“Can you believe we’re here?” Samantha Stevens asked her husband, Beau. “This has been our dream for months, and we’re finally hiking the Appalachian Trail! Look at all the trees, and the mountains. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s just what you needed to escape work.”
“That’s right,” Beau nodded, “You can only deal with the city for so long before you need a big breath of fresh air and green grass under your feet. Look at that sky! Have you ever seen something so blue?”
Samantha stopped for a moment and took off her backpack. “I think someone needs a water break,” she said, scratching Fritz’s ears, their trusty German Shephard. He barked and licked her face, while she pulled out his water bowl.
“Don’t stop now, Sam,” Beau urged, “We’re almost at the top of Daigle Mountain. Can’t you feel it? This is so thrilling! We haven’t been hiking on a proper trail since last year.” He bent down to retie his boots and laughed at Fritz lapping up his water.
“Told you he was thirsty,” Sam said, pulling her brown hair into a loose ponytail. “I love April weather. Just the right temperature, and never a lot of rain.”
“Let’s trek on,” Beau said, wrapping his arm around her, “My body can’t stay still for long.”
The happy couple continued up the mountain, greeting fellow hikers as they passed. Fritz jogged along behind them, sniffing everything he could. Soon, they came to a fork in the dirt road. Fritz ran in circles around the couple as they stared down each path. Sam whistled at him, and he sat patiently by her side. “Which way do we go?” Sam asked, looking over to Beau.
Beau stared at his GPS, smacking the edge of it. “I don’t know,” he grumbled, “The GPS isn’t turning on. My cellphone is off too.”
“Same with mine,” Sam said, inspecting her phone’s battery. “Why don’t we take the path on the right? It looks like it’s leading farther upward.”
“Good idea,” Beau said, and they walked onward.
They travelled up the winding path, now completely alone on the trail. Fritz whined, and Sam patted his head to comfort him. “It’s okay, boy. There’s no need to be afraid.” The wind whistled through the trees, and there were no critters in sight. It was getting colder, and there was no end in sight to the trail.
“Look up there!” Beau blurted out, making Sam jump and Fritz bark. “Do you see it? There’s a reflection up ahead, which could be from a window or something. That means more people!” Beau ran ahead, and Sam trudged behind him. Carrying the backpack was tiring her out, and she didn’t know how much further her legs could carry her.
When they reached the source of the reflection, they saw a small house. “Hello?” Sam called out, “Is anyone home?”
“Shh!” Beau hissed, placing his finger over his lips, “We don’t want to scare any people or animals. Keep your voice down.”
Beau and Sam walked around the sides of the house, peeking into the windows and trying to open the door. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s home,” Sam sighed, “Now what do we do?”
“Hey, come here,” Beau said, pointing to the ground. “Do those look like bones to you?”
Sam crouched down and inspected the brownish-yellow pieces sticking out of the patches of the snow. “They’re all gathered in this area, and I don’t see them anywhere else.” Sam stood and looked up. She gasped. “Why are all those sticks on that roof?”
“It looks like a huge nest,” Beau suggested.
Just then, they heard a click behind them. Fritz barked madly, and the couple turned around. They were faced with an old man named Byron Holliday, pointing a shotgun at Fritz. “Stand back,” he said in a scraggly voice, “I’m not afraid to shoot your dog!”
The couple held their hands in front of their chests. “Hello,” Beau said calmly, “Please don’t hurt us. We’re not here to hurt you, we just got lost. Our GPS and cellphones aren’t working, and we’re trying to reach the top of the mountain.”
“Well, you’ve found it,” Byron said, “What are you looking for exactly? Are you from the government? Are you here to take my freedom away? Huh?” Byron pointed the gun at Sam, and Beau stepped in front of her.
“We’re just a couple of hikers walking through the trail,” Beau said, “Put down the gun. We’ll rest here for a bit, then be on our way.”
Byron squinted his eyes, staring at Beau. “Hmm, well, you seem harmless enough. Why don’t you come inside and join me for lunch? I’ll put on a fresh pot of coffee.”
“I think we should head out,” Beau said firmly.
“Nonsense,” Sam said, “This nice man made a kind gesture, and it would be rude to say no. Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t call me sir,” Byron grumbled, “You call me Byron, unless you’re the government. Then, you call me Mr. Holliday.”
“Byron, it is,” Sam said, laughing nervously.
The couple followed the limping man into his home and sat at a round wooden table. Byron started a fire in the fireplace and made them coffee and sandwiches. The house was quaint, with no artwork, a cot in the corner, and shelves stocked with food.
“What kind of sandwiches are these?” Beau asked, not liking the bitter flavor in his mouth.
“Just eat it,” Byron snapped.
Suddenly, they heard an ear-piercing squawk coming from outside. Fritz growled, and Sam patted his head. “Was that a vulture?” Sam asked.
“Turkey vulture,” Byron said, flipping open a newspaper. “She squawks whenever she comes home to the roof.”
“She lives on your roof,” Beau repeated, and looked at Sam with fear.
“One day she decided to make her nest there, and we’ve had an understanding ever since,” Byron explained, “She’s an ugly old thing, six feet tall, but I love all creatures. Her name’s Scarlet, and if you call her anything else, she’ll kill you.”
“You say that like it shouldn’t terrify us,” Beau said.
“Don’t be rude,” Sam hissed.
“Are you a hunter, Beau?” Byron asked, and Beau shook his head, “Then you’ll never understand what it’s like to survive in the wilderness with a creature like that. It’s about respect. Do you respect that mutt?”
“He’s not a mutt!” Beau shouted.
“Answer the question, boy,” Byron grumbled.
“Yes, I respect him.”
“Then, he respects you. I don’t fear Scarlet, because that’s the relationship we have. She protects me, and I occasionally steer pray towards her. It’s a symbiotic relationship. So, you think about that the next time you want to insult her.” Byron chowed down on his sandwich, staring at Beau.
A shiver ran down Beau’s back, and he dropped his sandwich on the plate. “Sam, I think we should go.”
“We haven’t finished our lunch,” Sam said, struggling to swallow the contents in her mouth, “Don’t be rude.”
“Enough of your politeness,” Beau said, “We have to get out of here.” Beau stomped to the door, and Fritz trailed after him. He opened the door, and Fritz ran outside. Then, the vulture squawked. “Fritz, come back!” Beau yelled.
“Bring him inside!” Sam shouted, running to the door. The couple stood on the doorstep and watched Scarlet swoop down and stab her talons into Fritz. “No!” Sam shrieked, and started to walk forward.
Beau held her back, tears filling his eyes. He looked over at Byron, sitting at the table. “Look what your bird did,” Beau said, his voice cracking. Sam was on her knees, crying into her hands, as Scarlet ripped into Fritz. “We’re leaving!”
Byron shrugged and finished his coffee. Then, Scarlet brought Fritz up to her nest. Quickly, she came back down and aimed her talons at Sam. Beau pushed her out of the way, and dodged Scarlet. Sam curled up and cried, while Beau ran over to comfort her. “You monster!” Sam yelled at the bird.
Suddenly, Byron came out of nowhere and hit Beau on the back of the head with his shotgun. Beau passed out immediately, and Sam looked up with fear in her eyes. “Say goodnight,” Byron said, then hit her too.
Beau woke up first. He was back in the house, laying by the fire. His body was sore as he sat up, and he had a splitting headache. Touching the back of his head, he noticed a bit of dried blood. Sam was unconscious beside him, and he tapped her cheek. “Sam,” he whispered, “Sam, wake up.”
“You’re awake,” Byron said, hovering over them.
“Who the hell are you?” Beau asked, “Why are you doing this to us?”
“You come on to my property,” Byron said with a grin, “So, now you are my property. You’re not going anywhere, Beau. Welcome to your new home!”
“You’re sick!” Beau said, and gasped when Sam started to wake. “Sam!” he said, holding her in his arms. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”
“Water,” she moaned.
“If you want something in this house,” Byron said, “You have to earn it. We do chores here, make no mistake about that. For every chore that you complete, you will receive a reward. If you don’t do any chores, well, you won’t get anything in return.”
“Byron, this is insane!” Beau said, “You can’t keep us here. That’s kidnapping.”
“You chose to be on my property!” he scowled, and returned to his seat at the table. “If you can’t handle the consequences, then you shouldn’t have left your house this morning. Adults are rarely held accountable for their actions these days. In my day, everyone thought twice before they moved a muscle. That’s how I live my life. I’ll whip you two back into shape.”
Sam sniffled and wrapped her arms around Beau’s neck. “What do we do?” she whispered in his ear. “Are we going to die here?”
“I’ll protect us,” Beau replied, “If we kill Scarlet, the two of us could certainly overpower Byron. We have to find a way to run out and shoot that bird.”
“I don’t know how to work a gun,” Sam whimpered, “And I doubt he’ll take his hand off that shotgun. What if he doesn’t leave the house? This place is small, there’s not much space for us to run.”
“When he was making coffee, I saw a handgun in one of the cupboards,” Beau said, “He must have guns all over this place.”
“What if they’re not loaded?”
“Trust me,” Beau scoffed, “I know men like him, and he’s got every gun loaded in case his needs to fire off a quick shot.”
“Beau, I’m scared. My heart is beating a mile a minute. I can’t take this. I miss Fritz.”
“Shh, don’t cry,” he said, and rested her head against his chest, “We’ll make it through this. I promise. Fritz will not die in vain.”
“I couldn’t protect him,” she said, “I just stood there, frozen. If I can’t protect our dog, which was basically our child, how can I muster up the strength to get out of here?”
“Don’t start blaming yourself, okay? Let me take care of everything. We had Fritz ever since he was a puppy, and you always had a stronger bond with him than me. You just worry about processing what just happened, and I’ll keep us safe.”
“Oh, I love you so much,” Sam said, and kissed his lips.
“What’s all that jibber jabber?” Byron grumbled, “Are you ready to get to work, or does your precious wife need some emotional time?”
“Byron,” Beau said, and stood, “We were just talking about your hunting skills.”
Byron stepped forward until he was an inch from Beau’s face. “What about my skills, boy?”
“We’re just wondering how good of a shot you are,” Beau said, “How long does it take you to hunt, say, a deer? How many deer can you catch?”
“Hunting is an artform, son,” he replied, “You can’t rush the hunt, or you’ll never catch anything. Do I need to take you outside and show you how it’s done?”
Beau struggled to keep his breathing steady. “No, sir, I just don’t see any of your kills lying around.”
“I’m not one for trophies,” he scoffed, “I don’t hang animal heads on the walls. I use every part of it. Now you’ve got me all riled up, so I need to shoot something. Stay here, and when I get back I’ll show you how to gut a deer.”
Beau stood perfectly still while Byron packed up his gear and left the house. He waited for two minutes after that, counting out each second in a long puff of air. “Okay,” he said calmly, “I’ll grab the gun, and you stand by the door and keep watch. Ready, Sam?”
She nodded, and Beau rushed for the gun. He smiled when he saw it was loaded. “Thank God your grandfather knew so much about guns,” Sam grinned. Standing in the doorway, she gestured for Beau to head outside.
Beau turned the corner, and pointed the gun towards Scarlet, who slept in her nest. “This is payback, bird,” he scoffed. He was ready to pull the trigger, but then…
“Beau,” Sam squeaked.
Beau turned to face her, and saw Byron with his shotgun pointed at Sam’s back. “Did you really think I was going to fall for that?” Byron asked, chuckling deep in his throat. “I’m not stupid! I may have lived by myself for the last thirty years, but I know how to read people. In my eyes, you’re just a hooligan who doesn’t know how to stay out of other people’s business.”
“I can explain,” Beau said.
“I don’t want your excuses!” he shouted, “You were going to kill the only companion I have. You think I’m going to let you get away with that?”
Just then, Scarlet squawked and flapped her wings. She sent a gust of air blasting over everyone as she swooped to the ground. Tilting her head, she stared at Beau. He dropped the handgun, and backed up towards Sam.
“Don’t panic, Scarlet,” Beau said softly, “We’re your friends.”
“No, they’re not!” Byron howled, and Scarlet squawked louder.
Beau covered his ears, and Sam sobbed. “No one has to get hurt,” Beau said to Scarlet, “We can help you. I’m good with my hands. I can build you a better nest.”
“It’s a bird, Beau,” Sam said, “She can’t understand you.”
“She’s smarter than you think,” Byron said with an evil grin.
Beau inched towards the bird, ignoring Sam’s pleas to return to the house. Scarlet and Beau circled each other, like they were fighters in a ring. “I know you’re stronger than me,” Beau said, “But I’ll do anything to protect my wife. You’ve already stolen one family member from me, and I won’t let you take another.”
“Beau, stop,” Sam squealed.
Byron rolled his eyes. “Beau, stop,” he said, mimicking her high-pitched voice. “I think I’ll enjoy this fight to the death.”
“No,” she said, and faced Byron, “Let’s go inside and talk this out. I don’t want to have any more blood on my hands. You killed my dog, and Beau will kill your bird if you don’t agree to a peaceful resolution.”
Byron grabbed her shoulder, and turned her around. “Just watch and enjoy the show.”
Scarlet squawked and jumped towards Beau. He ducked and rolled across the grass. Then, he sprung up and lunged towards the bird. He grabbed her wing, and pulled out one of her black feathers. This made her furious, and she soared high above the clouds. Everyone looked up, and Beau screamed when he saw her dive-bombing towards him. Her sharp beak came so close to him, before he dodged just in time.
Suddenly, Sam thrust her elbow into Byron’s stomach. He collapsed, and the gun went off. The bullet clipped Scarlet’s wing, and she turned to face Byron. “Run!” Sam yelled, and grabbed Beau’s hand. Together, they rushed down the mountainside and hid behind a tree.
Peeking around the trunk, they saw Scarlet hopping towards Byron. “No!” Byron said, “Don’t take me. That was an accident! Go after them!” He pointed towards the couple, but Scarlet already had her target locked. In one swift motion, she spread her wings and hooked her talons into Byron’s shoulders. He screamed in pain as she lifted him into the sky.
“Look, Beau,” Sam said, “There’s something moving in the nest. Do you think it’s Fritz?”
“That’s impossible,” Beau said, inching forward. He kept himself hidden among the group of trees, but got close enough to see what was on the roof. Beau gasped when he saw three of Scarlet’s chicks poking their heads up and opening their mouths. “Scarlet has babies, come look!” Beau urged Sam.
“Are you serious?” Sam rushed forward, and squinted her eyes. “They’re so ugly, just like their mom.”
Byron screamed as Scarlet lowered him into the nest. Within seconds, the babies ripped him apart. Sam and Beau watched as his arms and legs flailed. Soon, he was lifeless, and both of them had a heavy heart. “As much as he was a crazy psychopath,” Beau said, “He didn’t deserve to go like that.”
“I bet it would have happened one day,” replied Sam, “Regardless if we found this place or not. What should we do now? Sneak past Scarlet and raid his house for supplies? I want to see if we can find our backpack.”
“I’m not going back up there,” Beau scoffed, “The only direction I’m heading is down this trail.” He pointed to a dirt path covered in mossy rocks and patches of grass and snow. “If you want to risk it, go ahead, but I’m out of here.”
“Okay, maybe that was a stupid idea,” Sam chuckled, and hugged Beau.
Hand in hand, the couple trekked back down the mountain. When they reached the bottom, they called the police on a payphone to report their stolen items, and never spoke of Scarlet or Byron again.