by Heather Beck
“What are we going to do?” Marissa moaned, almost in tears. “I’m cold and scared and...”
“Shut the hell up,” Kate scolded harshly. “I can’t think with you whining.”
Marissa started to sob and, instinctively, Anastasia hugged her. She’d always hated to see anyone upset or hurt, especially when that person was as nice as Marissa. Kate’s abusive attitude was getting out-of-control, and Anastasia was about to speak up when Chloe beat her to it.
“You’re not helping the situation,” Chloe bravely told Kate, while stepping forward.
“I don’t see you doing anything!” Kate retorted.
“It’s your fault we’re out here!” she shot back.
As the arguing continued, another sound coming from nearby caught Anastasia’s attention. She sensed that someone was in the woods, creeping around them as if they didn’t want to be seen or heard. Anastasia’s heart pounded as a feeling of dread washed over her. When she heard a branch snap, she knew for certain that someone was out there.
Suddenly, a shrill cry ripped through the woods, mere seconds before a cougar pounced on Chloe and tackled her to the ground. It happened so fast that no one had a chance to move. Instead, they watched in horror as the cougar sunk his teeth into Chloe’s arm, causing her to cry out in pain. Then he started to drag her away.
Kate and Marissa screamed, while running in the direction they had come. This startled the cougar and made him retreat slightly, giving Anastasia a chance to run to Chloe’s side. She was shocked that Kate and Marissa had left, but thankfully the commotion they made while fleeing, along with Chloe’s ongoing cries of pain, were enough to make the cougar turn around and disappear into the woods.
“Help me!” Chloe screamed in agony as she lay on the ground, clutching her arm just above where the cougar had bitten.
Desperate to help Chloe but unsure of what to do, Anastasia crouched beside her and touched her shoulder, hoping to provide some sort of comfort. It obviously didn’t help. Chloe was shaking, probably from a combination of pain, shock and lying on the freezing ground. Anastasia’s eyes traveled to Chloe’s arm, her stomach churning as she saw the damage that the cougar had done. The sleeve of her coat had been ripped off, and it looked like she was bleeding heavily, although it was impossible to see the depth of the wound due to the lack of light.
“It’s going to be okay,” Anastasia promised Chloe. “I’ll get you out of here, but first we need to find Kate and Marissa.”
“Please stay!” Chloe cried, grabbing onto Anastasia as if to prevent her from leaving. She then whimpered, proving just how painful it was to move.
“I’d never leave...”
“Kate and Marissa did,” Chloe interrupted, her grasp on Anastasia tightening as she looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes.
“I’m not them,” Anastasia said firmly. “We’re leaving together.”
Ever so gently, she began to lift Chloe up, causing her to cry out in agony yet again. Anastasia winced at the sight and sound of her friend’s pain, feeling utterly powerless to help her. She knew that they had to get back to the car, but it was clear that Chloe wouldn’t be able to walk such a distance, even if they could find their way.
“Everything hurts,” Chloe moaned, while being incompliant with Anastasia’s ongoing efforts to pull her up.
“Please, Chloe,” Anastasia begged. “We can’t stay here in case the cougar comes...”
An angry growl came from somewhere in the woods, cutting Anastasia off mid-sentence. It seemed so close, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t see anything. Both she and Chloe became deathly quiet, listening as the cougar paced noisily around them.
“Where...where is he?” Chloe whispered breathlessly.
“Everywhere but nowhere,” Anastasia whispered back, noting how every time she thought she’d pinpointed the cougar’s location, it quickly changed. It didn’t take her long to realize that they were being circled.
Hurriedly, Anastasia rose to her feet and made herself as tall and large as possible. She remembered what Frost had done the last time they’d encountered the cougar; he’d portrayed himself as the predator instead of the prey, and that was exactly what she had to do.
“Get out of here!” Anastasia yelled as loudly as she could, while waving her arms in the air.
“What are you doing?” Chloe asked fretfully, in between gasps of pain as she hardly managed to sit up. “Don’t make him angry.”
“Get lost! Leave!” Anastasia continued to shout, ignoring Chloe in the process.
As the cougar sounded closer, Anastasia knew that her defense mechanisms weren’t working – she just didn’t know why. When Chloe’s whimper drew Anastasia’s attention back to her, she finally understood the cougar’s behavior; he had tasted Chloe’s blood and wasn’t going to leave without some more. She had been marked as the prey.
“You have to get up now!” Anastasia cried as she pulled Chloe onto her feet and then struggled to support her.
The woods became still, as if even the wind was afraid to stir. Anastasia listened for the cougar but heard nothing other than her racing heart and Chloe’s soft whimpering. Maybe he had finally left. Maybe she and Chloe really would be alright.
Growl...
The startling noise came from behind Anastasia and Chloe, making them turn around ever so slowly. They now faced the cougar, who inched closer in a hunched position and continued to growl in a menacing tone. Although he was a slender, medium-sized animal, he still looked strong and very dangerous. The cougar’s ears, which lay almost flat to his head, along with his bared fangs, perfectly conveyed an aggressive disposition. Instantly, Anastasia knew that she and Chloe were in serious trouble.
Upon hearing a hurried rustling in the distance, Anastasia’s fear heightened – another cougar must be entering the scene, preparing to devour her and Chloe equally. She felt her knees weaken and her chest ache from all the panicking. Still, she wanted to fight back, not only for her sake but for Chloe’s, too. She spotted a fallen branch nearby, and after telling Chloe to steady herself, Anastasia grabbed for it.
The cougar hissed and lowered his body, as if getting ready to attack. Then the strangest thing happened – the cougar stumbled sideways and let out a painful whine. Turning around, the cougar tried to slink away; however, he appeared so groggy that he just collapsed. Several seconds passed, but the cougar remained on the ground, motionless and quite possibly dead.
“Are you okay?” someone suddenly shouted.
Turning in the direction of the voice, Anastasia saw a guy hurrying toward them. As he drew closer, she was surprised to discover that it was Frost. Even more shocking was the fact that he carried a gun.
“Are you hurt?” Frost asked, placing his hand on Anastasia’s shoulder and looking closely at her.
“I’m okay, but Chloe was attacked by the cougar and she...”
“Anastasia,” Chloe interrupted with a weak moan, right before she fainted.
Frost hurried to help Chloe, while Anastasia stood on guard, holding her tree branch in one hand and his gun in the other. Working quickly, he loosened the collar of Chloe’s coat and checked for a pulse. Frost then unzipped his own coat and ripped a piece of his shirt, tying the strip of fabric tightly around her wound.
“How bad is she?” Anastasia asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.
“Her pulse is slow,” Frost replied as he placed his arms under Chloe’s shoulders and legs and then gently lifted her up. “She’s losing a lot of blood. We need to get her to the hospital. Are you able to run?”
Anastasia took one last look at the limp, stationary cougar and then threw her branch on the ground. She nodded to Frost, before following him through the woods. Anastasia ran as fast as possible, but she could tell that she was holding Frost back. Nevertheless, he stayed by her side until they reached his house.
Immediately, Frost guided Anastasia to his SUV. He placed Chloe in the back seat and instructed Anastasia to keep a
firm grip on her so she wouldn’t fall over. Frost then took the gun from Anastasia and hurried to start the SUV. Seconds later, they were speeding down a darkening road that she’d never seen before.
From the cougar attack to rushing Chloe to Cedar Falls Hospital, everything had happened so fast that it felt unreal. Anastasia now sat in the hospital’s waiting room with Frost, anxiously anticipating an update on Chloe’s condition, while also obsessively repeating the night’s events in her mind. However, all that currently mattered was Chloe’s well-being.
Why is the doctor taking so long? Is that a good sign or a bad one? These questions tortured Anastasia as she fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. She’d always hated hospitals with all the ill people and strange machines which sounded as scary as they looked. It seemed too artificial, as if life relied solely on science and technology.
Frost placed his hand on top of Anastasia’s, obviously sensing her inner turmoil and wanting to offer her comfort. However, his hand was so warm that Anastasia immediately jerked away from him. Curiously, she looked at Frost, noting his embarrassed expression and sudden unease.
“Do you have a fever?” Anastasia asked, while realizing how cold her own hands were due to the frigid temperature she’d been exposed to as well as her current state of nervousness.
“I’m fine,” Frost replied so quickly that it was unconvincing. “I wish you would see a doctor, though.”
Defiantly, Anastasia shook her head. “All I care about is Chloe. I’m not leaving until I know she’ll be alright.”
“She’s lucky to have a friend like you,” Frost said softly.
Anastasia smiled at the compliment, allowing some of her tension to ease. “She was even luckier to have you there tonight. Thank you, Frost. I seriously don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
This time it was Frost’s turn to shake his head. “I’m not looking for anything in return. I’m just glad I could help, even though I know you’re a woman who can handle herself.” For the second time that night, he looked embarrassed. Quickly, he smiled playfully and then added in a teasing manner, “After all, that was a pretty jagged branch you were holding.”
Despite everything, Anastasia laughed. “I guess the unluckiest one was that cougar. At least the people of Cedar Falls can relax now that he’s dead.”
“I didn’t kill the cougar – I used a tranquilizer,” Frost hurried to explain. “When you were calling Chloe’s father and your grandparents, I called my dad and told him everything that had happened. As we speak, he’s transporting the cougar hundreds of miles away. This will be safer for everyone, and the cougar will have a better chance for survival.”
“I didn’t realize Cedar Falls Woods were that big,” Anastasia commented in surprise.
“You wouldn’t believe the secrets that these woods keep.”
Wrinkling her forehead, Anastasia wondered what Frost had meant, but she was wary of asking for clarification. After all, it was a pretty odd statement to make. Finally, Anastasia broke the awkward pause by simply asking, “So, why go to such lengths to move the cougar? Why not just kill him?”
Frost seemed to cringe at Anastasia’s insensitivity. “That cougar is still very young, and his parents were killed by poachers. It was starvation that caused him to act so dangerously bold.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I don’t believe any creature is innately bad. They are just shaped by their circumstances.”
Anastasia saw the irony in Frost’s words. He could have easily been talking about the both of them, in fact maybe he was. It made her more than a little uncomfortable that Frost could see the real her. She studied him, trying to figure out what he was all about. She’d thought spending more time with him would make it possible for her to read him like she did so well with others, but she still had nothing. Giving up, Anastasia sighed. She’d just have to get to know him the old-fashioned way – not that it would be much of a burden.
“How do you know so much about animals?” Anastasia asked. “Like, how to deal with them and know what they’re thinking? Are you an animal whisperer or something?”
Frost laughed faintly before answering. “Let’s just say I have a great affinity with nature and all its creatures, well, maybe except humans.”
A nearby commotion caused Anastasia and Frost to turn their attention toward the administrative desk, where a man was practically yelling at the medical assistants. He was of average height and weight, had thinning light brown hair and was dressed in dentist scrubs. Anastasia recognized him as Mr. William Fairbanks – Chloe’s father. She hurried to his side, with Frost at her heels.
“Mr. Fairbanks,” she said quickly. “It’s me, Anastasia.”
Mr. Fairbanks spun around to face Anastasia. “Is my daughter okay? No one will tell me – it’s complete incompetency on the hospital’s behalf.” He glared at the assistants, who were hurrying to help several other people.
After guiding Mr. Fairbanks away from the desk, Anastasia spoke in a soft manner, hoping to calm him down. “The doctor took Chloe away almost an hour ago. I’m sure someone will let us know what’s going on soon.”
“How could you be so stupid?” Mr. Fairbanks snapped at Anastasia. He then looked at Frost, as if seeing him for the first time. “You better not have touched my daughter or I swear I’ll...”
“Mr. Fairbanks, what are you talking about?” Anastasia spoke sharply, no longer caring if they were making a scene.
“Kate and Marissa called me right before you did. They were worried sick because you took Chloe to meet Frost in the woods.”
“Ex...excuse me?” Anastasia choked out, shocked by what she’d just heard. Perhaps Kate on her worst behavior could tell such a lie, but Marissa? Anastasia had thought that Marissa was so much better than this. “That is not what happened,” she continued, before Mr. Fairbanks could speak. “It was Kate who dragged us into the woods, and it was Kate who fled when your daughter was attacked by the cougar. As for Frost, he saved us – Chloe would be dead if it wasn’t for him!”
From the way Mr. Fairbanks trembled, Anastasia knew that he was overcome with worry and was most likely not thinking clearly. However, he had no problem narrowing his eyes at her and saying in a cruel tone, “My Chloe was fine until you came back.”
“Ms. Lockhart,” said the nurse, who Anastasia had spoken with earlier, “the doctor is finished with Ms. Fairbanks. Would you like to...”
“I’m Chloe’s father,” Mr. Fairbanks interrupted. “I want to see her – alone.”
“Certainly, Mr. Fairbanks,” the nurse replied. Before she led him toward Chloe’s room, she turned to Anastasia and said softly, “She’s going to be fine.”
Anastasia nodded appreciatively to the nurse and then let out a sigh of relief. It felt like she’d awakened from a nightmare to find everything a lot less scary. However, now that she knew Chloe was out of danger, she had the energy to get angry at Mr. Fairbanks. He had no right to treat her, and especially Frost, so poorly. In fact, it wasn’t even like him. Mr. Fairbanks always used to be kind and patient, but that obviously wasn’t true anymore.
“We should probably leave,” Frost advised, interrupting Anastasia’s thoughts. “We can see Chloe tomorrow morning, but right now, I’m taking you home. You need to rest.”
“Thanks,” Anastasia said as they began to leave the waiting room.
Anastasia and Frost hadn’t gone far when her grandfather entered the hospital. She knew that trouble was brewing as he spotted them almost immediately and then marched forward. From the expression on his face, it was clear that he was anything but happy.
“I should have known you were involved,” Mr. Lockhart said, while pointing a finger accusingly at Frost.
“Grandpa, what are you doing here?” Anastasia asked, stepping in front of Frost in hopes of preventing yet another verbal fight. “I said I was fine. You didn’t have to come.”
“Of course I had to come, Anastasia, because you’re obviously not fine. What has he done to you?�
�
“Oh my gosh!” Anastasia exclaimed, completely exasperated. “What is wrong with you people that you have to constantly blame Frost for everything?”
“We can talk about this at home,” Mr. Lockhart said as he held onto Anastasia’s arm and tried to lead her away.
Anastasia resisted her grandfather’s pull and instead looked at Frost. At this moment, she desperately needed guidance, for someone to tell her if she should stay and defend Frost or allow her grandfather to silence her by taking her home.
“Go with your grandfather,” Frost said, as if he could read Anastasia’s thoughts.
“Stay out of this, boy,” Mr. Lockhart warned Frost angrily. “And leave my granddaughter alone. She doesn’t need any more reasons to mess up.” With those harsh words spoken, he began to usher Anastasia out of the hospital.
As Anastasia went, she couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the fact that this was so embarrassing – that is, until she passed the administrative desk and heard the assistants’ hushed conversation, which had obviously taken priority over their hectic jobs.
“I’ve filed the doctor’s preliminary report,” one of the older assistants said, appearing slightly shaken-up, “and it’s exactly what I thought it would be – almost identical to the one I filed seventeen years ago.”
“That poor girl,” her co-worker muttered, looking very pale. “It’s a miracle she survived.”
“I just can’t believe it’s happening again. It’s like Cedar Falls is cursed.”
Anastasia slowed her pace, hoping to hear more of their conversation so she could try to make sense of it. She wondered if the report they were referring to was Chloe’s, and by the way the assistants suddenly stopped talking when they noticed her nearby, she guessed the answer was yes.
“Come on,” her grandfather said gruffly, while hurrying her forward. It was like he sensed what was going on between Anastasia and the medical assistants, and he clearly couldn’t get her out of there fast enough.
It was only 10:30 p.m. as the Lockhart residence lay still, silent and in darkness. Her grandparents had already gone to bed, but Anastasia was wide awake, sitting motionlessly on the rocking chair in her bedroom. The dolls, which had occupied that chair for the last several years, were now scattered on the floor. Anastasia had replaced those dolls with herself, or at least it felt that way. After all, she perfectly epitomized a doll – beautiful but expected to fit a mold that others had created for her. Hell, it even felt like she no longer had a voice.
