Microsoft Word - The_Howling_Heart_AB_forPDF (6 page)

There he stood---in the middle of the road---his gaze following me until I could no longer see

him.

The cabin needed extensive cleaning and it took the rest of the day. It could've been in

worse shape if my father had never come here recently. In addition to working electricity and gas,

he left a few laundry and household cleaning items behind, including a small upright vacuum.

In the evening, I tried to call my mother to tell her I’d arrived in Colorado safely, but my

cell phone had no service. I wasn't surprised because you had to expect no service living in the

middle of nowhere. With a disconnected landline, I still couldn't call her. I felt too tired to drive

back into town and ask for help, so I opted to do it in the morning. I was lucky to have running

water because after cleaning a dirty cabin, I desperately needed a shower.

After I put on a clean t-shirt and panties, I munched on fruit snacks and graham crackers

for a light and unhealthy dinner. My worn out body demanded sleep. I found clean sheets, a

blanket, and pillow in the hall closet upstairs. Plastic covered the mattresses in both bedrooms, so

I slept on my old twin-size bed. I could've slept on my parents’ roomy queen-size bed, but felt

nostalgic and wanted to be in my own room.

The cabin had no air-conditioning, so it could get stifling indoors during the summer. The

hot local boy in the store had muddled my mind and I didn't think to buy a portable fan. There

was one ceiling fan in the cabin, but it was in the living room and I refused to sleep in there. The

sofa was too firm and I couldn't afford to wake up with a backache, especially knowing I had

more work to do tomorrow. I opened the window in my bedroom so I wouldn't roast to death,

and then settled in for bed.

I think the moon was hanging above my cabin, casting a spotlight on it. I buried my head

in the pillow to block out the moonlight, but it didn’t prevent me from hearing the howling. The

sound didn’t come from one wolf like the last time I was here. It sounded like many wolves...and

very close by.

Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
31

I jumped out of bed to check the window. My heart pounded because I expected to see a

pack of huge wolves outside my cabin, snarling at me like I was their next meal and their yellow

eyes glowing against the night. Thankfully, all I saw was the dark forest in the distance. I knew

wolves were out there, but this time I wouldn't invade their territory. I was content to stay inside

my cozy little cabin. I climbed back into bed and fell asleep quickly since I exhausted myself

today.

The sound of chirping birds and the warm sun awoke me from my slumber. Pulling the

blanket back, I got out of bed and padded barefoot into the bathroom to freshen up.

I returned to my room to make my bed, but stopped short when I saw something strange

on the floor. I took small cautious steps toward what looked like dirt between the open window

and my bed. I gasped, and my hand flew up to cover my open mouth. Fear consumed me as I

bent down for a closer inspection. My eyes widened when I realized I was looking at paw prints

that belonged to a large dog or---I gulped at the thought---an oversized wolf.

I whipped my head around the room as I looked in every corner for anything monstrous.

Since the tracks were next to the bed, I thought the worst:
Oh God, should I look under it
? I knelt slowly. Panting raggedly, a whimper escaped my throat. I was so scared there would be

something under my bed with yellow eyes and big sharp teeth.

"Oh God," I whispered as I lifted the blanket that was hanging off the end of the bed. I

hoped the wolf would spare me a savage mauling.
Please don't let there be anything under here.

With my eyes round, I dipped my head. Still breathing heavily, I peeked under the bed...and saw

nothing but dust bunnies.

I felt temporary relief, but it didn't last long because I realized the animal could still be in

the cabin...but I wasn't going to look for it. I rushed over to my suitcase and grabbed a clean pair

of shorts. Then I put on a bra and laced up my sneakers. I took a deep breath and sprinted from

my bedroom, down the stairs, and out the front door. If the wolf wanted to eat me, it had to catch

me first.

I bounded off the front steps and ran to my Jeep. With the keys still in the ignition, I

revved the engine and sped down the mountain.

Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
32

I drove slowly down the main road in town, my eyes reading the signs on each building. I

finally saw the words "Black River Sheriff's Office" nestled between the bank and the post office.

Parked in front of the station was a police SUV and it was the only one of its kind. I wondered

what the town population was where they needed only one police vehicle.

I ran into the station and stopped at the front desk. There was a woman with long brown

hair sitting at a desk and using a computer. Because I was leaning on the counter panting in

desperation, she looked over at me. She appeared to be around my mother's age and the only

person working in the office.

Her dark eyes looked at me curiously. "Can I help you, miss?" Her white button-down

shirt had a crest on the left breast, probably for the Black River Police.

"Yes you can," I panted haggardly. "I need to speak to the sheriff right away. I think

there's---"

At that moment, a tall man with short blond hair and neatly trimmed stubble walked out

of a back room. "What seems to be the problem?"

He had a strong muscular build and he moved to stand on the other side of the front desk.

He was older than I was, but younger than my father had been. I found it odd he spoke with an

English accent.
I didn’t know Brits lived around here
.

"I'm Paige Donovan and I'm staying in a cabin a few miles from here. I think a wild

animal came into my bedroom last night."

Upon closer inspection, he seemed to be the sheriff if the silver badge on his white shirt

was any indication. His expression was serious as I explained my concern, but when I finished

speaking, he turned his head to look at the woman. They seemed to speak without words because

I suspected a message just passed between them.

When he set his light green eyes back on me, he repeated calmly, "A wild animal?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"What kind?"

"I think it was a large wolf."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. Then he moved around the desk and approached me. "A

wolf
, you say?" I looked at him and nodded again. He surprised me with a short laugh because I Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
33

wasn't expecting that reaction. "I'm afraid that's impossible." I opened my mouth to dispute him, but he continued. "You see, there are no wolves in this area."

I looked at him in disbelief, which quickly changed to confusion. "That's not true, sir."

"Sheriff Gray," he corrected.

"Oh, okay...
Sheriff Gray
. I saw wolves around here before."

He cocked that eyebrow again. "Oh yeah? Where?"

"In the woods by the river."

"When?"

"About thirteen years ago."

He laughed again. "I'm sorry Miss Donovan, but there haven't been wolves here for at

least a quarter century. Illegal hunting wiped out the population."

I felt my eyebrows sinking further between my eyes. What he said couldn't be true.

"Well, what about the howling I heard last night? It wasn't the first time I heard it. The

last time I vacationed here, I heard a wolf's howl."

"It could've been stray dogs or coyotes," the woman said.

The sheriff nodded. "That's definitely a possibility." He held my gaze for a few seconds

before he looked at the woman again. They passed another silent message I couldn’t decipher.

"Well, I guess someone has a Great Dane running loose around here." That sarcastic

remark earned me a blank look from the sheriff. "Can you at least come to my cabin and take a

look? I want to make sure it's still not inside." He didn't seem concerned and it was obvious he

didn't believe me. "Please sheriff, I'd feel a lot safer if you checked it out."

His expression softened. "All right Miss Donovan---"

"Paige." I smiled.

"Okay
Paige
, I'll follow you to your cabin and take a look. How's that?" His smile was all pearly whites.

I nodded and followed him out of the station. Once I got into my Jeep, I turned it around

and drove back toward the cabin while Sheriff Gray followed behind me in the white police SUV.

Upon arriving at the cabin, he parked behind me and we met at the front steps. I stood

with my arms crossed and just looked at him. He grinned, and turned to walk inside my vacation

home.

Once he stood on the porch, he said, "You're not coming inside?"

Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
34

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm not going in there until you say the coast is clear."

He gave a short laugh and it echoed around us. "All right. Fair enough."

He went inside my cabin and I took a few steps to peer into the opened door. I saw him

slowly walk around the living room, looking in corners and checking closet space. He sniffed the

air as if he was checking for toxic fumes. Once he walked into the kitchen, he disappeared from

my line of vision.

I stood outside on the grass, tapping my foot, and waited for him to complete his

inspection.

About fifteen minutes later, he walked back onto the porch. "Paige, you can come inside.

I have a few questions to ask you."

"Is the coast clear?"

He grinned. "Yes, the coast is clear. There's no animal inside."

My shoulders slumped in relief and I let out my breath in a huff. "Thank God." I walked

up the steps and entered the cabin.

Sheriff Gray headed up the stairs and I followed behind. He stopped when he entered my

bedroom. He walked toward the paw prints and crouched next to them.

"What I don't understand is..." He looked at me, and when he noticed I was standing in

the doorway, he beckoned to me. "Come here, I want to show you something."

I swallowed hard and took cautious steps toward him. I trusted the sheriff when he said

there wasn't any danger, but still felt uneasy.
What if the wolf decided to come back at this very
moment?

When I stood next to him, he looked at the tracks again. "I don't understand why the

tracks are only between the window and your bed." His index finger followed their pattern.

"Why aren't they anywhere else?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was hoping
you
would."

Still squatting, he scooted alongside them. "See here...there are two sets: one from the

window to the bed, and another from the bed back to the window. It's as if the animal came in,

walked to the bed, and walked back to the window. But..." He stood, and his gaze focused on my

bed. "There are no tracks to indicate it turned around. They're just straight back and forth. That's not even the strangest part. I'd like to know how an animal of this size got through a second-story

window without a fire escape."

Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
35

I found myself standing closer to him. His words struck a cold fear inside me. I had no

idea what was going on, but was certain wolves couldn't jump high enough to enter my window.

"Can wolves jump high?"

"Yes, but not high enough to enter a second-story window."

He took a few steps around my bed and inspected every angle of it. I watched him lift the

pillow and look under the blanket. There was no evidence of anything unusual. He sighed

heavily. With his hands on his hips, I watched the contemplative look on his face as he tried to

piece together what happened last night. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if an idea had struck him.

His muscular arm reached out and pulled back my blanket.

I gasped in shock and my body trembled as I stared at the dirty paw prints on top. "Oh

my God," I whispered. Sheriff Gray's green eyes met my blue ones filled with fright. I spoke my

words quietly. "The wolf was on my bed." He looked at me with concern as I backed away from

the scene of the crime, my gaze never leaving the blanket. "It came in my room and stood on my

bed while I slept. It could've killed me!"

The realization hit me hard and I had a strong impulse to run out of the cabin again...but

this time drive to the airport.

Sheriff Gray must've sensed my intention because he took a step toward me and reached