I jolted awake to find myself still sitting in my grandmother’s chair with my book in my lap. I looked at the mantle clock ticking above the bookcase and realized that I’d been dozing for a few hours. It was now nearly ten-thirty. I rubbed my eyes and stretched like a cat, trying to get the blood flowing again. Then, I padded over to the back door to peer outside into the inky blackness. The rain had lessened, but the wind was still howling around the cabin like a banshee. I wasn’t quite sure what a banshee was, but it seemed like a good word to describe the gusts of wind that rattled the windows and roared down the chimney.
I turned back towards my bedroom, thinking about getting into my pajamas and pulling the quilt over my head. The cottage seemed to rock in the wind, and I wanted to be somewhere that felt snug and safe. I opened the bedroom closet and reached for the fleecy green pyjamas, the ones covered in panda bears that looked perfect for such a stormy night. Without warning, a wild knocking started at the back door. It was so unexpected that I screamed as you do when somebody sneaks up on you. Then I stood perfectly still, clutching my hands together against my mouth with my heart pounding so hard, I thought it would come out of my chest. Still, the knocking went on and on. I edged my way to the bedroom door and out into the kitchen. The knocking stopped as quickly as it had begun. I watched in terror as the doorknob slowly turned as if a ghost were playing with the handle. My frantic race to lock all the doors and windows didn’t seem so silly now. I watched, frozen, as the knob turned back into place. Almost instantly, the fierce knocking started again.
I plucked up the courage to creep towards the door. I was just a few feet from it when the knocking stopped abruptly for the second time. I leaned closer and heard something slide heavily down the outside of the door. I crouched to the floor and thought I heard sobbing coming from just outside. It sounded half-animal and half-human. The flesh on my arms was covered in goose bumps, and I was breathing in quick, noisy gasps.
My voice came out shaky and high-pitched. “Who’s there?” I tried again, this time louder, making my voice harsher. “Who are you? Go away or I’ll call the police!” My threat seemed feeble, especially since I knew the phone was dead, and that even if it had been working, I could have been murdered thirty times over before a police car could make it from town.
Her scream came clearly through the door. “Jennifer! City girl! Let me in!”
“Audrey!” I grabbed the door handle and turned the lock, swinging the door open in a whoosh. She toppled onto the floor, her wet black hair hanging in her face and her clothes forming a puddle on the kitchen floor.
“Audrey, what are you doing out in this storm?” I asked in disbelief, grabbing her by the arm and helping to pull her to her feet.
She stood unsteadily and leaned against me for a second before straightening herself. “Lock the door! Lock the door! He might be coming to get me!” She pushed the hair out of her face and then I saw.
“Audrey, your face! It’s all black and blue! Oh my God—you’re hurt!”
Audrey stumbled to a chair, and I quickly turned the deadbolt. Was someone out there watching the cottage from the darkness? I shivered and turned back towards Audrey.
“Let me get some ice for your face.” I ran to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. The fridge was still cold, even though the power had been off a while, but it wouldn’t be long before food in the freezer started melting. I hoped the power would be back on soon. I wrapped the ice pack in a tea towel and knelt beside Audrey, gently pressing it against her right eye and cheek.
She took it from me. “Thanks. Is the door locked?” Her voice hummed with fear.
“Yes. Nobody can get in. You’re safe here.” I touched her arm. “Audrey, you’re soaked. I’m going to get you some dry clothes. Do you want to come sit by the stove in the living room?”
She nodded, and I led her to Grandma’s chair. I found some dry sweatpants, underwear, socks and a big sweatshirt in my room and brought them to Audrey.
“Thanks. Could you turn around while I change?” Her hands were trembling on the clothes resting in her lap.
“Sure.” With my back to Audrey, I said, “This isn’t right, Audrey. Jimmy can’t get away with this.”
She was silent for a moment. Finally, she whispered his name, as if defeated. “Jimmy.”
“Yes. I saw how he dragged you out of the school dance. You don’t have to take this from him.” I tried to make my voice strong.
“You don’t understand. Nobody understands.”
I turned as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head. I could see yellowing bruises on her stomach and on the underside of her arms. Some bruises looked newer, still dark and angry. “Oh, Audrey! You have to let me help you.”
“The last person who tried to help me got arrested.”
“What do you mean?”
“He fixed it so my teacher got set up for trying to rape me. He made me go along with it.” Audrey’s head bowed against her chest. “Every time I make friends, he ruins it. I shouldn’t drag you into this.”
“No, Audrey. We’re friends, and I’m going to help you. You can stay here tonight, and we’ll go to the police in the morning. Are you in any pain?”
She shook her head. “I’m so tired, Jennifer. I just want to sleep.” Her face shut down, and I knew she didn’t want to talk about it any more.
“You can have my bed, and I’ll sleep in my grandmother’s room.”
“Okay,” she nodded, and I showed her the bathroom and my bed. She walked as if she were sleepwalking and climbed heavily into bed.
I pulled the covers up over her and whispered, “I’m just in the next room. Sleep well, Audrey. Try not to think about anything until morning. We’ll figure something out then.”
She grunted in response and rolled towards the wall.
I took the kerosene lamp and my pajamas and went into Grandma’s room. I missed her so much at that moment that I almost sobbed. After I’d climbed into bed with the covers up around my head, I lay a long time listening to the wind and the rain pounding on the roof and against the window. I kept my ears wide open for any sounds of someone trying to get into the cottage. When I finally fell asleep, I still kept jolting awake to check the room and to listen to the night sounds. The last time I remembered looking at the clock, it was three a.m. I closed my eyes a final time with images of Jimmy dragging Audrey out of the dance, her legs and arms flailing, and Jimmy’s face mean and angry. In a sudden dream leap, Audrey and Jimmy were running around Grandma’s cottage, laughing and calling at me to come play while I watched from the dock. I couldn’t make my legs move to join them, but soon the images slipped away, and I fell into a deeper sleep that lasted until morning.