Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Being Followed. Part 3.
Continuing with our adventure with the wolves…
I was hoping that they would just decide I wasn’t anything exciting and then leave. Which is what I wanted to do. Maybe if I unlace my boot I would be able to pull my foot out. Then I could retrieve my boot easily. So I started. The smaller wolf had sat down. The larger wolf was gone. Not nice. By the time I got my boot unlaced the big fella had gone around to my right side. Looking at me. And he was closer now. Maybe just trying to figure out what I was. I wiggled my foot as much as I could and finally out it came. Great, my sock had come off. I hate when that happens. And a bare foot in snow is not very exciting either.
I quickly pulled my boot out from the rocks, pulled my sock out of my boot and put my sock on. By this time my foot was wet and cold. I put my boot on and, great, there’s snow in my boot. Now my foot is very wet and cold. The wolves had both disappeared by this time. That was a relief. But…now, my snowshoe is broken. Now I will have to walk through that deep snow. And my ankle, knee and side were now paining quite badly. But I headed for an area with more tree cover where there should be less snow.
That feeling is back.
I looked all around. No sign of the wolves. Fantastic! Now I just had to figure out the fastest way back to one of my trails, then it would be easier walking. It was still snowing. Must be 4 inches (10cm) of new snow by now. I got that feeling again. I looked around. Sure enough, that big wolf was following me again. I wonder where the other wolf is hiding? Oh, there she is, in front of me. I decided to change direction.
At least it was easier walking through the trees. Finally, there is one of my trails. I was getting kind of tired by this point. But I didn’t really want to stop and rest. But the wolves decided to leave, which was a relief. I kept on walking, but after walking through all that snow earlier, my knee was really throbbing. That meant I had to slow down a bit. I even stopped to rest for a while now that the wolves were gone.
And now what?
Then after about twenty minutes I spotted them again! They were both ahead of me. And standing on my trail. That’s not nice. I was too tired and sore to do anything else, so I kept on walking. They just stood there, not moving, looking at me. I kept on walking. Like I didn’t see them. They didn’t move, one was now sitting, the big one was standing. I was maybe 30 feet away now. What if they don’t move? Then suddenly they took off running to the side. I never saw them anymore after that. Maybe they figured I wasn’t worth eating after all. It was quite late by the time I arrived back home, with a swollen knee and ankle. That knee bothered me for quite some time afterwards so I had to stop with my snowshoeing for a while. I also had to buy new snowshoes.
Not all of my adventures had excitement like this, just a few, which is why it is always a good idea to have someone else along. Or at least let someone know where you will be going, and, stick with your plans too. Well, I hope you enjoyed my snowshoeing adventure. Have a wonderful day everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2022 Steve McLeod.
The Investigators, Inc. The Castle Mystery. Chapter 3.
Kat came over to MC and picked him to give him a big hug. “Sorry I got angry with you MC,” she said, “you did not fail, you were doing what Steve told you to do. Now, show me exactly what you did and where you went from the bathroom, okay?” Meow.=Okay, me feel better, sort of, still feel bad that human Steve gone though. “We all do,” said Candace, “but now it is important to find Steve and Kristina as quickly as possible.” So down the hall they went and out the side door. “Wait a minute everyone,” said Angel.
Kat and the cats come back inside. “This looks kind of like a door here,” said Angel tracing the outline of a door with her finger. Muffin and MC start sniffing. Meow,meow.=Yep, door here, can smell different air. “So someone could have come out after Steve and MC went past,” said Kat. “Yes, and perhaps used a sleeping dart like we use to shoot Steve and quickly carry him back here before MC had a chance to look again,” said Candace.
“They would have to move fast,” said Kat, “but if they were ready, it is not far from that rock that Steve sat on. And with those shrubs right there they would be hidden from MC a bit. You two stay here and try to figure out how to open the door while the cats and I continue to look around outside, we will not go far.” Angel and Candace kept looking out the door frequently to keep and eye on Kat and the cats. But for about 10 minutes they concentrated on that door before looking again. No Kat in sight! They ran outside yelling for them.
Muffin came running over, meow,meow!=Follow me, we find something! So they followed Muffin who came to a sudden stop, and just looked. Meow,meow!=They gone! They had found a rock exactly the same as the one I sat on. Kat and MC sat down while Muffin went to get the girls. Now they are gone too. “This is getting weird,” said Angel, “I do not like it at all.” “Me neither,” said Candace, “I think we better wait inside until the others get here.” So they went to their room that they were sharing and phoned Baldwin.
“Just stay inside and stay together,” he said, “we will be their soon, and keep your guns handy and use them if you need to.” That was something he did not need to tell the girls. The girls told Darren and Jane that the rest of the team were coming. “That is fine,” said Darren, “I am starting to feel a bit uneasy about all this.” He called Stewart, the butler and Elsa the maid and had them get more bedrooms ready for the extra guests. “I am not much of a cook,” said Jane, “especially for so many people.” “That is okay,” said the girls, “we would be glad to help out.”
So there was a good dinner ready when the others arrived. They were quickly filled in about the details so far. Then after dinner they all went out to the rock I had been sitting on and the one Kat had sat on. Rock moved both of them easily, but they were just rocks sitting on the ground. “Well, that leaves the secret door then,” said Baldwin, “however, it is getting late, I suggest we get some sleep and start early in the morning.” Everyone was tired so they all agreed to this. Muffin stayed with the girls that night.
During the night Jennifer thought she heard something in the hall. Her, Carine and Kara were sharing a room, so Jennifer woke them up. They each grabbed their guns and went into the hall which was dimly lit at night, but they could see nothing. However, Carine noticed a light under the door of Kat and my bedroom. They went over quietly and heard some noise in the bedroom. Carine opened the door quickly and Jennifer jumped in with gun ready and…she could not believe what she saw!
Kat was sitting slouched in one of the big chairs and she had obviously been beaten! Kara ran back to their room and got her medical bag while Carine watched in the hall. Once back they closed the door and Kara checked Kat thoroughly. No broken bones, but she had a lot of bruises and bleeding a bit from some cuts. She also had a note in her pocket from a ghost. The note simply read, “This place is not for you, leave within 24 hours and your friends will be returned to you. If you stay, they will be killed. So you have until 1am tomorrow.” There was a feeble scratching at the door. MC was there and had been beaten too…
To Be Continued.
©2022 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 