beating, struggling to pump the nonexistent blood to her body, She felt her head begin to throb as her brain began to die without the oxygen her blood normally carried through it. Her thoughts began to slow and then fragmented brilliantly in a shower of sparks against the blackness of her eyelids. “Who am I?” She thought. “…my God I can’t remember my name… what’s I?”

She continued to sink further into the blackness. She felt her heart slow as it ran out of oxygen itself, struggling to pump the non-existent blood through her body, bent on accomplishing this impossible task. Then she saw a light, and inside that light was…

“…Drake?” She asked.

The dog smiled and turned, walking into the light. “Come with me Gemeni, everything is fine now.”

Gemeni smiled and ran to him as her heart thumped in her chest one… last… time.

 

Jason smiled as his mother’s body heaved one last time before settling to the snow, still, bathed in hot blood and mushy pink snow. Her eyes slid open and her mouth opened slightly. Jason knelt down to her and smiled. “…good to see you again mommy.” He said. Then he looked around the streets. Once he was sure no one had seen him he turned and darted into the darkness. Leaving his mother sprawled out on the sidewalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

Josh’s heart was beating hard in his chest. He was waiting for Blaize to return. Just thinking about what he’d found this morning turned his stomach and he felt like he was going be sick again. He fought down the urge to do so and swallowed painfully.

He still couldn’t believe it. “…Gemeni wouldn’t hurt a fly.” He thought. “…who’d want to hurt her?” Then it hit him. “…her.” He said to himself. “…Tiembe.”

Tiembe saw Blaize climbing the stairs to the old mill and ran out the door. The chilly air nearly knocked the breath from his lungs as he skidded to a stop on the snow covered porch.

Blaize looked up at him, a look of sadness on his face.

“…well?” Josh asked. “…it was her wasn’t it?”

Blaize nodded. “Yeah.. it was Gemeni.” He said. “…looks like she was murdered… sometime last night.” Blaize sighed. “The injuries looked to be inflicted by a canine.”

“Any idea who?” Josh asked.

Blaize shook his head. “No, there was no fur or other identifying evidence that I could find.”

Josh nodded. “Blaize, I think… well, first Tiembe leaves, then Jenna and Alyse disappear, then we find Gemeni murdered? …three females go missing right after a convicted killer… don’t you think there’s a connection?”

Blaize sighed. “…could be.” He said. “I have to admit it sounds possible, maybe even probable, but there’s no evidence whatsoever to support it. Until we find something that points in his direction I’m not going to start a search for him.”

“…you’re not?” Josh asked.

Blaize shook his head and sighed. “No Josh, I’m not. Tiembe is innocent until he’s proven otherwise… and right now we don’t have any evidence to prove anything.”

Josh leapt off the porch and started walking down the sidewalk.

Blaize turned. “Josh, where are you going?” He asked.

Josh stopped and looked at Blaize, a smoldering fire in his eyes. “I’m going to warn mysister that there’s a murderer in town.” He said. “…as if she didn’t already know that.”

Blaize shook his head. “…don’t do anything stupid Josh.” He said.

Josh just shook his head. Then he turned back around and ran toward the edge of town.

 

 

 

Tiembe stopped at the forest at the edges of the large clearing not two miles from Nome. He looked across the expanse of frozen snow and saw the boat jutting up from the surrounding landscape. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. He’d run all the way back home, not taking much time at all for himself for rest. He knew now that leaving Shanaea was the stupidest thing he’d ever done. He started off across the arctic plain before him and his thoughts shifted back to the thing that had been on his mind from the moment he turned back from his flight from Nome. “Will she want me back?” He thought.

It had been a while since he’d left and Shanaea had no doubt noticed that he was gone, that he had left her. He sighed and picked up his pace as he neared the boat. “What if she doesn’t?” He thought. “Have I destroyed the only person that really cared for me?”

Tiembe shook his head and full out ran to the edge of the boat. “No,” he said aloud. “I can’t think about that now.” He stopped at the ramp up to the top deck and sighed. Then he began to walk slowly up the wooden ramp. Each step got harder and harder to take as with each step he realized he was getting closer and closer to the thing that he’d been running from, and the thing that now meant more to him than anything else in the world. …he was also nearing the time that he would discover whether that person would take him back after his stupidity.

He finally reached the top of the ramp and stepped off it onto the top deck. He turned right and walked across the deck into the wheel house.

There he stopped and smiled.

Shanaea lay on a blanket in the corner of the wheel house. The early morning sun bathed her in it’s golden light through the portholes.

He walked over and laid down beside her, just watching her breathe for a moment, noticing the slight smile that creased her muzzle, the barest hint of her sweet scent, the way her ears flicked back and forth faintly as she slumbered. He placed his paw on hers and nuzzled her cheek.

Shanaea opened her eyes slowly and yawned. Her eyes fell half closed again and she smiled.

“…Tiembe?” She asked. Then she jumped up and a wide grin split her muzzle as her eyes opened wide. “…Tiembe!” She cried. Then her smile drooped and sighed. “Tiembe…” She said as her eyes narrowed and she walked over to the window of the wheel house.

Tiembe sighed. “Shanaea I…”

Shanaea turned around. “Tiembe, what are you doing here?” She asked.

Tiembe smiled. “I love you Shay.”

Shanaea sighed and shook her head. “Why did you leave then?” She asked. “You didn’t even say goodbye… do you know how worried I was… how much that hurt?”

Tiembe sighed. “I know…” He said. “I… I didn’t want to hurt you Shay, I really didn’t… I did this to protect you.”

Shanaea shook her head. “…whatever Tiembe.” She said. Then she turned around and looked out the window again.

Tiembe sighed.

 

Josh was quickly approaching the boat. He could see it now. His mind was full of images; images of his sister splayed out on the deck of the ship like he’d found Gemeni…

He shook his head to clear it of those awful images, then ran faster. He came to the ramp and quickly climbed it without announcing the news of his arrival.

He climbed out on the deck and was about to call his sister’s name when he heard her voice.

“What do you mean you did this to protect me?” She asked

He heard a sigh, and then an all too familiar voice. “I mean… I felt it starting to consume me.” Tiembe said. “I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat; it was all I could think about… and… and I gave in.”

Shanaea sighed as well. “Tiembe, why?” She asked. “I… I thought we were past this. Didn’t we talk about it?”

Tiembe must have nodded because Josh didn’t hear a response from him and heard his sister reply. “Then why did you run off and do it anyway?” She asked.

Josh gasped. “…she knew?” He thought. “I knew that Shanaea was in love with him, but she let him live here knowing he was a danger to everyone, knowing that he was still a risk?” He shook his head. “…and now Tiembe’s come crawling back with this new mess on his paws asking you to fix it again.” He thought.

Shanaea sighed and Josh heard her paws-steps as she crossed the room to Tiembe’s side. “I’m glad you’re back Tiembe, I really am.” She said. “I missed you. I love you too, but… but you have to promise me that this is the last time.” She said. “…that I won’t have to worry about you anymore, because… because I can’t keep doing this.”

“I promise Shay.” Tiembe said.

Josh almost couldn’t stop a growl from issuing from his throat and he turned, walking away from the wall of the wheel house. He reached the ramp and started down it. Then, once he’d reached the snow he took off for town. Surely Blaize couldn’t ignore him now. The events he’d witnessed were still kind of jumbled in his head. “…and just like that she forgives him again.” He thought. “…just like that everything is fine and dandy even though he killed Jenna and Alyse and Gemeni, as long as he promises not to do it again it’s fine.” He shook his head. “I love you Shanaea, but sometimes you can be the stupidest person I know.” He sighed. “…well not this time.” He thought. “…Tiembe, I swear to God I’ll see you pay for what you’ve done.” He thought. Then he just ran.

 

Shanea nuzzled Tiembe. “Why didn’t you think that we could work things out?” She asked. “…why did you run?”

Tiembe shook his head as tears started running down his face, mingling with hers. “It… it wasn’t that Shay.” He said. “I’d… I’d never run from you, I… I didn’t want to leave, but… but I was afraid.”

Shanaea looked up at him. “…afraid of what?” She asked.

“…of losing you.” Tiembe said. “I… I had that dream… and… and I couldn’t get it out of my head.”

Shanaea smiled and nuzzled him. “…well I’m here Tiembe.” She said. “I’m here and I’m fine.” She kissed him softly and smiled. “…and.. if having you here with me meant that I wouldn’t be fine; that something would happen to me…” She paused and looked into his eyes. “…then I’d still want you here.” She said.

Tiembe smiled and kissed her back, leaning against her and pushing her against he wall of the wheel house. She

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