Page 1 of Wounded Hero

Chapter 1

Cora

"Who is this Owen King?"

"He is a reclusive billionaire that lives alone up in the mountains. He hardly ever comes to town and never attends town events."

I look at the papers in front of me and then up at my new boss, Angela. "Rich. Reclusive. Lives alone. Is he Batman?"

"No. He is just a poor boy who got injured in the army. He won't come to the morning tea if that's why you are asking."

I'm new in Starfall Valley. I like small towns. That's why I travel through so many of them. And I was lucky to pick up a job here at the small local library. They are putting together a fundraising event for one of the families in town who lost their home to a fire.

"His name is all over these papers. Did he really donate all this money?" I ask. Intrigued.

Angela nods and goes back to stacking shelves. I run my finger over his address. Imagine if he is Batman. I've always fantasized about a superhero swooping down to save me. Instead I resort to my beat up Honda to whisk me away on grand adventures. I move around a lot. I've done every job imaginable. I just can't ever seem to settle in one place.

People think I'm too much, too loud, too crazy. It's just that I have been on my own for a long time so I think if I just keep moving then maybe one day I will find whatever it is I am looking for.

I go back to organizing the paperwork but I can't stop thinking about the mysterious Owen King. If he's not Batman, maybe he is a bad guy. I've certainly met plenty of those. And Some rich bastard living up on his mountain thinking he can run the town just because he has money, well, that makes a lot more sense than a superhero.

After work I meet up with one of my new friends, Kali. She works as a councilor and has grown up here in the town so I ask her what she knows of Owen King.

"People don't like to talk about Owen. It's all a bit sad, really. He grew up here but when he was sixteen his parents both died in a car accident. He joined the army after school and came back here injured. He keeps to himself. Doesn't like people at all."

"But what does he do up there all alone?" I ask.

Kali shrugs. "Nobody knows. Why are you so interested?"

"I'm not sure. There is just something strange about it all. And I love a good mystery to be solved."

"I wouldn't worry about it."

I would love to take Kali's advice, but the more I think about it the more I am sure that I need to check this guy out and find out more about him. I feel the tingle of excitement that I always get when something is new and exciting.

Sometimes this feeling gets me into trouble. But when things go wrong I can always pack up and go on to find some new adventure. I long for the days when I can settle in one place, have friends, maybe a house of my own instead of a long line of roadside motels and shared flats, even sometimes the backseat of my car.

Surely one day I will find what I am looking for. But in the meantime this town has a mystery to be solved and I think I might have a plan.

Chapter 2

Owen

I check everything is in its place before I head out. It’s a habit to analyze my surroundings. But nothing in this cabin ever changes. There is the single bed. One plate, one bowl, one mug in the kitchen. One towel, one toothbrush in the bathroom. One dog bed by the fire and one dog named Dog by my side. Everything is as it should be.

But outside, the wind is picking up, the grey clouds promise rain. Maybe even snow. We get our fair share of flash storms up here and I learnt how to read the signs when I was a kid running around this mountain.

“Come on Dog. Let’s get some energy out of you before the storm.”

Dog is a Border Collie who has to have his belly rubbed before he goes and finds a stick for me to throw.

It is as we are returning from our walk that I see something move in a nearby tree. The pink jacket indicates it is human. Agirl. With a view straight at my cabin. In stealth mode I creep up behind the tree wondering at the best course of action here. It's probably some kid and I should just scare the shit out of them. That's what they probably came here for. To see the scary monster.

"What the fuck are you doing in my tree?"

She jumps and almost falls from the limb she is perched on. When she turns a little I am caught at the wide-eyed look of fear. Eyes the color of turquoise look down at me. I watch as her expression changes from surprise and fear to interest. As I thought, some kid from the town came to check out the local monster. But still, I can't seem to look away or know what to say.

"Why are you here?" It comes out as a low growl. Dog lays down to watch with interest.

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