Call of the Wild - Pt. 01

Part I

Chapter 1

Inna loved the mountains. The thrill of the climb, the wind in her hair, the crisp, clean smell, the view, all of it. Kal wanted to love it like she did. He climbed the sheer cliffs and never looked down. He braced against the chilly winds. He took in the view and grew dizzy. He wanted to love it as much as he loved her... but he couldn't.

"How's it going back there?" Inna called down, a wide smile on her face.

"Great!" Kal lied through his clenched teeth. His fingers cramped into permanent claws and his head spun from the altitude. "How much further?"

Inna turned to the guides several yards ahead of them on the sheer cliff. She yelled something in Finnish. Kal wanted to kick himself for not studying harder. He could barely understand her native language. He'd taken classes ever since meeting her, but the best he could manage was to ask where the toilet was. And the library. Why did every language class teach you how to ask about the library?

"Another hundred meters." She leaned against the rope, gazing out into the blue sky. "Isn't this amazing? I feel like I can see the whole world from up here." Mount Waris offered an amazing view of the snowfields below, not that Kal could stomach looking down for too long.

Kal's stomach dropped at her casually leaning against the cliff, trusting the little bit of string to keep her anchored to the wall. He swallowed the bile in his throat and focused on the pitons in front of him. This was their most challenging climb so far. Two days climbing up this stupid mountain and sleeping in a weird bed braced against the cliffs. Not that he'd gotten much sleep as he constantly worried about rolling off into oblivion. They'd had nothing to eat but eating protein bars, and he'd just barely managed to swallow those while dangling over an empty chasm below.

He grasped the rope tightly as the wind buffeted him, while Inna laughed at the sensation. The higher they went the worse the winds seemed to get. Even with the windbreaker and all the padding, he could still feel the icy touch working its way into his bones.

Kal glanced up again and froze. Inna still smiled down at him, but just over her shoulder a dark grey cloud formed. It stood stark against the bright blue sky. The roiling mass ominously expanded, growing ever larger.

"Inna? What the hell is that?!" Panic tinged his voice.

She turned in confusion and similarly froze.

The churning black clouds spread across the sky, blotting out the sun. Frigid winds slammed them into the face of the cliff. Heavy snowflakes pelted them, obscuring their vision. Inna yelled something, but Kal couldn't make it out over the howling winds. His rope swayed dangerously, jarring the anchors.

Kal's lower anchors tore from the mountain. His body blew nearly horizontally as the winds ripped him sideways. He clawed at the line, desperately pulling himself up. His scream was swallowed by the wind as the line snapped.

###

"Why did you meet her again?" Melissa seethed at him from the door. Kal hadn't been back five minutes before his sister had flown down the hallway in a rage.

"Mel, she didn't know. It's not her fault."

"Not her fault?" Her voice grew dangerously high. "She left you for dead!" Her greens eyes flashed as she spat the words.

Kal sat heavily on his childhood bed, his head in his hands. All he recalled of the accident was the fear and panic, followed by bone-shattering impacts. That was it. He had awoken in a Finish hospital months later with no memory of the disaster.

"Mel, please. I don't want to fight about this. She deserves some closure." He hadn't thought her voice could go any higher, but he'd been wrong.

"Closure? Closure?! She deserves another foot in her ass! That bitch had the gall to come here and tell us that you were gone! That you were dead! And it was all her fault! Oh, and fell right into the arms of another man, like the slut she is!"

"Mel!" He glared at her. "She was mourning. You can't blame her for an accident or for moving on."

Melissa shook with barely contained rage. She had been on edge ever since he'd returned a week ago. She glared at Kal before finally retreating without another word, slamming her door shut.

Kal sighed, falling back onto his bed. Their relationship had always been strained, but now it was completely off the rails. Everything he said to her caused a fight. Even his apologies caused a fight.

"Is the war over?" A soft voice came from his doorway.

"No, just the battle." He laid his arm over his eyes. They were still sensitive to the light, something the doctors had said should go away at some point. "Hope you weren't on a call."

Hana stepped gingerly into the room, avoiding the backpack and assorted papers on the floor. "It was wrapping up anyway. I just muted myself." She smoothed her skirt and sat beside him. A faint whiff of vanilla wafted his way. She rubbed his leg comfortingly.

Hana was always the caretaker, being the oldest. She wasn't actually his sister, none of them were even related. But Hana had practically raised them, as they slowly trickled into Ms. Aberdeen's home.

Ms. Aberdeen had had a big heart and would have taken more kids if she'd been able to. Unfortunately, she had already been quite old when she took them in. She had held on until Hana turned 19, after which she had passed peacefully in her sleep. That had been four years ago, and Hana still held them all together.

"How's the tiredness? Is it any better?" Hana reached over, placing the back of her hand against his forehead. "You're a bit hot. Maybe you should stay in for a bit."

Kal smiled despite himself. "I'm fine, mom."

He yelped in surprise as she poked his ribs.

"Don't call me that," she scolded.

Hana couldn't act angry to save her life. The best she could do was pinch her lips, furrow her brow, and growl like a five-day-old puppy. She could, however, poke the daylight out of ribs with her long and pointy fingers.

"Gah, okay, okay." He rolled away from her laughing. "I'm sorry, Hana."

She lay on the bed beside him, spooning him like she used to when he was little. "You should be." She rubbed her cheek against his hair.

They lay there quietly. He listened to her heart as it beat against his back. He began to drift off when she hiccupped lightly as she sniffled. She had been getting better about it, but sometimes she needed his reassurance.

"You're here with me now, right Kal?" Her voice was strained. She had cried the hardest when he had shown up last week. They had all cried, but Hana had gasped for breath between her sobs, clutching him so tightly that her fingers had shaken.

Kal wrapped his hand around hers. "I'm here, Hana. It's okay." She nodded against him, her body shaking slightly.

Kal woke up later that day to a warm body against his back. He needed to nap more often these days, becoming lethargic for no apparent reason. He had a list of random symptoms the doctors had advised him on, but that was one of the most annoying.

The interlaced fingers on his hand squeezed him reassuringly. He smiled, bringing them to his lips and kissing them softly. The giggle and nuzzle to his neck let him know that someone had replaced Hana, and he somehow doubted that it was Melissa.

Kal rolled over, laying face to face with Kaylie. Hana called them the twins as they were so alike. Silky brown hair, big brown eyes, and button nose sprinkled with freckles. She was only two months younger than him, having turned 20 while he was away.

She flashed him a toothy smile. "Good morning, Kal." She rubbed the tip of her nose with his. 'Ekimo kisses', as she used to say when she was young. "I kept you warm."

He pulled her in for a hug. She happily pressed herself against him, nuzzling his neck. "Thanks, Kay. I missed this."

Both Hana and Kaylie had become much clingier since his return from the dead, but Kaylie and Kal had always been close. They had slept in the same bed until they were teenagers. Now that he was back, she would sneak into his room and cuddle with him at every opportunity.

"I heard you talked with Inna."

"Not you too," he groaned.

She shook her head, still holding him tight. "I'm not mad. She thought you were dead too. She was a wreck, and she deserved to know that you're okay."

"Well, that's a relief. It was... a strange conversation."

"Yeah?"

He sighed, the soft scent of her shampoo tickling his nose. "She was there with Ben. I guess he really helped her deal with my 'death'. There were a lot of confusing emotions. Part of me hoped that it'd all go back to the way it was before. But it was different. I could still see the guilt in her eyes. It would never be the same. It was best just to let it go."

Kaylie ran her hands soothingly down his back. "I'm sorry." She watched him, worry etched on her face. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I'm apparently all healed, but I still have these lingering conditions, so it'll be difficult to work. I can re-enroll, but that'll have to wait until next schoolyear."

She smiled. "I guess that means you'll need to stick around the house then. The house could use some attention, particularly the walls."

Kal chuckled. "Already tired of me lazing around?"

Her lips grazed his cheek. "I'm just looking out for you. Best to keep active to stave off depression. It can be tough to re-acclimate after such a life-changing event."

He squeezed her close. "I love you, Kay."

She squeezed him back, nestling her face in the crook of his neck. "I love you, Kal."

###

The clear blue skies expanded across the entire horizon. Not a cloud to be seen. The sunlight warmed him, blissfully enveloping him. The wind blew playfully through his hair. It was cold, and yet... not. It was the perfect temperature. The crisp smell of fresh snow wafted on the breeze, tickling his nose. He stretched, his muscles pulling taut as he rolled his shoulders. His tongue lolled as he yawned.

The sun bathed the white field in blinding light, but it didn't bother him. A sense of belonging filled him. He gazed at the towering mountain behind him, his tail wagging. He loped through the snow, hopping between drifts. He playfully dove his maw into the powdery mix. It tingled his nose and snout. He shook it off. He ran. As much as he wanted. He was free.

Kal opened his eyes. The drab white popcorn ceiling greeted him. That bare spot where he had rammed his head against it while bouncing on the bed when he was ten stared back at him. It was all familiar, and yet... not. A brief sense of panic overtook him at the thought of being trapped by the ceiling. Of being kept from the sky. It passed, but still the ceiling remained.

He put his arm over his eyes. Hot tears flowed down his cheeks. He didn't know why, but a deep sense of loss filled him. Every morning was like this. The tightness in his chest. The fading memory of being happy. He gritted his teeth, suppressing his cries.

###

"Melissa? Sweety? Are you doing okay?" Hana asked.

The muffled and disembodied voice of Melissa drifted through the door. "I'm fine Hana. Just tired."

"Is that why you haven't eaten anything today?"

"I ate. I had some fruit."

Hana sighed. Melissa had never been the easiest to deal with, especially when she wouldn't admit something needed dealing with. "Okay. I was planning on making that vegetarian risotto you like for dinner. Will you be joining us?"

There was a pause. "Maybe."

"Okay. Well, I'll set a spot for you."

Hana returned through the hall and headed downstairs to the kitchen. She chewed her lower lip, unsure how to get Melissa to talk again. When Kal had disappeared, she had completely shut down. It had taken weeks to get her to do anything besides nibble some food and sleep. Now that Kal was back, she was just so angry all the time. She wouldn't talk to anyone about it.

Kaylie stood at the stove, stirring the soup she had going. "Any luck?"

Hana sighed in response and sat down at the table. She glanced at the salad she had prepared but pushed it away. She had lost her appetite.

Kaylie grunted as she resumed her watch over the soup. They both knew that trying to push Melissa into anything was a great way for her to dig in her heels.

Hana sniffed the air, a pleasant smell wafting to her. "What are you making?"

Kaylie shuffled between Hana and the pot. "Nothing. Just some soup."

Hana sniffed more, going to the stove and peering over Kaylie's shoulder. "It smells really good." She spotted the empty can of chicken noodle soup. "We said we weren't going to do that," she whispered.

"It's not for me. It's for Kal. He barely eats anything and he's always so tired. Maybe some meat will help." She glanced at Hana whose nostrils still flared as she sniffed the soup. "And Melissa doesn't have to know."

"Well, you better throw that can out then." She eyed a chunk of chicken floating enticingly in the pot. She swallowed. "Maybe... we should check to make sure it's good."

Kaylie playfully swatted at the hand reaching for the ladle. "You're the one that said we should keep vegetarian for Melissa. Kal never made that promise, so he gets the meat."

Hana huffed in disappointment, watching Kaylie pour the soup into a large bowl. Kaylie placed it and some toast onto a tray and headed upstairs with it.

Hana was so tired of vegetables. It wasn't that she didn't like it, but sometimes, she just really wanted a burger. She shook her head, peeling the label from the can and tossing it.

###

Kal startled awake with a yelp. The sun burned his eyes. He groaned as he covered them with his hand.

There was another knock on the door. "Kal? Are you awake?"

He grumbled something unintelligible while trying to squint through his fingers to see.

"Kal?" The door opened slowly and Hana poked her face in. She hurried in upon seeing him blindly trying to navigate the bed. She closed the blinds so that the sun wasn't streaming directly on to him.

Kal sighed in relief, finally lowering his hands. A fuzzy blob roughly the shape of his sister swam before his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I should have closed that for you." Hana sat on the bed next to him, rubbing his bar arm. "Are you okay."

Kal nodded his head and wiped away the tears that had started up again. He cursed himself for feeling like this.

"Sweety, what's the matter?" Hana pulled him in for a hug. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Kal sniffled, shaking his head.

Hana shushed him while gently rocking him. She held him until he stopped crying. She rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"I—I don't know. I just feel—so lost. So empty." He hugged her tighter.

"We're here for you. You'll never be alone."

He knew she meant it, but that feeling remained in his heart. It ate away at him. He felt so alone, and he didn't know why.

###

Chapter 2

Natalie barely tasted the sandwich. Regardless of what sauce she put on it, or what peppers or meat, it just tasted like cardboard. It had been growing steadily worse over the last few months. There just wasn't enough to hunt around here. And the longer she went without something fresh, the worse the flavors got. At some point, she wouldn't be able to contain it anymore.

Natalie sipped her homemade ginger ale, one of the few things strong enough to actually taste. She scrolled through a list of local hunting grounds, looking for something remote enough that no one was around, but close enough that she could drive to.

Melissa sat down next to her, looking over her shoulder at the computer. "When did you get into hunting?"

"Oh, it's not for me. Had some friends ask about it. Said they wanted to go hunting while they're up here visiting."

"Who visits just to go hunting? Do they even have time to eat it afterwards?"

"You'd be surprised at how quick it goes." Natalie laughed at the look of revulsion on her friend's face. "So, are we on for a movie night?"

"Yeah. We can use the upstairs living room. But you're getting your own pizza this time."

"Aw, what's wrong with my jalapeno, pineapple, olive, and ham pizza?"

Melissa made a dramatic retching noise. "That's what I think of it." She sipped her water. "Come over at around 4. My brother tends to sleep early."

"How's he doing? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, same old same old. Annoying as ever. Just needs to sleep more often." She took a big bite to forestall any more conversation.

Natalie didn't push. Melissa used to talk about him all the time. Now, she barely mentioned him.

"So, what happened after I left? You were getting kind of cozy with Trent."

Melissa tried unsuccessfully to keep a smile from spreading across her face. "Nothing..."

"Oh my god, you totally hooked up with him."

"Well... like, made out a bit. We're going to get together again next week. Uh, what about you? You meeting up with Noah again?"

"Ew, god no. He's half the reason I left. I have zero interest in some drunk dude-bro."

"Fair enough."

***

Something was off about the house. Natalie had been over plenty of times, but now it seemed... strange. She couldn't put her finger on it. It made her skin tingle, though not in a foreboding manner. It was like there was a current in the air, making her fine hair stand on end. Like a single strand of string playing up her spine.

It only grew more intense as the afternoon played on. They talked about school, about Trent, about the movie, about anything else that came to mind, but Natalie was barely present in the conversation. The whole time Natalie could almost smell something in the air. The most maddening thing about it was how it was everywhere and yet nowhere.

Natalie grabbed a piece of pizza while it played on her mind. She responded half-heartedly to Melissa about something from the movie. Natalie bit into the pizza, and her mouth exploded with flavor. Her eyes shot open wide as she tasted the salty cheese, the tangy sauce, the butter on the crust. She hadn't eaten anything this amazing in months.

"But why didn't he—"

"Where did you get this pizza from?" Natalie stared at the slice in her hand. "Did you order it from somewhere?"

"Uh, no... it's just frozen pizza." Melissa blinked slowly at Natalie's reaction. "Is it... good?"

Natalie took another bite, groaning as she chewed it. "So good. What brand?"

"I... don't remember. It's down in the kitchen—"

Natalie was already off down the hallway. This was amazing. If she could eat this, then she wouldn't have to hunt anymore. No more weird coverup stories. No more waking up naked covered in blood. No more stringy bits of meat to pick out of her teeth. No more hunters to worry about.

She skidded to a halt upon seeing Melissa's brother and sister in the kitchen. They stared at her, having heard her heavy footsteps flying down the hallway.

"Do... do you need something?" Hana asked as she got up from the table.

"No. Yes!" She suddenly realized how crazed she must look. She took a deep breath. "Sorry, uh, what pizza did you make for us?"

Hana looked over at Kal questioningly. "Oh, that was just the local store brand," he said. "Was there something wrong with it?"

"No. It was just... really... good." There wasn't a good way to explain it. She shrank back, horribly embarrassed. "Sorry. Don't mind me." She quickly retreated from the room. She'd need to go shopping after this.

###

Kaylie spooned Kal as he softly cried. She held him tight in her embrace. She gently murmured into his ears. She had slipped into his bed last night and cuddled with him, wanting to feel him near her. She had fallen asleep with him and been woken by his sniffling. He'd finally confessed that he'd been doing it every morning.