Page 2 of The Wolf I Sworn To Hate

“…time ago, there lived a small tribe of people on the mountain. They were very happy. They were mostly hunters, although they were able to grow enough food during the warm months to sustain them through the winter. At the time, they called the mountain Montaña del Sol, or Mountain of Sun, because while the winters were hard, the summer months were great.”

Sean noticed that not only Jade and Sawyer were watching him expectantly, but so were several other people. “One winter, a stranger showed up. He was half-frozen, very sick, and had been badly injured. The people welcomed him, even though they thought the stranger had a dark presence or aura around him.”

“Oh, no,” said Jade.

Nodding, Sean continued. “The healer took care of him through the winter. As the stranger grew stronger, bad things happened around the village. None of the crops would grow that spring and summer. Their horses died. The hunters came back empty-handed saying that they couldn’t find any game, but they heard weird noises and saw strange shadows in the woods.”

“No good deed goes unpunished,” one of the people in the bar said.

“The weather was extremely violent that summer and into fall. The people experienced the worst storms that they had ever experienced before. People began to say that the mountain was angry. A few people died because of the storms.”

All eyes were on Sean as he continued his dark tale.

“One night, they discovered that there was an awful odor coming from the village’s well, which was one of their important water sources. It was filled with some kind of rank, slimy substance. A small blackened stone with cryptic marks was found at the base of the well. Now, they would have to trek a mile to the river for water. They noticed that the stranger had vanished.”

“Why would he curse the place? They saved him?” one patron asked.

Sean shrugged. “No one knows. Two days later, the healer became very sick and had a high fever. She was delirious and kept mumbling about evil magic and curses. The healer said that the stranger was an evil warlock who cursed them despite the fact that they took care of him and saved him from a torturous death.”

“What happened to the villagers?” Jade asked.

“Some of them climbed further up the mountain, looking for food or game to hunt. They didn’t find anything but reportedly said they heard evil voices telling them to leave, they sawshadowy figures, and felt icy cold winds that didn’t seem to be natural. Some of the folks didn’t make it off the mountain. Eventually, the people left their village and the mountain became known as Montaña Maldita. For a long time, everyone avoided the mountain. Rumor is that anyone who trespassed faced the warlock’s spirit and suffered some kind of misfortune. Even now, people sometimes disappear from the mountain,” Sean finished, his voice dark and eerie.

Jade clapped. “You tell a great story, Sean. People disappear in the mountains all the time. How many times have people disappeared on our own mountain and the only thing haunting it are the benign spirits of our ancestors? You’re going on this vacation.”

Everyone laughed and the people in the bar, who had been captivated by Sean’s story, returned to their food and drinks.

“Do you still have all of your ski equipment?” Sawyer asked Sean.

“I do. Skis and snowshoes. You?”

“You’ve seen my room. My parents haven’t thrown anything of mine away. I guess they keep hoping that teenage boy who went away to college will come back someday.”

Sean grinned. “When are we leaving?”

“The day after tomorrow. Let’s meet at nine in the morning and make a list of the supplies we’ll need and inventory what we have so we know what we need to buy. Then, we’ll go shopping.”

“Sounds good,” Sean agreed.

“Alright. I’ll let you get back to work and go spend some time with my parents.”

After Sawyer left, Sean realized that he was a lot more excited about the ski trip than he thought he would be. It was true that he hadn’t had a vacation in more than five years and while he loved his bar and grill, the idea of getting away for a few days sounded amazing.

Two days later, Sean was at Sawyer’s house and they loaded everything into Sean’s truck.

As they drove toward the ski resort, Sawyer asked, “Is there anyone special in your life?”

“Not since Ivy died in childbirth five years ago. Every time I even think about a woman, I picture her lying in that hospital bed, holding Joshua, who was stillborn, and then exhaling that last time.”

“I know it hurt you so much to lose her, but you have to get over her. She would want you to find another love.”

“I know, but there’s no one in Angel’s Creek who I could love the way I loved her. She wasn’t perfect and we had a couple of disagreements the eight years we were married, but she owned my heart and soul,” Sean said, the pain evident in his voice.

His heart ached as he remembered holding Ivy and kissing her one last time. Sean’s soul shattered into pieces as he pictured her looking down at their baby and then joining him in whatever came after this world.

“You were childhood sweethearts and you’ll always have a special place in your heart for her and the baby. You should be open to loving again. You’re only thirty-one.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Are you taking over Dr. Ruth’s role in doling out relationship advice?” Sean laughed. “What about you?”

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