Ursanthropy

Doreen

“So, who shook you this much to decide to leave tomorrow?” Bertha asked me, while she handed me a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream.

She had turned on one of the lights at the diner, illuminating one of the corners close to the kitchen.

Bertha came sitting right in front of me, waiting for an answer to her question. I know that she didn’t want me to lie, she had said that with clear words, threatening me with losing my job. But I was soon to leave anyway, as soon as my car was fixed. So, I didn’t want to answer her question truthfully.

“No one, it’s just... well I don’t know. People here are different I suppose.” I said, which wasn’t a full lie.

I didn’t want to be the cause of any more trouble, should I mention Jack’s name as the one that made me want to leave. I just wanted peace and a normal life, without the fear of being hunted.

I know that in the back of my mind, I could be making this decision out of paranoia, afraid of something that isn’t there. But that look in Jack’s eyes, that one of anger and fury, kept me thinking about my father’s guards.

In the past few years, I have seen them hurt and kill people, while I was in hiding from them. They were terrifyingly determined to find me and bring me back home.

Which I desperately didn’t want to.

The flashback I had, when that truck nearly hit me on the road last week, wasn’t the actual moment that made me able to leave my father’s house.

I had witnessed him stabbing a man to death, covered in blood and grime, while being in the near vicinity of my father’s guards. So, within a single command from him, they had taken hold of me, before I could even decide to run away.

The explanation that he had for the gruesome act, the job that I was, apparently, be destined to take over, was something so cruel that I would never want to be associated with him ever again.

But it wasn’t for another day or two, after hearing his explanation, that I was finally able to deceive the guards, and make my way out.

But the fear that I had then, knowing that I was being chased, was something that I didn’t want to feel again. Maybe I should just find myself a place on the North Pole, where no one could find and bother me...

“Different can be good, you know.” Bertha said with a smile, fetching me out of my memory.

“You should give Jack another chance.” She then said, which made me instantly confused, and wary as well.

Had she spoken to him? When? Was his first action, after me making him angry towards me, to call Bertha and tell her to find me? Why would he do that?

“How is it, that every time something happens around here, that within seconds other people know about it too? And why should I give him another chance? You haven’t seen him being angry towards you! You haven’t seen the killing look he had on his face!” I suddenly yelled, which made me surprise myself of my own voice.

“He looked that way because of you!” Bertha said, avoiding my first question.

“Yeah, no argument there! I bumped into him and he immediately became this mad man, ready to murder! And if you know the look I am talking about, you should get out of this place as well! Who knows what he could do!” I shouted again, almost tipping over my mug.

Bertha suddenly began to laugh, and I just sat there, mouth open, looking at her.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“Oh honey, he wasn’t angry at you.” She said lovingly. “He was angry at those men.” She continued.

“But, but... how, why?” I stammered. How would she know about his feelings? She wasn’t even there!

“Most men here are different than the ones you’ve met in your life. They are more...” She was thinking of the right word to say. “...protective, towards their women. He would never hurt you, he just couldn’t.” She said, while looking at me, waiting for me to respond, which I didn’t.

I just sat at the table, looking at her, really not knowing what to say.

“He looked at you, to keep himself calm. You were the one that made him not to go all beastlike towards the other men.” Bertha explained. She took a few sips from her own mug of hot chocolate, while still anxiously waiting for me to say anything.

Beastlike? What is she talking about?

“But why look at me? Why use me as an anchor to calm himself, instead of looking at his girlfriend?” I softly said.

Bertha chocked on her drink, and coughed a few times. I stood up and patted her on the back, making sure that whatever was stuck, would come loose again.

“Girlfriend?” She asked with a red face, not from embarrassment but from the coughing.

“Yes, you know, Victoria? He put her up to make me drunk and question me, right?” I asked her now, quite uncertain.

“No! They are siblings!” Bertha said, and I gasped.

Siblings? But they were so close together! Like they were at the motel, and this night at the bar! She kissed him! Or had I been imagining things? Shit, those few drinks I had, must have been tempering with my mind!

Bertha had seen my confusion, and began to explain some things.

Jack is somewhat the mayor of this little town, as he has helped many of the shops and companies here financially, including Bertha’s diner. He is the owner of the lumber company deep in the forest, and because it is thriving so well, and because he cares for the people here, he has helped them on several occasions.

I guess that all the animals, which what Bertha called Jack’s men, were his employees.

He also pays for the damage his men sometimes cause, as they are somewhat stronger than they know themselves. I had smiled at that explanation from Bertha, as I could easily vision how that mountain of a customer, the one who I ran over, could chop a tree down in one go. If he would get angry or enthused about something, I’m sure that he could break a table or window without breaking a sweat.

He easily could have hurt me, when I had shouted to him. But instead he had sat his ass down!

Then, Bertha explained about his sister Victoria, and their closeness. She said that they are twins. They have such a tight bond together, which is hard to describe. Ever since birth they are really close, holding hands when they were little and always doing things together, never alone. Over the years it had become less than before, but they are still very close towards each other.

I don’t have a brother or a sister, and I hardly saw my father being loving towards my mother either. Nor have I ever been in love myself, not when I was younger, but also not recently, as I didn’t want to dedicate myself to someone as danger was always lurking at my back.

So, I couldn’t really understand what they were feeling towards each other.

I looked at Bertha, after she was done talking.

During her explanation, all doubts about the goodness of these people went away quickly, and I could see it in her eyes that she was truthful about Jack and Vic.

Her explanation also made me aware of the lack of romance in my life. As due to the hunt on my life, had made it impossible to enjoy the presence of someone else with me.

But Bertha’s explanation also made me aware of my misjudgement that I had bestowed upon Jack.

“I feel so stupid now.” I whispered.

“Don’t be.” Bertha replied, while putting her hand on mine. “You have seen, and been through some rough stuff, which made you lose faith in people. Haven’t you?” She asked me now, at which I nodded.

“Yes, but I-

“You don’t have to explain, just know that we are good people, and that you can always come to me. Maybe not at this hour again, but still.” She said as she cut me off with a smile. “You’ll see in time, that this little town of ours, might be just what you needed.”

“I hope so.” I said in return.

I could feel that I could trust her and tell her everything, but for now I was truly happy that I didn’t have to tell her anything though, maybe later, but not now.

“Well, I’ll take you to the motel now, as it is so late already. And in return you will work tomorrow, because even though I had agreed upon giving you a day off, you have kept me awake now. And I need some help to get through the day.” She said, and let out a big yawn.

I smiled, as I was actually happy to still have a job. So, I just nodded to her, and put up an alarm on my watch, in case I was to forget about it later.

Within twenty minutes I laid in bed, showered and all, ready to drift off.

Knock, knock!

I grunted and reached for the nightstand. I felt for my necklace that was laying on it, and then my watch; A quarter to two it said. Who would be knocking at my door now? I just want to sleep!

I opened the door, and was met with a dark set of eyes.

Knowing that Vic was his sister and not his lover, knowing that I was the one that made him calm his anger, knowing that I now stood in front of him in only a thong and a thin silk top, I was suddenly aware of something else...

Jack’s breathing became heavier, his look even darker than before...

Ohhhh shit...

A/n: Oh boy, is it hot in here? ...