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Yeah… right.
She no sooner left the room, showered, and got her mass of long hair brushed, when all hell broke loose.
Satan’s pup woke up, and he was madder’n a crazed bull. Guess he didn’t like being jailed. Shaking her head, still trying to let the sun dry the thickness, she had to admit he had a point. She’d hate being enclosed in a cell too. But, Christ, anyone would think he was being tortured.
Unable to stand the ruckus, she stood and went to the door of the bedroom. Slowly opening it, she peeked inside and had to laugh. There was the horrible beast with the blanket pieces he’d obviously ripped to even more shreds wrapped around his head making him look like some paranormal fiend from another planet.
Obviously not amused, the pup snarled it’s fury upon seeing her at the door. God she wished she’d have put the silly bastard outside rather than letting him stay in her house. How the hell was she to exist with this racket going on?
Stepping closer, using words to settle him down, she tried being nice. “Hi, buddy, it’s okay. You’re safe. Norrie says I can’t hurt you.” The more she spoke the louder he growled. Until she finally had to give up.
His earsplitting fury defied her puny efforts. “Fine. Be like that you little bastard. Just remember who’s going to be feeding you for the next while.”
When he made a lunge in her direction, only to be felled by the heavy wire enclosure, he landed on his butt comically. Shaking his head, he stumbled to his feet to fall over again. She had to laugh. But seeing as how her presence upset him so much, she left and closed the door.
No reason to distress the animal more than she had to. Deciding they would be living apart as much as possible; she made her way to the big room and began cleaning up the mess.
It took a few buckets of soapy water and a bit of elbow grease before Demi felt satisfied. In between her cleaning and gardening, she fed the kitty, making sure it felt loved.
Using the soft cloth of a long scarf her best friend Bella had given her, she made a sling for her new charge and kept it close to her chest, hoping the sound of her heart and her breathing might comfort it.
The day passed quickly and if the horrendous noise coming from her bedroom hadn’t broken the wonderful silence she loved, her nerves might have settled.
Constant thoughts of Whit broke into her reflections and wouldn’t be shook loose. As if she felt his danger, her body tightened, and her breath felt heavy. Fear settled into her bones and no matter how hard she tried; her subconscious clung to its unease.
Then came the call she’d been praying for… and dreading.
Norrie’s voice sounded low, unlike her usual cheery tone. “Glen just called. Whit went back into the fire to help a couple of firefighters who’d gotten separated from their crew. They found two of them alive in a cave, both wounded. But no sign of Whit. He’s missing. I’m so sorry, Demi. Glen said he tried to call you, but he wasn’t able to get through. He used the radio phone to get me.”
“Oh God, that annoying man can’t be dead. I couldn’t bear it. Have they searched everywhere?”
“Not yet. Glen says the fire went out of control for a short while when the winds got brutal. But they’ve finally died down now, and the water bombers are dousing the flames closest to the city. They figure they have a good chance to save the place now. Plus, the weatherman is predicting rain and even possibly some snow.”
Slumped on the floor, her knees unable to hold her weight, she mumbled her thanks and hung up. The weight of a truck sat on her heart, and she let the flood of tears break through her crumbling barrier. Resorting to an ugly cry that emptied out her whole shaken body until only shivers and hiccups remained, she tried letting go of that last sliver of hope.
But it clung, fighting to stay alive.
Feeling the tiny baby near her heart begin to wriggle, probably unsettled because of her emotional outburst, she dragged herself to her feet and began her chores.
First, she fed the angel next to her chest and left it to sleep in its small home. Then she cut off more deer steak she’d fetched earlier from the loads of meat Glen had filled her freezer with. Once she had her gloves on, she entered the bedroom where quiet had reigned for the last while.
Upon seeing her, the beast shot to his feet and began that wicked growling from deep inside its body. “Shut up, you. You’ve got nothing to bitch about. Here.” She threw the meat to the other side of the cage and while it went to grab it’s food, she lifted out the water pail and replaced it.
Seeing the poop and wet puddles the beast had left in one corner, she used a rag and made a few swipes to clean the mess. As soon as it finished bolting down its food, it came at her, and she pulled her hand away just in time.
“Little bastard. You have the personality of a drugged-up loser I used to know. And I couldn’t stand being around him either.” Before she left the room, she turned and said, “That son of a bitch is in a cell now too.”
Feeling better for having let loose with some of her bad temper, she went to make a meal for herself. Knowing she needed to keep up her strength, she took a few bites of the steak and dropped her fork and knife. She just couldn’t face food. Not yet.
Picking up the kitty’s box, she made her way to the river and sat on the bank. Here she felt close to Whit. Here, where he’d made camp and had taken care of both her and Glen. Without her realizing, darkness descended and reminded her that the weather had been rapidly changing. Where she used to sit out here in shorts and a t-shirt for hours in the evening, now she needed a sweater and jeans… and a flashlight.
Sniffing the air, she could actually smell the crisp coolness. Life as she’d known it was changing.
And not for the better.
Never better without Whit.
A truck in the distance caught her attention.
