Boone
To say my heart is pounding in my fucking chest would be an understatement. I’ve never felt like this before.
As soon as I heard about this bad man, a bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. And it hasn’t shifted. If anything, it’s increased in intensity.
If someone was out here, they better have a fucking good explanation for being here and for watching my cabin.
Random images come and go as I make my way through the woods, eyes scanning in on the minutest sign.
There’s the fire from which I rescued Margot…the recent news of her seeing a strange man in the doorway just before she passed out, adding something unreal to the past…and now the news of a bad man according to Amelia.
Despite my attempts to connect the dots, I can’t.
Briefly, I return to my father’s phone call. It was also strange. We haven’t spoken in years.
I prefer it that way. I don’t ever go out of my way to contact him, not anymore.
I stop, not because I’m out of breath, but because I need to scan the horizon.
My nostrils flare as I take deep breaths in and out. I smell the wind, trying to pick up on any foreign scent that might clue me in on where to start my search.
Nothing.
I try again.
There. I hold my face slightly northeast and slow my breathing right down. If you really focus on the inhale, you generally can pick up any new scent.
It’s hard to say for sure…but I think I can smell nicotine.
Out of the corner of my eye, something catches my attention. Quickly, I stride to investigate.
At first, I can’t see what grabbed my attention. I lean toward the green bush and closer. It takes another minute or so before I spot the twig snapped off.
I guess anything could be responsible for the damage, but then again…could it? My eyes scan the area a little more carefully.
In situations like this, it pays to be extra vigilant. No point jumping to conclusions or rushing away looking for the next clue and in the process destroying vital evidence.
Carefully, inch by inch, I examine the ground around the bush, looking for indents, markings, or anything out of the ordinary.
Sometimes, I would go back and examine the site of a fire to look for clues. It wasn’t part of my role, but it interested me. On the odd occasion, I would find something the special clean-up crew didn’t.
More than one arsonist has been caught because of the vigilance of one Boone Masters.
I crouch down and pick up some dirt. Thumb and forefinger play with it before I bring it to my nose to breathe it in.
Cigarette ash, I’m sure of it.
Someone who’s been smoking has been past here. And they dropped some ash on the ground. There’s no sign of the cigarette butt, but I can definitely smell ash. It’s not been that long ago, either.
My eyes scan the area more closely.
No footprints.
Strange and interesting.
Whoever has been here did not want to be found or noticed. And yet they smoked a cigarette.
I get on my hands and knees and crawl on all fours along the ground a bit further.
Left, right, straight ahead, and left again. My eyes roam anywhere and everywhere.
Just as I’m about to get back up and keep walking, something else grabs my attention. Something blue is left hanging in one of the very low hanging twigs.
Gingerly, I break off the twig, apologizing to the bush, and then bring it up to my eyes.
Without a magnifying glass it’s difficult to be sure, but I think there’s a tiny bit of blue thread caught on the twig.
It’s probably off a sock or the trousers of the intruder—or the ‘bad man’, as Amelia calls him.
The discovery has my heart racing in my chest.
Obviously, someone was out here.
What were they doing here, and why were they here?
Is Margot in danger? Is the man she saw in her room all those years ago related to this bad man? Are they one and the same?
I put the find in the pocket of my pants and get up.
Looks like the man headed northeast. I follow what may or may not be the path this stranger took.
Of course, these signs might mean fuck all.
It could mean a hunter got lost around here, lit up a cigarette before keeping on going. A possibility, but incredibly unlikely, I decide as soon as I’ve finished the thought.
I may not know why the man is here, but I’d put the family fortune on it he’s appearance does not bode well for me or Margot.
Life sucks, doesn’t it?
Here I’ve finally found my happily ever after, and it’s already threatened by some unknown source for some unknown reason.
Driven by the desire to find answers, I keep going.
On and on I walk—without success. It’s as if any tracks left by anyone have been wiped by some magic giant mop. There are barely any animal tracks, let alone human ones.
It’s a fucking nightmare.
I want to just fucking kick something, but I restrain myself. If I’m too distracted, I won’t be any good to anyone.
To find something or someone, you need to be on your guard. I can’t fucking afford to drop mine.
But then a boulder is in my way. I mean, I could walk around it, but it seems to challenge me. It’s almost begging me to let off steam.
I stop.
I seize it up.
Sure, it’s massive, but I reckon I can do it. And it might just do the trick and help me let off all this pent-up frustration and anger.
Before I grab and shift it, I think of the stranger Margot described and the bad man Amelia has talked about and the minimal tracks I’ve found. And now I’m fuming.
I glance around. No one’s here.
I pummel my own chest with my fists and let out an almighty roar. Then I bend down and warp my arms around the rock.
I heave and heave, and eventually, I feel it lift off the ground. I haven’t lifted it far off the ground, but far enough to let me hurl it to my left. As I let it go, I feel the negativity fly away with the boulder.
It tumbles down the steep embankment, grumbling and growling as it does so, before it hits something in its path with a loud thud.
I stop and take some more deep breaths. I feel better. And I’ve made a decision.
No point going in fucking circles—and it feels like that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
With a deep sigh, I gaze at the highest mountain peak. It stands proud and tall, like a guardian over its domain. If only it could tell me what’s been going on in these woods.
There’s no doubt in my mind something’s going on, and I don’t think it’s any good.
Better get back to the cabin. Time to call it quits for the day.
Just as I’m about to turn and head back to the cabin, I see something else. This time, I practically sprint to what I’ve seen.
Time to get back to Amelia and Margot. I need to tell them urgently. They’ll want to know about my find immediately.
As I sprint, I go back over everything. None of it makes any sense to me. What am I missing?
Later, after I’ve shared my discovery with the woman I love and my daughter, I might need some quiet time to work things out.
The woman I love and my daughter. Fuck, those words sound fantastic.
How long have I longed for this moment? And now it’s here, it seems almost too good to be true.
Was nemesis hiding just around the corner, waiting to strike?
We all know fairy tales aren’t true—at least not for people like me. There’s still all my baggage I haven’t shared with Margot, not to mention this whole damn family thing.
Finally, the cabin comes into sight, and I burst into the living room.
Margot and Amelia are exactly where I left them. Instantly, I can tell they’re on edge.
“Hey, guys.” I’m a little out of breath.
Margot spins toward me, her eyes wide with shock.
“I need you to come right now.” I pant and hold my hand out toward them.
“Why…what…” Margot asks, but I shake my head.
“Time for questions later. Just come with me now. You’ve got to see this.”
Amelia scurries off the lounge and comes toward me. A mixture of anxiety and excitement is in her eyes.
“Jump on board, tiger,” I invite her and crouch down.
Instantly, she scrambles onto my back.
“Let’s go,” I say and lead the way.
I can hear Margot follow hot on my heels.