Jana Nolan
Earth Star Publications
www.earthstarpublications.com
FIRST EDITION
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 1998 Jana Nolan
ISBN 0-944851-13-4
CONTENTS
PART I: VENGEANCE
1. Remembering . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. A Different Place . . . . . . . . 14
3. An Experience to Remember . . . . 27
4. Learning a Lesson . . . . . . . . 34
5. Whatever Happened to Tommy . . . 42
6. What's Next . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7. The Search . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8. Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
9. Needing Shelter and Help . . . . 76
10. Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
11. Something Kept Hidden . . . . . . 91
PART II: DEPRIVATION
1. The New Arrival . . . . . . . . . 98
2. Days of Beth . . . . . . . . . . 105
3. A New Friend . . . . . . . . . . 112
4. Return to Newman . . . . . . . . 117
5. Danger is the Game . . . . . . . 122
6. Visitors . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
7. Accidents Happen . . . . . . . . 136
8. Poison Can Hurt of Kill? . . . . 144
9. Certain Things Should Go Unsaid . 153
10. Plan in Action . . . . . . . . . 159
11. The End of the Beginning . . . . 165
PART III: PAYABLE IN FULL
1. Here One Day, Gone the Next . . . 174
2. The Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . 179
3. Revenge and Delivery . . . . . . 184
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Looking out the window which is now covered with reddish-brown oxides that formed on the strong iron bars where I am encased, I see in the distance clouds drifting through a dark blue sky toward a still, gray moon which hovers over all that is below it. It is obvious that nighttime is upon us once again.
As for the time which shines on a clock, I have no knowledge of such. I am left here without any physical means of knowing what the instruments measure, and no way of hearing the chimes that fill a room with bells making a harmonious ringing sound for everyone to listen to.
Instead of leading a normal life like the ones that are etched deep in my memory, I am now confined to live my life in a small room, where I have been sentenced to spend the remaining days that I have left leading a life full of loneliness and fear.
It was a short time ago when I was free to walk the earth with a smile on my face, and a slight skip or bounce with each step that I took. There were days when I felt as if I didn't have a care in the world or a worry to linger over in my mind.
2
The the big day came when the university I had been attending for the past three years ended its session of classes for the summer. That summer was going to be different than any other. I had made plans with two of my closest friends. We were best friends from high school, and had not seen each other for several months. I had asked them to join me at my uncle's cottage in a small community in the mountains, where the air is always clean, pure, and prevalent with a scent of fresh flowers that will put a smile on anybody's face. I felt that we would have a glorious summer that we could remember for the rest of our lives. At the time, I was unaware of the danger that would soon plague us and change our lives forever.
My name is Taylor Simms. I'm 22 years old, single, with light blond hair and light blue eyes. My hobbies once consisted of swimming, fishing and long walks on a sunny day.
The morning I left the university, I had packed my sports care with everything that I had taken to my dorm room.
Other students were getting ready to leave also. The halls were crowded and loud with the sounds of the men and women talking as they hurried to get ready to leave the buildings and campus for the summer. They all talked about the big plans they had made, but I was sure that what they were about to do would not compare to the plans I had made. Some students were going home. Some were moving into an apartment off campus where they could work until their return to the university in the fall. Each one of us was excited about something, and everyone was happy to be leaving.
3
Students were bumping into each other as they carried their belongings down the hall to the front door.
I think even the teachers were thankful for the rest that they had earned, teaching us everything they knew. They also had made plans for their summer vacation. A lot of them had started cleaning out their desks and loading their cars.
At last I had thrown everything in the back seat of my car. I waved a cheerful goodbye to some friends and opened the door. I climbed in and started my car. I pulled away from the curb and was on the street headed for the highway that would take me to the cottage in the mountains.
Up ahead was the school crossing. I stopped my car to let the children pass in front of me. As the group crossed, I noticed a small girl and boy that reminded me of a time in my life that changed everything for me. The time I am referring to was the summer of 1978. My younger brother, Sam, was sitting in his sandbox. It was fun watching him play and stir the sand with his fingers. He would try to make as many objects as he could. We spent hours entertaining ourselves while our mother cleaned house and when Dad was at work.
I had just taken a bucket of sand and dumped it over my legs when a black car drove into our driveway. It was a hot day in Alabama, and when the man climbed out of his car, we noticed that he was wearing a black suit that reminded us of the man who ran the mortuary down the street from us.
4
After the man got out of the car, he reached in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a handkerchief which he used to wipe the sweat from his moist face. He then turned around and reached into a bag that was lying on the back seat of his car. It was a funny-looking case. He pulled a paper from the bag and shut the car door.
Sam and I continued to watch him as he walked to the front door. He put his hand up to knock and before it could touch the door, Mother opened it. She was carrying a basket of clothes that she had washed, and was on her way to the clothesline to hang them up. The man surprised her and she dropped the basket. They both laughed and held out their hands to greet one another with a handshake. Afterwards, he gave her a paper. She briefly read it and then put her hand over her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes and then fell from her cheeks. She stood there talking to the man in black for several minutes.
Then, Mom shook the man's hand again and watched him as he walked back to his car. After he got inside, he put his arm out the window and waved at Sam and me. Then we saw him back the car into the street and leave.
Sam stood up and dusted the sand from his clothes and skin. Then he climbed out of the sandbox and we walked up to the house. I opened the front door and we went inside to be with Mom. In amazement we watched as she talked on the phone. Tears were still forming in her eyes and, occasionally, she would take her tissue and wipe away a teardrop that kept seeping out of the corner of an eye before it fell to the floor.
5
We stood in the middle of the room, listening real closely to every word that she said. Maybe we could find out what was upsetting her so much. This is what we heard her say. "Yes, Mr. Abbott. I am Mary Simms. I am the niece of Alberta Thomas. It has been quite some time since I have been to the old house. After my aunt died, I never went back there. I was real surprised today to learn that you have been looking for me since the day after her funeral. I will speak to my husband about what you have told me, and then my family and I will be there as soon as we can. I'll talk with you then. Goodbye, Mr. Abbott."
Our mother was done with her conversation, and none of what she was talking about made any sense to Sam or me. Of course, Sam was so young, he didn't think much about anything other than himself and what and where to play next.
I, on the other hand, was thirteen and knew what life was all about. At least, I liked to think that I did! I could see that something from my mother's past had come back into her life after many years of not thinking about it.
Mother set the phone down and turned to us. Then she asked us to sit down so that she could talk to us about something. I expected to hear bad news come from her mouth. Seeing tears running from her eyes made me think the worst.
6
Sam and I sat down and listened to what she wanted to share with us. She said, "Taylor and Sam, I was talking to a man in Connecticut. A few years ago, my Aunt Alberta passed away. She was my favorite aunt when I was your age, Taylor. Just about every summer, my parents would let me go to her house and stay with her for several days. While I was there, we did a lot of fun things together. Over the years we became very close and very good friends. As I got older, I found myself spending less time with her. She had turned into an old lady and it was hard for her to get around like she once did. I tried to take care of her, but after a point, a health nurse had to come to her home and do the things that were impossible for me to do. Then, one day when I came home from school, my mother told me that Aunt Alberta had lost her memory and that she couldn't recognize any of the members in our family. That is when I stopped going to her home to see her. It hurt me deeply, as I had learned to love this woman like an older sister.
"A few years ago, I heard that she wasn't expected to live much longer. I felt guilty because I hadn't gone to see her for quite some time, so I left you with your father and went to her home to say goodbye. When I arrived, she was very ill and weak. She managed to hold out her arm and hand from her frail body. She did remember me and wanted me to touch her hand. Slowly she turned her head to look at me. I took her hand in mine and gently rubbed it for her, to let her know that I cared deeply and dearly about her.
7
She tried to form her lips so that she could speak to me. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't talk. As I sat there, holding her hand, she passed away. I kissed her hand, put her arm down to her side, and laid my head across her dead, lifeless body, and cried until I didn't think that I would ever be able to cry again! She had waited to die until after she had the chance to tell me goodbye. I stayed with her until the car from the morgue came to pick up her body. Before I left Aunt Alberta's home, the nurse told me that I was the only member of the family that had come to visit my aunt since she had gotten worse. I was glad that I had been there for her. The next time I saw her was a few days later at her funeral. I never went back into that house after that. I had put all of that behind me until today, when the man dressed in black came here to give me a paper.
"The paper you saw was a copy of her will. She loved me like her own daughter. I had to call her attorney, Mr. Abbott, and verify who I was so that everything could be completed. That is when you two walked into our house and heard me talking to him. Your father and I have discussed us moving to Connecticut. His job is there and it would mean more time for us to be together as a family. Now that this has happened with the will, we can go there to live. Dad and I wanted to wait before we said anything to you about us maybe moving. I'm sure that Dad will be happy about my news. I just hope that you are."
8
Mom had told us her story. What could I say? This news had caught me off guard. It looked as if my future had been decided for me regardless of whatever I wanted to do with it. So, the only polite thing for me to say to Mom was this, "I understand, Mama."
Weeks went by before the actual moving day came. It was near the end of the summer and soon it would be time to go back to school. The beginning of fall was near.
A big truck was parked in our driveway. Movers were loading and packing everything inside our house. I had been given the job of keeping Sam busy and out of trouble. So we sat on my tire swing and watched the movers carry out everything from our house. After the truck was full, the movers were finished with their job and they left the house. Sam and I went inside to take one last look. In my old bedroom, we talked real loud so that we could hear an echo. As I looked around my room, all I could see was an empty closet, bare walls and a window. Our old house was vacant and ready for the next family to move into.
Sam and I stood in there, yelling words out so that we could hear the strange way they sounded. It wasn't long before Mom came in and announced that we were ready to leave. She told us to go to the car and get in. As I walked away from my room, I turned to look one last time. My insides ached to stay, but instead I had no choice but to turn and walk away forever.
9
While riding in our car, Sam and I played several games to keep busy. Many hours passed by before Mom announced that we were at our new house. Sam and I looked out the side window of the car and saw a big, beautiful house, with a huge tree that sat next to it. There, hanging from the tree, was a new tire swing that Dad had so kindly made for me. Not far away from the swing was a sandbox like the one Sam had to leave behind at the old house. The yard was full of colorful flowers. I turned my head to look at my mother. I saw her smiling and could see how happy she was to be back there once again.
In the days that were to follow, I was able to make a lot of new friends. I had gone through a lot of changes that summer and I felt like a woman instead of a teenager. I was entering high school that year and I knew it would be the start of a whole new life for me. Then the reality was clear. I was in a different town and a new place. My biggest worry was whether or not I would fit in when school started. As for Sam, he didn't think much about anything except his new sandbox and an occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
It was September 1, 1978, the first day of school, I had to make sure that everything was perfect.
When Sam and I walked down to the bus stop, a rock was sitting next to the road for us to sit on while we waited for the school bus. As we waited, I told Sam that it was going to be fun for him this year. We both could see how happy Mom was living in Connecticut. It wouldn't be long before we would learn to love the town also.
10
Soon the bus arrived and we got on it and sat down in separate seats. I sat down next to a boy that looked familiar. On the way to school, he talked to me. By the time the bus had let Sam off at his school, I realized I had been acting very silly worrying about whether or not I would fit in.
Days passed and so did the seasons. In the fall, Sam and I raked leaves into a big pile. Then we took turns jumping into them. Sam would throw leaves on me and I would toss them right back at him.
By the time the holidays arrived, the leaves were covered with clean, white, soft snow. My friends and I went sledding and spent hours having snowball fights with one another. When the day was ended, we would sit down beside Mom and Dad next to the fireplace and sip a cup of hot chocolate.
Sam would make snowmen with his friends. We had grown to love Connecticut, and living in the country, as much as Mom did. Moving there was the right thing to happen for all of us.
As fast as the seasons went by, so did the years. Before we knew it, Sam had traded in his sandbox for a baseball bat. I was a senior in high school and determined to make the best out of my last year before I went to a university.
That year, Kathy Anderson moved to town. As it turned out, she soon became my best friend. She was tall with coal black hair and drop-dead, gorgeous brown eyes. She had a figure that every girl in school would kill for. Whenever we would go to the lake to swim, every boy there would be watching her.
11
In spite of her beauty, we became very good friends. Since neither one of us had a sister, we agreed that maybe we could be sisters. We did everything together. When the school voted me to be a cheerleader, Kathy was there clapping her hands and cheering me on. The night of prom, when she was standing on our school stage with her fingers crossed behind her back, wondering if the judges would pick her as prom queen, I was sitting on the bleachers with my date, crossing my fingers also. As the class president stood up and announced that Kathy Anderson was the new prom queen, we both jumped up and down for joy! At that moment in time, we thought it would just be the two of us forever.
Around the middle of the year, Betty Peters also moved here from a town in New York. She was completely different from Kathy and me. She had a strange accent and was a plain-looking girl, with curly brown hair and glasses with black frames. She was smaller and shorter than we were and very smart in school. Even though she was different than we were, there was something about her that Kathy and I learned to love. She was the rational, logical and reasonable one that kept Kathy and I from getting into trouble. She was always there to help us do the right thing. Everybody liked her at school. Even the teachers. In the months to come, she became a part of us. The three of us were inseparable. She was our new sister!
12
When graduation was over, it was hard for the three of us to say goodbye. We had all gotten scholarships to different universities. Even though we went separate places, we still called each other often.
Sam was no longer a little boy. He had grown taller and smarter. I knew that he didn't need his big sister to play in a sandbox with him anymore.
A few months ago, I called Kathy and Betty to make sure that they were still coming to my Uncle Henry's cottage in the mountains. They said that wild horses wouldn't keep them away, and that they would see me after school was out. We decided to stay there for the entire summer until it was time to go back to the universities. Our time together was supposed to be like old times.
13
Chapter 2
I drove for hours without stopping. There were numerous times when I found myself drifting off to sleep. As soon as my head hit my shoulder, I would wake up. I rubbed my eyes and my forehead in hopes of feeling more alert. Instead, I kept crossing the yellow line and swerving to the side of the road.
Down the highway I came to a motel. I slowed my car down and drove close to the door of the building that had the office sign. I turned off the ignition, rubbed my eyes once again, and climbed out of my car. I stood tall and stiff, stretching my arms upward. I moved my head around from side to side, hoping to feel more wakeful before I entered the door of the motel office.
When I walked inside, I went to the desk where an old man stood. He was short, round, and looked like he had been in the motel business for many years. His T-shirt was barely tucked into his pants. He had a pencil behind his left ear and a donut in his hand. I could tell that this man was very friendly, as he spoke to me the minute I walked through the door.
14
My question to him was whether or not he had any motel rooms that were available. He said yes and took the pencil that was behind his ear to give to me to sign a paper. As the old man talked on and on, I thought I heard a humming noise of some sort. It had started thundering outside and we both could see the sky light up as the lightning flashed across it. The rain began to pour. I stopped thinking about the storm and continued to talk to the old man. He, on the other hand, looked distant and didn't want to talk any more. He told me it was time for me to leave the office and find my motel room.
I paid him for the room and thanked him. I could see that for some unknown reason he was overly anxious for me to leave the office. He looked terrified. The change in his behavior started after the humming noise and the start of the storm.
He told me that when I had entered my motel room safely, to lock the door and not to venture back outside until morning, no matter what I heard or saw!
I stepped from the doorway and turned to thank him. He shut the door before I had a chance to talk. Then I saw the VACANCY sign flash off.
As I walked to my car, I saw bushes that were near the motel office move. I walked faster than I was going until I was almost running. My body felt a chill and my mind told me there was something, or someone, close behind me. When I reached the car, I climbed in as fast as I could. I locked the doors and started the ignition.
15
Then I drove across the street to the room. When I stepped out, I could still hear the humming noise. It sounded stronger and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. By then my anxiety was out of control and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there as fast as I could!
I tried furiously to unlock the motel door. I was shaking from the fear that I was feeling and the motel key fell from my hand. When it hit the dirt, I dropped frantically to find it. As I moved the dirt around, I saw a shiny speck of the key. I grabbed it and scurried to my feet. I was still shaking, but managed to put the key in the door lock. The wind had gotten stronger. Lightning flashed across the dark sky and my hair blew against my face. I turned away from the wind, leaned to one side, and turned the key to unlock the door. Then I opened it.
As soon as I got inside, I locked the door and closed the blinds. I had no intention of leaving that room until morning. I had been in that area several times before with my family, and nothing as bizarre as what I was experiencing had ever occurred!
I was totally exhausted. While in bed trying to sleep, my fear of the unknown started to subside. I closed my eyes and felt relaxed. Soon I was asleep.
In the morning, the only thing that I wanted to do was to get ready and leave there as soon as I could. I went to the window to open the blinds, and to my dismay I saw an ambulance parked across the street in front of the motel office. Lights were flashing on and off and there were men standing around getting ready to lift someone that was on a stretcher into the back of the vehicle.
16
The sheet was pulled over the person's body. I had to find out what had happened. I grabbed my things and walked across the street to the ambulance. The rain had stopped and the only thing left from the night before was the muddy mess that it had made.
The men had put the body in the back of the ambulance and had turned off the lights that were flashing. They noticed that I was coming across the street in their direction, so they stayed there to wait for me. I could see that they were snickering. As far as they were concerned, I was a nosy bitch, but there was no way that I was going to leave until I had some answers to my questions.
When I arrived at the spot where they stood, I said, "Tell me who that is in the back of the ambulance. Also, I want to know what is going on around here."
One of the younger men said, "He's the old man that owns this motel. Whatever it was that killed him really did a job on his body. His skin is burnt real bad. We had to wrap what was left of the body in a plastic bag before we could even bring him out here on the stretcher. I don't know about the rest of these guys, but I know that I will have nightmares for a year from the look he had on his face! The smell of his burnt flesh is enough to ruin an appetite forever! He called 911 early this morning, screaming words like 'HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE OUT THERE, HELP ME!' When we got here, we found him dead."
17
"Has this sort of thing happened around here before?" I asked.
"Yes, it has. Each time that we get a call, we hurry as fast as we can to get to the caller. For some reason we never get there in time. It's strange, but that's all I know, miss. We have to leave now and take him to the morgue," the man said.
"Thanks for talking to me," I replied. From that moment on, all I wanted to do was leave that place and never return again. I walked back across the street to my car, got in and drove away.
While driving down the highway, I saw a cafe where I could get something to eat. I stopped my car, got out and went inside to a table that was across the room in the corner.
A nice lady brought me a menu. As I was looking through it, I overheard two men talking from the booth that was behind me. One of the men seemed fidgety. He kept trying to light his pipe. I heard him say, "How am I going to smoke this pipe if this damn lighter won't light?" Both men were talking loudly, and the man that appeared to be the calmest spoke first.
"George, you are going to have to try not to get so excited over this! I keep telling you that there is nothing that we can do. There was no way of helping him. You are not helping any of us by losing your head! You have to stay calm. We all know that you are afraid. So are the rest of us! If you don't watch what you are doing, you might cause all of us to get killed, too!"
18
"I'm sorry, Harry. I know what you are saying is right. Somehow I have to stay calm. It's just that insane noise of the thunder. Whenever I hear it, I go crazy inside. I know that we might not be alone. I don't want to make any mistakes now," the man called George replied.
"Tomorrow we can go up the mountain until we have spoken to everyone that lives up there. Maybe some men in town will help," Harry said.
What I was hearing didn't please me at all! I had hoped that when I left the motel, everything would be different, and back to normal again. Unfortunately, there was something bad out there, and it was very real. Whatever it was had those two men scared to death. I turned around in my chair to talk with them. They were no longer there. I began thinking horrible thoughts. It was starting to look as if I was taking myself to a place where there was danger. I was unknowingly involving my two best friends also. What we had originally thought would be a great summer was starting to look like it could be a real disaster!
When the waitress came back to the table, I told her that I decided that I wasn't hungry. I got up from my chair and walked back outside to my car.
When I climbed in, I reached for the ignition. Then I felt a hand grab my arm. I jumped with fear and turned my head to see who was touching me. It was the waitress from the cafe. I had left my hand bag sitting on the table and she had come outside to find me so that she could give it back to me. She looked at my pale face and said, "Are you all right, honey? You look kinda pale, and yet you look like you are sweating! Are you sure that you are well enough to drive?"
19
I smiled at her the best way that I could and said, "Yes, I am pretty sure that I will be okay. I have just been under some stress since last night. Once I get to my uncle's cottage, I am certain that I will be okay," I replied.
The waitress waved at me as I drove away. There would be no stopping until I reached the cottage. Along the way, I looked around at the scenery. The trees were full and green, and the wildflowers showed their beauty on the mountainside. The lake was blue and clear, and the sky was a bright blue. The air was still and quiet.
As I neared the dirt road that turned off of the highway, it was only a short distance to my uncle's cottage. The area had changed a lot since I was up there last. There were more cottages sitting on the mountain near the lake. It looked like a small community. There were lots of people standing and walking around. Some of them were on their way to the lake to fish. Others were swimming and boating. When I was young, I thought that the cottage was nothing but a big cabin in the sky.
I stopped my car in front of it and got out. I walked up the steps to the deck. Then I unlocked the front door and went inside. Everything still looked the same.
20
When I strolled over to the window where I could look out at the lake, I heard a car coming down the road. It was a big blue convertible sports car. I could tell right away that it was Kathy. I open the front door and ran to the road to meet her. When she stopped her car, I looked at her smiling face and said, "Hey, girl! It's about time that you got here."
"What have you been doing, girlfriend?" she asked me as she climbed out of her car to hug me.
"Not much. Mainly I just try to keep myself out of trouble. How about you?" I asked.
"You know me, Taylor. I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've spent more time in the dean's office that I've spent on a date," she said as we walked up to the cottage.
I could see that Kathy hadn't lost her sense of humor. I was no fool. I knew how popular she was in high school, so I was sure that she was not sitting home on Saturday night. I looked at her and smiled. Then I said, "I doubt that, Kathy! I remember how you used to have to fight off all the boys. I don't know who you think you are kidding. It sure as hell isn't me."
"Really, Taylor. Believe it nor not, I am really trying to be more of a bookworm like Betty. At the university I want to be remembered for my brains, not just my body. That doesn't mean that I still won't look when a cute guy approached me," Kathy replied as she walked over to the table.
I had to laugh at her, but I could see that she was trying to be serious also. I wanted to tell her about my experiences the last couple of days. She had to be told so that she could decide for herself whether or not she wanted to stick it out up here with me at the cottage. I decided to wait for Betty and tell them together.
21
As we sat at the table exchanging stories about school, we heard a knock on the door. We were positive that it was Betty. We jumped up from the chairs that we were sitting on and rushed to the door. I opened it, and standing there were a couple of good-looking guys. I didn't know what to say to them.
Kathy didn't have any trouble speaking. She responded right away. She said, "Hi, what brings you to our door?"
One of the guys nudged the other one. He looked a little shy and didn't want to talk. "My name is Ted. This is my friend, Ben. We live in the cottage down the road from you. We couldn't help but notice the two of you when you arrived separately. We thought that the neighborly thing to do was to come over here and introduce ourselves to you. If you would like to go out with us sometime, we would really like it."
Kathy opened her mouth to respond to Ted. Before she could speak, I said, "I don't think we are ready for that right now. Don't call us, we'll call you! Sorry, we don't know you." Then I shut the door in their faces.
Kathy stood there in amazement. "What's wrong with you, girl? There were two really good-looking guys standing right outside the cottage, and you shut the door in their faces! I told you that I wanted to be remembered for my brain, not my celibacy! You are acting very strange, Taylor! What's got into you you?" Kathy asked.
22
"I'm all right, Kathy," I said as I laughed at her. "I just feel that we have to be careful who we talk to up here. Besides, we have all summer to get to know all of the guys around here. There is something that I am going to tell you, but I am waiting for Betty to get here." I no more than said Betty's name when Kathy and I heard a car backfire. We were sure that it belonged to Betty. She liked old cars. When she told me that she was driving up here by herself, I was afraid that her car wouldn't make it. I ran to the window and looked out. It was her, and the car that she was driving looked to be about fifty years old!
Kathy and I ran out of the cottage and down to the road to greet her. When the car came to a complete stop, Kathy said, "Girlfriend, what took you so long?"
"You haven't changed a bit, Kathy. You are still the impetuous one. You have always been in too big of a hurry. Life is too short to hurry through it! Like me, you should stop and smell the roses." Then Betty laughed a witty laugh at Kathy. She liked to say things to her to make her think.
That was the same cliché that my mom like to use on me. Like Betty, Mom wanted to take the time to enjoy each day and not take things for granted. None of us know where each day will take us, or what it will bring for us.
Kathy looked at Betty and said, "What do you mean? I don't see any roses up here on the mountain."
23
She was right. Roses were found in the city. The people on the mountain liked wildflowers. They are easier to take care of and the rain gives them the nourishment that they need to grow.
When we were inside the cottage, Kathy and I sat down beside Betty on the sofa. We talked about all of our old times together and what we were doing at the universities that we were attending. Most of the things that we did in high school were silly, but we enjoyed laughing about them.
Remembering what I had said to her before Betty arrived, Kathy asked, "What is it that you want to talk to us about, Taylor?"
I knew that I couldn't put it off any longer. So I told them to listen carefully to what I had to say. I cleared my throat and looked at them. Then I said, "The strangest thing happened to me last night. I was on my way up here when I got really tired. I was falling asleep driving, and my car was swerving from one side to the other. I went inside a motel office to get a room for the night. I was busy talking to the old man that owned the motel when it started to rain really hard. We heard a loud humming noise and then the old man became very nervous, and he stopped talking. He wanted me to hurry up and get out of there. He told me what to do when I was inside my room. When I was outside the office, he shut off the VACANCY sign. I started walking to my car and I had an unusual feeling that I wasn't alone. By then it was raining even harder, and the thunder crashed to the ground all around me, and the lightning lit up the sky.
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"After I got in my car and drove across the street to my room, I had a weird feeling that someone was watching me. I dropped the motel key, but found it very soon. Then I unlocked the door and went inside, once again locking it and shutting the blinds.
"The next morning, I saw an ambulance across the street. I walked over to talk to the man that had put a body in the back of the ambulance. The body was that of the old man that owned the motel. A young man told me that his body was burnt real bad, and he had a frightened look on his face that gave everyone the creeps!
"When I left there, I stopped at the cafe to get something to eat. I overhead a couple of men talking about not being able to save someone's life. One of the men was very nervous, and the other one was concerned about their safety if the the nervous man couldn't relax. Before I could talk to them, they left the cafe. They said something about making plans to go up on the mountain to talk to the people. If need be, they were going to take the men in town with them. I feel that because you are here with me, your life may be in danger. Someone, or something, is killing different people around the area. I am going to leave it up to both of you to decide whether or not you want to stay here with me this summer, or whether it would be best for you to go back home. Whatever you decide to do will be all right with me."
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I had told them everything that I knew. Now it was time for them to decide for themselves whether they were going to stay or leave. I could see that they were thinking it over. Then Kathy looked at me with a worried look on her face and said, "Taylor, I'm sure that whatever scared you is probably nothing. I will stay here with you."
Betty also said that she was willing to stay. I realized what I already knew. I had two great friends who were willing to stick with me through the good and bad, no matter what the cost may be.
Our first day back together had been interesting. I was sure that the rest would be venturesome. We sat and watched the flames from the logs burn in the fireplace.
Kathy and I told ghost stories for several hours while Betty slept. When I was in the middle of my story, I glanced over at Kathy and she, too, had dozed off. I snuggled down in my sleeping bag and closed my eyes. I was sure that soon I, too, would be asleep. Instead, there was a feeling of uncertainty that kept me awake. I tossed and turned and punched my pillow several times. I tried hard to get comfortable, but it was useless. Finally, I got up from the floor.
I walked over to the window and stared out into the night.
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Chapter 3
Once again, a time in my life came to ...
...
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