Buried Truth

by Caleb Whitaker

  Chapter 21: The Brewing Storm

                 

  When I return to the cabin, the front door being wide open creeps me out more than a little. I know I’m the one that left it open, but still the thought of the cabin being openly accessible is frightening now. For all I know, I could be walking straight into a trap.

  The cabin is silent as the grave as I pass the threshold. The only light coming from inside is located in the bedroom, but the cabin is lit enough for me to see by the sunlight seeping in through the doorway and windows. There doesn’t appear to be any signs of anyone in the house since I left it in a mad rush of panic. I close the door, but before I step away, I make sure to lock it.

  My first order of business is to go make sure the file is still in the bedroom. If it's not safely resting in the bedroom, then I really have no other move left that I can make. I’m almost afraid to check because part of me wants it to be gone. It’s the selfish part that just wants it all to end, and if that means not finding who killed my parents or finding Ryleigh or going to jail, then fine I’ll live with it.

  It would actually be merciful if the file happens to be gone without a trace. Because in the end, it's not going to matter. I’m not going to avenge my parents’ death or find Ryleigh. In all likelihood, I’m destined to spend my lonely nights in jail rotting for crimes I didn’t commit, but being just as worthy of the punishment as anyone else.

  I’m left with no mercy or excuse because the file is still lying on the floor with papers scattered around it. There should be a glimmer of hope that resounds from the sight of the file but there is not. All possibilities of hope have been completely decimated with each dead end. A lone file that most likely holds no answers doesn’t change anything.

  With a chuckle, I bend down to corral all the loose papers. It is almost comical that a few hours ago I let my anguish get the best of me and threw this stupid thing away like trash, now it's all I have. Actually, it seems to sum up my situation perfectly. I make a mess like usual, except now there is nobody left to help me clean it up. Nobody, but me.

  There is one piece of paper that has slid its way under the bed. I get down on my stomach and bend my head under the bed trying to reach it. I go to push myself out from under the bed with the paper, when the sound of buzzing followed by a sudden crash startles me, causing me to hit my head on the underside of the bed.

  From the floor, I look in the direction of the crash in which buzzing continues to ring. There on the floor in-between the nightstand and the bed is my phone. The phone is still buzzing as if someone is calling, so I quickly crawl out from under the bed, then spring across the mattress over to the nightstand. Reaching down to the floor, I pull up my phone, which is still buzzing from a phone call from Ryleigh’s number.

  “Ryleigh are you ok?”

  At first there is no reply, then Ryleigh’s broken voice rings in my ears. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m so sorry; I should have listened to you.” The line goes silent again.

  I ask, “Where are you? I went to the trail, but you were gone.”

  “He wants me to tell you, that if you don’t tell me where the Gate’s Fortune is his will… will kill me. Like he killed your parents.”

  “I don’t know where the Gate’s Fortune is… my parents didn’t even know. Ryleigh who is doing this?”

  Ryleigh’s screams flood the phone line as she cries through heavy breaths. “Ryan, just figure it out. He said he would call back in a couple ours with a location. And if you haven’t figured it out by then, you like me and your parents would be dead next.”

  It doesn’t take long for anger to find a home in my heart after the call ends. I pick a pillow up off the bed and slam it against the nightstand, sending the lamp teetering over the edge.

  The lamp hits the floor, extinguishing the light, which sends the room into slight darkness. I grab the file and my phone and leave the bedroom, slamming the door as I walk out. Who does this guy think he is? What the hell did I ever do to him? “He better hope he kills me first, because if he doesn’t, he’s the dead man. I can promise him that.”

  I swing my arms frantically in the air before carefully setting the file down on the couch, along with my phone. Needing something to do, I turn on the television. Using my fingertips as a comb, I brush through my hair while I sit and wait for the screen to brighten up. It’s almost nine o’clock so a news report should be playing soon. I generally never watch the news. But since I’m all alone, it’s the only source of outside information I have access to.

  The news isn’t on yet, so I grab my phone. It’s about time I figured out exactly what this mysterious texter’s end game happens to be. Because right now, I have no clue what it could be. I guess the real question should be what is my end game when it comes to these texts?

  I haven’t really committed one way or the other. I’m not really in any position to turn away help, but I also can’t afford to make a costly mistake by trusting someone I shouldn’t. “Ah, screw it. I’m going all in.”

  I text, ‘Someone just kidnapped Ryleigh. They want to know the location of Gate’s Fortune or they will kill her and then me. I don’t know where it is though… Your Thoughts???’

  I wait for a reply as the news broadcast starts. For the most part, the newscast simply reiterates what had been in the news over the course of the last couple of days. I’m still a person of interest along with Ryleigh. However, with a twist of good fortune for me, the reporter reports, “It is believed both Ryan and Ryleigh have left the city and are in the Burkeville area. They are not believed to be dangerous, but anyone with any information on their whereabouts should call the hotline.”

  At least the police think I’m over near Burkeville. I was hoping to see a report about a third person of interest. If the guy that took Ryleigh really is the guy that killed my parents, then he must have left some evidence. Then again, I know nothing about him except that he is probably Ryleigh’s ex-boyfriend. So, who knows? For all I know, he could be a mass murdering psychopath that has killed several times before.

  I check my phone, but nobody has texted me back. Leaving the phone on the couch, I walk into the kitchen and pour me a glass of water. I gulp the entire glass down and pour another to take back to the couch. My head rests back against the comfy headrest of the couch as I fight the urge to fall asleep by continuing to watch the screen.

  After an extended period staring at a blank screen, I grab my phone. Apparently, I received a text message that I was unaware of receiving which reads, ‘I’m working on it. All I know is the guy has some kind of obsession with your family. Where are you?’

  I text back, ‘I’m in a cabin just out of town. I thought it was safe… I guess it wasn’t. Now, who are you, I need to know.’

  The next text I get back reads, ‘You can trust me Ryan. If you knew what I know, you would understand why I have to be discrete. He probably already has your phone bugged.’

  There is no way he has bugged my phone. I wonder what this person knows, and why they can’t just tell me. The way they talk makes it sound like they know the psycho. Ryleigh knew exactly who it was that is after us. She wouldn’t tell me all the details, and now this texter knows but won’t tell me. I really hate having to be this dependent on other people for information. Ugh, I hate it.

  ‘Do you know who the person is that took Ryleigh and killed my parents?’

  I wait for a response, but it’s clear whoever I’m texting doesn’t care to answer my question. I’m quickly running out of options, and my mind isn’t working quick enough to get past all the dead ends. I wonder how my sister is dealing with all this. I know relatively nothing, and that is still more than she knows about any of this. I wish I could call her. I really need someone.

  At this point, I’m almost convinced to turn myself in to the police. They did treat me well, when they showed up at my parents’ house. One even gave me a ride home right after I found the bodies. I know they are looking for me now and probably t
hink I killed my parents, but at least if I shared my side, they could possibly make some sense out everything, because I sure can’t. Of course, I still can’t even remember all my side, so they would probably just think I’m crazy.

  I check my phone, but I still don’t have any new text messages. With no progress with my texting, I’m forced to return my attention to the file. After a few minutes of flipping through the file trying to figure out the mysteries of the Gate’s Fortune, my frustration and tiredness begin to get the better of my mind. The words blending and flowing into a page of scribbles causes an already confusing file to become almost impossible to read through.

  My anger and frustration ultimately causes me to leave not only the file, but the cabin as well. The next thing I know—I’m standing on the dirt in front of the cabin, staring at the tree that is shading Ryleigh’s car. I pick up several rocks and throw them against the tree, not caring if a rock were to damage the car. What would it matter Ryleigh will never drive it again?

  My arm rears back repeatedly as rock after rock chip away at the bark. When the last rock leaves my hand, my body falls to the dirt. My knees grind into the loose dirt while my hands rest in front of my body. My head lowers until my nose is but an inch from scraping against the ground. For whatever reason, tears begin rolling from my eyes. Tears for my parents and tears for Ryleigh?

  The tears mix with the dirt, creating a wet mush to form under my face. My weak body succumbs to gravity as my face eventually comes to rest in the dirt and mud created by my tears. Upon self-examination, I find there is surely some sadness in my heart, but it's not sadness for the death of my parents or for Ryleigh being abducted. The sadness is for my parents and Ryleigh ever knowing me. Instead of my tears and anguish being for the death that has overtaken those around me, my tears and anguish are solely for myself being around to bring the death.

  Somehow, I just know that if I hadn’t been around my parents, they wouldn’t be dead. If I had never met Ryleigh, she wouldn’t be abducted. Yeah, it’s her ex-boyfriend, but he only wants her to get to me. This all is because of me. Every bit of it.

  I close my eyes in frustration until I begin to feel slight taps on my back. I sit upright on my knees as the remnants of tears continue to drip down my face. I look up to the sky as a few raindrops fall downward. The skies have slowly gotten darker much like my heart. A few more raindrops fall in the midst of me walking back to the cabin, for I have no other place to go.

  It appears it is just a passing rain shower at the moment. But who knows, nature has a way of setting things up for a mega disaster even when it only looks like a mild inconvenience from our viewpoint. It wouldn’t surprise me if these few drops, turn into a hurricane that builds out of nothingness and washes me away. Life and nature are very similar that way.