Storm of the Heart

Morgan Page coasted up to the little cabin on fumes, consciously kicking herself for not filling up the truck at that little convenience store in town. When would she ever learn? Reaching over into the back seat she grabbed her coat and hoped like hell the temperature wasn't as low as her truck thermometer had said before she lost power. Nine degrees was just too cold and the wind had to bring the temps down to way below zero as it howled through the trees.

Grabbing her phone, she looked to see if it had ever locked in on a service tower. "Damn, just my luck." She angrily threw the phone in the corner on the passenger side. The battery was dead from hours of searching for a signal. Now, she was miles from nowhere with no gas and no way to contact anyone. Looking out through the heavy snow flakes that whisked by, she could see no stars and not even a tiny silhouette of the moon.

Peering into the frozen darkness, she tried to determine if it was safe to get out. Cursing herself again, she wondered why she had never asked for a key rather than continue using the one hidden on a tiny nail in the roof of the outhouse. Granted, she hadn't even talked to Ricky in over a year but he always said she was free to use the cabin whenever she wanted. Well...She wanted. Stress at work and at home had finally heated to the boiling point and she had to get away. Valentines Day had always been the worst of holidays anyway so why stay at home and be miserable eating tons of chocolate while thinking of a man she couldn't have.

Deciding that she had stalled long enough, she tentatively opened the door dragging her coat with her as she stepped out into the knee deep snow. Instantly her toes became numb, her feet cramping in protest at the extreme cold. The wind tugged violently at her hair, tangling the long tresses hopelessly around her face.

Pulling on the coat, she trudged through the deep snow drifts around the corner of the cabin to the outhouse. Jerking on the door, it only opened maybe a half inch becoming jammed at the bottom in heavy, wet snow. Dropping to her knees, she used her hands to dig the snow away from the door so she could open it far enough to reach for the key.

Finally she stood back up stretching her arm inside, fumbling blindly where she knew it should be. A deep howl erupted from the other side of the dark snow covered lake. Startled, not feeling the key or the nail and now in a panic, she swept her hand back and forth over the rough, splintery surface.

Feeling a large shard of wood slide under her skin, she cried out in pain and surprise. Biting down hard on her lip to keep from making further noise that might draw the animal in, she tasted blood. As her hand throbbed and her feet continued to cramp, she desperately pulled on the door trying to open it far enough to admit her. The wolf howled again, it's lonely cry closer than before.

She cried out again, this time in fear. No doubt the animal was hungry and sensed her presence as a potential meal. Wrenching on the door again, it came open a little more smacking her in the forehead before wedging itself once more on the frozen snow below.

Rubbing her head, she squeezed inside the outhouse and rose on tiptoe reaching for the key in the dark. Making contact with it, she closed her icy fingers around the small piece of metal salvation. With a sigh she pulled it off the nail, handling it with care.

Shimmying back out of the outhouse, she looked cautiously around before taking off in a mad dash towards the door at the front of the cabin. A deep growl was the only warning she got as a huge wolf launched itself out of no where.

Trying to get away, she felt its feet make contact with the middle of her back, driving her face first into the snow. Her deadened fingers lost track of the key as she flailed in attempt to escape the snapping jaws. Blindly, she kicked out causing a yelp from the wolf as she made contact.

The wolf lunged at her, grabbing her left leg in its teeth. Even as she felt her flesh tearing, she fought to survive. Desperately, she kicked again even harder catching the snarling animal in the head. Abruptly the snarling stopped, the mass of the ferocious animal falling across the lower half of her body. She struggled attempting to drag her legs loose, unsure whether it was dead or just knocked out.

At last, she was free of the weight. Jostling herself up, she looked frantically for the key she only now realized she had lost. The sound of labored panting had her spinning around in fright, only to see the silhouette of a monster staggering to its feet in the dark. Face to face, she could smell its fetid breath as fear rose another notch.

With a scream she limped, dragging her leg as fast as she could away from the fury that she knew was coming after her. The leg was a mass of fire and pain and refused to support her weight, threatening to drop her to the ground at any moment.

Rounding the corner of the cabin, she awkwardly made her way to its solitary window knowing that it was her only hope. Fisting her hand she placed her other hand over it, using it for leverage to increase the power as she drove her elbow hard into the glass plate. Once...Twice...She tried, wincing in pain with each contact.

The rumbling growl of the wolf echoed the sound of breaking glass as her elbow went through the window. Adrenalin pumped hard through her frozen veins giving her courage and strength she hadn't known she possessed. Quickly she cleared the glass shards from the seal and braced her arms to accept her weight as she hopped up.

Not jumping high enough the first time, she fell back to the snow covered ground landing in a heap as her leg refused to support the motion and weight of her fall. Spurred on by a more vicious growl, she scrambled back up knowing she had to make it this time or become food for the beast.

Using all of her might, she bent her knees, braced her hands and heaved her body through the small opening. Falling ungracefully to the concrete floor on the other side, she groped in the dark for something to hit the animal with when it stuck its head through the hole.

Wrapping her hand around what turned out to be a croquette mallet, she struck at the hole as a shadow filled it. With a frustrated cry, the big animal disappeared from the window. Hastily she searched in the pitch black for something to cover the hole. Knowing that the predator would not give up so quickly, she moved to the first thing she thought of. Unplugging the refrigerator and using the force of her body weight, she managed to shove it in front of the window effectively blocking both the wolf and part of the cold breeze from further invading the cabin.

With the first problem temporarily taken care of, the adrenaline slowed being replaced by bitter cold. Her body began to shake as chills took over. From past experience she knew there were two sets of bunks, one on each side of the large room. Steering clear of the one Ricky shared with his wife; she grabbed all the blankets and quilts from the other bed.

Staggering to the couch she heavily dropped onto it, gripping the covers in a strangle hold. Curling into a ball she wrapped herself up, ducking her head into the cocoon. Breathing on her hands, she tried to use the heat from her breath to revive some feeling in them.

An irritated howl came from outside and she pictured the wolf pacing around the cabin, trying to find a way in. A scratching sound came from the front door but she wasn't worried. A few years ago when she and Ricky had been seeing each other regularly, they had gotten into an argument outside the cabin.

Not wanting to concede his part, she escaped into the cabin and locked him out. Angered, he had rammed the door with his shoulder repeatedly but was not able to get through. Later, after they had both settled down and agreed to disagree on whatever had made them mad, he told her about how the cabin had been built to withstand blizzards, wind or anything that came at it. That was one of the reasons for having no windows in it.

Thinking back, her mind drifted to the lovemaking that had taken place after the argument. Her body heated with memories of the hot, steamy make-up sex. Under all the blankets she could feel her nipples bud up as thoughts ran rampant through her mind. Feeling the tell-tale moisture grow between her legs, she allowed her body to relax slightly from its tight ball.

With a sigh of resignation, her hand worked its way down her body warming as it went. Reaching her nether regions, she allowed a finger to drift lightly over her lower lips before coming to rest on her taunt clit. Pinching it between her finger and thumb, she released a gasp of pleasure at the sharp sensation.

Stretching out on the sofa while being careful not to completely dislodge the covers, she permitted her mind to run free. Recalling one specific episode where his wife had been gone for a teaching convention and she had come to town on a business trip; her body jerked in response to the vivid memory.

They had been quietly seeing each other for over three years when that particular meeting had taken place. Though they lived over a thousand miles apart, these little reunions seemed to keep the fires burning quite hot in their absences. Between phone sex and steamy emails, they managed to become quite happy in their little arrangement.

She had been married for about fifteen years to a man who showed little to no affection. So long as there was hot food, clean clothes and a decently organized house, he was content to exist without the comforts of the warm aching body next to him in bed. Instead he seemed to prefer meager amounts of contact between the two of them.

Ricky had been married for almost twenty years and hadn't shared a bed with his wife for last eight. To hide the effects of his strained marriage, he put in long hours at work and volunteered for all of the out of town assignments he could get. That's how they had met.

Gliding her fingers tentatively along the slit of her sex, she then parted her lips slipping a finger into the tight damp depths. She was amazed at how warm it was even in these single digit temperatures.

Sliding in and out of the wetness, she took up a rhythm that increased the friction while maintaining minimal movement as to not irritate her leg or lose track of the covers that held in her body heat. Unbeknownst to her, while her body temperature was rising from the memories in her head, an infection was growing due to the injury inflicted in her leg.

What she thought was vivid memories were really hallucinations brought on by the high temperature of her body as it tried to fight the infection. These hallucinations were now enough to block out the howl of the growing storm outside as well as the aggravated destruction occurring from the wolf trying to get in.

The dreams intensified, her hand stopped moving even though her brain told her body different. Going through all the motions in her mind, her inner core contracted with such intensity that she shouted out in her sleep with what was to be the first of many climaxes.

***

Miles away, a lone Dodge truck made its way cautiously down the road. The snow was coming down so hard there was no way to tell where the road ended and the shoulder began. Even though Ricky Holliday had driven this stretch hundreds of times, he refused to discount the dangerous potential of sliding off into a ditch and not being found for days or possibly weeks.

While the cabin was wonderfully secluded, it sometimes posed a problem when it came to accessibility. Hitting the steering wheel with his hand, he cussed the selfishness of his wife. He had been out of town to D.C. for almost a week and had come back to what they were saying was the storm of the century.

After more than six hours on the road, trying to make it home from the airport he had arrived at the house only to find a screaming banshee accusing him of every form of adulterous behavior known to man.

While he wasn't denying that he'd been unfaithful before, he wasn't about to stand for being unjustly accused of something he hadn't done now. Rather than listen to her any further, he had marched back to his truck, backed it out of the drive and turned it towards the little cabin that had become his sanctuary.

Now, several hours later he was debating the wisdom of his choice. "I should have just gotten a motel room or stayed at Pop's place for the night and tried to reason with her in the morning." He growled, hating this situation he found himself in.

Finally he saw the lights of the all night convenience store. Pulling in, he left the truck running and went in to find some hot chocolate and a few snacks to hold him over through this storm. Adding a couple bottles of coke to the pile on the counter, he paid the man and turned to go.

"Be careful out there." The man behind the counter said. "This storm is stranding even the best of them."

"I'm not too far from my cabin now. With this snow it might take me a little longer but I should get there within an hour or so." Ricky replied, hoping that was the case.

Back in the truck he turned his lights off, using only his fog light to get under the snow and help him navigate the twisting road. Keeping his speed down and eyes peeled, he carefully made his way through the storm towards the little structure that was his haven.

Not bothering to stop at the four-way, he crept forward noticing a familiar pick-up parked in his normal spot. Suddenly, a movement at the cabin door grabbed his attention making his heart race with fear. Through the dim lights of his truck, he made out the figure of a large wolf attempting to gain access to his cabin. Then he spotted something that made his blood run colder yet. Red splotches in the disturbed snow that ran to the opposite side of the building.

The wolf was so intent on his mission that the vehicle pulling into the yard didn't seem to faze him. Shutting off the truck and reaching behind the seat, Ricky's hand wrapped around the rifle he kept for emergencies. Disregarding the rule to never discharge a weapon inside a vehicle, he slowly lowered his window and sighted in on the massive lupine only twenty yards away.

Looking down the barrel, his made eye contact with the animal as he squeezed the trigger. It turned and leaped at the same moment that the shot came from the gun. The slug took him square in the chest, dropping him only scant feet from the truck.

Waiting to make sure it wasn't getting back up; Ricky calmly reloaded the gun without taking his eyes off the animal. Finally, he rolled the window back up and warily opened the door. Stepping out into the snow, he made his way to where the wolf lay while keeping the gun trained on the prone figure. Nudging it with the toe of his boot, he didn't lower the rifle. Seeing no movement, he stepped around the wolf and strode up to the door.

From the damage there, he guessed that the animal had been at it for quite some time. The screen door was all but torn from its hinges, the glass shattered and the screen ripped from its frame. The thick oak door though had stood strong and firm, deterring admittance. Sure there were deep groves and gouges from the beast's claws but it had not budged a bit.

Taking a key from his pocket he slid it smoothly into the lock and turned, releasing the bolt inside the door. After a quick glance at the wolf, he stepped inside the structure. Taking in what he could from the shadows and forms, he could vaguely make out the shape of his fridge shoved against the wall where the window would be.

"Oh God Morgan, what have you gotten yourself into now." He gasped, catching site of the shapely outline on his couch. Closing the door behind him, by habit he moved six steps to the left and four steps forward to the cabinet that contained the battery operated lantern. Firing it up, he set it on the table by the couch.

Leaning over, he brushed his lips across his girlfriend's forehead taking note of the dark bruise swelling above her right eye even as he felt the extensive heat radiating from her body. Peeling away the pile of blankets and quilts, his heart sunk at what he found at the bottom.

"Holy shit!" He ground out, wishing he could shoot the wolf all over again. Taking care not to jar her and cause more pain, he lifted her leg moving the ripped pieces of denim out of the way. Dragging the lantern over, he looked closer at the wound.

She moaned in protest as he gently prodded at area around the deepest puncture. "Wow Sweetheart, that wolf really did a number on you." He whispered as he checked what he could for broken bones.

Reaching across to his favorite recliner, he grabbed a throw pillow and propped her leg up on it. Carefully recovering her with the blankets, he set about gathering the first aid supplies he'd need to temporarily patch her up.

Having no running water and no heat were going to be a problem. Intending to remedy the heat situation, he went over to the fireplace and found no wood stacked and ready to be lit. From there he looked outside in the box where he used to keep a good supply in case of bad weather. It was empty. Instead he found a note from a buddy saying that he'd pay him back later in the spring.

Of all the stupid things his friend had pulled, this had to rank pretty close to being the worst. Trudging through the snow, he kicked the dead wolf on his way to the tool box in his truck. Opening it, he realized that he had taken the axe and hatchet out to sharpen them and had left them in the barn at home.

"Son of a bitch!" He shouted. "Well hell, I guess I better load her up and get her at least into Minong. There's got to be someone at the ambulance station."

He turned back to the truck intent on warming it up again before leaving. Sliding into the seat, he turned the key. Nothing. He turned it again and still nothing. Then he remembered getting out of the truck, leaving his lights on after shooting the wolf.

He popped the hood and looked in exasperation and the single battery. He had planned to pick up a second one but since he normally drove his work car, he had put it off. Now he was paying the price.

With a sparse shred of hope, he opened the hood on Morgan's truck to see if her battery was interchangeable with his. Looking at tiny battery filling the hole, it was an obvious no go. The little battery would have a hard time cranking his truck over and that was most likely the farthest he'd get.

Resigned to fate, he closed both the hoods and after looking in the back seat of her truck, grabbed her overnight bag. As an afterthought, he grabbed his bag out of his truck too. Returning to the cabin, he set the bags on one of the beds while looking thoughtfully at the fireplace.

"Think, think, think." He pounded his fist lightly against his forehead. "What can I use to heat this place?" Then it came to him. Striding across the room to the rocking chair, he dragged it back over by the fireplace. Using the strength in his arms he began breaking it into pieces, first the arms, then the rockers and bottom frame.

Piling it neatly in the firebox, he went and opened the cabinet under the sink taking out a pad of steel wool. Taking a flannel rag from the towel drawer and grabbing a flashlight from the other cupboard, he returned to the fireplace.

First he nestled the flannel in and around his wood pile. Then, after taking the batteries from the flashlight, he sat on the ground making himself comfortable. Holding the steel wool in one hand and the battery in the other, he rubbed the battery prong against the steel wool. Soon the pad began to glow and burn. Carefully, he set the burning steel wool pad in the flannel nest blowing gently to encourage the flames. The wood caught rather quickly consuming the years of furniture polish as fuel.