Page 6 of Secrets Within Us

Survive, Hadley. You’ve come too far to lose now.

As I descended the stairs, I noticed that the wall across the living space below consisted entirely of windows that overlooked the forest.

Trees and snow surrounded the house I was in. It did not differ from the entire last week of my life. The very landscape that nearly killed me the last time I escaped surrounded me.

Did I need to escape this place like I did the last? How long had I been here? Was I in danger here too?

I didn’t stand around contemplating it any longer, though. I put one foot in front of the other as I made my way down the stairs, one step at a time. Every movement made me nearly scream out in pain, I had to wrap my arms around my middle and mash my teeth together to keep silent.

When I got to the bottom step, I looked around the open floor plan of the living space distractedly.

It was beautiful.

Elegant and whimsical, reminding me of a cozy cottage in the woods you’d find in a fairy tale. Was the roof covered in thatch, with white puffy smoke billowing from the stone chimney? What a pleasant change it’d be to find myself on the good end of a sweet fairytale instead of trapped in the horrific nightmare I’d been in.

I put my foot out to step off the last stair as the mysterious man came around the corner with a pill bottle and a wet washcloth in his hands.

“What are you doing out of bed?” The sheer force of his tone startled me, making my hands tremble and my grip on the banister loosen. Unable to maintain my balance, I sank to my knees, the hardness of the tile floor jarring against my skin.

As soon as I landed on the floor, a massive black animal pounced towards me, making me scream and instinctively raise my hand to protect myself from its looming attack.

“Dev, heel!” The lumberjack bellowed from across the room, causing the animal to stop mid-stride before sitting down and looking back at the man.

It was a dog.

Sweet Jesus, a big fucking dog. But a dog, nonetheless.

Inhaling sharply, I watched as the lumberjack advanced towards me, his footsteps reverberating against the hard floor, and then the agony seared through me as I fell to the unforgiving ground. I sagged forward on my good hand, keeping my bad one wrapped around my stomach, trying to hold my ribs in place as I fought hard not to cry.

The man fell to his knees in front of me and quickly slid his fingers through my messy hair to push it out of my face, cupping the back of my neck as he searched my face. “Are you okay?”

The sobs threatened to spill out of my mouth, but my locked jaw held them back. I managed a brief nod; all the while trying to calm my breathing and ease the intense pain in my ribs.

“That dog is massive,” I whispered, finally catching my breath as I sat down on the bottom step, feeling the pain pulsating through my body. I kept my eye on the giant animal, even though the lumberjack was between us.

He looked so menacing, just like his owner.

“You don’t have to worry; he won’t hurt you. He’s the one who found you, so I think he’s actually pretty fond of you already.” The man said as he held out his hand to help me up. “You really shouldn’t be walking around right now, you’re too injured and too weak.” He was still squatting in front of me on the floor, his face even with mine as I sat there.

He looked sincere as he said it, but there was something else there too, buried under his gaze. Almost as if he was annoyed that I was too weak to even walk. And that thought instantly pissed me off.

So I grabbed the railing and, as gently as I could, pulled myself up to stand, blatantly ignoring his offer for help as I did. As I watched, his brow furrowed even more, revealing his growing irritation at being snubbed.

Yeah well, I didn’t appreciate the disdain, big guy.

“For two days, I walked in the forest in sub-freezing temperatures. I can handle walking around this house.” I spat out.

He stood up then, instantly towering over me once again. “Two days?” He asked incredulously. “I’m surprised you survived the night, let alone two days.” Grimacing at me, he cast a disdainful glance at my small, hunched-over frame. “How did you get out here, anyway? I found you miles from any road or house, there isn’t anything around these parts. But somehow you ended up buried under the snow, with your hand stuck in a trap, wearing clothes better suited for spring,” His eyes drifted down my body once more, taking in my bare legs under the hem of his shirt that I was wearing. The path his eyes took left a warmth across my skin like he had caressed me with his hands again. “And your entire body looks like it went through ten rounds with a grizzly,” he said, his eyes widening in disbelief. “So, do me a favor and explain how you ended up on my property like you did.”

“Not until you answer some of my questions.” I raised my nose defiantly at him, not able to give an inch. If he thought I was being rude, so be it. It was better than him knowing the truth.

He huffed as he stepped back and motioned for me to sit in the armchair next to the fire. I didn’t want him to know it, but I was incredibly grateful for the reprieve from standing on my battered legs and craved the warmth of the flame. As I hobbled over, he took a blanket off the back of the chair and draped it over my legs before sitting on the coffee table in front of me, leaning with his elbows on his knees.

“What do you want to know?” He said curtly.

I opened my mouth to start, but he stopped me quickly by putting his hand up. “Know that for every question you ask, you answer one and that there is an expiration date on me humoring you with answers.”

As he nodded for me to start, a wave of uncertainty washed over me, leaving me unsure of what questions to ask. I couldn’t answer his questions, of that I was sure. Even so, I needed some answers, so I figured I’d ask only super essential ones.

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