Chapter95 A Resolution Needed

"No way, Cindy! I'm not letting her go back out to that damn barn!" "Beth, look…" Beth abruptly interrupts Cindy, "No fucking way, Cindy! It's not going to happen. I'm not sending my baby back out there!" Beth starts crying, then stops; and continues, "I just got my baby back, Cindy. I thank God I got her back. I'm not going to risk losing her again…I won't be able to handle it, Cindy. No; she's not going, Cindy." There's a moment of hesitation on her part before trying to explain to Beth the need for Anna to take them into the barn. "Beth, we have to get Chelsea and Tommy to confront each other before the eighteenth. The only way I see that happening is to dig up his and Mary's remains; and, hope that by seeing them jolts his state of mind into becoming Tommy long enough for Chelsea to have a chance to finally meet up with him. Anna's the only one that can get us into the barn." "I don't care, Cindy; she's not going back to the barn." "Beth, we have to…" "She's not going! I won't let you take her! It'll be over my dead body!" There's a brief pause in their conversation before Cindy tells her, "That's just it, Beth; if you don't let Anna help us into the barn, it will come down to your dead body… and Martin's…and Anna's. Beth…plain and simple…Tommy's going to kill all of you unless we can stop him before the eighteenth." Beth looks at Cindy for a moment; then, goes out the back door. She sits on the porch…her legs bent and knees brought in to her chest; her arms wrapped around her legs, with chin resting on her knees…rhythmically rocking back and forth. Tears run down her face as she softly sobs. Cindy goes out back and joins Beth. Beth watches Cindy sit down beside her; then, looks back at the barn. Cindy also looks at the barn; neither saying a word to the other. A few minutes go by before Beth mutters, "I just want this to be over." Cindy faces Beth while reassuring her, "It will, Beth…as soon as Chelsea and Tommy resolve their issues." Beth tilts her head forward, shaking it side to side, laughing, "Resolve their issues …what issues, Cindy? You keep telling us they have to ‘resolve their issues'. What issues?" Cindy replies, "Beth; Tommy killed Chelsea with a hammer. Don't you…" Beth cuts off Cindy, "Revenge? Is that what this is all about…revenge? An eye for an eye? What?" "Revenge and love are probably the two most influential and powerful forces that drive the human spirit, Beth. So, yeah; I'd say it's a safe bet to say that this is about revenge." "Then, it should be between the two of them…why don't they just leave us alone, Cindy?!" "Beth, whether you like or not; they are your family. Chelsea needs your help to get to Tommy." Beth's silent before telling Cindy, "You know what…fuck her! Fuck her; and, fuck him! Fuck the both of them! Just fuck them!" "And; fuck Anna too, Beth? Because that's what you're doing if you don't help Chelsea find Tommy." "Bullshit! I'll tell you what Cindy; I think Martin and I are just going to take Anna away from this place. As far as this house is concerned…fuck it, too! They could have it! Let them stay as long as they want and work out their own differences by themselves. I'm through with all this!" "It's not going to happen, Beth; and, you know that. You can't leave this behind you." "Oh no? Watch me. Like I said; at this point, I really couldn't give a damn about this house. I'm more than willing to eat the ninety-five thousand we paid for it just to get the hell away." "Sure, Beth; you can physically leave this place…but, you can't leave what's happening behind." "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about Chelsea, Beth; she's waited nearly eighty years for the opportunity to confront her brother. This is the closest she's ever been to Tommy; because of you and Anna. Do you really think she's just going to let this go? You think she'll just let you go and forget about settling up with Tommy? Beth; Chelsea will go wherever you and Anna go from now on. She'll be with the two of you until she can put this issue to rest between her and Tommy. And, I also think it's a safe bet to say that wherever Chelsea goes; it wouldn't be long before Tommy decides to follow." Beth stands, walks to the end of the porch, looks briefly at the barn; then, turns to Cindy. "I thought you said Tommy's trying to avoid confronting Chelsea?" "He is." "Then, if we leave here…and, Chelsea follows us like you say…why would Tommy come along? I mean, Chelsea would be gone; so, he wouldn't have to put on this big charade of his to avoid her. I don't get it." Cindy walks over and stands besides Beth. "I know; it's a little complicated, Beth. Let's see; what's a good way to put this. I know…did you ever watch any of those Superman or Batman movies?" Beth looks at Cindy as if she's gone off the deep end. "What are you talking about?" Cindy lets out a little chuckle and tells her, "Okay…hold on and bear with me a little longer…let me explain. Remember how Superman was always going up against Lex Luther; while Batman had to deal with the Penguin, or the Joker?" Beth nods; and, Cindy continues, "They were their arch-enemies…their evil counter-parts that they had to fight…their threats. Chelsea is Tommy's arch-enemy." Beth interrupts, "Hold on; isn't Tommy the evil one here?" "Yeah." "Then, wouldn't that make him Chelsea's arch-enemy; instead of her his?" Cindy grabs the sides of Beth's shoulders and huffs, "Beth…Shh…you're letting yourself get caught up in semantics…forget about who's the evil one. The fact remains, Chelsea's a threat to Tommy; she always has been. That's why he killed her when they were kids. And; that's why…even though they're both spirits now…he still finds it necessary to hide from her." "But; why's he so intimidated by her?" "I don't know. According to what Ruby told my Uncle Mike; Tommy was always inherently evil. Maybe, Chelsea was so good, or pure; that Tommy couldn't take that chance of having her around. Maybe he thought she'd stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Maybe, in Tommy's mind, they couldn't co-exist together in life; so, he killed her. And, now that they're both dead…their spirits are condemned to limbo until their issues are resolved. Maybe; Tommy feels that their souls still can't co-exist together. Maybe he's worried that she'll stop him this time from doing what he wants to do. So, as long as Chelsea's spirit exists; maybe, Tommy can't do what he really wants to. Maybe, Tommy needs to get rid of Chelsea for good. Not just away from this house; but, out of our world." "That's a lot of ‘maybes', Cindy." "I know. But, I will tell you this…until they confront each other…their spirits will be stuck here. And, the longer they're here, the more restless they'll become; not to mention the more malevolent and dangerous to the living. And…unfortunately for you and your family, Beth…until their issues are resolved; it won't be over for any of you either." "And; by finding their remains…you think that's going to coax Tommy into becoming himself? And then, Chelsea will show up and do her thing?" Cindy gives Beth a little smile as she shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe." Beth gives her a little smile back; shaking her head side to side. "Alright; you win, Cindy. Let's go get Anna. God help us."