ASPEN ➵ Paul Lahote [1]

nine

Aspen's arm really hurt. She clutched the ends of her torn sleeve together to apply pressure to the gash running along the outside of her forearm, and it burned deeply.

"Dad! We saw them," Bella yelled, bursting in through the door of her house and into the kitchen.

Charlie Swan and his friend Harry Clearwater were cleaning their fishing gear around the kitchen table when the two girls burst through the door. Aspen had never met Harry Clearwater, but at this moment, she only wanted the aching feeling in her arm to stop, so she bypassed both men in the kitchen and headed for the sink to try and wash out her wound. The faucet ran cold water down to her fingertips, and Aspen bit her lip to keep from hissing at the pain in her arm. So many sounds surrounded her, from the fast running of water to the thumping of her heartbeat in her ears, and her phone was buzzing in her back pocket.

"What's the matter? What happened to Aspen? Is she okay?" Charlie rushed out, eyebrows furrowed and concern gracing his features.

"In the woods!" Bella exclaimed, "They are not bears."

"Bella, what the hell were you two doing out in the woods?" Charlie sighed, shaking his head. He realized he probably wouldn't get a response on the matter.

"They're wolves. I mean, they're like huge wolves," Bella continued to explain, desperate to get her father to understand what they just witnessed.

Harry Clearwater stepped over to the girl by the sink. Aspen looked up at the man who had chin-length grey hair and a camo cap on his head. He had soft eyes and a full face that gave a kind expression towards Aspen. "Do you mind if I take a look at that for ya? My name is Harry Clearwater. You must be Aspen, Paul and Sam have told us about you. You're the bee's knees out on the reservation," the kind man said as he turned the faucet off and opened his hands, silently asking if it was all right that he touched her arm. Aspen slowly placed her arm in his hands and he took a closer look at it.

Aspen wasn't typically one to remain silent, but right now, she felt the shock of witnessing five wolves the size of cars chase a man through the woods. Let alone a man that had just threatened the life of her and her friend. Her mind felt like someone had released a hive of angry bees inside, tingling and jumbling with vivid thought, and the sounds of life moving around her right now were overwhelming.

"It sure is gnarly, but I don't think you will need stitches. Let me wrap it up for you," Harry said as he went to grab the first aid kit he had tucked in his fishing supplies. He returned with the kit in hand and went to work cleaning the cut and wrapping it gingerly with gauze. Aspen watched as he wound the gauze wrap around the circumference of her forearm, from her wrist to the middle, and tied the end off securely.

"Thank you," Aspen said quietly, her voice soft and almost stuck in her throat but filled with gratitude.

"Of course. We take care of our own," Harry responded. He gave her a subtle nod of the head before he turned back to Charlie.

Aspen tried to reassure with a smile, but her lips fell flat. She pulled her now clean and bandaged hand to her chest. Her phone vibrated continuously in her pocket, but she didn't go to answer it, instead turning to Bella and Charlie, still discussing the recent events.

"They were after... something," Bella explained, Aspen turning her head to her friend, confused as to why she didn't tell her father about the man who cornered them in the woods. By the look gracing Bella's features, Aspen felt she wanted to hide that detail.