No Happily Ever After

Chapter 17

Kimberlysat before her bedroom mirror that night studying her reflection. She wore her dark brown hair long with silky waves. She had freckledcheeks and a slight tan still left over from summer. Her dark eyeswere wide and serious with slightly furrowed eyebrows. She mostlyalways had a pensive, serious expression; one of those faces thateven when she did don a rare smile she still somehow looked forlorn. She looked exactly like her mother, and from having seen pictures ofher grandma as a young woman, she knew she looked like her as well. She imagined her grandma young and well, certain that if she could'veknown her grandma as a young girl, they would've been great friends.

Tears burned in hereyes as she shut out her light and got into bed. Dozens of memoriescycled through her mind of times she'd shared with her grandma. Andnow she was catatonic following a stroke, and confined to her bed inher little forest cottage, with nothing but shifts of nurses in andout to look over her. Kimberly had begged her mother to bringgrandma home to live with them. But her mother felt there wasn'troom for grandma, and that the old woman would want to stay in herown beloved home. Kimberly spent as much time there as she could,but she felt terrible leaving her grandma out there, virtually alone.

When sleep foundher, Kimberly fell fast to dream. She found herself strolling handin hand with her grandmother next to a lake with a surface calm asglass. The sun high in the sky glinted on its surface, and trees allaround it swayed gently in a warm breeze. She looked over at hergrandma and found her exactly as she recalled her from when she was ayoung girl. A bittersweet pang of regret stung her, as she realizedshe was dreaming, and wished she'd enjoyed such times more.

As they strolled,chatting and laughing at shared reminiscences, a wolf lumbered out ofthe trees on the other side of the lake, and a rolling black cloudpassed over the sun.

Kimberly and hergrandmother stopped short, staring at the beast. So huge it was itstood almost as tall as a grown man. Its muscles rippled underbristling fur. Its nostrils flared and it grunted and snorted witheach heaving breath it took. It glared at them with angry,bloodshot, glowing red eyes. Kimberly's heart sped.

"Kimberly,"her grandma said urgently. "Beware the wolves. They lurk whereyou least expect them."

She tore her eyesaway from the unnatural creature and stared at her grandma.

"What? Whatdo you mean?"

"Beware thewolves!" grandma said again, her voice shaking, her eyes widewith fright.

Kimberly becameanxious and quite upset. "Grandma, I don't understand!"

"Run,Kimberly," grandma said. "RUN!"

Grandma gave her ashove just as the wolf sprang forward with huge, super strides. Kimberly's knees went weak. But, she dashed off into the trees.

***

Kimberly rosebefore the dawn.

After a nightfilled with troubling dreams, she decided to get an early start andgo spend the day with her grandma again since she didn't have school. She packed herself a lunch and selected several of her own books toread to her grandmother. Veronica Roth's Divergent might notexactly be grandma's speed, but she didn't seem to have much of apreference anymore. She was tucking items into a basket in thekitchen when her mother walked in.

"Don't youknow that teenagers are supposed to sleep in?" asked Ms.Crimson.

"I'm spendingthe day with Grandma," Kimberly said, her tone containing muchmore than just a hint of judgment. "You should really try itsometime!"

Ms. Crimson sighed. "Come on, Daughter. Cut me some slack, will you?"

Kimberly glaredangrily at her mother. "I will not. She's YOUR mother. Weprobably don't have much time left with her."

Hurt showed on Ms.Crimson's face. "She doesn't even know we're there, Kimberly."

"Yes shedoes," Kimberly said firmly, frowning deeply. "Anyway, itdoesn't matter. We owe her our time."

"I have towork, Kimberly."

"Well, comeover after work!"

"I have to goto the grocery tonight and then sort out the bills. I don't havetime today. I'm sorry."

Kimberly gave hermother an evil stare. "I suppose you don't have time to driveme out there or pick me up either, do you? That's OK. I'll walk,Mom. I mean, there's a serial killer on the loose, but I'm sure I'llbe fine, right?"

Turning her head tothe side, Ms. Crimson gave Kimberly a frustrated look and groan. "Just because some kids ran away doesn't mean there's a serialkiller," she snapped. But then her tone softened. "Justbe careful, Kimberly. Don't talk to strangers, and don't take ridesfrom anybody."

Ms. Crimson turnedand strode from the room.

***

The day passeduneventfully and by nightfall, Kimberly's eyes drooped heavily. Shekissed her grandma and packed her belongings back into her basket. Bidding Nadine, the nurse on duty that evening, farewell, Kimberlyset out into the snow.

She wore a scarletcolored hooded cloak which she pulled tightly around herself toshield herself from the swirling snow. It wasn't exactlyfashionable, but her grandmother had painstakingly sewn it for hertwo Christmas's back and she wore it religiously in the winter time. Kimberly trudged briskly through the heavy snow.

Soon, approachingheadlights shone into her eyes. The car moved slowly, she assumedbecause of the detrimental driving conditions. However, when itreached her, it rolled to a stop. The tinted driver's side windowslid down and she beheld a handsome, dark man.

"Hi there,could I offer you a ride?"

"No thanks,"Kimberly said shortly.

"Oh come now,its terrible out here, you shouldn't be walking. You're probably afriend of my son, Benjamin Bar. So, I'm not a stranger."

Kimberly glared atthe man and began to walk. "He's not my friend, sir. And youare a stranger."

She quickened herpace and strode away, hoping beyond hope that the man would just goon.