Unexpected Reality: Book 1: Gamer Girl

by L. Foster

  A month had gone by when it was mostly me and Dad working on the cottage. I admit, at first I didn't like it all that much, but we ended up making it work. We cleared all the dust, and swept out all of the debris from inside the room and everything, and we ended up mostly just kind of keeping it nice and clear of all debris while we brought in our own furniture from the moving van. We moved the old couch that was inside and brought it outside to dust off and be our porch couch for a while. I don't think it was a good idea, personally on Dads side, but he insisted it would be alright. I'm mostly worried about rain and stuff getting to it and making it soggy, and nasty. But, he insisted, so we bought it out. After some light dusting, and fumigating and everything, it turned out to not be bad, if a little garish in design.

  After that, we just needed appliances, which we went into town to get, and ended up getting them on credit. Lucky us that they accepted credit at one of the local stores, as we needed at least a fridgerator and a microwave if we were going to cook. In truth, I don't even think the stove worked, and neither did Dad, so we didn't even bother testing it out, but moving it out towards the shed. Maybe clean it and sell it as an antique in the future or something. All in all, it took almost a month, but the place almost seems like home again. The house just needs a ncie, new fresh coat of paint, which we'll probably do in the fall months when the weather takes a nice turn for the cooler, and then maybe work on the drive way a little bit.

  All of this of course costing money, which luckily both me and Dad managed to find jobs. Dad, using his skills as a freelance everything basically just got a job with an auto dealership in town and started working with them, getting to know many of the towns people and who to watch out for, and everything. Since moving here, he's been doing a lot Better I admit. He's been a bit happier, even if at night he tends to just sit in front of the new television and sit there after a few beers and fall asleep in the chair. But, at least he's talking with people so I don't worry too much about him.

  As for me, well I managed to get a job too. Nice little coffee shop on the corner of the main street overlooking the wharf where most of the clientele are either fishermen getting a quick cup before heading out for the evening to work, or tourists wanting something fancy and quaint. For the most part, it's not a whole in the wall, thankfully, but it's not exactly ritzy and upscale. The owner of it is this an older Greek gentleman named "Mr. Bartholomew", which is strange as his last name wasn't Greek at all. Plus, no one really knew much of his first name, and he was a bit of a hard person to get along with sometimes, but he was both tough and fair. So it wasn't all that bad. Plus the job wasn't all that hard for the most part. Mostly just brew the coffee, serve it black to the fishermen when they came in to get their cups, letting them fill their thermos and all, and for the customers finding out what creamer they like in theirs and whether or not they'd like a sandwich or a doughnut to take with them. Literally, we made sandwiches for lunch, baked doughnuts in the back that were glazed, sold newspapers, and had wifi for people to come in, read news, or check on their internet. Was nice, and quiet, and a lot opportunity to just sit around and read books.

  Everything was set to just make things a little more perfect. That was, until everything changed when she came in. When I first met Anastania Willow.

  She came in, looking roughly the same age as me. To be honest, the month and a half I had lived in Harborbooth, I hadn't really met anyone in the area that was close to my age, so I had always assumed that the town was full of either older fishermen who didn't really live in the town proper, or retiree's, or just older people looking to be no where near the bigger cities West and South of where we were. But she came in, so pretty, and in a lot of ways, vulnerable as well, looking roughly how I kind of felt deep down. She wasn't an assuming person, but there was this sort of ethereal beauty that she had that made me want to get to know her more. She wasn't overly tall, possibly just about average height, with deep piercing blue eyes, and shoulder length black hair. Pale skinned, which was odd given how much sun we tend to get here despite it being Maine, but she looked to perhaps being a little shy herself as she came up towards the counter.

  "I'd like a coffee please." She said, not making eye contact with me at the time, fortunately as I was too mesmerized by her at the time before I suddenly rubber banded back into reality, shaking my head and offering my cashiering smiling that I put on for customers as I spoke. "Oh of course Miss. Of course. Would you like some cream in that to add some sweetness to it? And what flavor. We have a light roast, and a dark roast."

  "No, just black please." She replied, waving her hand. Sensing an opportunity to perhaps make some conversation with her I continued on.

  "Black huh? I wouldn't take you for a fisherman." I said in an almost teasing tone as I turned towards the paper cups to just pour her a straight dark roast. I must have said something right, as she smiled, and shook her head at my words before replying. "No, no. I just need a little bit of bitterness in my life. You must be new. I've never seen you in Harborbooth before."

  "Guilty as charged." I said as I slowly filled her cup up, careful not to splash me with any of the hot liquid. "Me and my Dad moved in several months ago almost. Just kind of getting settled in. Names Daniel. You?" I asked looking towards her.

  It was then that she looked straight at me for the first time since she had entered into the building and smiled back at me as she reached out with a handful of change, already prepared to pay. "Anastania." was all she said.

  "Anastania..." I said in an almost whisper before placing the cup gently upon the register counter while I took the change she had in hand. "That's a pretty name. I never heard of it before."

  "Russian. My Grandmothers name I believe. My last name is Willow, so I guess it kind of just rolls together in a little ways." She said with a simple smile as she reached for the Coffee, turning to leave with her purchase as she spoke to me. "Hope to see you around Daniel. We don't really get a whole lot of people our ages here in Harborbooth." and with that, she left out the door. The last sight of the first time I saw her left, with the bell that was at the door ringing.

  Feeling pretty good about myself, I couldn't help but smile at the exchange that had gone on. For the first time in a long while since Mom's passing, I felt like things were looking up, and that I had made a friend, not sensing behind me a lumbering figure before it was too late, almost running into Mr. Bartholomew's wide, pudgy body before being startled that he had snuck up on me like that.

  "That girl. What was name Danny?" he asked me, his accent and broken English thicker than usual as he looked down at me with a large, bushy brow raised. Confused, I responded to him, letting him know that her name was Anastania, my confusion only mounting even more at the sudden interrogation of a customer as he reached up with a large meaty hand, stroking at his dark mustache as he looked to me once more and replied, telling me of his issues that he clearly had with my new found friend.

  "That girl. No good Danny. No good." He said, shaking his head.

  "But.. Why? She didn't seem so bad. She had exact change and everything Mr. Bartholomew." I said, trying to reason with him.

  "She run with bad crowd. Very bad. Do not want trouble." He replied, shaking his head as he raised a hand to indicate that the argument was over, though I continued on despite my better judgement. "I don't know. She seemed pretty nice. And it's not like we have people lined up outside sir."

  Mr. Bartholomew tilted his head, almost as if considering what I had to say before sighing and turning back towards me to continue on as he spoke. "Fine. Only her. No one else Danny. No one else. She come with other. No enter. Just her." and with that, he left back to his office, no doubt to continue on with the paperwork that he had to do.

  So a small victory I had that evening. Secure now that I at least allowed her in. Though I ended up wondering how someone like her could even end up running with a bad crowd of people. Plus, did Harborbooth have a dangerous element to it? I didn't want to fall into the
trap of conformity though, and not take into consideration that even here there are gang violence. After all, it was that way of thinking that led to my Mothers death when we didn't consider criminal activity in our neighborhood, but she didn't seem the sort to belong to that world. She was nice, if a little shy.

  Luckily I had more opportunity to meet with her though, other than just that one time. She started coming around more often, even becoming a regular to the Coffee shop in the earlier evenings to order the usual. Black, strong, nothing else. I always wondered why at those times she always chose to go with the bitterest roast that we offered, but I never questioned it outwardly to her, afraid of the answer, or of offending her. After all, my Dad told me different strokes, different folks, and I lived by that. Still, we ended up becoming closer to one another in those times, though we never really had started to truly hang out at the time.

  "So tell me Anastania. What are you doing later?" I had asked her before the troubles began. Sweeping along the floor while she sat a booth close to the window overlooking the wharf.

  "Nothing of real interest Daniel. I guess just.. going through the woods with some friends." She said as she took a long slow sip of her coffee. I knew thanks to Mr. Bartholomew that she did have other friends, and that those were the trouble making kind, but I never questioned it outright to her. In truth, I never really saw them, but I have heard hearsay that they stalked the woods like some sort of gang, and terrorized hunters, campers, and everything. People have gone missing over the years, but no one's linked them together, and they only ever come into town to terrorize tourists. In truth, I found it hard to imagine she could ever be a part of some group, so I continued to not believe her as I simply offered her a smile and continued on. "The woods huh? You sure? You can come to my place and relax. Have a movie going on. American Werewolf in London. Should be an interesting night."

  "I don't think that'll be possible Daniel. I'm sorry." She continued to say, shaking her head somewhat. "I have a boyfriend. I've told you before. He doesn't like it when I make friends. It's bad enough he lets me come to get coffee sometimes, but I think he'd really not like it if I was seen with a friend."

  "You don't have to deal with that Anastania. We don't even have to go to my home. We can just stay here in town. See what's playing at the theater." I offered still, wanting to get out with her at least, partly because of the growing affections I felt for her, but also partly because I started to feel sorry for the life she was leading under her boyfriends thumb.

  She opened her mouth to say something else, before a low, grumbled voice echoed behind me towards the door. "I don't think that's a good idea. Isn't that right Anny baby.", causing Anastania's complexion to grow pale, and more silent as she looked down. I turned around where I stood, broom in hand to look upon who had voice the words and beheld who I figured almost instantly to be the boyfriend that Anastania had mentioned before. Darrel Watson. Standing there, broad chested, with a strong jawline, stubbled chin, and in a dark shirt with a denim vest, and jeans. He looked the part of someone I knew I would not like at all as he filed into the Coffee shop with roughly 4 other people I assumed were his goons. They all filed in slowly into the room properly. Their chuckles sounding almost hyena like as they filled the front of the doorway, blocking any customers from entering, and anyone from leaving.

  "Darrel.. Please. No. Not now alright?" Anastania had said as several of Darrels men slowly walked around, grabbing doughnuts, muffins, and even sandwiches and helping themselves to whatever they had in need of. One of which walked towards one of the older patrons of the store to take his coffee from him as he drank it while Darrel walked slowly, almost in a stalking motion towards Anastania and I, in a stalking, threatening manner. "Anny, baby, why not now huh? You know we have things to do later. Don't think you can just forget huh?"

  I went to say something to the man, moving between Darrel and Anastania, despite being taller, and stronger looking than me, before I heard the sound of Mr. Bartholomew in the background calling out. "No! No! Go! You go! No business for you!" He called, running out towards the counter and pointing towards Darrel and the others as he continued to yell. "Out. Out now or I call police! Out!"

  Darrel of course wasn't phased as he simply smirked and looked to the Greek man, turning as he walked over towards him slowly. His arms reaching out to the side of him in a challenging manner, his boots stepping upon the tiled floor as he replied. "Or what old man? What do you think you're going to do?"

  It was then that Mr. Bartholomew had done something I never thought the amn would ever do, or indeed in Maine would ever do as he pulled out a revolver, pointing it at Darrel in a threatening manner, challenging him in return. "You leave now, or police have to send ambulance! I am not joking!"

  "Alright, alright, you win old man, you win. We'll leave." He said, slowly backing up towards the door as he whistled sharply for those within the coffee shop to hear, turning as he taunted back over his shoulder for everyone to hear. "This isn't over you know, we'll be back." and with that, they left. Including Anastania, who looked back at me almost in a forlorn manner before leaving, heaving up the hill towards the outline of the town, and towards the forests that surrounded us. Mr. Bartholomew yelling in the background, his anger rising even further, though I drowned him out as I watched forlorn in return to the sight of her leaving. Knowing fully in my heart that she was not happy with Darrel, or anyone of that group.

  Part 3 - The blood curse, and the damsel.

  The day afterwards was the beginning of the end of the world that I knew it. Looking back on it now, it's hard to imagine that it could have happened any other way, and it all started with the death of someone in town. I took my bike from in front of the house on the porch, and bid my Dad goodbye, figuring he could enjoy his time alone by himself while I went to my part time job and biked leisurely on my way to the Coffee shop. It started like any normal day really, the sky was a little darker than usual, but there wasn't any rain in the sky, and a cool, chilly breeze was blowing in from the east. Plus there didn't seem to be that many people out on the town. All seemed tranquil and innocent, and I expected the day to just pass by that way.

  However, all of it changed as soon as I came up over the small hill in town before descending down another hill towards the coffee shop, and it was there that I saw it, causing my heart to stop in my chest as I got closer. Police cars were lining up along the front of the store, their bright blue and red lights flashing brightly, illuminating the ever darkening sky as an ambulance sat between them all. Crowds of people were gathering all around, lining up i the front to gawk, and to gossip as people tend to do in tragedy. Fearing the worst, I biked up towards the front of the building as quick as I could to see if I could still get into the shop before Mr. Bartholomew got angry with me.

  "Sorry son. No admittance. It's a crime scene back here." Said a large,burly officer, his shades drawn over his face despite the weather slowly turning for the worse as I looked up towards him, and then tried to look back towards the alley way behind him.

  "I'm sorry sir. It's just that I work here. I'm running a little late today, and I need to get in before my boss gets angry with me." I replied, standing behind the yellow lie that lined all around the store, still not understanding what was going on, though a little tingle in the back of my head told me otherwise to the truth of what happened.

  "Bartholomew's kid huh?" He asked, causing me to shake my head in reply. "No, I just work here for him."

  "That's what I meant son. Look..." He said with a sigh. Stepping up towards me as that tingling feeling started to get worse and worse. I had seen this before, when Mother died. When the police arrived at our home to tell my father the news, and the comfort they tried to give as I felt the weight of his hand press down upon my shoulder as he continued. "I don't know how to tell you this son. But Mr. Bartholomew... Look. We don't know what happened yet. But he's dead. The store isn't going to be opening."

  And like that it struck me in my
chest like a punch. While I had shed all the tears I could for my mother, the shock of another death so soon sent me spiraling for a moment. I had just talked to Mr. Bartholomew yesterday, While we were no closer than employee, and employer, I still thought of him as a nice man for giving me the opportunity to be hired and around to help out my Dad. Tough, but fair. The news hitting me harder than I thought it would as I slowly looked up towards the officer, my reflection hinting within the reflective glasses he wore. "Sir.. What happened? How did he die?"

  "We don't know son. We don't know. The damnedest thing. The garbage man found him, dead in a pool of his own blood. He looked like he had been mauled to death by animals. Large ones. But we hadn't had wolves, or bears out here in years, and they hadn't reintroduced Cougars out this far East yet." He said with a sigh. Shaking his head as he took a step back to keep people from filing in too close to the crime scene as he offered one last bit of advice. "You should go home son. There's nothing more for you out here."

  I stepped back as well, moving in among the crowd all around me as the numbness continued to spread through my entire body. Jarring me and keeping me steady as I simply stood there for a moment. Bike in hand, and lost in my own thoughts. Tangentially listening to the murmur of the crowd all around me as I hear snippets of their conversations.