Abandoned Souls

by Marianne Spitzer

  #####

  Without leaves on the trees, the sunlight shone onto Marilyn’s closed eyes waking her to a new day. She was chilled, but not cold. Her bed of leaves insulated her from the cold ground. Looking up, she could see the sunrise. Knowing the sun rose over the town, she calculated that if she kept the sun at a ninety degree angle as she walked, she should find her way back to town.

  Marilyn shook the leaves from her pillow case, ate another donut and a small bag of pretzels hoping they would give her strength, drank a bottle of water, and headed out on her day’s journey.

  #####

  Shuland watched the morning news. The news reporter didn’t mention Marilyn. Perhaps she had been found, and the sheriff was holding back the news. He’d find out. Donning a dark brown jogging suit, he headed toward the cabin. As he turned onto the road leading to the cabin, he decided to park in the parking area leading to the jogging trail and picnic area of Carroll Park. It was only a mile walk to the cabin. There were three empty cars in the lot, but none of them were sheriff or police vehicles.

  Shuland began his trek to the cabin watching for sheriff deputies or vehicles. If he saw any, he could slip into the woods and hopefully blend into the trees.

  Out of breath from mumbling and cursing the entire way, Shuland made it to the cabin. He checked to be sure she hadn’t returned to hide or look for something. Satisfied Marilyn hadn’t been there; he walked around the cabin trying to assess the situation and discover which way she ran. Unable to determine which way she went, he entered the woods close to where Marilyn had entered.

  He walked a block or two, and the turned and walked to the edge of the trees and tried another spot. He didn’t discover any tracks or leads to give him an idea which way she ran. Noticing the sun would soon set; he headed back toward the park and his car.

  #####

  Marilyn noticed the sun was midway between high noon and setting. She felt the wind shift knowing the wind from the north would bring a cold night. When she saw a few flurries, she felt her anxiety turn to panic. “I don’t want to die in the middle of the woods from hypothermia.” Her fear pushed her forward. Cresting a small hill she saw the roof in the distance. It was a large roof with a turret on one end.

  “Where am I?” Foreboding swept over her as she realized where she was, and the house in front of her was the Carnfelder mansion.

  Marilyn stopped and stared at the mansion. A few feet of trees and a driveway separated her from the property. Knowing it was empty gave her a bit of hope. When she and Kellie had driven past the previous week, Kellie said she couldn’t sense any evil or spirits. The ghost Marilyn had seen in her rearview camera was there to watch over Andrew. Not seeing her doll near the house, she hoped Andrew wasn’t there.

  Taking a deep breath she decided facing an evil spirit would be easier than dealing with Shuland. Marilyn could spend the night indoors and then walk to the highway in the morning. At least she knew where she was and no longer felt lost. Clearing the trees, she ran across the drive to the house.

  She ran up the front steps and turned the knob. It was locked, and no amount of shaking the door would open it. There were several doors leading into the mansion from attractive side doors to a large back door. She found a set of French doors and two utility doors leading to the basement locked tight with a padlock. It appeared new. Turning around, she decided she would have to settle for the out buildings. She was sure she could break into one of them.

  She found the garage unlocked and that it held a new black SUV. Could it belong to a caretaker or had a car thief hid it there? Marilyn didn’t wait to find out. She left the garage and ran to one of the outbuildings. The flurries had turned to snow showers, and she was cold. She gained access to the barn. It was dusty and appeared unused. She noticed hay in the hayloft and climbed the ladder.

  A few mice scurried away when she stepped onto the loft, but the hay was dry. She pushed a mound of hay together in the middle of the loft and emptied her pillow case of the balance of her food and water. She ate and drank her fill. Hay made a wonderful filling for her pillow, and she lay down. Marilyn was beginning to drift off to sleep when she heard a car pull up. She crawled to the wall where there was a small opening and peeked out. She caught her breath when she saw Shuland walk out of the garage and head for the house.

  “What do I do now?” she murmured. “He’s in the house. I’m too tired and cold to make it to the highway.” She lay back down hoping he wouldn’t enter the barn and drifted off to sleep.

  The sun was up when Marilyn heard a car start. She crawled to a small opening and saw Shuland leave in the SUV. Breathing a sigh of relief, she filled her pillowcase, hurried down the ladder, and headed toward the drive that would take her to freedom. She would walk close to the tree line in case she heard a vehicle and ate potato chips and corn chips for breakfast.

  #####

  Shuland pulled out of the garage and drove past the barn toward the house. He drove along the side of the house headed toward the driveway when he realized he had forgotten the extra clip for his gun. He stopped in front of the house and ran up the front stairs. As he came out of the house, he spotted Marilyn hurrying toward the trees near the side drive. She didn’t see him.

  Shuland raced across the yard and drive to catch up with Marilyn as she began to run into the woods. Yanking her by the arm, he growled, “Not so fast girlie, you’re coming with me.”

  Marilyn screamed, but Shuland’s fist was faster, and Marilyn’s world turned black. When she opened her eyes again, she was still in the dark. Feeling around her, she felt only walls and thought she was in a closet.

  “Think, Marilyn think. You have to attack him as soon as he opens the door,” she murmured. “Please God let him come back alone. If he comes back with the other man, I’ll never get out.”

  #####

  Shuland sat on a chair in what once served as the parlor of the house and poured himself a double from the bottle of whiskey sitting on the floor. Not believing his luck, he was debating what to do with the girl. She had been missing for nearly a week. Her family and friends had to be frantic. Was that enough time to suffer? He’d wait one more day to decide. She could stay in the closet.

  “After all,” he said, “she’s more comfortable now than she’ll be when I bury her alive in the woods.” He laughed out loud and downed his drink. He poured another.

  The second drink gave Shuland courage and increased hatred. He wouldn’t wait for tomorrow. The girl would die that afternoon.

  Marilyn heard the lock turn in the door and stood to face her attacker. She would use her fists to fight. They were the only weapon she had. When the door opened, Shuland’s body filled the frame. She was ready to fight when she saw his gun. Her hands dropped to her sides.

  Shuland glared at her. “Put your hands in front of you and cross your wrists.” When she had done what he told her he bound her wrists with duct tape. “Okay,” He yanked her out of the closet, “let’s go.”

  He pushed her toward the back door, down the steps, and headed her toward the woods. She looked around. There was no one or nothing to help her. When he picked up a shovel leaning against the house, Marilyn knew this would be her last walk. She dropped her head and walked the way he directed.

  Marilyn guessed they had walked close to an hour when they came to a small clearing. Shuland pushed from behind knocking her to the ground. “Sit and don’t move,” he yelled at her.

  He began digging a shallow hole. Marilyn knew it was her grave. She felt panic tighten in her chest, and tears stung her eyes. She fought both. I refuse to give him the satisfaction, she thought. If I’m going to die, I’m going to do it with dignity.

  #####

  Kellie’s cell rang. It was Claudia. Before she could say hello, Claudia’s voice came through the phone. “Do you know someone named Tully?”

  “No, why?” Kellie bit her lip. “Is it about Marilyn?”

  “Yes and no. Tully’s dead, but he was killed by Marilyn’s
kidnapper. He’s refusing to go into the light and has vowed revenge. The spirits tell me Tully is not the only one looking for the kidnapper. Marilyn’s grandfather’s spirit is after the kidnapper.”

  Kellie sat down. “More spirits? Is there something I can do?”

  “Wait, if I hear more, I’ll call. Have hope. They may be able to find her before her kidnapper kills her.” Claudia broke the call leaving Kellie to stare at her phone again.

  “Why does she do that to me?” Kellie wondered as she dialed Taylor’s number to share the news.

  #####

  Shuland had finished digging a hole slightly longer than Marilyn was tall and just about the right width. He managed to dig approximately two feet down. Further than Marilyn expected.

  “How do you like your new home?” As Marilyn stared at the hole she never saw his fist swing toward her face. When it connected, her world went dark again.

  Light flickered in front of Marilyn’s eyes as she tried to open then, and then they closed again. It was hard to breathe, and her head hurt. When her eyes focused she saw Shuland sitting next to her shallow grave, but she was in the grave. He had covered her up to her neck with dirt, and she couldn’t move.

  “Comfy?” His laughter echoed in the woods and caused her more fear than had already consumed her. “Now the fun begins.” He dropped handfuls of dirt around her head until she couldn’t move it at all.

  This time she couldn’t stop the tears. Gasping for air was difficult with the weight of the dirt on her body. Her heart thundered in her chest and echoed in her ears.

  “Don’t try and fight it, it’ll be over soon.” He pulled out a small cloth from his pocket. “This is for your face. I don’t want dirt to clog your nose or throat and have you die too soon.” He laughed again.

  Marilyn began to pray what was to be her last prayer when she heard a familiar voice say, “Uncover Marilyn now.” She was hallucinating. It was her grandpa’s voice, but he was dead.

  The voice repeated the command and Marilyn tried to see who was talking. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her grandpa. His semi-solid shape floated above the ground. She tried to scream thinking she was already dead.

  Her grandpa’s voice rose in volume, and he aimed his rifle at Shuland. “Uncover her or I’ll kill you.”

  Shuland laughed. “Yea, right. You’re going to kill me with a ghost rifle. Go away.”

  Grandpa fired a bullet that Shuland felt whiz right past his ear.

  “Okay, okay.” He began to scoop the dirt off Marilyn’s chest and legs. Then he removed the tape from her wrists and helped her sit. “Satisfied old man?”

  “Not quite.” One more bullet left the rifle and hit Shuland directly in his heart. His jaw dropped, and he stood for a moment before he collapsed.

  Marilyn looked up at her grandpa and said, “How is this possible? Is it you, Grandpa?”

  “Yup, honey. I stayed around to watch Aggie after I died and when she died I stayed around to watch over your mom and you. Get up and head toward the big house. People are looking for you. They will have heard the gunshots and be coming this way.” He began to fade in front of her eyes.

  “I love you, Grandpa.” Marilyn shouted at the spot where her grandfather had stood.

  She heard him whisper in her ear, “I love you, too.”

  She glanced at Shuland’s body, climbed out of what was meant to be her grave, and walked the best she could back the way she had come.

  She was half-way back to the house when she saw a group of search volunteers ahead of her. She yelled and waved her arms. In moments, she was safe and helped back to the drive and waiting vehicles. She had decided to tell them she was rescued by a stranger, but she needed to speak to Kellie and tell her about her grandpa.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kellie couldn’t answer fast enough when she saw Claudia’s name on the Caller ID. “Yes, what’s going on?”

  “She’s safe. Her grandfather’s spirit found her before a man named Shuland could kill her. The grandfather shot him. Shuland is dead, and the volunteers have found her. She’ll be fine, but she’ll need you to help her understand about the spirits.”

  “Thank goodness. What do I tell her?”

  “The truth. She knows part of it, but she has no idea Tully is dead. That will bring her some feeling of safety. Tully helped her grandfather. The important thing is that she’s safe.”

  “Thanks, Claudia.” Kellie called Taylor, relayed the good news, slipped her phone into her pocket, and headed upstairs to pack a bag and see Marilyn. She knew Marilyn would need more help than doctors and family could give her.

  #####

  Marilyn sat on the front steps of the Carnfelder mansion and spoke to the sheriff. “I’m not sure where I was being held. I heard them say it was in the next county, and I think it was a hunting cabin. It was rustic. I don’t think it is too far. The night I was taken the drive wasn’t long, and I found this place after walking for two days, but I’m sure it wasn’t a straight path.”

  The sheriff nodded and wrote in his notebook. “Did you recognize any landmarks that could lead us to where they held you?”

  “I was in the trunk on the ride there and once we arrived all I saw was the cabin and woods. When I escaped, I didn’t see anything different. I ran through the woods until I found the mansion. It all looked the same.” She exhaled deeply and dropped her head into her hands that were being supported by her knees. She looked up when she heard the siren.

  “That would be the ambulance,” the sheriff said. “Your parents will meet us at the hospital.”

  Marilyn nodded as the ambulance pulled up; two EMTs jumped out and began to assist her.

  #####

  Trying to convince the EMTs that she was fine did Marilyn little good. She glared at the young woman who slipped the IV needle in her arm. “I don’t need that.”

  “Trust me, you were kidnapped and then spent two nights in the woods. You need fluids and nourishment. Relax. You’re in good hands.” She smiled at Marilyn as the ambulance drove down the road and headed for the hospital.

  “I still say I don’t need it. They fed me well, and I had a lot of water to drink. I took water and food with me when I went into the woods. I just want to go home.” She jerked her arm away from the EMT and closed her eyes.

  Marilyn was silently counting in her head. It was a strategy she taught herself when she would fight panic. She hated hospitals. Being strapped to a gurney in the back of the ambulance did nothing to make her feel at ease. Being with good people or not, she felt trapped.

  “Are we almost there? I hate being strapped down by anyone.” Marilyn’s eyes pleaded with the EMT.

  “I understand. I wouldn’t like it either. Hang on dear, we’re almost there.” She took Marilyn’s hand, and Marilyn closed her eyes again.

  #####

  Mr. and Mrs. Price were waiting in the emergency department when the ambulance arrived. The EMT had radioed ahead letting the hospital know of Marilyn’s panic and anxiety. Anxiety medication injected in her IV did little to calm her.

  Once they removed the restraints from the ambulance gurney, Marilyn began to relax, and the medication helped calm her. She felt sleepy when they gave her a head CT scan although she insisted she was okay. Her nurse explained she might have a concussion after being hit and knocked unconscious twice. She was still insisting she was fine when they wheeled her into an exam room.

  Her parents were ushered into the room as soon as the doctor arrived to help ease Marilyn’s mind. She smiled at her parents and tried to reassure them she was fine. The look on her mother’s face was more worrisome than being kidnapped.

  “Mom, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. One of the kidnappers left me alone, and I escaped. The other one was Clifford Shuland’s brother looking for revenge of some sort. Grandpa was there and shot him, and I got away from him. Don’t look at me that way, Mom. Grandpa said he didn’t want to leave grandma alone and watched over her until she died. Since then he’s
been watching you. I was lost in the woods, and he came to look for me. He found me and shot Shuland before he had a chance to bury me alive.”

  Marilyn’s eyes began to feel heavy, and a poster on the wall seemed to float. She tried to move her arms, but they were too heavy. “What did you give me? You can’t drug me. You don’t have the right. Let me go home….” Her words drifted off as the medication took effect.

  Mrs. Price said, “What’s wrong with her? She’s delirious. She thinks she saw my deceased father for goodness sake. What happened to her?”

  “Nothing physical, I can assure you. Her CT scan is clear. She’s uninjured. She told the EMT that she was well fed and when she escaped she took enough food and water with her. She’s not dehydrated. Marilyn began having a panic attack in the ambulance on the way here. Something happened in the woods. Her kidnapper found her, and she couldn’t escape a second time. Her fear was most likely overwhelming, and she saw someone, perhaps another hunter or a member of the search party. In her panic, she thought her grandpa saved her because she would feel safe with him. She said she had a few nightmares recently.”

  Mrs. Price listened to every word and replied, “Yes, she had some nightmares and a near break-in at her home. Would that make her believe she saw my father?”

  “It’s possible. I’d like one of our psychiatrists to speak with her before we release her. As I said, fear can cause a lot of strange emotions and physical responses. I think that’s all it is. She was traumatized. Give her time to recover. I’ll check on her later and put in the request for a consult.” He smiled and hurried out of the room.

  Mr. Price walked next to Marilyn’s bed and looked at his daughter. “Most people never get kidnapped. She’s been kidnapped twice. Both times it was a Shuland. No wonder she is as traumatized as she is, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she said Santa and the Easter Bunny saved her. Why did they single her out? The sheriff believed the first Shuland killed the boys. We’re blessed she’s still with us. Maybe your dad did save her. I don’t understand any of this.” He dropped into a chair, leaned his elbows on his knees, and dropped his head into his hands.