sharp tongues {Embry Call}

⁴ Hawking

"
Life would be tragic if it weren't so funny.
"

- Stephen Hawking

Death Wish for Science

Harper always had been a fan of a good leisurely walk through a forest during a stressful time, or when she ever got time. The beach was great, but during the fall there was something inviting and warm about the towering evergreens. Something about the woods just felt right. She felt at home there. It was one of those unexplainable gut feelings that could probably be explained by years of anthropological research that had probably already been done, but to her it was unexplainable. 

It wasn't like Harper was a complete idiot. It was hibernating season, i.e any bears that actually existed in the woods would be asleep. It wouldn't end until spring and as a rough wind blew through the air she was certain that it was not springtime or even close to it. She traipsed through the forest without a second thought. Going deeper and deeper into the thick woods with each careless step.

Harper took out the small journal she usually kept in her purse out along with her pen as she wrote notes for the stupid little project that wasn't going to be due for another week and a half. And then there was the presentation a week later. She tugged at the moss on the tree and sighed. If Embry was lucky he would never have to go into the woods, all thanks to her.

"Harper Diana Young, where are you so help me God?!" Emily yelled into the receiver of the landline. She let out her own shaky breaths as she ran a hand through her tangled raven locks. She looked over at the guilty faces of Jared and Paul. "Please, answer. Call back, anything, please," Emily begged before slowly putting the landline away. 

Sam was in the woods looking for her as a wolf, casing the forest, trying to find a hold on her scent or anything. Jared had been at Kim's but drove straight to Emily's when he had heard about Harper's disappearing act. He had just arrived and had been the second to witness Emily's stress-induced baking and third call of the day. The sun had begun to set. It was going to be below freezing tonight. 

"You got it here?" Jared asked Paul. The boy nodded watching Emily with worried eyes. "I'm going to go help, Sam." With that, he was bounding out the door, and in a wide arching leap, his clothes tore away, bones breaking into pieces and then refusing. Just the deep brown tail of a wolf could be seen disappearing into a tree line.

Night had fallen quicker than Harper had expected. The first indication was when she had trouble reading her book, her own writing. The girl had looked up to see the moon hanging low in the sky and streams of purples, oranges, and pinks painted the great canvas as the sun sailed across the sky. 

Harper broke into a sweat as she turned around only to realize that she was wrong. She was very very wrong. She was an idiot who got lost in the woods her fourth day on the rez. Harper patted her pockets before rummaging around in her bag only to slap her hand to her forehead. Her phone was on silent in her backpack. She was so screwed.