forests and the seas and rescue anybody who might drown or freeze to death. And then Raven gave the land otters their name. He called them kushtaka.”
The old woman smiled up at Jenna, and Jenna saw that there were only four teeth in her mouth.
“That’s a nice story,” Jenna said. “But it isn’t very scary.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“No.”
“That’s because you’ve never seen one.”
“What do they look like?”
The woman shrugged.
“Like anyone. Like me. I could be a kushtaka and you could be under my spell right now. I could lead you to my den and then you would be trapped forever.”
The woman cackled in a comical way and Jenna laughed.
“You’re a kushtaka?”
“Do you want to come with me?”
“What?”
“My son is coming in his boat. You could come with us.”
“No, thank you.”
“You see?” the old woman snorted. “If I were a kushtaka, you would not be able to say no.”
“Ah, I see. Well,” Jenna yawned, “I should be going.”
“Give me some money.”
Jenna was startled. “What?”
“Give me some money. I told you the story you wanted. Now you have to pay me.”
Jenna was surprised by this new development, but she didn’t want to argue. The woman had told her the story, and money was probably more important to her than to Jenna. Besides, Jenna just wanted to get a room and get to sleep. She took a five-dollar bill out of her wallet and handed it to the woman.
“You want to hear another?”
“No, thank you. I have to get to bed. But thanks anyway.”
“Don’t get lost in the woods or the kushtaka will steal your soul.”
The woman laughed grimly and Jenna felt uneasy.
“I’ll be careful,” Jenna said, pulling her backpack over one shoulder.
“You won’t know,” the woman said.
“Won’t know what?”
“When they’re after you.”
Jenna smiled.
“Thank you for the story. I’ll be careful,” she said, and started up the dock. She suddenly had the feeling that the old woman was crazy. It was giving her the creeps. When she reached the end of the dock, the old woman called for her. Jenna thought about ignoring it, but instead she turned.
“The eyes,” the old woman called out, pointing toward her own eye. “They never change.” And then she cackled again, and an intense feeling of fear passed through Jenna. She had to get to the hotel and get a room. The whole scene was beginning to scare her.
Jenna hurried to the Stikine Inn and climbed the five steps to the front porch. It was dark inside. Jenna opened the screen and tried the door. It was unlocked. She slipped inside the dim lobby and closed the door behind her, feeling a little safer already.
The lobby was lit by a single small lamp on the front desk. Jenna approached and saw the bell, which she rang. The sound echoed through the lobby. Nothing stirred. This was bad. Jenna was getting freaked out. The old woman had scared Jenna. Not with her story but with her behavior. Jenna rang the bell again. Still no answer.
Jenna looked around the lobby for a chair she could curl up on for the night. There was a bench near the staircase. An old, wooden telephone booth. A couple of metal folding chairs. Toward the water was a dining room. But nothing looked very comfortable. Certainly not enough to sleep on. Behind the desk was a key rack with all the room keys on it. It didn’t look like the place was full. Jenna thought about helping herself and paying in the morning. But before she did, she tried the bell one more time.
This time there was a response. She heard some groans, then footsteps, and after a moment an elderly man appeared with mussed hair and blue pajamas.
“Sorry it’s so late,” Jenna apologized as he shuffled toward her.
“Ferry just get in?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The man pushed a white card toward her and handed her a pen.
“Fill this out.”
Jenna scribbled in her information. Name, address, length of stay. About a week. While she was writing, the man took a
The old woman smiled up at Jenna, and Jenna saw that there were only four teeth in her mouth.
“That’s a nice story,” Jenna said. “But it isn’t very scary.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“No.”
“That’s because you’ve never seen one.”
“What do they look like?”
The woman shrugged.
“Like anyone. Like me. I could be a kushtaka and you could be under my spell right now. I could lead you to my den and then you would be trapped forever.”
The woman cackled in a comical way and Jenna laughed.
“You’re a kushtaka?”
“Do you want to come with me?”
“What?”
“My son is coming in his boat. You could come with us.”
“No, thank you.”
“You see?” the old woman snorted. “If I were a kushtaka, you would not be able to say no.”
“Ah, I see. Well,” Jenna yawned, “I should be going.”
“Give me some money.”
Jenna was startled. “What?”
“Give me some money. I told you the story you wanted. Now you have to pay me.”
Jenna was surprised by this new development, but she didn’t want to argue. The woman had told her the story, and money was probably more important to her than to Jenna. Besides, Jenna just wanted to get a room and get to sleep. She took a five-dollar bill out of her wallet and handed it to the woman.
“You want to hear another?”
“No, thank you. I have to get to bed. But thanks anyway.”
“Don’t get lost in the woods or the kushtaka will steal your soul.”
The woman laughed grimly and Jenna felt uneasy.
“I’ll be careful,” Jenna said, pulling her backpack over one shoulder.
“You won’t know,” the woman said.
“Won’t know what?”
“When they’re after you.”
Jenna smiled.
“Thank you for the story. I’ll be careful,” she said, and started up the dock. She suddenly had the feeling that the old woman was crazy. It was giving her the creeps. When she reached the end of the dock, the old woman called for her. Jenna thought about ignoring it, but instead she turned.
“The eyes,” the old woman called out, pointing toward her own eye. “They never change.” And then she cackled again, and an intense feeling of fear passed through Jenna. She had to get to the hotel and get a room. The whole scene was beginning to scare her.
Jenna hurried to the Stikine Inn and climbed the five steps to the front porch. It was dark inside. Jenna opened the screen and tried the door. It was unlocked. She slipped inside the dim lobby and closed the door behind her, feeling a little safer already.
The lobby was lit by a single small lamp on the front desk. Jenna approached and saw the bell, which she rang. The sound echoed through the lobby. Nothing stirred. This was bad. Jenna was getting freaked out. The old woman had scared Jenna. Not with her story but with her behavior. Jenna rang the bell again. Still no answer.
Jenna looked around the lobby for a chair she could curl up on for the night. There was a bench near the staircase. An old, wooden telephone booth. A couple of metal folding chairs. Toward the water was a dining room. But nothing looked very comfortable. Certainly not enough to sleep on. Behind the desk was a key rack with all the room keys on it. It didn’t look like the place was full. Jenna thought about helping herself and paying in the morning. But before she did, she tried the bell one more time.
This time there was a response. She heard some groans, then footsteps, and after a moment an elderly man appeared with mussed hair and blue pajamas.
“Sorry it’s so late,” Jenna apologized as he shuffled toward her.
“Ferry just get in?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The man pushed a white card toward her and handed her a pen.
“Fill this out.”
Jenna scribbled in her information. Name, address, length of stay. About a week. While she was writing, the man took a
Similar Books
