Chapter 9: Wolves in the Woods

(WARNING: of alcohol and physical abuse)

Carol yawned as she walked down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

The grandfather clock began to chime half past six as she went past the living room. Pausing by the window, Carol watch the dark rain clouds move quickly across the sky.

Will it rain or not, she tried to determine.

Sunlight broke through for a moment only to be blocked once more. It reminded her of someone playing with the light switch.

Yawning again, she went to the kitchen looking for the aspirin. She could feel the warning pains of a bad headache coming. It was probably brought on by the weather.

The bottle was behind a box of bandies and the cough syrup. She quickly swallowed two of them and then went to turn on the coffee maker.

The machine started to gurgle as it poured hot water through the grounds when the kitchen door opened.

"Morning," Carol called before glancing over her shoulder to see David at the door.

He paused when he saw her then turned around to leave.

"You don't have to go," Carol quickly told him. "I'm just going to get a cup of coffee and then go watch the sun rise on the porch."

David took a step forward, letting the door swing close behind him. He stood there for a moment looking at everything but her. Finally, with a gestured to the refrigerator, he asked, "do you want an omelet? I was going to make one."

Carol shook her head as the coffee maker sung a tune to signal it was done.

David pulled open the refrigerator door and Carol could see a six pack of beer on the top shelf. She thought David was reaching for it before he grabbed the eggs behind the cans.

Pretending she hadn't been watching, Carol started to scoop sugar into her cup.

She recalled Lizzy telling her that David had gone to rehab to get help for his drinking problem among other things. He was part of a twelve-step program or something like that but by then it had been too late. Lizzy had reached out to her on David's behalf when he was on step five, apologizing to the ones that your addiction had hurt.

Carol slowly stir the sugar into the coffee. She had told Lizzy no. She didn't want to speak to David. She wasn't ready. Still wasn't. His drinking had always caused a rift between them when they were dating.

She could remember several times being called in the middle of the night by David or the police telling her she needed to pick him up.

They had several times broke up over it to only get back together after David made it sixty days without a drop of alcohol. He did well to stay sober through most of their relationship. That is not to say David didn't find other ways to cope.

David shut the door glancing over at her. "Are you okay?" he asked catching her staring at him.

Caroline nodded quickly. "Yeah, just-lost in thoughts."

David nodded but didn't ask. He set the eggs on the counter before digging for a frying pan.

"Are you still in school?" he asked cracking the eggs into the pan.

"Um, yes," Carol lied. "I'm between semester at the moment."

The truth was that she had dropped out when she had learned of her heart problem. It had been a moment of madness. She had dropped out, packed a bag, and got into her car with no real plan but to drive. Then she had another stroke and the car had been total and she landed in the hospitable for two weeks of recovery. Her licensees shortly revoked after that because of her medical condition. Lucky for her, Julie had call and invited her and May to travel with her while they were in between semesters.

The melted butter started to sizzle and David sprinkle cheese on top of the eggs.

"Last chances," he told her.

Carol shrugged, "go ahead. It's not like I'm going to see any sun with the sky filled with clouds."

David smiled taking two more eggs. "You are visiting during a bad time. It generally starts raining around this time of the year. We don't get much sun for the a few months."

"How long have you been working for Ted?" Carol asked watching him cook her omelet.

"A little over a year now. I called Ted soon after I was release from the hospitable," he said flipping the eggs over. "I was hoping he would just give me a place to crash while I found work. But he told me about this project he and Liz and Julie were doing and hired me on as a handy man."

David chortle a little, "I have to admit, I thought this whole haunted house idea was going to fail but after seeing how much this town likes its gory history, well, it might work."

"This whole town is weird," Carol commented.

David laughed and sprinkled cheese on the eggs.

"As long as I get a paycheck, I'll take on the weirdness."

David slid the omelet on to a plate and handed it Carol.

"Thanks."

He nodded, picking up his own plate once again with a look of unsure.

"Well, I am going to go to the dinner room," he finally said.

Carol nodded and waited for him to leave before picking up her own plate.

Julie was just pulling out of the driveway when Carol walked out on the porch. She was returning to Evergreen to get the permits to dam up the river to prevent any more flooding and take care of a few other legal stuff. After she was finished with that, their little party of three would take the train to the city and then hop on to a plane to finally begin their trip.

"I cannot wait," Carol thought to herself excitedly.

May was already sitting on the porch swing with a large blanket wrapped around her. She was drinking her usual cup of tea while she read one of the books that had been on display in the library.

"Is it any good?" Carol asked, sitting down next to her.

"Yes," May answered not bothering to look up. "but it's not much of a dairy. It's mostly just records of her spells and potion recipes. There is nothing about her life."

"Maybe she was just private."

May shrugged and said disappointed "I guess so. I'll learn something anyway."

Carol sipped her coffee while watching the deer slowly walk along the driveway as they ate the dew-covered grass. A thick cloud of fog almost hid the deer from sight. She could not see anything in the forest except the dark shapes of the trees.

Despite the cup of hot coffee in her hands Carol shivered a little. May notices and extended the blanket out to her.

"Thank you," Carol said snuggling up closer to her cousin.

May didn't answer but turned the next page.

"Ghost are simple apparitions that can be dealt with at ease for the train witch," Carol read over May's shoulder. "For the untrained, they should simple ignore the spirit. These spiritual beings cannot interfere with human life unless knowledge. Knowledge in ways of fear, nervous and, of course, engaging in attempts of communication. Any witch that is foolish enough to try to speak to these spirits deserves whatever fate the spirit decides."

"She is kind of harsh," Carol observed.

May nodded and continue reading.

Carol read a little more when something moving within the mass of white caught her attention. A large gray wolf stepped out of the cover of the fog moving slowly along the tree line.

"May! Look!" Carol cried grabbing her cousin's arm.

"Careful," May cried as the dairy was nearly knocked out of her lap.

"There's a wolf!" Carol told her pointing excitedly at the woods but the wolf already moved back into trees.

"Was it the same wolf Teddy had to chase off?" May asked as she carefully readjusted the dairy on her lap.

"No. It was gray not white."

"How many wolves are in those woods?" May wonder uneasily finally looking up at the forest.

Carol started at the woods for a few minutes hoping to see the wolf again. May went back to her reading as Carol continued to enjoy the scenery.

They heard a door slam, echoing across the open sea behind the house. David came into view, heading for the shed with his toolbox in hand.

"Wonder what he is working on," Carol mused.

May sighed and finally closed the dairy, setting it down next to her.

"David seems to be better," she noted as she watched David enter the shed.

"He does," Carol agreed looking away.

May glanced at her sideways. "I still wouldn't trust him," she warned.

Carol gritted her teeth, "May, stop protecting me. I am going to be okay and I don't need you hovering,"

May open her month to say something when Carol cut her off angrily, "Like you said, David seems to be better. Stop getting so defensive when he is around."

She met the last part more to herself then to May but her cousin bristled with her own anger and didn't let the subject drop like Carol hopped she would.

"I don't see how you can forgive him after he-" May stopped herself as Carol glared at her.

May looked down at her book suddenly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive," she said quietly.

"After he beat me black and blue with his fists and an empty beer bottle," Carol finished for her while staring into her coffee.

May lowered her head, "sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

Carol swirled her coffee around her cup watching a nat that had drowned in it swirl in the whirlpool.

She was surprised how fast they went from being upset at each other to an uncomfortable silence.

She knew May was only trying to look out for her, but she didn't need someone to voice her own fears every time she saw David. She just wanted to forget what had happened between her and her ex and move on. Not to be forced to revisit their 'break up'.

Carol cleared her throat and looked over at May.

"I haven't 'forgiven' David for anything, May. It's not something I can forgive," she explained, "but David was suffering from a mental breakdown. He was hearing voices and stuff like that. He didn't even know it was me he was beating on."

She scooped the nat out with the tip of her finger. "Besides that, he was decent to me and I-" Carol swallowed. "I was in love with him. I thought we would get married and have our honeymoon in Paris or Venice. Then see a little of the world before settling down in some beach house."

Carol chuckled to herself, "do you know that David wanted six kids? I told him if he wanted that many, we were going to have to adopt."

May drew in a slow breath and glanced over at the shed. "It doesn't sound like its over between the two of you."

Carol also looked over at the shed as David came out carrying the weed trimmer. The plastic shell of her heart monitor was pressed against her wrist as she held the coffee mug with both of her hands.

"No," Carol said finally, "it is over between us. There is...too many complication.

She wiped the dead bug off her finger.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk," May apologized. "I just can't forget what happened. And when he is near you-I just get scared for you."

Carol didn't answer but put her arm around May's shoulder.

"You are a good friend, May. But if I thought he was still crazy I wouldn't be here."

May nodded, "okay I will lay off but I'm here if you need to talk about anything."

"Thanks," Carol smiled.

She got up off the swing and dumped the coffee out over the rails and into the dirt.

"Why did you get into witchcraft?" Carol asked curiously but mostly wanted to change the subject.

"To learn how to do magic," May answered getting up and stretching.

"For fun or is there another reason?"

"The latter."

"Which is?" Carol pushed when May didn't elaborate. May would always listen to Carol's problems but to get her cousin to open up about her own was like trying to open a can of olives with half a can opener.

"To correct a mistake I made," May said simply. She bended over to attempt to touch her toes when her phone buzzed.

"Is that Jim?" Carol asked.

"No, I broke up with him a while ago." May said standing up and pulling out her phone. "It's my dad, checking in on me."

Carol started to tug on her finger, "how is Mr. Henderson?"

"Just call him Joe. You make my dad sound old when you call him Mr," May said as she texted her father back. "And he is doing fine."

"Is he seeing anyone?"

"Yeah, an old girlfriend from college." She said glancing up at Carol for a second before looking back down at her phone. "I think he is going to propose to her soon."

"You don't have a problem with your dad dating?"

"I'm getting really tried of that question," May said annoyed. "I get it a dozen times from my dad and double that from Lilly."

"Lilly is the girlfriend?" Carol guessed.

"Yes, and I don't have a problem with her or her dating my dad." May droned. "She is decent to my dad and it's nice to know that he is not going to be lonely anymore."

May sent the text and joined Carol at the rail.

"How is your mom?" Carol asked realizing she couldn't remember the last time May had mentioned her mother.

The divorce had been messy between May's parents but she had somehow managed to keep in contact with both.

May looked at her surprised, "she's dead."

Carol stared at her lost for words, "I didn't know. What-what happen? When did it happen?"

May chewed the corner of her cheek still surprised that Carol hadn't hear about her mother. Probably because she never said anything.

"A couple years before I moved in with you," she said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Carol asked both annoyed and sympathetic.

May tasted blood and stopped chewing her cheek. "I don't like to talk about it."

"How-did she die?"

"Hit by a drunk driver." May said softly.

"I'm so sorry," Carol said wishing she had something more meaningful to say.

"Thanks," May muttered. "But I don't want to talk about this. It happened a long time ago and-it just hurts."

Carol nodded, "okay."

May's phone buzzed as her father responded to her text. Carol checked her heart monitor as May sent another text.

"What is that for?" May asked now the one changing the subject off of them. "It's a heart monitor, right?"

"It is."

"Why are you wearing it?"

Carol sighed and absentmindedly grabbed her finger.

"Wow, it must be bad," May said noting the finger pulling.

Carol laughed and let go of her pinky. "I need to stop doing that."

"So, what is it?" May pressed.

Carol shook her head, "No. Let's not talk about this now. Enough sad stuff."

May raised an eyebrow, "how bad is it?"

Carol cleared her throat again, "so what do you think of the hotel theme?"

May started to laugh then leaned over the rail and broke down in roars of laughter. Carol watched her in amazement

"Oh, they got us good," May laughed wiping tears from her eyes. "I have never been so scared in my life."

"You were scared?"

May pushed her hair out of her face, "I had to put on a brave face for you. You fainted after all."

Carol blushed, "I can't believe I did that."

There was a loud roaring sound as David started to cut down the weeds growing along the side of the house.

"Augh, I better get in the house before my allergies start acting up," Carol said backing away from the railing.

May picked up the diary before following her into the house.

Carol set her coffee mug in the sink while May searched the refrigerator for something to eat.

Billy walked in carrying several of his own dirty dishes.

"Good morning," he greeted them cheerfully.

"Good morning," Carol returned the greeting.

May just grunted.

Billy dropped his dishes next to Carol's as May grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter.

"How are the bruises?" Carol asked.

May looked over flushing red.

"They fine," Bill told here with a laugh. "It didn't help that I fell asleep on that side."

Tess walked in at that moment and greeted everyone good morning. Or that is what Carol thought she said. She had been too distracted by the fact Tess was still wearing her ghost costume. Not the make up or the wig just the shredded layer of dress. She wondered if Tess had slept in it.

"Billy would you change the light bulbs in the catacombs?" Tess asked her brother. "Someone left the lights on last night and several of the bulbs died."

"Why can't you?" Billy demanded.

"Because the catacombs are creepy as shit and there are bats," she shuddered.

Carol glanced out the window above the sink and saw David was coming up the porch. He was flushed red and covered in sweat, making his shirt stick to him.

"I'll help you," Carol offered, hearing the front door open.

"Thanks," Billy said gratefully as he took the bags of light bulbs that Tess handed him.

He led Carol to the laundry room where there was a trap door that lead down to the basement.

"Watch out for the last rung," Billy told her as he went down the ladder first. "It's about to break."

Carol followed him down the ladder, jumping the broken one. The basement was full of old trunks and stacks of boxes lined up alongside the walls. There were broken plasters with piles of white paint buckets in front of it.

One of the boxes were open and Carol could see several photo albums with stacks of fading pictures on top of them. There were pictures of Julie and Teddy as babies and Lizzy as a toddler. There was one of Carol and May at Christmas time opening a big pink present with a baby doll in it. Teddy was in the background, pulling another present out from under the tree. He was a little older in this picture.

Carol took the photo out, smiling at her four-year-old self. She remembered that doll and that Christmas. Though all she could recall was how big the Christmas tree was. Christmas at Julie's house had always been the best. Her parents were loaded and Carol's and May's parent at the time were the ones that took care of their house and yard. That was how all of them had met.

Carol and May had practically grown up with Julie and Ted as if they were sibling. Teddy had complained a lot about having just girls to play with but then David joined their group when the neighbors across the street decided take in a few foster kids.

Carol put the photo back in the box and followed Billy to the farthest wall.

"Watch this," he said with a smile.

He ran his hand over the cement splatter wall until he located a small trigger spring that opened the secret door.

"Whoa," Carol said as the wall slid open revealing a hidden passage to the catacombs below.

It was pitch black except for a flickering yellow light in the distant.

Billy turned on his flashlight and aimed it at the dark.

"Here," he said handing her another flashlight.

"Thanks."

She clicked it on and also aimed it into the dark. Her light caught the small trail of dirt that had been falling from the low ceiling.

"Is it safe?" she asked. "Julie said something about needing to have support beams put up."

"It is safe in the beginning half," Billy told her. "but its further down is where you need to watch out for. We put up signs where the tunnels are at risk of collapsing."

Reassured, Carol followed Billy into the tunnel. The ground slopped downwards and then gradually started turning to the right.

At times Carol could hear a squeaky sound above her and something flapping in the dark. She pointed her light upwards and saw a bat hanging upside down, his wings folded across his chest and his head resting under it.

"Are you not afraid of bats?" Billy asked her.

"No, but I am of spiders."

"I don't think there are any down here. The bats take care of them."

Carol followed Billy while keeping her light pointed to the ground for any large rocks that would trip her.

"There's a dead one," Carol pointed to the wall where a line of lights was nailed to.

Billy pulled out a new light bulb from the two plastic bags he was carrying and unscrewed the dead one.

He flipped a switch next to the bulb and the cave took an orange tint as the lights turned on. Though, dotting the bright lights were dark spaces of where a light bulb had died.

Carol took one of the bulbs from Billy's bag and changed one of the dead ones. They continued, changing any dead light bulbs they found until they came to a place where the tunnel split into three different directions.

"It looks like the lights are okay down there," Billy said gesturing to the middle tunnel with the bags, making the bulbs clink together. "You take left, I'll go right?"

Carol peered down the left tunnel.

"How long is it?" she asked.

"I don't know," Billy admitted. "Most of the paths are collapsed but there are a few that leads right to Evergreen. There one that even goes all the way to the next town over, about 20 miles away."

"This house gets weirder and weirder," Carol muttered, shaking her head. "Yeah, I will go left."

Billy handed her one of the bags before he walked away and Carol continue down hers. A few bats flew past her. One nearly hit her as it swooped down to eat a moth, but she managed to duck in time.

Carol changed fifteen light bulbs before she reached another split. Once again, one path was lit up and the other was black. Carol decided to keep going, changing the dead bulbs while humming toneless to herself. Eventually she checked the time on her phone and saw it was already noon. Julie should be back soon.

A wall of rock rose in front of her, baring her path. A small spot of sunlight forced its way in through an opening at the very top.

"What is on the other side?" Carol mused. "Probably the forest. I don't think I went far enough to be in town."

She clicked off her flashlight now that there was enough light to see with and began retracing her steps to meet up with Billy when her foot kicked something. She turned back on her flashlight and pointed it down to see an old rusty chain partially buried in the sand.

"What is that?" she wondered bending down.

Her fingers scraped the dirt away as she dug the chain out.

It was a necklace with a ring on it. The ring had lost its golden color and the chain was stiff, threatening to break at the slightest touch.

She slipped the ring off the chain and held it up to the light. The band twinkled slightly. There was no diamonds or hint that there ever was any. It was just a simple band.

She started to slip the ring over her finger and then stopped and held the ring back up.

"Who did you belong to?" she asked it.

She turned it over a few more times before pocketing both the ring and necklace and started to head back.

"Oh shit," she groaned when she reached where the tunnel split.

She glanced left then right. Which one did she come from?

"Billy?��� she called out, hoping he would hear her.

Her voice echoed back to her.

"Billy?"

Nothing.

At least it wasn't dark.

"Oh please, I don't want to be lost," she groaned again and then decided to go left.

She walked down the tunnel trying to remember how far she had gone. The tunnel split off into three ways and she sighed with relief.

"Good, found the way," she said happily continuing going right.

"Or maybe not," she sighed when she again came to a two-way split.

"Not time to panic. I will just retrace my steps and go the other way-" She stopped as she turned around to find that now there were four ways to go and she didn't know which tunnel she had come out of.

"Shit, time to panic," She groaned reaching for her phone.

"And no signal," she groaned even louder.

"Billllly!!!!"

Still no answer.

"I am so stupid," she grumbled.

She sat down and leaned against the wall. "I guess I have to just wait until someone finds me."

She took her phone out again and started to play candy crush while she waited. She lost all five lives within ten minutes.