CHAPTER 44: THE DEAD END
(Narrator's perspective)
The combined impact of all three wolves made the SUV flip several times. Now, it’s upside down and resting against a tree on the opposite side of the road. The metal on the right passenger side is smashed, the glass from the windows are scattered among the road, and the front of the car is steaming.
Inside the car, Daniel shakes his large hair and sprinkle glass particles everywhere. He has a gash over his right eyebrow that is starting to drip onto the ceiling. He gazes over at Eric, who seems to be highly disoriented. Eric then looks at Daniel. That’s when reality kicks in for the both of them.
“Everyone get on your feet,” Daniel orders them urgently.
He struggles for a moment, trying to unbuckle his seat-belt. Suddenly, he sees tires stop loudly near the SUV. The steam from the engine makes it difficult to see outside, but he does manage to see boots walking towards them in a hurry. Everyone else is moaning and recovering.
Their minds are desperately trying to understand what just happened. Daniel yanks his seat-belt, breaking the clip, and then falls down head first. Daniel uses his arm strength to push the car door. The metal whines as he pushes with all of his might. He stops for a second, reaches his arm back, and thrust it forward. The door breaks off its hinges and flies back.
He crawls out and jumps to his feet, breathing heavily. He spots an old truck leaving the scene in a hurry. He wipes the blood from his eyebrow and surveys his surroundings. Suddenly, Maria gets out and stands to her feet.
"You okay?" he asks her.
"Yeah, I’m fine,” she says while studying the area cautiously.
Jessica leaps up with furious eyes and a tight fist.
"Where are they?!" Jessica shouts through her bloody mouth while searching every angle.
Daniel concentrates his eyes into the woods but they are nowhere to be found.
"They’re gone,” Daniel informs them.
"Those fucking cowards!” Jessica shouts angrily.
Eric emerges from the wreck. His face is twisted with aggression. Daniel looks over his shoulder at them.
"Where's Courage?" Daniel asks.
He sees Jason walking around the SUV. There's no anger or no hatred in his eyes. His face is consumed in a void expression.
"Get Iva out, now,” he orders Jason while looking forward again into the deep woods.
He hears them scrambling around the car but it quickly stops. He looks behind himself at Jason, who hasn’t moved a muscle. Maria and Jessica are looking at Daniel with tears swelling in their eyes. Eric is kneeling down, looking inside a shattered window for Iva. He stands and faces Daniel with a watery stare.
Daniel then looks over at Jason again. Tears are starting to pour down Jason’s face.
"Where is Iva?!” he shouts at Jason.
Jason starts to cry without responding.
“Where is Iva!?” he asks again but he shouts even louder this time.
He runs over to the SUV to check for himself. Daniel's body hardens in a kneeling position when he finds an empty seat where Iva should be. He stands slowly to his feet, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Boom! He hits the car, leaving an indentation on the door. He paces left and right, appearing highly distressed. He freezes with his hands on his waist, looking at the ground.
“This shit is not happening right now,” Eric cries out.
"Mane, what do we do now?" Maria says in a low trembling voice.
He looks at her with uncertain eyes. An unusual feeling starts to hit him in the pit of his stomach; a feeling he has not felt before. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts. He then shifts his harsh eyes to Eric.
"Aero, fly me home now,” he orders him.
"That’s like 3 miles. I can’t carry you that far bro,” Eric replies.
"Then go get the Charger, now,” he orders Eric.
Eric doesn't hesitate. He swiftly squats down and leaps into the air. Now, he's a giant eagle flying across the sky until he vanishes from their sight.
“Raven, see if you can track that truck that just left.”
“It could be on the highway by now. That’s like finding a needle in…”
“Raven, this is not the time to debate.”
“Okay,” she says humbly.
Jessica follows Daniel’s instruction by bursting into a giant raven. She then takes off into the sky towards the direction of the truck.
Daniel looks back at Jason and Maria who are holding each other, crying.
"I can't believe this shit,” Jason says to Maria.
Daniel pulls out his cell-phone and press call. He waits for Kenya to pick up. That foreign emotion that Daniel has never felt is starting to spread throughout his entire body.
"Mom.....they got her. They got Iva. The Blaires got her.”
Kenya screams loudly through the phone. Daniel has to lift the phone from his ear until her screaming stops.
"Mom......listen, Aero is coming for the car.......mom, listen to me. I'll get her back..........I swear on my father’s grave, I'll get her back.”
He hangs up the phone and puts his fist tightly against his lips. His then staggers back and leans against the wrecked SUV.
“You okay,” Maria asks him.
“I don’t know,” Daniel says as his knees become weak.
He then slides to the ground and try to catch his breath.
“I think…I think I’m scared,” he admits with a low humble voice.
His sister races over to him and kneels down beside him. She then wraps her arms around his big shoulders and burst out crying. Jason comes over and kneels on his other side and places a hand on his shoulder for comfort. Daniel humbly lowers his head and closes his eyes, trying to control his newly discovered emotion…
Meanwhile, Margie and Charles are at home waiting for Iva to arrive with the others. Her sister and brother-in-law are with them in their living room. They seem to be discussing something before the telephone starts ringing. Margie stands and grabs the cordless phone off the table and answers...
“Dodson residence......................Shiva, we've been waiting. Is everything okay? ……..No? What's going on?.....................................”
As Kenya delivers the terrifying news, Margie slowly rotates to her husband. Her eyes broaden with terror. Charles can clearly see something is horribly wrong, especially when he see tears forming in his wife’s eyes.
“Oh my God,” she says automatically while looking directly into her husband’s concerned eyes.
“What's wrong, honey?” Charles asks his wife.
She doesn't reply to him.
“I'll call you back, Shiva,” she says into the phone before hanging up.
She slowly sinks down into an armchair. Her eyes are consumed with fear and sadness. Her sister and brother-in-law see the terror in her eyes and automatically feel nervous.
“Honey, what did she say?” Charles asks again.
“Get the car ready,” she replies to her husband.
“Why?”
“Because all hell is about to break loose.”...