Chapter 33 | THE PURSUIT

I almost stop walking altogether, but he notices before I can and quickly grabs my arm, gently tugging me to keep me moving. "Don't stop walking."

I look up at him, all that relief I felt a minute ago vanishing. "They're close, aren't they?"

He keeps his eyes trained forward. "Yes."

And with that one word, dread and panic fill me completely.

Crap, holy crap. "How do you know?" I ask.

I look to the sides but don't see anything. And, currently, we're about twenty yards away from the tree, if I had to guess.

Knowing I'll be climbing, I stuff the hatchet in the back of my snow pants pocket. Speaking of which, why did I have to wear snow pants? They slow me down way too much.

"Look behind you, but don't stop walking."

Scared at what I'll see, I glance behind me.

"I don't see anything."

"Look closer."

Immediately my eyes widen.

There, in the distance, I see multiple wolves weaving in and out between the trees.

They're keeping their distance for the time being, but they're clearly following us.

Even from here, they look big.

I glance forward again, making sure the path ahead of me is clear. Then, I look back again. Vaughn keeps a hand on my arm to ensure I don't stop walking.

A couple of the ones currently visible to me are mainly black. But, most are what I remember to be called agouti, which is a tawny-like brown mixed with black, white, gray, and an almost goldlike color.

I look back forward again, hoping they don't decide to attack before we get to the tree, which we're not too far away from now.

Well, I've never been hunted and followed by wolves before. This is definitely a very terrifying experience.

Vaughn looks behind us, "Mikaere."

"Yeah?" I ask, looking behind us, too.

Right away, the fear level within me rises even further.

Apparently, there was no howl, no movement, to signify the beginning of the hunt. No, evidently, we were clearly marked as prey the moment we were first spotted.

Right as I looked back, they all took off at once, as if in full coordination and understanding with one another.

The wolves are determined, running swiftly in our direction. They're silent predators rapidly pushing forward, remaining steady.

Vaughn lets go of my arm, and though he doesn't need to tell me something I already know, he does. "Run."

I instantly take off for the tree, taking long strides leaping through the snow. It feels all too well like a certain fateful Wednesday a few weeks back. Except this time, it's wolves I fear, not cell walls.

I glance back behind me for a split second, silently yelling at myself on the inside to move faster, as I see them getting closer.

I eventually reach the tree, seeing two somewhat sturdy limbs within my reach.

I'm going to have to grab one with each hand, jump and place my feet on the trunk, and somehow maneuver myself up.

So, I try that, and I fail, landing on the ground again.

It's not like this bag is making it any easier, either.

I look to my right, seeing Vaughn standing with his back to me, pointing the rifle in his hands at the wolves emerging from behind the distant trees.

I count nine of them.

And, they all look very calm. Much calmer than I would have expected.

It's almost as if they know that they have us right where they want us--cornered.

Quickly turning my head back to focus on climbing the tree, I try to maneuver myself up again. But like before, I don't have the arm strength to pull myself up.

Okay, okay. Breathe. Maybe try to push yourself up with your legs more rather than pull yourself up with your arms.

I try that, and while I get farther than the last time, I'm still not able to, because my boots slip on the trunk.

This reminds me of the first time I tried to climb a tree out here, and all I felt were Vaughn's judging eyes...No. Not the time to think about that now.

Getting fed up with myself, I decide that this fourth try will also, in fact, be my final try.

So, with all the fear pushing me to make it, I place my boots on the trunk, pushing up. Bending slightly, I then shift the weight and put it on my arms for a quick moment, pushing myself up that way.

And then, once I'm sitting on one of the branches, I can then stand up and start climbing.

Vaughn was right, this tree is perfect for climbing away from wild animals. There are not too many branches so that you're completely immobilized, but there are enough sturdy ones so where you can safely remain in the tree.

Situating myself on a limb, I wrap my arms around a branch above me to stay steady. Then, looking down, I watch as Vaughn backs up to the base of the tree.

And as soon as he turns his back to them and starts climbing, they make their move, racing forward towards the tree.

As he's moving up, one of the wolves, an agouti-or whatever-colored one, jumps after him. My heart stops, and I panic as it almost manages to get its mouth around his boot, trying to bite and pull him down.

And, I remember reading about the bite force of wolves. Therefore, I breathe a sigh of relief as Vaughn quickly lifts his leg and kicks the animal away, making it fall to the ground again.

And then, he's climbing higher and situates himself on a few branches right across from me.

He looks at me, and if I didn't know better, I'd say he appears a bit concerned. "Are you okay?" He asks, voice low and gentle as usual. Though this time, he seems slightly out of breath, just like how I get when I walk up a few steps.

"I'm fine, I'm not the one whose foot almost got bit by a wolf. Are you okay?"

He nods, looking at my face. And, it's not the normal eye-contact-I'm-looking-at-you type of staring. It's more like you've-got-something-peculiar-on-your-face type of staring.

"What?" I ask him.

"You got scratched."

I take off my right chopper, feeling my face for the cut, and my fingers come back with a bit of blood.

Well, I did struggle a lot with climbing up here. I'm not at all surprised I got cut. Kind of surprised I didn't feel it, though.

"Huh," I say. "Is it bleeding incessantly? Should I put something on it?"

"No, it's not bad," he answers. "Why? Do you have a first-aid kit stuffed somewhere in that thing?"

He gestures to my very overpacked duffle bag, and I nod.

"Of course you do."

I smile, and even though he probably couldn't care less, I tell him: "I also got some books, some more clothes, a portable charger thing, chess, a hunting knife, and hand and feet warmers...which I totally forgot about until now. Dang. Those could've been useful today. I mean, I guess I could still use them, but it just seems like a hassle, y' know? With us being in a tree and all."

Vaughn swings his rifle around to rest it horizontally on his lap, almost looking his version of amused as a result of my random monologue.

He swings that rifle around way too much, I'm surprised he hasn't accidentally blown my head off or something.

"Did you get the knife with the black leather sheath or the brown leather one?"

Is he actually putting forth effort into a conversation and asking questions? Yay! I answer him, "The brown leather. I'm guessing you have the black one?"

He nods, "I do."

Looking down, I'm met with eighteen eyes staring up at us. One of the seven agouti wolves licks its muzzle, another one snarls, and I immediately look away again.

"Well, this is definitely the third scariest situation I've been in."

Vaughn looks at me. "Wolves stalking, chasing, and treeing you only lands at number three?"

"Yup. The first is when...well, the fire. And, the second is something that happened on the way here."

His eyebrows start to come together, "What happened?"

I'm surprised by his current inquisitive and talkative nature, but try not to let it show. "Well, the lady who was giving me a ride--we stopped for the night at this truck stop. And, right when I was about to fall asleep, I heard this tapping on the window. And so I look, and there's this really pale, creepy guy, with bloodshot eyes. And, he starts slamming his hands onto the window, hard, and the whole time he was doing it, he wouldn't stop laughing."

Vaughn frowns, "What did you do?"

"Well, I woke up Grace, the driver, and she quickly started driving away. Except, he was still hanging on to the side of the truck, staring in at us and laughing. So, I just opened up the door and, well, kicked it open, and he went flying off. And, when I looked back at him, he sat up in the snow and just started laughing. I called it in and told the authorities, but I don't know, it was still scary." I shrug.

"You haven't really had the best of luck, have you?"

"And that's exactly why I don't believe in luck anymore."

We fall back into silence, and while it's not uncomfortable silence, I hate it, making me decide to just start talking.

"So. We've been treed," I state the obvious.

"Yes."

"We are treed and unable to escape."

"Yes."

"Treed. Treed. The more you say it, the weirder and more redneck it sounds."

He looks at me oddly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I laugh, partly amused and partly out of pure stress from the situation, causing him to do that thing where he tilts his head slightly to the side. "Maybe a bit worried about how long we're gonna be up here for, but other than that, yeah," I tell him.

He nods, looking down.

I do the same, seeing them all laying down, patiently waiting for us.

Well, I highly doubt a wolf is more patient than I am, so this shouldn't be too difficult a situation. Right?

But then again, the wolves are said to be determined...

So, I ask: "Will they seriously have no reaction to a gunshot?"

"They'll scatter for a moment, but they'll return."

"It wouldn't buy us much time?"

"Time to do what, exactly? Make it a few yards before being surrounded?"

I frown, "Wow, okay, well...this sucks. At least we won't get bored up here, though."

He looks at me, seeming uncertain and cautious. "Why?"

I smile, "Well, you might, I guess. But I won't."

"I have a feeling you could entertain yourself in any situation."

"Well, maybe," I answer, shrugging. "Hey, I have a personal question."

He shifts slightly, "I'm not surprised. What is it?"

"Why do you live out here? I mean, of all places?"

"...It's isolated."

Well, I...kind of got that, already.

"And why do you want to live in isolation?"

"I wasn't...I'm not proud of who I was before. I made a mistake, so I moved here to get away from everything and everyone. It's easier."

"Where are you from?"

"Juneau."

"If...you don't mind me asking..."

"Go ahead."

"Don't you miss your family?"

He looks away, frowning slightly. "Of course."

I nod, understanding that he doesn't want to talk about it. "Okay, well, what's your favorite color?"

Vaughn looks at me, seeming surprised. "What?"

"It's a simple question, Vaughn. I'm surprised I haven't asked it yet, to be honest."

He's silent for a few seconds as he looks at me, looking slightly perplexed. It's not that confusing of a question, is it?

But then again, maybe that's not what he's confused over. Who knows!

"Lavender."

Snapping my head back from a distant tree that my eyes had drifted off to and were examining, I probably fail at hiding my surprise. Lavender? Wow, who would've thought?

I smile, "I like lavender. My favorite color's green, though."

"What kind of green?"

"Not an annoying bright green, more like a subtle one. Like...a dark green. Like an evergreen forest type of green."

He nods, and my mind drifts back to the trip to town, and all of the people I talked to. I can't help but feel like I wasted my time and chances to get useful information.

But then again, what if no one I talked to really knew anything?

I can't help but feel like the people who know the most about what happened are the ones I'm closest to or the ones who I know of the most. Nina, Henry, Luna. Thor...

"Hey, so Thor said he was looking for John out here when he lost his eye," I start, and Vaughn moves his attention to me. "But, apparently, John disappeared by the river?"

"He just needed a story to tell that didn't make him look like a moron. He still clearly failed, however."

"Oh. So what was Thor doing out here?"

"Trying to get my attention to accuse me of one thing or another."

I frown, "...Seriously? Why does everyone in this town hate you?"

Except for Henry, I guess. Why does he trust Vaughn so much?

"They can't know me, and they can't understand me. So, everyone does what they're sure they can do: distrust and dislike me."

That makes sense, I guess.

Everything else, however, does not.