Disclaimer: This is a fictional story. It is not endorsed or affiliated in any way with any institution, facility, or family. The story is based on places, people, and facts,
but is written entirely from my imagination.
Any use of this story in part or in whole must be approved by sending a written request to the author.
Copyright June 2013.
Sound effects to go with the story.
Prologue
The long and
winding dirt road gave the grand illusion of forgotten twin paths running parallel to one another tucked deeply into the thickness of the forest that even on the brightest of
days was shadowed into night. The headlights of the 1986 Jeep Wrangler shone luminously on the
tree line that bordered the road and drooped heavily inward causing an overwhelming sense of
claustrophobia, like being in a tunnel, as the intense rain of an unexpected
thunderstorm feel straight from the sky with great abundance. At times the
rain was so intense it was causing the road to wash out in places while the windshield
wipers moved back and forth swiftly to keep the water from obstructing the ability
to stay focused on the road ahead.
Numerous
bolts of lightning intensified as they continued hitting the ground and engulfing the Jeep with sounds like fuel trucks exploding all around them, as
Camille and Devon Raves continued towards their destination. They would be the
first to admit that when they read the add in the newspaper, they never envisioned
anything more than a quick and simple road trip to endless summer sunny days of
bliss after
enjoying great breakfast’s on the front porch, of what they hoped would soon to
be their newly purchased lake house.
Camille had her
days all planned – her hours by day consisted of nothing more than relaxing on
the beach covered from head to town in a coconut scented tanning oil, sipping
on a frozen tequila sunrise while reading the newest best-selling mystery
thriller, “Deemed Crazy.” Her nightly entertainment would be filled with her naked
body pressed against Devon’s as they enjoyed their location of seclusion while
indulging in intimate moments and passionate kissing while occasionally gazing
upon the stars in a hammock suspended between two very mature oak trees.
Devon had a
different outlook on what his days would consist of. He was an avid fisherman
and his goal was to hook the biggest lake trout this side of the Mason Dixon line.
As for sexual pleasures, to him a hammock was too much work to experience the
maximum fulfillment he so desired, but a thick furry rug in front of a
crackling fire place, a bottle of patron, and Camille lying by his side for him
to explore her body to the peak of climax - would suit him just fine.
The sound of
the storm was very hypnotic for the both of them creating an eerie silence in
the vehicle.
BANG! Both of
them flinched.
“Wow that
was a bit to close.” Camille exclaimed as she tried to pull herself together
and push her rising stress level out of her mind. “I never was one for extreme
thunderstorms. All I can imagine are huge funnel clouds creating havoc on
innocent citizens when they least expect it.
“You can say
that again!”
“Where in
the world did you get these directions? There
is no way this road is on Map Quest. Isn’t there a highway or some other way to
the lake house?”
“These were
the directions that the home owners gave to me. They insisted that it took
about two hours off the trip.”
“Yeah…but the
storm added three hours. Was it a guy or a girl who gave them to you?”
“What does it matter if it was a guy or girl who gave me the directions? But if you have to know it was a women and her name
was Jillian Russell; she seemed nice and seemed confident that this was the
best route. "
“I guess.”
“Come on
Camille where is that sense of adventure? And you know the lady can’t predict
the weather, even the weather men can predict the weather. I bet if she had known it was going to be bad going, she’d have
told us another way."
"OK, Devon lets talk about something else." clearly the tone of her voice implied that it was time for a new topic.
"Sweetie, I know you’re discouraged and with it being so dark it
seems like it has taken us forever. Let look on the bright side, Mrs. Russell did say there was as small town
just before the lake house location. She also said it had a bar. What do you
say we stop for a drink and some wings? I’m buying.” He said with a smile as he reached for her hand to comfort her.
Immediately
she felt safe as he stoked her hand and then squeezed it tightly. “Anything
sounds great right now. I just want out of this weather.”
“It’s going to
be OK. If thing were always easy, everyone would be buying a lake house…Right?”
He chuckled. “I love you.”
“I love….”
“Holy Crap!
Do you see that!?” Devon shouted out.
“See what?”
questioned Camille instantly spooked by Devon’s immediate sense of panic.
“Something
is in the road up ahead. Do you see it? Do you see it?”
“In this
weather, babe I think it’s just a reflection of the lights on the wet trees.”
He twitched
and squirmed almost like a man who had just be given a brand new 4x4 truck for
free and had been instructed to take it for a spin. “Camille, I’m telling you
that there is something on the road ahead…can’t you see it?”
“No! Devon I
don’t like this! Stop trying to scare me!”
He suddenly
slammed on the clutch and breaks and threw the jeep in neutral and peered out
of the wind as he sat motionlessly fixated on a ghostly image that only he
could see and appeared to be floating in mid-air.
“Devon?” she
cried out, “Devon! What are you doing?”
He then
turned to her with a blank stare in his eyes yet spoke not a word. It was clear
that whatever he had seen and had him feeling anxious had now turned to shear fear.
When he turned to look back towards the road the image was gone.
She was
careful when she softly spoke his name again, “Devon? Are you alright?”
He nodded his
head up and down while slowly turning back to look at Camille. His face was pale as beads
of sweat dripped off his brow. His hands were clenched tightly around the
steering wheel. He tried to speak but the words could not find any tone.
“Devon, you’re
scaring me. What’s wrong?”
Dazed and
confused, he began to find the ability to speak, yet only in a whisper, “It was
my father…I saw my father." He shook his head in disbelief and then continued to speak with a bit more tone, "I’m sure it was him, I saw the flower I made him and that my mother pinned to his lapel on the suit that she dressed him in for the funeral. I know that was my father.”
"But how can that be?" questioned Camille, "He’s passed away ten
years ago."
Camille
reached her hand out slowly to touch his arm, trying to provide him some sense
of comfort, but clearly unsure what to do or say. Whatever he had seen, it had
clearly affected him in a traumatic way. As she was starting to ask him a
question, their vehicle was impacted by large object followed by an
overwhelming shaking.
“DRIVE DEVON
DRIVE!” Camille screamed.
He stomped
on the gas pedal while grinding into first gear and quickly sped off into the
darkness of the storm paying no mind to anything that may cross their path. His
thought process now – If something gets
in my way again, I’m running it over.”
The mud from
the washed away sections of the road cascaded from the tires in massive arch
before hitting the ground as Devon did his best to control the jeep, while
driving at a dangerously high rate of speed, on a road that neither had ever
been on before. Sounds of the standard engine that had been set to four-wheel
drive pierced the rain as they did their best to get back to civilization of
the small town that the seller spoke of. Yet at this point, any town would do,
just as long as they were off this road of craziness once and for all.
