Past, Darkly (The Dreams Book 2)

by Hunter Jones

  She had no answers. No one she knew ever mentioned him. It was as if they had agreed not to give her any news of him, or maybe she was just paranoid. The guys said they had seen him in a new Mercedes convertible. He and Natasha had driven down Peachtree Street the first day they bought it and attended a private event at one of the hotels. Otherwise, she heard he spent most of his time in med labs or traveled to Manhattan to meet Natasha almost every weekend.

  Everyone talked about Natasha. Her band had taken off and had taken center stage on media outlets everywhere. They were considered the Next Big Thing. Pictures of Natasha wearing only body paint had made it into this month’s SPIN magazine, and there were rumors that her band would be working with a well-known rock star on their next recording. The end of a very long winter had turned into a longer spring and its warm sunshine did little to mend Maggie’s heart.

  It’s as if he’s dead to me.

  “I don’t believe it,” she said to no one; only the three robins in the small back yard of the studio she still rented heard her. They were so startled at the sound of her voice, they looked at her and then flew away.

  She thought a man’s voice said I’ll be there soon, but it must have been the chimes pinging in rhythm as the warm breeze made them dance to its tune. Finally, Maggie began to think she had been isolated with her thoughts long enough. One morning, she said to herself, “I’ll put on my new Keds, drive to Tennessee, and I’ll ask Aunt Charlotte what she thinks I should do about him.”

  It was early in the morning, one of those days when the dew kisses the grass until the sun appears after the ridge-tops in Atlanta and awakens everything. Maggie made a point not to stop for coffee at any of the places she had ever gone to with Rhett. When she passed Piedmont Park, in its pastel patchwork glory, she decided to stop at Caribou Coffee and take a short walk before hitting the interstate for the drive north to the Tennessee line.

  The vibrant yellow, pinks, and purples surrounded her. She thought of how old the park was and all that it had seen of Atlanta’s history. President Grover Cleveland had attended the park’s opening events in the 1800s. Booker T. Washington made an historic speech here and even Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show had performed at Piedmont Park. It remained a vital part of the city and she was surprised at how few people were running or walking their dogs this morning. A quick sneeze reminded her that an allergy warning had been issued for today. The pollen would make her regret this later, but for now, she needed a walk.

  A bee buzzed past and she asked him, “Is it true that you have taken a little playmate from long ago? Once I had a dream that the bees were coming. My Aunt Charlotte warned me about you all, once upon a time.” The bee flew past, joined by an even bigger one, and neither of them cared about Maggie’s dilemma. “I’ll give your queen my new shoes if you will bring him back to me,” she said, laughing for the first time in months.

  As she walked across the park, she saw very few people. She stopped at a rose bush and admired the gorgeous buds. Then, her mind returned to the last time she saw Rhett and a tear fell down her cheek. She pinched three of the tiny blooms and held them in her hands, as if they were talismans that would bring her heart’s desire.

  The water in Lake Clara Meer reflected the clear blue of the morning sky and the wind created little waves that danced across the surface. It was as if the waves beckoned in a very strange pattern. Maggie walked to the water’s edge and held the rose buds in her hands like they were her dearest possessions. She took the petals, one by one from each fragile stem, and threw them into the lake. Tossing the final one into the air, she said, “Bring to me my heart’s desire. I want the fairy tale prince.”

  But the breeze returned most of the petals back to the shore, and the waves the pushed the rest further into the water. The lake couldn’t make her wish come true because it didn’t have the answer to why Rhett had left her. However, she thought she hadn’t thrown them far enough, so she decided to climb into one of the small rowboats tied at the end of the dock. She climbed into the vessel, untied the rope, and pushed away from the dock. She reached inside the pocket of her hoodie to make certain the petals were there. It was important to make certain that her wishes were sent to the Universe, carried by the wind and water. Pulling the rose petals out, she cupped the ones that remained in her hands again and said aloud, “Bring me my heart’s desire. I want my fairy tale prince.” With that, she brought her hands to her face and blew the petals into the air and they were airborne on the breeze. She watched as they drifted and danced across the mirror-like stillness of the lake until the wind took them into the waves and they disappeared.

  It worked. I can feel a change now. He is coming into my life. I believe it. A sense of satisfaction overtook her, and for the first time in months, she felt better. The wind began to move the little boat, and she looked for the oars so that she could return to the dock. But there were no paddles. Nothing was available for her to steer or control the movements. She pushed up her sleeves to keep them dry, but the water was too cold to fight against the current. She realized that she was trapped and going nowhere fast as the wind worked to move the boat further into the lake.

  She started to cry. No one was there to help her and the only creatures that could hear her were two mockingbirds. They weren’t much help, and they flew along as if twittering, “We’re here! Here we are! But you can’t reach us!”

  The boat drifted swiftly downstream, and Maggie could do nothing but sit there, floating along. An occasional rose petal passed by, as if to remind her of the foolish behavior that had brought her out here in the first place. The wind picked up and the current gave her more momentum as she headed nowhere in particular. Once the tears stopped, she decided to enjoy the moment because at some point she would land, or someone would find her. Besides, it was so very pretty on both sides of the lake; the flowers and trees were at the peak of the season. She didn’t see one single person.

  “Perhaps the wind will take me to my prince,” she said aloud, and that made her laugh. She settled in and rocked in the boat, watching the lovely greenery of the day for maybe an hour when she saw she was finally approaching the shoreline.

  Looking up, she saw two park rangers standing on the banks of the lake watching her as she sailed toward her own Valhalla without an oar to propel her. Oh shit. Are they going to arrest me for taking this boat?

  She was blown to the lake banks by a strong breeze, and Maggie pulled herself out, glad that she landed underneath a canopy of white and pink dogwood trees. She could see the conservatory nearby. Luckily, her early morning escapade hadn’t caused too much damage or floated her to the middle of the twelve-acre lake. Relieved, she turned to face the rangers who waited to question her. She saw their wooden posture and crossed arms from the morning “sail” and was curious to see how they would write her up, since no actual crime was committed.

  Maggie turned, smiled, and said, “Good morning, gentlemen. How are you? It’s a little chilly for a swim, so I borrowed a boat.” She laughed. One ranger stood stone faced, the other pushed his hat back on his head and said, “Miss Pickett?”

  “John Oldham?” Oh lord, it’s one of my students. “Well, how about this? When did you start working here? What a great job you have!”

  “I’ve been here part-time for a couple of years. Never thought I’d see you float by in a boat, though. What are you doing out here so early? Are you trying to recreate The Lady of the Lake from Avalon or maybe The Lady of Shallot?” He looked at her, grinned, and continued, “Aren’t you always in a library or somewhere with a book?”

  Maggie smiled at him, taking the hair from her face that the breeze kept blowing into her eyes. “I’m on my way to Tennessee and stopped for a walk. I…um…I…uh…thought I heard a kitten crying and it was trapped, so I wanted to rescue it. Guess I broke the tether and the next thing you know, I’m headed downstream.” She kicked the sand with her left foot. Oh golly, I have told an out and out lie. “Are you going to give me a ticket?
”

  “No, no stolen property, no crime. Attempting to rescue a kitten isn’t considered trespassing, so you’re free to go. First, let me introduce you to my partner. Maggie Pickett, this is Bola Trenoy. He’s a student at Georgia State.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bola.”

  “Likewise, Miss Pickett.”

  “Please, call me Maggie.”

  “See? She is the coolest teacher you will ever have. She understands concepts that the rest of us have never even considered, and she makes all this stuff understandable. She is a real teacher. You learn from Maggie. If you ever get a chance, take one of her classes.”

  “Thank you, John.”

  “I only say it because it’s true, and you know it,” he said and smiled.

  They said their goodbyes and Maggie walked away, pulling her gray hoodie over her head to stop the wind blowing her hair around.

  “Maggie, Maggie,” John yelled.

  She turned around.

  He smiled. “We aren’t at Emory, so please don’t take offense when I say this.” He moved his hat back on his head and rubbed an eyebrow with his hand. Looking at her, he continued, “You’re damn hot in those jeans. Letting your hair grow longer makes you…well, you’re sexy. Why don’t you do us guys a favor and get out of that library more.” This time, he winked and it made Maggie smile.

  “Thanks, John. You trying to get a better grade or something?” She tried to laugh but felt herself blush and pulled the hoodie tighter around her neck. “I’ll see you in class next week.”

  “You know it.” He laughed. “Maybe some of us can get a drink afterwards?”

  “Sounds great. Let’s see what happens, okay?”

  Maggie walked back to her car, thinking about her actions. She needed to get Rhett off her mind. She was obsessing and needed a diversion. She grabbed a cup of coffee to go at Caribou and began her drive north to Chattanooga. She had never dated a student, but it wouldn’t really be breaking any rules to have drinks once a week with the Symbology in Literature class that John was taking. They were a fun class and it would be something to do besides work all the time. The memory of a little gypsy boy she had known when she was a child danced through her mind and she wondered what had ever happened to him. She turned on Sirius, to a rock channel. A band from Europe called TASTE started playing. The lead singer’s pic was on the cover of the SPIN issue that Natasha’s picture had been in. She remembered his long blond hair and thought about how pretty he was for a guy. It made her smile. Rhett was so dark and masculine, the thought of a blond rock star was almost the opposite of him.

  If I get a trainer, that will be more time away from studying too. Plus, another teacher took pieces of her dissertation and published it independently. She said it brought in a little extra money every month. Maggie decided to take some of the ancient stories she had found and publish them as a little book. If nothing else, she would give it to family and friends as a gift. The episode at the park had scared her. She had to focus on something besides Rhett. That fairy tale was never going to come true. They had been best friends, but she knew it was time to get on with her life. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought about losing him forever. She wiped it away with the back of her hands and concentrated on the traffic at the I-24 and I-75 split as she approached Chattanooga’s Hamilton Place Mall.

  As she drove into the parking lot of the restaurant where they planned to meet for lunch, she looked for Charlotte’s baby blue SUV. When she didn’t see it, she parked close to the door so that they wouldn’t miss each other. Instinctively, she looked at her iPhone to see if Rhett had texted or called. Damn. We’ve been friends for so long, this is going to be a tough habit to break.

  It was strange that he dropped out of her life completely, especially since they had been friends for so long. She had never had many friends. Her dad had been killed in a coal mining accident before she was born, so she never knew him. After that, Charlotte said her mother was never the same. When the mining company settled the lawsuit, Maggie’s mother left Charlotte a check for fifty thousand dollars and Maggie, who was only sixteen months old. Charlotte said she had moved to Nashville to pursue a singing career, but no one had ever heard from her again. Maggie never had any interest in her mother or music. She had always had dreams of parents, but they were only that – dreams. Her mind had attempted to role-play the archetypes she now taught students. That could be why she missed Rhett so much – he was part of the only true family she had ever known. Charlotte had raised her as her own child; the court awarded her custody after Maggie’s mother abandoned her. Maggie wondered if her aunt never married because she wanted to be there for her. Maggie’s love of fairy tales had been because of Charlotte, who promised her, “One day you’ll find that handsome prince; you just wait and see, little girl.” Her spin on the classic stories had led Maggie to see that folklore and fairy tales shared similarities, and from there, her career had blossomed.

  Maggie looked up just as Charlotte’s SUV whirled into the parking lot. Seeing her, Charlotte waved before getting out of the Ford and walking toward her, dressed to perfection in a pastel pink suit, matching purse and ivory heels, hair neatly coiffed and nails freshly manicured.

  “Get out of that car and let me see you!” Charlotte exclaimed. “However did you get here so fast?” She opened the car door and practically lifted Maggie out of the driver’s seat.

  Maggie hugged her and said, “I think I was daydreaming and broke the speed limit.”

  They both laughed and Charlotte said, “Well, you always were a daydream believer. Come on, let’s grab some lunch. Look at you. You are getting too skinny.” Looking at her, she said, “That Turnquest boy is really getting to you, isn’t he?”

  Maggie’s tears tumbled down her face as she sobbed, “Oh, Aunt Charlotte, he isn’t calling me anymore. It’s as if I don’t even exist.”

  Charlotte hugged her, then reached in her bag for a couple of tissues. Handing them to Maggie, she said, “Now, honey, let’s get you some food. Everything’s better on a full stomach. You can tell me all about it while we eat.”

  Maggie told her all about the last few months. The woman shook her head and said, “Hmm, hmm.” And when Maggie had told her everything and asked why she hadn’t seen Rhett, the woman said, “You know how men are. He might be back any time now.” She placed her fork and knife down on the table and continued, “Maggie, try not to take it so hard. I know that’s easier said than done, but stop and try to smell the roses now and then.”

  Maggie thought about her morning on the lake and grimaced. “Okay,” was all she said.

  Charlotte looked out the restaurant window momentarily, tapped her nails on the table, and said, “There’s something I need to tell you.” Maggie felt her stomach churn. She didn’t know if she could handle any gossip about Rhett.

  “What? Is there something new from the beauty shop?”

  Charlotte smiled. “Of course there is, but that’s not what you need to hear.” Leaning in, she said, “Those Turnquest people aren’t really the kind of family I want you involved with. They will do anything for money, and I mean anything. You can’t trust them. I’ve never told you that because you’ve been crazy for that little boy since you saw him, and we all have lessons to learn in life.” She paused and looked in Maggie’s eyes. “Now you understand why he chose that Bragg girl, don’t you?”

  Maggie felt a shockwave jolt her system. “You think that’s why he likes her?”

  “Yes, yes I do. The Braggs are fine people; they have always been good to us. But that money goes a long way. I heard the Braggs paid for Rhett’s school. We can’t compete with that, Maggie. I believe the boy loves you, but he was brought up poor and he sees the easy way out. That’s the way he was raised.”

  Maggie reached for her water glass, surprised at how her hand was shaking. “That does explain a lot. Thank you,” she whispered after she sipped at the drink.

  “He’s a good looking son-of-a-gun. I have to give you
that. You’re smart and you have an eye for intelligent, handsome men. That makes me think you will be just fine.” She smiled and patted Maggie’s hand as it lay on the table. “Very few people ever marry their childhood love. It’s one of life’s first lessons, Maggie. You’ll be okay.”

  The waitress placed the check on the table and Charlotte reached for her bag, taking out her debit card to pay and handing an envelope to Maggie.

  “What’s this?” Maggie asked.

  “It’s your graduation gift. This seemed like a better time than waiting until September. You know I like to avoid the rush,” Charlotte watched with a nod of approval as Maggie opened the envelope.

  “It’s a bank account?”

  “Your account, or it will be once you have time to come up and sign the paperwork. I’ve been the trustee all these years. Now it’s all yours.”

  “Where…how did you get money like this?” Maggie asked her Aunt Charlotte.

  “Remember that fifty thousand dollars your mother left? I invested it successfully and used the money to help with putting you through school. You did most of it with your scholarships, and this is the remainder.” She giggled. “It’s our secret, but you’re worth more money than that Bragg girl now. How does that feel? And, dear lord, don’t go telling that boy just to get him back. Go enjoy your life. You’re young, beautiful, and about to be a Ph.D., so go to Europe or Manhattan or Hawaii.”

  “You did this for me?”

  Standing up, Charlotte went over to Maggie, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. “You’re the expert. Isn’t this what a Fairy Godmother is supposed to do for her Princess?” She tousled Maggie’s hair. “C’mon, let’s get outta here. I’ve got you an appointment at the Chanel counter for a makeover.”

  “Why would you do that?” Maggie asked as the two walked out of the restaurant.