The Samantha Project

by Stephanie Karpinske

  “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” She got flustered and started rearranging a shelf lined with cereal boxes.

  “No, it’s okay.” My attention switched to outside again. Dave was nowhere to be found. A strong gust of wind pushed the snow sideways. I got a glimpse of what looked like another car. I walked closer to the window to get a better look. And there it was! Out by the gas pump, right next to where I had last seen Dave. The black sedan with dark-tinted windows!

  My heart started to race. It’s a coincidence, I told myself. But seeing any car out there in the middle of nowhere during a storm would have been strange. Seeing the black sedan—the car that had been outside my house for weeks—was more than strange. It was eerie. It was wrong. Something didn’t add up.

  I couldn’t see anyone out there—no Dave and no owner of the sedan.

  The old lady sensed my fear. “What’s wrong, dear? You worried about the storm?” She kept arranging her cereal boxes. “Your cabin’s just down the road a few miles, isn’t it? Don’t worry, you’ll make it just fine. The roads aren’t covered yet.”

  “Yeah, but I wish my uncle would hurry up.” I moved to another window to get a view from a different angle, but it didn’t help. I still couldn’t see anyone.

  “You know men.” The old lady continued talking but moved to a different shelf to stack cans of soup. “They’re always so slow. I don’t know what takes them so long. My husband used to help me wash windows, and when I’d finished 10 he’d still be working on the first one. And then there was this time that . . .”

  I tuned her out as my heart raced faster. I was worried. Was Dave in the black sedan? If not, where was he? I looked at Dave’s car again, hoping he was inside waiting for me. But no, the car was empty. Had he gone to the restroom like the old lady said?

  “Hey, where’s your restroom?” I interrupted the lady, who was still going on with her never-ending examples about how men are too slow.

  “What? Oh, it’s outside. You need to use it? I’ll get the key. Just a minute.” She put her can of soup down and started to walk back to the register.

  “No, I don’t need to use it. I just—” I quickly realized that her statement confirmed that Dave was not in the restroom. He never came in to get the key. That meant he had to be in the black sedan.

  The bell on the door jingled and I jumped, almost knocking over the now perfectly stacked cans of soup. It was Dave. Where had he come from? I had only looked away for a second.

  “Sam, we need to get going. It’s really coming down out there.” Dave’s voice was rushed but other than that seemed perfectly normal. I looked out the window again. No black sedan. Just Dave’s car, now partially covered in snow.

  Had I just imagined the whole thing? Dave was at the counter now and the old lady was still looking around for the key. “You the uncle? That niece of yours wants to use the restroom and I can’t for the life of me find the key.”

  “Is that it?” He pointed to her pant leg. The key, which was attached to a long piece of red yarn, was sticking out the side pocket of the lady’s green pants.

  “Oh for pete’s sake, yes. I swear I don’t know how I get by some days. Here’s the key, dear.” She dangled it in the air.

  “No, I really don’t need it now. I can wait.”

  “All right then. At least I know where it is now.” She looked back at Dave. “The girl says you’re spending the holidays here. Don’t get many people here in the off-season. And I’ve never seen anyone up here at Christmas.”

  I could tell that Dave was in no mood for idle chitchat. “Well, we thought we would try it this year. We need to get going. What do I owe you? I think it was $39 something for the gas?”

  “Looks like $39.46.” The old lady looked down at the register, annoyed by Dave’s disinterest in any type of conversation.

  Dave handed her some cash. “Sam, were you getting anything?”

  I grabbed a few candy bars and dropped them on the counter. “I’ll get these.”

  “Teenagers and their fast metabolisms.” The old lady sighed. “Oh, to be young again. I gain weight just eating a few bites of a cookie.”

  Dave patted his big belly. “I hear you there!”

  The old lady laughed as she handed Dave the change. “Well, you two have a Merry Christmas. And be careful in this weather.”

  Dave and I ran to the car. I got inside while Dave scraped the windows, which were now coated with a thin layer of ice. I looked around all sides of the car, but there were no signs of the sedan. The falling snow had hidden any car tracks, so I had no evidence that the car had ever been there. I was starting to convince myself that the whole thing had been a daydream.

  Dave got into the car, tossing the ice-covered scraper in the back. “Good thing we’ve got four-wheel drive on this thing or we’d be spending the night here at the gas station.”

  My mind was still fixated on the black sedan. “Dave, when you were pumping gas, was anyone out there with you, like maybe another car?”

  “What? No.” He seemed flustered. “Like the lady said, we’re probably the only people out here this time of year, except for maybe a few diehard ice fishers.”

  We drove in silence the rest of the way as Dave focused on trying to see the road through the thick wall of snow and blizzard winds. When we got to the cabin, we could barely see it. Dave tossed the cabin keys to me. “Go in and get warm. I’ll park and bring the stuff in.”

  “Okay, but hurry. It’s freezing out.” The cabin had a detached garage; hauling everything inside would be a cold and wet job.

  I ran to the cabin door and noticed that lights were already on inside. As I opened the door, I was amazed at what I saw. How had Dave done all this?

  The cabin looked like a Christmas card. A fresh Frasier fir stood tall and magnificent in the center of the room, covered from top to bottom in colored lights. The windows were outlined in lights as well, giving the whole cabin a warm and cozy glow. The room smelled like fresh pine and cinnamon. I looked around and saw scented pinecones in a basket near the door. On the kitchen counter was a plate of Christmas cookies decorated as if a professional had done it. Around the bottom of the tree sat a small pile of presents, perfectly wrapped in bright pinks and greens with beautiful bows on top.

  I stood there in awe, trying to take it all in. My coat and boots were dripping all over the floor as the snow melted off me. I heard Dave opening the door, struggling to get in with the luggage. “So, too much?”

  “Well, I . . . no, it’s not too much. Okay it is, but it’s beautiful. I feel like I’m on the set of a Christmas movie.”

  Dave laughed. “It’s a little over the top, but I had to do something to the old place. I called a company in Minneapolis that does holiday decorating and asked them to spruce it up.”

  “Well, they did a great job. This must have cost a fortune.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to get some wood so we can start a fire. Take off your coat. And go check out your room.”

  I hung my coat on the rack and pulled off my wet boots. There was a soft glow from the side bedroom, which I assumed was mine. Inside the small room was another tree, this one about 4 feet tall and covered in blue lights. A twin bed covered in a fluffy white down comforter sat at one side of the room. It was topped with bright red pillows. A matching red blanket was neatly folded at the end of the bed. On the nightstand was a brand new iPod charger with speakers.

  I felt a lump in my throat as I sat on the bed and looked at the sparkling blue lights. Dave had done all of it for me. After being swamped at work, yelled at daily by his boss, and handling the aftermath of my parents’ accident, he had somehow managed to turn his fishing cabin into a Christmas wonderland.

  I felt horrible for how I had treated him. He didn’t deserve that. Dave didn’t know how to be a parent. As annoyed as I was at him, he was probably just as annoyed at me and yet he never showed it.

  I could hear Dave back inside now. I looked
over to see him hunched down at the fire, lining up logs, his gray hair soaked with snow. He was out of breath from hauling in the luggage but was determined to get a fire going.

  “Dave, I can help you with that. Or we can just do it later.”

  “Don’t be silly. The warm fire is the finishing touch.” He pushed himself up and spread his arms out as if putting the room on display. His face was beet red from the cold.

  “Okay, well, I can get some lunch started.”

  “They should have left some soups in the fridge,” Dave said as he crumpled up newspaper for the fire. “We just have to heat them up.”

  “Wow. That place even caters?” I opened the fridge to find it fully stocked with containers of prepared food and even a small ham, which I guessed was our Christmas dinner.

  “No, I had another place bring in the food. Darnit, why isn’t this lighting?” Dave kept lighting pieces of newspaper, but they fizzled out before the wood caught the flame.

  “You know you really didn’t have to do all this, Dave.” I grabbed one of the cranberry sodas that the catering company had left for us.

  “Hah, finally got it!” The logs caught fire and Dave slumped on the sofa, exhausted. “What were you saying?”

  “I was just saying that you’ve been so busy the past few weeks that you really didn’t have to bother with all this.”

  “You don’t like it?” he asked, sounding disappointed.

  “No, of course I like it. I love it! I mean, who wouldn’t?”

  “Well, okay then. Let’s just enjoy it. What do you have there? A soda? I’ll take one.”

  I heated up some vegetable-beef soup and homemade biscuits for lunch. Afterward, Dave went to his bedroom, saying he needed a nap. I read a book by the warmth of the fire. Outside, the snowflakes got bigger, quickly adding to the 6 inches of snow that had already piled up.

  It would have been a perfect Christmas scene if it weren’t for two missing people. Mom would have loved this so much, I thought. She loved the holidays and the cabin would have been a dream come true for her. I could imagine her at the kitchen table, decorating cookies and making hot cocoa. Dad would be trying to lure me into a snowball fight.

  Then I thought of Colin. I forgot to call him! I was surprised he hadn’t called me. I checked my phone and noticed three missed calls. All from Colin. I had three texts as well, all telling me to call him when I got to the cabin. Great, now he’d think we’re stuck in a ditch somewhere.

  I started to call but noticed that the phone had no signal. I got up and went near the window but it didn’t help. I grabbed my coat and went outside. Still no signal. When I came back inside, Dave was looking for me.

  “What are you doing out there? It’s freezing cold.”

  “I was trying to call Colin but the phone won’t work.”

  “Here, try mine.” He dug his phone out of his pocket and tossed it to me.

  “Same problem. No signal,” I said, giving it back to him.

  “It’s the storm. You’ll have to try again later once the weather clears up.”

  “But Colin will think we’re dead, or stuck in a ditch somewhere.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Sam. I don’t have a landline phone up here. The cell phone always works just fine so it’s got to be the weather.”

  “Well, that sucks. How long is the storm supposed to last?”

  “The weather guy said it should be out of here by morning.”

  “Morning? Well, he’ll definitely assume we’re dead then.”

  “Sam, he knows there’s a storm and he knows we’re out in the woods. He’s a smart boy. He’ll be able to put two and two together and figure out that we have no cell reception.”

  “Hey, what about Internet? You think we have service?” I ran to get my laptop.

  “I don’t have Internet up here, Sam,” he yelled after me. “I try to get away from work when I’m here. And if I have to work, I bring my Wi-Fi card. And no, I don’t have that with me.”

  “Well, it was worth a try.” I set the laptop on the table and slumped back down on the sofa.

  “Want to play a game? Or watch a holiday film? I brought all these DVDs.” He pointed to a box filled with DVDs, cards, and board games. He really did think of everything.

  “Are you up for some pinochle?” I grabbed the cards from the box.

  “One of my favorites. I’m in.”

  “Let’s watch White Christmas while we play. Mom loved that movie.” I got up to put the disc in.

  “She sure did. Watched it over and over again every year.”

  The rest of the day was picture-perfect. The snow continued to fall. The wind continued to howl. We stayed warm inside, watching movies, popping popcorn, and playing card games. I actually felt happy. For once, I didn’t feel guilty about it because I knew Mom and Dad would be happy, too, seeing me there, spending time with Dave, whom they loved and trusted. It was exactly what they would have wanted. I felt like they were somehow with us that day, watching over us like the angels from It’s a Wonderful Life.

  That night I fell asleep with the warm sparkle of blue lights from my own little Christmas tree. The wind had died down and the woods were silent. The bed was warm and cozy. But my restful sleep was short-lived.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Dave's Letter

  “Did I say that you could come up here, Dave? To some frozen lake in the middle of nowhere?” A man with a black wool coat, spiky white-blond hair, and a dark tan was sitting on the leather seat of the black sedan. Dave sat next to him, fighting with his coat zipper.

  “It’s so hot in here. Why is it so hot in here? Hey, can you turn down the heat up there?” Dave was yelling at an oversized man with jet black hair sitting in the driver’s seat. The man ignored him. “I can’t get my coat off. The zipper’s stuck.”

  “Listen to me, Dave. The girl is ours. She always has been, and she always will be. She’s a company asset. And we’ve invested far too much in her to just let her go.”

  “You have the technology.” Dave gave up on his coat zipper and turned to look at the man. “You know it works now. You don’t need her anymore. Just leave her alone. Please, I’m begging you.”

  “The technology is inside her. You know that.”

  “Then just wait. A few more months.”

  “No! We need her now! The meeting is just weeks away. She’s proof of our success. Nobody wants to read some scientific paper on this. They want to see it for themselves. They want living proof and she’s it. And how dare you not tell us about her abilities developing. We need to find out what’s causing that. We haven’t even done the procedure yet. If we hadn’t bugged her house, we may have never known.”

  “I didn’t know everything that was happening to Sam. Really, I didn’t. I haven’t even spent that much time over there until just recently since the . . .” Dave’s voice drifted off.

  “Accident? Is that what you were going to say? Well, you might have an accident of your own, Dave, if you don’t get on board.”

  The man put his gloved hand on Dave’s shoulder. “Let me be very clear. This is what you’re going to do. You’re going to keep quiet and act like everything’s fine so the girl doesn’t get suspicious. My guys will be by later and they’ll take her in. Simple as that. You don’t even have to be involved.”

  “No, you can’t take her yet. I fixed up the cabin. I wanted her to have a nice Christmas after everything she’s been through. Please, Alden, just a few more days.” Dave’s head slumped down and tears ran down his cheek.

  “Are you crying now? Well, that proves it. You are far too attached to the subject. When she gets to the lab, you are not to see her or talk to her. No contact will be allowed. Do you understand?”

  Dave tried to compose himself, but tears still escaped his eyes. “Okay, but if I can never see her again, can’t you give me 24 hours with her to say goodbye? I just . . .” His voice started to crack. He paused to take a deep breath. “If she can’t have Christ
mas, then give me this one last day to make her happy before . . .”

  The man thought about it. “This is ridiculous, but fine, I’ll give you 24 hours. But that’s it. And don’t try anything. We’ve got that rat-trap of yours wired and a crew all around it. Now get out of here.”

  Dave quickly got out of the car.

  “One more thing. I want to see you in my office Monday at 7 a.m. I’m sure we’ll have questions for you once we get her to the lab.”

  “Monday? You’re working on Christmas Eve? The office is closed that day.”

  “Businesses like ours don’t take a day off, Dave. Now go. And happy holidays,” he said sarcastically. The black sedan sped away just as Dave let go of the door.

  I woke up in a sweat, looking around to see where I was. The blue lights still glimmered on the tree in my room. The lights in the living room were also still on, filling the cabin with their warm, soft glow. Everything was silent, as it had been when I fell asleep. I looked out the window. The snow had stopped but had left what looked to be about a foot on the ground. The moonlight shined off it, lighting up the dark woods. I went to the kitchen to get a drink. The microwave clock said 3:15.

  “What are you doing up?”

  The voice rattled me so much that I dropped my glass, shattering it on the floor. “Uncle Dave, is that you? Where are you?”

  “Sorry, I thought you saw me. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Help me find a light. I need to clean this up.”

  Dave turned on the kitchen light. He grabbed a dustpan under the sink and swept up the broken glass.

  “I got it. Don’t worry about it. Go back to bed.”

  “I can’t. I just had a bad dream. A really bad dream. More like a nightmare.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it, Sam.” Dave let out a nervous laugh as he emptied the dustpan into the trash. “Hey, since you can’t sleep, how about another game of pinochle? And let’s put on some Christmas music. That will have you dreaming of sugarplums in no time.”

  Dave raced over to the stereo and stuck in a holiday CD. “Um, okay,” I said, looking at him like he had completely lost his mind. “It is the middle of the night, you know.”