Deep in the Forest (Wattpad Editor's Pick, June '22)

18

"Good morning sleepy head." Takota opened the curtains. The early morning sunlight warmed her face.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe's bones creaked and popped as she sat up. Goo blurred her vision and she rubbed it out of the corners of her eyes. Her head was filled with fog from deep sleep.

"You've been asleep for nearly two days."

"What?" She glanced at Jiminy's pocket watch, six forty-five am.

"Yeah, it's Monday. I didn't know if you were ever going to wake up, but I figured you'd hate to miss any classes." He handed her a cup of steamy coffee with hazelnut creamer, just the way she liked it.

"Thanks." She toasted him before bringing the mug to her lips and blowing on the hot liquid. The distinct caramelized nutty smell usually perked her up and the first sip would get her moving, but today her stomach heaved and churned, rejecting the very notion of consuming anything.

"No problem. How are you feeling?"

"Nauseous." Her stomach growled. "But hungry."

Takota sat on the edge of her desk and crossed his arms. "What do you remember of the ritual?"

Memories of John Sohappy's surprise appearance, Takota casting the circle and Ste ye hah came flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Her hands trembled, spilling hot drops of liquid on her hands. "I saw him. Bigfoot is real."

"Yeah, I thought you did right before you blacked out."

"I did what?" Se set the cup down before sucking the spilled coffee off her fingers.

Takota shook his head. "Dropped to the ground and wouldn't wake up even when I threatened to give you CPR."

She cringed.

"Just kidding." He chuckled. "John and I carried you home. I've been here keeping an eye on you all weekend. You're out of bacon, by the way."

"Did the ritual work?"

"I think so." Takota nodded. "I haven't been sick, and the spirits settled down."

"Even grandma?" Maybe she was sick to her stomach because she hadn't had solid food for days.

"She will never settle down. But she isn't telling me I'm in danger anymore."

"That's good. What about my dad? Have you heard anything from them?"

"No one buzzed the house line, but you missed a few calls on your cell."

She grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She flicked through the messages. Nothing from her parents, but Price left a text saying he had some interesting findings about the hair he analyzed. He wants to talk as soon as possible.

She'd forgotten all about the mystery hair and sent Price a text telling him she would come by the lab later today.

Takota rose to his feet. "I have class in thirty minutes. Do you want me to wait around and drive you?"

"No, go on."

He stood. "All right, catch you at lunch."

"Yeah, and thanks for watching over of me."

"Anytime, Z," Takota hollered as he left the room. "Later."

"Bye." She dialed her mom's cell. No answer. "Hi mom. I wanted to call and see how you and dad are doing. Please, ring me back. It doesn't matter if I'm in class. Love you both." She hung up the phone and quickly showered and dressed for the day.



****



In the courtyard the tulips bloomed in red and yellow groups tucked around a bush Zoe couldn't remember the name of. The manicured area held benches and a few vending machines with sodas in one and snacks in the others. They lined the wall leading into the cafeteria.

She allowed the sun to warm her skin and checked her phone for the dozenth time since arriving at Rimrock Community College a few hours ago.

"Zoe."

She startled in her seat. "Price, hi. I'm surprised that you didn't want to meet in the lab." He clutched his bag to his chest and his eyes darted around as if something might attack him. "I didn't want anyone to overhear our conversation." There was a couple making out on a bench and a few people milling through the area, but no one was close enough to hear them. "What did you find out about the hair?"

Price pulled out a sheet of folded paper and envelope from his backpack. He handed the paper to her. "The hairs couldn't be matched with an extant mammalian species or a domesticate."

"You're kidding?" She unfolded the sheet and checked the genetic markers found in the specimen. The closest thing to it was human and something else.

"I completed Dr. Greene's process on the strands you gave me, and this is what's shocking." He pointed to the lower portion of the paper.

"Three DNA strands." The Shaman's words about Ste ye hah being an alien filled her thoughts.

"Whatever you found isn't like anything documented in any library or catalogs I have access too."

"How is this possible?"

He held an envelope. "I don't know, but I want to send this to a friend of mine overseas to see if they can come up with a better explanation."

Part of her wanted to learn more but the other part wanted to forget that Ste ye hah ever existed. "Have you spoken to them about this?"

"Not yet." He pushed his glasses up his nose, making his eyes appear larger behind the thick lenses. "Where did you say you got the hair from?"

She felt like she shouldn't tell him anything else. "In a tree in my backyard." She pointed to the envelope he held. "Is that it?"

He nodded.

"I think for now, I'd like to hold onto it."

He stepped back. "This is a huge discovery, and you don't get to keep it from the world."

The last thing she wanted to do was wrestle him to the ground in front of all the students. She could take him, if she had to. "No, you don't understand me. I need my head in the right place. With my father in the hospital, I can't focus on anything but him getting better." She forced tears to her eyes.

He shuffled his feet. "Okay. But you're sitting on a new discovery, and I want in. I'll even work for free."

She grabbed the envelope from his offered hand. "Of course."

Price started to walk away.

"You'll keep this to yourself, right?"

"Who would I tell that would believe me?"

"Thanks' Price. I appreciate this." She waved the envelope before slipping it into her bag.

He nodded but looked disappointed at her decision. He turned on his heel and shuffled towards the biology lab mumbling about women and their inability to compartmentalize emotions.

She slid the envelope into her bag as Takota plopped down on the bench next to her. "I feel amazing," he said with a grin.

"I can tell."

"We had a pop quiz in Criminal Justice, and I think I did well. No brain freeze, upset stomach or spirits messed with me, it was so nice."

"That's great news."

He rubbed his temples. "Have you eaten anything?"

"No, not yet."

His eyes that said he knew something she didn't, but as she opened her mouth to ask, he yelled, "YOLO."

"What?"

He hopped off the bench and grabbed his backpack from the ground. "Talk to you later, Z," Takota said over his shoulder. "Maddy, wait up. What are your plans for tonight?"

Zoe was shocked but also happy for her friend. She felt the smile grow on her face. "It's about time," she muttered.