Faithful Shadow

by Howard, Kevin J.

  Used to be that this was a huge turn off for Richard. Back in high school he’d dated this beautiful cheerleader, perfect face and body, but the stupid bitch was always crying. She got a bad grade, she would cry. Someone thought she looked fat and out came the waterworks. Most of their relationship had been spent with her head on his shoulder, tears soaking into the expensive fabrics of his letterman’s jacket. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if his sleeve had a permanent imprint from her cheek. But it was different with Kelly. Maybe it was because he was older or their environment was so different, or maybe it was because he loved her. The last was one he wouldn’t admit to, not now anyway. He knew he cared for her a great deal, but the L word was not ready to be said. Richard felt there was too much importance centered on a single word; especially when one little word could never describe such an emotion.

  “I’m sorry.” Kelly pulled her head from his shoulder five minutes later, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s just so heavy, you know?”

  Richard nodded. A lot had happened to them in just a few short days. He imagined his rage toward the portly ass if Doug were to come stumbling out from the woods with a few bruises, claiming he’d been a drunken moron and got lost. He’d probably knock him a good one and then squeeze him tight. But no one came walking out of the woods. It was just them.

  Richard kept his arm about her shoulders and led her back to the jeep. He took his last look at the campsite, now empty except for a few wrappers and a box of crackers. They left the site and headed back to the ranger station, thankful some old dip-wad was there and that alcoholic was out patrolling. They filled out all the necessary forms and filed an official report. Richard handed the papers over to Andy and watched for a moment as the man turned and set them on top of a thick stack of papers. He shook his head and left the office. Richard knew that Mayberry moron was never going to get through that pile. Even if he did, what good would a report filed seven years down the road do them? But he kept his annoyance to himself as he drove back to the Inn, parking at the west side of the parking lot with the shortest distance for Kelly.

  “Are you going to be okay in there?” Richard put a warm hand to her cheek.

  “It’s boring, but it at least gives me something to do.” Kelly smiled. “Better to be in there than in my cabin worrying.”

  Kelly gave Richard a quick kiss and jumped out of the jeep, going through the Inn’s back door into the ice cream parlor.

  “Where did you guys go this morning?” Sonia asked from behind the counter.

  Kelly put on her apron and came out from the back room, standing beside Sonia opposite an empty store. “Richard and I went to the campsite and cleaned up. Then we went and filed a report with the rangers.”

  “Are you sure you should have done that? Isn’t all that stuff like evidence or something?”

  “Evidence of what? There wasn’t a crime committed.”

  “Not that we know of.” Sonia leaned in close and whispered. “I still think Doug dragged her off and raped her.” Her eyes went wide. “Then he killed her.”

  “Don’t be stupid.” Kelly was angry, pushing Sonia’s shoulder a little harder than she’d intended to. “Let’s not forget that Doug is counted among the missing.” Kelly held up her hands, signaling a stop. “Why don’t we just please not talk about it.”

  Sonia nodded, a bit hurt by the push and the harsh words from her roommate. She knew Kelly was taking this very personally, but she didn’t have to snap at her. She’d only wanted to talk it out. Stew hadn’t been any comfort. Every time she tried to bring it up he just got angry, cursing that ranger with every bad word he could think of. Who could she turn to and gossip with if she couldn’t talk to Kelly? Sonia put her head down like a sad child and went about her work, spending most of her day staring out the window while nervously biting at her nails. It was a habit she’d had since she was a little girl. She’d chewed up her cuticles so bad her fingertips were all red, mauled stubs. They looked as if a hungry rodent had gone to work on them. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it, but it set her at peace. When she didn’t understand something or felt uncomfortable, this was something she could do. It was worse when something was beyond her ability to control.

  Sonia looked up from her fingers and looked at Kelly, but her attention was focused on the Inn. She followed her gaze down the hallway, past the wide open interior and the gargantuan stone fireplace, to the front desk. Jessie Page was speaking with a fireman, pointing down the hall to her right, where they’d set up some rooms for them to rest in between shifts. Sonia didn’t know much about this extremely tall blonde, other than that she was very shy. Probably had something to do with her unusual height of six-foot four, very tall for a woman. That would be more than enough to make her completely socially awkward, even though she was rather pretty. But it was so very odd to see her there, taking the place of Rowena. Rowena’s head had barely been visible over the counter, where Jessie’s towered over it.

  “She’s going crazy,” Kelly said absently, looking out the window into the parking lot.

  “Who is?” Sonia turned and looked out, but she saw only an empty lot.

  “Janice.” Kelly pointed out across the lot by the cabins.

  Janice and Marco were holding hands, heading toward the cabins, when Marco began running across the street toward the Inn. Janice took a seat on a bench and waited, wringing her hands nervously.

  “She’s afraid to be left alone.” Sonia told Kelly, speaking quietly again as if anyone was there. “She had me go with her to the bathroom this morning. I think she’s like ready to snap or something.”

  “Marco looks ready to snap himself. He’s probably running for his life.”

  “I bet there’s nothing worse for a guy than an overly needy woman who won’t put out.” Sonia smiled, turning to Kelly to enjoy a laugh. They both felt guilty, but they needed to laugh at something. Sonia felt better now. She and Kelly had gotten past the tension and were smiling again. Things always had a way of working out.

  18

  “I’ll be back, okay?” Marco guided her to the bench and released her hands. “Wait right there,” he yelled over his shoulder as he ran off toward the Inn.

  Janice interlocked her fingers and set her hands neatly in her lap, tightening and loosening her grip over and over. She was coming unraveled and she knew it. But at least she wasn’t so blinded by irrational fear that she didn’t understand she was breaking down. She was allowed. The situation was tragic, so why couldn’t she be fearful? Two people had gone missing while sleeping not more than ten feet from her. What if whatever took them had decided to take her instead? Then she would be trapped in some kind of bear cave or monster’s cocoon high within a tree or something. Janice no longer believed Doug was behind this. He was creepy and annoying, but he wasn’t stealthy or ruthless. If he’d tried to pull Rowena out into the woods, they would have heard him fumbling about, or a scream, but there had been nothing. It had to have been something else; maybe some kind of rabid bear that had snapped their necks with a single bite from its powerful jaws. But then why was there no blood? Janice felt like crying again, the third time today. Her mind ached from trying to comprehend what had really happened.

  The black smoke of the fire was drifting overhead, blocking the lingering sunlight as it made its journey west over the trees. Had the day really gone by so darn fast? Had Marco really been gone so long? Maybe something had happened to him on his way to the Inn. After all, she hadn’t actually seen him walk through the front entrance. But her rattled nerves eased a bit as she saw him exit the Inn, walking toward her at a casual pace. She figured he might not be in such a hurry to return to such a basket case. She was certain he liked her, but every man has his limits. If he was only interested in a piece of ass, he’d soon lose interest if she didn’t put out. Janice was well aware of this, even through her jumbl
ed thought process.

  “I thought you’d disappeared, too.” Janice managed a weak smile, eager to stand from the bench.

  “I had to wait in line.” Marco smiled. “Can you believe it? An actual line of like three people.”

  “What did you get?” Janice asked, not seeing a bag.

  He pulled out a tube of Chapstick and a small candy bar. “This is for me and that’s for you.” He gave her the chocolate bar, which she gratefully took.

  Marco took hold of her hand and led her through the abandoned cabins. He slipped his available hand into his pocket, accompanied by the three-pack of condoms he’d purchased, his real reason for running off to the store. His lips were chapped, but cracked lips were number eight hundred on his priority list, sex being numbers one through seven hundred ninety-nine. He’d been loaded and ready to rock for days, led along by this hot piece of ass that had turned out to be almost more trouble than she was worth. He’d put up with the crying and the sadness for almost two days now. He felt it was his turn to get some comfort. That didn’t seem all that selfish. You give a little and you get a little.

  “Where are we going?” Janice stopped, pulling at his hand as they passed the last cabin and headed toward a trail.

  “I thought it’d be nice to take a walk up the trail. There’s this great lookout at the top with a view of the geysers.”

  “I don’t think we should go into the woods.”

  “We’re already in the woods.” Marco let go of her hand and held both hands out, palms up. “This entire place is smack dab in the middle of two million acres of woods. So technically, we’re already taking a hike through the woods, only this particular trail will give us a little more privacy and a beautiful view.” Marco took hold of her hand and kissed her cheek, whispering into her ear. “It’s a romantic setting and I’ll be there to protect you.”

  Janice smiled and continued forward, feeling better once comforted. But what Marco had really meant to say was that he knew she wouldn’t do it in her cabin and his shitty roommate was banging some chick in their cabin, so it was either the woods or nothing. He felt the way he put it to her was much more appealing to her ears and was pleased it got her moving.

  “How far is this place?”

  “I think it’s just at the top of this hill here. Maybe twenty, thirty minutes of hiking. Are you up for it?”

  Janice nodded, feeling much better. She looked at the beautiful trees and smelled the dampness in the air. The forest sounds were quite beautiful, wind rustling through the leaves and the fresh smell of wildflowers and tree bark. Then came the strong smell of burning wood. The fire was growing closer and it was now dominating her sense of smell. She couldn’t see the flames and didn’t think they were all that close, probably more than twenty miles away actually, but it smelled as if it were bearing down on them. The black clouds above had thickened, darkening the sky till two o’clock resembled nine.

  “What’s that smell?” Marco stopped to sniff the air, sticking his nose into the sky like a dog. “Do you smell that?”

  “It’s just the fire.”

  “No…not that.” Marco grimaced, shaking the odor from his head. “Never mind. We’re almost there.”

  Marco looked over his shoulder before picking up the pace, feeling an odd sensation creeping over him. As if the forest itself were looking at him. He shook it off and kept moving. A smile surfaced as they came through a clearing and saw a bird’s eye view of the Old Faithful Inn and the geysers below. On the ground was a blanket and a basket filled with beer and sandwiches.

  “Oh my God, did you set this all up?” Janice placed her hands on her chest and blushed, sweet thoughts overpowering all previous fears and concerns. “This is so romantic.”

  “I thought you’d like a picnic.” Marco smiled, wondering who the hell else could have set it up. But he let her stupid statements slide, just so long as she was happy. “Have a seat.”

  Janice sat cross-legged. Marco took two beers from the basket, pulled a bottle opener from his pocket, and popped the tops. He handed her one with a wink, taking a sip from his own with an overdramatic gasp that made them both laugh. Janice took a deep swig, draining half the bottle. She set the beer down in the grass and crawled across the blanket, planting her lips to his. He gently laid her down and caressed her face as they kissed. She was much more in the mood from this simple gesture than she had been all day. Marco’s continual comfort, especially having an extra body with her at night, made her want to forget everything and be caressed by those arms that wrapped around her and told her everything was going to be all right. But there was an odd pressure building on her forehead as he pressed his face against her. The pressure continued, shifting from an uncomfortable pressure to a painful head butt.

  “Stop it!” Janice turned her head to the side as he continued to press down on her. “You’re hurting me.”

  Her eyes began to sting as saliva seeped from his mouth in a warm gush. Janice dug her fingers into the soft grass and pulled herself out from beneath Marco. She rubbed the liquid from her eyes and screamed, seeing it wasn’t saliva at all. Her face was covered in blood and her eyes were drenched in it, blurring her vision. She wiped her face furiously with her shirt, blinking madly until she could make out light and shapes. As her vision cleared, she saw Marco move into a sitting position.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Janice screamed, slapping him in the chest. “You spit blood on me.” She couldn’t make out his facial expressions through her blurred vision, only his vague figure. As a fresh batch of tears washed the lingering blood from her eyes, she caught her first real glimpse of Marco’s face. “What’s wrong?” Janice’s voice trembled.

  Marco looked at her with wide eyes, his skin pale. He was on his knees, swaying slightly with his hands held out to her. He tried to speak, but no words could come out, only a steady stream of blood. It poured out continually, down both sides of his mouth like two red waterfalls. Marco’s eyes went up into his head and he fell forward, collapsing on her. His dead weight pinned her down as he bled all over her face. She wanted to scream, but if she opened her mouth it would fill with blood. His blood. The man she’d just been kissing. Then he was gone, yanked off her in a flash. Janice sat up and watched his body disappear into the woods, dragged along the ground like a sack of garbage. She couldn’t see what, if anything, was holding his foot. It was moving too fast. And then there was nothing. No one was there but her, shivering on the blanket with Marco’s blood all over her.

  “Marco?” Her voice was soft, barely audible. It took every ounce of her being to get that out. She tried again, but her throat wouldn’t allow it. All she could do was shiver and stare blankly into the woods, hoping at any moment it would be revealed that this had been some kind of cruel joke. The black clouds overhead had made it nearly impossible to see anything through the trees.

  Something was looking at her. She could feel its eyes running over her body. Janice trembled uncontrollably, looking as if a current of electricity were passing through her. She set both hands on the ground and managed to push herself up, standing still as her eyes darted back and forth. Somewhere in these dark woods, a creature had just dragged her boyfriend to his death. Now it was looking at her. Then she saw it, far off behind a tree directly ahead of her. No form, just two green eyes burning bright in the dark like the fires of hell. It let out a deep snarl and ran. A black beast with long fangs, looking like a transparent bear, ran straight toward her. All she could do was turn and run. Her eyes burned from Marco’s lingering blood. The creature was all but upon her, running on all fours. Its snarling hunger deafened her eardrums. She looked back over her shoulder and saw nothing. She turned her head back around in time to see the tree as she slammed into it, her forehead slapping the thick trunk.

  Janice fell backward to the forest floor, falling hard as if she’d been cloth
es-lined. She lay there with a deep gash in the center of her forehead, looking up at the dark clouds, which seemed to consume her. Filling her eyes until there was nothing but darkness.

  19

  Am I dead? Janice opened her eyes, but there was nothing. No bright light ahead of her, no fluffy clouds lined with angels. It was pure blackness. She lifted her hand up off the ground and waved it an inch before her face, but it might as well have not been there at all. There was no light, wherever she was. No stars above, dim lamps, or halos. If not for the hard jaggedness of the ground beneath her, Janice would have thought for sure she was floating. Her entire body felt warm and light as a feather. Every few seconds a wave of joy washed through her, carried through her bloodstream like a child at a water park, laughing as it went spreading good cheer. But underneath this overwhelming peace, there was something lingering. A dark thought floating about in the back of her mind. What was it?