Don't Come Home

by Bea Bledsoe

  “Hey! Stop!” Leigh called.

  Leigh pulled hard against the lead, jerking Napoleon to the right. He gave a hard buck, warning her that this sort of panicked control would not go much longer without consequence. He took, and in one stride they were galloping after the figure. Trees swept by and branches slapped across Leigh’s face. At the top of the hill, she pulled Napoleon to a quiet stop. Somewhere in these trees, a person was watching. Leigh considered her options as the wind whipped her hair around her face.

  “I know you’re here!” Turn around, her mind screamed. Turn around and walk away. Everything about this felt unsafe; the hairs on her arms were standing up and Napoleon was spooked as well. Something in the air felt heavy and dangerous; the woods themselves seemed to stop moving. Her heart was pounding and every muscle inside of her was ready to run; her flight response was in overdrive. Leigh slowly climbed off the horse and stepped forward, her boots crunching twigs underfoot. From just past the line of trees, she saw a girl moving, strangely, slowly.

  I know her. Leigh had opened her mouth to speak but as she did, a headache hit her like a wrecking ball and she went down, legs thrashing as the pain attacked her brain. Cries escaped her mouth as she was assaulted again with the images. Saratoga mountains. Cement. A man running. And then…the trickling of water. She struggled to speak. “We’re not here to hurt…you. Please just...”

  Then, just like that, the pounding in her head intensified and she was swirling into blackness, her mind hurtling itself towards any kind of relief. When Leigh finally came to, she knew instinctively that the person, whoever she was, was gone. The woods breathed out. A minute later, a hand touched her shoulder, and she leapt up to her knees with a scream, her fist making hard contact with Henry’s shoulder.

  “OW! Why are you always hitting me?”

  Leigh groaned, her words biting. “Why are you always sneaking up on me?”

  Henry leaned backwards, still holding the drone in his other hand. “Are you serious? Leigh, I came down this hill sounding like a goddamn Calvary! But you were on the ground, and I couldn’t see what happened. Are you alright?” She hadn’t heard him, but she had also been on the ground, clutching her head. She didn’t mention it. Ahead, a jagged line of white light flashed in the distance and miles away, she heard the low clap of thunder. Leigh looked up at the woods, but there was no sound; no sign of the figure. She let Henry help her up.

  “We should get back down the mountain before the storm rolls in. It’s probably just some light rain, but we don’t want to be caught in it up here.”

  Henry looked incredulously towards the woods. “But the person you were chasing?”

  “Whoever she was, she’s gone.”

  “She?”

  Leigh nodded. “What little I saw of her was definitely female. She was wearing a dress. Didn’t you see her?”

  Henry stared at her for a long moment. “No.” He said softly. “Leigh, are you sure what you saw?” She wasn’t sure, not really; just before the headache had come, she had seen tangled hair and a ratted blue dress. She hadn’t seen the face though, but she had felt like she had recognized the girl, that she knew her, but she wasn’t sure how. Was she going mad? She felt Henry’s arm slip around her shoulder.

  “Leigh - let’s just get to Cody in one piece. Easy as we go.”

  Slowly they climbed onto Napoleon and made their way back down into Blackriver Valley. Leigh kept glancing behind them as they left the hills. If there was one thing that both the drone and the strange forest girl had confirmed, it was that even though there was no one in Blackriver, they definitely weren’t alone.

  12

  The drive to Cody was about two hours, and Henry insisted on driving once they got out onto the main road. The car wound through the narrow, tree-choked trail that had once welcomed Leigh and Henry to Blackriver. Leigh eyed a small aspen tree as she car whipped by.

  “They are all newly planted.” Leigh tapped her lip as she opened the car window, the strong wind ripping her braid to shreds. “New trees are expensive. My family saved for months just to buy a little sapling for the front yard. Whoever did this had money, and lots of it.” She felt the wave of grief moving toward her; creeping across the sea like a slow-moving tidal wave. Waiting. She swallowed hard. Not now, not yet.

  “Yeah, that makes sense. So, run it all by me. What exactly do we know?” Henry asked softly. “Except that this is a mess.” Leigh leaned backward and closed her eyes.

  “Here’s what we know: My mom sent me the letter about Carl Bunter in October, and the postcard was dated on February 28. That means the town of Blackriver disappeared sometimes between February 28 and now. We also know someone else is in Blackriver. A girl.” She ignored the skeptical look on Henry’s face and turned to the window. “And that girl – or someone else – was or is living in the White Devil Mill. Whoever it is, they knew the names of every person in this town. And they knew that I wasn’t there.”

  She bent over and picked up the drone from the floor of the car. “This might give us some answers. We’ll go into Cody and find Open Skies, see what they know. The pictures could have proof that a town was here recently, and that now it’s gone. The minute we have proof, we can go to the Denver FBI. Or maybe the Jackson Police. Then they will have to believe us.” She squinted, taking in the jagged mountain peaks in the distance, their sharp points like a spine. “I will make them believe us.”

  Henry stared at her for a long moment.

  “Okay. But…can we grab something to eat in the car? If I don’t eat, I’ll get hangry.” He changed his voice to a deep growl. “You won’t like me when I’m hangry.”

  “Who says I like you now?” she asked quietly. He didn’t say anything, but finally she smiled, blushing before she unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’ll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the café in the back of the car.” Henry gave a grateful sigh.

  “Leigh, if I had to be stuck in a missing town with anyone in the world, I’m glad it’s you.”

  She didn’t know how to answer that, so Leigh simply turned away, her heart at once so full and so broken. After they ate their sandwiches, Leigh leaned back in the car and closed her eyes. The sound of the pavement rumbling beneath them was so lulling that she immediately drifted into a dreamless sleep.

  A couple hours later, a jolt woke her and she sat up, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Outside the outskirts of Cody whipped by.

  “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone sleep so hard.” Henry sat softly, looking over at her. She sat up and pushed the sweaty hair back from her forehead.

  “I have. A frat boy who I once took home from a bar who fell asleep mid-kiss.” Henry winced uncomfortably before looking down at his phone, hoping to change the subject.

  “Try not to die of shock, but we have service. Also, a very low battery.” He looked at something on his phone. “Alright, says to take a right up here, on Olafur Road…” As he muttered driving instructions to himself, Leigh looked down at her own phone, her hands twitching. What could she say? Who could she tell? Finally, she picked up the phone and sent a quick text to Imogen.

  I’m alive. Blackriver is gone. I’m here with Henry Champney from school, and we’re…

  She paused, wondering how best to phrase this.

  We’re figuring things out. Keep digging on your end, okay? I miss you.

  She hit send, comforted by the fact that somewhere out there was a person who cared what happened to her. One person, in a sea of millions, was all she needed right now. Henry grumbled something about street names and Leigh let a cautious smile play across her face. Actually, she had two people. The smile began fading as soon as it appeared. Only two, she reminded herself, because everyone else had vanished into thin air, like shadows in the light.

  Henry looked again at the map beside him and swerved to narrowly miss a parked car.

  “Would you like me to drive?”

  “No, it should be up here.”

  Henry was r
ight; as soon as they turned the corner, the home appeared at the end of a lonely street peppered with evergreens. It was a ranch home, with a terra cotta roof and tan brick that sat on a neat yard. On the side of the house, a small white sign with scrolling letters read Open Skies Photography. Henry breathed out a sigh of relief as he parked. “Well, at least this looks friendly.” They climbed out and walked slowly up to the porch, Henry holding the drone. Leigh straightened her shirt before raising her hand to knock.

  “Keep the drone close. That’s our only bargaining tool.” She muttered, before pounding her fist on the door. “And let me do the talking.”

  The door opened, and a rosy-faced woman in her mid-fifties peered out at them, short reddish hair falling around her face. “Can I help you?” she drawled.

  Leigh leaned against the door with a gigantic smile on her face.

  “Hi! My name is Evelyn Porch and I think I may have found your drone?” The woman’s eyes lit up as Leigh continued to gush in her general direction. “I was hiking up in Basin with my boyfriend – this is Zach by the way – and anyways, we found this drone lying on the ground and thought we would bring it by. We’re from around here – we live in Powell. It wasn’t too far out of the way.” The woman’s face erupted in a big smile, familiar Wyoming hospitality washing over both of them. Leigh hadn’t realized how much she had needed to see a smile like that.

  “Well, isn’t that just the sweetest thing? Come on in, you two!” She pushed open the screen door and they both stepped inside. The house smelled like cinnamon rolls. “What did you say your name was?”

  “Evelyn Porch, and this is Zach.”

  The older woman turned her head, her bright red glasses slipping to the front of her nose. “Well, you’re lovely, just lovely. I’m Nancy, and my husband Paul lives here. Ford is around here somewhere too.” She gave a little laugh as she led them through the narrow house, filled lovingly with picture frames and handmade quilts.

  “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll get us some tea!”

  Leigh took a seat at the table and Henry followed, looking very uncomfortable. Leigh leaned forward, whispering under her breath.

  “You need to chill out a little bit.”

  “I’m not a good liar! Also, I hate the name Zach.” He hissed back. “I have a cousin named Zach and he’s the worst.”

  Nancy began taking some teacups out of the cupboards. “We’ve had the drone business now for about two years. It’s a family business, but the business side but is mostly Ford. They understand all that fancy technology. In the meantime, I can barely send pictures to my other two kids, but that’s okay. Grant lives in Denver now, he works for a….”

  Nancy continued to talk but as she went on, Leigh noticed the smallest of movements, her eyes flicking out into the hallway. Just past the counter where Nancy was happily stirring sugar into a cup, a black silhouette was shrouded in shadow. Leigh felt her muscles tense inside of her and she kicked Henry under the table. He met her eyes and then followed their line into the hallway. He didn’t visibly react, but she saw the veins in his arm tighten. Nancy prattled on as she made the tea, about nieces and nephews and the changes to Cody in the last ten years, all while the shadow in the hallway watched silently.

  Leigh’s entire body was coiled and ready to run, and Henry was sweating. Then Leigh saw the figure’s arm reach around to the back of his body. She could hear her heart pounding in her head, feel the rush of adrenaline as it ran through her veins. First step, duck, she told herself. Then grab Henry and run. Don’t leave the drone. She had just pressed her feet to the ground as the figure walked into the light. It was an older man, perhaps in his mid-sixties. In his hand was a wallet that he slapped loudly onto the table.

  “Well, hello there!” The familiar twang painfully hit Leigh’s heart as he sat at the table. He sounded just like her father.

  “Hi there, I’m Paul. I couldn’t help but overhear y’all talking! You found one of our drones, did you?”

  “Isn’t that sweet?” Nancy chirped, setting the tea down. “They drove all the way back to bring it to us. Evelyn lives over in Powell.”

  “Is that right?” The man narrowed his eyes. “What part?”

  Leigh didn’t flinch as she took a sip of her scalding tea. “Near the college.” She wasn’t stupid; everyone knew there was a college in Powell.

  “Ah. Good part of town. Now, where exactly did you say you found this drone?”

  Henry shifted in his seat as Leigh cleared her throat.

  “Well, we were hiking out around the Blackriver Basin and found it on the ground, and we were actually hoping to talk the person that runs the drone? Ford?” She smiled sweetly. “We were actually hoping to buy some pictures of the area where we hiked. It’s so beautiful there. So…open and empty.”

  All pretense of amiability disappeared from Paul’s face as Nancy sighed happily. “Well, isn’t that is just so nice!” The older man’s mouth was a hard line as he stared at Leigh.

  “You know, it’s certainly nice meeting you two, but Ford isn’t here at the moment. Tell you what, I can pass on your request later today. Why don’t you leave your address and your phone number, and we’ll be in touch once the pictures are pulled from the drone?”

  “Ford is home, honey.” Nancy murmured, sipping her tea. “I just dropped a sandwich downstairs.”

  “Nancy.” The older man’s voice grew angry and she looked up in surprise as he shot up from the table.

  “Paul! What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nancy, you need to go into the bedroom. Do as I say. Right now.” She sputtered once and then stood up, her face mortified as he helped her up from the table. She turned back to them.

  “I’m not sure why my husband is acting the way he is, and I apologize. PAUL.” She shot him a stern look before leaving the kitchen. Nancy took all the light in the room with her, and the older man squared his shoulders as he glowered down at them.

  “Now look, you two seem like nice kids, but I can’t help you. My kid can’t help you.” Without warning, his hand reached out and squeezed Leigh’s shoulder, hard.

  Henry shot out of his seat. “Touch her again and I will lay you out, old man.” Paul let go and stepped away.

  “Sorry about that. But you need to go. Leave the drone here, and forget about…about…”

  Leigh leaned over the table, steeling her eyes on his. “Blackriver?” The man looked at her for a long moment, his eyes watering. Leigh didn’t see any aggression there. Instead, she saw fear.

  “We don’t speak that cursed word in this house.” He whispered. Then he abruptly reached into his wallet and slapped down four hundred-dollar bills. “Take this and get out of town. Don’t come around here asking any more questions, you understand? I’m trying to keep my family safe. Leave the drone. I promise there’s nothing on there that will help you. Now get out of my house, both of you, before they see you.” They? Leigh looked down at the drone for a long moment and then back at Paul. His fingers were twitching as he rocked on his heels. She slammed the drone down onto the table and followed Henry down the hallway and out the front door. But just before it closed, she remembered her mother’s face and spun back, pushing her foot into the door opening just as Paul tried to slam it.

  “There were one hundred and sixty-two people that lived there, did you know that? Including my parents!” Angry tears filled her eyes. “My life is collapsing. I don’t know where my parents are, I don’t even know why, and you can’t help me? You can’t help them? What kind of coward are you?”

  The man stared at her for a long moment. “You’re right. I am a coward. “ He whispered. “But no one can help them now.” Then he slammed the door hard, locking it in front of Leigh’s devastated face.

  13

  Leigh stared at the closed door in shock before lunging forward and pounding her fists on it.

  “What do you mean?” She screamed. “Come back! What do you mean? Goddammit!” She pounded hard, her voice cracking. “
Come back! Please! Please! Open the door!”

  Through the window near the door, she saw lace curtains shift and something black poke between them. It was the muzzle of a shotgun. Henry grabbed her and pulled her back.

  “Leigh! Come on! He has a gun.”

  She felt herself slipping in his arms, felt her sanity falling away as she gestured back at the house. “You can’t do this!” She yelled as Henry dragged her back toward the car. “There was a town there! My town. My people!” She sank against Henry with a wail. “Where are they?” Angry tears were streaming down her face now. “Where are they?” Henry wrapped his arms around her like it was the most natural thing in the world. She pressed her face into his shirt and moaned. “What do we do now?”

  He pulled her closer towards him.

  “I don’t know.” He answered.

  Leigh wiped her eyes with her palms and stepped back, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry…about that.”

  Eyes the color of river pebbles found hers as he pressed her hands against his chest. “Don’t ever apologize to me again. Your parents are missing. You are allowed to feel everything.”

  Leigh gave the house behind him one last withering look. The shotgun remained pointed out the window, and behind it she could see Paul’s hulking shape. She took a long, jagged breath as she slid into the driver’s seat.

  “I think maybe it’s time to head to the Wyoming FBI office, wherever that is.”

  Henry nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” She flipped the car into reverse and was pulling out of the driveway when something caught the corner of her eye. Leigh slammed on the brake and sat forward with a jolt, her eyes glued to the rearview mirror.