A few days had passed since that fateful night and no one had heard from the boys. Brian was a sensible lad with a quick brain and a large vocabulary. At an early age he’d secured a job in the accounting department at the mine. He was a model worker, a conscientious, punctual employee, who was fortunate to have a naturally inquisitive mind, and a strong desire for continuous improvement. Brian had impressed his manager sufficiently where he was now being considered for a promotion, his work was exemplary, and he’d cleaned up the accounting practices to a point where the mine had received its first clean audit in years.
Brian’s Father had decided to call the Sheriff late on Sunday night raising the concern that Brian had not come home after his camping trip. Annie had mentioned that she’d seen the two boys pull away on Friday night. The Sheriff was in a drunken stupor on Sunday, unable to answer his phone, or retrieve messages for he was passed out - slumped across his couch holding an empty bottle of whiskey. When Monday morning arrived, Brian did not show up for work, this was highly unusual, and the manager of the mine’s accounting area became concerned. At 11am, the manager received a call from Brian’s Father, inquiring if Brian had made it into work. The situation escalated with another call to the Sheriff and the boy’s absence being reported to mine security. Monday came and went, with no sign of either boy while news had spread across the small community and word of the altercation at the diner was now common knowledge.
Sheriff Kevin Jones directed his police cruiser into the parking lot at Autumn’s diner, it was Wednesday morning at 10am, and his head pounded from the amount of whiskey he’d consumed the night before. The village was abuzz with gossip and innuendo, but the Sheriff knew that Brian had been trained as a survival expert; the boys were probably holed up, drinking beer, and laying low after the altercation. As with most small villages, the story of the altercation had moved through many forms, with each storyteller embellishing details, and adding to a growing tale. The story now described in vivid detail the epic battle that played out in the diner; Kelly’s honor had to be defended against the sheer size of the brutish stranger that attempted to defile a sweet innocent girl from Autumn. Paul was being described as a true hero, a young man who intervened to protect one of Autumn’s daughters; someone had to stand up to this outsider. It was a David and Goliath tale, where Paul was armed with a small penknife against an oversized hunting knife resembling the size of a small sword. The village grew increasingly concerned about the missing boys, and the blanket of suspicion fell upon the muscular stranger staying at the hotel.
Sheriff Jones gripped the steering wheel of his police cruiser, his head pounded as he let out a large sigh; he’d noticed the distinctive markings on the side of the black trucks parked near by. The black shield with its familiar insignia represented the men employed by mine security. Their jurisdiction covered mining company property but these men felt and acted like they owned the entire village. The Sheriff was the law in the village, but his inability to remain sober had provided the mining security group the motivation to expand their reach, and their influence. Brian’s Father had invited the Sheriff to a meeting at the diner, he wanted to coordinate efforts and organize a search party. The Sheriff shook his head at the prospect of a meeting with mining security, they would inevitably take over and act like they were in charge, and he detested that. It reminded him of what a mess he was and how much the village’s people had lost faith in him.
The Sheriff approached the door of the diner; inside the search party had organized the search area into sectors and assigned teams, roles, and responsibilities. Brian’s concerned parents felt relieved that mining security had assigned a crack team to locate one of its valued employees. They suspected Brian would have headed north to one of his favorite spots at Lover’s Leap, Cranberry Hill, the Old Saw Mill, Archers Point or Wolf Run. They told the security team and a plan was devised to search each specified location first. The plan was to search all day until the light faded where they would reconvene at the diner. The Sheriff was asked to stay at the diner and track the progress of the activities, as the security team didn't want him out in the field.
Tom Jantz was the head of mining security, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, his instincts were telling him that the boys were dead, but his job was to find out for certain, and if necessary, who had done this. Tom had watched the weather closely and his team had been monitoring the transient workers, as they made their way north for the commencement of logging season. There was always a spike in activity around this time, petty thefts, bar brawls, stabbings, and the occasional destruction of property. A few years ago three people went missing in the area causing a minor news sensation and unwanted attention to the village, and the logging trade. Three girls had disappeared and the police were clueless, the missing girls were not classified as mining staff or associated with mining families, but Tom suspected a transient logger was getting his sick kicks before starting a long season. The Village of Autumn was nestled in a remote beautiful place surrounded by dense forest covering rolling hills and home to raging rivers. Its natural beauty kept people there, but it was also just as easy to lose people in the woods, where they’d never be seen, or heard from, again. Tom suspected the killer had hid the bodies of the girls in the vast wilderness, and they have never been located to this day.
If it were a couple of girls that had gone missing, he would have immediately suspected foul play. This one was strange, two young men missing, with one expertly equipped to survive. Perhaps they’d run into trouble, bears, wolves, or something else, like a broken leg or a hunting accident. It didn't add up, and now he definitely suspected foul play, he didn't hold the same optimistic outlook that Brian’s Father demonstrated.
His suspicions were confirmed four hours later, when the boy’s abandoned truck was located at Archer’s Point. Brian’s Father knew the route into the bluff and the location Brian always used when pitching his tent. It wasn’t long before the gruesome discovery was made. Wolves had scavenged the boy’s bodies, but the damage to the bodies upset the hardest of hunters, and mine security workers, shocked at their find. Brian’s Father was physically restrained and the crime scene was quickly cordoned off for detailed analysis. The Wolves had been opportunistic, but an animal far larger, and much stronger had committed the original damage to the boy’s bodies.
Sheriff Jones arrived to inspect the carnage while trying not to compromise the crime scene. Investigators quickly established the cause of the demise of the two young men; astonishingly the verdict came back as a large animal. Criminal experts were brought in to examine the remains, measure the wounds, and trace the blood spatters, they agreed that a large animal had killed the boys. The shape of the wounds on the flesh, the prints left in the muddy soil, and all of the evidence painted a clear picture of what had happened. The Wolves had come much later, but they had not changed the evidence enough to disguise the sequence of events. The experts all agreed on what had happened, the arguments centered upon what had done this to the boys. It had to be a large animal, but the only creature native to these forests that could cause this type of carnage was a bear. The only issue with this was the torn flesh, the scratch marks, the footprints, and the size of this creature, did not match any bear profile that the experts had ever seen.
To avoid panic the residents of Autumn, and the local press, were told the boys had unwittingly aggravated a large bear, who had turned on the boys. It seemed plausible to most but Brian’s Father couldn’t believe this version of the story. He wasn't allowed to look at the crime scene until the investigators had concluded it was an animal and not a crime committed by humans. Once he was allowed to see his Son’s remains he concluded that there wasn’t much left. The bear story played on in the local newspapers and coffee shops, but there were still a few in Autumn that could not forgive the stranger. Rumors circulated that the stranger had followed the boys to the bluff from the diner; he’d killed them both and was fortunate that a bear, followed by a pack of
Wolves, had stumbled across the bodies and covered his tracks.
The stranger kept a low profile within the village, he was acutely aware of the accusations, and he felt the cold distrustful nature of the village’s residents towards him. The hotel staff had changed their demeanor growing cold and distant, his belly rumbled demanding a hearty sized hot meal. He headed towards Autumn’s diner, it would soon be noon, and it would be nice to eat something tasty, and experience a change of scenery. Three days had passed since the boy’s bodies had been found in the woods; a few brave men had set off into the woods to kill the bear. They’d returned empty handed, but mildly satisfied that there actions had addressed their frustration and feelings of helplessness. The anxiety had reached fever pitch, but it now seemed to be subsiding as he sensed the village returning to normal. The mine security guys had demanded to talk with the stranger but the hotel manager had provided an alibi for him the night of the unfortunate massacre, as the stranger had stayed in the packed hotel bar, drinking alone. The diner was no longer acting as the command center, with the Sheriff and the search party long since gone.
As the stranger walked along Main St. approaching the diner, two large men blocked his access leading to the diner’s door. He recognized the matching insignias emblazoned upon their black jackets. The stranger immediately went on the charm offensive, “Good day mine security personnel, how can I help you today?” he said with a beaming smile.
“We’re watching you Mister, we don't want you causing any trouble, and you can’t afford to step out of line one inch, do your hear me?” The two men pushed their shoulders together effectively blocking the way forward.
“Well now, I’m glad you’re watching me, ‘cos that makes me feel a lot safer, as I’ve heard there’s a big bear on the loose.”
“Dave Melanger won’t tell us the name that you used to check-in with at the Grafton Hotel, he says he values his guest’s privacy. He did tell us you paid a deposit in cash, and we know you always pay your diner bills with cash, so it seems like you’re going out of your way to keep your identity unknown, you know, not leaving any physical trace that you were here.”
“Wow that’s good, come up with that yourselves boys? You know that I was here, the whole village knows that I’m here; I’m six foot six inches tall, it’s pretty hard to hide. Besides, I have nothing to hide; perhaps you boys would be better guarding the mine, apparently there’s a big bear up there.” The stranger stepped into the road, rounded the two security men, and entered the diner.
He headed for the same empty booth that he’d occupied that fateful night. The old Indian Chief was sitting in his usual seat, he watched the stranger settle; two elderly ladies whispered to each other while sharing their looks of disapproval, Kelly approached him with some apprehension.
“Coffee?”
“What no smile today? Sure, black coffee please.”
Kelly pushed the menu towards the stranger; she failed to mention the specials, leaving to prepare the coffee. Annie had watched the interaction from the back of the diner, when Kelly approached the kitchen; Annie mouthed the words, “Be nice.”
Kelly delivered his coffee, took his order and delivered his food in a cool, efficient, manner. He was enjoying his meal when two young men burst into the diner and headed for the booth occupied by the Indian Chief - Great Bear. The boys rushed to his side in an excited state, “Tell him, go on tell him what we saw.”
The stranger chewed on his stir-fry dinner, but his ears were trained to the conversation occurring behind him at the old Indian man’s table. “Calm down both of you, you’re making a scene,” the old man scolded the boys in a gentle way, lifting his finger to his lips and signaling to them to dial down the volume with his falling hand. Kelly arrived at the table.
“Hi boys, what’ll it be?” Kelly knew the two boys from school, for they were twin brothers from the Waishee tribe. Kelly flashed a smile, which distracted the boys.
The eldest brother was impatient and wanted to talk with Chief Great Bear, he took control of the proceedings, “Just coffee please, two coffees please Kelly.” Kelly wheeled away to fulfill the order. “We were rounding the corner at Parkson’s Heights, and heading downhill past the old well, then we slowed to turn at the steep corner, and at the side of the road, as clear as day…”
The young man stopped as Kelly approached; she set the two coffees down and let a couple of packets of cream tumble onto the table. “Enjoy,” she said, acutely aware that the boys had stopped talking, and would not resume, until she’d left. As she moved away she smiled to herself, for she knew the younger brother seemed fixated upon her, but hadn’t dared to meet her eyes.
“As clear as day, there he was - a White Wolf! He was big and proud - he didn’t run, and we slowed the truck right down to get a good look at him.” Great Bear leaned in listening intently. The younger twin could not contain himself.
“It was right there, he was real, he was in great shape as his coat shone in the light, and he was larger than most wolves. It’s not a legend, the White Wolf exists uncle, we saw him as plain as day, and you have to believe us. He stood his ground and looked right at us. Even though we were inside the truck, headlights on, he was not afraid, he just stood at the side of the road, and he was majestic, spiritual, and proud. We saw him, both of us!”
Great Bear raised his cup to his mouth and sipped his cold coffee, his eyes narrowed as he weighed the expressions of the excited twins. They were telling the truth, and he felt a nervous shiver shoot down his spine, “I believe you boys, I was about your age when I saw the White Wolf, and I know he exists. I don't need to tell you what this means, and I don't want to talk about this here. Finish your coffee now, then go home and never mention this to anyone, I’ll discuss this with the tribal elders, and we’ll decide what to do. You boys have been blessed; few have been lucky enough to see this majestic creature. Remember, you’ll never get a chance to randomly see the White Wolf, it decides when it will show itself, and there’s usually a good reason why it does. Drink your coffee and warm up.”
It was Annie who eventually cleared the coffee mugs away and continued to serve the stranger by refreshing his coffee, and clearing his meal away. He was ready to pay as the Indian twins left the diner with Chief Great Bear. Annie brought the bill, “Where did Kelly disappear to? I miss her cheery smile,” he said sarcastically.
Annie stopped in her tracks and turned to face the stranger, “Listen Mister, this is a small village and we all know each other around here, we try to be polite and friendly, but we’ve been burned before in this community. We’re leery of strangers like you, transient workers passing through - I know you didn’t have anything to do with those boys the other night, and I saw what happened in here. Paul was bang out of order, and you stopped short of giving him what he deserved - I think you’re an honorable man, but you can’t blame the girl for what she feels. She doesn’t trust strangers and why would she? Pretty girls have a tendency to go missing around these parts, especially at this time of year with people casually passing through. Annie smiled sarcastically and pushed the bill closer to him, suggesting he pay and leave.
Kelly had been in the back for the last fifteen minutes, she’d changed from her striped diner uniform into a costume. The stranger stood preparing to leave, as Kelly emerged from the back, “What do you think?’ she inquired of Annie. The tall stranger stared at the pretty girl before him, Kelly was wearing a long silky black wig with tan colored autumn fall leaves woven into the wig like a crown. She’d expertly changed her appearance with the use of a smoldering orange eye shadow, thick black mascara, black eyeliner, and blood red lipstick. Large balls of entwined twigs swung from her ears, and a delicate silver band hung loosely from her neck. She wore an off the shoulder cream colored gown, delicately cinched at her small waist by an orange belt. She balanced steadily upon high heels and oozed a quiet confidence, like a model from the front page of a high fashion magazine. Annie’s mouth hung open. The stranger stopped and s
tared, besotted with her beauty, “I’m going to be the best Autumn Princess ever.” Kelly took a quick glance along the aisle of the diner, she caught the tall stranger standing and gawping at her. She looked absolutely beautiful; it was a shame Paul couldn’t have see her dressed as this year’s Autumn Princess. Kelly’s short temper started to emerge, “I’m not dressed like this for your amusement, haven’t you somewhere you need to be?”
Annie tugged at her hand, “Kelly,” she scolded.
The stranger turned quickly and left the diner, “He’s a creep,” said Kelly, watching the door to the diner close.
Annie tugged her hand again; “I’m closing up in about an hour, and I’ll join you over at the Church, OK?”
Every year the Village of Autumn re-enacted it’s favorite fable. The villagers would gather at the Church hall and watch the legend of the Autumn Princess. It was every village girl’s dream to play the Princess, and you were not allowed to perform this role for more than four years in a row. This was Kelly’s first year, she was so excited, and she would try to make her parents proud with her performance. The short play symbolized the harmonious relationship the village has enjoyed with its surroundings and the bountiful gifts the land continues to offer the village. The villagers give thanks for what they have, and rejoice in another bountiful year for it is a time of joy and mutual support. This year would be difficult without Brian and Paul, but the village was strong willed, and decided to proceed with their tradition. Kelly was sad but she decided that she would dedicate her performance to Paul and Brian. It was time that she needed to make her way over to the Church, but she would need to drive the short distance before the play would commence.
After the conclusion of the play and the post show celebration she would drive home to change, before she would drive back to the Church hall, where the younger inhabitants of the village would hold a dance. It was a bit lame, but she wouldn’t miss her chance to be congratulated as the best Autumn Princess yet, and she’d heard that Taylor was coming to the dance. Kelly scurried out of the diner causing Annie to smile; she recalled the time her sister Amy, had played the Autumn Princess and how excited she had been.
* * * * *
Chapter 4: Autumn Princess.
The Village of Autumn, The Mine District, The Fourth Realm.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”