Page 7 of The Hidden Guardian
Silence fills the room as she looks me up and down.
“Autumn, you reek,” She pinches her fingers on the bridge of her nose as she inspects the rest of the house. “When was the last time you took a shower?”
I collapse on the couch, not having the energy to walk any farther. Looking into my hurt face, she calms and sits down next to me. “You know, Autumn, those hunter guys came in today asking for you …”
I look up immediately, my fists clench, and everything in me glares at her with anger.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything. I pretended like I didn’t know who they were talking about. Believe me, I don’t want to be having long conversations with those weirdos. They give me the creeps.” She smiles, but something buried inside of me wants to kill them. I have no idea where the anger is bubbling up from, other than the loss that I feel wants some type of retribution.
“That brings me to another reason I’m here. Tom said your bereavement leave is up next week, if you don’t come in, he’ll have to hire someone else.”
“I don’t care. Let him,” I hoarsely whisper the first words I’ve spoken in days.
“You do know you’re coming camping with me this weekend, right?” she tells me.
“No, that’s not a good idea.”
“I don’t care, I’m not leaving you alone in this place for one more day.” She sighs, placing a hand on my knee. “I don’t like seeing you like this.”
We sit there for a minute watching each other. Vicky withdraws her hand, rising to her feet and adds, “I don’t care if I have to hog-tie you and throw you in the back of my truck, you’re coming.”
And with that, she leaves without another word. I slink to my side on the couch staring at the photo of Colton on the wall because I have nothing else to live for.
* * *
I’m running again, deep in the forest this time. I can’t put my finger on it, but it smells different here. The trees are denser and covered in thick moss and I have to navigate my way between them. I’m following something. A pull in my heart. It’s drawing me closer. It’s pulling us together. The tug in my chest intensifies, guiding me to turn left. My legs leap over a fallen log that’s also covered in moss. My legs are outstretched and fall into the earth, claws digging into the soil. Those aren’t legs … they are light brown paws. A shiver runs down my spine at some realization that there’s more to this life than I’m aware of.
ChapterFive
AUTUMN
“I’m so glad you came out, Autumn,” Vicky states behind me, pulling me into an unwanted hug as she squeezes my shoulders just a little too hard. Turns out, she did throw me into the back of her truck—just not hog-tied and in the backseat instead of the bed of the truck. I didn’t believe her, but her slender frame is deceiving, she tossed me like a sack of potatoes.
“Mmm,” I mumble and fake a smile, looking at the tiny green tent her male friends have set up for me in the corner. Just one weekend, two days of this crap, and I can go back home to my solitude. We are sitting around a fire, and they are reminiscing about things that happened back in the days before Vicky required me to crash their little trip.
“Why don’t you try being more social? I heard a rumor that Darren over there thinks you’re cute.” She wiggles her eyebrow and nudges my arm. I glance over to notice her friend Darren with the shaggy blonde hair and deep blue eyes looking this way.
“I … I’m not feeling very social,” I whisper, my eyes pleading for her to let me escape to bed, even if that bed is inflatable and sits in a nylon 10x10 square.
“Well, that means you’re not drunk enough … here …” She passes me a tall blue bottle. Actually, I don’t think I’m drunk at all. The cups they are passing me aren’t doing anything to alter my current mood except make me want to cry.
She’s right, I need to drown my sorrows and numb the pain. I swig from the bottle and gulp it down as it stings my throat. It burns a path all the way down to my stomach. I take a few more of those gulps before my vision starts to get a little shaky. Looking into the fire, Darren seems to be making his way closer and closer to me. I blink. Now he’s on the log next to me.
“You seem to have recovered from your tussle with Vicky. That girl scares me, I wouldn’t mess with her if I were you.” When I don’t respond he adds, “I’m Darren by the way. Vicky says you two work together?”
“For now …” I take another sip.
“I met Vicky in school; she dated my friend.”
“Is he the one with his tongue down her throat?” I point across the fire at the pair kissing, Vicky slides up into the friend’s lap and I look away.
Darren chokes on his drink, coughing before stretching his arm over my shoulder. “No, different friend.”
My eyes gravitate to his hand on my shoulder. It feels wrong. That feeling in my gut burns worse than the alcohol. I flick his arm off me. “I don’t want you to be confused … I’m not like Vicky.”
“You just need to loosen up.” He nudges my arm like we’re friends and he has some authority to say something like that to me.
“Loosen up,” I scoff. “No, I don’t think that’s what I need right now. Ineedeveryone to stop telling me what Ineedand leave me the fuck alone. You know my brother just died, and I should be home visiting his grave, but instead, I’m here with your insensitive ass.” I’m screaming now, and everyone in the fire circle is looking at me. Vicky has even stopped her make-out session to see what’s going on. I climb to my feet, wobbling slightly before I regain my balance.
