2
Dad’s brow furrowed slightly. He clearly wouldn’t be satisfied with just that as an answer.
“It was like, a yowling?” I explained. “Or maybe a throaty growl. I’m not really sure, honestly; I only heard it once. Thus the window opening,” I added with a wave of my hand.
“You didn’t see anything in the trees, did you?” Dad’s voice held a hint of an edge. I didn’t want to worry him, per se, but it was better to be honest with him. I’d want him to know if something dangerous had gotten too close to the house.
“I mean, there were… eyes?” I offered hopefully.
Dad ran a hand through his darkened hair, similarly streaked with strands of white. It was crazy to see him outside of framed photographs back at Mom’s place; having separated parents really did strange things to one’s memory.
“Guess something’s wandering around town again. I’ll have to let the mayor know so he can send a few people out.” He went for my door but paused, turning back to face me as he continued, “I know you’re not used to a curfew, or being limited as to where you can go, but this is exactly why. The last thing I want to hear from anyone is how my daughter had an encounter with wolves.”
“W-wolves?” I stumbled over the word, trying to force a smile on my face. “That’s—you’re joking, right? I thought wolves are scared of people as much as we are them?”
“The ones in Ayersville are… unique,” Dad replies, as if he’s chosen each word carefully. “They’re used to people, unfortunately.”
“Okay, well, it’s not like anyone’s died because of them, right?” I wish I hadn’t asked; the minute I did, my dad’s expression fell completely from his face. “Dad?”
“They’re very rare cases!” The scar across Dad’s lip curled as he gave a reassuring grin. “And the people who were killed only were because they were stupid. But you’re right, wild animals are often more afraid of us than we are them.” He sighed softly, clearly seeing I’ve started to tremble. A real smile graced me as he pulled me in for a warm hug. “They’re only active at night, sweetheart. As long as you’re inside before the sun’s down, there’s nothing to worry about.”
I could only manage a grimace as my arms wrapped around his waist. “Any chance I could convince you to lend me a pocketknife?” I asked. “For safety reasons, of course.”
Dad chuckled deeply, pulling away just enough that our green eyes could meet. “I’d be happy to. Heck, when you go to the store tomorrow, find one you like and I’ll pick it up on the way home from work.”
“The general store sells pocketknives?” I asked incredulously.
Dad began full-on laughing, gently swaying toward the bed as he set me down. “They might have some stored away for their favorite accountant. Now, get some sleep. It’s getting late, you and Hazel practically talked through twilight.”
“We really did, didn’t we?” I grinned, grabbing my covers before tucking underneath them. “‘Night, Dad.”
“Goodnight, Aria.” My dad flipped the light switch, gently maneuvering toward the door as he began to close it behind him. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Dad,” I replied on a yawn, settling into my pillow as drowsiness overtook me.
Chapter Two
I
wasn’t used to actually wearing my autumn coat during, well, autumn. It always felt hotter in the city, so when I walked out the next day and felt a shiver in the air, it was an unusual change of pace. One change of clothes later and I was back out the door, grabbing my bike off the wall before winding down the driveway.
Ayersville was, admittedly, a gorgeous place during the day. A bit simple, maybe, but there was a sort of old-world charm to it. As I biked along the forested road, it was impossible not to notice the leaves swirling around me. They were like tiny embers falling from the sky, a beautiful myriad of yellows, oranges, and reds. Not a sight I saw often, not even in Central Park.
“Alright, one point for you, countryside,” I grumbled under my breath.
At least biking downtown was a quick ordeal. Ayersville was only a small collection of old-fashioned buildings, modernized only enough to keep them upright and up to code. The largest stood only four-stories tall, sitting in the center of it all with a beautiful, ornately-carved fountain beside it. It depicted a crescent moon, with dozens of tiny trees carved into the rim. Two wolves ran across the water itself, frozen in mid-sprint as they chased each other throughout time.
“Okay, so, where’s the general store…?” I hopped off my bike and began pushing it about. It’s not like I’d never visited my dad before, but the longest I stayed was two weeks during winter break. Like, five years ago. At the very least, each building looked different enough to distinguish what they sold. A floral shop, café, ice cream stand—finally, a sign simply labeled “General Store” showed up.
“Very original,” I chuckled, heading inside.
It was like every grocery store I’d seen in those cheesy romance movies: small shelves full of hometown goods, a scarce number of folks wandering around with arm baskets in hand, and a staff I was certain had been there since its opening. I browsed the aisles for a few minutes, honestly fascinated with some of the stuff they shelved here.
“Who the hell keeps firewood on the inside…?” I wondered aloud, hand brushing across the many ‘flavors’ I saw. Hickory, mesquite, apple, pecan—if someone read these out loud, I might’ve mistaken them for barbeque sauces.
My focus may have been on finding the pocketknives, but the drink aisle was the first to catch my attention. As expected, most of them were either off-brand or some homemade attempt from the locals; thank God I managed to stumble across something labeled with a familiar brand.
“Guess a drink wouldn’t hurt,” I reasoned, hand reaching out to grab the bottle’s neck.
Only, I ended up grabbing someone else’s hand instead.
With a startled gasp, I flipped my attention to my soft-drink rival. He looked equally surprised to see me, oceanic eyes widening beneath some of the sharpest facial features I’d ever seen. A grey wool hat flattened his dirty-blonde hair, and his thin lips parted in a slight ‘o’ as we stared at each other. Or, more accurately, I stared up at him; the guy had to be well over six feet.
“Oh, I—” he stammered out.
“No, that’s—” I cut him off.
We fell into silence once more, tension building between us. Eventually, that grave expression of his warmed into an unexpectedly cute smile, dimples and all. “Should we flip a coin for it, then?”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t fight you for it?” The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I could feel my face cooking from embarrassment. But, luckily for me, this guy seemed to have a sense of humor and chuckled alongside me.
“If violence is the only answer,” he teased, “I would happily step down in surrender.”
That got a genuine snort out of me. “Oh, you don’t think I could take you on?” Stupid, Aria, stupid. Just shut up and stop digging yourself deeper in.
The guy’s grin persisted, thank God, as his hand shifted off the bottle’s neck and he extended it forward. “Well, if there is to be a duel, let it be founded on honorable beginnings. I am known as Aiden of House Lowell.”
I glanced between his hand and his face, relieved to see he still looked completely joking about this whole thing. “Well… I am Aria, of House Harvey,” I replied, taking his hand and giving it the firmest shake I could muster.
“Woah, you weren’t kidding.” Aiden laughed, freeing his hand as he shook it slightly. “That’s quite the handshake you’ve got there.” He paused, adding quickly afterwards, “Oh, um, we don’t actually have to fight, either.”
I grinned awkwardly, fingers running through my hair. “I guessed that, yeah. Though, I applaud your dedication to the bit.”
God, that smile of his was almost addictive. Aiden glanced through the shelves, eventually grabbing the soda bottle before holding it out toward me. “I’m gonna guess you’re new here, yeah? Unless the town’s favorite accountant has been hiding you in his basement ‘till now?”
I shook my head, accepting the bottle with a smile. “No, I’ve been hiding in the city for a bit, actually. Just came over before school starts.”
“No kidding?” Aiden flashed a sympathetic grin. “Man, that’s just every senior’s dream.”
This guy. I was really starting to like this guy. “Well… I’d be willing to share this most-coveted soda with you, Sir Aiden, in exchange for more information about this place?” I asked.
“Ooh, what a tempting offer,” Aiden chuckled. “I wholeheartedly accept your proposal, Lady Aria. As long as you let me know when this little skit of ours should officially stop.”
That got a good laugh out of me. “What, not enjoying this little moment of improv theater?”