Crushing Emeralds

Chapter Ten

We are all on edge, but once the sun set the tension could be cut with a knife. It’s around midnight that the wolf showed up. You could hear its heavy breath as it circled the building. No one dared make a sound even though we knew that it knew we were inside.

It’s deathly quiet until a startled squeal fills the room. Everyone’s eyes go to the kitchen area when a girl hollers into their phone. A loud growl howls from outside at the sudden commotion inside.

She tells the mystery person on the other end what happened and where we are. She keeps repeating it over and over.

And then it was over. The signal lost. She stares at all of us with blank eyes. We can only hope it's enough. Happy thoughts start to seep into my brain. The thoughts of being able to walk away from this place could put a smile on my face, but then the wolf would howl and I scared back to silence.

We all go back to where we were and whatever is was we were doing before the phone call. Except this time we have our bags slung over our shoulders and hope in our eyes.

One by one, as the hours tick by people start to sleep to the soft patting rhythm of the wolf’s footfalls.

***

It's only when I stretch myself awake that I realize I had fallen asleep. Once someone woke up, they would adjust their bags and sit staring at the door, waiting once again. It was silent when the sound of gravel filled the void followed by several cars doors slamming shut. A thunderous pounding shook the doors.

“Kids, are you in there? Anyone?” a man called from the outside.

Evan, Jordan and many others begin to frantically move the furniture out of the way, opening the doors to several uniforms. Cops, paramedics, firefighters, you name it. They had flashlights out trying to see inside the darken room.

One by one we walk out. Sight to see for sure. Some of us didn’t even change our clothes that are speckled with blood. As we exit some firefighters enter.

Cops lead us to buses that will take us back home. Just as the yellow bus pulls away I catch a glimpse of some paramedics wheeling a covered body out of the building. Was is it Marley or Jason? Two students who won’t ever make it home.

The people that stay behind have a big mess to clean and the morgue will find itself with four new occupants. I’m sure their forensics team would come up with their analysis, and connect the dots after all eyewitness interviews are accounted for.

I stare out the window the whole way home, eager to get as far away from these woods as possible. The noise on the bus was loud as everyone was talking to their parents. All eager to have bars back.

The shock on my mother’s face as she sees me walk off the bus at the police station stained in someone else’s blood was a priceless I never wanted to experience. I could barely give her a hug before I’m led to an interrogation room for questioning.

All students are questioned as if someone’s story isn’t going to match up.

I pick dried blood out of my hair as I stare at the two officers across the table.

“This won’t take long. We promise.” One of them says. “Tell us your story of what happened.”

I go into as much detail as I can about the wolf hunted us down, picking us off one by one. I tried to help them. The tears were a consent stream that keeps flowing down my face, trailing along my jawline down my neck. Three taps knock against the door before a lady steps into the room asking to speak with one of them.

When the officer returns there were more questions. “There were two students from the list that weren’t on the bus. Leander Jenkins and Sheila Hellerski. You wouldn’t happen to know where they are would you?”

My body began to heat up and my heart pounded heavy in my chest. “You’re asking me as if I did this. I don’t know. They were already missing the day prior.”

“You’re free to go.”

“That’s it? Just go home?” I yell, my voice vibrates off the walls.

“We’ll do our best to track this...wolf down.” He said ‘wolf’ as if he didn’t believe that an actually wolf could do this. “Go home and get some rest.”

My mother gives me sideways glances the entire ride home. She opens her mouth to speak, but then quickly shuts it never saying a word. When we get home, Evan is sitting on his front steps waiting.

My mother grabs my bag and puts her hand on my back ushering me to the house. She smiles at Evan silently telling him to stay back for now. And I let her keep him away. The soft click of the front door brings me an unexpected comfort.

“I’ll get some hot chocolate on while you take a shower.”

I nod in acceptance. I could really use a hot shower. However, I’m not ready for the flood of emotions that accompany the hot water. I’m not sure how long I linger in there, til my hands are pruney at least.

My mother waits in my room, a mug of not so steamy hot chocolate on my nightstand. She quickly embraces me in a hug. My damp towel getting her clothes wet. “I’m glad you’re okay honey.” She places a kiss atop my head before leaving me to get dressed.

I stay as close to her as possible the rest of the evening. I thought I can finally get a peaceful long night’s sleep, in my own bed, my own room, but I’m wrong. So very wrong.

My restless mind keeps me awake with images of the wolf lurking, its howl stopping my heart. I wake up more times than I can count, chest heaving, lungs burning. It’s hard to make the thump thump thump of my heart settle so I can get some rest. My ears start to play tricks on me the longer I stay awake. I swear I can hear scratches against the tree outside.

Thankfully exhaustion kicks in and my mind goes blank or so I thought. I startle myself awake once again, but this time the room is filled with light. Morning.

Echoes of scratching play in my ear. The remnants of a dream that I wish would disappear after waking. It’s only after breakfast that I wander outside. I find myself standing in front of the tree. The erratic beat of my heart leaves me breathless as I stare at claw marks etched into the wood.

I have no idea is Evan is up or if I’m about to wake anyone else in the house up, but I need Evan to see this.

His mother mother answers the door, pity in her eyes. “How are Emerald?”

I try to put a smile on face, faking my stability. “Fine. Can I speak with Evan?”

“Sure thing Hun. I’ll send him right down.”

I wait outside by the tree. I hear his footsteps before he announces himself. “Em? What’s going on? My mother said you didn’t look so well.”

“It followed us.” I mumble.

“What?”

I point at the tree stepping aside. “It followed us...or me. These are the same scratches from camp. It’s here...in the city.” My paranoia thickens with each word.

The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know, but he voices his opinion, “I think you need to speak with the grief counselor that’s going to be at the school. She wants to talk with all of us anyways, maybe she can help you.”

I dragged Evan closer, “Look I am not crazy.”

“Calm down, the wolf did not follow us here.” He’s trying to comfort me, but its not working.

“No Evan, the wolf followed me here.” I wave my hand in front of his face, my signal for him to shut up, “I saw the way it looked, I heard it growl. Outside before you reached me and even before all the madness started it could have killed us, could have killed me but it didn’t. Why?”

“It’s a wild animal Emerald. Who knows what makes it attack and not. Maybe it wasn’t threatened by you? Maybe I got to you in time? But it is not here. Okay. They’re searching for it and will find it in no time.”

“Maybe...maybe you're right.”

“Of course I’m right.” He cracks a smile trying to calm me down with his jokes.

“I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m going to try to get some more rest.”

“Great idea. We need our Emerald back.” His hand grabs hold of my arm stopping my retreat. “It’s gonna be fine.”

All I can do is nod. Is everything going to be fine?