Page 56 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"Ohwow, too bad you weren't able to get a photo. Last summer, I saw a black wolf,but it ran off before I could do anything." Not that she had evenconsidered taking a photo of it, she thought with a smirk. She had been soscared all she wanted to do was run.
"Ohyeah?" Todd gave her an interested look, obviously intrigued by thesubject. "My dad says there are quite a few wolves in this part ofOregon." Nodding his head at her surprised look, he continued. "Heeven says that there is special law between the three towns, Tarki, Gaulding,and Antor Falls, that no one is allowed to hunt or kill any of the wolves. It'spunishable by prison time. He said that years ago someone did shoot one, likein the fifties or something, and that guy spent the rest of his life in prisonbecause of it."
Sana'seyes widened as she pictured a faceless man spending the rest of his life inprison for killing a wolf. It seemed harsh and unlikely, but maybe it was anodd federal law, and they just wanted to make an example out of the man.
Checkinghis watch, Todd looked up at the sun and back to her. "Did you still wantto check out the old cemetery while we still have good light?"
"Umm,"she considered taking a look at her own watch. It was getting kind of late. Shedidn’t realize how much time they had spent out here.
"Orwe can go back," Todd gestured back towards town, his face open andfriendly. "I don’t want you to get in trouble or anything."
Justthinking of going back made the pain in her chest return full force. She didn'twant to go back, not yet. She didn't want to see Zach, and she didn't want togo home and pretend like nothing was wrong. She just wanted to stay pleasantlydistracted just like this.
"No,"she shook her head. "I want to stay. Show me this infamous cemetery."
"Well,I don't know about infamous, and I may have oversold it a bit," helaughed, rubbing the back of his head with one hand as they walked towards theforest. "It's kind of small actually but an interesting subject to shoot.But if we want to go, we should probably go now," he said, his voicesuddenly tinged with a note of hesitation as he looked worriedly toward theforest ahead of them.
Seeingher questioning expression, Todd sighed. "Well, the last time I was there,which was a few days ago. I met a couple of guys, brothers, I think, who have avan parked out there. They're obviously camping out there, by the looks of it.They're about our age, maybe older, and they just seem kind of…rough around theedges. But I know they work at the fishery by the docks till sundown, at leastthat's what they had mentioned."
"So,they are like the quintessential hooligans from the ongoing eighties movie,which is your life?" she asked with a suppressed laugh.
Toddturned and gave her a wry smile that made his already pleasant face look evenmore handsome. She could see girls at his school giving him loads of attention.
"Harhar," he said mockingly. "I'm just saying we should go now beforethey come back. I rather not have to make small talk with them."
"Soundsgood to me." She gave him an exaggerated salute that made him laugh.
Howlong had she been out today? Looking at her watch, she frowned at the time. Itwas only a few hours till dinner time. Looking up at the sky, Sana noted itsdying light as the sun made its way ever westward. She should just turn backnow if she wanted to avoid getting yelled at by her mother. But as she followedTodd into the tree line of the forest and finally out of the overgrown field,she knew what that would mean. Going home meant facing reality once more. Itmeant letting her bruised and bleeding heart focus back on the terrible painthat Zach caused. She wasn't ready for that, not just yet. Besides, she toldherself firmly, it was approaching the golden hour, that wonderful time of daywhere the setting sun created beautiful soft light on everything, making anyphoto come out brilliant. She was tired of being safe and cautious and everobedient. Look where it got her. Just this once, she would break the rules andcome home when she was ready after she got the shots she wanted.
"Woah,"Todd held out an arm that stopped her in her tracks and pointed with his otherhand.
Lookingaround his shoulder, she followed the line of his arm and the point of hisfinger to the trees ahead of them. Her eyes went wide at the sight of a tallskinny brown wolf standing a few yards ahead of them looking back at them. Hisdark yellow eyes gleamed in the low, shaded light of the forest.
Neitherher nor Todd made a move as they stared at the beast. Narrowing its eyes, thewolf looked at them for a few seconds before taking off further into theforest.
"Dammit,"Todd cursed under his breath. "I forgot to take a picture again."
Sanalaughed, her eyes still scanning the woods for the gangly wolf. It reminded herof the black wolf she saw last year. A little bigger and not as thin as he orshe had been but still young and lanky looking. She wondered if the black onewas still somewhere in these woods.
"Nowwe know that we would both make terribleNational Geographicphotographers," she quipped.
Laughing,they stomped through the high underbrush of the forest, stopping here and thereto take pictures of the evening's golden light spearing through the leaves atvarious spots. Illuminated fungi rings, stair-stepping up a tree, drippingsticky sap oozing down bark, or a toad sitting perfectly still as they crouchednear its rock to get their shots. Finding another animal path, they both sighedat the easier terrain and followed its path deeper.
"Thereit is," Todd called out, pointing ahead to a small clearing.
Branchingoff from their path, they stopped at the edge of the circular clearing and peeredout at the square headstones.
"Iwonder how old they are?" Sana wasn't sure why she whispered the words.Maybe it was the same reason neither one of them stepped forward onto thegraveyard, sticking to its edges as they both circled the perimeter. Somehow itfelt wrong to trample on the quiet earth. As if laughing and talking loud wouldsomehow disturb the respectful silence that existed in this place.
"Whoknows. But I will tell ya, it gives me pet cemetery vibes," Todd said withan exaggerated shudder.
Sanasmiled and nodded. "It really does."
Crouchingnear a headstone, she rotated her lens as she looked through the viewfinder.Delicate little white flowers bloomed in a cluster at the corner of one stone.Focusing on the subject, Sana smiled behind the camera as she watched thebackground blur and the fragile little bloom sharpen.
Hershutter clicked just as she heard the intruding voice. "Hey pharmacy boy,who did you bring us?"
Sana'sheart stuttered, and she stood up abruptly as two older boys stepped out fromthe shadows of the trees. Next to her, Todd stiffened.
