Chapter 15 (Mandy)

After Jasper left, I tried to entertain myself with a little bit of light reading. I browsed through Jasper’s bookshelf but there wasn’t much in terms of selection. A few army-related novels. A couple memoirs. A few historical fictions pertaining to World War II. None of it was really my cup of tea. Nonetheless, thinking it might do me good to dabble in a new genre, I picked up a sniper novel and sat down on the couch with it.

Wolf joined me, curling up on my lap.

“You aren’t a chihuahua. You don’t fit there.” I said, shaking my head, trying to push him off me but he wouldn’t budge. “Come on, Wolf, this isn’t comfortable. You’re heavy.”

He just barked at me, tail wagging. He bit my sleeve, tugging on it, wanting to play.

“No,” I told him, but he continued to tug, threatening to rip the fabric. “Alright, alright, I’ll play with you. Where’s your toy?”

At the word ‘toy,’ his ears perked up. A second later, he jumped off the couch and started running around the cabin. Eventually, he returned with an old, tattered toy that needed to be replaced – badly.

He dropped it in my lap, looking up at me expectantly.

With a look of disgust on my face, I picked it up and threw it across the room.

He barked excitedly, dashing forward to grab the toy. He brought it back, bouncing from foot to foot.

“You’re hyper,” I commented. “How about we go outside? It might do it us some good to get some fresh air.”

I couldn’t even finish my sentence before Wolf scuttled toward the door, pawing at it with a sense of desperation.

“Alright. Alright. I’m going.” I grabbed my coat from the rack and tossed it on, zippering it up to my neck. “Let’s go.”

As soon as I opened the door, Wolf ran forward, frolicking through the snow, looking like the happiest dog in the world with ears flopping from side to side.

I followed after him.

For a long while, we just enjoyed the mountainside, going wherever Wolf’s nose would take him. As we walked, I did my best to be mindful of my environment, not wanting to get lost for the second time. 

Soon, we arrived at a frozen body of water. Wolf stepped onto it ever so slowly, looking back at me for confirmation.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, bud. You might fall in and I don’t know if I would save you.”

He cocked his head in confusion.

Suddenly, my phone, something I had utterly forgotten about, started to buzz inside the pocket of my jacket. Furrowing my brows together, I fished it out, looking at the screen.

My heart stopped.

Keith.

No.

What did he want?

With shaking fingers, I unlocked my phone. I hesitated to check the texts.

Where are you?

Are you running away from me?

Mandy. Answer your phone.

I’m going to find you.

What? Do you think I’m an idiot? I know exactly what you’ve been doing. Putting your goddamn nose where it doesn’t belong. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?

I’m going to find you, Mandy, and when I do, you better run.

I dropped my phone, unable to read any more. I shook uncontrollably, hugging my knees to my chest.

No. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t let him do this to me. I was over him. He couldn’t hurt me. And yet, as I sat there, all alone, it felt like he was going to jump out of the shadows at any moment.

“Come on, Wolf, we have to go home.” Without waiting for the dog, I ran toward the cabin – toward Jasper. He would keep me safe.

Tears stung at my eyes, making it hard to see. I did everything I could to push Keith and all these fears from my mind, but it was impossible. All I could think about was the hell I had gone through when I was his girlfriend. Every day was a nightmare and now it was starting again.

Wolf was at my heels, barking.

I kept running and running, my legs feeling like they were made of jelly. I didn’t know if I would make it, but I knew that I couldn’t stop because if I did he would catch me, and he would hurt me.

Finally, the cabin came into view.

Please, be home. I thought. I need you. I need you to hold me. To tell me that everything is going to be okay.