*****
The Grady house was packed to the bursting point with folks from all around town. Geoffrey and Sandra were doing their best to welcome and keep up with everyone that showed up at their front door after the funeral, but Gwen could see the strain in their eyes as they struggled to accept casseroles and condolences. The table was overflowing with food and cards, and Karen was doing her best to organize it all so that Geoffrey and Sandra didn’t have to be bothered. Gwen and Gabe were standing off to the side, trying to stay out of the way but unsure of what else to do.
A few of Ginny’s classmates paid their respects to Gwen and Gabe, but they were ignored for the most part. She didn’t mind being left out of the whole process, and she knew Gabe felt the same way. Repeatedly, she caught his eyes drifting to the open front door, as if he longed to escape the cramped kitchen and living room. Finally, Gwen could take it no more, and she nudged him with her elbow, motioning to the door with her head. He didn’t need to be told twice, and followed her quickly out the door.
Their mother watched them leave, and Gwen felt a twinge of guilt at leaving them all behind. She felt like she should be staying with her family and helping them cope, but she couldn’t bring herself to stay in that house any longer. There were far too many people, and they were all offering their sympathies while simultaneously whispering behind the Grady’s backs about Ginny’s death. If Gwen had to listen to one more hushed whisper about her family, she would have exploded on the spot and made a scene, just like her father might have.
The heat was unbearable as they exited the house, and Gwen nearly considered ducking back inside. Gabe was still wearing his long shirt and slacks, and he paused to wipe sweat from his forehead. His cheeks were red and his breathing was a little harsh, as if he’d just finished running in a marathon. When he didn’t turn back to the house, Gwen sighed, knowing that she could handle the heat if Gabe could. Her dress was made of thick material, but it was still flowing and it allowed a decent breeze through. She had no right to complain.
Gabe began walking away from the porch and Gwen followed along silently behind him. It didn’t take her long to figure out where he was going, and her heart slammed up into her throat as the realization hit her. The creek. He was going back to the place where they’d spent so much of their time as children, creating some of her happiest memories. Now it was nothing more than the place where they realized their searching had all been in vain—the place they’d found Ginny’s body.
“Gabe,” she whimpered.
“You don’t have to come,” he said, never taking his eyes off of his destination. “I need some time to think, and it’s the only place around here that’s quiet and has special meaning to me. I understand if you can’t do it.”
“How does it still have special meaning to you?” Gwen asked quietly, nearly jogging to keep up with him. “All I can think about is—”
“I know,” he said, cutting her off before she could get the words out. “It’ll be hard, but it’s still one of the only places that we all shared together. Even if it’s tainted right now, it’s still about the only place here that holds any good memories for me. I can’t be in that house right now, Gwen. I just can’t. I can’t take all of the sadness and the guilt and the blame. I’d rather be someplace I can feel close to Ginny, and this is my only option right now.”
It made sense, in a strange way. She wasn’t sure how she would feel once she made it down to the creek, but she could understand how Gabe felt the way he did. So she took a deep breath and picked up her pace, keeping up with him more easily now that her feet weren’t dragging in dread. As long as she had Gabe with her, she would be just fine visiting the creek. It might even do her some good, like giving her some peace of mind. She wouldn’t know until she got there and actually let herself feel.
She had a moment of brief panic at the thought that Gabe might take her back to the exact spot they’d found her body, but instead he stopped them at a more shallow part of the creek, far upstream from where they’d found Ginny’s body. This was a spot she might be able to actually relax in, and the memories came flooding back with such intensity she had to sit down on the bank before her legs gave out from beneath her. She closed her eyes, letting the good memories sink in and push out the bad.
She could picture nine year old Ginny in her pink bathing suit, the one with ruffles that made her look like a ballerina. She could practically hear the shrieking laughter as Gabe chased the two of them with a water gun, soaking both of them from head to toe as he laughed maniacally. She remembered when that laughter turned to screams as Gabe found a slug and chased them around the creek with it, trying to stick it to their skin. He’d only stopped when Karen came down to the creek to scold him, but she’d had a smile on her face.
Gwen smiled as she recalled teaming up with Ginny to force Gabe into the creek. He’d given a startled shout and tumbled down the bank, splashing them both as he hit the water. When he came up, he had a crayfish caught in his swim trunks, and he’d screamed nearly as loudly as they had. The mortification on his face was imprinted in her mind, and she knew he would never live that day down.
She glanced over at Gabe and found him with a similar smile on his face, and she wondered if he was thinking of the same day she was. There were plenty of good memories for them to choose from, so it was likely he was thinking of something completely different, like one of their many water balloon fights, or possibly fishing down at the nearby little bridge with Geoffrey. She looked back out over the creek and wondered if they would ever be able to create more happy memories like that.
Or will they all be filled with sadness?
Gwen kicked off her shoes and leaned back in the grass, letting it tickle the bottoms of her bare feet. As she stretched her body out, something cracked, and it wasn’t her back. She opened her eyes and turned her head, looking towards the trees nearby. She found two large brown eyes staring back at her menacingly from the tree line, and their piercing gaze had her blood running cold in her veins. She was rooted to the spot, unable to move or even look away. She recognized it as the brown wolf that had attacked them the night Ginny took off.
As she stared into those eyes, she wondered if they had been the last thing Ginny had ever seen.
“Gabe,” she squeaked, her voice so quiet she wasn’t sure he’d hear over his own thoughts. “Gabe!” She felt him turn behind her, and she knew the second he saw the wolf lurking in the trees. His body tensed up behind her, and he put a hand on her shoulder, his fingers digging into her collarbone so hard there would be bruises there later.
“Don’t move,” he said, his voice lower than a whisper.
“That won’t work,” she said, her voice urgent. “We both know it’s not a real wolf.” They hadn’t really finished their talk from the night before, but it was hard to deny that it was a real possibility now that the wolf was staring them down with a murderous look in its eyes. She forced herself to meet his eyes, and the connection had a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
“Get ready to run,” Gabe said, moving slowly behind her. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but she hoped it wasn’t anything that would get them killed. “Now!” he shouted, hurling a large rock over her shoulder.
It sailed into the trees, colliding with the wolf. As it yelped and pawed at its face, Gabe forced her to her feet and shoved her towards the house. Barefoot and terrified, she ran as fast as she could with Gabe right on her heels. He kept his hand at her back, guiding and steadying her. She could hear the wolf growling as it chased after them, and the sound had her pulse pounding in her ears, like the beat of a drum. It urged her forward, refusing to let her stop and catch her breath. Her lungs burned as she forced herself to keep going, and she had a moment of doubt.
Ginny couldn’t outrun him and she was a track star. What hope do we have?
Gabe spurred her forward, urging her to pick up the pace. As the house came into view, she stumbled, going down hard on her knees. Gabe tripped ov
er her, wobbling but managing to stay on his feet. He spun, putting himself between her and the wolf. “Get up!” he shouted, digging his hand into her arm and hauling her to her feet. He shoved her towards the house again as the wolf advanced on them. It showed no sign of fear at being out in the open, stopping only to ready itself to attack. Snarling, its powerful hind legs bunched up.
Before it could leap, the front door opened and their mother’s voice called out to them. “Gabe! Gwen! You need to come inside now!”
Eyes wide and chest heaving, Gwen remained rooted to the spot, watching as the wolf slowly began to slink away, disappearing into the trees until only its eyes were visible. With an angry huff, it turned tail and fled into the woods, leaving the two of them terrified and uncertain. Was it really gone or was it waiting for another chance to attack? She didn’t plan on waiting around to find out.
Gabe helped her to her feet, and she nearly collapsed when he let go of her. Her legs wobbled and her hands were shaking, her breath coming in short, harsh pants. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and she reached up with a trembling hand to wipe it away. She clung to Gabe as they made their way back up to the house. Their mother was gone, having already disappeared back into the house. It was just the two of them on the front porch, and she stood in front of the door, her outstretched hand hovering above the handle. She couldn’t stop shaking, and she knew the tears were coming.
I can’t let them see me like this…
Her arm dropped to her side as she sobbed. Gabe steered her away from the door, sitting in the corner of the porch away from prying eyes. It looked like all of the well-wishers were gone, which she was incredibly thankful for. She needed a few minutes to calm down, and she didn’t want anyone asking questions—especially her own family. Part of her wanted to keep it to herself because she didn’t think they’d care, but another part of her wanted to keep it a secret because she was worried about the conversation that would come from it. She was on the road to believing, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to have that talk with her father and uncle yet.
She wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, curling up in a ball and making herself as small as she could. Gabe gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. It didn’t help her much since she could feel his hands still trembling and she could hear his own harsh breathing that matched hers. He was just as freaked out as she was, and she felt a moment of guilt. He’s trying so hard to take care of me, but who is gonna take care of him? I’m so selfish…
“Are you ready to head inside?” he asked quietly. “We can talk to Mom and Dad if you want.”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t want them to know. We’re in this together, remember? Just the two of us.”
“I don’t know, Gwen. I think we should probably say something to them. We don’t have to let them know about Ginny’s diary and our thoughts on werewolves, but we should at least let them know there are still wolves in the area. They might try and hurt someone else.”
“If we tell them, they’re never gonna let us out of this house again. You know that, right? We won’t be able to do any searching or get any answers. We have to keep this to ourselves, Gabe. I don’t wanna be locked away in this house with Mom and Dad. Please.”
He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as if fighting an oncoming headache. “I think it’s a bad idea to keep this from them, but I do kind of see your point. We’ll keep this quiet for now, but if things get worse, we need to open up and include them. Okay? Promise me you’ll have my back if we have to come clean.”
She nodded. “I promise.”
“Okay. Then let’s head inside. Being out here isn’t gonna do you any good. Let’s go try and relax.”
She almost laughed. It was going to be impossible to relax. She wouldn’t get the chance until everything was resolved, and she had a feeling it would be along time before she got the answers she was looking for. Until then, relaxing would be the last thing on her mind.