A bbey’s makeup was finally done, and she looked suitably pale and ghostlike. She was wearing an old white satin robe of Karen’s which had been tattered and singed at the edges. On her head was an old straw hat covered in foil, with gold fairy lights wrapped around it .
“How do I look?” she demanded, doing a twirl .
“You look great, Abbey. But aren’t you going to freeze?” Karen said. She shrugged .
“Being around the other kids will keep me warm,” she said .
“I don’t ever remember being cold during the procession,” Madison said. “Which is kind of crazy considering how low the thermometer is right now. But I think it’s partly the excitement and partly the insane number of people packed into the town that keeps the heat in .”
“That’s probably it, but give us your coat, Abbey, and we’ll pass it to you if you start to feel the cold later on .”
M adison and Karen took Abbey to Misty Hollow elementary school where all the kids were meeting, and then they went to find a good spot to watch the show .
By 4.30pm it was dark already, but the streetlights kept the town prettily illuminated, with a pale orange glow reflecting from the snow. Madison looked around at all the people gathered together, chatting excitedly. There were lots of faces she recognized from way back, and people kept coming up to her to welcome her back to the town and ask her a million questions about where she’d been and why she’d left Chicago. It wasn’t easy explaining that she’d had a divorce, but everyone was good natured, and she appreciated being among a community of people who genuinely cared about each other .
“Here,” Karen said, pushing her way through the crowds and handing her a steaming cup of mulled wine. “I thought you could do with this to get you through all the questions .”
“Thank you,” Madison said, grateful for her sister’s perceptiveness .
“Merry Christmas, sis !”
“Merry Christmas.” Madison sighed. “I wish mom could see this .”
“Me too. Her knee injury was real bad timing, wasn’t it? Still, I’ll take lots of photos for her .”
A kids’ brass band started up, signaling that the procession was about to begin. Anticipation tingled in Madison’s stomach .
“I used to get so excited and nervous when I was waiting for my turn to walk out into the crowd,” she said .
“Me too! I was always scared that people wouldn’t cheer my costume. But they always did. I don’t think it mattered what anyone was wearing, as long as they’d made even a token effort .”
“Remember how Maisie Clark used to get so nervous that she’d puke right before we went out ?”
“Yup!” Karen said, and they both collapsed into giggles .
“Remember that year that Tommy Jenkins forgot his costume or something, and went around with a pair of scissors trying to sabotage everyone else’s, until Jessica Henson took him out with a karate manoeuver ?”
“Remember that year some kids from another town started snowballing the procession and we retaliated, and it turned into a huge snowball fight ?”
“Yup, and I got grounded for a month after Christmas because I was one of the main perpetrators. Even though I was just acting in self-defense!” They laughed and laughed .
“And isn’t it great that you get to be a mom now, watching your own daughter going through the same thing ?”
“It is, sis.” Karen squeezed Madison’s shoulder. “And I’m sure you’ll get your turn as well. Don’t you worry .”
“Thanks for saying that, Karen,” Madison said, turning her head to meet her sister’s eye. “I hope you’re right.” She and Digby had suffered ‘unexplained infertility’. They were both healthy, and there was no medical reason why they couldn’t conceive. But it just hadn’t happened. And that had led to arguments and recriminations, until they’d fallen out of love. With an effort, she pushed those depressing thoughts out of her head, and concentrated on enjoying herself .
“Are they here?” Karen said, craning her neck to get a better look .
“I think so!” At last, a tiny boy dressed as a donkey emerged, with a girl in a blue headdress skipping after him. She looked like she had a balloon under her long dress. Karen and Madison burst out laughing again .
“Oh my God! I forgot how ridiculously cute they are!” Madison exclaimed .
Mary and her donkey were quickly followed by three kids with dish towels on their heads, one of them holding a foil star aloft .
“But where’s Joseph?” Karen said .
“Oops, he’s not having a good day.” Madison pointed to a boy in a headdress who’d wandered off to the side, wailing and tugging at his costume .
The nativity scene was followed by a Santa with lots of elves. A dozen girls of around Abbey’s age formed a dancing troupe of reindeer. They looked very cute in brown leotards, with black noses and whiskers painted on their faces and big felt antlers on their heads. One of them had a flashing red nose and she was dancing a little ahead of the others .
“That’s so adorable!” Madison exclaimed, her eyes tearing up .
The Santa troupe was followed by snowmen, walking Christmas trees, and several kids wearing cardboard boxes decorated as Christmas gifts .
Madison and Karen clapped and laughed as one ingenious costume after another appeared. Madison felt wistful, wishing she hadn’t missed the parade so many times in the past years. She always wanted to come back to Misty Hollow for the week before Christmas, but she was usually either stuck in court or at tedious client parties. She promised herself that she’d never miss it again .
They waited for a long time for Abbey to appear, and at last, there she was. Karen took her phone out and recorded her. She was a very cool and poised ghost. Her two best friends were wearing similar costumes, and they were all carrying lit candles. Karen made a sound of disapproval .
“Hey, it’s ok, Mrs Thomson is nearby,” Madison said, pointing to their old elementary school teacher. She had white hair now, and she’d become much more frail since Madison had last seen her .
“How is she still teaching? She must be, like, eighty now?” Karen laughed .
“Yeah, about that. Apparently she refused to retire, and she’s still a really good teacher and the kids love her, so she got to stay on.” The two of them yelled and whooped as Abbey went past. She nodded acknowledgement to them, but didn’t wave like most of the kids when they saw their parents. Then she fixed her gaze straight ahead again, and continued to stride along regally .
“Bless her, I think she’s staying in character,” Karen said, wiping tears of joy from her eyes .
“She’s a good actress, I can tell,” Madison said. “Oh, is that Mr Barnes?” She pointed to a portly guy, jumping up and down and yelling words of encouragement to the kids .
“Yup. He’s married now, with two kids .”
“Wow. It’s so great to see all these familiar faces!” Madison said with a smile. “Have you heard from Sophia yet ?”
“No, I was just thinking that she ought to be making her way over here by now. Let me call her.” Karen took her phone out and dialed her daughter’s number .
“Hmm, no signal. That always happens on parade days. I think the network gets overwhelmed by everyone gathering together .”
“Maybe she got jammed in by the crowds someplace and she’s watching from a bit further down ?”
“Yeah, I expect so. I’ll just write her a message to call me as soon as she can.” Karen typed it out and put her phone back in her pocket. “Have you seen any cute guys yet?” she said, elbowing her sister .
Madison laughed .
“Trust you to be on the hunt right now !”
“Hey, the parade is prime scoping ground! It’s the one time you get to see everyone at once. The problem is that all the guys my age are now married .”
“And my age too, little sister,” Madison said. Karen had broken up with Abbey’s father before she was born, and since then, she’d been so busy raising the two girls that she’d had very little time to meet anyone. There had been a couple of fleeting relationships here and there, but she hadn’t found anyone to settle down with. This was something that frequently saddened Madison. Karen was so warm and funny; she deserved to find someone who’d appreciate her many good qualities. Madison had often wondered if her sister was wasting her life in Misty Hollow with such a small dating pool. But now she was in the same situation too .
“He’s pretty cute – over there in the red down coat.” Karen gave a snort of laughter .
“Been there, done that! We dated for like five minutes three years ago. He’s really uptight and anal. It used to freak him out that our house was always so untidy, so he had to go.” Madison gaped .
“But your house isn’t untidy ?”
“Exactly. I like to think of it as cozy, and, to be fair, there were always a few toys on the floor. But to him, it was a pigsty. There you go, though. I’d rather be single than with a neat freak .”
“How about him – that tall, stocky guy, straight ahead, three rows back ?”
“Ah, he’s married I think – uh, there’s his wife on his left hand side. But how about him – dark hair, on the front row, in a navy blue coat?” Madison craned her neck .
“I don’t see him .”
“Ok, I’ll point with my elbow.” Giggling, Madison tried to follow the direction of Karen’s elbow .
“Oh, I think I see him –” she started to say, but she never finished her sentence, as someone else had just caught her eye. Her heart thudded. It was him. And he looked even better than she remembered, his dark hair sexily tousled. She tugged Karen’s arm .
“Look, it’s the bear-shifter. Three rows back from him .”
“Yes, it is! And look who he’s with. I don’t think I’ve ever seen three such fine specimens together in my entire life !”
“His uncle and cousin, right ?”
“Yup. And I think I prefer the cousin to him. There’s just something about the way his hair flops over one eye .”
“Noo. He can’t hold a candle to Brock .”
“Each to their own. The older guy is hot too. He’s like the ultimate silver fox. If I was twenty years older I’d be all over him!” Madison cackled with laughter, loving her sister’s comic uncouthness .
The three guys had been watching the parade, smiling and laughing as the kids went past. But, perhaps drawn by the intensity of the women’s attention, Brock suddenly turned his head and looked right at them. Madison watched as he broke into a grin and waved. She waved back, her heart pounding and adrenaline fizzing in her stomach. She felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car, hypnotized by the sight of him and unable to tear her eyes away .
The other guys also gave friendly waves .
“Look at you,” Karen said, looking at Madison sideways. “I think you lurrrve him! I think you want to be with him !”
“Stop it, Karen!” Madison hissed, but she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She was maybe 50 feet away from him, but she felt like his hazel eyes were boring into hers and his smile was dazzling .
“You want that bear, just admit it!” Karen continued .
“I think I do,” Madison said, and as she spoke the words, she felt another jolt of excitement, running all the way through her body, from her brain to her clit. What would it be like to be kissed by him? To be held in those strong arms ?
“I bet he’s a real good kisser,” Karen said, picking up on her thoughts .
“You’re talking about his friend, right ?”
“Uh huh.” Karen was gazing at the other young guy, her mouth hanging open .
“You could be a little more subtle, sis .”
“Oops.” Karen shook herself. “I was getting a bit carried away. Those three are the first actually hot guys I’ve seen in a long, long time. I mean, the guys we’ve just been pointing out are kinda hot, but these are on a different level. Like you expect to see them on the cover of a muscle magazine or something.” Madison giggled .
“Do you think they’re buff ?”
“Hell yeah. They lug Christmas trees around all day. Did you see how easily your guy carried that tree on his shoulder? And they’re bears, so they must spend a lot of time running around in the woods .”
“So crazy to think they turn into bears .”
“Isn’t it,” Karen said with a shiver .
“Does it happen suddenly, or is it a gradual process ?”
“I think it’s fast. But do you remember that kid at high school – Benny Dawson – I was going to the bike sheds to smoke, and I saw him in there, trying to shift. It was weird – all claws and fur. I think it’s hard when it first starts to happen, but it gets smoother after that .”
The procession was coming to an end, and the final kids trotted along, dressed as Disney characters, with two tambourine players bringing up the back. Everyone clapped and cheered again, and people stepped out from the sides of the road and began to gather in the middle. Karen looked at her phone .
“Still nothing from Sophia, and there’s still no signal.” She called anyway, but it didn’t connect. “Should we be worried?” Madison said .
“In most towns, yes, but in Misty Hollow, no. No kid has ever gone missing here. She’ll be somewhere in the parade, hanging with her BFFs .”
“Okay, good. Shall we go wander in the throng ?”
“You’re hoping to bump into those bears, aren’t you ?”
“Maybe,” Madison replied with a smirk .
As they stepped into the road, some of Karen’s friends joined them, and they were soon caught up in a lively conversation .
While they were speaking, a small arm wrapped itself around Madison’s waist and she looked down to see Abbey, still dressed in only her ghost costume .
“Hey, sweetheart! You were amazing!” she said, grabbing Abbey’s coat from Karen at the same time and wrapping it around Abbey’s small frame .
“I was?” Abbey demanded, her cheeks rosy with exertion and excitement. “Some people didn’t get what I was .”
“I guess it’s because it’s an old story. But, trust me, you looked very, very cool .”
“Hey, honey,” Karen said, giving her a hug. “You looked so good out there. I was so proud of my baby !”
“Thanks, mom,” Abbey said, with a trace of pre-teen self-consciousness .
“You haven’t seen your sister, have you ?”
“Nope,” Abbey said, and Madison saw a ghost of an emotion pass across her young features, too fast for her to identify it .
“I guess she’s further down the road .”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Abbey shrugged .
“Let me get you a hot drink, honey.” Karen disappeared, returning minutes later with a cup of tea and pretzels for each of them. “There you go. Let me know if you feel cold. I don’t want you catching a chill right before Christmas .”
“Yes, mom” Abbey rolled her eyes, and started eating her pretzel with enthusiasm .
“What shall we do this evening?” Madison said .
“I’ve got a wild boar casserole in the slow cooker right now, so I was thinking we could have a nice, relaxed dinner together .”
“That sounds wonderful,” Madison said. “You only make the best wild boar casserole in the entire world !”
“I’m not sure there are that many contenders, but thanks anyway. So, I’ll happily stay here another half an hour or so, but I’d like to catch up with Sophia sooner rather than later .”
“She hasn’t messaged you ?”
“Nope. There’s one bar of signal though.” Karen called Sophia’s number again. “Damn, it won’t stay connected – the signal’s still weak .”
Abbey tugged on Madison’s coat .
“Hey, there are the guys from the Christmas tree store,” she exclaimed. By following the movement of Abbey’s eyes, Madison could tell that they were right behind her. She took a deep breath, counted to ten, and, with her heart hammering in her chest, she turned around .
Brock was less than ten feet away from her. And he looked so handsome that she could hardly breathe. He smiled as their eyes met, in a warm, friendly grin. Is he excited to see me? she wondered for a millisecond, before dismissing the thought .
“Hello again,” he said, walking over to her and extending his hand. She was wearing gloves, but still, the physical contact shot a bolt of electricity through her body as her hand was enveloped in his large, firm grip .
“Hey,” she said brightly .
“How’s the tree doing ?”
“Oh, great. It looks incredible in my living room .”
“I’m glad to hear that. Once I sell the trees, I never get to see the finished product .”
“You should come take a look at it –” she broke off, her cheeks warming .
“That would be real nice,” he said with a dazzling smile, but instead of replying to him, Madison stared at him dumbstruck. Oh my God, what did I just say? He’s going to think I just gave him the cheesiest line ever !
“Madison, I still can’t get ahold of Sophia,” Karen interrupted .
“Is the signal back?” Madison said, a little shakily .
“It’s still at one bar, but the call won’t connect. I’m surprised that she hasn’t come to join us by now .”
“Abbey, you didn’t see her anywhere while you were in the parade, did you?” Madison asked her niece .
“No,” she said, but there was something in her expression .
“What is it, Abbey ?”
“Nothing.”
“Abbey, do you know where she is?” The little girl shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. Karen squeezed her small hand .
“Come on, honey. You’re not in trouble, but you’ve got that look on your face that means you’re hiding something. Did Sophia tell you something and make you promise not to tell us?” Abbey nodded .
“Well, that probably means that it’s something we need to know, especially as it’s started to snow again –” Everyone looked up as snowflakes began to fall from the sky, slowly, lazily at first, but in less than a minute, they’d already gathered pace. “And the forecast is for heavy snow later this evening .”
“It’s important to keep secrets, but sometimes it’s more important to be safe,” Madison added. Abbie’s lips formed a tight O .
“Sometimes Sophia hangs out with Marina and two boys,” she said at last .
“And? Where do they go ?”
“I’ve seen them heading out of town, on the mountain track before .”
“And she told you she was going today ?”
“No. When I saw her going before, I asked her about it, and she made me promise not to tell you.” The sisters stared at each other .
“Sophia’s been keeping things from me? I can’t believe it. My own daughter !”
“Hey, she’s 14. All kids are like that at that age,” Madison said .
“She told me it wasn’t a big deal, but you’d freak if you knew, so I shouldn’t tell you in case it made your blood pressure high.” Karen gasped .
“What? That naughty little minx!” she exclaimed .
“Full marks for cunning,” Madison said .
“What’s going on?” Brock cut in, his deep baritone startling everyone .
“My teenage daughter seems to have run off into the woods with two guys and another girl,” Karen said .
“Hey, hold on, we don’t know that’s what’s happened,” Madison said. Just then, a gust of wind hit them, and the snow began to fall at an oblique angle .
“I’m guessing you don’t have phone contact now, if your reception is anything like mine?” Brock said .
“No.” Karen looked at her phone yet again and tried to dial .
“What network are you all on?” Brock asked each of them. “Ok, let’s all try, one at a time.” Everyone had the same result – a fuzzy connection that couldn’t hold out long enough to connect the call .
Madison looked around. The heavier snowfall had encouraged people to disperse, and their group was now standing by themselves on the frozen road, beneath the orange streetlights .
“Let’s not start to panic, but we should try and find out exactly where she is right now,” Brock said. “How about we go and speak to everyone out here and see if anyone’s seen her. In the meantime, maybe one of you guys can go home and check whether she’s there, and we all meet back here in ten minutes?” Even in the dark, Madison could see Karen’s face paling .
“Hey, it’s ok,” she said, squeezing her arm. “It’s not a search party, we’re just making sure. She’s probably at a friend’s house or something.” She turned to Brock. “Thanks for your help. This sounds like a good plan.” He inclined his head .
“Do you have a photo ?”
“Yes.” Madison scrolled through her camera roll and picked out a close-up of Sophia’s face. “She’s about 115 pounds and 5’3’’ tall .”
“We can share via Bluetooth, even if there’s no signal, right ?”
“I think so.” She and Brock switched on their Bluetooth connection, and before long, the photo was shared onto Brock’s phone. His uncle and cousin gathered around and took a careful look at it .
“Ok, let’s go,” Grayson said, immediately heading off towards a park that eventually led to the mountains .
Everyone else spread out, walking in different directions .
“You stay with your mom, kiddo,” Madison said to Abbey. “I think she’d benefit from your laser eyesight .”
Madison spoke to a lot of people. Her lawyer’s experience helped a lot as she asked people very direct questions, trying to get them to remember, as efficiently as possible. But she heard the same thing over and over: almost everyone knew Sophia, but no-one had seen her that day .
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was back, with no good news .
“There’s no sign of her at home,” Karen said, her eyes wide with worry. The snow was settling on people’s clothes and it had become noticeably colder .
“Abbey, did Sophia tell you anything about what she does when she goes up the mountain?” Madison said .
“She says she goes to the ravine,” Abbey replied .
“The ravine? Oh my God, that’s so dangerous!” Karen yelled .
“I don’t know if she goes there in winter though.” Karen was breathing hard, on the verge of hyperventilation. Brock laid a large, gentle hand on her shoulder .
“It’s ok. We’ll go and look for her,” he said .
“But –” Everyone looked around, all having the same thought. The snowstorm was minutes away. Before long there would be a blizzard .
“It’s fine. We’ll be safe. We’re adapted to this weather.” He paused, as if figuring out how to phrase what he had to say. “You know about us, right?” he said at last, close to Madison’s ear, his breath warm in her hair. She nodded, grasping his meaning .
“I do .”
“It would help a lot if we had something that carries her scent,” his cousin Riley said .
“We can get you something from home. Is that ok ?”
“Yes, let’s go together to save time .”
They all ran to Karen’s house. As Karen opened the front door, Madison desperately hoped that Sophia would be lying on the sofa, regarding them nonchalantly. But she wasn’t. There was only Elsbeth, sitting in an armchair .
“Has Sophia gone missing?” she demanded as they piled through the door .
“We can’t get ahold of her right now, but we’re sure she’s not far away,” Karen said in a strained voice .
“Oh god!” she said, trying to get up and then remembering that her leg was in plaster .
“It’s ok, mom. We’re going to find her, and we’ve got these three gentlemen here who’ve kindly agreed to help us,” Madison said, sitting down next to her and taking her hand as Karen ran upstairs .
Karen was back moments later with a nightshirt of Sophia’s .
“Will this do?” Madison said .
“Perfectly,” Brock said, taking it from her. Then he stepped close and lowered his voice. “Is there a garage here, or an outhouse? We could do with a little privacy to get prepared .”
“Sure, there’s a garage just through the kitchen. Abbey, I need you to stay right here with grandma and take care of her, okay? Can you please stay on the sofa and not go wandering off anywhere ?”
“Yes, mom,” Abbey replied, her eyes wide, as she absorbed the fact of her sister’s disappearance .
“It’s this way,” Madison said, leading the three men out to the garage .
Just then, Karen’s phone rang. She snatched it up .
“Sophia? Where are you? Where exactly?” She dropped her arm and burst into tears .
“It was her. She says she’s on the mountain, but the call cut off again.” They all looked at their phones, but the signal had completely disappeared .
“It’s probably the blizzard this time,” Brock said .
“It happens every damn time!” Karen yelled, her eyes flashing. Madison took her arm .
“It’s okay. It’s good news. She has her phone with her and she’s on the mountain .”
“But it’s so cold up there!” Karen wailed .
“We can find her, right?” Madison said, directing the question to the guys .
“Shouldn’t be a problem, ma’am,” Grayson said. “Now, we just need to shift and take on our animal forms, so you might want to avert your eyes.” He immediately began to unbutton his shirt .
“Hold on – what about when you find her? She’s going to completely freak out when she sees three bears coming up to her.” The men exchanged glances .
“We can take our clothes with us and change back into our human forms before she catches sight of us?” Riley suggested .
“But she might be scared when three guys appear out of nowhere. And we still have the problem of bringing her back. We might not have the easiest time explaining to her that we’re shapeshifters,” Grayson said .
“What if you came with us?” Brock said to Madison .
“Sure, but how?” Brock threw a glance over his shoulder .
“On my back,” he said simply. Madison’s mouth fell open .
“But – won’t I be heavy for you?” He laughed .
“Not at all. I’m pretty big when I’m in my bear form .”
“Okay,” she said slowly .
“It’s fine, I promise. You’ll be comfortable and safe.” Madison nodded. Her only concern right now was finding her niece, and she’d do whatever it took to make that happen .
“Right, averting our eyes,” she said, as she turned her back on the three bears, and Karen did the same .
“Can you put our clothes into a small bag and bring it with you ?”
“Sure,” Madison said .
Madison’s ears became super-focused as she listened to them stripping their clothes off. The sound of fabric being dropped was followed by a series of loud cracking sounds and several crunches, and then there was a soft purr, a little like a cat’s but much deeper. Cautiously, Madison turned around again. She gave a loud gasp. The garage was practically filled with three huge bears. They looked absolutely terrifying, except for the fact that their eyes were soft, and somehow, recognizable as the three men. Two of them had black fur, while Brock’s was glossy brown. They had huge paws, with long, razor-sharp claws, and long, narrow muzzles. Brock dipped his head, as if to say “don’t be scared”, and her heartbeat slowed a little. Their clothes were neatly folded on the ground. Karen ran into the house and returned with a small rucksack. She lined it with a plastic bag and bundled the clothes in numbly as if she was doing household chores. Madison realized that she was in shock. She took the bag from her and put it on her back .
“I should be the one going with the bears,” Karen said .
“No, it’s better if you stay here with the phone, in case she manages to call, and look after the other two .”
“Okay,” Karen agreed, unusually compliantly .
The bears went over to Sophia’s nightshirt, which was lying on the tumble dryer, and took a deep sniff of it. It struck Madison that they’d waited to do that until they were in their bear forms. They must get more benefit from their bear sense of smell , she thought to herself. Madison stepped towards Brock and paused, still unable to believe that she should ride on his back. He crouched down, so his body was low to the ground, and she awkwardly lifted a leg and straddled his back. Trying not to kick him in the sides, she shuffled until her weight was dead center. Wow, it feels really comfortable to sit like this , she thought. And she did actually feel small in comparison to him. Her hands fluttered above his fur, before she dared to allow them to sink in and get a grip. His fur was so thick and luxuriant. He gave another purr, which she instinctively knew meant, “are you ready?” She fastened up all the buttons on her coat and pulled her hood over her head, tucking it in as best she could .
“Ready,” she murmured. Karen opened the garage door .
“Be careful!” she called, and they went out into the night .
The wind was howling, blowing the snow back and forth. It was freezing, bitterly cold, and there wasn’t another living soul on the streets. At least there was no chance of the bears being seen. Trying to protect her face from the cold, she leaned forward until the bear’s soft fur tickled her nostrils. What the heck, she thought, and pushed her nose right into it. It was wonderfully warming, and suddenly she couldn’t feel the cold at all .