The Coyote's Embrace Ch.3

Gayle

After arriving home from another day of humiliation (which I will not disclose), I went to my bedroom to read more Jane Eyre. As I read my eyes flicked to his flashlight on my dresser. Should I bring it back to him as I promised or should I just stay home like Mum told me to? These thoughts came to mind and I weighed the pros and cons. Pros: Mum and Dad were working and Alixe was at her boyfriend Ronny’s house to study. Cons: Tobey was home and that coyote was still out there. But of course, my curiosity overruled all the cons and I decided to go. I placed my lace bookmark to keep my place and I laid it down on my nightstand. Then I put on my boots and jacket and went out the door. Tobey was outside feeding the dogs.
“I’m going for a walk,” I told him.
“I thought Mom told you not to go into the woods and why do you have two flashlights?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Mum isn’t here so. Plus, I have these just in case I see that coyote again and lose one,” I replied shaking my flashlight.
“Okay, be careful,” he said with concern. I grinned.
“Don’t I always?” I laughed.
“Well, don’t go head-butting trees again,” he chuckled.
“Oh, I won’t,” I said pointing to the healing scrapes from last week. We laughed and went our separate ways. He into the trailer and I to the woods. More theories about Sean popped into my head. I was thinking that he was just camping there, but his clothes looked to nice to be camping in. Then I was thinking he was a vampire or some other supernatural being, but the only reason I thought that was from all the vampire romance novels, movies, and shows I was reading and watching. Then my mind formed a picture of him. Dark chocolate hair that was slightly wavy and disheveled with steel gray eyes, broad shoulders that were connected to muscular biceps and that crooked little boy smile made my stomach do flips. Then my mind went in an area that it shouldn’t had. I wondered what sort of body was under those designer clothes. ‘Idiot! Stop that! You just met the guy last week. What’s wrong with you?” I muttered to myself.
Then I looked at my watch. The time was five o’clock and I couldn’t remember where the cave was, but I still kept walking. Fortunately, I found the cave, but no sign of Sean. So I decided to sit on one of the rocks near his fire pit and wait. I wondered if he was going to come at all as the sun went down. Then I heard a twig snap and hid under some brush and bushes. Wondering if I imagined the noise, I took a peek. I froze when I saw it. The coyote. I wanted to run, yet something told me to stay. I kept as silent as I could.
Then a light misty fog mysteriously rolled in and surrounded the coyote like a robe. Two seconds later, the fog disappeared leaving an “unclothed” Sean in its place. I was getting a little dizzy from the shock, yet I averted my eyes as he went into the cave. I needed to breath for a few minutes. Sean was the coyote. How was that even possible? Is there such thing as a were coyote, I thought nervously. I looked again when he came out of the cave, but my eyes couldn’t leave. He was shirtless except for a silver cross necklace around his neck. My eyes traveled from the ornament downward to his muscular chest and nicely sculpted abs. Compared to Kenneth, Sean was ten times more beautiful to look at.
For some reason, I didn’t feel disappointed until I heard the sound of a bird which landed in front of him. This time a dark mist surrounded it and disappeared leaving a dark haired lady in a medieval black dress trimmed with red Irish lace. So he’s got a girlfriend. I knew it was too good to be true. See what those stupid fantasies got you, Gayle, I thought. The lady whispered something in his ear, and then pulled him into an intimate embrace. To my surprise, he pulled away from her with angry eyes and walked away. Okay, so not a girlfriend, I thought with slight relief.
Then she raised her arm and pointed in his direction. I heard a terrible gasp from Sean and saw him on his knees clutching his chest. The lady smiled in a malicious manner. The worse came to my mind. She was literally trying to rip his heart out! She was going to kill him! He let out the most agonizing scream I ever heard. I couldn’t take this. He saved me from my clumsiness so I needed to help him.
“Stop!” I screamed standing up. Her eyes reverted to me. They were two cold and empty spheres that were frightening enough. But all I felt was pure hate for this woman, though I wouldn’t call her a woman for she looked a couple years older than me. I was decided on either to throw a rock at her or throw her a right hook. Sean looked at me in horror, and then before she pointed at me, he stood in between me and her and collapsed again. His teeth were clenched to bottle the pain.
“Run!” he ordered but I shook my head no.
“Unless you want the same, little one. It would be best if you run along home,” the lady said with a cruel smirk. That ticked me off.
“Little one? Who are you calling ‘little one’? I could probably squish you just by sitting on you,” I yelled back, “You’re nothing but an unfeeling bully. Now leave him alone!” My fists became tighter. Then he looked up at me.
“Just go, Gayle,” he pleaded. All I did was shake my head again and stare at him. “Go!” he yelled in pain. I still couldn’t stand it, but I obeyed him and ran as fast as I could out of there.






Sean
         
“I’m afraid she is fully involved, Dearest. You know what must be done,” she cooed as she crouched down to my face. The temptation to just punch her was getting stronger, yet I have never and would never hit a woman, but Rothella wasn’t a woman. She was the devil incarnate, pure evil.
“She doesn’t know what she saw,” I said as I struggled to standup. Then she lifted my chin up with her hand and tried to kiss me, but I pulled away. She laughed bitterly.
“You forget, my pet. I know about your little sister and I hate to find out where she lives and bring back her heart on a silver platter for you. As long as the girl doesn’t come back, then she’ll be safe. I must be off. Don’t miss me too much next week. I have business to take care of elsewhere,” she threatened, “Oh, and don’t think about leaving the forest. I have eyes everywhere.” Then she left.
“Trust me, I won’t,” I replied about the missing her part. Then I went toward the brush that Gayle was hiding under and found two flashlights: mine and hers.
“Caw!” I heard above me.
“Hi, Edgar,” I said looking up and in the tree was my friend Edgar, the crow. His beady black eyes looked at me. “Let me guess. She told you to watch me,” I smirked, “I have to give this back to her.” I gestured to the flashlight in my right hand.
“Caw!” he replied ruffling his feathers with worry.
“You’re worse than an old mother hen. I’ll be right back. Honest,” I told him as I started walking out of the woods. I hope she isn’t upset over what happened, I thought remembering how her face looked. When she insulted Rothella, she looked like a lioness; ready to pounce on her prey. Looking at her, I saw bravery and anger. Even her knuckles look white as she tightened them into fists. For a minute, I actually thought she was going to deck her; but I didn’t want her to get hurt by Rothella. As I thought more about her, I got to the road and across that was a simple cozy-looking gray single-wide trailer.
“I hope this is her place,” I said to myself. So I walked towards it, but I was startled by footsteps to my left. And out from the darkness, walked a tall boy holding a wooden baseball bat. He looked about fourteen or fifteen and had the same shade of honey blond hair as Gayle’s.
“May I help you?” he asked tightening his grip on the bat.
“Yes, does Gayle Siegfried live here?” I asked carefully not trying to startle the boy.
“She’s my sister and you are?” he replied suspiciously.
“I’m a friend. She forgot her flashlight in the woods,” I said giving him it. He lowered the bat slowly and took it. Then he looked at me.
“Are you the guy she said found her last Thursday?” he asked. I nodded. Then he dropped the bat and raised his hand out for me to shake. I took it. “Thank you. My sister can be a major klutz sometimes,” he said with a grin.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” I chuckled then I got serious, “Can you give her a message for me?”
“Sure,” he replied nodding.
“Tell her not to come into the woods anymore. It’s dangerous,” I said sternly.
“Mom has already told her, but she’s stubborn. Those damn coyotes! Always causing trouble,” he spat like they were the plague.
Is that who they blame all the troubles on, I thought sadly. “Something much more worse than coyotes.” He gave me a confused look, but nodded. Then I headed back into the darkness.
“Hey, what about you?” he calls.
“I’m part of it,” I answered not looking back.







Gayle
         
         Why did I run? Why didn’t I stay there and knock her block off? I rolled over on my back to look at the ceiling. I wondered if he was okay and if there was something to stop her with. I wanted to help him, but what could I do. I needed to conduct some research about the woods. Then I heard a knock at my bedroom door and Tobey came in carrying my green flashlight.
         “Where did you get that?” I asked nervously.
         “You friend brought it over,” he answered tossing it to me. It landed in my lap.
Sean was here, I thought with interest. “My f-f-friend,” I stuttered.
“Yeah, he told me to tell you not to go into the forest. That it was dangerous, but you already knew that from last week,” he said, “you certainly have strange friends.”
“Um, thanks, Tobe,” I replied, and then with a nod, he left the room. Now that warning really confirmed what I thought I saw was not imagined and it really was ticking me off. Who was he to tell me where to go or not to go? Feeling also a little hungry, I went to the kitchen. Tobey was in the living room watching an old John Wayne western. “Do you want something to eat?”
“Nah, already ate while you were walking.” He replied maintaining concentration on the movie. So I made myself a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich and sat down at the table to eat. After I was done, I knew I needed to call Iggy McKenzie, our elderly neighbor that I worked for on Saturdays. So I dialed her number into the cordless phone. I waited a minute until I heard her clear voice.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hey, Iggy. It’s Gayle,” I answered.
“Gayle! Well, good evening. What brings your voice to my phone,” she exclaimed in a happy tone.
“Just calling to remind you about tomorrow. Do you want me to bring anything?” I asked.
“I don’t think so. Wait, yes, please bring some of your mother’s chicken soup, if she has made any,” she answered, “I’ve been craving it since you brought it over two weeks ago.”
“She hasn’t made any soup, but I think she made some apple crisp earlier today. Would that be okay?” I said.
“That would be just fine, dear. Funny, that’s the second thing I’ve been craving,” she laughed.
“See you tomorrow then,” I laughed back.
“Okay. Bye,” she said.
“Bye,” I replied then I hanged up and went to my room to read more Jane Eyre. It was around ten thirty when Alixe got home. She strolled into the room as if she were dancing on clouds. “You look happy. I didn’t know Biology was such an enjoyable subject to study.”
“It isn’t. Those stupid organelles are driving us crazy, but I think we’ll do fine. He took me to dinner before he dropped me off,” she said in a sing-song voice. She was insanely in love with her boyfriend Ronny. I was happy for her, but I envied her happiness.
“That’s nice,” I commented going back to my reading.
“Tobey said you took another walk in the woods, she stated.
Blabbermouth, I thought putting my book down. “I hope you’re not going to tell Mum,” I said with a glare.
“Depends on what happened. You look mad,” she replied.
“Trust me. You don’t need to know,” I answered shaking my head.
“Good, because I don’t want to know anyway,” she laughed. I groaned, yet I was relieved; because if I told her; she’ll tell Mum and I would be committed to a sanitarium.
“Oh yeah, you’re such kind-heated sister,” I snickered sarcastically, and then I threw a pillow at her. Unfortunately, she caught it.
“Awwww, I liked it better when I was just your bitchy sister,” she laughed louder.
“Oh, I bet you do, I chuckled.