Chapter22 Back to the Present

Martin's abruptly startled out of his sleep by Beth's screams, and jumps up; wrapping his arms around her. "Beth, Hon, what's wrong?" He feels her trembling in his arms; and, holds on a little tighter. "Beth; what happened?" Beth's gasping heavily, trying to catch her breath as she clenches her hand over her chest; feeling her heart racing. She's sweating profusely; and, is unable to speak at this moment. Martin's still holding her. Her heart rate starts slowing down; with breathing becoming easier for her. Beth's stopped sweating; and, she's not trembling as hard. Beth can speak now. "My God, Martin; it was awful." "What was awful?" "What he did to them. Oh my God." "What who did to who?" "The killer…what he did to those poor people…the Howells." "Beth, what are you talking about?" "Martin; he ripped them to pieces." "What?" Beth‘s getting angry. "Martin, listen to me! I'm telling you, the killer tore Mary's parents apart in this house! Downstairs…in their bedroom. I saw it!" "What do you mean you saw it? Beth, you just had a bad dream." Beth gets out of bed letting out a huff in frustration while grabbing her hair behind her head; and, pulls it back as she looks up at the ceiling. "Damn it, Martin, it wasn't a bad dream; it was real! I've just seen it!" "Beth, the Howells were killed back in 1961; how could you've just seen it? It's not possible. You've probably just been obsessing over the killings so much that you're starting to envision what you think happened here. It's perfectly understandable." Beth pulls back on her hair again while looking up at the ceiling, as she lets out a short laugh. "Oh God, Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin; you just don't get it. Perfectly understandable? What's perfectly understandable, Martin?" "Beth…" "No…this wasn't a dream. Chelsea somehow brought me back in time to the murder scene." "Back in time…to the murder scene?" "Yes…back to that night. Oh wait, you don't believe me; right? This is just something I'm ‘envisioning'…dreaming; right, Martin?" "No…I suppose anything can be possible in this house. I'm sorry; I just thought maybe you were just dreaming about what you read in the articles." "The articles never mentioned anything about their body parts being thrown all over the bedroom." Martin goes over and wraps his arms around Beth from behind; kissing the side of her head. "Beth, I know you say you need to know what's going on; but, do you think it's a good idea to stay here? I mean; don't you think it might be dangerous for us…for Anna?" "Anna. Oh God. I forgot about Anna." Beth unwraps Martin's arms from around her waist and rushes towards the door. "Where you going?" "I have to check on Anna." She hurries down the hall to Anna's room. The room's dark, with only the glow from a night light next to Anna's bed illuminating a very small area. Beth hears Anna rocking back and forth in her rocking chair. Anna's rocking chair is in the far corner of the bedroom, facing the wall. The chair's slowly rocking back and forth. Beth can make out the top of her head…protruding slightly above the back of the chair…and, her small hands resting on the arms of the chair, with her fingers curled around the ends of them. Beth softly whispers across the room, "Anna, Sweetie, can we talk?" There's no answer, so Beth speaks out to her again…a little louder this time…"Anna, Sweetie, I'm talking to you." "Anna's not here, Beth." Mary answers from the chair. Beth, more worried for Anna than frightened by Mary, runs to the chair and swings it around. She now sees Mary for the first time. Mary looks like a typical six-year-old little girl; with brown curly hair sporting short cut bangs, big brown round eyes, a little button nose, puffy cheeks, and a dimple in her chin. And, although she possesses an almost angelic profile; her aura's anything but. "Where's Anna, Mary?" "Around." She gives Beth an impish, little smile. Beth grasps each arm of the rocking chair, and leans in towards Mary, "Where's my daughter?!" "She's fine, Beth…for now." Still holding onto the arms of the chair, Beth drops down on one knee and pulls the chair closer; putting her face within inches of Mary's. "What do you mean she's fine for now? Where is she? What did you do to her?!" Mary pushes Beth back, jumps up, and runs to the door. She stops, turns around, and yells at Beth. "Me? I didn't do anything to Anna, Beth! She's my friend! I didn't do anything to her! You…you did it, Beth! Not me!" "Did what? What happened to Anna?" "Nothing, Beth…yet." "What's that supposed to mean, Mary…yet?" "Yet means yet, Beth." "Damn it, Mary!" "Don't swear, Beth. It's not nice to swear; remember?...You really should be more careful about the company you keep, Beth." Raising her voice, "Mary, tell me what's happening!" "Don't take that tone with me, Beth. I told you not to go in that room. I warned you. You didn't listen. I was trying to help you and your family, but, you didn't listen. Now you made him mad. Whatever happens is going to be your fault, Beth. Yours and Chelsea's…not mine!" Beth walks over towards Mary. "Who's mad, Mary?" "You know who, Beth." A chill shoots up Beth's spine from Mary's next statement. "And you saw what he does, Beth. I know Chelsea showed you." Beth drops to her knees in front of her. "Mary; please tell me what's going on." Mary looks out the door into the hallway, and then, turns back to Beth; smugly saying, "Why should I tell you anything? You wouldn't believe me anyway. I'm a liar…right, Beth?" "Mary, please; tell me." "Tell you? I told you not to go in that room; but, you did. I told you Delilah was killed and buried at the old Johnston farm; but, you don't believe…" "Mary, I told you; Delilah's alive. She's working at the diner…I saw her there with my own eyes." "I know; Anna saw her there, too. Well, Beth, here's the thing…I saw them bury her with my own eyes." "How, Mary; how did you see them? Anna told me you said that you couldn't leave this place. So, how were you able to see them bury Delilah out at the old Johnston farm?" Mary looks out into the hallway again; then, turns back to Beth. "Anna told you I said that; huh?" "Yes, Mary; she told me." "Well, I guess that complicates things; doesn't it, Beth? Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact the Delilah's dead and buried. You're a smart woman, Beth; I'm sure if you do some more of your investigating, you'll come to realize that I wasn't lying about that. But, be careful who you go to. Have Sheriff Faulkner check it out for you. But, I wouldn't go to his deputy…he helped bury the body." "What?" "That's right, Beth. He brought the body there in the trunk of his patrol car." "Who?" "Ask the sheriff for his help, Beth." "You're not going to tell me which deputy it was; are you, Mary?" Mary remains silent, standing smiling at Beth. Beth smiles back and says… "Okay then, Mary; tell me this…where were you that night?" Still smiling. "What night, Beth?" "The night your parents were killed?" The smile leaves Mary's face. Beth asks, "Where was your body? I saw your parents' bodies in their room; but, I didn't see your body? Why's that?" Mary remains quiet as she walks past Beth and goes to the window. Gazing out with her back to Beth, she replies, "Who said I was killed in the house, Beth?" Mary turns and looks at Beth. Beth walks over to the window; and, Mary moves off to the left, so Beth can look outside. She sees Anna waving to her…in front of the now standing barn. Beth gasps, quickly bringing one hand in front of her mouth while, at the same time, using the other to wave back to Anna. Beth steps back from the window and looks around the room. Mary's gone.