The Beast Within

The Coming Darkness Part 7

Selena sat in silence, cradling her knees against her chest. Long after the fluttering in her chest subsided, she remained frozen in place, holding her breath.

You've made a fool out of yourself. How could you look him in the eyes now?

Ashamed and conflicted, Selena didn't know which outcome she hoped for more – the sound of Callinan shutting the door or the sound of him coming upstairs to take her back.

Before she could decide, the air reverberated with the closing of the cabin door and, almost immediately, the air around her felt colder.

It's probably better this way.

Her exhalation came out somewhere between a sigh and a sob. Resting her head against the thick paneled door, she gazed vacantly at her surroundings.

The bedroom window provided only a faint glow of light and, alone in the dark, Selena could see that the room held little more than the most basic furnishings.

A rocking chair sat immobile in the corner and she could distinguish a quilt with an Appalachian blazing star pattern adorning the modest double bed. A large, rustic chest, presumably for linen, sat at the foot of the mattress.

The chest had iron fittings on the front and Selena thought for a moment that it looked like a pirate's chest, though she doubted her grandmother had stored anything so valuable as gold.

God only knows what you thought you would find here. You should sleep tonight and pack in the morning.

Drawing a deep, steading breath, Selena pushed herself up to a standing position and opened the door. The crackling of the fireplace downstairs was the only sound that greeted her.

Sullenly, she made her way downstairs, her head still warring with her heart.

Moments later she entered the living room that she and Callinan had occupied together. The fragrance of his skin still lingered in the air, mingling with the smell of wood smoke.

Selena could see that he had placed two additional logs in the fireplace before he left. The wooden chairs had been moved back to their place in front of the fire and the mess she had made with the chicken had been cleared away.

Aside from a few remaining logs beside the fireplace, it was as if he had never been there, at all.

A wave of sadness rolled up from her stomach, tightening her chest and leaving an aching, hollow sensation in its wake. 

Why did I run away? If I had tried to explain, he might still be here.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Selena approached the aging sofa adjacent to the fireplace. With one motion, Selena pulled off the faded, threadbare sheet that protected the upholstery, dispersing a cloud of dust which swirled around her in the amber glow of the fire.

Tossing the sheet on the floor, she gingerly sat down, running her hand along one of the cushions beside her. The tan velvet was worn thin, but the texture was still smooth beneath her fingers.

Selena recalled how her grandmother had always chosen the wooden chairs, allowing her to burrow into the softness of the sofa, curled under her favorite blanket.

She had spent many nights there as a little girl, listening to her grandmother's stories of the Appalachian Mountains and the self-reliant, enigmatic people who lived among them. The woods around the cabin had seemed so wild and romantic – a mysterious place where anything was possible.

Now that she had returned, Selena felt foolish. She wasn't sure what magic she had hoped to find, but she had only succeeded in feeling more alone and confused.

Not only had she allowed a strange man into her living room, she lost control of herself in his arms and ran away without saying goodbye.

She had few supplies, no electricity and no more wisdom than when she arrived.

There are no answers here, Selena. Just go to sleep.

Selena looked up at the black cat quilt displayed on the wall, its eyes wide and somber in the firelight. Even as a child, she marveled at its ability to reflect her mood.

It's only cloth, she thought, sadly.

Selena leaned to the side, laying her head on the curved and padded armrest, swinging her legs into a curved position beside her and allowing the tears to flow.

****

An unbearable silence permeated the woods around her – even the crickets withheld their song.

Selena knew immediately that this wasn't like her other dreams of the forest.

The pupils of her golden eyes grew wide as she adjusted to the dark. There was no moonlight to guide her and she struggled to distinguish the shapes of the trees in her midst.

She raised her nose to the cold breeze. Sifting through the aromas of pine and sugar maple, she sought the comforting, masculine scent that she had discovered before, but it was nowhere to be found.

Selena could sense adrenaline in the air and felt the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

These were not a lover's eyes, however, and the gaze was not welcoming.

I'm not supposed to be here.

She felt deeply afraid and the acrid smell of sweat and sickness reached her nostrils.

Something is very wrong.

Sensing a predator in her midst, she slinked low amid the underbrush as the fur on the back of her neck began to rise. The muscles in her legs ached with tension and her eyes darted wildly, scanning the night.

Shadows moved around her, but she couldn't clearly detect an enemy among them. Like black smoke, dread seeped in from all sides, clouding her senses.

Then she heard it, the sudden snapping of a branch behind her, confirming that she was not alone.

Panting in fright, Selena tore through the underbrush, twigs and briars scraping against her face.

She could feel the heat of another body and knew that she was just beyond its reach. Blood rushed in her ears, masking the sound of the creature's strides, but she could feel the impact of its weight on the forest floor. It was larger than her and more powerful, by far.

Unable to clearly see before her, she felt the pad of her paw come down hard on something sharp, lacerating the skin. Wincing in pain, she nearly lost her balance.

At the smell of her blood in the air, the creature behind her began to pant, its vile, damp breath penetrating her fur.

"They know you're here, Selena. You're the last one left." The voice was unmistakable, though its soothing tone had been replaced with harrowing urgency.

"Callinan," she cried out, as an oppressive weight landed hard against her back, viciously dragging her body down to the cold earth.