by Sky Winters
Eventually, however, she made the decision to not be a weak woman, lost without her man. Placing both feet on the ground, she stepped out of bed. The bedroom was just as sunny and cheerful as it had been the previous morning, but now she was alone. Her first stop was the bathroom, to take a long, hot shower, as though she could wash away the memories of last night. As she soaked, she realized that at the very least, she could wash away the grime that the air at that horrible party seemed to be full of.
Stepping out and wrapping a towel around her body, she thought about just what her husband had gotten himself into. Tessa had considered that he was having an affair, and had considered that he had picked up a substance abuse problem- what other reasons could a husband have for acting the way he did, after all- but what he was into was something that she wasn’t prepared for at all. She couldn’t tell for certain by what she saw over the course of that horrible minute, but it appeared that Lucas was involved in the meth business- not simply using it, but dealing it. There were hundreds of young adults, kids, just about, at that party last night, and judging by the amount of drugs in that room, it wasn’t hard to believe that he was responsible for supplying the whole thing. She wondered how the artist she fell in love with so many years ago could fall so low as to get involved with something like this.
Tessa threw on some simple clothes, making sure to put what she wore the previous night in a sealed bag for fear of that astringent, industrial smell of burning meth would infect the house. And as she tossed the plastic bag stuffed full of her clothes into the back of her closet, the image of the two girls came into her thoughts like an invader. She knew that the sight of her husband sitting at the edge of the bed, his cock deep in the mouth of another woman while yet another serviced him, would be burned into her memory for as long as she lived. She cursed Lucas for doing this to her, knowing that these two girls were likely just two of many others.
And their age stuck in Tessa’s mind like a pebble in a shoe. She knew that she was still beautiful, that she was still an object of desire for men. But she also knew that however attractive she might be now, it wasn’t going to last forever. When she married Lucas, she had hoped that he would be the man that she would grow old with, that he would still be at her side when her looks faded, that she wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone knew, that that part of her life was taken care of. But it wasn’t to be. And now, just a few years short of 40, she found her world turned upside down. Not only was she left to pick up the pieces, but she now had to wonder whether or not she would ever again find someone to love.
After finishing her morning routine, she stepped into the kitchen. She wasn’t hungry in the slightest, but she knew how easy it would be to ignore her appetite and let the stress take over her body. She was determined not to let that happen. Pouring herself a tall glass of orange juice and a small bowl of granola, she ate and drank, forcing down each swallow as she stared listlessly out of the window. As she watched the gentle rustling of the leaves in the trees, she even felt something approaching calm and peace.
But the rumbling of a motorcycle up the path to their home broke that feeling right in half.
Tessa’s stomach dropped when she heard the sound of what couldn’t be anything other than Lucas’s bike approach the house. Looking down, she saw that her hands were shaking as the noise grew louder. Soon, Lucas appeared on the path leading to the home, racing towards the house. Lucas drove the bike right onto the lawn, letting it drop out from under him and onto its side when he reached the house.
“Tessa!” he shouted as the engine died. “You get out here right now!”
Tessa ducked away from the window, watching Lucas run up to the door and attempt to open it. She thanked herself for having the presence of mind to lock the deadbolts last night, though she knew this wouldn’t stop him if he was truly determined.
“Get out here right now!” he yelled, his face twisted in rage.
She stayed still, fear creeping over her body. Opening the kitchen junk drawer, she removed the mace that she kept in there, feeling disbelief at the fact that she might have to use it on her own husband. Steeling herself, she walked to the front door and opened it, looking into Lucas’s eyes as she did so.
“There you are,” he said, his voice edged with anger. “What the hell did you think you were doing last night? Huh?”
Tessa said nothing.
“Coming to Dusty’s place like that. You have no idea what kind of people were there!”
She still said nothing.
“And I don’t know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t what it looked like,” he said, his body tight and tense as a bowstring pulled taut.
Now Tessa was angry that he would think she was so stupid. But she said nothing.
“You better say something,” he said, his hands clenching and unclenching as he stood on the lawn.
She didn’t know what to do. She was trying to stay strong, to look tough, but she knew that she wasn’t prepared to handle this confrontation. It wouldn’t take much for her to break into wracking sobs. Tessa wished that she’d just stayed inside and hoped that he might leave.
“I said 'say something!’” demanded Lucas.
“You need to leave and never come back,” said Tessa, her voice weak.
“What?” said Lucas. “You think you can tell me to leave my own damn house? You got another thing coming.”
He paced back and forth for a moment, as if deciding just what to do. Then, he turned to face Tessa, and began walking towards her.
“Not at a chance in hell you’re gonna tell me what to do.”
But then, just as he seemed poised to do something terrible, a strange thing took place. Right at that moment, Tessa spotted the shaking of leaves in the distance at the edge of the lawn. Her eyes tracked to the spot as Lucas’s stayed fixed upon her. From within the dense, green leaves, emerged a massive, dark animal; it was a black bear. Tessa didn’t know how but she recognized it instantly as one of the bears that she saw last night, and not only that, but the one that approached her. Just as it did yesterday, the bear stared at her impassively. It stood still once it fully emerged from the forest, standing there for reasons Tessa didn’t understand.
But something about the bear’s presence filled her with a sense of safety. She felt as though it were watching out for her, a thought that she instantly recognized as silly, if not insane. What she felt, however, couldn’t be disputed.
Then, before Tessa could say anything, the bear made its presence known. It stood up on its back legs and let out a deafening, mighty roar- a roar so loud and powerful that it shook the branches of the nearby trees and sent the birds perched upon them into the clear, blue sky above.
“What the hell?” said Lucas, turning around and staggering at the sight of the black-furred beast.
Tessa took advantage of the distraction and ran back into the house, setting every lock on the door and rushing back into the kitchen.
“This isn’t over!” said Lucas, lifting his motorcycle back upright and hopping on top of it.
With that, he revved the engine and flew down the path, disappearing down the road, the bear watching him carefully as he left, as though to make sure he was gone. Tessa listened as the engine faded, the sound diminishing as Lucas drove away.
From the safety of the kitchen, she watched as the bear looked towards the house, then back towards the road. He looked to Tessa like some kind of guard at his post, making sure that no one approached without his knowing. Then, after a time, he disappeared back into the trees, leaving Tessa in the silence that there had been only a few minutes before.
CHAPTER 7
Tessa spent the rest of the day inside. Between Lucas and the strange bear that seemed to be lurking on the property, in her home with the doors locked and her mace nearby was the only place he felt safe.
She couldn’t shake the image of the bear, how it didn’t seem to be some ordinary animal; it seemed as though it was behaving in an intelligent
, planned way, like it knew that simply being there would be enough to intimidate Lucas into leaving. And Henry’s comments about how there hadn’t been bears in this area for decades further confused her. Just why were these strange animals making themselves so obvious to her?
Spending the rest of the day trying to work on her art, but distracted by what was going on in her life, the day slowly passed. Tessa had no idea if Lucas would return or if the sight of the bear was enough to keep him at bay. Either way, she knew that he wasn’t the type to just give up; it was only a matter of time before he returned.
The evening arrived and Tessa sat in the living room watching trashy television, reality shows picked out specifically so she wouldn’t have to think. Sitting with her legs draped under her on the couch, Tessa found herself looking at her wedding ring, spinning the band around her finger with her other hand. Taking her ring off was something that wasn’t entirely new to her- she did it every night before bed- but during the majority of the day, it was on her finger. As she gazed at the facets of the stone, she realized that even today, after all that happened the previous night, she had put it on without thinking about it.
So, taking a sip of wine, she worked the ring off of her finger and set it on the coffee table, trying on for size what it might be like to not wear this ring during times she normally would’ve, what it would be like to feel single. Tessa looked at the thin band of slightly paler flesh that wrapped around her finger under where the ring would normally be. Looking at it, she felt a sense of longing, of emptiness; she’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.
But before she could consider these thoughts further, the power to the house cut out abruptly, leaving Tessa in total darkness.
She began to panic as she fumbled around in the dark, wondering what happened, why the electricity cut out. Standing up, she walked with slow, careful steps around the living room, fearful of bumping into anything.
Then, the fear that there might be someone responsible for the cutting of the power gripped her.
That it might be Lucas.
Tessa fumbled in the dark, finally finding her phone and flicking the flashlight on, a bright, cone of light projecting from it. She waved the phone around as though it were a cross being used to ward off malevolent spirits, and, to her relief, found that the living room was empty.
Then, she spotted a figure outside. It was a dark outline against the bay windows of the kitchen, followed by a pair of shorter, skinnier men. Tessa felt her heart jump up into her chest, realizing that this meant the power being shut off wasn’t simply an accident. Now scared that she might be spotted, she flicked off the phone flashlight, the silver glow of the moonlight outside the only source of light, bathing the front lawn in an otherworldly, milky glow. With quiet steps, she moved to the kitchen and withdrew the slim, sharp knife that she used for cutting chicken and held it out in front of her. Tessa knew that if these three men wanted to do something terrible she’d be no match, but it made her feel better than nothing.
Her limbs felt tense and tight as she spotted the three figures, now further away from the house. Moving closer to the window, she watched as the figures, two small and scrawny, one tall and bulky, dash away from the house and into the woods beyond, a small amount of relief washing over her as they vanished into the darkness.
After standing still for several minutes in order to make sure they were gone, Tessa set the knife down, pushing it away from her as she did so, the thought of having to inflict such violence on someone repulsing her on a deep level.
Surrounded by darkness, she knew now that she was likely safe, but the possibility of the men returned was stark in her mind. Tessa debated whether or not to run to her car and drive into town, but even the idea of leaving the house to do that was too much for her. Turning her phone flashlight back on, she debated what to do next.
But before she could think too much about, Tessa spotted a now-familiar rustling in the tree line. But unlike earlier, when one bear emerged, it was now the same wide stretch of movement that she saw when the bears approached her last night.
Terrified, she watched as the pack of bears walked out of the woods, numbering ten in total, with one bear, just as before, larger than the rest. The larger bear walked forward, moving onto the lawn. And just as before, it rose on its hind legs. But unlike before, it didn’t roar. Instead, it waved one paw in a great swipe in front of its face.
Tessa felt insane for thinking this, but it almost seemed that the bear was trying to get her attention.
Then, the bears split up, surrounding the house and pointing their bodies away from the home. Tessa watched them take their positions, all of the bears evenly distributed around the house, as though forming a perimeter. Tessa felt as though she was in some kind of bizarre dream as she watched these bears exhibit behaviors that she could only describe as “human-like.” Once each of the bears assumed their position, they leaned down, poised and ready with the moonlight shining on the sleek, black fur of their backs.
Tessa didn’t know what to do. She knew that their behavior could easily be interpreted as penning her in just as easily as it could be interpreted as protecting her. But something about the bears being there instilled in her a feeling of safety, as though she knew their presence was benevolent. Returning to her living room, she sat back onto the couch and before she could give the matter any further though, slipped into a deep, exhausted sleep.
CHAPTER 8
Tessa looked over the massive, clean slice through the main power line that led from the solar panels on top of the house to the generator. Sure enough, it was cut clean through. And judging from how it was done, there was no way that an animal could’ve been responsible for it.
It was the next morning and when Tessa awoke her first act of the day was to run to the living room window to see if the bears were still there. But they had left, no sign of their presence remaining.
Returning inside to take a shower, she was in for another surprise, however. When she turned the water on, nothing but a weak dribble resulted. She moved through the house, checking every source of water, only to encounter the same result. She realized that not only had the men cut the power, they’d cut the water as well.
And her trip outside to look things over only confirmed this.
She headed back inside, and looked through her phone for the nearest electrician, paying close attention to the ever-draining battery display in the upper right-hand corner. Flipping through the results for “electrician,” she found that there was only one place within a fifty-mile radius. She pulled the listing up and looked it over.
“Atticus Swift – Brenlan’s #1 Electrician – Available For Emergencies”
This was followed by the number.
Tessa figured that if anything was an emergency, having the electricity cut by an angry, drug-dealing ex was it. She tapped the number and waited for an answer.
“Atticus Swift, electrician,” came the voice on the other end, a low, purring male voice.
“Oh, hi,” said Tessa, a little startled by the voice; she was expecting a kindly old man to answer, not what she had heard. “My name is Tessa Henderson. I live up a-ways up Bear Mountain.”
“Of course, Miss Henderson,” said Atticus. “How can I help you?”
“I had a little bit of an issue with my electricity last night,” she said.
She felt somewhat hesitant to tell him that someone cut the power, but she figured she might as well tell him the truth, figuring that lying to an electrician about something like that was probably just as pointless as lying to a dentist about how much candy you’re eating.
“Someone cut it,” she finished.
“Sorry to hear that,” said Atticus. “Well, the good news is that if it’s cut, it can be pretty easily fixed; not like the wiring went bust or anything. I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume you want this fixed as soon as possible?”
“Yes, please,” said Tessa.
“Well, lucky for you I just had a ca
ncellation for around eleven. That work for you?”
Tessa looked at the time, seeing that she would only have to wait a couple of hours.
“That’s perfect,” she said.
“OK. Well, sit tight, don’t touch the wires, don’t open your fridge unless you need to, all that good stuff. I’ll be by around then.”
“Great, thank you so much.”
“Of course.
With that, Tessa hung up. And as she stood with the phone cradled in her hands, she couldn’t shake just how attractive the voice of the man on the other end was. She set the phone down and shook her head, deciding to kill the time until he got there by taking a look at the water main.
Slipping on her sandals, she walked towards the massive, circular water pump in the backyard. Taking a look at the pipe, she saw that just like the electricity, it had been cut through cleanly. Fortunately, it was simply a matter of replacing the section of PVC pipe and turning the water back on, which she was able to do in ten or so minutes. She headed back to the house and flipped the water on, and after a few groans and strains from the pipes, water sprayed from the sink, cool and fresh.
Tessa nodded at her handiness, happy that Lucas had taught her how to deal with a broken pipe. But thinking of Lucas, aside from the distress that the subject brought her, she now chastised herself for realizing that it was almost definitely him who cut the power and water last night, likely him and a couple of his meth-dealing buddies.
She felt her cheeks grow hot with anger. Tessa understood now that not only was Lucas essentially living a double life, but now that she didn’t take him back, he was determined to make her life as difficult as possible. Stepping into the shower for a quick rinse, she wondered what she would do if he continued to harass her. She knew that there was no chance that she’d take him back, not after what he’d done to her. Tessa didn’t know what Lucas was capable of; he had always channeled his passionate emotions into his art. She realized now that she was going to learn what it would be like to be on the receiving end of the hostile shades of those sentiments.
