Saving Brooksie

by Scott McElhaney

  “Mom, it worked!” he said, “Could I ask you to please do me one more favor?”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Can you go back and watch Brooksie? There’s a dangerous man after her and he’s already in Silver Falls,” he said, “He’s a very bad man and… and I love her, Mom.”

  She looked at her son as though she had never seen the man before. This was her child who told her he loved Cassie once. But this time, something was different. Something in the way he said he loved her was… she couldn’t find the word. His eyes spoke the same thing his mouth was saying.

  Now she knew what it was. Something in the way he said he loved her made the word seem longer. “Love” was just a one syllable word that passed through sentences unnoticed, but this one didn’t. This time, the word stood out. The word sounded eternal and powerful, yet it was just a word. Her son had never loved like this before.

  She smiled at the stranger before her and then nodded.

  “Just hurry back,” she said.

  He rushed up the stairs while his mother returned to the Wisteria. It was in that moment, as he headed through his house, that he realized just how much he wouldn’t miss.

  The broken clock on the kitchen stove

  The blinking light on the answering machine

  The broken chair in the dining room that he had yet to fix

  The letter from the city telling him about the sidewalks he would have to pay for

  He pressed the button on the answering machine as he tapped the computer mouse. His screen revived from its power saving mode.

  “Hey, it’s just Mom. I was wondering if you somehow made it back”

  Beep

  “Yes, this is Chuck Roberts from Fairway Foods. Uh… I just wanted to let you know that you don’t need to come in today. If you’d like to give me a call, I can explain what’s going on. Otherwise, you can pick up your stuff on Saturday.”

  Beep

  Eddie shook his head as he clicked on the internet browser.

  “Can you believe it man? I knew they were going to lay us off. I gave them six years of my life! My life, man!”

  Beep

  “No more messages”

  He typed in “biography of Patience Webb” on the search window. He pressed enter.

  Three internet sites were offered. One talked of a conspiracy, so he clicked that one. The page was titled “ELVIS ISN’T DEAD – and other Hollywood conspiracies”. He read the short link about the death of Patience Webb.

  Patience Webb was a well-known silent film actress of the 1920’s. She disappeared during the shooting of her eighth film – right at the height of her fame. Surprisingly, little questions were raised over the fact that her remains were recovered almost 2400 miles away just a few weeks after her disappearance.

  No one asked why Webb’s agent/fiancée Lowell Barnes was with her in Silver Falls, Ohio. No one brought up the fact that Lowell Barnes had been involved in an affair with Louisa Barker – who also disappeared from the big screen around the same time.

  Written off as a tragic accident, her death would remain a mystery for years. No one would listen to claims of gunshots being heard in the park that day – even though several witnesses came forth. Someone even verified a fist fight between Lowell Barnes and a police officer shortly before the fire. No one would question the existence of three handguns near their charred remains. This writer however believes it was murder. This writer believes that Lowell ran off with Louisa after killing Patience at an amusement park in Ohio. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.

  Eddie stared in fearful wonder. She died a few weeks later at an amusement park in Ohio? But they were supposed to head to the ocean. He needed to get back to her right away.

  He closed the window and then clicked on one more biography. This one covered several pages of information including her birth, the schools she went to, and the details of her Hollywood career. He scrolled through to the end, searching for a date. Finally he located it.

  Patience Webb died in a fire on July 2, 1928 in Silver Falls, Ohio.

  He shouted out in fear before he jumped up and ran down the stairs.

  8

  July 1, 1928

  This was really frightening now. She clearly watched them step outside. Then when she ran to the door and opened it, no one was out there. They simply vanished.

  And then two seconds later, his mom opens the door and comes in like nothing ever happened. The freaky lady smiled at Brooksie and didn’t seem to care that Brooksie was staring with her mouth hanging open.

  Then she proceeds to talk to Brooksie as though they were the best of friends. Granted, this lady was about to be her mother-in-law, but she was also some voodoo freak who vanishes and reappears. And her husband-to-be was a voodoo freak also. Brooksie tried to be polite, but it was becoming increasingly harder to conceal her fear.

  Finally when Edward burst through the door, she rushed over to him. That was when she recognized the fear in his own face. His eyes were wide as he reached out and grasped her by the shoulders.

  “We’ve got to get out of here and head for the ocean. We’ve got to leave and never come back,” he blurted out rapidly.

  His mother overheard them and rushed over.

  “What happened?” Brooksie asked, “Where did you just go?”

  “What are you talking about, Eddie?” his mother interrupted.

  He turned to his mother, while keeping a hold of Brooksie.

  “Tomorrow, Mom,” he whispered, “According to the history…”

  “Something bad?” she asked, looking to Brooksie.

  “Real bad,” he said.

  “Then leave. Run in the opposite direction of the ‘bad.’ Change it,” his mother said, “Run as fast as you can.”

  “I demand to know what’s going on!” Brooksie shouted, “Stop acting like nothing weird happened when you two disappeared out that door. I saw it.”

  He looked at Brooksie. Although she was frustrated, her eyes were pleading. She was pleading for proof that she didn’t just fall in love with a ghost. She was pleading for confirmation that he wasn’t toying with her.

  “I don’t know how to say it in a way that would make sense. That door right there is the same door in my house – the same exact door,” he said, “If you open the door, you will go outside, but if my mother opens the door, she goes into my house.”

  She shook her head as tried to read his eyes.

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” she said.

  “I know it doesn’t and that’s why I never said anything,” he said, “It doesn’t make any sense to me either, so how am I to explain it to anyone?”

  She looked for the revealing grin or any sign of a joke in his eyes. Instead, she only saw fear and anxiety.

  “Your mom had to help you go through it this time,” she said, “What happened?”

  He frowned as he stared into her pleading eyes. He never imagined the moment he would have to explain the impossible to her. He had almost hoped he could avoid it altogether.

  “It doesn’t work for me anymore. I… I simply go outside just like you now,” he said.

  She looked at his mother who nodded sadly.

  “What did you just find that has you so scared?” Brooksie asked, “And I want the truth. If I’ve somehow fallen in love with some sort of Houdini, then…”

  Eddie looked over at his mother. She lowered her gaze to the floor and then leaned against the wall. She apparently felt it wasn’t her place to get involved in the conversation. He reached down and took a hold of Brooksie’s hands.

  “I can’t really go into detail, but I have a way of seeing what’s going to happen before it happens. Using this… this device in my house, I discovered that you and Lowell are going to be… well, you’re going to be killed tomorrow,” he said, watching her eyes fly open, “But what I saw clearly states that it’ll happen in Silver Falls. That’s why I want us to leave right now.”

  She stared at him as
her eyes started to fill with tears. She then cleared her throat as she glanced over at his mother.

  “And this device you have is reliable?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “Yes,” he replied, “I even double checked on another source. It all points to Silver Falls tomorrow. Will you please leave with me right now? Can we please run away… together?”

  He was asking her to do something that clearly agreed with the Brooksie-plan. He wasn’t creating another plan at all – just redefining the purpose behind her original plan. She swallowed and then gave him a nod. His mother took a cautious step toward them. Edward turned to her and gave her a hug.

  “Please take care of yourselves,” his mother said, “Don’t be stupid. If something happens that you can’t fix, come back to the Wisteria. I’ll stop by at 8:00 every night for the next week to offer you a way out. After that…”

  “No, that’s perfect, Mom. Thank you so much for understanding. If you don’t find me in the Wisteria, then we succeeded,” he stated.

  With that, he turned to Brooksie, grabbed her hand, and ran for the door. Then he did something he hadn’t done since this morning at breakfast. He prayed.

  9

  July, 2009

  She could still hear the sounds of the orchestra rising from the basement as she opened a can of Pepsi and leaned against the refrigerator. The tears hadn’t stopped flowing since she watched them run from the dance hall. That was her boy, and though she always knew the day would come when she’d have to let go, she had no idea it would be so soon.

  What would she tell his father? How would he react to the news? She wiped her eyes and turned toward the dining room. Eddie had set up his computer on the dining room table while he awaited the computer desk he ordered. The web site that had startled her son was still pasted across the flat screen.

  That was probably the last earthly thing that Eddie had seen before he bolted for the door. She sat down at the computer and read the story of Brooksie’s…

  The web page was talking about Patience Webb. Jean knew who Patience Webb was. It was well known that the famous Hollywood star of the 20’s died right here in Silver Falls – yet Eddie returned all wild-eyed stating that Brooksie was the one who would die.

  Brooksie must be Patience Webb! Jean had met Patience Webb in person and she never even realized it. Her son was in love with Patience Webb – the famous silent film star of the 1920’s. But Patience Webb was about to die.

  Jean typed in “death of Patience Webb” into the search window. She pressed enter and waited for a second before the choices were displayed. One of the sites was littered with frighteningly familiar words such as “Bethel Lake Park” and “Wisteria Hall”. She clicked on that site and started to read beneath the banner stating “Hollywood Icon Dies in Amusement Park Fire”.

  Patience Webb was perhaps one of the most beautiful women to grace the silver screen in the 1920’s, but her life ended tragically in 1928. While visiting Bethel Lake Park on July 2, 1928, Webb and her fiancée Lowell Barnes couldn’t have predicted the disaster that would befall them. The massive Wisteria dance hall was known to draw in crowds of as many as 500 people per night. On the evening of July 2nd, all but two people would escape the fire that would literally destroy the biggest dance hall in northern Ohio.

  While no one knows what started the fire, it was definitely made worse by the storage of fireworks for the upcoming Independence Day fireworks show. All the bodies were positively identified by dental records and/or jewelry.

  There would be no more Wisteria hall for her to go to. How could she help him return if the dance hall is going to burn down tomorrow?

  She jumped up from the seat and looked toward the basement door. The music gaily spoke of the peaceful world of 1928. People were still dancing and enjoying life in a building that wouldn’t exist tomorrow night. Eddie and Brooksie were already a mile away by now and running for their lives. With only a couple hours left, there was nothing she could do now.

  10

  July 1, 1928

  “At least it’s ten miles out of Silver Falls,” he whispered to Brooksie seated next to him.

  “What’s that?” the driver asked, “You want to go back to Silver Falls?”

  “No,” Brooksie growled at him, “Just take us to that hotel you mentioned and keep your eyes on the road.”

  She rolled her eyes as she looked out the window.

  “How do you feel about Manchester?” she whispered, “You know – with your mystical premonitions.”

  “Everything said Silver Falls,” he replied, keeping his voice low, “The cab driver said the furthest he’ll take us is The Copper Lantern in Manchester, which is definitely a good start. I figure we could get up early in the morning and catch another cab. We’ll have the next driver take us to the furthest bus station on his route.

  “I don’t know how motivated Lowell is to find you, but it’ll be hard to trace us through two cab drivers and a bus. We’ll take the bus to the Atlantic where we will live happily ever after. We’ll change our names, our hair styles, get dark tans, and maybe I’ll even grow a beard.”

  “No beard,” she whispered with a pat on his hand.

  “Okay, no beard, but to answer your question – yes, I’m feeling a little better with the idea of Manchester. How about you?”

  He heard a frustrated sigh as she turned her attention away from the window. She stared at a rip in the upholstery of the seat in front of her.

  “I’m not worried for my life, but I’m still afraid and confused. Lowell is a very demanding person and he’s used to getting his way all the time. I’m frightened by the fact that he followed me all the way to Silver Falls. I just find it so hard to believe that my life was supposed to…” she started to say, “I mean, how could that be?”

  Eddie watched the woman beside him. He tried to envision the lovely old woman that she could become if fate would just allow it. The internet obviously had no pictures of Patience Webb beyond the age of 25. He abandoned this aging experiment and then started questioning the laws of time, nature, or simply God. It was a written fact that she would be dead tomorrow. It was a firm, unchangeable…

  He gasped at the thought, which drew her attention to him.

  “Don’t,” she said, grabbing his hand, “I know exactly what you’re thinking. As far as you’re concerned, these are the facts. But you see, they aren’t facts to me. I can jump out of the car right now, even if you tell me it’s not supposed to happen. And look what we’re doing right now. We’re leaving Silver Falls, despite what you saw to be true.”

  He nodded and brought her finger up to his mouth. He kissed her hand and then held it to his face. He needed to feel the warmth of her against his cheek. He needed to feel that this life was real and that he was successfully keeping it that way.

  “Do you forgive me for my secrets?” he asked, “Do you forgive me for not telling you about the door?”

  She looked at him and then slowly nodded her head.

  “Will you still be my wife?” he asked.

  A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Then she whispered “yes” three times.

  * * * *

  She stood in the shadows of the cedar bushes while Eddie paid for the room. Although it would only cost them five dollars, he handed the clerk an extra silver dollar if he would please ensure no interruptions until noon. Basically, Eddie said, he was exhausted and didn’t want anyone to come knocking until after noon.

  The truth was, they would be well on their way to another town before 7:00. He just needed plenty of time to get away if anyone should come around asking questions. The clerk was very happy to accept the hefty tip as he handed the key to Eddie.

  Eddie walked outside and strolled casually down the sidewalk toward room number 8. Halfway there, Brooksie caught up with him, linking her arm in his. No one saw as he unlocked the door and let her into the room. He scanned the parking lot and the nearby trees before he closed the door and locked it agai
n.

  “Welcome to the Copper Lantern,” Eddie said.

  “I’m claiming the bathtub right away. I haven’t bathed in days as I’m sure you could tell,” she said, rushing toward the bathroom.

  He chuckled as he looked around the room. There was only one bed, so he would be camping out on the floor tonight. It would still be much better than sleeping in a barn. The antique phone on the dresser caught his attention. He picked up the little bell-shaped earpiece and listened.

  No dial tone. Then suddenly he was shocked by the voice of a woman.

  “Operator… what extension please?”

  “Oh, umm… sorry, wrong number,” he sputtered before hanging up.

  Wrong number? He laughed.

  Brooksie was already filling the tub. He sat down on the bed and listened as she hummed a light tune. At least her spirits were up now. It would be nice to see a smile on that beautiful face again.

  “Edward?” she hollered from the bathroom.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you still have that book from the barn?”

  He felt his back pocket. It was still there. He drew it out and stared down at the cover.

  “Yeah, I’ve still got it.”

  “Could you read some more of it to me?” she asked.

  He walked over to the bathroom door and paused. He stared at the door for a moment as he listened to her swirling movements in the water. The tub continued to fill as she moved about in the water.

  “You left off when Spencer went back in time and finally located the bar Francesca frequented.”