As the darkness descends and the night sky takes over, I return to our friend's house, heart brimming with elation at having finally solved the enigma that has plagued me for days. No, the culprit has not been brought to justice yet, but at least I'll be more vigilant and unyielding in the future.
The clock strikes seven in the evening, marking the end of a long, arduous day. My spirit is high, but my body is drained and dirty; my face is caked with dusty grime, and my hair is tousled and unkempt from the day's adventures.
"Where have you been all this time?" Gabriela greets me on the porch with a smile, a small kitten in her lap playing innocently. "I was starting to get worried."
From the backyard, children's voices fill the air as the house lights flicker off.
I approach the purring kitten gingerly, only for it to launch off Gabriela's lap and flee into the darkness.
"Oh no," Gabriela frowns at me. "That was the neighbor's cat, and such a darling too."
"It'll be back," I reassure her wearily, slowly ascending the weathered wooden steps of the porch.
"Did you find the camera?" she asks, falling into step beside me.
"Yes, it was right there," I reply, taking in the serenity of the silent house. The only sounds that pierce the stillness are the steady tick-tick-tick of the kitchen wall clock, and the muted murmuring of the TV from the living room.
Gabriela persists with her questions, "Did you go anywhere else?"
"What else could I do, love?" I reply with a note of annoyance. "Just taking pictures, like I always do." I trudge up the stairs to our room, in dire need of a change of clothes.
Gabriela's eyes light up at the mention of the pictures, filled with pure curiosity and excitement, "Will you show them to me!"
Her eagerness prompts her to trail after me as I ascend the stairs, a faint grin playing on her lips.
"I want to see my hometown with your eyes," she enthuses, resting her chin on her palm as she peers over the banister.
"Sure, I will," I say, my voice betraying my fatigue. "But first, I need to eat. I'm starving."
As I step into our room, I opt for a fresh t-shirt and a comfortable pair of cotton pants.
Despite my hunger, I can't quell the unease churning in my gut. The weight of the truth finally presses down on me like a ton of bricks, and I realize that I've been hiding things from my wife for far too long. The realization sinks in that someone is threatening us, and the accident with the shard might have been just the beginning. The thought of a psychopath lurking around and targeting us worries me deeply, and I wonder what their next move would be.
I know I can't keep up the charade any longer. No matter how foolish I may appear to Gabriela, I need to come clean and stop keeping secrets. Fueled by a renewed sense of determination, I contemplate the best approach to reveal the truth and devise a plan to handle the predicament at hand.
As I enter the kitchen, the remnants of dinner are scattered across the table. Gabriela is taking care of a few plates by the sink, and I approach her cautiously.
"Where is everyone?" I ask, keeping my voice low.
"Kristeen is still watching TV, the kids are playing outside," she replies, her tone calm and even. "Alex and Isabel have gone to bed."
"Ah, ok!" I twist the cap off the bottle of Coke and indulge in a long sip, hoping to distract myself from my swirling thoughts. The food on my plate offers no solace, nor does the suffocating silence that blankets the dining table. I slowly pick at baked potatoes and chicken on my plate, seeming to have no taste and smell to me. Gabriela draws closer, pouring herself a glass of sparkling water with lemon.
Just as I steel myself to speak, ready to come clean about my strange behavior, Tom and Lily bolt into the room, their faces contorted in fear.
"There's someone in the potato field," they huff, breathless from their sprint.
The sharp sound of a door slamming echoes through the house, followed by the unmistakable sounds of hurried footsteps. Alex springs into action, jolted into wakefulness by the panicked cries of the children. He storms down the stairs, his eyes still bleary from sleep and his fists clenched in confusion.
"Why on earth are you still up?!" he scolds, wiping the sleep from his eyes. His mouth is free from the bandage, but his jaw muscles remain taut and tense, causing his lips to look uneven.
"Grandma said it's okay!" Lily sobs, clinging to Tom for comfort.
"Mom, I asked you specifically not to let the kids outside after dark," Alex fumes, his voice laced with frustration.
"Don't be angry, Alex," Kristeen intervenes, emerging from the living room. "I let them out. The weather is beautiful! Instead of arguing here, why don't you go and check the yard?"
"Be careful," she adds, wrapping a long wool shawl around her shoulders.
Alex reaches behind the kitchen cupboard and retrieves a sleek hunting rifle, deftly loading it with bullets. He turns his steely gaze towards me and asks, "Will you join me?"
I hesitate for a moment, knowing full well the danger that lurks outside. Nevertheless, I steel my nerves and respond, "Of course."
Alex hands me a sturdy torch, and together, we step out into the chilly night air. The refreshing breeze gently caresses our faces, filling our lungs with its cool, invigorating scent.
The agile martins continue to dance and swirl in the vast blue canvas overhead, while the sun gradually sinks beneath the horizon. The sky is painted in a lush crimson hue, with flickering embers of orange and gold fading in the distance, resembling the dying embers of a fire.
We carefully skirt the house as we approach the vegetable field, which extends all the way to the edge of the dense forest, enclosed by a low wooden fence. Spirally twisted barbed wires crown the top of it. In the distance, an old water tower stands tall against the gray trunks and intricate foliage of the surrounding trees, creating a stark contrast with the vibrant sky.
Alex cautiously tiptoes onto the narrow path that snakes its way through dense rows of potato bushes. He carefully scans the field, searching for any sign of a person in distress. Above him, foreboding storm clouds creep across the sky, shrouding everything in a blanket of darkness.
With his arms at the ready, Alex moves slowly from one row to the next, scanning the ground for any clues of a potential emergency. Meanwhile, I follow his lead, "You never know when a stranger could sneak up and lay in wait," and investigate the nearby paddock and chicken coop, ever-vigilant for any signs of danger.
Despite our worries, we find no one in the area.
Exhausted and tense, I return to the safety of the wooden porch, where Alex sits in silence, lost in thought. Somewhere beyond the dark, imposing silhouettes of the mountains, the rumble of an ominous storm echoes in the distance.
Alex grimaces, lowering his gun. "Nobody's here," he mutters. "It could've been a neighbor's dog. The kids might have mistaken it for a person in the darkness. That pesky dog keeps jumping over the fence and scaring our chickens."
I take a seat next to Alex, grateful for the chance to rest after the adrenaline rush of the search. We sit in peaceful silence for a while, taking in the beauty of the evening.
As we sit there, the tops of the trees, imbued with the golden hues of the coming autumn, dance in perfect unison with the gentle breeze. With each gust, the branches bend and sway, as if performing an ancient shamanic ritual. The rustling of the leaves creates a soothing melody, punctuated occasionally by the soft chirping of birds settling in for the night. It is a serene moment of tranquility amid the chaos of the day.
As night falls, a magnificent, full silver moon ascends into the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the world below. Against the town's faint illumination, the glowing orb appears as a surreal, levitating sphere, suspended in the frigid expanse of the boundless sky. Millions of pearl-white, sparkling stars twinkle around the moon, forming intricate constellations, including the illustrious Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, with the radiant Polar Star shining brilliantly at the tip of the Little Dipper's handle.
A profound silence envelopes the surroundings, save for the gentle whisper of the wind as it meanders through the dense foliage of the forest. The crisp, fresh air of August carries with it a rich and heady bouquet of wild forest herbs, ripe apples, and newly cut grass, intermingled with the pungent aroma of boggy swampland and humid earth, creating a distinct, unique aroma that is unmistakably specific to this area.
Alex rises from the porch, gazing pensively into the thicket of the forest, swaying gently from his toes to his heels as he moves his jaw in deep contemplation.
"It's possible that it was just an animal that wandered too close," he finally speaks. "We should head back home."
"Agreed," I reply, shooing away the persistent mosquitoes that hungrily cling to my hands, already irritated with nettle stings.
Suddenly, Alex turns to me, eyeing me intently. "You seem quieter than before," he observes. "When you first arrived, you were more talkative. Now you're as quiet as a mouse. Is everything alright?"
I smile weakly, feeling a lump rising in my throat. "Everything's fine," I reply softly, hoping to keep my emotions in check.
As the distant sound of train wheels rumbles softly in the background, the tranquil chirping of nearby crickets fills the air, lending a serene ambiance to the night sky. As if appearing from a dream, the night sky is suddenly illuminated by a cascade of twinkling lanterns, their gentle glow casting a magical haze over the surroundings. The fluttering of a myriad of tiny fireflies fills the air like living, breathing constellations, their luminous bodies creating a symphony of light.
As I take in the breathtaking scene, the burden of my recent troubles looms heavily in my heart, and I long to share my struggles with Alex. If only they were not connected to my own deception, I would share everything. Perhaps he could assist in revealing the individuals who have caused so much trouble. But to do so requires me to bare my soul and confess to all the transgressions that I have committed, a prospect that fills me with anxiety and shame.
The uncomfortable stillness is shattered by a soft rustle beyond the neighboring fence. As if on cue, Alex swiftly draws his gun, poised to defend us. But his grip loosens as a large, furry dog springs over the fence and bounds towards us.
"Ah, there's our instigator!" Alex's face softens, his hand deftly scratching the Rottweiler-mongrel mix now panting heavily at his feet. "He must have come to scare our chickens."
Behind the fence, a hoarse voice of a neighbor is heard frantically calling out, "Gary! Gary! Where are you?"
"Here he is!" Alex shouts back, ambling over to the fence enclosing the neighbor's yard, and warmly greeting him.
"Steve, come over here!" Alex calls out to me, motioning towards the fence. Behind it stands a short, well-groomed man in his fifties, sporting a blue-plaid shirt and half-worn leather suspenders, holding up baggy pants, bubbling at the knees. His sharp, penetrating gaze, emanating from a lean face dotted with gray, thinning hair, studies me intently.
"This is Jack, the owner of the dog and my good neighbor. We've been living side by side for five years now," Alex introduces his neighbor to me.
Jack's face, etched with deep lines and wrinkles, transforms into a beaming smile.
"Pleasure to meet you!" I extend my hand warmly. "I'm Steve, from the capital," I add.
"Nice to meet you too," Jack says, firmly shaking my hand. "How are things in the capital? Are you planning to stay for a while?"
"All is well, thank you! Not for long! My wife was eager to meet her old friend Isabel," I say, peering past the neighbor and admiring his white brick house with a shed roof nestled in the corner of the courtyard. The roof boasts some missing patches, and a thin, curly snake of smoke wafts from the chimney and stretches up towards the sky.
"We also wanted to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city and enjoy some fresh air," I add, catching sight of a tall, shadowy statue beside Jack's house.
"The air is certainly refreshing here," Jack replies, unearthing a pack of cigarettes from his side pocket. He deftly selects a single cigarette to light with his trusty lighter from his back pocket and offers me the pack with a friendly smile, revealing even deeper wrinkles etched into his face.
"No, thank you!" I shake my head.
"My friends often come here for the weekend. They love the natural beauty of this place." After taking a deep drag, he exhales a cloud of smoke into the open air.
"Beautiful nature certainly is one of the advantages of living in the forest," Alex joins the conversation, stroking the back of a plaintively whining dog as it weaves under his feet.
"Only one advantage, to be precise," Jack's broad smile reveals a golden, shiny tooth. "Young people don't stay here. This place is a dead end with no opportunities," he clears his throat, scratching the peeling paint from the metal with his nails. "Everyone is running away. It's alright to visit for a few days--that's all most young folks do. They come to see their parents and then leave as soon as possible. This town is old and retired people are the only ones who stay."
"Oh, come on, Jack! It's not that bad! I found a job, and so have many of my friends," Alex interjects, squatting between the rows of potato bushes and scratching the ears of a howling dog sprawled on the ground.
"What's up, Gary? Why are you wailing?" He attempts to bring the dog's short snout towards his face, but Gary continues to curl up on the ground.
"Oh, leave it!" Jack snaps. "He's just a moody dog! He's been wailing and howling for the past few days, haven't you, Gary?" Jack teases his dog. "And as for you, Alex, you're just lucky to have found a job here! My view remains unchanged--this place is a dead end, a true hell hole," he purses his lips into a whistle, punctuating his remark. "Truly a hell hole!"
"Where is your wife?" he suddenly asks me, snuffing out his cigarette, his eyes still studying me intently.
"She must be sleeping," I answer wearily, feeling a strong desire to end the conversation quickly and retire to bed.
"Why aren't you sleeping? What brings you wandering in the fields so late at night?" he asks nonchalantly.
"The kids were yelling!" Alex replies. "They claimed to have seen someone walking in the field, so we came to investigate. As you can see, there's no one here but us and Gary." He stands up, scratching the back of his neck and leans over the fence, his gun casually thrown over his back.
As I look out into the darkness, I notice movement near the neighbor's house out of the corner of my eye. Straining to see, I search for the source of the motion, but everything remains still and silent. Still, I cannot discern what that statue is or what it represents.
"Pfft, who would be wandering around at this time of night?" Jack plucks a stem of a nearby herb and starts chewing on it. "Kids probably saw Gary or just some animal. They wander around all year long!"
I continue to peer into the darkness, searching for the source of the movement, until I feel Alex's grasp on my shoulder. Startled, I turn to face him.
"What's so interesting over there?" he whispers in my ear.
"Nothing," I mutter, frustrated by my inability to make out what I saw. Every time I fix my gaze at the neighbor's house, the movement stops.
"Jack wants to know what you do for a living," Alex informs me, changing the subject.
"I'm a photographer," I reply, "By the way, I couldn't help but wonder about that statue in your yard. What's it for?"
"What statue?" Jack asks, a puzzled expression on his face.
I point to the figure beside his house with my index finger. "That one right there."
Jack's lips curve into a smile, and he lets out a laugh. "There's no statue there, my friend," he declares. "Are you nearsighted or something?"
"No, I'm not," I reply, rubbing my eyes in disbelief.
But as I look once more, the statue is still there. "Okay," I think to myself, "I'll examine it more closely tomorrow morning."
As thick fog slowly rises from the lowlands, enveloping us in its impenetrable veil, the goosebumps form on my hands, and I raise my shoulders in response, inhaling the cool damp air and looking around the neighbor's yard once more. To my amazement, the statue appears to have moved closer to a nearby tree.
Meanwhile, Alex and Jack continue their conversation, seemingly oblivious to my growing unease. Yet, I can't take my eyes off the statue, doing my best to distinguish it in the darkness.
Suddenly, something bizarre occurs, as the statue's head snaps around.
A thought crosses my mind, "Is that an elk?" I contemplate. I'm taken aback as my mind struggles to process what I see, "What the hell? Can it stand on its hind legs!" It's precisely what it seems to be - an elk standing on its hind legs.
My attention remains fixed on either the strange creature or whatever may lie beyond, and I watch as it takes another bold step towards us.
"It's there!" I cry out, leaping to my feet and seizing Alex's hand, pointing frantically towards the neighbor's yard.
"It's running towards us! Can't you see it?"
Panic overwhelms me as I shout at the top of my lungs.
The bewildered and composed expressions worn by my companions compound my horror. The dog leaps off the ground and begins howling even louder, adding to the already nightmarish atmosphere. Without awaiting a response, I scream and recoil away from the fence, collapsing onto my back.
Terror seizes me, and I stagger backward into the field, uprooting potato bushes and flailing my arms wildly. "Run!" I manage to cry out, but the words are caught in my throat and emerge as an angry hiss. Jack remains stationary by the fence, while Alex sprints towards me and seizes my shoulders, shaking me until I regain my senses.
"What's wrong with you?" He bellows loudly into my ear.
My heart beats wildly in my chest as I steal a quick glance towards the neighbor's yard. To my surprise, everything appears undisturbed, all calm and tranquil, with the exception of the statue, as it is no longer there.
Tentatively, I rise to my feet and approach the fence, my temples pounding and sweat trickling down my back.
Jack grins and winks at us, saying, "What a commotion! It's alright, it happens. Are you sure you're not drunk?"
"Of course not!" I exclaim, my voice ringing with conviction.
Alex observes me with his lips pursed sternly, his facial muscles slightly tense. It becomes evident that he feels somewhat embarrassed by the situation, possibly due to my fearful outburst. Nonetheless, he offers me a reassuring pat on the back, silently communicating that it's alright and that our safety is not under threat.
"I did see something out of place beside the tree in your yard, whether it was an elk or some other animal," I attempt to justify myself, pointing towards the area in question. My voice quivers slightly, betraying my persistent anxiety.
"Ah, my friend," Jack rasps as he clears his throat and seals the message by lighting up another cigarette. "We don't live in the city. This is the heart of the forest, and it's natural for animals and birds to wander about freely before returning to the woods."
Jack takes a long drag from his cigarette before slowly blowing out a thick trail of smoke. A smug smile spreads across his lips as he turns to me and shakes his head.
"Oh, you city folk," he says in a low, rhythmic tone. "Always jumping at every little thing. Out here, we're surrounded by all manners of creatures - great and small. It's natural to see them wandering about, exploring their surroundings."
He takes another long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly as he continues. "You'd be surprised at the kind of animals we get around here. Elk, foxes and even the occasional bear. But they're all creatures of this land, and they know how to coexist with us humans."
He chuckles softly, a twinkle in his eyes. "So don't worry, my friend. Whatever you saw was probably just passing through, curious about our little abode. I'm sure it's long gone by now, back to its cozy home in the woods."
As Jack's words sink in, I feel an overwhelming sense of relief wash over me. I finally allow myself to relax, no longer trying to prove something to the seasoned forest dweller.
I realize that my imagination must have gotten the best of me, conjuring up irrational fears and phantoms where none existed.The experience was humbling, and I now see how ridiculous my earlier outburst must have seemed.
I bid Alex and Jack farewell under the peaceful moonlight, offering a sincere apology for my recent behavior, and make my way straight home, leaving them to their lighthearted bickering in the serene forest ambiance.
As I quietly step into the room, my eyes drift toward Gabriela who is peacefully sleeping. I am overwhelmed with guilt for not confiding my concerns and fears to her. Knowing the severity of the eerie threats that have been tormenting my mind, it's important that we sit down and have an open conversation. I decide to remind myself to initiate the discussion first thing in the morning, with a resolution to share my thoughts with her and find solace.