Magnolia Lake

by Emily Paige Skeen

  “All right I guess, Doc,” Landon replied.

  “That’s good to hear. I just wanted to let you know we got your test results back, and it looks like we may have overestimated the damage.”

  “You mean I’m not really paralyzed?”

  “Paralysis has most certainly set in, but there’s a small chance it might not be permanent, like we originally thought.”

  I squeezed Landon’s hand and grinned. “That’s great news!”

  Oddly, Landon didn’t seem to share my excitement. “You said there’s a ‘small’ chance. How small?” he asked.

  The doctor’s face turned serious as he answered the question. “We’re estimating about twenty percent.”

  “I see.”

  “I know it may not seem like it, but this is good news. You might walk again. It’s a lot to think about, so I’ll meet with you and your parents a little later today to discuss your options.”

  Landon mustered a smile, I assumed to pacify the doctor. “All right. Thanks for lettin’ me know.”

  “You’re welcome,” Dr. Ketchner said. “I’ll leave you alone now. Just buzz me if you need anything.” With that, he left and closed the door behind him.

  Once we were alone, I turned toward Landon enthusiastically. “You’re gonna walk again! That’s so great!”

  He shook his head. “No, I might walk again. But probably not.”

  I took his face in both my hands and forced him to look into my eyes. “Listen to me. You will walk, and you’ll play baseball. You’ll have a normal life again. Twenty percent’s not bad. And you’re strong. You’re strong, and young, and determined. You can do this. It’ll take some time and a little hard work, but I believe in you.”

  A smile spread across his lips as he gazed at me. “You’re amazing. How can you be so positive after what you’ve been through?”

  I shrugged, and this time I was the one with averted eyes. “I don’t know…I guess…well, maybe if I’m focusin’ on you, then I don’t have to deal with my own stuff.”

  “Makes sense, I guess,” he said. Then he punched the bed again. “Man, I wish this hadn’t happened to you. I should’ve killed that monster when I had the chance.”

  My eyes grew wide. “What do you mean, when you had the chance?”

  “Guess it’s okay to tell you all this now.” He inhaled before continuing. “When I didn’t hear from you the day you went missin’, I called Val. She hadn’t talked to you, so I texted Kayla, but she never responded. I waited about an hour, but I had this feelin’ somethin’ was wrong, so I drove to your house. The cops were there, and so were Kayla and Rex.”

  I stopped him. “Wait, Rex was there?”

  Landon cringed. “Yeah. Actually, if it wasn’t for him...well, I don’t wanna even think about it. Anyway, your parents were panickin’. I heard your dad tellin’ a police officer you’d been taken from the mall. The first thought that went through my mind was that Jeff took you, so I told everybody about the secret admirer notes and the bruise he left on your arm.” Landon paused.

  “What is it?” I asked. “What happened?”

  “Apparently, Jeff had been plannin’ this for a while. Rex said he noticed some guy creepin’ around your house a couple months ago. He didn’t know at the time it was Jeff, but when he described the guy and his truck, we knew.”

  My breath came out in a rush. Jeff was even more demented than I’d thought.

  “You okay?” Landon asked.

  “I...yeah...”

  “We can stop. We don’t have to talk about all this right now.”

  “No, go ahead. I need to know.”

  Landon hesitated. “If you’re sure...”

  I nodded, and he continued. “Well, Rex thought it was strange this kid was hangin’ around your house without anybody home, so he waited for Jeff to leave and then got in his car and followed him. He said Jeff turned down an old dirt road, but it was all washed out from the rain we’d been gettin’, and he couldn’t make it through in his car. That’s when your mom mentioned that Jeff’s parents used to own a barn where they kept their horses. She didn’t know exactly where it was, but Rex gave the cops a pretty good start. So—”

  “You went there yourself, didn’t you?” I interrupted.

  His eyes closed for a second. When they opened again, I saw the emotions he must’ve felt when he found me.

  With a pained expression, he continued. “I couldn’t just sit back and do nothin’, so I went lookin’ for the barn. But I couldn’t find it, and neither could the cops. I swear to you, I searched for you every day.” He paused, a look of guilt shrouding his expression.

  “Landon, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

  Landon looked at the floor and continued his story, ignoring my remark. “Jeff’s parents wouldn’t cooperate with police. They refused to give ‘em the address of that barn. Said they’d sold it a long time ago to a construction company that tore it down. But they were lyin’. They were just tryin’ to protect him. Didn’t even care what he was doin’ to you.”

  Landon’s mouth pursed into an angry line. When he began to speak again, his tone was distant, as if he’d gone back in time. “They finally caved when the cops took ‘em in for questioning. Don’t know why it took so long for that to happen. We could’ve found you a lot sooner... Anyway, I got there first, and I saw Jeff hit you. Then I noticed his gun on the ground next to him, and I thought about grabbin’ it and shootin’ him. But that wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t stand the sight of him doin’ that to you. I got mad. So mad…I rushed him and forgot about the gun. I just wanted to beat the life out of him. And that’s what I tried to do after I pulled him off you. We wrestled back and forth a few minutes, and I didn’t know he’d grabbed his gun. When I finally heard the police sirens, I pushed him back and started runnin’ toward the door to wave ‘em down. That’s when he pulled the trigger. Lucky for me, the cops busted in before he could get in another shot.”

  I shuddered and threw my arms around him, hugging him as tightly as possible. “Thank you.” My tears soaked his shirt as we embraced. “Don’t ever let me go,” I whispered.

  “Not in a million years.”

  We clung to each other, both aware that what had happened could have ended in another way—a much worse way.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Two weeks later, alone in my bedroom and gazing at the serene outdoors from my cushioned window seat, I couldn’t escape the terrifying images that clouded my memory. Sleep had not come easily since I’d awakened from my real-life nightmare to a stale hospital room. Peace was a sensation I could hardly remember because each time I closed my eyes, I saw Jeff. He was there on top of me, tying my wrists to that awful post and hitting my face. Stealing the blissful ignorance I’d once had about evil in this world.

  A knock on the door startled me back to the present. I dragged my eyes away from the clear blue sky and toward the doorway as Val and Kayla entered. It was the first time I’d seen them since being taken from the mall.

  “Is there room on that seat for two more?” Val asked.

  “Hey!” I stood to greet them, and they embraced me one at a time.

  Kayla lingered a bit longer than Val, leaning back to look in my face with tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Cora. I feel like what happened to you was my fault. I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Kay, don’t say that! It was not your fault! Not at all!”

  “No, it was. If I hadn’t let you walk to that trashcan alone, or if I’d just been payin’ attention…”

  I shook my head. “There’s no way you could’ve known somethin’ like this would happen. I mean, it was still daylight, for Pete’s sake! Please don’t blame yourself. Because I don’t blame you in any way. Jeff had the whole thing planned out. If I hadn’t been at the mall that day, he would’ve found me another time…” I shuddered, recalling how I’d once willingly kissed my attacker. I’d shared my secrets, fears, hopes, and dreams with him. He’d bee
n an intimate part of my life.

  “Are you okay?” Val asked. “You look pale.”

  “Maybe you should sit down,” Kayla added.

  “Okay,” I mumbled, walking slowly toward my bed. I sank down, zombie-like. “I let him into my heart. I let a violent psycho into my heart. I was so close to him…” I closed my eyes and attempted to erase all the memories—both good and bad—of him.

  Valerie and Kayla sat with me while I rehashed the events of my trauma with them. I told them everything I remembered, from when I was taken from the parking lot to when I woke up in the hospital. I could see the looks of horror on their faces, but once I’d started talking, I couldn’t stop. Everything came pouring out. They tried their best to comfort me, and it felt good to know they cared. To just have them there, listening. When a couple of hours had passed, we all sat silent, exhausted. There was nothing more to say.

  We jumped when Kayla’s phone rang. Her mom wanted her to go home.

  As soon as they’d each given me one more hug and left the room, Mama appeared at my door. “Knock, knock,” she said. “How’s it goin’ in here?”

  “I’m okay, Mama.”

  “Listen, sweetie. I’ve been thinkin’. Since you missed your graduation ceremony and your birthday’s comin’ up, why don’t we have a party for you? Would you like that?”

  A party? I’d been locked up and held captive for ten days, and I’d missed one of the biggest milestones of my life. That didn’t exactly scream “Let’s celebrate!” Besides, I’d completely forgotten about my birthday until that very moment.

  “I don’t know…” I hesitated, hoping she’d get the hint. “Not sure I’m up for it.”

  She nodded and pursed her lips. “It’s your decision. I just thought it might take your mind off things for a while. Keep you occupied. But I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable…just promise me you’ll think about it.”

  “All right, Mama. I’ll think about it,” I replied, even though I already knew my answer. My insides turned to knots at just the thought of socializing and pretending to be okay. I couldn’t handle a party. All I wanted for my birthday was to go back in time and erase those ten days.

  Unfortunately, time travel was impossible.

  After that conversation with my mother, I assumed the party subject was dropped—at least for a while—but before I went to bed, my father brought it up again. “Your mama said you don’t want a birthday party this year,” he commented when he came to tell me goodnight.

  I groaned internally but tried not to let my frustration show. Deep down, I knew my parents only wanted to make me happy. It wasn’t their fault I couldn’t stomach the idea of a party. “I just don’t know if it’s the right time,” I said. “I don’t really have a reason to celebrate.”

  Daddy frowned. “I know it seems that way, darlin’, but you’ve got plenty to celebrate. Like the fact that you’re alive and home, and that Landon’s alive. That shot could’ve been fatal.” With a sympathetic smile, he continued. “You can also celebrate that the police got Jeff and he’s locked up for a long time. He won’t ever be able to hurt you again.”

  Everything he said made sense, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree to the party whole-heartedly. “I know you’re right, Daddy. But I just can’t do it…”

  “Cora, remember that talk we had when you were in the hospital?” He paused, taking my hand in his. “I told you you’re not at all selfish because what you’ve been through happened to you and not anybody else?”

  “Yeah...” I looked down, studying the lines in the carpet before meeting his eyes again. “So, it should be my decision whether or not to have this party, right?”

  “You’re right. It’s absolutely your decision. But I think your family and friends would appreciate the chance to celebrate with you. It’s not at all selfish for you to think about what you’ve been through and what you’re still goin’ through, but don’t push away the people who love you.”

  “What?” Blinking back the tears that suddenly pooled behind my eyelids, I jerked my hand out of his grip. “Just because I don’t want a party doesn’t mean I’m pushin’ people away,” I muttered.

  “Listen, I know you’ve been through hell…a far worse hell than I could ever imagine. But I want you to think about your mama. She’s been through it, too. We thought we’d lost you, and that ripped her to pieces. Then to find out you were alive and what happened to you…it was like puttin’ her back together then rippin’ her apart all over again.” He sighed. “You can’t understand this now, but one day when you have kids, you will. She feels everything you feel. Knowin’ what that kid did to you hurts her more than you realize. She needs to have this party to celebrate gettin’ you back.”

  My shoulders sagged. He was right; I’d been selfish. I wasn’t thinking about what my parents had gone through while I was missing. It couldn’t have been easy, to say the least. What kind of daughter would I be if I couldn’t fake a few smiles and eat some cake?

  I nodded. “Okay, tell her to go ahead with the plans. But don’t tell her we had this talk. I don’t wanna upset her. Just tell her…tell her I had a change of heart.”

  Daddy smiled and kissed my forehead. “Will do. Now sleep tight, Corabelle.”

  * * *

  Mama arranged the party for the weekend after my birthday, leaving us just shy of three weeks to plan everything. She went all out, renting a tent, tables, chairs, and a wooden dance floor. She chose a spot in the corner of the back yard as the destination. Strings of white lights dangled around the tent, and crystal vases holding pink roses served as centerpieces for the fuchsia cloth-covered tables. Also scattered across the tables were small diamond-shaped glass beads. A light pink aisle runner led the way from our pool deck to the tent. For added romance, miniature lanterns lined both sides of the runner.

  Because she wanted the evening to be elegant, Mama sent out formal invitations that included the phrase “cocktail attire.” This was shaping up to be the event of the year. My parents had even hired a DJ. I had no idea how she’d managed to plan such a huge affair in such a short amount of time, but she had. Leave it to my mama to conquer the impossible.

  On the morning of the big day, I actually woke up feeling excited. All the plotting and decorating had gotten to me. We’d invited thirty guests, and they were due to arrive at eight o’clock that evening.

  I hopped out of bed and danced over to my closet. After opening the closet door, I gently ran my fingers across the new dress Mama had insisted I get for the big occasion. “You only turn eighteen once,” she’d said.

  It was a beautiful, pink satin party dress that fell a couple of inches above my knees. The strapless masterpiece was fitted at the bust and waist and slightly flared at the bottom. The sweetheart neckline was adorned with brilliant rhinestones, which complemented the rhinestones on the silver strappy heels that were a birthday surprise from my parents. To complete the look, I decided to hot-roll my hair and borrow my mother’s diamond-stud earrings.

  But there was still plenty to do before I could play dress-up, so I skipped downstairs to find Mama mixing together the ingredients for what I assumed would be my birthday cake. “What can I do to help?” I asked.

  She looked up from her batter. “Oh, mornin’, sweetie.” She paused. “Hmm, well the tent’s all ready, so I guess the only thing we have to do today is the food. Here, you can chop these veggies up.”

  “Okay.” I grabbed the electric chopper from a cabinet under the counter, tossed in a cucumber, and hit the start button. While the chopper worked, I watched Mama pour the cake batter into a pan. “Thanks for doin’ all this,” I said. “I know I wasn’t on board with the whole idea at first, but everything’s turned out so great, and I’m real excited.”

  She looked at me and smiled. “You’re welcome. It’s been fun. You know how I like to entertain. Just glad you’re happy.”

  We chopped, stirred, baked, and cooked in contented silence for the next couple of hours. The final r
esults of our labor included pasta salad, pineapple sandwiches cut into circles, a vegetable platter, a colorful bowl of fruit, croissants filled with turkey and cheese, the birthday cake, and various other delicious treats my mother created that I didn’t even know what to call.

  “That should do it. Let’s stick all this in the fridge,” Mama instructed. “We’ll wait ‘til about seven fifteen to put the food out.”

  I did as I was told and then asked if there was anything else that needed to be finished before the guests arrived. After my mother assured me there was nothing else she needed help with, I headed upstairs to start getting ready for the party. After a long, relaxing shower and over an hour of fussing with hair and makeup, it was finally time to put on the dress.

  The satin material felt amazing against my skin and fit perfectly. A look in the full-length mirror hanging on my bedroom door made my heart race, and I grinned. I’d worried this particular dress would be too frivolous, but the reflection I saw radiated nothing but elegance. I hadn’t felt this beautiful in a long time.

  Ever since being kidnapped, I’d felt unattractive. Bruised, beaten, and ugly. But on this day, staring at the person in front of me, I could see a future for myself again, one that included all the possibilities Jeff had tried to steal from me.

  My mother’s voice drifted up the stairs. “It’s time to set out the food,” she called.

  “Comin’!” I walked barefoot out of my room and down the stairs, careful not to let my dress catch on anything.

  Mama gasped when I entered the kitchen. “You look absolutely stunning!” she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

  “Now, Mama, none of that.” I smiled as she started to get choked up. “Tonight’s a celebration!”

  She wiped her eyes. “I know it is, sweetie. It’s a celebration of your life—the day you were born and the day we got you back.”

  I had to turn away from her and take a deep breath to prevent my own tears. “Thanks, Mama,” I managed to reply through a tight throat. “Okay, let’s get this stuff out before people start showin’ up.”