CARNAL

s Ch

veryone around me gasp in horror. The man in the c

ndfather. He had black, shoulder-length hair and skin so pale

elt a hard body run into the back of me and

e crowd to get closer to the casket. Their haste meant they knew something about it,

h dark, coiffed hair and black stud e

y eyes of the man in the casket before he s

collar of his jacket. They fought against one another for a moment as everyone around them strug

wards against someone

ey too began to exit the house, taking the corpse with them. I watched in annoyance as I stood on the other

was going on and whe

the window behind the dining room table w

moved quickly through the crowd

noise in the room, no one noticed the squeaking o

window to the snow-covered ground

someone would notice the cold breeze coming in,

t approve, but he mad

ll Mom,''

be b

gned before he threw me his

ded the corner of the cottage and saw the men stuffing

tely began to assume they

this assumption noth

hopped into the seat. The keys fell into my lap and I prayed the truck would

I saw the

o Europe,

sion, so this was bound to be a disaster. I panicked seeing the SUV pull ou

lled out an

d it roared to life I sighed in relief as I sa

ay and down the road, follow

n't know where they're going and you don't k

t, worrying me slightly. I followed the car from a distance for a while until it w

into a forest, which was the direction the SUV w

so I drove past the pathway and did

taillights disappeared into the thick trees. I turne

e you t

I needed answers and this was the

the truck where no one would see it. I didn't know what was on the othe

r. I walked along the path, hidden by the trees. The sun had set and I

of the dark, but

d huffed as I nearly tr

my pace as I noticed the large cabin with several SU

d the men in suits walking around, joined b

dy of the man who had been

bin. Once I was sure that everyone was inside. I came out of my hidin

runch of snow under my boots. I wa

and I went to the clos

only source of light in the empty room. Suddenly, a

" I mu

st. This was a stupid idea, go back home, I told myself. This tim

oved away from t

re you

that my foot slid out from under me and I fell back into a bush that was behind me. I felt

ven begin to explain h

tely furrowing I couldn't see him, only a large, shadowy outline standing a few feet away from the light the window provided. I knew he was wait

words for a moment

e you do

eath, feeling my

ndfather's casket," I s

w moments before reply

anddaughter of

ement than it did a questio

nts before I finally got up

re i