Haven Hill: Chapter 23

by the Author of The Widow in the Woods

Here’s where the story left off last time.

Kate crouched beside Ariel in the gully, ferns tickling her neck, her Glock a steady comfort in her holster. Ariel huddled beside her, taser clutched tight, her eyes still distant. Kate’s gut twisted – she hated Logan for this, despised him with the fire of a thousand suns.

“We’re okay, Ari,” Kate whispered, squeezing her daughter’s shoulder. “I’m here, and I will not let him take you anywhere. I swear it.”

Ariel gave a shaky nod, forcing a grin. “I’m not worried,” she lied. “He’s probably tripping over his own traps out there.” Her voice wobbled, but the spark was there again.

Kate played along. “Yeah, we’ll probably find him hanging upside down by the foot from one of the tripwires he set up.”

They both giggled out of the habit of finding each other funny. In truth, neither of them found their situation particularly funny.

They’d been running around the forest playing hide and seek for way too long, Kate thought, and she was sick of it.

She scanned the cabin below. Mr. Slocum’s place sat quietly in the misty morning. Was it maybe a little too quiet? She could see that the lights were on, indicating that Mr. Slocum was home and awake, but the fog had shrouded it so thoroughly that she found herself squinting and peering to get a clearer look, to no avail.

And that side door still hung open, swaying and squeaking, like it’d been left in a hurry. Kate’s skin prickled.

Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t tell if her imagination was running away with her or if a genuine threat existed in the cabin. Logan could be waiting, his knife ready, that wild look in his eyes. “Stay low,” Kate murmured. “We are moving up a little closer where we can watch first.”

Ariel nodded. They inched along the gully, keeping the cabin in sight, their trekking poles probing for slick shale or Logan’s tripwires. Their boots crushed pine needles and autumn’s leaves, releasing bursts of earthy perfume with each silent step. The forest seemed to bleed its scents—resin, moss, and damp soil—as if the plants were warning each other of the intruders passing through their silent world.

They crept forward, and Kate’s mind churned – that open door felt like a trap, but Mr. Slocum was notoriously hard of hearing.

They couldn’t run forever, Kate thought, in an effort to convince herself that going to Mr. Slocum’s place was the right move.

A snap echoed behind them, sharp, like a twig underfoot. Kate dropped to a crouch, yanking Ariel down with her. “Quiet,” she hissed, her heart booming so loudly in her chest that she could no longer hear the other morning noises of the forest. Had that been Logan? Or was it just a deer?

Kate was disoriented – she couldn’t hear over her heart, and she couldn’t see through the fog. She waited, and there was no other indication that they were being followed. Her eyes locked on the cabin, still eerily still, the door swaying in the breeze. The whole scenario was like something in a horror movie, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out how the plucky heroines would come out on top in such a film.

Ariel clutched her taser. She was pale, her eyes dark and wide, her jaw clenched.

Kate had to get a hold of herself. As if Ariel wasn’t traumatized enough by this particular jaunt through the forest. She took a deep, steadying breath.

Kate made her decision. They were going to Mr. Slocum’s. Now it wasn’t just about getting help. They needed to make sure he was okay.

If Logan had hurt that dear man – she stopped herself before she completed the thought.

Kate’s boots crunched on the rocky path, Glock drawn, low and ready. Mist painted the Appalachian landscape in purples and grays, fog curling through hemlock and rhododendron like a ghost. Mornings like this made you believe that the legends about these mountains being haunted were true. She quickly banished those thoughts, too. There was no sense in worrying about problems of the supernatural world when they had a giant living problem following them around the mountain.

Ariel stuck close, her breath quick but steady.

That damned door – the screen door squeaking in the breeze – made Kate’s stomach churn.

She absolutely knew something was wrong. She felt like she was headed into a trap but couldn’t think of any way to avoid it. Mr. Slocum needed them.

“We’re checking on Mr. Slocum,” Kate whispered, her voice sharp. “No more games, Ari. Stay right behind me.”

Ariel nodded, eyes fierce despite shaky hands holding her taser. “If that creep’s there, I’m zapping him into next week,” she muttered, half-joking, half-meaning it.

They moved low, stepping carefully to avoid making a noise that could alert the stalker to their presence. Kate’s trekking pole probed for tripwires or any other surprises Logan might have for them.

Once she had ascertained that the gravel path to the cabin door was clear of hazards, she forced herself to stride forward to the cabin with a confidence she didn’t feel. Ariel was close on her heels and took a page from her mother’s book, straightening her spine and holding her head high.

Kate felt a little better with her improved posture.  Even if Logan was lying in wait, there was no sense in looking like you’d already been whipped. Let Logan be concerned by their lack of visible fear, she thought.

They made it across part of the yard and driveway, and now Mr. Slocum’s side door was right in front of them.

Only the screen door was open, swinging in the morning breeze on squeaky hinges. She’d have to remember to let Mr. S. know that his hinges needed to be oiled, Kate thought, like it was just an ordinary visit.

She paused before reaching out to knock loudly on the door. The loud noise made Ariel jump, and, probably, worried Kate, lured Logan straight to their location. But they couldn’t exactly walk right into the neighbor’s cabin unannounced, or Logan wouldn’t be their biggest problem. Walking into someone’s house uninvited around these parts was a good way to end up being welcomed with a shotgun full of buckshot.

There was no answer. She strained to hear if there were any signs that Mr. Slocum was inside the cabin and awake. It was silent inside. The only sign that he was definitely here was that his truck was in the driveway.

Kate reached for the doorknob, her stomach churning with such dread that she felt ill. As she touched the cool brass of the doorknob, she couldn’t hear a thing over the sounds of her blood rushing in her ears, pounding in time to her heart. She drew a shaky breath and twisted the knob, half hoping to find it locked so that she could say she had tried but couldn’t get in.

However, the knob turned easily under her hand, and the door swung open into the familiar kitchen. Kate pushed it all the way back to ensure that Logan wasn’t behind it, waiting to jump them the moment they were both in.

The kitchen was small, and the light over the sink was on, showing that the room was clear of any presence that shouldn’t be there. Kate pushed the door shut with her rear while keeping her eyes fixed on the dark rooms beyond the kitchen. She reached back, felt for the knob, and locked the door so nobody could come in behind them without making a lot of noise. Ariel was at her left hand, looking around the cozy, cluttered room.

A mug of coffee sat on the counter beside a spoon. Kate touched the mug, hoping it would still be hot. It wasn’t. The blue earthenware was chilly under her fingertips. It had been sitting there for a while. Kate’s heart dropped. That wasn’t a great sign. Mr. Slocum was adamant about having his 2 cups of Folger’s Instant coffee every morning. He loved the stuff, drinking it black. In Kate’s opinion, it tasted awful, like a cup of tar. She remembered the first time she had accepted a cup of coffee from her neighbor and had tried to pretend like it was great –

Wait….

She needed to focus on the rooms beyond the kitchen. While the memories were far more pleasant, she had a job at hand.

“Mr. Slocum?” she called out loudly in deference to her neighbor’s hearing problems. “It’s Kate and Ariel from next door. Mr. Slocum?”

There was no reply. The house felt empty, echoing, unfamiliar.

She accepted the unpleasant fact that she was going to have to search the cabin.

“Ariel, you are waiting in the kitchen,” she told her daughter firmly. As Ariel’s mouth opened to express her displeasure, Kate cut her off. “That isn’t a question. It’s a statement. You are waiting here to stand watch. Warn me if you see Logan, okay?”

Ariel didn’t look happy, but she nodded brusquely, accepting her assignment.

Kate fought through the dread that swamped her and took her first step out of the kitchen, Glock taking the lead as she proceeded to clear the next room.

About Daisy

She is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.