Disclaimer: I don't own Higher Ground or any of the original characters. The new ones, they are my own. The ideas here are completely my own and have no relation to the original series. I am just a fan and I suppose it's alright for me to explore characters in my own way.
Authors Note: I was thinking how sad it is that Higher Ground ended. This is what I would have been keen on to happen. No such luck? Well, it does allow for artistic freedom and self-expression, which writing is ultimately about, I guess. Alright, here goes.
Oh yes, I also want to thank my readers of the Shower Files series. You guys were great, and I've been meaning to get around to writing some more. I'm not going to make excuses. No one really cares.
I do however have a real life, flesh and blood, gorgeous muse now. And she's taking up a lot of my time. Bear with me please. I plan a long and elaborate writing career.
Chapter 1 (The Wolf)
"The girls dorms are over there," Peter pointed to the left, "And the boys are over there." he pointed in the other direction. "You've seen the lodge, cafeteria and offices. Anything else?"
His companion looked around. She had been silently taking in everything he had shown her, as if she was storing everything in her head for later reference. "How would I find the hiking trails?" she asked. "I was hoping to get a better feel of the place before the students arrive."
"I have a map in my office. Would you like to fetch it? You will, of course, be included in the team building exercises once the students arrive."
"Sure." She said and followed him to the office buildings. It's as though he was trying to sell Mt. Horizon to her. She though this was silly, she would be working there and needed no selling. She put it down to procedure. None the less, his behaviour made her uneasy.
Peter handed her a map from a shelf in his office. "Thanks," she said. "Peter, we've spoken about this, and I was wondering if it would be alright for me to fetch Freddy tomorrow. He isn't happy in town."
"Freddy?" Peter asked. "Oh, of course, your dog. As long as you're sure he won't cause trouble."
"Freddy? No, he's a good dog. He hasn't got an aggressive bone in his body."
"Alright, but please make sure he's closed in at all times. I don't want him interfering with the students."
"Thanks Peter." She said and smiled weakly. What are you so worried about, she wondered silently.
Peter squeezed her arm. "Helen, I know you're nervous about starting here, it's not simply counselling here, you will be offered a chance to interact with the students. That reminds me," he opened a filing cabinet. "Here, these are the files on the students you will be working closest to."
Helen took the files from her new employer. Peter smiled at her again. "This should keep you busy until the students arrive. And if you need anything at all, just ask."
Peter dismissed her with an invitation to Rusty's with the other councillors that evening. A bit of a catch up for the old teachers and a get-to-know-you for her. She accepted passively, even though she had planned a hike. She could do that in the morning and unpack for the rest of the day.
She made her way to the little cabin she was to stay in. From the outside, it wasn't much to look at. The wood was old and black; moss grew on the side shaded by several enormous pines. Inside it was cosy and smelt of tar and wood fires. She was thrilled with the fireplace. Nothing like a log fire, she thought. The little cabin also had a small kitchen, a living area, a small bedroom and tiny bathroom. She doubted she would have much time to indulge in the long baths she used to anyway.
Helen spent the rest of the day unpacking and met Peter and Sophie at the appointed time and the three drove into town in Peter's car. They drove the entire way to town with Sophie hanging over the passenger seat, asking Helen questions.
"Why did you apply to Mt. Horizon? It isn't exactly the best way to advance your career. I've seen your qualifications and…"
Helen cut her short. "I believe we have to do things for the right reasons, with your career especially and sure, I could work in a psychology practice or high school and help kids, but here I could really make a difference. I hope so anyway."
Peter interrupted, drawing Sophie's attention to him momentarily. "What about your book?"
Sophie swung back to look Helen in the eye as she spoke. "Book?"
"Yeah, I'm working on a book about troubled teens. Drug addiction, drinking, promiscuity… Things that happen to real teenagers. It could provide insight into similar cases." She laughed softly. "I have a lot of ideas, one of them might be to add a section for parents. To help them understand. It's a silly fantasy of mine to eradicate ignorance."
Sophie turned to face the front as they entered the town. She wasn't entirely convinced about this new councillor. She had a feeling, women's intuition perhaps, that Helen Woods was not everything she appeared to be. She decided to trust Peter's judgement.
A piercing scream in any mountain environment causes a lot of interest. At Mt. Horizon on the day the students arrived, it had chaotic potential. As soon as it sliced through the air, Daisy and Shelby were at Juliette's side.
They saw it immediately. A huge wolf standing at the foot of the stairs to their dorm. It was looking at the girls eagerly, panting, it's tail wagging. It raised an uncertain paw to the first step.
"Quiet." Shelby hissed. "The three of us are going to back into the dorm slowly. Just be calm."
Daisy gave her best friend a look. "Since when did you become mother nature?" she asked dryly.
"Shut up."
Ezra, Scott and Auggie came running towards the dorm, they skidded to a halt as they saw the intruder. The wolf turned to face them.
"Shelby…" Scott called.
"Shut up, don't move." Shelby shouted back at him, Juliette had disappeared into the dorm; Daisy remained at the top of the stairs looking at the wolf. None of them moved. The wolf included.
A sharp whistle broke the silence. The three boys and Daisy looked towards the sound. Shelby remained focused on the wolf.
The whistler came strolling down a hill with the sun behind it, leaving its face in shadow. The wolf turned and ran towards it, leaping up at it and knocking it to the ground. The pair wrestled. The boys ran towards them. It was the right, heroic, manly thing to do, save someone from the clutches of a possibly rabid wolf. Rabid or not, it was dangerous.
As they approached they noticed the brawl was actually play. A young woman was sitting over the wolf, pinning it between her slender legs, rubbing its face in the grass. She looked up at the boys, brushing several strands of black hair of her face revealing striking grey eyes. "Hi." She greeted.
The boys stood in silence, unsure about how to react. She stood up, brushing dust off her faded jeans. The wolf danced around her, its huge pink tongue flapping madly. "Sorry about that, he got away from me for a bit."
Ezra was the first to speak. "Is that a real wolf?"
By that time Shelby and Daisy had joined them.
"No, he's just a dog. A mongrel crossed with a mongrel that ended up looking a bit like a wolf. But, no, he's not a wolf. I know his parents." She rumpled the dog's scruffy fur.
He did indeed look like a wolf, with brown fur, pointed muzzle and yellow eyes, which were far from frightening once one saw them close up. He sat down heavily and looked around from student to student. He scratched himself, his tongue still hanging out of the side of his mouth.
"Is your friend all right?" Helen asked.
"She'll be fine." Shelby said coolly.
"You must be Shelby." Helen answered, smiling with mild amusement. She looked at the group and named them all in turn. Ezra fidgeted uneasily.
"Does he have a name?" Daisy asked pointing at the dog.
"Freddy. This is Freddy." Helen answered, staring at the rehabilitated Goth.
Daisy was about to follow with another question when Shelby spoke. "And what about you? Who are you?"
"Helen Woods. I'm a new councillor, I'll be working with the Cliffhangers this semester."
The group made appropriate noises. "Well guys, I have to go. I'll meet Juliette and David tomorrow. Apologise to her for me?" she said. She clipped a blue leash onto Freddy's collar and jogged with him back over the hill.
"Weird." Shelby mumbled once she has left.
"Enigmatic." Ezra said.