Chapter Ten: Dangerous Chills
Akiko's eyes shot open in the darkness of the night, a piercing cold coursing its way throughout her body. Slightly dazed by her sudden awakening, she pushed herself up, her arms shivering. Hours earlier, she had collapsed on her bed, quickly fading into sleep after Raeger had escorted her home from their date, forgetting to change clothes or even snuggling under the warm covers. Feeling foolish, she gathered the small strength she had to quickly change into more comfortable sleeping apparel.
Before crawling back into her bed, she walked over to one of her windows to gaze out to the sky. The infinite sparkling of the stars above filled her with a hypnotic happiness as the recent memory of her first kiss with Raeger quickly flashed through her mind. Longing to pursue a committed relationship with him, it felt like the date was nothing more than a far off dream come true.
A sudden rush of wind shook the trees, the sound of rustling snapping Akiko out of her trance. Approaching her bed, she pulled back the thick quilt and slid right in. Her icy skin quickly melted, coaxing her back to sleep.
Back at the restaurant...
Raeger returned home just after midnight. The subtle warmth of his room kissed his skin, welcoming him back in from the cold. Hanging his jacket over an armrest of his sofa, a sigh escaped from him as he noticed the time. Still, he held no regret in sacrificing a few hours of sleep for the night he spent with Akiko. The succulent flavor of cream and strawberries still lingered on his lips as he replayed the kiss in his mind.
After he had finished changing, he placed himself into bed. Her dark amethyst eyes weighed on his mind as he tried drifting into sleep. He never excepted a single kiss to drag him deeper in love.
The final day of fall finally arrived, dragging along another busy day for the trade depot. Vendors eager to sell as much as possible before winter arrived. Licorice had met Akiko there about mid morning, gawking over the details about her date.
"It's obvious he used the scary movie as a ploy," Licorice pointed out, inspecting the remaining product at the Wheat Country booth.
"Yeah, I figured that after I got home," Akiko giggled.
"Still, even though it wasn't 'all out,' that sounds like it was a great first date. Simple, yet effective."
"I think so, too."
"Are you going on a second date with him?"
"I already said yes."
"Well, when?"
"I haven't spoke to him today yet. I'm sure he's still sleeping, he did get home late last night from taking me home. I don't want to bother him right now."
"Excuse me, ladies?"
The girls turned behind them to face the unfamiliar voice. Nervously scratching the back of his head, the man adjusted his glasses as soon as he got their attention. His shaggy blonde hair fell against his unshaven face when he reached for the back of his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt," he spoke with a shy smile, "but I was wondering if you could help me out."
"Sure, what can we do?" Licorice offered, suspicion growing in her gut.
"Is there some sort of information booth around here? You see, I'm lost. I fell asleep on the train out here and it seems as though I've missed my stop."
"Oh, yes. Jonas has all the information you need, he's over there at the entrance." Licorice pointed in the direction of the main gate.
"Thank you so much, young lady!" he said gratefully. "I never thought such beautiful girls would help out a dirty ol' man such as myself."
"It's no problem, really," Akiko smiled, uneasiness sending chills up her spine.
The strange man walked away, heading towards the direction in which he was directed.
"Please tell me he made you nervous, too," Akiko whispered.
"Yeah, he did," Licorice replied quietly, "but, it could just be cautious behavior. I mean, that convict still has yet to be caught."
Hastening their time at the depot, the girls headed back to Maurice's Inn, seeking the comfort of Licorice's warm room. The Inn was bustling with tourists, most of which were only planning on spending one last night before heading home. The winter season always meant a next to empty trade depot; the vendors weren't willing to take the risk of traveling through dangerous storms.
"Yikes!" Licorice exclaimed, concerning the crowd inside the inn. "Hurry, let's get to my room!" Their efforts to maneuver through the people proved to be in vain. Bumps were exchanged and were unavoidable. However, the floor in which permanent tenants, such as Licorice, Kamil, and Nadi lived, remained solitary. Feeling relief from the overwhelming crowd, Licorice fiddled through her purse for the keys to her room.
"Oh, good morning, Akiko."
Akiko turned around to see Kamil, who was leaving his room just down the hall. She had almost forgotten that he lived practically next door to her best friend, considering the last time she saw him was on Klaus's doorstep. His attempt at a smile as he approached her was weak, making the run-in awkward
"Kamil!" she replied in shock. "Uh, good morning!"
"You look as lovely as ever. I hope you're doing well, despite the early snow."
"Yeah, I'm doing great, I suppose, what about-"
"Sorry," Licorice interrupted with a nervous smile, grabbing Akiko by the arm, "we're busy."
"Oh, I see," Kamil commented, disappointed, "I guess we'll have to catch up some other time then." With that, he made his way downstairs, his eyes lowered. Licorice opened her door, guiding the bewildered Akiko inside.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, curious about Licorice's slight hostility towards Kamil.
"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" Licorice retorted, "He's not completely over your turn down."
"How would you know?"
"These walls aren't as thick as they should be. I can hear his conversations. I don't mean to eavesdrop, but it's hard not to."
"Maybe you should move."
As much as Licorice wanted to move, she couldn't afford any of the housing located in West Oak Tree; the same neighborhood Klaus lived in. Fritz had offered to build a small cottage on the orchard with her, but she didn't own the orchard. Sighing hopefully, Licorice started making some hot chocolate to warm them up from being outside. Akiko took the liberty of making small sandwiches for lunch.
For hours, the girls talked about Akiko's date and what could come next. Trying to change the attention to Licorice, she questioned why she hadn't gone on a date yet. The more time passes, the clearer her relationship with Fritz was growing, but she still had a schoolgirl crush on Klaus. However, she worried that Klaus's romantic eye was looking towards Iris, an equally classy woman around his own age. Akiko claimed that, despite their closeness, Iris and Klaus were merely gossip buddies, hinting that he was open for just about anybody.
Then, to Akiko's displeasure, Licorice brought up Elise, the richest farmer in Oak Tree Town. She had overheard Lillie talking to her on the phone the other day, hearing things about lying to Kamil and telling him the truth the following day, the same day Kamil had confronted and embarrassed Akiko at the trade depot. A cringe came to Akiko's stomach.
"The situation would've been handled better if she didn't interfere," Licorice stated, noticing Akiko's discomfort.
"Why does she feel the need to do things like that?" Akiko asked, feeling hurt. "I haven't even done anything to her."
"She's just jealous, and has been since day one. Whether you like to admit it, you're a gorgeous girl, Akiko. I remember when you first came here, you were the talk of the town. All the guys were gawking over you."
"Heh, yeah, I do remember getting a lot of attention. I'm sorry."
"What? Don't apologize! There's no need to. I just thought, as your best friend, you'd share some of those good looks with me."
"Oh, please! You're plenty beautiful!"
"As if!"
The giggling that followed only masked Akiko's remaining curiosity. She had always did her best to get along with everybody in town, but could never understand why Elise disdained her the way she did, enough so that she would completely snub Akiko whenever they would pass by.
"I should start heading home," Akiko stated as she looking out the window, staring at the crowds of wandering bodies going in every direction.
"I think you should wait for Raeger to get off work so he can take you home safely," Licorice urged, her expression quickly changing from joy to concern.
"The sun won't be setting for a while now, and I don't want to inconvenience him by staying out late again."
"Okay, but call me when you get home."
With their concerns exchanged, Akiko pulled on her jacket, wrapping the soft, black scarf around her neck. Licorice, watching through her bedroom window, watched her turn the corner to head towards the mountain paths. She felt uneasy, letting her friend go home alone, despite the daylight.
At the restaurant, Raeger was frantically keeping up with the never-ending orders. The excitement from the date with Akiko still lingered in his chest and seemed to give him the confidence and energy he needed to face the rush of customers.
Near the end of the lunch rush, Fritz entered the restaurant. He was excited to hear about the infamous date. In between his trips from tables and the kitchen, Raeger would do his best to give Fritz as much details possible.
"Wow," Fritz leaned up against the counter, Raeger finally cleaning up after his last customer. He decided to start closing a little earlier for winter; no sense in staying open late with the trade depot being empty for the season.
"Why the astonishment?" Raeger questioned, confused by Fritz's bewilderment.
"Nothin'," Fritz responded, shrugging his shoulders as a devilish smirk smeared across his face, "It's jus' that ya two enjoyed ya'selves quite a bit."
"What can I say, I've been waiting for a day like that with her for a long time now. Do you think I'm going too fast with her?"
"Hmm, well, it was a first date, but ya really close to her. From the sound of it, she didn' seem to mind it."
"That's reassuring. When are you going to ask Licorice out on a date? She looks like she's warming up to you more."
"Aw, c'mon, man," Fritz lowered his head, his cheeks turning pink, "why do ya always turn it around on me?"
"Just ask her, I'm sure she would-"
Their conversation was interrupted with the roar of a ruckus happening outside. As they both rushed out the door, they were greeted by a frantic crowd of tourists and locals alike. They stood at the back of the crowd, who were all facing a few police officers.
"People, please!" An office beckoned, trying to calm down the crowd. "We'll be as thorough as possible!"
"What's goin' on?" Fritz asked a nearby tourist.
"Some people are claiming they spotted the convict," the tourist quietly responded. Worry quickly overwhelmed Raeger.
"Where?" He asked, trying to keep calm.
"At the trade depot, but he doesn't look like he does in the poster. His face is shaven and his hair is a lot shorter. Some people are claiming that he was wearing glasses to disguise himself."
The officer's at the head of the crowd were urging people to find safety indoors while they searched the town for the suspicious man. Raeger looked at Fritz sternly, informing him that he was going to Akiko's. One of the officer's overheard and demanded that Raeger return home; the less people out, the easier it will be for them to conduct their manhunt.
"There's a couple of people who live far up the mountain path," Raeger pleaded, "An elder and a young woman. I need to make sure they're alright."
"I understand," the officer calmly responded, "we'll send a few officers up that way to check first. For now, I need you to return to your home."
Akiko headed inside the barn to visit with her animals. It was still early in the day, so she decided that some nice quality time with them could fill in the gap. Hanako, her first cow, always followed her around as she moved about the barn. Eda had given her that cow when she first arrived in Oak Tree Town, making her the oldest animal she owned. After Hanako came the brown horse, then a few sheep and another cow. In the coop, she owned some chickens and two rabbits.
Suddenly, the animals became restless. They started to move about in a nervous manner, making Akiko concerned.
Maybe it's the weather, she tried to console herself. She knew it probably wasn't true, but she couldn't think of a good explanation for the strange behavior. She made her way outside to the pasture, out the wooden gate, and towards her home. A figure caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head in the direction of the entrance to her farm.
Standing under the wooden arch was the nervous tourist who she had met earlier that morning. He was just standing there, one hand in the pocket of his thick coat while the other adjusted his classes, smirking.
"What are you doing way up here?" Akiko called out, standing her ground. The only reasons tourists traveled up the mountain were to see the public fields, such as the orchard and flower field, reining supreme with beauty. No one had ever ventured into her farm before.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man called back, "I seem to have lost my way. Do you think you could show me back to town?"
"It's just back the way you came," a strange pain in her stomach began to form.
"But, but it's just been so long." The smile on the mans face began to twitch, his pale eyes wandered as he slowly started heading towards Akiko, making her nervous.
"So long?"
"Since I've felt the warmth of a woman." Akiko's eyes widened with fear. She didn't recognize the man at first, but the poster quickly flashed through her mind. He was about the same height, had the same color of hair, but it was hard to notice him without the thick beard shielding his face. His eyes, however, were just as pale.
Her heart began to race with panic, she didn't know what to do. If she headed inside her home, he could easily trap her. As she tried to recollect where she had placed some of her tools to defend herself, her mind went blank.
The convict slowly began picking up his pace, licking his dry lips. "I'm sure you've heard of me. My urges are uncontrollable, and with all this hiding and evasion, it's been like living without food or water."
She didn't have a choice, she ran for her door as quickly as she could, hearing the snow crunch behind her as he headed towards her faster. Her hands shaking violently, she dialed the number for the police. The ring she heard on the other end never seemed so slow before. The phone was yanked out of her hand, she didn't hear him enter the house. The devilish pale eyes inspected her body as he seized her wrist.
"Get off!" she screamed, hitting his as hard as she could muster, knocking the glasses off of his face. The grasp he had on her wrist gripped tighter as he pulled a knife out of his pocket.
"When I saw you at that depot place," he spoke anxiously, his whole body shaking with a terrible excitement, "I knew I wanted you to be- AAH!"
Akiko kicked him in the crotch, releasing her from his grip. Bolting out the door, she instinctively headed towards her barn, suddenly remembering that some of her tools were stored inside. With time being a factor, she grabbed onto the wooden post of the fence and jumped over. The edge of the post grabbed onto the edge of her skirt, ripping it up to her waist and scraping her thigh. Ignoring it, the instant she landed, she made her way to the doors.
The pasture was difficult to run through with it being covered in snow. Only a few yards away from the doors, her foot slipped on an icy rock hidden by the snow. Her ankle twisted around, sending a sharp pain up her leg. Pushing through the pain, she stood back up and burst inside shortly after hearing the man running out from her house, shouting for her whereabouts. She had no doubt he saw her enter the barn.
With the livestock still on edge, she carefully maneuvered her way around them, her ankle feeling as heavy as lead. A select few of her tools were leaning up against a wall on the other side of the barn. Choosing the pitchfork, she then hobbled behind one of the thick beams to hide and wait. With her injury, she had no choice but to hope for someone to come to her rescue.
Raeger was the first person to flash through her mind, then Licorice. She had never felt so trapped and helpless before, the fear of never seeing either of them made her heart sink. Tears started flowing down her cheeks as she tried to hold back her sobbing. Struck with terror, she heard the barn doors creak open. She could hear the man's heavy breathing, he was starting to sound desperate to satisfy his urges.
"Girly," he distressed, "I promise to make it as painless as possible."
She had no idea where he was as she heard his feet shuffling on the ground, making the livestock more lively. One of her sheep ran past her, followed by the man. He hadn't seen her yet. As he was turning around the check the corner he just passed, she swung with all her might, hitting the back of his head with pitchfork, snapping the end off.
The convict collapsed, unconscious. With her back leaning against the beam, Akiko slid to the ground, relieving weight off of her injured ankle. Her breathing was out of control, she could no longer keep quiet. She began sobbing as the possibilities of what could have happened began rising to thought.
Then, more people ran into the barn. It was the police. The had heard the sobs from outside, quickly making their way inside. One officer helped Akiko to her feet as the others arrested the man lying motionless on the ground. After he was subdued, they began to investigate the inside of her home, which was made a mess by the man.
The officers began writing their report, asking Akiko many questions, concluding that the convict must've carefully followed her home, keeping a good distance so she wouldn't notice. Pulling her jacket tighter around herself, she sniffled. The tear in her skirt was sending a chilling draft through her legs. Once the report was finished, the officers went ahead and escorted the man back to town, where he would be transported back to prison. The one officer helped Akiko down to the clinic in Oak Tree Town, allowing her to use him as a crutch.
Licorice paced back and forth in her room. She had yet to hear from Akiko, who was supposed to call and inform her of her safe return home. It had been hours. The guests in the hotel were frantic from all the fuss about the convict sighting, making Licorice more uneasy.
Call already!
Passing by the window, she saw police dragging away a man in handcuffs. A relieving smile appeared on her face, but soon disappeared as she soon saw another officer, holding up the hobbling Akiko, who still had tears streaming down her face. Without a second thought, Licorice ran downstairs and out the door.
"AKIKO!" she shouted, catching their attention. Quickly releasing the officer, Akiko hugged Licorice, happy to see her. Informing the officer that she could take her friend to the clinic, he went to help his fellow officers with the captive.
Entering the guild, shock was slapped across Veronica's face upon seeing the girls enter. Rushing to their aid, Angela heard her mother's panic and came to assist them back to the clinic. After getting Akiko on one of the many small beds, Licorice headed back out to the front of the guild to make a quick call.
Back at the restaurant, Raeger had just finished cleaning up for the day when he answered the phone, hopeful it would be Akiko.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Raeger, it's me, Licorice."
"Oh, hey. Have you heard from Akiko? I tried calling a few times and she hasn't answered."
"That's why I'm calling. Akiko's at the clinic right now."
"What?! Why?"
"The convict apparently followed her home and he tried to- hello?"
Without letting her finish, Raeger hung up the phone and bolted out the door, not even grabbing his jacket. His heart was sinking into his stomach, trying not to think the worst. Entering the guild, he bee-lined his way to the back into the clinic. Licorice was sitting in a chair next to Akiko who was getting treated by Angela, Veronica standing behind her on the phone, most likely with the police.
Akiko looked up at Raeger, who was still trying to catch his breath, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face as he examined her condition. Her messy hair covered her tear-stained cheeks and her face was red, from either the cold or from the distress. As Angela wrapped her ankle, he noticed the large tear in her skirt, her leg red from the scraped skin.
"It's a minor sprained ankle," Angela informed Akiko as she finished her wrapping, handing her a small bottle of medicine, "take these for pain every six hours, and take it easy for the next few weeks." With that, she left the room with Veronica, still chatting on the phone.
"I'll leave you two alone," Licorice smiled, giving Akiko a hug before leaving the room.
Raeger placed himself on the edge of her bed, gently taking her face in his hands, tucking loose strands behind her ears. Her gorgeous eyes were puffy and stained red from the tears, filling him up with a sadness, sending needles in his heart.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a gently embrace. He felt her nod as she snuggled her face in his shoulder, returning his embrace.
"I was so scared," she croaked, sniffling. He had never felt happier to see her safe, but at the same time, he had never felt more ashamed. Wanting nothing more than to love her, he knew that also meant being the man who could protect her. He could the imminent feeling of failure in his stomach as he held her tighter.
"I'm so relieved that you're safe," he whispered, pulling away from the embrace. Her cold lips quivering, he stroked them lightly with his thumb before kissing them delicately. His fingertips traced the tear in her skirt, thinking it was done by the convict. Pulling her closer for another embrace, he held her tight.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I should've been there to protect you."
"Please stop," Akiko pleaded, wiping tears from her eyes, "There's nothing you could've done. Right now, just don't let go of me."
"I won't."
Out of sight, Licorice was watching from the doorway. Smiling, she felt a strange warmth fill her heart from witnessing the small kiss Raeger had given Akiko moments before, now starting to envy the fire those two share.