Page 79 of After the Fall

FORTY-ONE

HARPER

A light rappingat the door woke me. It was soft and quiet at first, but built to a loud, persistent thumping.

I looked over at Savannah. The bed sheets were gripped in her fists and her eyes were wide. The position of the hands on the clock on the nightstand signaled that it was still early morning.

“Stay here.” I opened the bedroom door to Fiona’s heavy footsteps pounding down the stairwell.

From where I stood at the top of the stairs, I watched her peer through the peephole. She didn’t see me.

“What are you doing here?” she said. I didn’t know who she was talking to. Then she stepped onto the front porch, leaving the door wide open behind her.

“Harper,” Savannah whispered from the bedroom. “Who is it?”

“I’m not sure.” The murmurs outside had intensified. It sounded like something was wrong.

When Fiona came back inside, her shoulders were slumped forward. She looked crestfallen, her eyes betraying her usually rugged, stone-cold exterior.

“W-what is it?” My voice shook as I called out.

“It’s Wyatt. He…” Her voice broke and a tear dripped down her face. “I’m so sorry, Harper. He didn’t return last night. He’s… missing,” she whispered, her face as white as ash.

My cry came out strangled. It didn’t sound human. I felt removed from my body, like a ghost floating above.

Downstairs on the couch, I couldn’t feel Savannah’s hand rubbing my back, or hear her soft, soothing voice. I couldn’t taste the chamomile tea that Fiona made for me with fresh herbs from her garden, or feel the warmth of the fire that she lit in the living room.

As we sat huddled around the hearth, I learned that Atticus and my dad were also missing, and that when Wyatt hadn’t returned last night as planned, the sasquatches had geared up and come straight to the village.

“What about the wolves?” Savannah croaked. In my grief I had completely forgotten about Connor.

“We’ve sent word, but they’re still away collecting ammunition for the eclipse. This isn’t good,” she moaned. “We’ve never lost a leader before.” She rested her large hand on my thigh, and this time, I could feel it through the numbness and sorrow that had overtaken my body.

“There’s a meeting in Town Hall in…” she glanced at the clock, “ten minutes. All sasquatches are required to attend.”

My legs shook as I tried to stand. “Then we should get going...”

Fiona set her palm forcefully on my shoulder, stopping me. “No, Harper. You’re not… one of us.”

My eyes widened in surprise. Guilt creeped into Fiona’s eyes and her voice softened. “What I mean is, you’re safer here. Wyatt put me in charge of protecting you, and I have to honor that.” She glanced to Savannah, who was curled up in the armchair.Her hands gripped her knees as she rocked herself. “Bothof you. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Staying behind in Fiona’s small cottage while the sasquatches discussed what felt like the end of the world, was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. After thirty minutes of pacing back and forth in the living room, my eyes trained on the door like a hawk, I gave up. “Make room,” I said and sank into the chair next to Savannah.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’m going crazy just sitting here.”

“Same. Do you think Wyatt is really…” She grimaced.

“Dead?” I finished. She nodded, her mouth a straight line. “I don’t know. I still feel so connected to him.” My voice quieted. “I guess I just thought that if he was really gone, I would feel it in here, you know?” I placed my hand over my heart and sighed heavily. “But… I don’t. Maybe I’m grasping at false hope, but Wyatt has survived worse. We both have.”

As I fingered the delicate charms on my bracelet, reflecting on some of my favorite memories of Wyatt – the ones that hadn’t been stolen, I remembered that I still hadn’t opened Dad’s gift. Could I open it now, after everything?

I didn’t feel my body get up and walk to the kitchen. It was like I was on autopilot, going through the motions.

“Go for it,” Savannah whispered, nudging the box across the table.

Tears dripped down my face as I opened the box and touched the delicate gold sun that lay nestled inside. It was beautiful.

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