Oceanside

Chapter 2

Odette

Present

The icy water sprays out of the old faucet and into my hair. I don't hiss at the temperature anymore. I expect it. After months of showering with no heat I couldn't expect anything else.

The months following my escape I spent on the road. I hitched every ride I could and lived well below my means. I crashed anywhere with a roof for the minimal hours I could keep my eyes closed. I ran as far away as I could from Louisiana until I felt safe.

I never went back to my house or waited it out in the next state over. I was worried the wolf thing didn't die or the people that took me would realize I escaped. If I just returned home a few days later I feared they would come back for me.

I hoped and cursed the thought of them chasing after me. In one way I hoped they did, that maybe it wouldn't make them go back to my house with my parents there. In another way, the more prominent part, I cursed the thought. If I never had to see that wolfman thing again it would still be too soon.

My mind spun for months about what it could be until I realized I didn't really care. All I cared about was that it wasn't here.

Washing off the last remains of soap I turned off the water. Using my clean beach towel I dried off and stepped out of the tiny tub. The entire bathroom was wooden. From the wood floor to the painted shiplap walls and ceiling. It matched the rest of the cottage.

In the only bathroom there was a small sink with no countertop, one toilet, and a small standing shower. The only light that was provided came from the window across the room, unblocked by the fact that I left the door open.

The cottage was only about six hundred square feet. There was a tiny L-shaped kitchen near the front door. To the right of the bathroom was my twin sized bed. To the left was the kitchen and a tiny round kitchen table with two chairs.

Every piece of furniture was left by the original owner. I only recently could buy a mattress so I wasn't sleeping on the floor anymore. with the money I had saved up through random jobs I also started buying other things for the house.

The cottage sat a few miles away from a small seaside town. It was within walking distance of a few stores and job opportunities. I stumbled upon it by accident and made sure to look into the history of the property before settling in. Even when I found through public records that it had been abandoned and had no current owner I still didn't do anything but sleep here for a while. Now I worked on fixing it up.

I felt comfortable enough with my location to stay for a bit. With those plans I began saving up for paint and curtains, both which I already bought and used. I still had a lot to do but for now this was enough. I didn't have electricity or heat but the place had a well so I had water. After everything I went through I counted that as a blessing.

Setting up the utilities would probably require that I purchase the property, none of which I had the money for. Besides I wouldn't want anything tied to my name right not. I didn't know how those people found me the first time. Was I a random pick or did they stalk me until I was vulnerable? I didn't have the answers and I didn't want to risk anything.

The only thing I wish I could do was contact my parents. It must have killed them to wake up in the morning and find my bed empty. I left everything there so they would think I was taken. Which I was but it meant they would assume I was dead, especially by now. I wanted to pick up a phone, any phone, and tell them I was okay. That I was taken but I made it out alive.

I didn't. I was scared of the unknown. What if they figured out I called them and tracked me here—or wherever I was. What if they used my parents to draw me back. I didn't know what their purpose was or how important it was to them.

I assumed that if it was important enough to kill someone it might make them try harder to get me again. And if I really did kill that wolfman thing that might make them mad. And if I didn't, then I had no way to know if he would hunt me down instead.

Whatever the scenario, my fears kept me at bay. And if my conscious thoughts didn't do that, my unconscious ones did. Most nights I had horrible dreams. Some I was still chained to the tree and I didn't get away, the wolf tore into me like I thought he would. Others I got out in time but as I ran through the dark swamp other monsters would catch me, giant snakes or alligators springing up out of the murky waters. Then there were the ones that happened here. The wolf would show up and kill me in the cottage, sometimes as I ran towards the village.

I tried everything to shove the images away in the days. It worked when I was around others. Which is why, besides my lack of experience and resume, I hopped around the town performing odd jobs. Sometimes I painted houses, other times I stocked shelves or cleaned the small stores in town. After weeks of picking up jobs I was able to make friends with the residents of the town. It reminded me of my own hometown. Everyone knew each other, each one stitched into the others lives due to the close quarters. The sense of nostalgia was one of the reasons I stayed.

I was hoping that things in my mind would settle down before I really chose where to stay. I wanted to go back home but that wasn't a realistic possibility in my eyes for a while. I liked the little town I was in now because it made me feel safe and happy. For the time being anyway. It was the first place in months that I felt like I could stop running for a little bit.

I still flinched at every noise when I was alone but it was better than what I used to do. I used to get up and change locations at any suspicious sound. Now I could just go inside and wait it out. I hadn't found any sign of the wolfman thing up here either. I hoped that he was the only one in existence and that I killed him but I knew that was a fools dream. Still, I convinced myself that as time goes on I will relax more then decide it I want to leave again or stay. Staying right now was my only option.