Broken

“I hope the bastard fell into a trap and got eaten alive by a mountain lion,” I thought aloud and turned back toward the cabin.

Even though I had settled on not going after the man, I still found myself focusing on certain aspects along the area surrounding the cabin. I was painfully alert and found distracting potential of an intruder every couple of yards.

Thankfully, I was good at deciphering between animal and human, but I didn’t stop before ensuring that the sound Jake heard the night before really wasn’t anything to worry about.

Chapter 7: Carrie

The large dog seemed to like me a lot. Even when his owner stomped out of the cabin, the dog chose to stay with me, which was comforting, in a way.

I was angry and upset over the argument that Johnathan and I had, and the dog seemed to know that.

I wanted to burst out in tears, first to let out the pent-up emotion that plagued me over exactly what had happened to me and second, because I was upset at the confrontation. However, I didn’t want to cry in front of the dog. While I wasn’t quite sure why that was, considering it was just a dog, I forced my emotion away, swallowing hard.

After Johnathan left, the dog picked his head up and stared at me with wide eyes. I grinned quietly at the dog before sighing.

Carefully, the massive dog picked himself up off the floor and sauntered over to me, before easily resting his head on the side of the bed.

He was so cute and strangely comforting.

I knew I probably shouldn’t touch the dog, but if he was going to attack me, I was sure he would have done it already.

Looking into the dog’s eyes, I couldn’t help but think that he seemed to understand that I was scared. His eyes were huge and for such a large animal, his eyes were gentle and kind.

Carefully, I reached out my hand, letting him smell me. He licked my hand carefully, before diving his snout under my hand, indicating he wanted me to pet him.

Cautiously, I stroked his head. His hair was soft and as I grew more comfortable with the dog, I felt some of my anxiety melt away.

I grinned, “Hi boy…What’s your name?”

At my excited tone, he started wagging his tail and raised up, revealing a tag.

Even though I was unsure of why I felt this way, I was surprised by seeing a collar and a tag, like a dog who lived in a suburban neighborhood, instead of deep in the mountains.

The bone tag was old and scratched but through the wear, I could make out the simple name: Jake.

“Hi, Jake,” I tried, which caused the dog’s tail to wag more, as he leapt up and licked my face. “Good boy!” I giggled, petting him as he nearly knocked me over, “Yes, who’s a good boy? You’re so friendly!”

Eventually, though, Jake settled back down, laying on the bed next to me, with his large, heavy head in my lap. I pet his head for a few minutes in silence before I started to talk to him again.

“So, what’s the deal with Johnathan? Does he hate me? Does he really think I’m as stupid as he claimed?”

Of course, the dog didn’t answer, but he did seem to be paying attention to me. His big eyes looked up at me, keeping my gaze.

There was something about the dog, as well as my current surroundings that was calming, almost welcoming.

I had never needed a lot and the preference I kept toward this dwelling proved that. Sure, it was a cabin. There was no denying the fact that there were no amenities in it, whatsoever. The fireplace truly seemed to be the only source of light and everything about the cabin was quaint. It was only one room, with everything but a bathroom. That was a small, closet-like space with a toilet, sink and shower crammed into what was obviously an addition.

However, despite the obvious lack of amenities, there was nothing that I found unsettling about the cabin. In fact, for a man, living in the middle of a mountain range with only his dog, the cabin was surprisingly well-kept. The floor was clean, the windows were washed and even the bathroom seemed to be tided on a regular basis.

There were some dorms at the college where I went that were far messier than this cabin.

While I found it strange, I would’ve found a disgusting residence far more unsettling.

I didn’t have much experience with serial killers, besides the psychological reference I was taught in my classes, I couldn’t believe that Johnathan quite fit the mold.

In fact, there was part of me that enjoyed the quiet space. I had thought that being in the mountains would give me peace, but it ended up being the most stressful experience of my life.

Yet, being right here, in the cabin with Jake, was surprisingly relaxing.