Southern Comfort

My hands cramped from holding on to the steering wheel for so long and my neck ached wanting nothing more than to get to this damn bed and breakfast already. I have been driving for days  to do this nature photoshoot and the night was only getting darker and my hunger was increasing my temper by the minute.

I turned my steering wheel onto a dirt road. Finally, I was getting close. I imagined a vision of a warm bed which softened my mood. The headlights illuminated the bed and breakfast, Southern Comfort. Though comfort wasn’t exactly the vision I saw looking at the run down house. Who knows how long anyone has checked into this place, no wonder it had the cheapest rate in the area.

Faded yellow paint chipped off the exterior of the house, newspapers lined the windows, blocking the sun or keeping people from looking in, I wasn’t sure. There was a lone window whose light shown from an old bedside lamp, newspaper torn away from the windowpane. Must be mine. I thought.

I killed the engine to the sedan and planted my feet on the dirt and gravel. The crunch of the earth amplified in the thick stillness of this place. No crickets, no owls, certainly no traffic. The stagnant summer air made my beard itch with sweat. Though the light was on in my room, I didn’t see the light on to the office.

“Shit.” I grunted. The clerk said she’d be ready for a late check-in. I reached for my phone in my back pocket and dialed the number for the front desk. The sound of a creaking door pulled me away from the shine of my phone light. Soft steps on the wooden porch and the not so welcoming sound of a pump action shotgun cocked and ready for the kill shocked me to my core. My hands shot up in the air, nearly shitting my guts out from fear. “Woah, woah, woah! Don’t shoot!” Steps crunched on the dirt and gravel, walking closer to me, slowly. “Please, I know I’m late but is this really any way to treat a guest?”

The steps stopped. “Aaron Tomlin?” A woman with a thick bayou accent asked.

Anxiety filled my chest. “Yes. That’s right.”

She turned on a flashlight and shined it on my raised hands. “Why, you look like you about shit yerself.” A laugh like a wind chime lightened the darkness that surrounded them.

Her frame was still shrouded in shadow, but I could see her silhouette lower the weapon…thank fuck. I lowered my hands and huffed a sigh of relief. “Jesus Christ.” I said under my breath.

“You never know what comes around at night.” She explained. “Gotta make sure I protect myself when some rando say’s he’ll be here at 9:00pm but doesn’t show up until 11:45pm for his late check in.” She pivoted and walked up the steps. The door creaked upon entry and the lights to the office flickered on. “Well, come on now. You took up my whole damn night already.”

I followed, “Yeah, I’m very sorry about that. I got lost on the way.” I explained.

The office was nothing special. A wooden counter with a fake flower next to a large dusty ledger. A chair in the corner was stained yellow from smoke. “Do people still smoke here?” I asked.

“No it just smells that way.” she said without looking at me.

“I didn’t catch your name.” I said, putting my phone and wallet on the counter.

“You didn’t ask it.” She mentioned pointedly.

She was pretty. A mousy kind of pretty with green eyes and a firm line on her lips. Clearly not impressed with a bozo like me. I let out a small laugh and asked, “Forgive my bad manners. But what is your name?”

She grabbed my wallet and pulled my ID out and credit card, tossing it back to me. “Name’s Wendy. How long are you staying?”

“I’m not sure.” I admit.

“I don’t take charity cases, you gonna be able to pay?” She asked.

“Yeah. Can I pay for a month?”

She sneered, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “Why would you wanna stay in a shit hole like this for a month?” 

I leaned on the counter, my large frame towering over her petite one, smiling as I said, “The company.” Her face reddened, both bashfully and with rage, she was rendered speechless. I winked and she fumed even more.

She slapped my card on the counter. “Bedroom is upstairs and to the right it's the only one with the light on.” She tossed a room key my direction. “Don’t come outside after dark.” She walked around the counter and locked the front door.

“Why?” I asked. “What happens after dark?”

“Don’t go trying to find out. Otherwise…” She turned, her eyes painted with dark circles. “You’re fucked.” I had been staring at those green eyes for too long. I didn't notice that she had opened a door close to the counter. Must be her own residence here. She slammed the door and a multitude of locks slid and clicked into place.

I rubbed my beard and said, “Have a good night, Wendy!”

I made my way up the stairs when one last lock echoed through the now silent house.

***

The days that went by were one in the same. The one thing about being a nature photographer was that these things took time. Finding the best shot of unique animals was the goal, but it always took damn near a month. When I had told Wendy what I did she thought it was a bit too feminine for a guy like me. When I showed her pictures of bears, elk, pumas, and other creatures, she changed her tune pretty quick. 

“So you like puttin yourself in dangerous situations to get a pretty picture? Why not just zoom in, isn't it the same?” She asked, her brow raised while sipping her coffee, leaning against the kitchen table.

“Not even.” I said. “If I just sit on a tree and zoom in then the picture gets grainy. Not good for magazines.”

“We’ll aren’t you just a wannabe Davy Crockett.” She smiled. Haven’t gotten one of those yet.

“Yeah sure, whoever that is.” I smiled back.

“For a smart city boy you sure don’t know a lot.” And there's the glare again. Damn.

“I know enough.” I furrowed my brow to her.

“Well,” She gazed out a moth-eaten draped window to the thick forest in the back of the house. “What do you know about the Appalachian woods anyway?”

“Not much.” I sighed. “Just like any other forest, full of trees and critters.” I adjusted the lens on my camera and pointed it at her, snapping a photo.

She jumped back. “Delete that.” She demanded.

“Don’t worry, it wont go in a magazine.” I joked.

“I don’t want you havin it!” Her cheeks reddened with the familiar rage she was so good at lashing out.

“What’s the big deal? It’s just a picture?” 

“I. Don't. Care. Delete it NOW.” Her voice cracked as the visceral reaction took over her. A dynamite at the verge of explosion…

“Woah hey.” I said softly and pulled the picture up. “See? I messed it up anyway.” I showed her the trash icon and deleted the picture. 

Wendy slumped her shoulders in relief. “Guess you’re not so good a photographer after all.” She said, though her bite wasn’t so gruff.

“I’m sorry. Was just having some fun.” I said, putting my camera down.

“Yeah, well you have too much fun.” Wendy stormed out of the kitchen and back into her room, locking the door. 

***

The afternoon sun beat me down as I made my way back from a long day in the woods. I craved something cold and went to the kitchen for an ice cream bar. Sticking my head in the freezer for relief, the sound of dishes clanking in the sink pulled me away from the cold bliss. Slamming the freezer door, I looked around but Wendy wasn’t there.

Without another thought, I walked up the stairs to my room, the icecream already dripping onto my fingers. I sat on the old mattress, the springs screeching at my weight, and looked through the pictures of the day. A lot of small game but nothing big. Not a great shoot but it was nice to be out.

I deleted some undesirable shots and as I scrolled to empty the trash can on my camera, I paused. Curiosity took over and I scrolled through the trash until I found Wendy’s picture.

A black shadow covered her face but nothing seemed to be wrong with my camera. I hooked up the camera to my laptop to examine the picture further. 

The outline of her eye was barely visible beyond the dark shadow, leaving a void where those green eyes should have been. The shadow she casted on the cabinets to the right of the picture also caught my attention. Somehow, the shadow seemed thinner than her already thin frame and…were those horns?

A knock on my door interrupted my investigation. “Aaron.” Wendy called.

I opened the door and suddenly,  the thick, pungent smell of decay hit my nose. “Oh fuck what is that?” I kept my mouth covered and looked down at her. She was already pale but she looked sick. “Is the heat getting to you too? You don’t look so good.” She stood, staring intently.”Are you okay, Wendy?” I asked.

“You don’t listen very well do you?” She said, her head cocked to the side, hair sticking to her face from sweat. I uncovered my mouth, the smell had dissipated a bit. “I told you to delete that fucking picture.” She said through her teeth.

Shocked, I said. “I did, you saw me.” I explained. 

“You keep lying to me and it’s going to be a bad night for you.” her voice shook. 

“Hey,” I put my hands up in peace. “I promise, it’s been deleted.”

“Gas lightin piece of shit.” She huffed. “Delete it, or see what happens if you fucking don't.” She turned and hurriedly jogged down the stairs two at a time.

I shut the door behind me, my chest tight and my skin prickled with anticipation. There is no way she could have known I still had the picture. Not unless she had cameras but this piece of shit place was too old for something like that to go unnoticed. 

I sat back down on the bed, shaking my head. I opened my laptop back up and what I saw staring back at me made my stomach sick and my head raced with fear. I jumped and fell off the bed with a thud and shuffled until my back hit the door. Wendy, her face, it stared back at me but…it wasn’t her. Somehow, the picture changed, her face was in full view in close up, her green eyes, bloodshot, her face gray and gaunt.

***

After a while I convinced myself that the sun had made me sick in the head. I didn’t look at my laptop for the rest of the day and into the evening. I brought my camera with me for a late night walk in the woods to see if the nocturnal life would give me a better picture.

The sound of a woman crying broke the eerie silence outside. I peered around the corner of the house and saw Wendy sitting cross legged in the yard on the back side of the house, her shoulders shaking from the sobs that escaped.

I watched for a moment before walking towards her, “Wendy?” She didn’t seem to hear me. “Hey. Wendy? Are you alright?” I stepped gingerly on the dry grass until I was close behind her. I reached my hand out in an attempt to console her, “Wendy. Are you alright?” I repeated.

My hand had only brushed her shoulder when suddenly she stopped sobbing, the silence thick and the air dropped in temperature. “Aaron…” Her shoulders shook again, only…she giggled and laughed and rocked back and forth, “Aaron. You should have stayed in the city…Aaron…”

“Come inside, Wendy.” I said softly.

In a single wild motion she appeared to levitate as she turned her body my direction and screamed inches from my face, “NO!” 

I flinched and she was gone in an instant.

Her cries then echoed from the forest and I followed, the moon my only source of light. “Wendy!” I called. “Wendy! Come back!”

Laughter and sobs came from different directions. The sound of running footsteps sounded from my right and I turned to see what it was…but it wasn’t Wendy. But a Wendigo in the flesh. Its mouth was far too wide and lined with sharp teeth, its stench of decay clinging to the air around me. Its body was tall and gray with horns atop its head…Wendy’s head. 

I stood in frozen fear as the creature circled me. With slow, shaky, movements, I held my camera to my eye and snapped a photo, the flash illuminating the grotesque features of this other worldly thing. Truly, the photo of a lifetime.

The Wendigo roared a fearsome and guttural sound and stepped toward me, its sharp talons reaching for my throat. I dodged and ran before it could catch me and I ran toward the house. My lungs burned as I jumped over fallen trees and ran over rocks and through the brush.

“Aaron.” Wendy’s voice, it was close yet far and I turned to see the shadow of the Wendigo following close behind. 

I turned and the forest suddenly became unfamiliar. I thought I had been running toward the house but it was nowhere in sight. Just more trees and bushes and suddenly I felt completely lost. 

My skin became cold and the light of the moon waned slightly. The closeness of the growl of the Wendigo stopped me in my tracks. The arms of a woman, of Wendy, wrapped around my chest and waist as I stood there, frozen. “Damn city boy, you really are a snack.” She breathed in my ear.

Piercing hot pain seared against my neck as the teeth of the creature sank into my flesh, blood spilling from my wound with a splat on my forest floor. My camera strap tore away from my neck as she devoured me, falling to the ground, the lense shattering to pieces. 

Fuck. That would have been the best picture to send to the…My vision faded and Wendy’s voice sang beautifully as she tore my flesh away from my body until there was no more. 

***

Wendy wiped down the frontdesk with an old cloth, waiting. Waiting for another passer by or cheap fool to make there way to the Southern Comfort. There always was. Not too many, but enough to keep her…satiated.

A car pulled up at the front and the sound of the driver's side door meant there might be business. “Hi there!” A bouncy young woman said excitedly. “Is this Southern Comfort?” She asked, her big dimpled smile brightened her eyes.

Wendy smiled, licking her lips. “Sure is. How long you stayin?”

The end