by Bryan Nowak
Donny remembered the man who carved the doors as being different from the others. He didn’t beg or even protest when presented to The Master. The artisan, upon being presented as a tribute, simply said, “I’ve lived my life as a good Christian and I’ll die as one. This thing, this monster, will surely exist long after you’re all gone. I ask you, what of your own souls when this is over?”
With that final question, The Master reached out with one razor sharp claw and cut the man in half. Looking down at the slain body, he said, “And I ask you, what did your Christian God do for you? Where is your Jesus now? Not here. It’s me, it will always be me. Let this be a lesson to my followers. Through me, you shall be saved. Without me, this shall be your fate.”
That moment never sat right with Donny. It wasn’t that he doubted anything The Master did that day, but he’d simply stood in awe as the man maintained his beliefs even in the face of imminent death. How this man, standing on death’s door, remained so calm intrigued him. Every time Donny stood in the presence of The Master, it terrified him. While The Master bestowed amazing graces upon people, just as easily, he’d destroyed those same people if they fell out of line.
In the beginning, The Master took whatever hearts Donny arranged for him. More recently, he’d demanded the actual victims be brought and presented to him in a ritual sacrifice. The rituals had taken on more formality as well. The Master had become increasingly angry at the victims. The change concerned Donny, not enough to make him question what he saw as the unfailing wisdom of The Master, but the change in his demeanor was certainly worrisome.
The Bitter Rescue
Matthew almost stumbled into the water after tripping on something laying across the dock. The town was forced to install rescue rope at the end of every pier by the state, after a rash of accidental drownings. Suddenly their installation seemed less ridiculous.
He quickly coiled the rope around his arm and assessed how long a throw to make to reach the besieged boat. The two people still struggled to make it to shore; however, it would be close. In the short time the rain started its ferocious assault, the wind gusted to seemingly hurricane force levels, churning the water into an angry froth. The woman rowed the boat but made little headway as the wind blew them farther from the shoreline. The man in the back, trying to steer the craft with the motor, shouted something, but the words were lost in the howling wind.
Matthew had to make the throw count. Once the rope took flight, if he missed his mark, it’d fall uselessly into the water. The way the small boat was floundering, he wouldn’t have time to reel the rope back in for a second try. Everything hinged on his aim being dead on.
****
The wind buffeted the little craft. A sudden gust blew across its hull, sending the port side of the boat dipping into the water like an oddly shaped soup ladle. The lake flooded in at an alarming rate before Meghan shifted her weight to bring the lip of the boat up out of the water. The craft, now carrying excess weight, took on an even more sluggish demeanor.
Toward the docks, she saw a man standing under a light. He picked something up and looked as if he were going to throw it at them. Behind her, Kyle yelled something. Even his deep baritone voice got lost in the howling wind. The bottom of the boat now filled with water half way up the side. If they took on any more, the boat would likely disappear beneath them.
Digging deep and pulling on the oars with all her might, Meghan’s flagging strength failed. She berated herself for not putting Kyle on the oars in the first place, as he surely had far more stamina than she. Meghan was in great shape and normally crushed any exercise. Even the strongest of her cross-fit class would’ve found this a challenge.
As if responding demoniacally to projected fears, the boat struck something beneath the water, and both grabbed anything they could think of to stay inside the crippled watercraft. They were still too far from shore to hit a rock, Meghan reasoned. A log or other floating debris the more likely culprit.
The boat listed again to port. As it did, the corner of the boat disappeared under the roiling surface of the water. Completely swamped now, Meghan tried to yell for Kyle. The wind and the rain swallowed her voice as soon as it left her lips. She felt suddenly alone.
Oh my God. I’ve killed us both. I’m going to die and my dear sweet child will die with me. How could I be so foolish? Why didn’t I stay awake? I could’ve seen the storm coming and we would have started back earlier. We’ll drown.
Meghan was shaken from her personal moment of panic by an arm sweeping around her chest. The Eagle Scout in Kyle had taken over. She was shocked at how strong his grasp was and how quickly he’d reacted. Beneath her, she felt his legs furiously kicking against the water.
“Hang on, Mom, I’ve got you! Just don’t fight me!” he yelled, kicking against the torrent of waves and wind.
Going limp in her son’s arms, Meghan watched as the boat slipped under the waves. Suddenly, something large made a splash in the water. It took a moment to make the thing out, but relief washed over her as she saw it was a rope.
Meghan clasped her fingers around their miraculous lifeline, her numb joints crying out in protest. Gripping with every ounce of remaining strength, she held on for dear life.
The rope went taut as she felt the person on the other end of the rope pulling them further along, augmenting Kyle’s swimming. Behind them, items from their boat bobbed in the water, standing testament to the tragedy of their ill-fated excursion.
The lake bottom startled her as her feet connected with the cement of the end of the boat ramp. She made a movement to stand up and Kyle yelled, “Not yet, Mom, a few more feet and we’ll be alright.” She had to let him drive this train.
“What the hell were you two thinking?” a man’s voice shouted. It didn’t sound anything like Harbor Master Bill.
Steadying herself, she ascended the small incline of the ramp. Looking around for the first time, she realized they weren’t at the resort.
Kyle stood on the dock, panting. “Our motor quit and the boat became overwhelmed in the storm.”
Meghan, now joining Kyle, searched the man for any indication of who he was and why he was out here or maybe where they even were. The man was a police officer, the words conservation officer over the right breast pocket of his raincoat gave him away. She offered, “It was an accident.”
“Well, I hope so. Nobody in their right mind would do something like that on purpose. Let’s get you two out of the rain for now.” A few moments later the officer let them into his truck and handed them two towels from his emergency kit.
Meghan shivered against the cool of the faux leather seats, still dressed in her bikini top and cut off shorts. Kyle was none the worse for wear, with the exception of being soaked to the bone. Meghan sat in silence, drying her hair and trying to make sense of how they got there … wherever there was. Looking out of the window at the lake, items from the boat flowed down the natural currents of the lake, the boats hull nowhere to be found.
Finally able to catch her breath and sort out how close they really came to their demise, she turned toward her rescuer. “I didn’t get the chance to thank you, officer, for saving us. Had you not shown up when you did, we’d have been goners.”
He glanced up, eying her in the rear view mirror. “I don’t know about that. The kid did a good job saving you both. Quick thinking on his part got you most of the way. Probably could’ve brought you both in safe and sound on his own. The rope only helped out a little.”
She looked over at Kyle, sitting in the passenger seat next to the officer, she smiled at him. “I know, he’s a pretty great kid.” Kyle likely saved them both. The officer’s throw might have come up short if Kyle hadn’t closed the gap with his strong swimming.
“Welcome to Riapoke City. Not the way most people get here, though. Funny how things work.”
Kyle cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in an inquisitive stare. “You mean we aren’t back at the resort?”
The officer shook his head. “Nope, you are on the other side of the lake. I can have you back there in twenty minutes by boat or about forty minutes by car once the weather lets up. We generally don’t have anything to do with them. We try to keep to ourselves around here.”
She nodded, remembering what she’d heard about the locals. “Well, sorry about all of this. Is there somewhere we can rent a car to get back?” Since her purse sat at the bottom of the lake, she’d have to get the credit card company to authorize a rental car. It seemed to her there should be a system in place for just such an emergency. “Oh, and a cell phone, I need to make a call. Mine is currently with the boat, wherever that is.” Under normal conditions, Meghan would have thought the officer’s roaming stare was directed at her exposed cleavage. However, right now she guessed her appearance probably presented a less than appealing vision of beauty.
He shook his head at her through the rear view mirror. “Ma'am, I don’t think you understand the situation. You see, I’m the conservation officer for this district. You just brought a boat out into hazardous conditions and then you sunk it. Now the lake is polluted with gas and oil. Now you tell me you dumped your phone in which contains mercury and other bad things. You’re not going anywhere.”
“You mean I have to pay a fine?” Meghan asked. Incensed that he’d have the gall to give her a ticket under these circumstances, this whole thing sounded ridiculous. “I didn’t know the storm was going to come up that fast. And the motor died. We probably would have made it out of there if the motor hadn’t quit.” She’d managed to keep her ire down, but only barely.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid it isn’t going to be so easy. I have to place you under arrest for negligent pollution of a state-controlled body of water. The law is the law. I know you’re having a bad day, but I have no choice. The state code mandates I take you into custody until we can get this all figured out.”
Her mind swam with dozens of scenarios, and all of them bad. She envisioned herself trapped in this little town for all eternity, only being let outside to collect trash along the side of the road.
This is a joke, someone had to be pulling her leg. His treatment of her as public enemy number one was unfair for simply having the bad fortune of being caught in a torrential rainstorm. Arresting someone for sinking a boat is the dumbest thing she’d ever heard.
A knot thrust its way into her throat, and tears stung her eyes. What about Kyle? He was only doing what she’d told him to do and he’d saved their lives. Through sobs, she said, “My son … he didn’t do anything. He’s innocent. My precious boy.”
The officer, obviously uncomfortable with her emotional display, let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. “Oh … come on now, lady. Geeze, don’t cry. I hate seeing people cry. That’s the last thing I need today. Look, you didn’t murder anyone. A night in our fair town and a fine will probably be the worst that’ll come of this. I’ll take you to see the judge and chances are he’ll just slap you on the wrist and tell you to be more careful next time. I’m not even charging the kid with anything and I’ll even pick up chicken from the deli for you two if you have to stay at the jail. But, please stop crying.”
In most situations, Meghan was essentially unflappable. More likely to get angry than tearful, the reality of their harrowing brush with death overwhelmed all her senses. They’d only wanted a nice day out on the water, followed by a nice lunch with a handsome man who shared an equal interest in her. Instead, they almost drowned, and in the process managed to sink a boat they’d likely be paying off for years to come. Mike would be well within his rights to never speak to her again. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
A contrite look crossed the officer’s face. “Look, lady. I’m sorry, what is your name?”
Kyle spoke up, looking a little annoyed. “Her name is Meghan Johnston and my name is Kyle Johnston. When my mom is upset, it’s usually best to just let her relax a little. Do we need a lawyer or anything? ”
Matthew took a deep breath. “I’m Matthew Tanner. This is my district, and I’m about the only law enforcement in this little town. I saw what happened. I know it wasn’t on purpose. So, let’s take a deep breath here. Ma'am, may I call you Meghan?”
As she nodded her assent, he handed her a small packet of tissues. “Okay, I’m going to tell the judge there were extenuating circumstances and the boat was at the mercy of Mother Nature. Like I said, he’ll probably make you board in the house tonight. It’s not even a real jail. Then he’ll let you go in the morning. No problem.”
Meghan dabbed at her eyes. Maybe the situation wasn’t as bad as her frazzled imagination had conjured up. The rain even let up a little. The officer indicated they’d be likely free to go in the morning. Glancing over the top of the seat, the digital clock next to the radio read 12:30. Mike would probably think she’d stood him up by then.
The officer jumped out of the truck, telling them to stay put. Walking over to a little shelter built for fishermen to clean their catch of the day, Meghan watched him pull out his cell phone. He had an intense discussion with the person on the other end of the line, though he was too far away for them to make out the conversation.
She leaned back on the faux leather bench style seat and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down. From the front of the vehicle, Kyle turned toward her.
“Don’t worry, Mom, it’ll be alright. If we have to spend a night in this one-horse town, no biggie. At the least, we’ll have a great story to tell our friends back home. I mean, went on vacation and got arrested as environmental criminals. Far more interesting than simply coming back with a bad sunburn.”
Meghan let out a giggle at his ridiculous recap of the situation. Kyle always knew how to make her laugh and bring a sense of perspective. A sense of humor was the one good thing he’d gotten from his deadbeat father. Thankfully, Kyle’s morals and sense of right and wrong all came from her.
The door to the truck opened and shut again. “Alright folks, here’s the story. I just talked to the judge and he’s out of town for the week. However, our city commissioner Donny Swenson will be able to sort out the fine. Don’t worry about a thing. He’ll take good care of you. You’re lucky. Donny is also the pastor of our local church, a fair-minded man. And the cooking at his place is pretty good. You’ll be in for a treat at dinner, better than the deli chicken.”
He started the truck as Meghan watched the waves fall over themselves out on the lake. The rain slowed to a drizzle, and the wind had calmed significantly. Things weren’t so bad. They’d talk to this Donny guy and be on their way by lunchtime tomorrow. Kyle was right, she sometimes worked herself up over nothing.
The Dangers of Boating
Mike Chase paced the floor of the owner’s suite.
He shouldn’t be this nervous about a lunch date. After all, he’d spent a good portion of the previous day with Meghan at the beach, and they’d enjoyed a lovely dinner. They hit it off nicely and even though liquor had possibly clouded his judgment, they had chemistry. Now if only he could avoid screwing the whole thing up.
Putting one tie down and then picking up another, the man staring back in the mirror judged both unfavorably. The image scowled back at him, displeased with every decision he’d made that morning.
He felt someone watching him from afar and turned toward the door. Kelley, stared with amusement and shook her head.
Laughing at the comedy-of-one playing out in the room, he winked at her. The way she smiled and leaned against the door frame presented an almost perfect copy of Mike’s wife. She was the spitting image of her mother in every way, a stunningly beautiful girl with a head on her shoulders that would give anyone a run for their money. His heart ached that his wife wasn’t here to see the woman their daughter had grown into.
Kelley and Kyle hit it off; only as friends, she assured her father. In her words, they weren’t each other’s type in ‘that way’. She could see them becoming good friends, though. The previous day she thought of abo
ut a dozen girls she knew who’d fall head-over-heals for him if they had the chance.
The last thing in the world Mike wanted to do was put his daughter in the uncomfortable position of dating a boy while he simultaneously dated that same boy's mother. But, he was letting his imagination run a little wild.
“Dad! Oh, earth to Daddy. Come-in Daddy! You okay in there? You’re sweating bullets. Heck, you might need another shower before your date.”
“That obvious?”
She giggled. “Uh, yeah. So, tell me, are you interviewing her for a job or trying to sell her life insurance?”
He frowned at Kelley, having no idea what she meant.
“The ties, Dad. Seriously, this is lunch, not a business meeting. Give the ties a rest and relax. We keep the jacket and pants and we bling you up a little.” Kelley crossed the room, taking the ties away from him and throwing them on the bed. Opening up a small travel jewelry box, she pulled out a pair of cuff links, a gold watch, and a necklace which was her mother’s favorite.
She turned him toward the mirror and brushed off the shoulders of his coat. Kelley was right, of course; the tie came across as too stuffy for lunch. Thankfully his daughter gave great dating advice. The irony, of course, was that he was the present recipient of that advice.
Kelley admired her handiwork. “Perfect. You clean up pretty well, Mr. Chase. You know that? Now remember, I want you home by eleven. No later, tomorrow’s a work day.” She laughed at her own motherly tone.
Staring at himself in the mirror, a sadness overcame Mike. After her mother died, he’d thrown himself into work and single malt scotch, a mistake that almost cost them everything. Kelley intervened when he needed saving. They both cried a lot back then. The psychologists called the phenomenon a ‘delayed grieving process’.
Mike Chase hadn’t even talked to any women, in a romantic sense, until yesterday. Unbelievably, it felt like he’d hit the jackpot with Meghan. Unlike the type-A women he met in his profession, Meghan was genuine and charming. Talking to her came easy, almost like talking to his wife. “Kelley, I don’t know about any of this. What if I blow it or say something stupid? What if I found out we don’t really connect and it was the drinks last night? What if—”
