The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 09

Michelle fought back her chuckle, but failed. Tears rolling down her cheeks as she made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. Dave rested his hand on her thigh, giving her a comforting squeeze.

Sara began to sing in the backseat, and was soon joined by Andrew when he realized the song, "If you go into the woods today, You're sure of a big surprise..."

Dave shook his head and Michelle exploded with nervous laughter. Her fears washed away by the body shaking humor of the moment.

The family passed through Hoquiam and arrived in Aberdeen well ahead of schedule. Sara was pleased to see that Andrew had learned to drive by watching his father, and maintained many of the same staunch rules that had kept him safe. They both were lax on the more stupid rules, like the speed limit, but she wished Dave would add those extra five miles an hour to get them to the perfect speed. Sara appreciated the aggressiveness he used to pass people who needed it, as Dave and Sara said, "learn how to drive."

Michelle and Andrew enjoyed the trip. Sara filled them in on the amazing ecosystem of the rainforest. Her love for this place was matched only by her love for Andrew.

The shopping was — much to Andrew's surprise — a brief but fun excursion. The few clothes Dave and he had picked out were replaced by Sara and Michelle who found similar, if more fashionable options. Andrew had convinced Sara that he needed to get larger shirts, tugging at his current shirt which hugged too close to his chest.

Andrew had always preferred baggy clothes, but Sara had convinced him to get some more appropriate items that would fit him better. She had added some more fitting workout clothes, which Andrew had to admit was a great idea. He had sweat more in the last week than he had in the entire history of his life before that.

The entire family picked out some nice rain jackets and Sara had convinced them to purchase some flannels.

"Come on, you live in the Olympic Peninsula now. You might as well look the part."

They all grumbled, resigned to the itchy looking garments which turned out to be far more comfortable than they expected.

Michelle and Sara vanished with their clothes in hand, explaining that they would meet the boys in the food court in thirty minutes.

"Wonder what that's about?" Andrew asked his father.

Dave admired his wife's shapely ass as the two women disappeared around a corner. "Not sure..." he said as his eyes squinted as if concentration would give him some insight.

True to their word the women arrived almost thirty minutes later toting their clothes neatly folded within their bags. Michelle blushed as she sat beside her husband, resting her hand on his upper thigh and feeling the edge of his firm dick straining within his pants. She brushed her thumb along its length before winking at the startled look spread across his serious face.

Andrew rose and accepted an excited Sara into his open arms. The thirty minute separation feeling like eternity to the young couple. They shared a brief kiss before the family left the mall, deciding to get food at a local restaurant instead.

***** A Dire Discovery *****

Tani'm moved through the forest like a soft breeze. Her bare feet left no trace as she bounded off a rotten log. The soft moss barely compressed as she landed, before her legs carried her through the underbrush in a sprint. The leaves of a low hanging branch rustled as she passed, the only sign of her presence.

"Grandfather never travels this far out." she thought as she stopped and studied a scuffed section of moss next to a stream. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders as she studied her immediate surroundings. "He never travels alone." she mused while her hazel gaze scanned the forest.

Tani'm's clothes were made from rugged earth tone cloth which had been reinforced with soft resilient leather that hung close to her body. She was lean, and short of stature with fierce eyes that studied the forest in the direction Grandfather had ran. Whatever had brought him here had him spooked. She had never known him to make so many mistakes, and she could tell from his strides that he had been running at a breakneck pace.

She tried to shake off her concern for her old friend, but something was terribly wrong. The forest had felt sick for days, as if the balance of this resilient place had been thrown off. Tani'm had tried to dismiss these feelings, but as she tracked the flight of her friend she realized that whatever was happening could no longer be ignored. As she took off — tracking Grandfather on his wayward journey — she couldn't stop thinking about one thing; whatever had chased Grandfather this far from his domain had left no trace.

No creature, either man or beast, had ever managed to elude Tani'm. Her tracking abilities were without equal, and she knew that whatever had been stalking her friend must be like her. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of another person as gifted as her, but with a nature so dark that the animals would flee from them in fear.

Whoever had pursued her friend must be at the center of her terrible feeling. Tani'm burst from the forest into one of the many fields where the Quinault Indian Nation had harvested trees. A few dozen yards ahead she could see the mangled corpse of her dear friend scattered amongst the tree stumps. It took all of her strength not to scream in anger at the sight that stood before her.

A flock of birds took flight a few hundred yards away, while numerous rodents and small animals took shelter within their burrows. The forest trembled at the fury that roiled within Tani'm's light but powerful frame.

She took a few careful steps towards the desecrated remains; the horror and brutality of what had been done sinking in as she drew closer. The once magnificent buck had been a kind and tender friend to Tani'm over the last decade. She had met him as a child, when her gifts were still new and unfamiliar to her. The young male elk approached her without fear, one of the first animals to come to her unbidden. They grew together, taking their different paths through life. She came into her powers quickly and he had benefited from their relationship; growing large and strong.

She arrived at the old elk's cadaver, stepping over shattered limbs and chunks of meat before she gazed down into the tortured eyes of her oldest friend; his last terrible moments frozen in his hollow gaze. Whoever had done this had no respect, his mighty antlers had been shattered and destroyed with tremendous force. The skin had been torn from most of his body and as she inspected the carnage she realized that none of the meat had been taken.

This had not been done by a man, this was the work of a monster in the truest sense of the word. Her friend had not been killed for food, which she could have accepted. He had not been killed for his antlers, which she could have understood on a human level. She could make no sense of why his life had been taken, or why he had been torn apart so completely.

Large teeth marks were evident across the body and on the frayed ends of the severed limbs. She had first thought that this had been done by a maddened or crazed bear, until she saw the stabbing claw marks from where the body had been held down as it was torn apart. Whatever had done this had powerful jaws and impossibly long teeth.

A high pitched growl filled the air as a masculine bobcat approached from the forest. "Ohh settle down, you old tom." She said as she returned to her investigation. The large cat bounced through the open space, watching its surroundings for any threat while its growl rumbled through its chest.

The ground was soft and she saw her shallow footprints leading up to the body. Tani'm could see Grandfathers tracks leading most of the way to where his body now rested, and she spotted the point where he had first been attacked.

Whatever had done this had made a point to not kill him right away. She could see where he had hit the ground, and followed the trail of blood to where he had first been torn open. Most of a kidney was mixed into the muscle and flesh that had been torn from his body. She followed the assault as best as she could, and realized that the creature had taken at least five large bites out of her friend before finally taking his life. She knew by the pools of blood that Grandfather had been held down, giving him time to suffer between rending the limbs from his body.

The deep impressions left in the ground by whatever had done this were chaotic and frenzied, as if the creature had been hopping and twisting violently throughout the assault. It was difficult for Tani'm to locate an intact print, but just as she was thinking none could be found she saw it.

Against the side of a stump, as if left behind on purpose it stood; a large crimson paw print. The dark red stain stood out against the light gray of the sun bleached wood. It had been a massive paw that must have been drenched in blood to have left such a clear silhouette. She thought it must be a hoax as she recognized what kind of animal had a paw pattern like that.

The large indentations from where the claws had dug into the wood at the outer edge of each pad convinced her of its authenticity. "This is impossible." she thought to herself while the bobcat rubbed against her leg, trying to shake her from her troubled thoughts.

Tani'm looked off into the forest, the sun reflecting off her dark brown skin. Her ancestory compelling her to fear for the forest that she loved.

"What kind of wolf could do this?"

***** Welcome Home *****

Later that afternoon the William's house was filled with happy laughter. Andrew and Michelle were cooking another stew. Sara had begged Michelle to make the warm dish, knowing that Andrew was unfamiliar with the process and suspecting that she would want him to make it again while his parents were on assignment. She salivated at the thought of the large chunks of soft tender beef.

It took Andrew a few tries to get the fire going in the wood fire stove, but he soon had it set up perfectly. His mother guided him through the process of maintaining the fire and distributing the heat.

"Have I thanked you recently for demanding that we keep this damn thing?" Andrew said as he poked the fire through the door on the side of the large metal stove.

"Not today, sweetie. It always feels so nice to be appreciated." She brought her hand to her forehead and tipped backwards as if her heart was breaking. They all laughed while Andrew shook his head and grumbled to himself as the fire spit and crackled at him.

Fifteen minutes later Andrew had dumped the last of the diced vegetables into the pot and was replacing the lid. The kitchen already smelled amazing and he found himself excited by the entire process. He still hated the stove, but something about managing the fire was — much to his annoyance — cathartic.

"Wow, Sara. This tea is great." Michelle called out from the couch where she was leaning against Dave, his arm wrapped protectively around her.

"Thanks, it's a special blend from a good friend of mine. She has spent quite a lot of time and effort mastering this english delicacy." She took a sip from her own cup, enjoying the cream flavor that added an extra richness to the fragrant drink. "She was kind enough to share it with me, and I thought you might enjoy it as well."

"So what are you two gonna get up to while we're on assignment?" Michelle asked before taking another sip of her remarkable beverage.

"Well, school is going to take up a lot of time. Seems like the study group is growing so I hope you don't mind if we have a few more people over."

Dave smiled and shook his head. "Nope, like we told Andrew, this is your place while we are gone."

Sara's eyes grew wide, and a large smile spread across her face. "Really? You mean it."

Michelle smiled from behind her cup. The older woman somehow seeming much younger swaddled against her large husband. "Of course we mean it. We couldn't stop you anyways, so at least this way we hope you two will be smart about what you do." Michelle enjoyed another drink from her steaming tea, savoring its flavor before she asked a question that had been bothering her.

"When we had said you could sleep over while we were on assignment we honestly thought it would be a periodic thing." She smiled at the young couples nervous expression before continuing. "Unless we are mistaken, it feels like you are going to be moving in over the next month. Are you sure your mother doesn't mind? I mean what if she comes home and you aren't there?"

Sara was shaken by this rather obvious question. Why had she never thought about that. Of course her mother would mind, but at the same time she wondered what right her mother had to dictate what she did. She was lost in thought for a few moments, until she was shaken out of her spiraling confusion by Andrew's soft touch.

"Actually, I don't know. Mom hasn't been home for a couple of months. We have been meeting up in Portland every couple of weeks, and living our own lives." She trailed off for another moment before she finished. "You're right though. This is something she deserves to know."

Dave and Michelle were surprised by the admission from the young woman. How anyone could have become so detached from their only child was mind boggling to the couple. They watched Sara fiddle with her phone, and could sense the young couples anxiety at what Sara's mother would say.

Andrew watched Sara typing on her phone through the monolith in his mind. A projection of her text appearing in front of the large rectangular device in bright white letters.

"Mom, sorry for the late notice but I am going to be living at Andrew's for the next month. Love you and see you next week for lunch."

Sara looked up, a nervous grin on her face. "What do you think the over/under is on how long it will take for her to-"

Her phone rang, interrupting her prophetic jest. She sighed and stood from her chair. "I should probably take this."

Sara's shoulders were slumped as she made her way to Andrew's bedroom. She answered the phone and her first statement was cut off as she closed the door. "Hey mom, before you start..."

The living room was silent except for the sound of bubbling stew and murmurs of noise from Andrew's room. Everyone had their head tilted trying to hear Sara's side of the conversation, though Andrew was listening to the whole thing inside of his head.

"Incoming Call: Vivienne Mitchel: 4 seconds"

Was projected from the violet lines upon the face of the towering monument within Andrew's mind. The sound of Sara's call echoing through the vast open space around it while the timer counted out the seconds.

"... before you start, I just want to say that-" Andrew could hear the defeat in Sara's voice. The sound so unfamiliar to the young man.

"No, Sara. This is not happening. Andrew seems like a great guy and I am happy you found each other but this is way too fast. I mean, you two just bought a car and now you're moving in together." Her words were coming fast and Andrew recognized the determined authority within her voice. She was used to getting her way, and expected Sara to bow to her wishes.

Andrew was nervous about how Sara would react, and hoped that her temper would not get the better of her.

"No, mother. This is happening. I appreciate everything you have done for me, and recognize just how much you want to keep me safe, but enough is enough. I'm eighteen goddamn years old and you can't keep hiding me from the world."

The phone was silent, and Andrew thought he could hear a slight gasp from the other end of the phone. He was impressed by Sara's control, her anger was definitely there, but she tempered it well with her quick and poignant observation.

Andrew held his breath, waiting for the conversation to continue, afraid that he might be heard over the open line. He felt like he was holding the phone and his every noise would carry through the channel.

"Damnit, Sara. I'm not hiding you away. You are amazing and I love you. It kills me that we can't spend more time together but you refuse to move to Portland and... Well last time we talked about this you wanted me to pursue this job. Would it change anything if I moved back home?"

Andrew could hear Sara's barely contained sobs, affirming the sad desperation that was radiating from her amber sprite that hovered around his consciousness.

"No, mom. I don't think it would. Your job makes you so happy and you are so great at it. I wish we could have more of a relationship too, but that has nothing to do with Andrew."

Andrew could hear Vivienne sigh while she considered what to say. "I know. Things got pretty heated last time I was there. You have been doing a lot better since I moved out. Still, this Andrew thing is just moving too quickly. I know you're a free spirit, sweetie, but even you have to realize that this is happening way too fast, right?"

There was a brief pause before Sara responded, "Yeah, we already had that conversation with Andrew's folks and they agreed with you at first. But they gave us this week to prove how strong our relationship is. They already laid down the law, so we all know where things stand."

Andrew felt connected to Vivienne, not like he did with Sara or Karen of course, but like he knew how she thought. Her analytical brain reminding him so much of his own.

"You know I felt that way once before, and while that experience brought you into my life, it also almost killed me. I never want you to have to suffer through what I did. Your father..." They could hear the emotion just behind Vivienne's words as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Some men are not capable of loving a woman as wonderful as you."

Sara smiled and wished she could confess to her mother the truth, but the simple fact was she was not sure she could trust her mother yet. Sara and Andrew realized in that moment that the thing which had pulled Alexander out of Vivienne's life was the exact thing that would guarantee that Andrew would never abandon Sara.

"Please, mother. You need to accept that this is happening. I wish there was something we could do to ease your concern, but as we explained to Andrew's parents that is only something that will come with time. We need to try and see each other more often. Then you will see how devoted Andrew and I are to each other. It would mean a lot to me if we could try and rebuild our relationship, but you need to understand that Andrew is a large part of my life now and if you want to get to know me that means getting to know him as well."

For the first time this entire conversation Sara was nothing but compassionate. Her anger and frustration was gone, her remorse for the lost relationship with her mother had vanished, and all that was left was a hopeful optimism for a future where her mother was a more integral part of her life.

Vivienne took a deep breath, blowing her nose and drying her eyes. "Well I'm eager to get to know Andrew, and while I'm not happy about what you are doing I recognize that I can't stop you. Please promise me you two are being careful, I want to have grandkids, but not for a few years."

Sara laughed through her relieved exhale. She had surprised herself, finding her temper more easy to control than it had ever been in the past. The last time she had an argument with her mother it resulted in Sara breaking a few expensive vases and lamps while the two woman screamed at each other. A week after that her mother moved out and Sara had gotten what she wanted; a life seemingly under her own control.

"Thank you, mom. We are being careful, I already visited the doctor and we are taking necessary steps." Sara rubbed her belly and hoped her mother did not sense her lie. She kind of missed the feeling of rubbing her hand over her swollen tummy.