WISHBONE II: ...Some Wishes Should Never Be Made

by Brooklyn Hudson

  “We’ll go there and I will convince Sarah that he isn’t here for her. That he is only here for his child and would snap her neck, at the first chance he gets. She knows it’s true…he’s done it already.”

  Carl nodded slowly, thinking about her plan and seeing its potential.

  “That may succeed in bringing Sarah back, but what about the child?”

  “Sarah won’t let him have her. The idea of him gushing over that little cherub will infuriate her. It may have already. I’ll get her to bring us the child and, once she has, in time, I will have Jessica take care of Sarah, once and for all.”

  A hum erupted in the distance, ending their conversation, instantly.

  The snow mobiles broke through the tree line; Bernie on one, with a second, tethered, in tow.

  “Now go find my sunglasses, Carl.”

  Julien couldn’t watch. He sat quietly in the corner of the kitchen on a stool, as far away from the table as he could be, while still keeping an eye on Jessica. He chain smoked another cigarette, suppressing anger, so deep, his hands shook as he brought the cigarette to his lips.

  Jessica sat waiting for her lunch at the table. Jérome spat tobacco into a glass as Sarah made sandwiches from the left over roast. Julien had no control and, once again, no ability to reason with Sarah. His hope of gaining her trust was dwindling fast and he wasn’t even sure that she still wanted him around.

  She wants you to want to be here…

  She wants the same from you…

  …trust.

  Jérome turned around and offered Julien a sandwich on a plate. He nodded for him to take it. Julien refused to meet his gaze and only brushed at the air, declining the meal. Sarah tossed her own plate down abruptly, disgruntled and frustrated by Julien’s behavior.

  We are not playing house.

  He could hardly keep from commenting on her tantrum, but another outburst would only take him further from his goal. Jérome turned around again. Julien could feel his eyes upon him. Several seconds passed and Julien looked up to check on Jessica, trying to avoid his father, who only continued to stare. Julien put out his cigarette and looked out the bay window. Jerome’s low, guttural laugh wreaked of mockery, but again, there was nothing Julien could do.

  Jessica finished her meal and stood up from the table. She went to her father.

  “Hi Sweetheart.” For Jessica’s sake, he tried to pretend that all was well, but the look in Jessica’s eyes told him she knew he was unhappy and possibly even scared.

  He tried to comfort her, “We are going to go home soon…”

  Sarah stood up immediately, her chair slamming against the counter behind her. She dangled a box of crayons in the air and waved for Jessica to come with her. Jessica’s eyes lit up and she scurried after Sarah to the living room. Julien jumped up to follow, but Jérome stepped in his way.

  The sign for the Kings Hollow exit appeared in Ed’s view. He remembered it to be a small town on the boarder of Gilboa County and he had been right. He turned off the expressway and pulled into the first gas station he saw. Inside, he went straight to the counter. The clerk put down her embroidery and stepped up to greet him. Ed grabbed a candy bar from a close by display and set it down between them, as he fished for his wallet.

  “Just that and some directions.”

  “Where you heading?”

  “Here, actually…Kings Hollow. I’m looking for two women, Arlette and Sarah. I think they own a Victorian house somewhere in town.”

  “The Vandermark’s…only, it’s just outside of town. Just past this mountain ahead, here…if you follow the road, you’ll come to a fork at the next mountain; one road goes up and one down. The one heading down leads to Main St. in town, the other one takes you up to the old Victorian, but…ain’t no one up there. House’s been empty for a time now. Are you interested in buying it? I can call Arlette.”

  “Oh no…she’s up there waiting for me. I have an appointment.” he laughed, “address blew out the window on me.”

  “Arlette managed to get that road clear already?”

  Bale froze, unsure of what to say.

  She continued, “Last I heard, Billy’s still plowin’ in town. Are you sure you don’t want me to call, so you don’t waste the trip.”

  “Nope. I’m good. Thank you for the directions,” Ed said, leaving the candy bar on the counter, as he left the gas station.

  Julien sat on the third step watching Jessica color beside Sarah, sprawled out on the living room floor. Sarah patiently coddling the little girl’s every whim and Jessica, seemingly content.

  Sarah slid Jessica’s drawing closer for a thorough inspection. There were five crudely drawn figures. Sarah pointed to Jessica’s representation of herself. She wrinkled her nose and laughed then brought her finger to Jessica’s forehead and gave it a push. Jessica grinned. Sarah traced around the largest figure; Jessica’s drawing of Jérome, holding hands with his granddaughter. She moved to a figure, meant to be Sarah and smiled. She touched the drawing, meant to be Julien and beside him stood a woman, holding his hand. Sarah stared at it for several seconds. The artwork was Jessica’s rendition of her ideal happy family, but Jessica had included one person who was missing at the Victorian. She traced around the woman, who looked very sad; a blue streak of crayon indicating a tear below her eye. Sarah recognized Jessica’s drawing of Rachael.

  Sarah looked at Jessica, who sat humming a tune while replacing crayons into their box. She then looked to Julien, watching them; her expression faded.

  Julien could find no clue in her demeanor indicating what she was thinking. His relationship with the girl was very different this time. She had no faith in him now and possibly, to a degree, in her own power over him, and he was having no luck at earning that trust back. His first experience with her had been, at times, workable, but she wasn’t giving him any leeway now, and with Jérome kept close, he had no plan on attempting another aggressive approach with Jessica in the mix. The idea of spending the rest of their lives there, with their every move controlled by this girl, was unthinkable. If he could give her what she wanted, just for a time, she might relax her guard, giving him an opportunity to make a move, but he no longer knew what she wanted. She gave him the bones, but no way to use them. If he could get a moment alone with Jessica, he would have a chance, but the more time they spent there, the more Jessica was doted on and coddled, the less likely he would be able to convince her that they should go home.

  Sarah didn’t take her eyes off him, even when Julien looked away. She was plotting something and he feared what that would be. She didn’t look angry or happy; though, possibly a little down. He shook his head, just a subtle gesture and she finally looked away, unwilling to communicate with him. He got the feeling, she too was unsure of how to proceed. She knew, hurting him made him angry, but it was the only way she knew to keep him, and for all of her power, her mind remained simple, repetitious and limited to what was familiar. This, at the very least, left less to surprise. His mind wandered to Rachael and then to their time together at the Victorian. In all of his conversations with Rachael, he had never admitted to remembering the things she had done to him then. He denied they were true and pretended they never came to him in his dreams. Rachael, under Sarah’s spell, weak to the temptation of the girl’s gifts. He felt anger build within him, hostage now, because Rachael hadn’t listened to him then. His mind shifted course and he thought of how Rachael had suffered since. The tremendous guilt she felt and how she bore the brunt of Jessica’s unharnessed skill. Sarah had used her, and none of the tragedies that transpired had been her fault, and now, without Rachael at her disposal, he feared Jessica would be next. The thought of his little girl being puppeted to turn on him was agonizing, but the possibility was very real.

  A motor’s hum erupted in the distance and Julien looked out at the tree line, as a snowmobile came into view. Sarah hopped up on her knees to look, followed by Jessica, who stood up and followed their gaze. Jérome remained silent,
seated on the couch like a mechanical toy no one bothered to wind.

  The snowmobile pulled to a stop, some thirty-feet from the porch. Jessica recognized Arlette climbing off from behind Dr. Lind. She gasped and ran to Julien. Sarah reached for her and missed.

  Julien snatched her into his arms; the opportunity to hold his daughter outweighing the brewing trouble.

  Ed spotted a pickup truck with a large plow strapped to the front. It sat, parked at the base of the fork. He slowed to a stop behind it and stepped out of the car.

  “Billy?” he remembered the name from the store clerk.

  Billy looked at him, trying to place Bale, “Yeah?”

  “I was just down at the gas station on 23 and they said you might be out plowing. Are you plowing up to the Victorian?”

  Billy thumbed over his shoulder at the mountain, “Just tried. Snow’s too deep. Inclines too much for my truck. Are you going up there?” Billy eyed him suspiciously, “No one’s living in the place.”

  Now, Ed knew he had the right place, “Yeah, I wanted to take a look at it. Maybe make an offer.”

  “Well, you picked a bad time, with the storm an’ all. Maybe call the Vandermark’s and set up something for next week. They’re saying we’re getting some warmer weather coming up here, the next few days. If the snow melts down some, I can get the truck up there, but for now…not gonna happen.” Billy went to the door of the pickup, “Sorry ‘bout that. You probably shouldn’t go up there without an appointment anyway.”

  “Real estate agents…I thought I would take a look first, not waste anyone’s time.”

  Billy opened the truck door and threw his gloves on the dash, “I’ll never get you city people…a property like this is a lot of work. Weather like this can snow you in for a week. If I were you, I’d think about it twice before making an offer on this place.” He slid into the front seat, “Nothing available in the Hamptons?”

  Ed laughed, “Now, do I look like a Hampton’s guy to you?”

  Billy smiled, “No, I guess not.”

  “I get it. You don’t want us coming up here and ruining what you got. Can’t say I blame you,” Ed patted the truck. “Well, thanks for the advice.”

  Billy raised a hand without looking back. He closed the pickup’s door and started the engine.

  Ed returned to his car and watched Billy flip a U-turn then drive off in the direction of Route 23. He started the car and headed for Main St.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The top layer of snow cracked like an icy shell. With each step Arlette took, her foot broke through, sinking into the soft accumulation below and catching her boot like a trap. Carl hoped to stay back and remain a safe distance away, beside the snowmobile, but watching her struggle sent him rushing to her side. He took hold of her arm to aid her balance. He stopped her, still thirty-feet from the porch, and shook his head.

  “Call to her from here,” he muttered.

  Arlette shot him a look of disgust, but the snow tired her and she had no time to deal with his cowardice now. She glanced at the windows of the house. The reflection of the late day sun turned the windows black, offering no visibility in.

  “Sarah?” she called, managing her tone. “Sarah, come out, dear.”

  Sarah stood back from the window, watching them from inside. She heard her name penetrate the glass and curled her fingers at her lips in fear. She rocked on her heels then pounded at her forehead with an open palm. Arlette spoke again and Sarah turned to look back at Julien. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

  Julien, startled by her sudden change of heart, froze still, and then quickly relaxed. Jessica on one arm, he embraced Sarah protectively with the other. Arlette had just dealt him the perfect hand. An ideal opportunity to gain back Sarah’s trust.

  “It is okay, Sarah. You stay here.” He lowered Jessica to stand on her own between them.

  He knelt down and looked into Jessica’s eyes, “You stay here with Sarah, okay? You stay inside…no matter what. Do you understand me?” He kissed his daughter’s cheek and joined her hand with Sarah’s.

  Jessica looked up at Sarah then watched as Julien turned to walked to the door. Sarah grabbed his arm.

  He took her hand away, “Stay here. Everything will be alright. I will talk to them. You stay here with Jessica.” He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and she settled down.

  Jérome remained on the couch, looking back over his shoulder and following Julien with his eyes.

  Julien opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. He approached the wood railing. Arlette and Lind kept their distance, buried knee deep in the snow.

  “She’s not coming out, Arlette.”

  “Hello Julien.” Arlette took a few difficult steps, leaving Carl behind, “I see the years have been kind. You’re looking well.”

  Julien laughed, “Yes, life is good. That is why we are here for this beautiful vacation, no?”

  “I hear your wife hasn’t fared as well. Fair Oaks, is it?”

  Julien’s lip curled. He bit his tongue, refusing to be taunted.

  Arlette caught a glimpse of his temper and a slow grin spread at the corners of her mouth. She remembered him to be easy to rile and that had not changed.

  She salted the wound, “Then again, Rachael was always a little…shall we say, close to the edge?”

  The tendons in Julien’s neck flared and he clenched his fists at his thighs. “What can we do for you Arlette? Sarah is not coming out. She wants nothing to do with you. You might as well get back on your ride and head home.”

  “Ah, but it doesn’t work that way, Julien. You’re trespassing. One call to the police and you will be gone.”

  “That is good. Make that call, Arlette. They will find Jessica here with me, and you…the woman matching the description of her abductor.”

  Carl, stepped forward, “Julien, this can be made easy for you. We know how it is to raise a child like yours. I’m sure it has been very difficult for you.”

  “Are you joking?” Julien could hardly contain himself and keep from racing across the snow to attack Lind.

  Arlette turned to Carl, “Stay out of this.” She looked past Julien to the door. “Sarah, come out this instant.” She stepped forward again, reaching the cleared path. She stomped her feet, ridding her boots of snow.

  Julien moved to the porch steps, blocking her view of the door, “Lind, get your wife off the property before this is to be very ugly.”

  Arlette scoffed and blindly glared at the window again, “Sarah, I know you are in there…listening…watching. Do you see that barn?” Arlette gestured dramatically, “The coop? If you do not come out now, I am heading straight for those tick riddled birds and killing every last one of them. Furthermore, I will come back and bulldoze this house to the ground. Do you hear me? No more birds and no more house,” she paused, but Sarah still did not emerge.

  Julien came down the steps, braced to go after her, if she tried to follow through with her threat.

  Arlette paid him no mind and turned away, “I’m going Sarah…straight to the barn.” She moved purposefully, turning and heading for the bridge. “Come on Carl.” She called back without looking.

  The screen door swung opened and Sarah charged out.

  Julien stopped her, spinning her by the arm in his direction, “She won’t do it. She is bluffing. Do not listen to her.”

  Arlette stopped in the path and turned back.

  Carl backed up to watch from beside the snowmobile; ready to make a fast getaway, if the need should arise.

  Arlette’s expression softened, “There, that’s better,” she said, coming a few steps closer, “much better.”

  Sarah backed away leaving Julien between her and Arlette.

  Arlette narrowed her eyes at Sarah, “Now, what do you think you are doing, Sarah?” She inched closer. “Why do you think he’s here?” she motioned in Julien’s direction, but spoke as if he wasn’t there.

  Sar
ah scurried close to him, hiding behind Julien’s back and gripping his shirt tight in her hands.

  Jérome appeared at the doorway. With deliberate, reverberating steps, he came forward on the porch.

  Lind got Arlette’s attention and mouthed, “Who is this?” Pointing to Jérome.

  Jessica ran out of the house.

  Julien yelled, “No, Jessica…stay there! Go back inside.”

  Jessica came to an immediate halt. The momentum nearly tipping her over. She stood beside Jérome, frightened, looking from person to person then hugged tight to her grandfather’s leg.

  Arlette continued, “That is who he’s here for…for his daughter, not for you…for her.”

  Julien panicked. The scene was getting out of control and he had too many entities to focus on, protect or fight. He moved closer to Arlette, leaving Sarah behind to fend for herself.

  “You kidnapped my child, Arlette.” He glanced quickly at Jessica to be sure she was safe, then returned his attention to Arlette, “Did you think I would not come for her? That I would just wash my hands of her?”

  Arlette ignored him, “Do you see, Sarah? That is all he wants…all he cares about…her.” She glared at Sarah, now wide open and alone in the walkway. “The moment he has the chance, he will crack your skull just as he did once before.”

  Sarah shook her head and rang her fingers. She began to mumble inwardly.

  Lind piped up, “She’s right, Sarah. He wants the little girl and then he will go home, leaving you behind…if he doesn’t kill you first.”