Page 10 of Seducing Sasquatch

The fire sputters behind me as more snow batters against the glass, and the howl of the wind moans around the cabin. I’ve never been in a cabin like this before. Hell, I’ve never been in a cabin before! My life has been luxurious penthouses and mansions with butlers and chefs. Where we go to dinner at Michelin-star restaurants with crystal glasses and at least three courses. I’ve only ever known privilege. But despite the comforts of wealth, nothing actually felt…real. Like everything was a shell of itself. Where it all looked expensive, and clean and perfectly picked and placed. It was sterile.

But this cabin isn’t. It’s far from it. With deep brown wooden floors and furniture made from the same material, it’s like the entire room breathes as I do. It’s alive. But as I stand from the sofa and look around, I find I’m the odd one out. I’m not cut out for this. I can’t chop wood or make a fire. I don’t know how to cook or clean my clothes. Maybe I can use a washing machine if there are clear instructions, but I highly doubt there’s even a laundry room attached to the cabin.

The flicker of a thought flashes across my mind. Should I leave? I could find a flashlight and follow the road from the cabin down to the lookout parking lot. Arden would be glad I’m gone. One less mouth to feed, one less person to worry about. He doesn’t need to spend the next week babysitting me.

I should go.

My feet carry me across the living room; with my heart in my throat, I listen to each creak and groan of the floorboards. The end of the hallway is significantly colder, and I shiver as another gust of wind barrels against the wall, rattling the roof.

With my fingers wrapped around Arden’s bedroom door handle, I turn it slightly, freezing when it squeaks. Still, the cabin is silent. Not a single whisper or footstep beyond my thumping heart.

Pressing forward, I step into the darkness of his room. My hand sweeps across the wall, expecting to find the flat cover of a light switch, yet there’s nothing. Just textures of wood and grain.

Great.

My shoulders slump. This is useless. I won’t find a pair of boots or a jacket in the pitch black. If only there were streetlights or the glow of moonlight to shine through the window. But it’s just darkness. As if the cabin is suspended in a black void. Where nothing beyond the walls exists, and I’m the only person alive.

The thought of being utterly alone doesn’t trouble me; instead, it sounds rather nice. To not have any expectations or standards to meet. To not be a constant disappointment. Or when I do make a mistake, to have no one there to witness it.

This is my only chance to not be another disappointment.

Spinning on my heel, I turn back to the hallway and dash into the living room. Scooping up my phone from the coffee table, I turn it on to find I only have fifteen percent ‌battery life left. It’s not much, but it’ll have to do. Flicking the torch on and racing back to Arden’s bedroom, I dive for the wardrobe. Snatching up the nearest jacket, I throw it on and dig into the drawers for a pair of overly large socks.

I slide my cold toes into the thick fabric. If it weren’t for the panic coursing through me, I’d have laughed at how humongous they are as the material swamps my ankles. With both feet covered, I dig between drawers and piles of neatly folded jeans to find a well-worn pair of boots. The heels are completely scuffed, and the leather in some parts is torn, but it’s better than nothing.

Maybe that’s what my life has come to. Better than nothing.

I don’t ponder on that idea for long as I lace up the boots, feeling the way my toes slide forward in the soles that are far too large for me. Switching off my torch to save battery, I shut the door behind me and hurry down the hallway, my boots thudding with each step against the polished wooden floorboards. There’s still no sign of Arden. I don’t know where he is, but I do know why he’s staying away. I wouldn’t want to spend much time around myself either. I’m not funny, or easygoing, or ‌smart. I know nothing of his world up here on this mountain.

Pulling the door open, I gasp as the frigid air slams into me. My face tingles as my lungs contract against the sudden drop in temperature.

For a split second, I consider staying. With the wind and ice and snow, maybe I don’t want to be out here. But the longer I stand at the threshold, the more I know it’s best that I leave.

Shutting the door with a click, I pull the neck of the jacket around my face, squinting against the wind as it howls past, nearly knocking me off my feet.

Beyond the orange glow of the cabin, a large shed looms at the edge of the forest with just a single light hanging above the doors, lighting the way to the gap in the trees. I step deeper into the chaos of the storm, my eyes trained on that little break in the foliage. Is that the road? It’s too far to tell, and with the snow covering every surface, I can’t make out what’s beneath it. For all I know, it’s just a road leading into the woods.

But it’s better than being useless here. Still, with no sign of Arden, I climb down the steps, feeling the way my boots slip against the ice. I know the trek down the mountain won’t be pleasant in the slightest, but I’d rather not be another problem for someone else to deal with.

At the bottom of the stairs, the snow reaches up to my knees. It’s deeper than I thought. Swallowing the ball of dread that slinks down the back of my throat, I lift my gaze in the direction of the road. It’s not far, only fifty feet. If I can get to the tree line, there’s no way Arden would find me. I’d be gone before he even noticed.

Yet as I shuffle forward, pulling a wave of white dust with me, my eyes finally adjust to the darkness. That’s when I see it.

Hundreds of indentations breaking the snow. From one end of the cabin all the way to the shed, gigantic footprints erode the layer of white. And not shoe prints, but perfectly shaped footprints, with all five toes. Each print is as long as my arm!

Giants.

I freeze. There are giants in this forest. And Arden is nowhere to be found! My imagination ignites every possible horrific image of growling monsters with horrible teeth and bulbous noses. With rounded spines and dirt smeared across their skin. Do they hunt humans? Did they take Arden!?

Another wall of snow barrels into me as the wind cuts at my skin. Every thought running through my mind collapses into a single instinct.

Find Arden.

My boots slip on the steps as I race back to the cabin and rip the front door open, sprinting to the kitchen.

Opening every drawer and cupboard, I search for anything sharp. With more cans and cured meats to count, I finally find the largest meat cleaver I’ve ever seen. Pulling it free from the drawer, it sings as it vibrates in my hand, the shine of the blade reflecting my wild eyes back at me.

But then I see it. In my reflection in the blade, over my shoulder. The long twin barrels and wooden stock of Arden’s shotgun watch me from above the mantel. Now that will kill a giant.