No One Can Know
Chapter one
It was my birthday today. I'm now fifteen. It's nothing exciting. I'll never get my permit – legally. I won't be able to drive to school or the mall or wherever. I just can't. I'm not normal. Yeah I have my quirks – I accepted those a long time ago (they're what make me who I am) – but I'm completely different from your average teen.
I'm home schooled. I get whatever I want – except normality. Sure, I have a dog, a laptop, an iPod – heck, I even got my own indoor shootin' range in our basement. I can even explore most of the Smokey Mountains practically whenever I want! Then why in whole wide world am I so dadgum depressed?
I live way up in the mountains surrounded by nothing but trees. The only human contact I've had in ten years is my mom and dad. Other than them, my only friends are my red bone coon hound, Red, and God. Nobody even hikes within a ten mile radius of my house.
We moved up here when I was five years old more than twelve hours away from my mom's dream house in Jacksonville, Florida because of something I had done. Mom and Dad can't have any more kids 'cause nobody can know about my existence. That was my fault. We had to tell everyone who knew me, I was dead. My fault. They even had to have fake funeral and spend thousands of dollars just to cover up my mistake. My parents have to drive three hours away to do anything. My fault. We had to build a secret hiding room and get me fake ids. My fault. Do you see where I'm going with this? I ruined my parents' lives just by living!
Today is August eleventh, 2009. My parents got me a North Face jacket the exact blue of my eyes. We had taco pie and German chocolate cake. It was nice but nothing really extraordinary. I've learned to settle for what they can give me.
Feeling strangely emotionless, I shoved my feet into the black Rocket Dogs they had gotten me last year, grabbed my rifle and some ammo, and wandered outside. Red, wagging his tail, trotted over to join me. I scratched his head and took a deep breath of fresh mountain air.
I headed down the path that lead up to my secret fort where I went to simply think. I called it my fortress of solitude like Superman. A quiet breeze sent shivers down my spine – it may have been the middle of August but it was still pretty chilly up here in the Smokeys.
I finally made it to the small cave I had discovered a couple years ago. It was peaceful. I sighed as I laid my gun down on the mossy earth. I plopped down on the cave floor next to my dog. I sat in thought for a few minutes. I had no clue as to what I was thinkin' about but I was sure as heck thinkin' real hard about it.
I shook myself outta my trance-like state. Suddenly I began to feel restless. I felt like I had to be moving and going somewhere but I didn't know where I should go. I glanced at Red. He was sound asleep. I rolled my eyes as I stood up and stretched. I swear that dog could sleep anywhere.
Somehow I ended up walking farther up the mountain, letting my feet take me wherever they felt the need to go. It was actually kinda relaxing to not have to know where I was going or why I was going there.
I ended up walking around for a while (an hour and a half according to my watch). I figured I should go wake up Red – I had no doubt he was still asleep exactly where I'd left 'im -- and go on home before Mom started to panic.
I heard something trampling around in the underbrush -- which grew surprisingly thick where I was at that moment. I stopped and looked around. It sounded too loud to be a deer or a fox or a bob cat. It wasn't heavy enough, by any means, to be a bear. Maybe it's a wolf or mountain lion. I thought as I continued on my way. I wasn't particularly concerned seeing as most of the animals that hung around these parts had accepted my presence here.
As I walked, I noticed that the rustling seemed to be following me. Strange. . . . I tried not to let it bother me but something in the back of my mind was screaming run. I glanced behind me and saw a creature. Not a furry creature, like I expected, but a human creature. A human dude creature that was definitely not my dad. Panic shot through my body. I sprinted down the mountain.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins pushing me on even faster as I heard the mystery guy crashing through the woods behind me. I barely touched the ground as I flew skillfully through the trees and over the boulders. I carefully threw a glance over my shoulder. I couldn't see him. I could hardly hear him.
I ran on for about forty-five minutes more, reluctantly resting for about a minute ever-so-often, before finally reaching the cave. I ducked into it abruptly and sat, gasping for air. Red woke up, startled. Sensing my fear, he bared his teeth and growled, hackles raised. He stared ferociously into the trees, looking for the danger.
Realizing he could give us away, I pulled him down by the scruff of his neck. Shocked by the sudden movement, he went abruptly silent. So there we sat, silent and waiting. I was gasping for breath and still wide-eyed as the image of my pursuer found its way back into my mind.
Red's ears perked up. He swung his head to the right. That's when I heard it. The footsteps. The panting. The voice.
I yelled and yelled for the strange girl but she didn't answer. I continued running, searching for her. I don't know why.
I had seen her 'bout an hour ago through the trees. She was just walking. She seemed to know where she was going, definitely the opposite of me. As much as I hated to admit it, I had no idea where I was.
I had been dragged up here by my dad and his new wife – Stephanie. They had said it would be a great way for us to "bond". Yeah right. I belonged in the city. In Nashville. Not in some mountain. I hated this. Although, I did prefer it to hangin' out with Dad and Stephanie and them actin' like somethin' straight out of a mushy love story. Gross. It made me sick. Stephanie had said that we'd be "exploring the unknown". Apparently it was known.
I stopped to catch my breath. How the heck did she disappear so fast? I thought to myself, straightening up.
I remembered seeing her through the trees. Something about her seemed just not normal. She looked normal. Well, except for the waist length pony tail and bangs – none of the girls I knew had bangs or hair past their shoulders. And her speed! I'd never seen a girl – or a guy come to think of it – run so fast and silently.
I looked around and listened as hard as I could. If she knew where she was going maybe she could help me find my dad and step-mom.
Just then, I noticed a huge rock formation. Hey, maybe she's hidin' behind that, I thought doubtfully. I walked towards it, feeling like I was being pulled toward it. I approached it as calmly as I could and called out again.
"Hello? Hey girl, I know you're out here." I hoped if she was out here, she'd fall for my bluff. "Just come talk to me. There's nothing to be afraid of."
I was now right behind the boulder. I just stood there with my hands resting on the cool rocky surface. I held my breath and listened. There! I'd heard it. I heard breathing. But it didn't quite sound human. It sounded heavy – like an . . . . animal? Panic played on the edge of my mind. My heart started pounding. What if it's a wolf?
I decided to – very quietly and cautiously – walk around to the other side.
I heard his footsteps. He was tryin' to be calm. He could he Red's breathing. I quietly grabbed my gun and ammo and scooted farther back into the cave. Red followed me. Now, mostly hidden by the shadow of the cave, I closed my eyes and hoped it was all just another bad dream. I opened my eyes. Crap, I thought angrily – and worriedly. It was all real.
There it was. What I hoped I'd never see – well, this way I mean. His foot. Then the other. Then he crouched down and I saw all of him. I quickly loaded my rifle and aimed. Red stood beside me and growled ferociously. Fear shone in his eyes. I'd never really seen that emotion in someone other than my parents before. I lowered my gun and rested my hand on Red's back to calm him.
The guy relaxed a little. We just stared at each other for a few moments then reality crashed down around me. I grabbed my rifle and hurried outta the cave before he had a chance to think. I ran as fast as I could with Red right by my side.
I ran and ran all the way to the house and didn't stop running until I was safely in my room with Red next to me, sitting against the locked door.
We collapsed on top of each other, breathing as hard as we'd ever breathed before. "It sure is – a good thing – Mom and Dad – aren't home," I gasped to my dog through rugged breaths.
He let out a gasping bark in reply. I would have laughed if I'd had enough oxygen.
Phew, it's just her.
Well, that opinion flew out my ear as soon as her dog started growling, demonically almost, and she had a .22 rifle trained on me.
Much to my relief – and embarrassment – she saw how scared I was and lowered her gun. She put her hand on her dog and it stopped growling as loudly.
We just sat and stared at each other for a few long moments and then, she was gone. I mean, I guess I realized she was moving but, it was so fast and I was so tired. . . . I just didn't have to react. I would have stopped her if I could. . . . .
"Oh no," I grumbled. I flopped down hopelessly on the ground. Now I had absolutely no way to get back to my dad and Stephanie.
For the first time in a while, I prayed. "Help my Lord. What am I going to do?"
Out of nowhere the dog appears again and started attacking me! Caught by surprise, I hollered. He had chased me onto some nearby boulders but not before he bit my arm and clawed my leg. He was tryin' to jump up on the rocks with me when a gun was fired.
Startled, I hollered again. So did the dog. First I inspected myself then looked down at the dog. Neither one of us had been shot.
Someone whistled and the dog turned backwards and trotted a few feet away into the trees. I heaved a sigh of relief and sat down.
"How bad is it?" A voice called through the trees. It was her.
"Depends on your definition of bad. Nothing's broken or brutally mutilated if that's what you mean but he did claw my left leg and bite my right arm," I replied feeling stupid for not talking to someone face-to-face or via cell phone.
"She."
"What?"
"She. My dog is a she." The girl repeated. Whoever she was, she had a nice voice.
"Oh. Well, does she have a name." There was a pause.
"If you can guess it," came the reply.
"Okay. Umm. . . ." This was ridiculous. We're both teenagers and here I am playing the guessing game tryin' to figure out a dumb dog's name. "Little Ann."
"No." I was about to guess again when she said, "She has all of her shots. You'll be fine."
"Oh, um okay. Do I still need to figure out her name?" Another pause.
"Yes. Two more tries and I'll get you somethin' to fix up those scratches."
"Um, I don't know if you can see from wherever you are but, these are a little deeper than scratches."
"What are you complainin' about? You can't even see 'em. You're wearin' a leather jacket and long jeans. You're fine."
It was true. I was wearin' a leather jacket and long jeans. "Fair enough. Um, Lassie."
"Are you serious? One more try."
I sighed, impatiently. "Uhh. . . . Grace."
"Wrong. Wait here." I heard footsteps walking away and fade into the distance.