Chapter 8
SHANE
-You don’t understand, it’s totally illogical. If he is sick, he should be near civilization, where there are people who can help him.
-That’s the problem. -I hope he continues saying something else, but he doesn’t say anything; his gaze remains forward.
Finally, we arrive at the forest, where the trees scream, creating shadows that dance around me, a magical yet unsettling air. At last, he stops the car and we get out. I look in the direction Gigit is pointing; a glow of pride illuminates his face.
-That’s my cabin over there -he says before pointing up-. The day cabin is higher up.
As I focus my gaze in the direction he was pointing, I see the cabin that is supposed to belong to Liam. I feel my breath catch. It’s much larger than I had imagined; its majestic design looks worn by time, creating a shadowy mind.
-Are you sure he’s there? -I ask, anxiety and hope swirling in my voice.
Gigit nods, but his expression is erratic, as if a fear is imprisoning him.
-Yes, I’m sure.
-Yes. I left him there myself… -I feel a slight premonition that he is going to continue speaking, but he doesn’t say anything else.
The three of us approach the cabin, and when Gigit opens the door, he gestures for me to enter.
-Go ahead, you first -he encourages me, his smile a ray of light in the midst of uncertainty.
My heart races as I cross the threshold, a whisper of excitement and fear coursing through my veins. But when Marc tries to follow me, Gigit stops him with a gesture of his hand, a look tinged with warning that makes me shrink back.
-Wait, not you -Gigit says, his voice low and tense.
Confusion blooms as I turn to them, fear beginning to entangle my mind.
-Why not? -I ask, my voice trembling like a thread in the wind.
Gigit lowers his gaze, the weight of an invisible guilt suffocating him.
-I’m sorry, Shane. I can’t explain it now. Just… stay here.
Before I can process what is happening, Gigit closes the door securely. The sound resonates within me like an endless drum, and suddenly, I realize that I am alone.
The voices of Marc and Gigit begin to rise in a heated discussion outside the cabin. I look around; darkness has taken over the place. Now that the door is closed, a chill runs down my spine. Without thinking much, I move, my feet advancing toward an unknown corner, the unease probing every shadow.
-Liam… -I whisper, feeling anxiety take hold of my skin.
The cabin is a labyrinth of unease; every corner seems an echo of forgotten memories; silence envelops my heart, which beats at a frantic, almost deafening rhythm. I desperately search for any sign of Liam, but the only answer is the ominous gloom lurking. In a few words, I have nothing.
Once I’m certain that there’s no one on the ground floor, I walk toward the stairs and, with determination, I begin to climb them. The creak of the wood resonates like an unsettling omen in the air; every step I take is a sensation of danger creeping up my neck, and yet, I keep climbing.
I go straight to the first door, which I assume is the main room of the cabin, and I open it cautiously. Upon entering, a muffled scream gets caught in my throat when I see the destruction in the room. The king-size four-poster bed is wrecked; the sheets are torn and the broken cushions are scattered across the floor. What has happened here? Suddenly, I question the fact that I agreed to come with Gigit, a man I had only had the chance to see once. What if he brought me here to harm me?
My heart pounds as my gaze shifts to the door on my left. A mournful sound echoes in the dimness, like a lost lament clinging to me. I take off my heels to make as little noise as possible; if I have to run, I don’t want to break my neck trying to escape from here. I set my heels aside, out of my way. With each step I take, my breathing grows more erratic; the whisper of my footsteps is barely audible over the creaking wood. The door seems to beckon me closer. The bathroom light is off, plunging everything into an almost palpable darkness. With trembling hands, I stretch out my hand toward the corner, searching for the switch. “If this is something silly, because if there’s any man with a gun, the first thing I’ll see when I turn on the light will be the barrel of a gun pointed at my forehead”; me and my sweet imagination! My fingers finally find it, and with a nervous flick, I turn it on.
The light comes on, and what I see leaves me petrified. There, in the farthest corner of the bathroom, stands an imposing figure: a majestic and terrifying wolf, on two legs. Its midnight-black fur shines with an almost ethereal hue under the light; those eyes, two deep pools of crimson, gaze at me with a hypnotic intensity through the mirror. The creature is a legacy of Jesse, a specter of nature that defies all logic, reason, and sense. Its teeth, sharp and dazzling, show themselves at me as it turns its head, as if it wants to whisper a secret from beyond.
-This can’t be real -I whisper, feeling disbelief wash over me like a cold wave. But despite my doubts, terror overwhelms me in such a way that a scream escapes my lips, resonating in the room. In an instant, I spin on my heels, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I run. I hit my shoulder against the doorframe as I exit, tripping down the stairs over my own feet. “Imagine what would’ve happened if I hadn’t taken off my heels.” My heart thunders in my ears. However, upon reaching the front door, I remember it’s locked, so I pound on the wood in desperation, the echo of my helplessness filling the air. Before me, the seconds stretch out like eternities.