Suspending Reality (66 page)

A few feet behind us, within earshot, twigs snapped and ferns rustled, as if someone or something was hot on our trail. I wasn’t sure if it was human, bobcat, or some other variety of predator, but I twisted through the overgrown ferns and foliage, running faster and encouraging Julie to hurry. 

“Taylor!” Jesse’s voice said.

I had no idea how he found us with all the turns and twists I’d taken, but it was a relief to know that he was there and hadn’t deserted us after all.

Jesse sucked in a deep breath and held his chest, where blood was dripping from a gaping wound.

I gasped, then took a deep, trembling breath. “Jesse, I saw blood by the truck. Are you okay?”

He struggled to breathe. “I was…he shot me.”

My pulse pounded in my ears. I had no idea what to do for a gunshot wound, and even if I had known, I was too scared to think clearly enough to play nurse.

Julie took off her sweater and applied pressure. “Stay calm…and whatever you do, don’t pass out.”

“We need to keep moving,” I said. “We gotta get back on the road and find help.”

“He’ll have no idea where were coming out,” Julie said as we walked briskly, helping Jesse along.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I just need a little while to recuperate.”

“Uh-uh, buddy. Don’t go trying to be Mr. Macho right now. This isn’t like shaking off a twisted ankle,” Julie said. “You were shot, for goodness sake! You need surgery, medical help, and a lot of prayers.”

I pushed branches aside, took another step into the dense vegetation, then straightened to listen. Barking, whining, and haunting howls echoed in the air. It seemed we’d lost the maniac shooter, but now we were wandering around a lonely forest, a dark labyrinth of trees, possibly being stalked by a pack of wolves. 

“We gotta keep moving,” Jesse said.

A deeper, more menacing howl made my hands shake. It reminded me of a bloodhound my neighbor had once owned, but when all the wild canines bayed together, it was beyond freaky and downright ominous.

We kept going, climbing over slippery logs and jagged rocks and pushing our way through thick underbrush and tall grass. My foot caught on a broken log and a cluster of rocks, but before I toppled over, I somehow managed to regain my equilibrium. Still, my ankle throbbed, slowing me down.

“They’re too close, Taylor,” Julie said. “We’ll never outrun them.”

“Forget the wolves,” I said. “They just add ambiance to our spooky night hike.”

She shook her head. “How are you so calm?” she said as we stumbled along through the thick terrain. “Jesse’s dying, we’re lost in the woods, a crazy madman might be following us, and now some wolves wanna make a midnight snack out of us. All things considered, maybe the hockey mask guy with the meat cleaver would be better.”

“I’m not dying,” Jesse said, leaning into me as he used us as human crutches.

“Sorry,” Julie said. “I don’t mean to be so negative. I guess I’m still a little drunk and wondering if this is all a dream and I’m really passed out back at that party.”

I stumbled on a log again, then regained my balance; I was dressed for a party and wasn’t exactly wearing hiking boots. “Don’t be scared. Wolves are predators, but they don’t attack humans. After my run-in with the mountain lion, my dad gave me a lecture on all the wildlife around here.”

“You still have a lot to learn about these woods,” Jesse said.

“But wolves naturally fear humans,” I said confidently. “Dad said that, but so did this guy on this Discovery Channel special he made me watch yesterday.”

“These don’t,” Jesse added.

“Wolves have been known to leave a kill when they saw a human coming in their direction,” I argued. “Besides, I’m more scared about the guy who shot at us,” I said. “And we really need to get you to the hospital.”

“Wolves are…predators,” Jesse gasped out between breaths.

I glanced at him skeptically. “My dad said that in the past century, there’ve only been two incidents in North America. He wouldn’t lie to me, not when he wants me to be safe out here.” I glanced over my shoulder and gasped at the canine silhouettes not far behind. “Wait…they
are
following us! They’re not acting right. Do you think they have rabies or something?”

“Or something,” Jesse said. He suddenly stopped, then pointed. “There’s a cabin up there. Maybe someone’s home who can help us.”

I glanced ahead but didn’t see anything. I wasn’t sure, but I thought he might be hallucinating from blood loss, like a thirsty man seeing an oasis mirage in the desert. As the howls grew louder and began to come from closer, I hoped my imagination was just playing tricks on me too.
Nope. Wolves don’t hunt humans,
I kept telling myself, but I wasn’t sure if I could believe it, in spite of my dad and Animal Planet.

“There it is!” Julie said. “How’d you see it from that far away?” she asked Jesse, but he just moaned and didn’t answer.

It was still hard to see but I could make out a structure in the moonlight, a cabin looming in the distance. The barking and howling grew louder, and I knew the wolves had captured our scent. I hoped the cabin would offer us safety and a landline; that hope was the only thing that kept me sane and calm. 

“Hurry!” Jesse said.

My gaze fixed on my target destination as I put my body into gear. I knew we needed to run, but Jesse was leaning on us for support.
Thirty feet? Ugh! Why does it feel like a freaking football field?
There was no time to look back, but I had to take a tiny peek over my shoulder to see how close the wolves actually were.

With their curiosity piqued, the snarling, growling, hungry animals were gaining on us. 

Twenty-five more feet. Just fifteen more…now ten…five…three. Almost there! Just another foot!

We climbed up the stairs and pounded on the door.

“Help!” I said.

“The pack is coming!” Julie shouted. “Just break a window!”

When I glanced over my shoulder, I gulped as growls and snarls filled the air. I jiggled the doorknob, but it was locked.

“C’mon!” Julie shouted, terrified.

“It’s locked,” I said.

“Let me try!” Jesse said. He threw his shoulder into the door, busting the lock.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but just as I went to rush inside, powerful arms gripped me from behind.

Chapter 6

I gasped when I glanced up and saw one of the guys from the party, the guy Julie had been dancing with, the “psycho” Jesse had warned us about. I flailed as Jonathon attempted to restrain me.

In a flash, Jesse lunged at Jonathon, knocking him to the ground.

When the fiend’s grip loosened, I jumped to my feet.

“Get inside!” Jesse ordered.

I grabbed Julie’s hand and pulled her inside. “Let’s find a weapon to help him,” I said.

“The kitchen!” Julie said.

We bolted inside the cabin.

With my heart racing, I glanced around for the light switch. My fingers skimmed over it, and the lights came on. “Is anybody here?” I screamed.

“Help us!” Julie shouted.

But there was no answer.

The cabin was furnished, so either everyone was asleep or it was a rental and was vacant until the weekend. I walked through the living room and into the kitchen with Julie in tow. We frantically rummaged through the kitchen drawers looking for anything we could use to defend ourselves. My fingers curled around a butcher knife, and Julie held a long, sharp steak knife in her hand.

“Why is Jonathon chasing us?” she asked. “If he wants my number, he just has to ask.”

“What!? The guy’s a psychopath, Julie. Do
not
give him your number!”

“Maybe if I go out there and talk to him, I can—”

“No! He’s been chasing us. What’s wrong with you?”

“Maybe he just wants something,” she said, still hung up on the guy.

“He’s been shooting at us. I’m pretty sure he wants us dead.”

Her eyes widened as she pondered the situation and reality hit. She grabbed my arm. “I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

“Listen, just stay here, okay? I’ve gotta help Jesse. He’s hurt and can’t fend him off by himself.” I then rushed back to the front door, which was now closed.

Just as I grabbed the doorknob, Julie touched my shoulder, causing me to jump and clutch my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart. “Don’t go out there,” Julie said.

“I have to help him,” I said. “He needs me.”

“Well, then I’ll help too.” She flicked on the porch light, then peered through the curtains. “I don’t see him.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“I want to help him,” Julie said, “but what if that lunatic is out there waiting for us?”

The knife in my hands shook violently. “How’d a party turn into…this?” I asked. “This night was supposed to be fun, not some kind of life-and-death battle with murderers and wolves.”

“We can’t go out there,” Julie said.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“No! Don’t you dare!”

“I have to see if Jesse is okay. He’d do the same for me.”

“What if he is gone already and that guy attacks you?”

“It’s a chance I have to take.”

She took a deep breath. “Then I’m coming with you.”

As soon as I opened the creaking door and stepped onto the porch, a snarling, drooling wolf lunged for my ankle. I immediately jumped back inside and slammed the door.

With a shaky finger, Julie locked the door behind me. “What now?” she shouted.

We peered out the window and saw at least a dozen of the animals circling the porch and front yard; there was no sign of any human, Jesse, psychopath, or otherwise. I knew Jesse would never run off and leave us there. I didn’t know him all that well, but I was sure he wasn’t the kind of guy who would do that to us. He had, after all, risked being jumped to sneak us out of the party. My biggest fear was that he had succumbed to the bullet wound, that he’d passed out and the wolves had gotten him, and my heart ached at the thought.

Julie called me from the kitchen. “The back door is locked!”

“Good. Can we possibly get out that way?”

“Nope. Wolf Central out back.”

“We need to see if Jesse is out there,” I said. “He’s hurt, and drastic times call for drastic measures.”

“But we already tried, and that stupid thing almost bit your foot off.”

An idea popped into my head. “Maybe we can distract them with meat.”

“Sure. Let’s just whip up a medium-rare t-bone or two.”

“Seriously, it could work,” I said, ignoring her grim cynicism. “We could distract them, then run for the main road and get some help. Jesse’s hurt, and we need to help him before…” I said, but I couldn’t even finish the thought, because it turned my stomach. We had to act fast, so instead of arguing with Julie about it, I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, only to find nothing but a jug of water, a bottle of mustard, and a wrinkly radish in the bottom of the vegetable crisper. “Shoot,” I said. “No doggie treats in here.”

“This blows.”

“We have to think positive, Julie. Maybe Jesse got away. Maybe he’s getting help this very minute.”

“Yeah? Well what if he’s dead? And what if that crazy lunatic comes back for us?”

The wolves howled even louder, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. “At least they can’t break into the cabin,” I said, trying to sound positive. “And if anyone tries to come in here, they’ll be attacked. Jonathon won’t stand a chance.”

“But you said wolves don’t attack humans.”

“I know, but Jesse’s right about these. For whatever reason, they don’t seem scared of us.” I sighed heavily, then whipped out my cell and dialed 911, again without success. “Still no signal,” I said.

Knock-knock!

My heart jumped at the sudden tap on the door. I froze for a moment, then gripped the butcher knife in my hands tightly. Even though chills were running down my spine again, I started to sweat profusely. I was a nervous wreck.
What if it’s Jonathon, just playing games with us? What if it’s someone who can help? Should we hide?
I knew that might be risky, since our only hope for rescue might be on the other side of that door; then again, I also knew that opening the door might seal our fate for good. 

Julie stared at me, her eyes wide. “Don’t answer it,” she whispered.

“I’ll just peek out the window.”

“No!” she whispered back.

I ignored her and crept to the front window, my hands shaking like a jumping bean on a trampoline.

Outside, Jesse was leaning against the door, and the wolves were circling him with exposed teeth, snarling and drooling. 

“It’s Jesse!” I shouted back to Julie.

Then, from out of the darkness, a tall shadow emerged. I gasped again when I made out his features.

“Jesse!” I shouted, but it was too late; before I could warn him, Jonathon had already grabbed him from behind.