pirates, heroes fighting monsters, anything about animals, and long journeys across mystical lands. It relieved me in a way. I didn’t think I could change my voice to match the characters without losing my shit anytime a princess talked.

  I laid beside her as best I could on the twin size mattress, soaking in her laughter as I read. Sometimes she helped; sometimes, she made fun of my horrible impressions of the other bears. But even then, she never untangled her pinky from mine. Something she did with me and only me as we read. Miss Hudson read to her when my trips took me away for several days, and she denied Addy ever doing that with her.

  It warmed my heart that it was something she shared with just me, but it saddened me that she’d never have that with a mother.

  When the story finished, she was fast asleep. I kissed her tiny forehead and turned out her light, closing her door silently behind me. I went to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, readying myself for another late night of woodwork.

  I stepped out my back door and into the frozen night, startling when a shriek from the cabin next door shrilled through the silence. I walked off my porch and glanced through the trees. I watched with my enhanced vision Miss Hudson leading two other women into the vacant cabin next door. I sniffed the air, not recognizing the two’s faint scents, though one smelled similar to Miss Hudson.

  Shifters had enhanced senses no matter which form we were in. Sight, sound, and smell were ten times better than that of the average human. I could distinguish if smells were familiar or not, and sometimes could tell if there was a relation between two people. One of them was kin to Miss Hudson for sure by the look and smell of her. I could barely make out what they were saying, but the girl with the longer hair stopped and looked in my direction. I was hidden behind a tree, so I knew she couldn’t see me.

  Two things surprised me about this woman. The first of which, was that she was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. The second, was that my heart kicked up to a faster rhythm when I thought she was looking right at me. The latter of the two shocked me most. I’d not felt that kind of rush in such a long time. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  I watched as the door closed; their voices murmured inside. After only a minute, Miss Hudson walked back out and jumped into her car, driving down the road back to her cabin. I waited, seeing if either girl would come back out. But they didn’t.

  It’d been a good few years since that cabin had been occupied; the owner didn’t have any family left to visit anymore after his father died three years ago. My mind pondered their reason for being here, but I could only conclude that Miss Hudson had invited them. I wasn’t sure if I liked having strangers next door to us. These two cabins were the only ones on this side of town and Addy and I were used to the privacy.

  I had a feeling that this could only mean trouble. Not only for us shifting in our backyard like we normally did, but also for the out-of-left-field reaction the one woman gave me. Why did I feel this way towards her, but not Eve? I’d never had those reactions to her. Yet, somehow, this strange, new woman was eliciting such overwhelming reactions.

  I wasn’t sure if I liked this situation at all…

  The next morning after I finished making Addy breakfast, I couldn’t help glancing at the now occupied cabin as we walked passed it on the way to school. From the silence inside, I gathered they were still sleeping, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

  “Why are you looking at that cabin, Daddy?” Addy asked, grabbing my hand to tug me out of my daze.

  “Well, that’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. Last night Miss Emery brought two ladies over. I think they’ll be staying there, but I’m not sure how long. One of them is most likely her family, but I don’t know them. Which means you’ll have to be careful about shifting until they leave.”

  She huffed in frustration, her cheeks puffing up making me chuckle.

  “This stinks. I wanna shift,” she whined.

  “Hey now, it’s not forever. Just until they leave,” I explained as we walked.

  She kicked at the ground. “How come only Miss Emery is the only one that gets to know about us? I don’t like hiding.”

  I stopped her in her tracks and knelt next to her, tucking her soft locks behind one of her ears. “Because it’s not safe, baby girl. I know it’s not ideal and maybe one day it’ll be safe for us to show ourselves, but that time isn’t now. I wish it were different.”

  I hated that she felt this way. It hurt to feel like I was failing as a parent when I couldn’t fully explain to my little girl that her mother was killed because of what we shifted into. To this day, she still only knew the bare minimum about what happened. She knew her mother was gone and that bad men took her away, but that was it. When she was older, I’d tell her the whole story. But for now, I had t
o do my best to make her understand without lying to her. A ten-year-old should never have to carry the weight of what happened on her shoulders.

  I couldn’t stop the memory from flooding into my mind of that night.

  “You have to be patient, little cub,” I told Addy as we fished.

  It was always so cute watching her struggle with her tiny paws to grasp a fish as it floated by. She was still so young and didn’t understand the value of patience. One of these days she’d get it.

  As she sat back and gave a huff, I was about to explain to her again how to do it, but a noise captured my attention. The sound of gunshots and roars filled the air. My head snapped in the direction our sleuth was settled.

  “Eve…” I whispered in terror. I quickly shifted, shredding my clothes without thought, then snatched up Addy by the nape of her neck with my teeth.

  I ran with all my might towards the growls and snarls of my family. My chest constricted painfully from the running so hard, and at what was waiting for me once I reached the clearing. The sounds of pain and horror were deafening the closer we got. Addylin whined pitifully as I shot through the trees, not understanding my haste or what was happening.

  When I reached the line of trees just before they opened into our field, I slid to a stop and growled.

  At least ten or more hunters were opening fire on them all. The women scrambled through the snow, trying in vain to escape the bullets whizzing passed them. The males of the group were fighting back, but having no luck. There only seemed to be one hunter hurt, but already two of mine was dead.