by V.
“Hmm.. .maybe. The interesting bit is that it happens in the mid-1970s. Are any of the characters familiar to you?”
“No, not at all.”
“How about the year, anything special about that year?”
Sarah shook her head. “Other than the bicentennial celebrations, nothing.” “What about their behaviors?” Alyana pressed on. “Anything someone’s done that strikes you as odd or different? Anything that stands out?”
“Well, the man spying on the young couple is definitely odd. The rest are pretty ordinary. Almost too ordinary, in fact.”
Alyana leaned forward and tapped Sarah’s knee. “Maybe you should tell Elisabeth about this. She reads lots of mysteries, and this sure sounds like one—maybe she can help you piece it together. You’ve become good friends over the last few weeks.”
Sarah rolled her head from side to side as she considered Alyana’s suggestion. “We have, but I’m not comfortable enough with these visions to talk about them with someone other than you, Tom, and Conrad. For now, that’s all I need.”
“What do you need, Mama?” Elan asked as he snuggled next to Sarah.
“I’ve been watching a movie and was telling Mommy all about it,” Sarah answered with a smile as she caressed her grandson’s cheek.
“Tell it to me.”
“It’s a grown-up movie,” his mother told him.
“Okay,” he said. “Then can I go outside?”
“Cover up real good. Hat, mittens, boots,” Alyana admonished.
“Yeah, yeah, Mommy, I will,” he yelled as he ran, running toward the front door.
In no time Nina was at her mother’s side. “Can I go, too?”
“No, you’re getting over your cold. You can go out in a few days maybe. You don’t want to start coughing again, do you?”
Nina shook her head and pouted.
“You have plenty of toys to play with here,” Alyana said.
“Could we watch a movie?” she asked her grandmother.
“Sure. C’mon, let’s go to your room and put a movie on. Which one is your favorite today?” They headed toward the foyer hand in hand.
“The mermaid one!”
When they were halfway up the stairs, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Alyana yelled from the living room.
Sarah and Nina continued up the stairs while Alyana went to the foyer and opened the front door.
Sheriff Williams removed his hat and offered a nod of greeting. “Ma’am. Is this Mrs. Thompson’s residence?”
“Yes, Sheriff. I’m Alyana Thompson, her daughter-in-law. Please come in.”
As Williams walked past Alyana, Elan rushed up the porch steps to her. “Mommy, a sheriff’s here!”
“He’s visiting Mama, nothing to worry about.”
“I’m coming in, too,” Elan announced as he squeezed past.
She grabbed him by the arm. “Boots off, young man.”
Elan dropped to the floor and yanked off his boots.
Alyana closed the door behind them. “May I take your hat and coat, Sheriff?”
“Thanks, ma’am.” He handed them to her.
“Elan, please go up to the kids’ room and tell Mama Sheriff Williams is here.” She turned away to hang the sheriff’s things on the rack by the door.
The boy dashed up two steps at a time, screaming, “Mama! Mama! A sheriff is here! He’s got a gun!”
Sarah rushed out of one of the upstairs rooms toward her grandson, closely followed by Nina, looking ready to erupt into tears. In the living room the twins burst out crying.
“Elan, stop screaming. You’re scaring the twins,” Alyana yelled from the foyer. “Sarah, nothing to worry about, he’s here to talk to you.”
Sarah descended the stairs holding Elan and Nina’s hands while Alyana hurried into the living room to calm the twins and stop their piercing cries.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare the kids,” an embarrassed Williams said to Sarah when she reached the foyer.
“You didn’t scare me,” Elan clarified.
Williams smiled and nodded. “I can see that.”
“Elan, darling,” Sarah said. “You’re the one that scared us all yelling about a gun.”
“I’m sorry,” he said shyly.
“It’s a big gun,” Nina said, letting go of Sarah’s hand and coming closer to the Sheriff.
“It sure is,” he replied, and to Sarah’s surprise, he rewarded Nina with a warm smile. “But it’s safely strapped in. See that?” He pointed to the holster’s safety strap. “Nothing to worry about.”
Both children approached him and stared at the gun.
Alyana returned to the foyer holding the whimpering twins. Sarah took Tadan and cuddled him in her arms, allowing Alyana to do the same with little Kaya. In moments, they’d both quieted down.
“Sheriff Williams,” Sarah said, “you’ve met Alyana, and these are my grandkids. This is Elan and Nina, and the twins are Tadan and Kaya.”
“Interesting names,” Williams grinned.
“My name means full of grace.” Nina announced.
“And yours?” Williams asked of Elan.
“Friendly one. Tadan means plentiful, and Kaya means composed. He eats a lot and she smiles all the time.”
“You don’t say,” Williams chuckled.
“My daughter-in-law has kept the traditions of her Native American ancestors and—”
“Mommy’s name means ‘flowering,’” Nina interrupted.
“You always get it wrong,” Elan told his sister. “It’s ‘forever flowering,’ not ‘flowering.’”
Ignoring her brother, Nina grabbed Sarah’s hand and continued, “Mama’s name means princess. What does yours mean?” she asked Williams who was clearly taken aback.
“Uh.. .I don’t know.”
The little girl shrugged and grimaced. “Mommy, tell him about his name.”
“Maybe later, Nina. Sheriff Williams is here to talk to Mama.”
“I like your uniform,” Elan said.
“I like the shiny dots and the big gold spot,” Nina added.
In another unexpected gesture, Sheriff Williams knelt to one knee to be eye level with the children. “Those are my buttons, and this is my badge.”
“Can I touch it?” Nina whispered.
Sheriff Williams smiled and nodded.
Nina reached over and touched the badge with the tips of her fingers. “Wow.”
“I’m going to be a sheriff when I grow up,” Elan announced.
“Me, too,” his sister chimed in.
“Will you teach us?” Elan asked him.
“Sure thing.” Sheriff Williams rose and nodded, smiling as he mussed Elan’s hair.
“Please come in, Sheriff,” Sarah said as she nodded toward the living room. “That’s okay, Mrs. Thompson. You’re busy with your family. I can come back another time.”
“I’m going to the hospital tomorrow morning. We can meet there. At least you won’t have to drive all the way back here.”
“Sure thing. How about ten?”
“Ten is fine.”
Williams nodded and grabbed his coat and hat.
“Until tomorrow, then.” Sarah said.
“Bye,” he said.
“Bye-bye,” both children said in tandem.
To which Sarah added, “Have a good evening, Sheriff.”
CHAPTER 4
Sarah and Conrad lay wrapped in each other’s arms, their bedroom illuminated only by what moonlight seeped through the curtains.
“That’s what I call perfect sex,” Conrad whispered as he pulled the comforter up to cover his wife.
“I love your scent,” Sarah said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“And I love your response. It drives me crazy.”
Their lovemaking had shifted to a higher plane, one that provided them with not only complete physical satisfaction but also the emotional reaffirmation of their bond.
“Will it ever change?”
she asked.
“Not if we don’t let it.”
“Good. Then it never will.”
They sighed and held each other in silence.
“That must have been quite a scene with Elan screaming and the twins crying,” he said.
“Williams’s face was priceless.”
“I can’t picture a smiling Williams.”
“A softer Williams,” Sarah added.
“Anything new on the movie front?”
“Nothing since the last installment when Alyana was here. What should I do?”
“Let the whole movie play out.”
“You mean do nothing until it’s finished?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened? You started off pretty comfortable with this whole scenario. Now you’re worried?”
“No, I’m okay. But it’s one thing to understand what’s happening, which we don’t, and quite another to do something about it, which we can’t. You should avoid doing something you’ll regret later. That’s why you should let it play out.”
“Conrad, I’m only getting bits and pieces of this damned movie.” Sarah broke their embrace and rolled over on her side of the bed away from him. “It’s not like I can go into a trance and force the reels to play so I can get to the end.” “No need to get upset.” Conrad turned toward her and placed his arm around her waist.
She held his hand and sighed. “It’s so frustrating. I know I’m supposed to help this man, but after more than a month, I’m no closer to an answer than when I started. What if his family is searching for him? They must be terrified. We can’t wait only because it’s inconvenient for us.”
“Okay, what about the possibility that he might not have any family?” “So who’s this family in the movie? Who is the boy?”
“He may be completely unrelated to the injured man.”
“Okay, let’s say that’s so. We still have to help. What if his wife is searching for him? I can’t imagine what I would do if you were lost somewhere.” “No, no, no. Don’t go there. You’ll make yourself crazy. You have enough on your plate dealing with these visions.”
“He needs my help, and he deserves for me to be the best that I can be.” “Exactly. And for you to be that, you need to learn more. A lot more. Give yourself time.”
“You’re afraid I’m going to make a mistake.”
Conrad was silent for a moment. “Maybe. Yes.”
“So am I.”
He snuggled closer to her. “Let’s not talk about it anymore, okay? C’mon, try to relax. Close your eyes and try to sleep. Happy dreams, darling.”
She heaved a deep sigh. “Let’s hope so.”
But no sooner had Sarah closed her eyes than the film reeled up again.
Under the perennial blue sky and radiant sun, the young boy and a friend pedaled their bikes along the two-lane road through Amaray. The friend— a freckled, pimply fifteen-year-old—sported a mischievous smile as the two headed out of town toward the lake.
“You know what your problem is?” the friend asked.
The boy rolled his eyes. “Here we go again. What’s my problem, pray tell?”
“That! That’s your problem right there. What the hell does ‘pray tell’ mean, anyway?”
“Cut it out, Robert.”
“You read too much. You should get laid. That’s what you need.”
“Oh, come on! Not that again.”
“You’re dropping behind, man. You need to get with it.”
“Not interested.”
“Yeah, yeah.. d get it. You’re a ‘romantic’ or whatever stupid thing you call yourself from that silly book about rainbows you’re always reading. You need to wake up. Get real. All you need to do is go on over to Tent City and get your cherry busted. Trust me, it’ll make a man of you. Then you’ll be at my level.” The boy chuckled and shook his head. “Why would I want to be at your level?”
“Because, man, if you haven’t done it, we can’t talk about it, and I need to talk. What kind of friend are you anyway?”
“Robert, I’ve told you time and time again. When I do it, it has to mean something. It’s got to be forever, like my folks.”
Robert cut his bike in front of his friend, forcing him to stop. “Man, listen to yourself. That’s ancient history. Things are different now. The world has changed, and we gotta change with it. Don’t you get it?”
The boy scooted past Robert and pedaled away. “Yeah, I get it.”
Robert raced to catch up. “So get it over with.”
“Not that way. It has to be for love.”
“Love. ..who the hell even gets what that is? It’s hard to love girls. You can’t figure them out. Trust me, sex is a lot easier than love.”
“I could love Ellie.”
“You mean that girl who moved down the street from you?”
“Yeah.”
Robert guffawed with fake laughter. “Are you kooky? She’s sixteen. That means she’s older, and older girls don’t go for younger guys.”
“A year’s difference won’t bother her.”
“You’re dreaming. Anyway she’s super popular, and you’re.. .not.”
“So?”
“You’re a nerd.”
“No, I’m not.”
“She’ll never do it with you.”
“Is that all you think about? Doing it?”
“Yes, know why? ’Cause I’m an okay dude. Dudes do it, nerds don’t. And younger nerds like you, never.”
“The only reason you even get what being a ‘dude’ means is because I told you all about that word. Otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue. And you’re neither a dude nor a dandy, and I’m not a nerd. Anyway, she doesn’t have to find out how old I am.”
“Dandy. I like that one. Is that the same as a dude or better?”
“Look it up, genius.”
“Hey, man, don’t take it out on me. It’s a nature thing. Girls can tell when you’re younger. They have a way of guessing. Anyway, girls like experienced guys, so go to Tent City and get yourself some.”
“She and I could learn together.”
Robert laughed as he pushed off and surged ahead.
A second later the boy caught up to him. “You can’t beat me, dude.”
“Oh yeah? You’re in orbit. Try to catch me, nerd.”
The boy sped up to keep pace. “I can pedal faster. Don’t tempt me.” Frustrated, Robert slowed down. “Okay, wet rag, I wasn’t even trying, anyway. But I’m serious; go down to Tent City and pay for it, like I did. You’ll be a man, and then, maybe, you’ll have a chance at sweet Ellie.”
The boy surged ahead of Robert. “Forget it. Buzz off.”
The two turned onto a dirt path and disappeared through the woods in a cloud of dust and laughter.
Minutes later they emerged from the trees and came to halt on the lake’s public beach. They dropped their bikes side by side, threw off their shirts, kicked off their shoes, and raced toward the water.
Like everything else in Amaray, the beach was pristine—a ribbon of sand that stretched halfway around the lake, framed by the lush forest and an occasional outcropping of granite. Sunbathers of every age and description crowded the area, enjoying the warm weather and the lake’s gentle waves. People were swimming, strolling on the beach, paddling canoes or rowing small boats. Children built sand castles, threw balls, or frolicked with their dogs. All in all, it was the epitome of a happy summer place.
As the boy was about to reach the water, he caught a glimpse of Ellie sitting on a beach towel reading a book. He stopped cold, leaving Robert to continue solo toward the water unaware that his friend was no longer with him. After a brief hesitation, he took a deep breath and headed over to Ellie. “Hi,” he muttered, clearing a frog from his throat.
Ellie glanced up, squinting into the glaring sun and smiled. “Hi.”
Despite his best efforts, the boy’s eyes were drawn to her breasts. She wore a two-piece pink-and-white polka-dot swimsuit with a revealing decollete. S
he had removed the straps from her shoulders to suntan them evenly, which, in the boy’s eyes, made her even more alluring.
“Well?” she asked.
Worried that she might guess what he was eyeing and take offense, the boy looked down in search of something to say as he smoothed the sand with one foot. “What are you reading?”
“A book.”
“What’s it called?”
“Um.. .Evergreen.”
“That’s a strange title. I’ve never heard of it. Evergreen what?”
“It’s translated from the French. The title is longer than what I said.”
“Oh. What’s it about?”
“A girl in love with an older man.”
This apparent confirmation of his friend’s theory stunned him into silence.
To escape the awkward pause, Ellie opened her book and pretended to read—her hands cleverly concealing the title of the book.
The boy, however, wasn’t interested in the title. Instead, he studied her out of the corner of his eye, admiring her body and desperately hoping for inspiration as to what to say next. Finally he ventured a question. “Do you like to read that stuff?”
“Yeah. It’s a great book. You should read it.”
He nodded. “Okay. Would a guy like it?”
She mulled it over. “Um.. .not sure of that. Maybe not.”
He nodded again. “It figures.”
Back to silence, brushing the sand with his foot, searching for what to say next, then, a smile. “Are you going to the picnic Saturday night?” he mumbled. “What?”
The boy cleared his throat. “I wondered if you’d be at the picnic Saturday night.”
She considered his question for a moment before saying, “Maybe.”
He nodded and she returned to her book.
Frustrated, the boy eyed her in silence for a moment.
“Okay, then,” he said at last, “I guess I’ll see you later.”
The girl looked up. “See you.”
Visibly disappointed, the boy turned away and strode off toward the water, grumbling to himself.
Ellie let her eyes follow him until he vanished in the sea of beachgoers and smiled.
“Have you come across a book called ‘Evergreen’?” Sarah asked Elisabeth.
They were pacing up and down the hospital hallway while the nurses ran through their early morning routine in the injured man’s room.