Due to a nor’easter that started just about the time Edwin hopped into the SUV, the normal three-and-a-half-hour drive took almost five hours to reach the cabin in the hills on the edge of the Wachusett Mountain Reservation that belonged to Tim’s uncle. Edwin was thankful that Tim was a professional stunt driver and, therefore, fully capable of maneuvering the SUV over slick, snow, and ice laden roads.
Having monitored the weather, they’d deliberately taken Tim’s vehicle; with Tim manning the wheel. They’d also stopped and stocked up on provisions to bring with them, rather than pick some up in town after they’d arrived and settled in. Even so, they were surprised and taken aback by the conditions of the road.
“We spend too much time in the city,” Mark grumbled as he wiped away the foggy film that accumulated on his window from the heat of his breath and looked out onto the winter wonderland. “I’d forgotten what real roads looked like during a storm.”
“The city can get pretty bogged down,” Edwin reminded him.
“Yea, but for how long? The plows are out at the first sign of a snowflake in the city. There’s not a plow in sight here. No cars either, for that matter. Looks like we’re the only idiots out in this shit. It’s a wonder you can find the road, Tim.”
A boyish grin consumed Tim’s face as he assured his pals that he’d driven in far worse than this on more than one occasion for some movie stunt or another. His calm demeaner relaxed his buddies into light conversation to help pass the time away. Before long, they were discussing their hunting strategy, as well as the size rack they desired on the deer they hoped to get.
The long drive leading to the cabin was barely discernable. Had the sign at the end of it, declaring the property to be private, not still displayed a few letters of the warning message, they might have missed it altogether. Even with four-wheel-drive, they fishtailed their way up the tree-lined, dirt drive until they reached the proud looking log cabin in the middle of a clearing.
“Home sweet home,” Tim said as he shut down the engine.
“For a whole week,” Mark yawned as he opened the passenger’s door and slid out into the darkness. “Shit it’s cold!”
“I don’t care,” Tim said as he eagerly followed suit. “My legs have been folded up for so long, they no longer feel like my own.”
“How were you able to drive, then?” Edwin asked with concern as he slipped out from the back seat.
“It wasn’t easy,” Tim replied as he tested his legs for stability.
“You should have let one of us take over,” Edwin admonished.
“You’d wreck a bike on a summer’s day, and you know it,” Tim teased.
“You have a point,” Edwin said with a grin.
“Can you two girls quit yapping and help me empty the back of this thing, so we can go inside?” Mark barked.
“The ever-impatient lawyer,” Edwin chuckled as he patted Tim on the back and moved to help Mark with the luggage and supplies.
“I’ll bet it’s just as cold inside as it is outside,” Mark complained.
“Geez,” Edwin said with a grin, “So cranky. I hope you brought some tampons with you.”
“Cute, doc. What now? Will you lay me on the couch to analyze me?” Mark growled, not admitting that Edwin’s joke alerted him to the foul mood he’d promised himself he wouldn’t bring along. “Trust me. All I need is time away from the wife. I’m starting to complain like her.”
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Tim said assuredly. “We’ll have you back to your old self in no time.”
“If I don’t freeze to death first,” Mark said with a tone that displayed mild humor mixed with seriousness.
“It shouldn’t be too cold inside,” Tim said. “My uncle leaves the heat between forty and fifty degrees to keep the pipes from freezing.”
“That works for me,” Edwin said as he climbed the steps. He was almost to the top step when he lost his footing and tumbled backward, landing on his back at Tim’s feet.
After a moment of stunned silence on all three friends’ part, Tim bent down to help him up. “Are you alright, buddy?”
“There’s ice on the steps beneath the snow,” Edwin replied.
“Am I mistaken?” Mark asked while he did his best to collect the goods that fell from the bags when Edwin tumbled. “Doesn’t your uncle have a caretaker for this place?”
“He was supposed to have the place set up for us,” Tim said apologetically.
“I get the unexpected dumping of snow, but lights would have been nice,” Mark said as he pulled his cell phone out and used the flashlight to inspect the stairs. “These things are treacherous.”
“I have some salt in the back of the SUV,” Tim said as he hurried to retrieve it.
“Your uncle needs to fire that lazy, son-of-a-bitch caretaker,” Mark called after him. He turned to Edwin. “Are you okay, really?”
“I’m not made of china,” Edwin said with a forced smile. “It’s more my pride than my ass.”
“You landed pretty hard on your back,” Mark pointed out.
“My neck and shoulder blades hurt a bit, but I’ve no doubt I’ll be fine in the morning,” Edwin assured him. “Let’s just get inside and warmed up. It’s frigid out here.”
They managed to get themselves unloaded and set up in the cabin with no more incidents. Within an hour there was a toasty fire in the fireplace and the three of them were warming themselves from the inside out; each with a whiskey in hand.
They were pleased to discover the place had been dusted and aired out. The beds were also freshly made and ready to sink into. Exhausted from the stress of the drive through the storm and the cold that awaited them, they agreed to call it a night and start fresh in the morning.
The cabin was large enough to provide a private bedroom for each of them. Edwin was the first to retire. Happy to discover fresh towels and toiletries in the en suite bathroom, he hopped into the shower and allowed the hot water to warm his bones and soothe his wounded muscles. When he stepped out of the shower and stood before the mirror, he saw signs of serious bruising. He could only imagine the color it would be in the morning.
Tim and Mark finished breakfast and were on their third cup of coffee by the time Edwin crawled out of bed to join them at the harvest style dining table that was positioned on the side of the great room near the kitchen.“I was beginning to wonder if you were alright,” Mark said as he slid a mug of black coffee in front of Edwin.“What time is it?” Edwin asked as he propped his elbow on the table and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. “I have a killer headache.”“From that fall, no doubt,” Tim said as he slid a bottle of Ibuprophen next to the creamer and sugar bowl that were less than an arm’s reach from Edwin.“I prefer Tylenol,” Edwin said as he grabbed the bottle of Ibuprophen and uncapped it.“That’s not just a pain reliever. It’s also a muscle relaxer. You need both,” Tim explained.“We weren’t planning on huntin
Tim stood aside to allow Edwin access to the door.“Can I help you?” Edwin asked warily. The old woman’s grey eyes bore into his blue ones with such an intensity, he felt unable to move; as if mesmerized. When he was finally able to gain control of his senses again, he said, “I’m Edwin Jacobson.”“Then, ye are the one I seek,” she said firmly. “Please, come with me.”Edwin was so taken aback that, at first, he simply stood staring at her in disbelieve with his mouth open. When she was half-way down the steps, she turned to face him with an expectant look.“I’m sorry, lady, but I have no clue who you are, how you got here, how you knew I’d be here, or why you want me. What I do know is that I have no intentions of going anywhere with you,” Edwin said as he surveyed the grounds for what might have brought her to the cabin.The caretaker had yet to pl
The men rushed out of the cabin with the intention of driving the SUV to where the strange woman claimed she buried the poor girl. Tim’s hand was on the door handle when she beckoned him back to the center of the snow-laden driveway.“Hold hands,” she said briskly as she positioned them into a circle of which she stood in the center.It took her forcefully barking the order a few more times before they stopped giving bewildered looks and grabbed each other’s hands. Almost immediately, the world swirled around them until they could see nothing but particles of snow twirling past their heads at breakneck speed. When it stopped, and their vision cleared, they found themselves deep in the woods on what they guessed was a logging road.Mark struggled to keep a steady stance on legs that felt like jelly while he did his best to prevent his stomach from purging its contents.“Did we just teleport?” Edwi
Agatha rushed to place her hands-on Kira’s shoulders to prevent her from rising up out of the coffin while she shouted to Tim and Edwin, “Ye men need to stand back now. She is a vampire who has been without blood for several centuries. I must have a chance to be with her before she sees ye.”Tim wasted no time running to hide behind the trunk of an ancient oak tree, but Edwin didn’t move. Agatha warned him a second time before she turned her focus on Kira. He backed up, but didn’t hide. He might be crazy, but something told him he didn’t need to.He listened intently as Agatha reintroduced herself to Kira. She reminisced about the events that led up to placing her in the magical coffin and then explained the reason it was imperative that they flee as quickly as possible.A squirrel skittered up the tree next to him. With minimal thought or effort, Edwin caught it and walked toward the newly awaken
“Oh, good,” Agatha said as she watched Tim approach. “We were just coming to ye. It has been decided that we will go to Edwin’s family cabin on the Canadian border.”“Right now?” Tim asked with surprise.“Aye,” Agatha replied. “We must make haste.”“I don’t know about…,” Tim began before Edwin interrupted him.“You can hunt just as easily in New Hampshire,” Edwin said.“That cabin gives me the creeps,” Tim admitted.“It’s not creepy, it’s rustic,” Edwin said playfully.“When was the last time you were there, brave ass?” Tim grumbled.“It’s been a while, but it’s fine,” Edwin assured him.“I don’t have a hunting license for New Hampshire,” Tim pouted. “None of us do.”“We must leave,&
Kira stood in the middle of the cabin with a look of sadness. Aware of her every move and mood, Edwin was quick to ask her what was wrong.“I am reminded of home,” she practically choked out. “When I crept from the house before all were awake, it was with the intention of retrieving the cloth my aunt shipped from my homeland. It was my plan to surprise mother with a new dress. Little did I know I would never set eyes on her again.”“That’s horrible,” Edwin said in a hushed, emotional tone. “I’m so sorry.”“Ye are not bothered that I am a vampire?” she asked in a soft, gentle voice as she stepped nearer to him. “I am a danger to thee.”He’d been so engrossed in her natural beauty and the way she made him feel complete whenever they were in close proximity that he’d forgotten the fact that she was also a vampire; a reputed predator and danger to manki
Thanks to Mark’s stubbornness and generosity, the cabin was provided with enough modern amenities to make it quite cozy. He purchased a gas powered generator for electricity and a portable gas grill for cooking that had two burners on the side; making it possible to cook a complete meal on it. A dorm size refrigerator was also purchased to hold the necessities such as eggs and butter. Although both Kira and Agatha studied these items in wonderous awe, the table lamps he’d purchased caused the greatest curiosity. He questioned if the light bulbs would burn out before they ceased turning the lamps on and off.Tim concerned himself with the sleeping arrangements; purchasing several air mattresses and down filled sleeping bags.Edwin concentrated on making sure that they had the proper cooking and eating utensils, since his family had always taken them there and carted them away when they left. He also picked up a few heavy quilts for good mea
Edwin and Tim stood against the wall while they watched Kira and Agatha prepare themselves and the beds for them. True to her word about it being a ceremony of sorts, Agatha spread some type of herb on the floor around the beds before brushing it onto Kira’s naked body and then her own; all the while chanting in a language they couldn’t understand.“Have you ever done something like this?” Tim whispered.“I’m not sure I can,” Edwin said. “Not only is it a command performance, but it’s a command performance twice over and with an audience.”“There’s nothing I’d like more than to make love to Agatha. I find her hot as hell, but not like this,” Tim said. “I can’t say that I’m all that excited about sharing her with you and Mark either.”“Same goes for Kira,” Edwin said. “I hate the fact that you’re seeing her n