“That’s so creepy.” Jacker had moved forward to the edge of his seat and was listening to Alma intently.
“It was like my brother was born and died all at the same time. I experienced the emotions of having a sibling all at once. After that, I told my mother everything I could remember about our trips to Widowsfield.” Alma sadly shook her head and stared at her mother’s ring. “It wasn’t long after that,” Alma closed her eyes and forced herself to finish the sentence, “she killed herself.”
“Oh crap, Alma,” said Jacker. “I’m so sorry.” The big man seemed uncomfortable and uncertain how to respond. “I know we just met, but can I give you a hug? I feel like you need a big bear hug.”
Alma laughed as her eyes filled with tears. Then she nodded and stood up to accept Jacker’s kindness. He wrapped his arms around her and she tried to do the same to him, although he was too big for her hands to touch behind his back. He started with a soft hug, but then lifted her off the ground and squeezed her in a tight embrace. “You’ve got Paul to take care of you, kid. And I know how much you mean to him, so I’ll be there for you too if you need me. Okay?”
“Sure, thanks,” said Alma as Jacker set her back down.
Paul took her hand as she sat back down. “Thanks for telling us.”
“Thanks for listening,” she said. “It feels good to talk about it. I need to figure out what happened. It’s been too long. I need to know what happened to Ben.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” asked Paul.
Alma got up and went to the counter to get Rachel’s business card. She brought it back to the living room and handed it to Paul. “The reporter that interviewed me is going to Widowsfield today. She wanted me to go with her, which is why my father showed back up again.”
“How did he know?” asked Paul.
“They contacted him first, to see if he’d be willing to go on camera and talk about what happened. He followed them here, which is how he found me. He’s desperate to keep me from going back to Widowsfield, which is exactly why I have to go.”
“Why do they want you to go?” asked Paul as he looked at the card.
“They’re doing a story on the disappearances in Widowsfield for their website. They wanted me to go back there with them and talk about what happened.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Paul.
Alma responded as if he were joking. “No, not at all, but I’ve been trying to avoid this for years. I can’t keep hiding from it, and maybe this is the best way to force myself to confront it.”
“Yeah, but on camera?” asked Paul. “Why don’t you let me take you there? We can do whatever you need to do by ourselves instead of with some strangers.”
Alma considered the offer, but was already set on her course. “I know it sounds insane, but I’ve been hiding this for so long; I think the best solution is just to fling the doors open on it as wide as I can. Does that make sense?”
Paul shook his head. “Nope.”
“I get it,” said Jacker. “You want to force yourself to be honest. I can respect that.”
“I think you should be careful,” said Paul as he offered the card back to Alma. “I wouldn’t trust these people at all.”
“Then come with me,” said Alma as she took the card.
“All you’ve got to do is ask,” said Paul.
“I’m asking,” said Alma. “Come with me to Widowsfield. We can go with these guys, and tell them that we’ve got final say on what footage they use. You can help me try and figure all of this out.”
“Are you scared?” asked Jacker. Alma didn’t answer immediately and Jacker elaborated what he meant. “I’d be scared out of my mind. I admire what you’re doing, but if I were you I’d be terrified of going back there.”
“Why?” asked Alma.
“I don’t know, I guess I’m just scared of skeletons that want to be left alone in their closets.”
PART TWO: RESPITE
CHAPTER EIGHT
Preparations
March 10th, 2012
Rachel snorted loudly when she awoke. There was hardly a morning that passed where she didn’t wake up confused and frantic, and she looked back and forth in an attempt to get her bearings. She wiped the drool off her lips and then looked at Stephen to see if he was still asleep.
Her phone was ringing and the shrill pitch hurt her head.
“Crap,” she said as she slid out of bed. The new, silk sheets were slick and she fell to the floor where she cursed again.
“You all right?” asked Stephen without moving.
Rachel bounded up, wearing only a pair of underwear, and pulled the cover off the bed to wrap around herself. “Where’s my phone?” Rachel was useless in the morning, and always had trouble figuring anything out before having her first cup of coffee. It took Stephen several months to get used to her manic morning routine, but now he mostly ignored her.
Stephen was laying nude, face down on the bed, and pointed lazily toward the kitchen. “In there somewhere.”
Rachel ran off and nearly tripped over Stephen’s discarded clothes. “Phone, phone, phone,” she said as she searched. “Aha!” It was on the kitchen counter beside an empty bottle of wine. The bottle was one of two that they’d finished the night before.
“Hello,” she answered. The blanket fell off her shoulder when she tried to hold the phone against it. “God damn it.”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” asked the woman on the line.
“Depends,” said Rachel. “Who is this?”
“Alma, from the school and the restaurant yesterday.”
“Oh, Alma!” Rachel tried to sound more cordial. “I’m sorry, I just woke up. I am, without a doubt, the worst morning person you’ve ever met. And to make matters worse, I’m pretty hungover at the moment. Sorry.”
Alma laughed. “I understand completely.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Have you and Stephen left for Widowsfield yet?”
“No,” said Rachel as she started to make coffee. “We’re heading out today. Why?”
“Got room for two more?”
Rachel dropped the scoop of coffee grounds as if she needed to give her full attention to the phone call. “You want to come?”
“My friend and I wanted to go, if that’s okay.”
“Oh my God, yes. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. We’d be happy to have you. Stephen is going to be ecstatic to hear that you’re coming. We’ve been planning this for such a long time.”
“Do you have room for both of us?”
“I think so,” said Rachel. “Stephen just bought a shit load of equipment to take with us, but I think he’s planning on renting a van. I’m absolutely positive we can make room for you and… Who was it you were bringing?”
“My boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, kind of boyfriend,” Alma struggled to encapsulate their relationship. She finally just said, “Paul.”
“Sounds good. We’ll take you any way we can get you.”
“I want to discuss some stipulations about me coming though,” said Alma. “I’m still a little nervous about the idea of airing all of this for the world to know. I’d prefer to have final say on whatever you say about me or my past, and whatever footage I’m in.”