by Robert Brumm
She was just about to close the viewer and eject the disc when a headline caught her eye.
PARENTS OF MISSING GIRL MAKE PUBLIC PLEA – George and Mary Stone of Elmhurst are asking for the public’s help after the disappearance of their daughter, Sara. The 14 year old has been missing for almost two weeks since she was last seen walking to school on October 2nd.
“Somebody out there must know something,” a tearful Mary Stone told The Chronicle. “Please, if anybody has any information at all about what happened to our Sara, contact the police. A girl just doesn’t vanish into thin air.”
Sara Stone is the fourth missing person reported this year in Rockwell county, all girls ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen.
“It’s just a terrible coincidence,” Sherriff Clark said from his office Wednesday morning. “We’re still following leads to all these cases and my men and I are doing everything we can to find these girls and bring them home to their families. In most of these cases we find young gals run off with a boy and are perfectly safe and sound. To suggest there might be some rash of kidnappings is just jumping to conclusions at this point.”
“The library is closing now, miss.” The librarian stood behind the counter with her arms crossed.
“Sorry! I’m coming.” Kelly stood up and bent over the computer, quickly scanning back over previous issues. She felt the eyes of the librarian burning into her back and was just about to stand up when a photo and the small headline above it caught her eye. Another missing girl story.
The picture was cropped from a class photo and blurry, but Kelly knew without a doubt who she was. According to The Chronicle, her name was Elizabeth McDole. A fifteen year old girl from Black Water Creek who was last seen walking to school three days earlier. Kelly knew her as the young red head that looked back at her in the mirror.
Chapter 25
Ed set one of the printouts aside and picked up the story about Elizabeth McDole. Kelly watched his face while he read, her heart racing with anticipation for his reaction. Sue came into the dining room and set down a plate of cherry pie for the each of them. Keegan sat at the other end of the table wearing most of his pie on his face.
Kelly pleaded with the librarian to let her stay a little while longer so she could print out the stories she’d found. She finally relented and Kelly got a copy of each, plus another story she’d found at the last minute. The last article should have shocked her but by then Kelly had almost gone numb. Emily Watson, fifteen, from Crayton. The same Emily she talked to from the other side of her basement cell.
Ed put down the paper, removed his reading glasses, and moved his pie closer.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Kelly said, “but way too many things add up to be a coincidence. I don’t know if you want to call them visions or what, but I think I’ve been having these dreams for a reason.”
Ed took a bite of his pie and looked at Kelly. “Well, I’m not gonna lie and tell you it doesn’t seem a little farfetched, but if you say this Hoskins fellow is in your dreams, I believe you.”
“And you never saw a picture of him before your dreams started?” Sue asked.
“Never, I swear. I practically didn’t dream at all until I moved here.”
“Kelly, I want you two to stay in the guest room for a while.” Ed said. “These dreams of yours are one thing, but I’m still concerned about your ex.”
Kelly picked at her dessert. “I’ve thought about that but I don’t think I should. I feel like…I don’t know, these girls are trying to reach out to me. Show me what happened so I can tell everybody what a monster this guy was.”
“At least have Keegan stay with us,” said Sue. She started wiping pie filling off his face. “Would you like to sleep over tonight, sweetie?”
“Yeah!”
“I suppose that’s alright,” said Kelly. “I think maybe it’ll do him good to get out of there for a while.”
“Terrific!” Sue beamed. She helped Keegan get down from his booster chair. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into some jam-jams.”
Ed Smirked. “Well, that’s one way to get at least one of you back in the house. She’s been moping around ever since you moved into the cottage.” He looked around the room. “So you think this was probably Hoskins’ house, huh?”
“I think so. And I think he built the cottage specifically to lock up those girls.”
“But you said in your dreams you were in the basement. The cottage doesn’t have one.”
“I know, that’s what doesn’t make sense. I’m my dreams there was door to the basement in between the kitchen and the living room. There’s nothing there but a wall now and there’s no room behind it for a secret compartment or anything like that.”
Ed’s chair groaned as he sat back and crossed his arms. “It’s not my place so say so but maybe you should concentrate on things that are going on while you’re awake. Like I said, I’m still worried about that old boyfriend of yours.”
Kelly put her hands in her face and groaned. “I’ve already got my hands full with my new boyfriend.”
Ed’s eyebrows raised but he didn’t say anything.
“It’s Paul. We sort of started having feelings for each other, one thing led to another…”
“How come you two are keeping it so quiet? Sue’s gonna be ecstatic when she finds out.”
“Mostly because I’m his employee, I guess. But I don’t think it’s going to work out. Something happened the other night.” She told him about the attack. Ed’s face fell with a look of sadness as she described it. “Paul said it was because of a nightmare he had. He woke up and realized what he was doing and then stopped.”
“So he stayed at your house and started having dreams too, huh? Interesting.” Ed rubbed his beard.
“Wait, you think maybe it was because of the cottage?”
Ed shrugged. “It’s possible, I suppose. If you’re plagued with crazy nightmares then who’s to say Paul couldn’t, too?”
“I never even thought of that. I just assumed it was a flashback thing from the war.”
“You two should talk. I’ve known Paul for an awfully long time and I don’t think he would ever hurt you intentionally. He carries a lot with him, I can see it in his eyes. He’s hurting. I think a lot of those boys are and it’s a damn shame. At the very least, maybe this will be enough to get him back into therapy again.”
“You’re probably right. I guess I’m just still raw from Don. I just don’t want to get hurt again.”
Ed patted her hand. “I know. You carry a lot with you, too.”
Kelly got up and wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks, Ed. I know it sounds corny but you feel like the father I never had.”
Ed chuckled and turned his head, quickly dabbed his eye. “Go find that ghost of yours and kick his ass.”
*****
Kelly tried Paul on her cell as she walked back to the cottage but got his voicemail. She opened her mouth after the beep, not sure what to say, and snapped the phone shut without saying a word. He’d already tried to apologize and she turned him away. Maybe it was the best thing, just end it now before either of them got hurt worse. Work would be awkward but she could find something else. There’s always waitressing.
The motion lights kicked in as she approached the cottage. She looked uneasily at her dark windows, regretting the decision not to stay at the big house. Right now she could be cuddled up on the couch with Keegan by the fireplace. Chatting with Ed and Sue in their cozy living room while sipping on a cup of tea. Instead, she was heading to her drafty cottage, alone and scared.
She went inside and turned on all the lights, cranked up the heat. It wasn’t that late, but Kelly was absolutely exhausted. She took off her jeans and sweater in the bathroom, replacing them with sweatpants and a long t-shirt that hung on the back of the bathroom door. She glanced at her toothbrush and decided she’d make up for it in the morning. Even the thought of standing at the sink for thirty seconds while she brushed her teeth felt like
too much.
Kelly paused at the bedroom doorway. She really didn’t want to go in there. If her dreams were real, if Hoskins really committed those atrocities in there, how could she ever sleep in that room again?
No. She was tired of being afraid. This was her house and she was sleeping in her own damn bedroom. At least that’s what she told herself.
She took a deep breath and reached around the corner for the light switch. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just like she left it. No bodies, no blood stains, no screams of pain. Kelly took a step towards her bed and the door closed behind her.
“Hey, babe. I’m home.”
Kelly spun around. She didn’t even have time to scream before Don’s fist made contact, launching her onto the bed and sending her into darkness.
Chapter 26
Her head was in a vice and the world muted, everything in slow motion. Somebody was pacing the room. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her head. The pain in her face was all consuming. She carefully touched her cheek, expecting to feel a mess of bloody pulp, and winced at a new level of pain.
“Jesus Christ!” Don held his right hand at the wrist. “That hurt. I think I broke my goddamn hand.” Kelly slowly rolled over on the bed. Don chuckled. “Knocked your ass out cold, though.” He grabbed her around the ankle with his good hand and yanked, pulling her off the bed.
Kelly hit the floor and tried to grab onto something as Don pulled her into the living room. He dropped her leg and kicked her in the stomach. The pain was unreal. Kelly’s lungs fought for breath that wouldn’t come. For a terrifying second she thought she would die from asphyxiation, right there on the floor. Mercifully, her constricted throat released and she drew a breath.
“Where’s the kid?”
Kelly gasped for breath and sobbed.
“You want me to kick you again or are you gonna talk?”
“S-sitter.”
Don glanced out the kitchen window. “What, up at the house with those two old fucks?” He paced the room in front of Kelly and lit a cigarette. “Okay, cool. I’ll deal with them later. Gives us more time to have some fun.”
He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. Kelly wiped her eyes and finally got a good look at Don’s gaunt face. His pupils were wide and he blinked wildly. He took a deep drag and blew it in her direction.
“You think you’re some top shelf shit now, don’t you? Your little house here and your job with that gimpy friend of yours.”
Kelly slowly rose to her elbow.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been keeping my eye on you. I got news for you, doll.” He sat forward on the chair and leaned over. “You’re still a loser, you always have been. You can sit down here with your head up your ass and play house all day, but you’re never going to amount to anything.”
Kelly sat up and Don reached behind his back. He pointed a small revolver at her and laughed. “Easy, kid. No baseball bats around here. No cheap shots tonight.” He pointed the gun at her face and pulled back the hammer. Grinned from ear to ear.
Kelly’s blood ran cold as she looked down the barrel of the gun. Her fear was replaced with an overwhelming sense of sadness. She wondered who would find her on the floor, lying in a pool of congealed blood, her brains sprayed on the wall behind her. She prayed Keegan wouldn’t see her like that.
Don laughed and released the hammer back. He took a final drag from his smoke and dropped in on the carpeting in front of her. “You should see the look on your face. Priceless.” He reached behind him again, this time producing a half-pint bottle of store brand vodka and took a healthy swig, then got up and tossed the chair aside. He held the gun loosely and pointed it at the floor as he strolled about the room.
“Shit, I’m glad you’re gone. Once you left I realized what a pain in the ass I had to deal with all those years.” He took a photo off the wall and studied it. It was a picture of her and Keegan in front of the Christmas tree that Sue had given her as a gift. Don took another drink and dropped the picture on the floor. He swayed slightly and took a step to keep his balance.
“But there’s no fucking way I can let it go after what you did. What kind of man would I be? I’d be the pussy my kid is going to end up as if I let him stay here with you.”
Kelly slowly got to her feet and finally spoke up. “You need help, Don.”
He laughed again. “Ouch. Is that supposed to make me change my mind? You need help, Don,” he mocked in a falsetto voice.
“Do you hear yourself? The person I fell in love with used to be a good person. There’s no reason why you can’t get sober and turn things around. Get help with your anger. It’s not too late to fix this. We could have joint custody of Keegan. We could make it work.”
Don hurled the half empty bottle at the wall over Kelly’s head and it shattered. He slammed her against the wall and shoved the muzzle of the gun into her temple. “Don’t fucking patronize me you bitch!” He jammed the gun even harder into her head. Kelly gritted her teeth to keep from yelling out in pain. “I should blow your brains out all over the wall right now!”
Kelly brought her knee up as hard as she could, connecting with Don’s crotch. The pressure on her temple lessened as he flinched from the blow and she went for the gun with both hands. Don roared incoherently as Kelly squeezed his sore hand and tried to pry the revolver from his fingers.
The gun went off, surprising both of them as dust and plaster pieces rained down on them. Don backhanded Kelly, sending her into the kitchen table. He grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face into the surface, breaking her nose. Blood flowed onto the table. He started laughing hysterically.
“That’s right, baby. Show me what you got.” He leaned over her, tightening the grip on her hair and yanked the waistband of her sweatpants down. “You gonna act like a dog I’m gonna treat you like one.”
Kelly felt him fumbling with his fly and she screamed. She pushed off of the table with every ounce of strength she had and thrusted her right elbow back. It connected perfectly with the side of Don’s head and he let go of her hair.
She spun around and shoved him. Don stumbled back, lost his balance, and fell backwards over the coffee table. Kelly made a dash for the door as a shot rang out from behind her. Something stung in her in the back. She tried to reach behind her and brush it off with one hand as the other hand turned the doorknob. Almost there. Almost free.
Kelly’s legs buckled and she suddenly found herself on the kitchen floor, not remembering how she got there. A strange wheezing sound filled the room and it felt like somebody was standing on her. She couldn’t breathe. She put her hand on her chest and it came away with frothy red blood, full of bubbles.
So tired. Kelly’s hand flopped to the floor as Don loomed into view above her. She closed her eyes as the world around her slipped out of existence.
Chapter 27
Paul killed the headlights before he turned into Ed and Sue’s driveway. The house was dark and he knew from experience from his sleepovers as a kid what a light sleeper his aunt was. He slowly rolled past their house and kept the lights off as his Jeep rolled down hill toward Kelly’s cottage.
He’d been in the bathroom when she’d called. Even though she didn’t leave a message, Paul took it as a sign she wanted to talk. Unless it was an accidental butt dial, but even so, he had to give it another shot.
Paul had thought the nightmares were over. Sure, he’d get a bad dream from time to time like anybody else, but it had been months since anything closely related to the war haunted his sleep. During the day he could handle the random thoughts, the constant reminders of the horrors he’d seen and the friends he lost. The coping exercises he’d learned were one of the few useful things he’d picked up from his brief stint with the shrinks. Nightmares were different, though. They trapped you. Kept you in their world until they took mercy and let you wake up.
The dream at Kelly’s the other night was unlike any he’d ever experienced. So vivid. On some level he knew it wasn’t real
, most dreams are like that. But for a brief moment when he was fighting that insurgent to the death, the line between dream and reality had vanished.
Paul gripped the steering wheel and gritted his teeth, trying to keep the image from his mind. The look of terror in Kelly’s eyes as he practically chocked the life out of her. He was going to try once more to ask for forgiveness, but did he deserve it?
He sighed and shook his head as the cottage came into view. He’d have plenty of time to work that crap out on his own. For now he needed to concentrate on talking to Kelly. He needed to make things right, if not for their relationship, then at least to make sure she and Keegan were okay.
Even though he could see the driveway just fine in the full moon he decided to turn the headlights back on to alert his presence. Kelly didn’t need a dark vehicle creeping up to her house late at night. Paul reached for the headlight knob and paused.
His heartbeat ticked up a notch and he held his breath as he shifted the Jeep into neutral and slowly let roll to a stop. Something wasn’t right. It was an instinct he’d felt most of his life and one he learned to embrace and hone during his deployment.
It wasn’t foolproof, but many times during his time in country he’d sensed danger before it came. A strange buzzing, almost…tickling in the back of his head and a tightening in his chest. The moment before a surprise rocket attack. An IED fifty feet down the road. An ambush waiting to happen around the corner. The guys in his platoon joked about “Sergeant Horton’s Spidey Senses” on more than one occasion but they never doubted his uncanny ability to sense danger. It only failed him once and cost him his leg as the result.
Paul killed the engine a good thirty feet from the cottage and quietly open the door. He sat for a moment, absently rubbing his sore leg above the prosthetic. On the surface, everything seemed normal. Kelly’s truck was in the driveway and the lights in the house were on.