Harvest

by Michele Gwynn

  Maggie felt his warm, reassuring hands settle briefly on her shoulders. She turned her head and looked over her left shoulder at him.

  “Thanks” she said, smiling slightly.

  “I’m sure he won’t mind if you borrow it. I couldn’t stand to see you cold anymore” he said softly. Dave lifted his hat off his head and ran his hands through his brown curls. Maggie watched, noting the gesture.

  Replacing his ball cap, Dave said “I think we should drive over to my parent’s house. I’m worried about them. On the way we can stop by the police department and I can have someone come over here and check it out.”

  “Sure. That sounds like a plan. Let’s get out of here.”

  On the way out, Dave, conscientious soul that he is, adjusted the thermostat back down to 65 degrees.

  “Just so it won’t be too cold when the police come” he said to himself. Maggie smiled to herself at his comment as she walked back out into the cold. Dave came out behind her, replaced the extra key on the top of the door frame, and turned to offer her his arm.

  Steady, she thought. Steady as a rock even now. As he held the passenger door open for her, she noted that she felt a little better now that she was snug inside Red’s leather coat. Although too big for her, it was keeping the majority of the cold off of her.

  Dave climbed in beside her and started the engine. The heater kicked on, blowing cold air. It took a few moments to heat back up.

  As they drove back down Rodeo Avenue, Dave turned to look at Maggie. She seemed so small inside Red’s coat. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I want you to know, I’ll look out for you.”

  Maggie felt tears sting her eyes. She swallowed hard, not wanting to show how truly afraid she was becoming. Everything that had happened from the moment she woke up boded badly for her. The only good thing that had happened so far was meeting Dave. If it wasn’t for him, this nightmare would be complete, and she might’ve just done the one thing she’d been slowly doing for the past several weeks; kill herself.

  She blinked the tears away, smiled a little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Dave reached over and put his hand on her cheek, wiping away the one tear that had fallen despite her best efforts to keep it at bay.

  She caught his hand in hers and they drove through town, two lonely people, linked together by their entwined fingers. The contact was the only comfort they felt as they looked out at the streets, the homes, and the businesses and saw not a single person, not one soul milling about. Farley had turned into a frozen ghost town. The nausea she felt from her hangover turned to a nausea born of pure fear.

  Dave’s fingers tightened around hers. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb in slow circles, trying to be calming, but inside, he was reeling with the sick feeling that something he would not be able to comprehend in its scope had occurred over night while he’d been sleeping. Something had happened, and for some reason, only he and Maggie were here to witness it.

  Chapter 5

  The police station parking lot was deserted except for one patrol car. There weren’t any cars parked in the employee section either. Dave pulled up to the front and parked. He looked at Maggie.

  “Stay here” he said. No other words needed to follow since they were both thinking the same thing; “What if no one is there?”

  Dave left the car running as he got out and walked to the front door. He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets trying to keep them warm. The wind whipped at his hat, but it stayed on.

  Maggie watched from the toasty cab of the truck as Dave reached out and opened the door to the station house. He disappeared inside.

  The quiet that enshrouded her was deafening. Her ears began to ring a little. Then, just as suddenly, they stopped. The engine of the Chevy humming along was the only thing that should have broken the silence, but something else, something she couldn’t pinpoint was causing a buzzing feeling of panic to bubble up inside of her.

  Where is everyone? she thought. It’s mid-afternoon on a Sunday. People should be out and about, even if just a little in this crazy weather. The wind began to howl fiercely and clouds gathered darkening the sky. Maggie shifted uneasily in her seat.

  The sky looked like a time-lapse television segment where everything is speeded up. It was so dark now that the police station lampposts’ automatic lights came on. Looking out the passenger window, Maggie saw two bright lights shoot from left to right across the clouds. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. It was like seeing two spotlights without their source directional beams. There was no sound. In the distance, beyond the corner stoplights, a dark shadow moved like smoke curling upon itself. It seemed to have human shape, but no real form. Two others followed it as the first one walked through the wall of the 7-11 on the far corner. Maggie forgot to breathe, then fought a scream. She covered her mouth to hold it back, afraid that in the unnatural silence, she’d be heard.

  Inside, Dave stood at the counter. There wasn’t anyone there. No phones rang. No one came out to the front. It was just quiet. Feeling on the verge of panic, he walked to the door that led to the other side of the counter. No one shouted “Hey, you can’t go in there!”

  On the other side, Dave looked around. There was an open door that led to the back. He walked towards it.

  “Anyone back here?” he shouted. Silence.

  Leaning through, he looked around at another room with six desks. No one sat at the desks. A patch of red caught Dave’s eye. It was peeking around the leg of the last desk on the right. Slowly, he walked towards it. As he got closer and leaned down, he saw what is was. A cattle prodder! A red-handled cattle prodder.

  “What the frick?” His hand reached down to pick it up before he even thought about how he probably shouldn’t be touching it.

  Setting the thing back down, Dave stood up. He looked around the room again, spying a gun cabinet in the back. He stared at it thoughtfully. Without hesitating a moment more, he went straight to the cabinet and opened it. Inside were several rifles and firearms, along with ammunition. He grabbed a shotgun, two police issue handguns and several boxes of ammo. Something was going on that Dave knew was not good. He shoved the two handguns into his waistband and the boxes of ammo in his jacket pockets.

  “I ain’t going out like a punk” he muttered. A hand grabbed his shoulder!

  “Aghh!” Dave screamed and whipped around with the rifle held out like a shield.

  Maggie jumped back, tripping over the corner of the desk and landing on her ass.

  “Dave, it’s me!” She put her hands up to ward him off.

  “Jesus Christ, Maggie! You scared the living shit out of me!”

  “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stay out there anymore.” She looked up at him with tears swimming in her big green eyes. In a smaller voice she said “I’m so scared”. She struggled with telling him what she saw, deciding against it.

  Dave knelt down and set the rifle on the floor. He scooted closer to Maggie and sat down next to her. Gathering her close to him, he held her while she began to cry.

  “What’s happening?” she sniffled. “Where IS everyone?”

  “I don’t know, Mags. I just don’t know.” Dave didn’t know what else to do. Holding her seemed like the only thing he could do. His heart was still hammering from the fright she gave him.

  Maggie’s curly red head was tucked under his chin. She smelled like shampoo and flowers. She felt soft and warm. He remembered seeing her last night at the bar. She’d been drunk then. He knew that now because what he’d thought was an interested look from her could only now, in retrospect, be described as a glazed-over drunken stare. The Maggie he knew now, after only about an hour, was clear-headed, kind, and somewhat reserved. She wasn’t a bar floozy.

  He almost felt guilty for fantasizing over her this morning. Almost. Recalling the thoughts he’d had of her then made heat rush to his groin. Now is not the time for this Dave, he thought to himself. Get it under control, man!

  As if sensing the chang
e within him, Maggie’s skin prickled with awareness. Dave hadn’t moved a muscle, but the comforting hug had just made a radical turn towards something far less comfortable. Heat suffused Maggie’s cheeks. In that moment, she noticed a light, very masculine scent rising off of his skin. His shirt smelled like detergent. His body gave off a combination scent of Irish Spring and man.

  Feeling safe and protected within the circle of his arms, she looked up slowly at his face. Dave’s eyes were already on hers; steady. It seemed like an hour ticked by in those few seconds before he slowly lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. The kiss was soft, questioning whether or not to proceed. Maggie sighed and melted into him. Dave deepened the kiss until they both were breathless. She tasted sweet. Kissing her felt so good. Pulling back, he gazed at her flushed face. She’s so pretty, he thought.

  Maggie opened her eyes and looked up. Slightly breathless, a little guilty, but somehow unrepentant, she began to smile. Dave watched a million emotions and thoughts rush across her lovely face in a matter of seconds. He was fascinated.

  “My butt hurts”

  Dave blinked, then burst out laughing. Of all the things she could have said in this one sweet moment, she chose that time to complain about her ass. Seeing him lose control made Maggie laugh, too.

  It was the first time today either of them felt anything else besides confusion, tension, and fear. It was nice.

  “We need to get going. Didn’t you say we were going to your parents’ house?” her soft voice reminded Dave that they were in the middle of a crisis.

  “Yea.” He looked at her a moment longer, not wanting to lose the warm feelings they had just shared. Sighing, Dave came to and helped Maggie sit up. He got up first, then grabbed her hands and pulled her up alongside him. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her one last time. He just tightened his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. She fit like a glove against him. Feeling cheeky, Dave slid one hand down her back and rubbed her ass.

  She giggled. “What are you doing?”

  “You said your ass hurt. I’m just trying to be a gentleman and make it feel better.”

  Maggie backed up and slapped at his hands. Dave grinned shamelessly, forgetting for a split second that the world hadn’t disappeared, but only for a second.

  He picked up the rifle from the floor and slung his free arm around her shoulders. They headed out to the front, back into the serious situation that wouldn’t go away.

  “Dave?”

  Yea?”

  “What are we going to do if your parents aren’t there?” Maggie peaked up at Dave.

  His eyes, calm so far, sparked with pain.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s just get over there and see what’s what.”

  Determination emanated from his face. “Don’t worry, Mags.” He hefted the rifle higher over his shoulder. Maggie knew he meant every word he’d said to her when he promised to look out for her. As long as he stayed by her side, she felt safe.

  As they went back out to the truck and got in, Maggie thought, again, about telling Dave what she’d seen before she ran into the police station. He’ll think I’m crazy.

  She handed him the keys. He started the engine. As they rolled out of the parking lot, she decided to keep it to herself. If she saw anything like it again, she’d say so. Hopefully, if she ever saw anything like that again, she wouldn’t be alone and then wouldn’t have to feel like a complete panicked lunatic because there would be a witness.

  As he drove off towards his parents’ house, Dave thought about how soft Maggie’s red hair had felt in his hands and against his skin. Red hair. He smiled. Red. The smile died. The cattle prodder. Why was there a cattle prodder in the police station? He debated whether or not to mention it to Maggie, but since he couldn’t make any sense of it, he kept his mouth shut.

  It was darker now than when he went inside the station. The snow had stopped falling, but ice covered the roads and began to frost the edges of the windshield.

  The drive over to 810 Riverdale was short. Dave prayed as they approached. He hadn’t been much of a religious man in his life, but after all that had happened since last night, he felt an almost bone-deep need for God. With all that was happening, he didn’t know of anyone else to call on.

  He pulled into the circular drive, the tires crunched on the gravel. Bill Forrester, Dave’s dad, never felt the need to pave the driveway when gravel did a perfectly good job. Right at this moment, Dave agreed. What with the snow and ice on the ground, gravel made for an easier surface to walk on.

  Lynda Forrester often complained about the gravel since it needed so much upkeep to keep the ground covered properly. She also complained about having to walk on it in her Sunday heels. It had been an ongoing grumble between his dad and mom for as long as Dave could remember. It always started the same way, too.

  Lynda would walk out the front door of the ranch-style home with a covered dish in her hands for the luncheon after the sermon. The minute her Payless heels hit the gravel she’d start her complaint; “Damn gravel! I’m gonna break my neck one of these days, Bill!”

  Bill Forrester would laugh, saying “Is that the language of a good, church-going woman?”

  Then Lynda would shoot Bill a sour look. “That’s the language of the woman you won’t be sleeping next to tonight, William Forrester, unless you pave this driveway!”

  Every Sunday! Dave knew the rhetoric by heart. It had become a long-standing joke between him and his dad. His dad would turn and look over into the backseat of their Buick at Dave and ask “Think she’ll go through with it this time, son?”

  Dave would smile ear to ear and say “Yep! I think she means it this time, dad.”

  “You hear that, Lynda? Now you’ve gone and got our son upset. We may have to start going to family counseling on Wednesday nights”.

  Bill would shoot Lynda a cheeky grin, and Lynda would smack him on the arm. “The day I’m seen dragging my family into counseling in front of all those busybodies is the day pigs fly!” she’d say.

  And all the way to church, Bill would tease Lynda Forrester until she was all smiles again.

  Dave came out of his retrospection with a small smile on his face. He loved his parents. They were the best parents anyone could have ever asked for. Just as suddenly, the smile died. He was afraid to go inside; afraid of what he might find, or not find.

  Maggie watched as a parade of emotions marched across his face. She reached out and took his hand. Dave looked down at her hand on his. She had small hands, but the comfort was great. He gave her fingers a squeeze, then reached for the door. Maggie climbed out of the truck on his side, reluctant to let go of him.

  Together, they approached the front porch, snow and gravel crunching under their shoes.

  Without thinking further, Dave used his spare key to the house. He didn’t even bother to knock. He knew if his parents were home they wouldn’t mind. Maggie clutched the back of his jacket and held on, following him inside.

  “Mom? Dad?” Dave called out. No answer. Dave stood silently in the foyer, listening.

  “Hey! It’s me” he tried again.

  Dave moved forward, taking slow steps into the living room. He looked around, but saw no one.

  “Should we check the rest of the house” asked Maggie

  “Yea”. Dave knew every inch of this house. He’d grown up here. His old room still had stuff from when he was in school, including his plaid bedspread, and his Bon Jovi wall poster.

  “You can check the kitchen. I’ll go check all the bedrooms.” Maggie went off in the direction of the kitchen. Dave turned to make his way to the back hall. He checked his parents’ room first. The bed was unmade, as if someone had been sleeping in it. On his dad’s side, the covers were up, almost made up, but wrinkled as if something had been underneath. They were thrown back on his mom’s side. At least there wasn’t any blood from what he could tell; not like at Red’s.

  Dave checked the b
athroom and the closets. He walked back out to the hall and checked the middle bedroom. This room was more a storage place for all his mom’s crafts. No one was inside. Looking down the hall at his old room, Dave could see the corner of his old bed. He didn’t think there would really be any reason to check that room since no one hardly ever went in there.

  He turned to go back towards the living room, then stopped. Something squeaked. It sounded almost like a mouse, but not quite. It came from his old room. Turning slowly, Dave took careful steps to the door. He looked inside and saw nothing.

  A breath! He heard a breath! Something was inside his room.

  “Find anything, Dave...”

  “Shhh!” Dave shushed Maggie as she came up behind him in the hall. He reached behind him to indicate she should stay still. They listened.