​Snow fell deceptively light at first, only to fall faster around her a second later. Abbie Mills gasped and pulled the collar of her black woolen pea coat up to her neck. The gnarled long branches of the tall black trees seem to reach out to her. Abbie felt like she was inside a snow globe. She turned her head to find freshly fallen snow cover the path she was following to her sister's cabin. How was she going to find Jenny's cabin, now? Abbie sighed and hugged herself in the chill. Her return to the forest brought up memories of when Abbie first met shape-shifter wolf, Ichabod Crane. 

A sudden cold chill ran up her spine and she felt the hairs at the nape of her neck rise. She turned to find a man standing with is fingerless mittens propped up against the trunk of a tree. He wore a long brown leather duster coat and boots. His short crop of chestnut brown hair was combed. His beard and mustache well groomed. His cerulean blue eyes focused on Abbie. His full lips quirked up at the corner of his mouth. Abbie sighed. Ichabod Crane was still very handsome in his human form. His eyebrow lifted over one eye. 

"Do you want a cookie, little girl?" he chuckled. His English accent thick, dripping with innuendo. 

"I I wwas--." she stammered.  Abbie swallowed hard. 

"Hmmm?" Ichabod hummed. 

Abbie took a step back. She felt her hand shake not from the cold. She jerked her chin up to look him straight in the eye. Abbie knew he was only trying to intimidate her. She had to stand firm. 

"I was, " Abbie said indignant."I am heading for Jenny's cabin and the fresh snow covered the path." 

"You never did know your way around these woods," he chuckled softly. Ichabod's lips turned up in a smug smirk.

Abbie folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes.

"I guess," she sighed.

Ichabod Crane's blue eyes roamed appreciatively along Abbie's heart-shaped face and her large dark brown eyes peered under a long thick mass of dark brown corkscrew curls. Cascaded down to her small shoulders. Her rosebud lips pressed tightly together. She was just as beautiful as the last time he seen her that summer long ago.

His full lips stretched into a smile as he remembered the last time. It was ten years ago this summer at this very same spot of the woods. They danced all day and night under the warm lemon yellow sun, lush green of tall trees and singing birds. His smile grew larger at the memory.  

He took his hand from the tree and leaned his shoulder against the bark. He folded his arms across his chest.

Abbie licked her lips. The cold icy wind made her lips feel dry and cracked. She remembered that night too. Ichabod was handsome that night. Abbie remembered he wore a billowing white shirt and black tight trousers with black knee high boots. A natural spark of something still hummed between them as it did that warm summer night long ago.

"Admit it, Abigail, you came back to my woods because of the unfinished business between us."

Her eyebrows lifted over one eye.

"Unfinished business?" Abbie answered. She pressed her lips together.

There is an unspoken attraction between us," Ichabod answered. "It has always been there, since the day we met. You were lost in the woods then, too if I remember right."

Abbie shrugged. She tucked her hair behind her ear. A cold icy wind blew and she hugged herself tighter.

"Well, i'm lost again," Abbie confessed."Anyway, why are you even here and alive? I killed you."

"I am here to help you," he answered. A crooked smile crossed his full lips.

Abbie face lit up with a smile.

"To get me out of here?" She asked. "Great! Now tell me which direction is Jenny's cabin."

"I will after you forgive me," Ichabod answered.

"Forgive you?"

"For attacking you," Ichabod answered. "I can't go into heaven without your forgiveness."

"Why me? You attacked Jenny too?"

"Yes. But you were the one who killed me," Ichabod answered.

"Where were you all this time?" Abbie said.

"I was stuck in purgatory," Ichabod sighed."So, do you forgive me or what?"

"What happens if I don't?"

Ichabod Crane sighed annoyed. He looked Abbie straight in the eyes.

"I will go to hell, Abigail," Ichabod answered in a reluctant chuckle. He shook his head.

Silence.

Abbie raked her teeth across her bottom full lip. Her arms tightened across her chest.

"I'm not joking, Abigail," Ichabod answered."I go to Heaven if you forgive me. I go to Hell if you don't. that's the bargain I made."

"With who?"

"The Devil," Ichabod confessed.

The lines on Abbie's face creased on her forehead.

"How am I supposed to forgive you when you tried to kill me and my family?" She answered indignant.

"I didn't want to kill you, Abbie," he whined. "How can you say that when all I ever shown you was mercy."

"You've shown me mercy?" Abbie shouted."You've bared your fangs threatening me with your long sharp claws and lunged at me before my father entered the cabin! You said you was going to kill me and suck on my bones, after."

"It was in the heat of the moment. I would never have actually done it," he said offended. "I've killed many woman, children, and men and never once showed them the mercy I've shown you."

Silence. Abbie stared at the Ichabod Crane.

"What mercy have you've shown me?" Abbie answered slowly."Beacuse I missed that memo."

Ichabod inhaled and then exhaled a breath. His eyes raised to look at Abbie.

"I hesitated before I attacked you at your sister's cabin, didn't I?" He bit out harshly. "Also that time at your apartment when I exposed my wolf shape to you. We were alone. I could have killed you then."

"That still does not take away the fact that you still tried to kill me!" Abbie screamed.

"Nevertheless, right now, I need your forgiveness to get out of purgatory. My body is dead, Abbie," Ichabod answered. "My soul isn't. my soul must be put to rest. So you would be really saving me. I really hate it in purgatory. The devil is a real super A-hole."

Abbie shook her head and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly.

A heavy silence fell between them. Ichabod lifted his shoulder from the bark of the tree and began to walk toward Abbie.

"I tried to stop myself from hurting you that night. To channel my human side but my wolf side was obviously stronger," Ichabod whispered. "I couldn't stop myself."

Abbie furrowed her brow. She chewed the inside of her cheek; nervous.

"I would never hurt you, Abbie," Ichabod whispered. "The truth is I haven't been able to get you out of my mind all these years. I...I..i think I love you, Abbie."

"When will you know for sure?" Abbie quipped. Abbie raised her chin and smiled. Her face beamed.

A burst of laughter erupted from Ichabod. He shook his head.

"Same old Abbie," he chuckled. His voice soft and low.

Abbie's black leather boots crunched on the new fallen snow below as she took slow and steady steps toward Ichabod. They met about an inch apart at the center of the clearing and stared into one another's eyes. Abbie laid her small hand on Ichabod's cheek. Ichabod placed his hand atop of her hand and licked his lips. Abbie leaned forward and placed a soft kiss upon his full lips, first. Ichabod pressed his lips harder upon hers and pulled Abbie closer against his broad chest. Abbie's arms curled around Ichabod's neck to pull him closer. Ichabod's large hand snaked around her small waist. His hand held the back of her neck and intensified the kiss. Tongues tangled.

Abbie pulled away and stared into Ichabod's sparkling blue eyes. She gasped at what reflected back at her. It was an image of a hungry wolf. His red lips spread wide exposed his long sharp teeth. His eyes were blood red. His mouth salivated anticipating his next meal. Startled, Abbie stepped back but Ichabod reached out and caught her wrist. His full lips widened into a huge sinister smile. His long tongue bathed his lips.

"Dear Lord. You taste delicious," Ichabod growled. His red eyes turned a darker red to an almost black and narrowed at Abbie.

"Let me go!" Abbie screamed. She jerked her wrist out of Ichabod's hand before he could pull her against his him and stepped back. Ichabod grabbed both her wrists this time and pulled her hard against his chest. His tight grip crushed her wrist bones. Abbie groaned from the pain.

Abbie's mind reeled. Ichabod was really going to kill her this time. Abbie forced herself not to panic. She remembered the hunting knife Jenny gave her for her birthday as protection for trips to the forest. In one quick motion, Abbie jerked her wrist hard from Ichabod's grasp and reached inside her pocket. She felt the handle of the knife and pulled it out.

"I don't forgive you," Abbie whispered. Abbie plunged the knife into Ichabod's heart. His eyes bulged with surprise. He closed his eyes as a low groan escaped from his lips. Ichabod's sticky warm blood splashed on Abbie's hand and seeped through Ichabod's white shirt. He looked up to meet Abbie's dead eyes and collapsed on his knees at her feet.

"You belong in Hell. You bastard," Abbie cursed.

She opened her hand and released the hunting knife. It dropped beside Ichabod in the snow. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She believed him. Except she found the truth in his eyes. A shimmer of light from above appeared and enveloped Ichabod making him slowly disappear before her eyes. The wind blew and lifted the snow up from the ground. The snow swirled up to expose an empty clearing through the thick trees. The corner of Abbie's lips lifted into a smile. 

The End. 

(C) Joanna Lopez 2018