Gray Wolf Ranch

Chapter 12 - Nightmares

ROWTAG

"Row... Rowtag, wake up!"

Huritt's face is above me as I open my eyes. The alarm clock next to my bed says it's 4:47 a.m.

"The ranch better be on fire. What the hell is going on?" My voice comes out hoarse and my mouth feels dry.

"I heard whimpering coming from your room. I thought maybe Hunter was stuck in here, but found you trashing around in bed."

I sit and rub my face. This is the second time this happens in a week, only this time one of my brothers noticed.

"Same dream?" Huritt asks, and I nod, but it's a lie.

This nightmare isn't the same that used to plague me growing up. In this one, a silver-gray wolf chases me through the forest that then turns into a resort. I skid on the ground flooded with blood. Kitchi lays dead next to a turned golf cart and Istu hangs from a bush with a thorny branch protruding from his chest. Huritt lays broken on the floor, but his eyes are open. I stand between saving my brother and being killed by the snarling wolf.

"What do you think is causing it?" Huritt sits on my bed facing me.

"Don't know. Maybe Kit's episodes are freaking me out."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one. Last night was the worst I've seen him."

Usually I'm the worrier among us and now Huritt's words makes my guilt bigger. Kitchi came last night into the living room after taking a shower. He was wet and naked and looked scared and confused.

"Get a damn towel!" Huritt said harshly from the kitchen. "You are leaving puddles everywhere!"

Istu and I looked at each other when we saw how Kit was shivering and how he looked as if he had lost his mind. Istu stood up from the couch with his usual calm and placed an arm around Kitchi's shoulders. Huritt then realized Kit wasn't acting on purpose and took a few steps towards them.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Istu asked him.

"I can't fucking find it," Kitchi cried. I've never seen a grown man sob like that.

"What can't you find?" I asked, feeling confused at his behavior.

"In the bathroom," he pointed to the direction where he came from.

Being careful with the water on the floor, we all went to the bathroom and found his towel on the floor, so I grabbed it and covered him with it. Istu keeps a journal of these events to share with his doctor, but this one was more than just a blackout or forgetting something.

"Kit has his doctor appointment to discuss his scan soon. He will get the help he needs," I say.

"I want to say that I hope nothing is wrong with him, but it's obvious that something is."

I couldn't agree more with him. Since we were both up, we got dressed and had breakfast while catching up on what his teams are doing. The evening program is almost finished and the sport team is the biggest hit. Not only they are good; they make everything so amusing people come just to watch.

"These two middle-aged ladies follow Bart and Miguel everywhere, like cheerleaders. The guys feel flattered as hell," Huritt grins.

"What about the theater troupe?" I ask while drinking my coffee.

"Alex is incredible. He acts like an idiot to make people laugh, but he knows what he is doing. Did you know he was about to get evicted from his apartment when we hired him? He had trouble getting a gig in the city and was running out of savings. He alone has planned the shows, resources, materials. The other team members listen to him. I'm thinking about promoting him to entertainment manager."