Despite what I’d been through, I slept surprisingly sound that night. If Jaycee had tried to wake me it would have taken the Jaws of Life for me to open my eyes. But she hadn’t tried to wake me and I didn’t find out why until later.
That night I had a dream, if one could consider what had happened a dream. If I could put a name on it I would have called it a revelation. Any other name wouldn’t have fit the scenario.
My bare feet were planted on the damp earth and I had a vague sense of my surroundings. The nearby corn husks were out of season as they lay limp against the chipped white fence. The wind sailed in their direction. The crops were so high I couldn’t see what lie straight ahead. I gazed up at the sky and could see that it was dusk. The sun was setting and I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing here.
That was when I heard the voice. Despite its familiarity, I couldn’t figure out whom it belonged. All I could distinguish was that the voice belonged to a young woman. She sounded strained as if she were terrified.
I followed the sound of her voice. I found out right away that it was unnaturally simple to maneuver my body. I thought that was odd but I ignored the feeling. I had to catch up to that voice and I had to hurry as the sky continued to grow dark with every minute that passed.
“Does your grandfather even know you’re staying here, Todd?” I heard her say.
At the mention of Todd’s name, I quickened my pace. If this woman was involved with Todd there was no doubt that she was in trouble. I brushed past the thick crop trying to find my way out. I could tell I was on a farm of some kind. I could swear that I even heard cattle in the distance.
I heard a low growl in response to the woman’s statement. I didn’t hear what he had said but I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was full of fury. I broke into a sprint, my surroundings becoming blurred.
When I broke out of the corn stalks I spotted an old barn in the distance. The barn appeared deserted, except for two people standing there having a heated discussion.
Todd was standing on the outside of the barn with a young woman with blue eyes and long dishwater blonde hair. As I approached, I realized that this woman was a younger version of FC. But what was she doing here with Todd? Didn’t she know that he would murder her if she didn’t get away from him?
As soon as I got close enough, I yelled. “Mom it’s me! Don’t go in there with him! He’ll kill you!” I frantically waved my arms in the air but neither she nor Todd acknowledged my presence.
My mom was standing just outside the barn while Todd towered over her. For some reason, she didn’t seem afraid but enraged. Her tiny fists were closed at her sides and her petite face was lit up with fury. I had never seen her look so angry.
Before she could say anything else, they scampered into the barn. While I knew they couldn’t see or hear me, I decided to follow them. Once inside, I took in the scent of mildew among the walls. Todd lit a lantern that was hanging in the corner of the room.
“I know your secret,” FC spat at him. “Don’t think you can hide anything from me.” Her face was so red that I was surprised she hadn’t popped a blood vessel.
Todd appeared unaffected by her statement. “Oh really? What do you think you know about me?” He seemed amused.
“I know what you plan to do to her,” FC admitted. “And I’m not going to let you kill her.”
He chuckled. “And just how do you plan to stop me?”
Her enraged gaze faltered before she recomposed herself. “She’s not Pamela anymore. You can’t force her to be someone she’s not.”
Todd’s amusement dissolved. FC’s statement seemed to strike a nerve in him because his delight soon turned into sheer hatred. “Don’t you understand? She didn’t want to die that night. It’s my father’s fault. He sent her out for groceries even though he knew she was high. He knows you can’t drive when you smoke that stuff.”
“How do you know it wasn’t an accident?” she asked.
“I saw it happen. I went back and watched the whole thing. He lied to me.”
His expression resembled a wild animal ready to strike at his prey. Although I knew I was invisible to him, I took a few steps backward.
“And if you don’t stay out of this, you‘ll be sorry,” he threatened.
“I can’t do that when someone’s life is at stake,” she said.
“But what if I killed you too?”
The two of us gasped in unison. His tone was so casual that one would assume that he was kidding. But both of us knew him better than that.
He turned away from her and reached for a thick piece of wood that had been lying on the barn floor. Under that, lay a book of matches.
“I was waiting for a special occasion, but I think this is a better time.” He struck the match against the barn wall and stretched his arm toward a bale of hay that lay in a large pile in a corner. “Don’t make me do it!” His eyes glittered with hatred.
“No, Todd please. You can’t do this.”
“I have to. She’s my mother.”
“Please!”
Her desperate attempts to stop him made him sneer. “Are you going to get in the way?” he asked.
Her apprehensive gaze shifted from his face to the match in his outstretched hand. She remained silent.
The match slipped further from his fingers as he bore his blazing brown eyes into her. In seconds the whole barn was going to be up in flames.
“Okay,” she relented. “I won’t do anything. Please stop.” By then she was sobbing.
At the last second, he blew out the match before the flame reached his fingertips. Within seconds, the fire of hatred in his eyes went out and he grinned at her. “Well, then if you still want to catch that movie we have just enough time to get there.”
I gaped at him. Was this guy for real? First he threatens her life and then he asks her out on a date. The nerve of him! I screamed curse words at him even though I knew he couldn’t hear me.
FC just stood there for a second, the fear still saturated in her eyes. For a second, I thought she was going to tell him off but instead she pasted on a tight smile. “Okay,” she said.
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why didn’t she just break up with him? I couldn’t bear to witness anymore of this scene but then something caught my eye as Todd reached for his jacket. Something shiny had fallen out of his pocket but he hadn’t noticed.
To my astonishment, FC had noticed and she hung back while he strolled outside. When she was sure he wasn’t looking, she bent down and picked up the shiny object. I got closer to see what it was. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what lay in FC’s small palm.
It was the ring.
That night I had a dream, if one could consider what had happened a dream. If I could put a name on it I would have called it a revelation. Any other name wouldn’t have fit the scenario.
My bare feet were planted on the damp earth and I had a vague sense of my surroundings. The nearby corn husks were out of season as they lay limp against the chipped white fence. The wind sailed in their direction. The crops were so high I couldn’t see what lie straight ahead. I gazed up at the sky and could see that it was dusk. The sun was setting and I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing here.
That was when I heard the voice. Despite its familiarity, I couldn’t figure out whom it belonged. All I could distinguish was that the voice belonged to a young woman. She sounded strained as if she were terrified.
I followed the sound of her voice. I found out right away that it was unnaturally simple to maneuver my body. I thought that was odd but I ignored the feeling. I had to catch up to that voice and I had to hurry as the sky continued to grow dark with every minute that passed.
“Does your grandfather even know you’re staying here, Todd?” I heard her say.
At the mention of Todd’s name, I quickened my pace. If this woman was involved with Todd there was no doubt that she was in trouble. I brushed past the thick crop trying to find my way out. I could tell I was on a farm of some kind. I could swear that I even heard cattle in the distance.
I heard a low growl in response to the woman’s statement. I didn’t hear what he had said but I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was full of fury. I broke into a sprint, my surroundings becoming blurred.
When I broke out of the corn stalks I spotted an old barn in the distance. The barn appeared deserted, except for two people standing there having a heated discussion.
Todd was standing on the outside of the barn with a young woman with blue eyes and long dishwater blonde hair. As I approached, I realized that this woman was a younger version of FC. But what was she doing here with Todd? Didn’t she know that he would murder her if she didn’t get away from him?
As soon as I got close enough, I yelled. “Mom it’s me! Don’t go in there with him! He’ll kill you!” I frantically waved my arms in the air but neither she nor Todd acknowledged my presence.
My mom was standing just outside the barn while Todd towered over her. For some reason, she didn’t seem afraid but enraged. Her tiny fists were closed at her sides and her petite face was lit up with fury. I had never seen her look so angry.
Before she could say anything else, they scampered into the barn. While I knew they couldn’t see or hear me, I decided to follow them. Once inside, I took in the scent of mildew among the walls. Todd lit a lantern that was hanging in the corner of the room.
“I know your secret,” FC spat at him. “Don’t think you can hide anything from me.” Her face was so red that I was surprised she hadn’t popped a blood vessel.
Todd appeared unaffected by her statement. “Oh really? What do you think you know about me?” He seemed amused.
“I know what you plan to do to her,” FC admitted. “And I’m not going to let you kill her.”
He chuckled. “And just how do you plan to stop me?”
Her enraged gaze faltered before she recomposed herself. “She’s not Pamela anymore. You can’t force her to be someone she’s not.”
Todd’s amusement dissolved. FC’s statement seemed to strike a nerve in him because his delight soon turned into sheer hatred. “Don’t you understand? She didn’t want to die that night. It’s my father’s fault. He sent her out for groceries even though he knew she was high. He knows you can’t drive when you smoke that stuff.”
“How do you know it wasn’t an accident?” she asked.
“I saw it happen. I went back and watched the whole thing. He lied to me.”
His expression resembled a wild animal ready to strike at his prey. Although I knew I was invisible to him, I took a few steps backward.
“And if you don’t stay out of this, you‘ll be sorry,” he threatened.
“I can’t do that when someone’s life is at stake,” she said.
“But what if I killed you too?”
The two of us gasped in unison. His tone was so casual that one would assume that he was kidding. But both of us knew him better than that.
He turned away from her and reached for a thick piece of wood that had been lying on the barn floor. Under that, lay a book of matches.
“I was waiting for a special occasion, but I think this is a better time.” He struck the match against the barn wall and stretched his arm toward a bale of hay that lay in a large pile in a corner. “Don’t make me do it!” His eyes glittered with hatred.
“No, Todd please. You can’t do this.”
“I have to. She’s my mother.”
“Please!”
Her desperate attempts to stop him made him sneer. “Are you going to get in the way?” he asked.
Her apprehensive gaze shifted from his face to the match in his outstretched hand. She remained silent.
The match slipped further from his fingers as he bore his blazing brown eyes into her. In seconds the whole barn was going to be up in flames.
“Okay,” she relented. “I won’t do anything. Please stop.” By then she was sobbing.
At the last second, he blew out the match before the flame reached his fingertips. Within seconds, the fire of hatred in his eyes went out and he grinned at her. “Well, then if you still want to catch that movie we have just enough time to get there.”
I gaped at him. Was this guy for real? First he threatens her life and then he asks her out on a date. The nerve of him! I screamed curse words at him even though I knew he couldn’t hear me.
FC just stood there for a second, the fear still saturated in her eyes. For a second, I thought she was going to tell him off but instead she pasted on a tight smile. “Okay,” she said.
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why didn’t she just break up with him? I couldn’t bear to witness anymore of this scene but then something caught my eye as Todd reached for his jacket. Something shiny had fallen out of his pocket but he hadn’t noticed.
To my astonishment, FC had noticed and she hung back while he strolled outside. When she was sure he wasn’t looking, she bent down and picked up the shiny object. I got closer to see what it was. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what lay in FC’s small palm.
It was the ring.