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Behind me I hear another large bang and smell burning wood, and as I turn around quickly to look, I trip on an exposed tree root and tumble onto the ground. My knees take some of the impact, but my head hits a large rock before my body slams against the forest floor. My vision blurs, pain bursts through my head, and my knees are now bleeding.
“Just great!” I yell to the forest sarcastically as pain shoots through my body.
I roll over onto my back and feel the rain come down on my face and chest as I gulp in the air I desperately need. Cringing, I sit up gingerly because I know I need to move. I could be hit by lightning myself very soon if I don’t get out of here. Plus, I may be a city girl, but dad raised me right, and I am a fighter; it takes a lot for me to crumble.
Scrambling, I stand slowly, realizing that the container of raspberries opened on impact and my wet white t-shirt has a bright crimson stain across the front.
There goes my raspberry pie. I sulk to myself.
Feeling frustrated, I start limping back to the cabin. At least, I think I am going the right way. I am dizzy, my body is aching, and I am running on pure adrenaline. Above me, the rain continues to pummel down, and the clouds begin to rumble loudly with the sound of thunder that has now joined the rain and lightning.
The storm has arrived.
18
Jake
After the late night I had in front of my screens, monitoring the dark web, I wake up weary. With only a few hours’ sleep, I rub my eyes and make my way to the kitchen because I need caffeine today. Plus, I have been dreaming of Isabelle’s baked goods, well, mainly Isabelle non-stop. Taking a fresh cup of coffee, I lean against the bench. I am frustrated. Even though my team and I spent hours scouring online chatter, we came up empty-handed.
Looking through the kitchen window, I can see that the wind has picked up. The storm must be on its way. My eyes immediately go to Isabelle’s cabin. It looks quiet, but her car is still here, so she must be home.
Light rain has started to fall, and I put my coffee on hold and make the decision to go over to ensure her roof is nailed down. I don’t think it will fly off in the strong winds today, but I would like to take a quick look at it before the wind gets too strong. That and the fact that I really want to fucking see her. While my head was buried in work last night, all I can think about is burying it somewhere else. I need to adjust myself at the thought.
I put on my boots, grab some tools, and walk over, noticing the winds are a lot stronger now than I first thought. Her car is secured at the side of the cabin, and anything that is loose is in the shed. Good to see she was prepared; her daddy taught her right.
I knock on her door, but there is no answer. Looking around, it is quiet, and all I can hear is the sound of the wind howling through the trees and the rain.
I bang on her door again, and it opens. She must not have closed it properly, so I push it open further.
“Isabelle!” I yell, wondering if she is in her bedroom.
“Isabelle!” I yell again a little louder, but still, I get no response. Looking around, I notice her cabin is empty. She is not here. My eyes flick to the Jeep outside, and I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I walk outside just as I see lightning hit the trees in the forest nearby.
“Fuck!” I say to myself, as thunder rumbles above. They predicted a storm and strong winds that will last all day, and the chill in the air tells me that the temperature is dropping rapidly as well.
I drop my tools on her porch and take a walk around her cabin. Everything looks fine. Her swing is flying around in the wind, but everything else is in place. There is nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that she isn’t here.
“Jake!” I hear and whip my head around and see Isabelle clenching onto a large tree at the beginning of the forest.
“Isabelle!” I yell and rush to her. She is limping slightly and has a nasty gash to her head. I sprint to her, wasting no time in picking her up in my arms bridal style.
“What happened?” She is wet, her teeth are chattering, and her body is freezing. She is full of scratches, blood runs down her temple, her lips are blue, and her knees are skinned. She falls into my embrace, her arm coming up around my neck, and she cowers into my body, trying to get warm.
“I fell...” she starts, stuttering while her teeth are literally clashing against each other. Her body is shaking, I am trying not to notice her perfect breasts on display under her now wet and see-through t-shirt, which also has a large red stain. I stop to look at it.
“Isabelle...” I start, because is that blood?
“Raspberries.” She chatters the words out, and with understanding, I march her straight to my place. She must have ventured to the raspberry patch in the forest. A place I sometimes visit, although I haven't been in a while.
Wasting no time, I kick open my front door, put her on the soft rug in front of the fireplace, wrap her in a blanket, and light the wood to get some heat into the house. Once the fire is going, I grab some towels and come back to her.
Her lips still look blue, and I know she is still freezing. I drop the towels, knowing that she needs warmth right now.
“Come, let me get you in the shower,” I say firmly, and before she can argue like I know she will, I pick her up again and take her upstairs to my bathroom. I am concerned at how cold her body temperature is right now, and a shower is one of the quickest ways to warm her up.
I turn on the taps, and the bathroom fills with steam. I grab her fresh towels and place them near the shower.
