The Adventure Begins …

Painting by Irina Dzhul

Where was she? Ryan had told her to run and not look back, and she had run as fast as she could. Surprised herself with how fast she ran. When your life is at stake, it’s amazing the adrenaline that can kick in.

Faye stepped over to the right when she came out. She watched her step, not caring to make a splash, by accidentally taking a wrong step.

Trying to remember the hasty directions Ryan had given her, she walked straight ahead, looking for the inn with a red roof. Her brother had said it wouldn’t be too far.

As she walked, she began to breathe easier. The immediate danger had passed. She had made it. Now, to find the inn that she could take refuge in and get some much needed quality sleep.

When ones life is in danger, sleep has a way of eluding you. Faye hoped with all her heart that she would be truly safe here, like her brother had believed.

Down the road, she kept walking, thinking of how stressful and terrifying the past month had been.

Ryan and Faye had been on their own for the past year. They had led a pretty secluded life. Stayed in a small bungalow far out in the countryside, no neighbors close by. Had stayed there waiting for their mother to come back, not knowing where she had gone and fearing the worst. She never would have abandoned them.

Faye had often wondered when growing up why they couldn’t live closer to the city and why they couldn’t have people over. Her mom had told her she would explain everything when Faye turned 18, but then her mom disappeared!

One day, while going through things in her mom’s cedar chest, Faye found a secret hiding place in a little crevice. There was a small diary with a golden ring. It was the most beautiful ring Faye had ever seen.

Life had changed for Faye that day by what she read in her mom’s own words.

Her mom had been royalty but ran away with the children to the countryside, not wanting the royal life for her or her children. Her husband had died, and she did not want to wed the evil Sir Johnson.

Time passed, and Faye’s mom heard that Sir Howard Johnson had married. She thought all had been well. But then his wife died in a mysterious accident, and she knew he would search for her once again. Her mom’s best friend had kept Faye’s mom secretly informed of everything over the years.

Now, her mom had disappeared. Had Sir Johnson found her, or had she run? If she ran, where had she gone? Ryan and Faye had to find her and make sure she was OK.

They had decided to go to the castle and find their mom’s secret informant. She would know what to do.

The week before, they were supposed to leave two men in black had come after Ryan and Faye. They managed to elude them once, but after getting threatening messages, they knew it was a race against time.

The men had come again, and Faye barely escaped, racing to the secret tunnel and praying that Ryan had been able to get away.

She wiped tears from her eyes, worried about Ryan and her mom. Would she ever see them again?

After walking another mile and feeling her stomach rumbling with hunger pangs, Faye was relieved to see the Inn with the red roof.

She entered and gave her name to the woman behind the desk.

“Oh, yes, we have been waiting for you. I’m so glad you made it.”

The lady’s emerald green eyes radiated with kindness.

Coming out from around the desk, the kind lady put her arm around Faye and led her to her room.

“Feel free to freshen up, and then I will have a tray of food brought in for you when you ring the bell.”

Faye saw the bell sitting on the table next to a plate of muffins.

“Enjoy some warm muffins as you get ready.”

Thanking the lady Faye was starting to feel exhaustion take over but she had to ask the lady one question. “Do you know if my brother Ryan came yet?”

With compassion in her voice, the kind lady squeezed Faye’s shoulder.

“He hasn’t arrived yet, but don’t worry , no matter what time he makes it, we will be sure to leave the light on for him.”

The clock in Faye’s room chimed. It was six o’clock.

“I will let you unpack and freshen up for now. We can talk later.”

The door closed, and Faye walked over to the table, picking up one of the warm muffins. The cherry jam was so sweet. Faye closed her eyes savoring the taste.

She needed a shower and wanted to change, but all the fluffy pillows on the bed called to her. Kicking off her shoes, she sank into the soft mattress and soon found herself lying down and succumbing to sleep. Dreaming of finding her mom and brother and all of them going away to some fancy Inn, for a pleasant and long holiday.

(To be continued….)

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Sweet Tea and Warm Hearts

The Costa Rican Quetzal

This is the conclusion to Someone in the Shadows

“Are you sure we need to go back?”

Kelsey laugbed at Nadia, sipping on a fruity umbrella drink. They were enjoying the beach on their last day in Costa Rica.

“Listen to you. You were unsure about coming, and now you don’t want to leave.”

Nadia clasped her hands to her  chest, “This trip was simply amazing! Seeing the colorful birds and  beautiful waterfalls. I feel like I lived in paradise for two weeks.”

Collared Whitestart

In a burst of spontaneity, she grabbed Kelsey’s hand and said, “The waves are calling us. We have to make the most of the time we have left. Let’s rent some surfboards and learn to surf.”

“Girl, you are crazy! I probably can’t even stay standing up on a surfboard with all the grace and coordination that I have.”

“All the more reason to learn.” Nadia said. Kelsey  watched her run towards the surfboard stand.

Oooh she didn’t! Kelsey’s stomach started feeling like it was riding waves as it churned. Nadia wasn’t only walking towards her with two surfboards but also with two dreamy,  guys. One on each arm.

“Kelsey, meet Carlos and Javier. They are brothers who are going to teach us how to surf.”

Javier’s smile melted her as he took Kelsey’s hand and asked, “Are you ready for your lesson?”

He was staring directly into her eyes, and she had to remind herself to breathe. He was so close to her.  She could see the water droplets on his golden tanned body.

Two hours later, Kelsey and Nadia walked out of the ocean, feeling proud of themselves. They were far from mastering the art of surfing, but they did have fun learning.

Nadia thanked Carlos and said bye as she headed up the beach. She looked back and saw Javier still standing at the water’s edge and holding Kelsey’s hand.

“Want to meet me here tomorrow morning?”

Kelsey’s heart was doing cartwheels. Why did it have to be their last day?

“I am so  sorry, but we leave tomorrow.”

Javier’s face fell. Then he leaned in, brushing back her wet hair from her ear.  “Meet me on the beach tonight? I can give you more lessons. His finger trailed lightly down her jaw line.

Kelsey’s face was burning, and it wasn’t from the sun!

“Goodbye, Javier.”

She headed up the beach towards Nadia. This was a vacation that she would never forget.

It had been two days since Nadia returned. She was sitting out on her balcony  on a sunny afternoon going through all the  Costa Rica photos on her camera. Oh, how she loved the day they spent hiking and seeing this waterfall. It was impossible to capture all of its beauty in a picture, but she was proud of this one.

Bajos del Toro Waterfall Pinterest photo

Hearing something, she looked down into her yard and …. Who was that? Why was there an older gentleman standing in her yard? Had he been the one walking through the yard in the evenings?

Nadia headed inside and downstairs. It was time to get some answers.

She walked outside to greet him.

“Hi! I am Nadia. Can I help you?”

The man looked sheepish as he looked down at the ground and back up at her again.

“HI Miss. My name is Arnold, and I … well … I … I have been wanting to introduce myself and apologize for walking in your yard in the evenings.”

Nadia smiled at him, trying to put him at ease.

“I knew Rosalie, the lady who used to live here, and she was so kind about letting me cut through her yard to get home. It was a shortcut to my house that I found accidentally one day after getting lost. Now it’s the only way home that this old brain remembers.”

Nadia looked at him closer. There was something familiar about him.

“Mr Norton? You work at the grocery store uptown, right?”

He smiled and nodded his head. “I do.”

He was the greeter and helped carry customers’ bags to their car. Always had a friendly word for everyone.

“I am Rosalie’s granddaughter, and you are welcome to cut through my yard anytime.  As long as you stop to have a pitcher of sweet tea and some peach cobbler. Would you like to come inside?”

His eyes brightened. “That would be great. Your grandmother always had  sweet tea available, as well.”

Nadia took his arm, helping him up the steps into the house as he kept chatting about her grandmother. Her heart was warm, and she made a mental note that from now on, she would always have sweet tea available. 

“

T

Someone in the Shadows

Pinterest image

Nadia gazed into the night sky. Were one’s wishes more likely to come true if made upon a full moon?

In her heart, she spoke ber wish. She didn’t really believe that the moon had any special powers, but sometimes it was fun to pretend.

Oh, how much fun she had pretending when sbe was little. One day, she was a fairy princess, and the next day, a heroine, saving hurt animals.

Climbing the highest mountain to rescue a scared lamb or swimming the deep ocean to save a baby dolphin. Nothing was too hard for Nadia, the Wonder Woman.

She had no fear as a child. Her imagination took her everywhere. What would her inner child think of her now?

The call of the nightengale broke the silence of the night. She paused in thought. Bird songs were something she enjoyed, and she had learned how to distinguish between the various ones. Learning the songs of birds wasn’t something that only old people did. They had more time for it, though.

Nadia remembered sitting with her grandma on her porch, rocking on the porch swing as they listened to the birds. As a child, she would start to get bored, but as she grew, she found herself identifying the bird songs and finding joy in it. She appreciated that her grandmother had taught her the pleasure of taking the time to slow down and listen.

That would be one plus to joining the expedition with her best friend. Traveling through the rain forests of Costa Rica, they were sure to come across all kinds of exotic birds.

The drawback would be that there would be otber “not so great” animals to watch out for. The jaguar and anaconda were rather scary to think about.

On the other hand … Ugh! She was running out of hands as she deliberated between choosing to join her bestie for the rain forest adventure.

A chance to visit another country and one known to be beautiful, why was she holding back?

Fear. It was as simple as that. Nadia liked her comfort zone, and rarely did she venture out of it. But, perhaps now was the time. What did she have to lose?

It would be a way to celebrate being finished with her classes for her doctorate. Going to Costa Rica wasn’t as scary as climbing Mt Everest. That was the adventure her bestie had gone on with her brother. There had been no way of Nadia convincing her to join them on that excursion.

Nadia would miss Daryl, but maybe this time of being apart from him would make his heart grow fonder. Maybe it would make her wish of getting a ring from him come true!

Smiling, she felt a warmth spread throughout her body, thinking of him. He was the one who held her heart.

She would go. It was bound to be fun.

Something moved in the shadows below, and Nadia froze. Her heart quickened. Yes, getting away is something she needed to do. Going somewhere where she could feel safe again.

Ever since she had inherited her grandmother’s beautiful home, she had felt like she was being watched and noticed someone lurking about the property at night.

No one had ever tried coming inside the house, but she still had an uneasy feeling. Being that the person had never approached the house should give her a sense of relief, but why were they on her property at different times throughout the week? Was it someone her grandmother had known? Maybe her property was a shortcut for someone to walk home.

Whatever the reason was if the person kept coming onto her property after Nadia returned from her trip, she would have to find out who they were and what they were doing on her property.

For now, she had bags to pack, and she couldn’t forget her camera to take pictures of the exotic birds.

*To be continued..*

The Sheriff’s Deputy

Here is part 2 to Monday’s post, Mystery in BitterSweet. Thanks to some of my followers who helped with this story by coming up with the “notes”.

Closing his eyes, Mason exhaled, trying to de-stress. Amanda was doing her best to massage the knots out of his shoulders.

The mysterious notes were getting crazier. Miss Joanna found a note on her car. It had read like a secret agent note. Mason felt like he was reading a science fiction book. ” Your mission should you choose to accept it is describing how the color of midnight is different from the color of black. This note will self-destruct in 90 seconds.”

Needless to say, the note didn’t self-destruct, but what was the point of it? Was there a point, or was someone simply getting their kicks from leaving strange notes around town? And how was the color of midnight different from the color black? Miss Joanna was the HS art teacher, but it was even hard for her to answer that question. Though she did admit that there was a difference.

The music teacher had found a note on her car too. Though she didn’t mind her note. It was a drawing of a half note.

Cara had been nervous about her weird note telling her not to turn around. She feared that she might have a stalker, but now that a few days had passed with nothing more happening, she was feeling more relaxed.

Amanda finished the massage and gave him a kiss. “Tomorrow, you can do more investigating of these bizarre notes, but … ” she lowered her voice to a breathless whisper and said, “I have other plans for tonight.”

After a good night’s sleep, Mason woke up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.

He entered the diner whistling.

Cara’s hands were full with several customers. She raised her eyebrows at Mason and looked at the clock on the wall. “Oversleep?” She asked as she walked up to him.

“Perhaps, but…” He gave her a big smile. “I knew my capable waitress could handle things. ”

“You are lucky, aren’t you. Sounds like that waitress deserves a raise.”

“Looks like Tippner wants you.”

Cara turned and saw Tippner waving her over. What did he want now?

She walked over to him. “My eggs are cold.”

“They were steaming when I brought them to the table. Did you get lost on your way back from the men’s room?”

Pffft!

Cara walked away, laughing when she heard Tippner mutter, “smartmouth!”

When Tippner was back in his bicycle shop, he kept a sharper eye on his customers. He wanted to catch the person in action if they left another note for him. He felt like Deputy Barney Fife. If the mysterious sticky note guy returned, he would be sorry.

After Tippner waited on some customers, the crowd in the bike shop thinned out. There was only one customer left in the store. The young guy in his late teens probably was average height with his black hair touching his shoulder.

The guy looked uneasy. His eyes were darting around the room. Tippner went behind the counter and grabbed his gun. It may not be necessary, but he was prepared.

There, he did it! Out of the corner of Tippner’s eye, he saw the young man stick something on the bike he was looking at.

Tippner shot a blast of water out of his gun to get the guy’s attention.

He surprised the guy, alright!

“Wh-Wha-What was that for?” The guy babbled in exasperation as he wiped water from his face. It was a super soaker, so Tippner had got the guy good!

Tippner walked over to him. He looked at the bike. He was right. It was another note. This time, the note read, “A short note.”

Tippner shook his head and looked at the guy. “Is that supposed to be funny? Are you the one who has been leaving short notes around?”

With water dripping from his haie tue guy looked cross. “Yes, I am the one. What are you going to do? Cuff me? I didn’t mean any harm. My friend and I were only trying to stir up some excitement in this small town.”

Tippner thought for a moment. “Your friend? Was he the guy who left the note in here before? A rather big, muscular guy?”

“Yes, that’s him. He works out at the gym. He doesn’t say much, but he is a good guy.”

The young man pulled some of his wet shirt away from his body. I need to go change. We won’t do it anymore.”

“Before you change, we need to go talk to Mason. I also think you and your friend need to go to the diner and leave a good tip for Cara. Your buddy scared her by putting that note on her hand.

“Yeah, I had told him not to do that.”

The young man rolled his eyes about going to see Mason but didn’t object since Tippner was still holding the gun. They walked to the diner, receiving some strange looks along the way. Tippner was beaming, feeling so proud. Maybe he should be Grayson’s undercover deputy.

That night, Cara and Bard, Tippner and Mason, and Amanda went out for a celebratory dinner. The sticky note mystery had been solved by Tippner, the Super Soaker hero.

“Dagnabbit!” Tippner suddenly yelled during dinner. “I forgot to ask him about the secret. Does he really know my secret?”

“I think he was only fooling you, Tippner. Relax. But you could tell all of us the secret if you want.” Cara said, her curiosity piqued.

“Welll….it all started on one stormy night…” He began.

Meanwhile, back in the old shack out of town, Hank was looking at his notes again. He was finally ready. He was planning to strike over a week ago but had fallen ill. Now, he was ready to get his hands on a hefty amount of cash.

The map of the bank had been drawn and notes about the employees there. The change in banks had delayed him some as he had to learn how the other bank was laid out, but all was finished now. He was ready for action.

Looking at the crucial note one more time, he read it. “Don’t say anything. Keep your hands where I can see them. Look straight ahead. Now open that drawer and fill this bag with all the money!”

Bags, he needed bags! He looked around his sparse kitchen. He saw two bags leaning against the wall. A sack of flour and a sack of sugar. He found some large bowls to dump them out in, and he was set.

In the early morning hours, he headed for the town of Hoosierville. He had been planning to go to Bittersweet Creek. It was closer, but he heard that they had some wild eyed Deputy there who had already caught one guy with his gun. Hank was steering clear of there.

Mystery in BitterSweet

He was in deep concentration as it stormed outside. His power had gone out, but fortunately, he had kerosene lamps on hand.

Hank knew the plan by heart, but he made himself continue to go over it. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake. This had to be a foolproof plan!

CRACK! He jumped as a lightning bolt lit up the sky. Get a grip on yourself. How could this plan work if he was scared of his own shadow. He shook his head in disgust, picked up the notebook that he had dropped on the floor, and continued to study his notes.

It was an early Monday morning at Mason’s Diner. Grayson and his wife Sarah were at the diner with Mason,Tippner, and Cara.

Grayson looked at Mason with concern. “Are you sure you can handle this? Maybe we really shouldn’t go away?”

Sarah grabbed his arm, “We are GOING Grayson! I have been waiting to go on vacation forever. You deserve some time away. Everything will be fine.”

Mason smiled and nodded in affirmation to what Sarah had said. “Listen to your wife. I will be fine. If I am needed as sheriff, Cara is always capable enough to take over the diner until I have things taken care of.”

Tippner coughed loudly as Cara gave him a sharp look.

They were all in the diner saying goodbye to Grayson and Sarah as they headed out for an overdue vacation. With Grayson being the sheriff, he felt like he always needed to be in town. But Sarah had finally been able to convince him that they needed a romantic getaway to the island of Bora Bora.

Cara was already dropping hints to Bard that they should check out Bora Bora for their next vacation. She hugged Sarah bye and they all wished them well as Grayson and Sarah got in the taxi to go to the airport.

Cara shook her head ” They are going to be pushing it close to make it on time.”

She patted Mason on the shoulder, “It is really kind of you to fill in for Grayson so that they can get away. Like you said, I am more than capable of taking over here.”

“I had to say something to get Grayson to leave.”

Cara rolled her eyes and got busy making her special kind of coffee.

“I think you will make a fine sheriff . Be brave. You know we have trouble around every corner in this bustling town of Bittersweet Creek.”

Mason laughed at Tippner. “Yes, I’m not sure I will be able to keep up with all the fast-paced action.”

They knew that typically, the most trouble that Grayson had to deal with was little Timmy trying to sneak candy from the candy store. Or Miss Tilly always convinced that there was a prowler in her house, when really she only wanted someone’s company.

Yes, the town of Bittersweet Creek was a good town. Mason didn’t expect any trouble, CRASH! He turned to see Cara’s serving tray of dishes fall to the floor. He sighed, but trouble here was another story.

A few days later, a tall, muscular man was sitting in the corner of the diner with a broad rimmed hat on his head. Cara hadn’t seen him before, so she gave him a cheerful welcome, asking if he was new to town.

He mumbled something that she could barely understand and then asked for a cup of black coffee.

She brought him his coffee. He said thanks and immediately looked down at his notebook again. Apparently, he wasn’t much for conversation.

Later that afternoon, Mason came out of his office and walked over to Cara, who was wiping down a table. “I need to run over to Miss Tilly’s house. She is in a tizzy over a note that she found in her purse.”

“A note?” Cara raised her eyebrows with a smirk. “I am guessing she will have some tea waiting for you when you get there and a piece of cake.”

Mason rubbed his stomach.” Yes, this sheriff job sure can be rough.” He replied as he headed for the door.

“Tell her you would like an extra piece of cake to bring back. I wouldn’t mind a piece.” She called after him. Miss Tilly did make some of the best cakes around.

But when Mason arrived, there wasn’t any tea or cake, only Miss Tilly pacing the floor.

Her eyes did light up when looking at Mason. “I am so glad you came. I don’t know what to make of this note. Who wants to meet me and why??”

She showed the note to Mason, “Meet me at the gazebo tonight at 10pm. Don’t be late and don’t bring Whiskers!”

It was a strange note, thought Mason, but he put his hand on Miss Tilly’s shoulder, “I would guess that it isn’t meant for you. Wouldn’t worry about it. The person must have put it in your purse accidentally.”

Miss Tilly did admit that she was out and about a lot earlier that day shopping, so yes, maybe that’s what happened. It was all a mistake.

She felt better after Mason made her some tea. Then he left and headed back to the diner. He looked down at the note again. Who was Whiskers? If he let his imagination go, it sounded like the name of a mobster.

He laughed out loud at that thought.Mobsters here in Bittersweet Creek? Riiight!

Tippner was closing up shop when he noticed a sticky note on his cash register. “I see what you did. Don’t worry, we can keep it our little secret. See you soon. ”

Confusion flashed across Tippner’s face. What had he done? Surely, it was nothing that had to be kept secretive. Obviously, whoever wrote this note didn’t know about Tippner’s life. It was an open book. He didn’t care who knew what. This note must have been meant for someone else.

Tippner’s pulse sped up as a thought struck him. Was this note referring to that time two years ago when….heat crept up Tippner’s face. No, that was in his past. It couldn’t be that, he tried to assure himself.

The note said, “See you soon.” But Tippner didn’t even know who to keep an eye out for. His shop had been busy that day. There was only one customer who stood out to him. He was a big guy, kind of buff. Not someone that Tippner would want to mess with. He wore a broad rimmed hat and didn’t say much, looked solemn with his beady eyes.

Tippner finished closing up the shop and decided to stop by the diner and see Mason. He could use some coffee to calm his nerves, and he would see what Sheriff Mason had to say about the note.

Cara had finished cleaning up, and Mason had returned. He had shown Miss Tilly’s note to Cara. It was rather mysterious, but probably only someone arranging a rondevue, and they didn’t want their date bringing her cat, Cara mused. Though the note didn’t sound romantic at all. The guy needed some help in that area.

Tippner came in the diner as Cara was leaving. She had to get home to make Bard supper and then was looking forward to a relaxing evening.

While walking home, some large guy shoved up against her, sticking something on her hand, then disappeared behind the line of trees along the sidewalk.

There was a sticky note on her hand.

“Don’t turn around! I can see you.”

Cara’s chest grew tight as she made herself move faster and fought the urge to turn around.

*to be continued…*

Secrets of the Castle

This is part 3 to No Words Spoken

The night sky was amazing. Stars were twinkling, and Tara had a front row seat to the show.

“I thought I would find you up here.”

Tara smiled at the kind face of Miss Banbury. She had been miserable for half of the cruise but fortunately had been able to enjoy the last half of it.

“I can’t believe we will be in Ireland tomorrow!”

As much as Tara had enjoyed the cruise, she was ready to be on land again and explore Ireland.

“It is exciting, isn’t it.” Miss Banbury said, as her eyes roamed around the deck.

“I thought a certain guy would be up here with you.”

“Oh, he is coming.” Tara assured her, feeling fluttering in her heart.

What had Aiden done to her over the past ten days? He had opened her heart to feelings that she didn’t know existed. Tara didn’t know where it would lead, but she knew her heart wouldn’t be the same.

  “Hi ladies!” Aiden’s greeting brought an instant smile to Tara’s face. Miss Banbury smiled, but Tara saw the questions in her brown eyes.

She wanted to be sure Aiden was a good guy, and he hadn’t totally passed her scrutiny yet. Miss Banbury was only trying to look out for her, and Tara understood that, but she kept reassuring her that there was nothing to worry about. Aiden was a true gentleman. It was as pure and simple as that.

The three of them chatted for a while, and then Miss Banbury politely excused herself. She was anxious for a tasty snack. There had been so much delicious food on this trip. She had missed a lot of it when she was sick, but was making up for it now.

Tara and Aiden kept talking. Conversation had always flowed easily between them, but now they both were quiet gazing into the endless sea.

Aiden moved closer to Tara’s side. His hand lightly brushed up against her upper arm and stayed there for a moment. Then his fingers trailed down her arm, making her whole body tingle.

Ooh, his light touches throughout the week, made her weak in the knees. What would she do if he tried to kiss her? Did she want him to try?

Tara tried to push those questions down while reminding herself to breathe. He had taken her hand in his, and with two fingers kept lightly stroking the inside of her arm.

She had closed her eyes, lost in the serenade playing in her heart.

“So tell me, what is the first thing you want to do when we get to Ireland?”

“Ummm….I …I …am not sure..”

She was trying to get her heart back to a normal rhythm. How could she think right now?

He smiled at her, not seeming to notice the feelings he had unleashed inside of her.

“I am planning to explore some castles. Some of them have quite an interesting history. Would you care to explore them with me? Every castle needs a princess, right?”

With his beguiling smile, she couldn’t help herself. She was getting lost in the depth of his bright blue eyes. Like he was pulling her into their own sea.

“Sure, sounds like a fun adventure.”

At that moment, a big gust of wind came, blowing Aiden’s hat off of his head and into the sea.

“Well, I guess I will need to shop for a hat while in Ireland.”

Tara laughed, feeling like she was coming out of a magic spell. Her nerve endings didn’t feel that an electric current was pulsating through them anymore.

They enjoyed eating a little from the midnight buffet and talking. He shared with her how he was looking for answers to his family history and hoping to find them in Ireland. How one castle in particular may hold the key. That intrigued Tara. She was always up for a good mystery.

That night, Tara lay awake for a while. Was her heart ready for what lay ahead, and she wasn’t thinking about the mystery of the castles. She was wondering about the mystery of love.

*to be continued…on Saturday..”

The Fun House!

The darkness felt suffocating. I reached out to grab Kristy’s hand.

“Don’t let go of my hand. We need to stick together.”

“Where are you, Desiree?” Kristy’s panicked voice sent an involuntary shudder through my body.

“Desiree! Grab my hand, where are you?”

I shrieked as I let go of the hand that I had grabbed. Kristy had been right beside me. Where was she now and whose hand bad I been holding??

An owl’s screech filled the air. “Whoo-Whoo-Whoo-!”

Even the owl wanted to know whose hand I had been holding moments ago. My heart was racing.

“Whoo-Whoo”

“I don’t know, you crazy owl!’

We had only been in the pitch dark for a short time, and I was already losing my mind. I was yelling at an owl that wasn’t even real. We were inside a mansion, not a forest. There were no animals….Whush! Whush!

I felt the air blow over my head at the flapping of wings. What had flown by me? I cringed as she thought of the possibility of bats flying around. I ducked and shivered.

All had been going so well. We had come for a job interview and were served a scrumptious dinner.

Kristy and I had wanted to start a house cleaning business together. When we saw the ad wanting housekeepers for a mansion, we jumped at the opportunity.

“Desiree! Where are you?”

“Over here! I am over here,”

I felt myself grabbed from behind and heard Kristy’s voice. “I found you! They clung to each other with relief.

“If only we had never come.” Kristy said. But they had come, and now they were stuck with no way out!

At least, that is what they had been told when they were plunged into total darkness. They thought it had only been a power outage until their host spoke,

“Welcome to my fun house! Let the fun begin. Can you find the way out? The doors and windows are locked, but there is a secret exit if you are brave enough to find it. The lights will come back on in a little bit, and then your fun can begin.” They heard their hostess laughing as she walked away.

This was crazy. They never should have handed their phones over before the meal. The little old lady appeared to be so sweet. Reminded them of their dear grandmother.

With a smile, she had asked them for their phones. Telling them in a kind voice how she didn’t want them to be distracted by their phones while she was talking.

What had they done?

*to be continued..”

A Knight to the Rescue?

Thanks to Jason for a photo that made my imagination wonder what may be at the end of the road. http://jasonfrels.com/2023/12/24/a-hike-and-a-hawk/

The day had been going well. Aiden should have known that it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.

He wondered how far he would have to walk before finding a gas station. He had already walked a couple miles. It appeared he was getting deeper into back country roads. He must have taken a wrong turn back where his car had broken down. Maybe he would find a gas station at the end of the road.

There was only one way to know. Aiden sighed, berating himself for the thousandth time about forgetting his cell phone. He always had his phone on him, except for this one time, when he had really needed it.

He was growing thirsty. The road curved around the trees up ahead. There would be no hiding his elation if a gas station was around the bend, with cold sodas to quench his thirst.

Aiden smiled at the thought and could almost taste the sweet rootbeer. Ahh! He picked up his pace and rounded the bend and …. !

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He stared in wonder at the young man walking towards him. Why was he wearing a coat of armor? This guy must have taken a wrong turn. What century did he think he was in? The man didn’t even raise his head to look at Aiden. He would have walked right by him if Aiden hadn’t said anything.

“Good afternoon, What a pretty horse you have. Unfortunately, I have a car, not a horse, and it ran out of gas. Could you tell me where the closest gas station would be?”

The young man had a wary look on his face, looking up and down at Aiden. He asked Aiden a question, which left him feeling totally confused. It appeared that he wasn’t going to find a gas station any time soon. The young man stood in front of him with a puzzled expression on his face. He was waiting for an answer to his question. “What is a car?”

*To be continued..”

The House Debate!

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The tree was finished, and Miranda stood back, admiring it. Each year, she changed it up some, and this year was a Nutcracker theme. Being that she was already nuts, why not collect nutcrackers and do something useful with them. The Nutcracker ornaments were the perfect touch.

What was that muffled sound? It was the first few chords of “Hark, the herald angels sing, ” playing, but her stereo was off. Oh, it was her ringtone, where was her phone?

Miranda picked up a Christmas throw pillow and grabbed her phone out from underneath it.

“Hello!”

“Where are you?”

Miranda was taken aback by the sharp tone in her boss’s voice.

“Umm.. I am at home, finished decorating my tree.”

“Oh, isn’t that wonderful, ….”

The coolness was still in her boss’s voice. What was going on?

“I didn’t realize how important your Christmas tree was. Tell me, are your gifts wrapped yet, shopping done?”

Miranda let out a little laugh, “I wish!”

“And I wish that I wouldn’t have had to try and explain your absence to the new CEO this morning!”

A bowling ball sank to the bottom of Miranda’s stomach. That meeting wasn’t today, it couldn’t have been. She looked at her calendar. Yes, it had been today. 8am this morning. Miranda’s cheeks were flaming hot with embarrassment.

“I am so, so, so sorry!”

There was a deafening silence on the other end. Then her boss spoke. “Miranda, you are an amazing asset to our company. I don’t want to lose you. But lately, you have been slipping. Do something like this again, and you may not get a second chance. You will meet with the CEO tomorrow morning at 8:00 am , be there!” Click.

Miranda sank down into her overstuffed chaie. This time, when she looked at her tree, it didn’t look so pretty. Even the nutcracker looked upset with her. His cheeks were red with shock, about her missing an important meeting with the new CEO.

Feeling sick, Miranda thought about what her boss had said about Miranda’s work slipping.

She couldn’t deny it. Her mind had been distracted lately, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

It wasn’t distracted over a guy. Her life wasn’t like some burning hot romance novel. Romance for her was pretty much non-existent.

No, her mind was out of whack because of a simple letter. A certified letter she had received two weeks ago, and which she had memorized.

“Dear Miss Beecher, We regret to inform you that Mr Semund is contesting your ownership of the house on 1236 Magnolia Lane. He has come forth with the original deed and wants you out within 30 days.”

This was crazy! The house had been left to her by her sweet grandmother. It had been stated in her will. She had paid taxes on it every year. It was her house, and she would prove it!

The next morning, Miranda was at the office by 7:30 am. She was drinking tea, trying to calm her nervous stomach as the time drew closer to 8:00.

“Good morning, Miranda. I’m glad you could make it.” Her boss gave her a half smile. “Follow me,”

They walked down the hall to the CEO’s office. Miranda saw an older gentleman standing at the office door.

“That is him,” her boss whispered.

His black hair glistened, and he did look sharp in his red dress shirt with a black tie and black pants.

“Good morning. Mr Semund. I would like to introduce you to Miranda Beecher.”

Mr Seamund smiled, and he put out his hand. “I am glad to meet you. I have heard good things about you and look forward to hearing your report. Come on in.” He opened his office door, beckoning her inside.

Mr Seamund, where had she heard that name before? Noo, he couldn’t be the same Mr Seamund who wanted her house, could he?

Feeling a little dizzy, Miranda swayed. She had to get a grip, her boss was frowning at her. She would give her report now and worry about Mr Seamund later.

*to be continued..*

The Twinkling Star

This is the continuation of Thursday’s post, Stolen Treasure?

For the first week after Mr Denkle had talked about the rumor of the bank robbers, Chelsea had been on edge. She got new locks for the doors and her heart would skip beats when she heard strange sounds at night. But as time passed she calmed down. If the money had really belonged to robbers surely they would have come back for it by now.

Time flew by as she was busy making small renovations and paying for what she couldn’t do herself. She had decided to use the money she had found for the renovations. After all “Finders…Keepers…” Making the farmhouse look like her dreamhome was accomplished much faster with the extra money.

Mr Denkle was a big help, and he was more than willing to taste test Christmas cookie recipes for her. He was such a friendly fellow, and she was enjoying getting to know him. His wife died a few years ago, so she was happy to make him some tasty treats at times.

Chelsea was feeling cozy in the warm farmhouse with the snow falling outside. She was in the mood for decorating for Christmas. It was December, the most wonderful time of the year.

Her family were all coming to the farmhouse for Christmas this year, and she couldn’t wait to show them her home. What a magical time it would be.

Hmmm… looking around at the large rooms and her two small boxes of Christmas decor, showed her that she needed to go shopping for more decorations. She wouldn’t overdo it, but was excited to get started. Tonight she would put ip what she had and tomorrow after work go shopping.

It didn’t take her too long to empty her two boxes. The last thing she put up was the twinkling gold star on top of her tree. No Christmas tree was complete without a star.

Sitting back on her couch in the glow of candles and the twinkling lights on the tree, she felt content. All was well. Her dream had come true.

Knock Knock! Knock Knock! The loud banging on her door startled her. Who could it be at this hour?

Chelsea thought of grabbing her baseball bat before opening the door, but it was upstairs, and the knocking was getting louder. Quit letting your imagination take over. Chelsea told herself it would be fine.

She peeked out the window and sighed with relief as she opened the door.

“Mr Denkle what are you doing out in this weather. It’s freezing outside, and you are covered with snow.”

“Tell me about it! My car stalled a mile up the road. Could I use your phone?”

“Oh my! Come on in, and I will get you some hot chocolate while you make your phone call.”

Chelsea brought him the phone and made hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

After the phone call, he joined her by the fire. “My son will be here soon. I sure am glad you were home tonight. I see you started decorating. Looks real pretty. I usually manage to put a tree up, but that’s about it. I like things simple. All I need is a tree and a special gold star.” His eyes began to mist, recalling a memory.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Chelsea told him.

“I remember stringing popcorn and cranberries when I was a child to put on the tree. Dad would play on his harmonica as mom baked.

“Sounds like…”

KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Oh, I guess your son is here.”

“My son couldn’t have made it bere that fast.”

Chelsea looked out the window and saw two men. More stranded travelers?

Something told Chelsea not to open the door but WHOOSH! The cold snow blew in as the door was forced open. She had forgotten to lock the deadbolt.

Two men with ski masks barged in, and Chelsea yelled!

“Now we don’t want to hurt you, Miss. we can be out of here real quick. All we want is what belongs to us, only a small leather wallet.”

THUNK! Poor Mr Denkel had fainted. Chelsea was terrified! These must be the bank robbers, and all their money was gone! She couldn’t stop shaking.

“While my partner goes to retrieve his wallet I will watch that you don’t try anything stupid. The antique dresser is still up there, right?” His brown eyes bore into hers.

“Yes.” She could hardly speak above a whisper, afraid she may vomit. What was she going to do?

“Good! Go on up, Luke, you heard her.” He took the steps two at a time, and Chelsea’s heart was sinking fast.

There was only one thing that she thought of trying to get her out of this mess, and she prayed that it would work!

Within minutes, Luke was back downstairs, storm clouds brewing in his eyes. “There is no antique dresser up there. I looked everywhere.”

A groan emitted from poor Mr Denkle, but his eyes were only open for a moment before closing again.

Luke grabbed Chelsea’s arm, squeezing it hard. “I am not as kind as my partner. Where is the dresser?”

“I…I…forgot. i moved it downstairs in the cellar. I am renovating and was going to sell it.”

“Then let us take a walk to the cellar.” Maintaining the tight grip on her arm he drug her along. His partner followed her in stony silence.

Trembling inside, Chelsea tried to muster up as much courage as she could. When they got to the door of the cellar, Luke pulled it open. Tried turning on the light at the door, but it didn’t work.

“I can get you a flashlight.” He let go of her arm, and her heart was hammering away. She expected it to explode out of her chest any minute.

Luke was on the second step, and his partner was on the first.

‘Here’s the flashlight.” Chelsea tossed it to Luke and slammed the cellar door shut, bolting it.

CRASH! She heard their screams, and then all was silent. How thankful she was that Mr Denkle had started working on the steps but had only stabilized the first two.

Now, she had a call to make to the police, as soon as she stopped shaking.

No working out at the gym was needed this week! Her heart had a big enough workout tonight. Was that sirens she heard?

“Mr Denkle! You are OK!” Chelsea felt a lump rise in her throat when she saw him come around the corner.

“Yes, I am fine, only a little bump on the head. I called the police, but it sounds like you took care of those two scallywags!”

They could hear moans through the cellar door as the police entered the house.

After talking to the police Chelsea sat down, feeling woozy suddenly. Mr Denkel brought her a cup of hot cocoa.

A young man walked into the kitchen. “Dad! You are alright! What are all the police doing here?? What is going on?”

Chelsea couldn’t stop staring at the guy who had walked into her kitchen. Wow! Was he a sight for her sore eyes.

“Peter, I would like you to meet Chelsea and Chelsea, this is my son.”

Mr Denkel’s face was aglow as he watched his son’s face when talking to Chelsea. He snickered to bimself when spotting the mistletoe that Chelsea had hung in the archway. Hmmm….who knew if anything would develop between his son and Chelsea, but one never knew what Christmas magic could do. After all, it had worked for him many years ago.

The star on Chelsea’s Christmas tree twinkled extra bright, and Mr Denkle remembered the December day long ago. A day when he had stood under the twinkling star of a Christmas tree. When he had first kissed a beautiful young lady, who later had become his wife.