Fallen Stones

by Thomas M. Malafarina

  Back in the shadows of the loft, the rippling mirror returned to its natural state and deep in the world on the other side of the glass could be heard an evil and sinister laugh. "It has begun," the voice said.

  Chapter 25

  Jason drove down though the hillside town of Ashton, heading back home after a late day meeting with the factory manager, Tom McClellan. Tom had been nothing but complimentary of the way Jason had transitioned into his new position as well as the manner in which he was rapidly reorganizing and restructuring the manufacturing engineering department. Tom always felt the now retired Jim Dodson had been good man and a responsible leader, but he was rooted in old methods and techniques, lacking the ability to change. He believed Jason was the "breath of fresh air" the company needed to help it continue to grow and prosper long into the future.

  Jason loved his new position as well as his new responsibilities. At first, everything he attempted seemed to be a monumental task and something to be feared; but he rose to meet every challenge head on and did whatever it took to surpass any obstacle. Initially that meant long hours and an incredible amount of stress, but then the pressure gradually began to ease with each passing day as he became more acclimated to his new role.

  It had been a tough couple of months, and he had been working far too many hours, feeling like he would never be able to get back to the point when he would once again have a more normal work schedule. He also knew the long hours away from home were beginning to take their toll on Stephanie as well. She had been very understanding and tolerant of his need to make a good impression in his new job, but he sensed her patience beginning to wane a bit more each day.

  Now, however, he had decided things would be different. Beginning the following week, he was determined to start bringing things back to normal both at work as well as at home. This meant he would be putting in fewer hours on the job and spending more time at home with his family. The kids were all growing like weeds, and the past summer had gone by in a blur. He had decided it was time to slow down a bit and make things right with them. He had discussed this with Tom McClellan at their meeting that afternoon, and Tom agreed with Jason wholeheartedly.

  In fact, it was McClellan who had actually raised the subject, telling Jason he appreciated all the hard work and additional effort he had been putting into the job, but it was time for him to slow down before he burned out. Tom, who was in his fifties and on his third wife, warned Jason of the pitfalls of putting too much into his job and not enough into his family. This observation and encouragement from Tom helped Jason to see the impending error of his ways.

  Jason stopped on his trip through town and picked up a bouquet of flowers for Stephanie at local florist, and now he was trying to think of something interesting his family could do over the weekend. He knew he had to try to make things right before Stephanie's patience wore too thin. He had noticed she had become a bit distant and sometime short of temper whenever he was home. He tried to explain his need to be successful at his new position and the importance of the money in their lives. They had paid off some bills with the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, made some money on the sale of the antiques and had invested a bit then put the rest of the money into a college fund for the kids. So his salary was still their main source of income.

  Maybe it was time to consider taking some of that money and planning a trip to Florida or some other warm location over the Christmas holiday. By that time, Jeremy and Cindy would be off from school for their holiday break and he had not used much of his vacation yet, so it sounded like a good idea to him. He decided to discuss it with Stephanie after dinner while the kids were out of earshot.

  Jason turned onto their access road as the sun began to set in the distance, looking at the breathtaking view of their home in the distance. It was truly a remarkable sight and with the help of Wilbur Franks; the grounds surrounding the property were immaculate. He regretted not having much time over the summer to make use of their swimming pool, although the kids and Stephanie had used it extensively. What he regretted most, however was not having found time to be alone with Stephanie for any adult quality time. He recalled how he had joked about him and Stephanie finding a way to be alone in the hot tub grotto or in the spa. But neither had happened. It was not like them to go so long without intimacy. And it certainly was not like him. The realization of how little attention he had been paying to his wonderful wife suddenly made him ache with guilt. It was as if he had just awoken from a coma to realize several months had mysteriously slipped away.

  He pulled his car into the garage and as he walked out into the atrium, he could hear the kids playing in the family room. He and Stephanie had decided there was little need for a formal living room in their lives so they had immediately converted the first floor front room of the house into a family room with plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs for reading or watching TV. They also added cabinets for the kids' movies and video games. Because of its size, it made the perfect family space.

  "Hey, kids. What's up?" Jason said enthusiastically as he crossed the foyer. Looking to his left, he could see Stephanie in the kitchen making dinner. He held the flowers behind his back. She didn't seem to see him or else for some reason, she wasn't acknowledging his arrival. “Great!” Jason thought. “I’m in trouble again!”

  "Hi, Dad," Jeremy said, raising his left hand in a cursory wave, not taking his eyes off the movie he and Cindy were watching on their new big-screen TV. She too gave a brief wave obviously just as engrossed in the movie as Jeremy was.

  Sammy, who had been sitting on the floor stacking blocks, stopped and ran toward Jason, hugging his leg and shouting "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Jason loved how excited Sammy still got whenever he came home and was in no hurry to have him outgrow this part of his young life.

  "Hey, stinker," Jason said, picking the toddler up with his free arm and giving him a big kiss on the cheek as Sammy squeezed his neck tightly. "Aggggh..." Jason said with a comical mock chocking sound as he stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth, pretending to be gagging from the strength of his young son’s hug. Sammy gave a great belly laugh as he always did when Jason played these games with him.

  Then he sat Sammy back down on the floor and said, "Ok, buddy. I want you to go back and play with your blocks now for a bit before supper. I need to go out and talk to Mommy for a little while. I promise I will come back in, and I'll call the three of you when it's time for dinner." Sammy looked a bit disappointed but went back to his playing. The other two were still sitting entranced by the movie and likely didn't hear a word he said to them.

  Walking down the hallway toward the kitchen, being careful to keep the flowers hidden behind his back, Jason could see Stephanie, still busy at work. She glanced up at him as she was setting the table for dinner.

  When Stephanie’s eyes met his, Jason saw something or perhaps he just imagined he saw something for the briefest of moments, which caught him completely off guard. In the matter of a millisecond, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl, he saw the look in Stephanie’s eyes go through a series of impossible changes. He knew it was unfathomable for so many changes to occur so rapidly, but Jason was certain he had seen it.

  First she looked at him as if she had no idea who he was, as if he were a total stranger, someone she had never seen before who had broken into their home and was about to accost her. He assumed maybe she had not heard him come in and did not expect to see him home so early. Next, he saw the look change as a glint of recognition entered her eyes realizing she was looking at her husband. He expected to see the look change to pleasant surprise at his early arrival home but that was not what happened. Instead, her look changed to one of anger bordering on hatred or perhaps even insane rage as if she had just encountered someone she detested rather than loved. Had all these looks not occurred so rapidly, Jason would have physically stepped backward after being confronted with such a look. But he scarcely had time to think, let alone to react.

  Then the host
ile glare disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared and was replaced with a calm then somewhat aloof look as she returned to setting the table. “I see you are home early for a change,” she said coolly. “To what do we owe this honor?”

  Jason was still mentally reeling from the many intense emotions he had just witnessed crossing his wife's face, and stammered, “Um…ah...yes… Sorry... I suppose I deserved that…I was able to get out early today. And look what I brought you.” He held out the flowers.

  Stephanie ignored them and instead said sarcastically, “Well then. I suppose we should all be thanking the heavens above that you have chosen to grace us with your wonderful presence.”

  Jason hesitated for a moment, being sure to choose his words carefully. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know Stephanie was in a foul mood and likely looking for an argument. As such, he said with extreme caution, “Look, Steph. I understand your frustration with me as well as with the responsibilities of this new job. And believe me when I say I am so very grateful for your patience during the past few months. I honestly could not have done this without you and without your help, honey."

  Stephanie didn't reply, but Jason believed he saw the cloud of anger begin to slowly fade from her troubled face. He said, "Look. Just so you know; I spoke with Tom McClellan today and told him I needed to back to a normal schedule." Jason decided to act as if the idea was his and not Tom's. "I told him the extra hours were taking its toll on my family and I was in danger of burning out. I figured the worst that could happen was he might fire me, but I didn't care anymore. I decided I simply couldn't expect you and the kids to put up with this any longer. And I told him so."

  Stephanie now looked at Jason as if she were seeing a side of him she had never seen before. The Jason she knew was a hard working dedicated professional and a good corporate soldier who did whatever was necessary to succeed at his job. But the idea of him standing up to the plant manager and essentially demanding to have more time for his family was something she had never expected. Stephanie never doubted how important she and the kids were to Jason, but she also knew how critical his success on the job was to their financial future. However, just because she understood, didn’t mean she couldn’t still become frustrated and angry about it.

  Now she suddenly felt very much ashamed at the way she had just spoken to Jason, recognizing she had been out of line and he certainly deserved better. If she were being honest with herself, she would realize she didn't even have any idea why she had behaved in that way toward him. She didn't know what had come over her. It had almost been like someone else had put a bunch of strange ideas into her head. Jason had been working his fingers to the bone for the past several months to make a better life for her and the kids and here she was treating him as if he were someone who cared nothing for his family. And now he had just proven it by putting his family ahead of his job.

  "Look...Jason...I'm...I'm...really sorry about..." she stammered as her eyes welled up with tears.

  Jason moved the flowers to the countertop and reached out, taking Stephanie in his arms. "No, baby, you have nothing to be sorry about. I am the one who should be sorry. I guess I got all caught up in this promotion thing and temporarily lost sight of what really matters." He looked into her eyes and said, "I'm so very sorry, and I promise to do my best to make it up to you and the kids." They embraced again, and as Stephanie rested her head on Jason's chest, she was certain everything was going to be right.

  In the attic of the farmhouse, the surface of the antique full-length mirror began to shimmer and ripple as the residents of the netherworld beyond the glass silently howled with frustration at the turn of events taking place in the kitchen below. They had been gradually and subtly planting seeds of doubt in Stephanie's mind in order to drive a wedge between the couple which would make it much easier for them to complete their plan. And although this brief setback was no more than a bump in the proverbial road, it still provided more aggravation than they wanted to endure.

  They would rethink their strategy, and as they got closer to the predetermined time, they would double their efforts if necessary. They would get their way eventually and there was no force, in Heaven or on Earth capable of stopping them.

  Downstairs in the kitchen, Stephanie backed away from Jason and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. Jason decided to change the subject and asked, "So how's the book coming? Is it done?"

  "Yes. I just finished it this afternoon," Stephanie replied. "Well, as much as it can be finished. I emailed Sean, my publisher, today and told him I would send him the rough draft in a month."

  "In a month?" Jason asked. "If it’s finished, why not send it now?"

  Stephanie remembered Jason was unfamiliar with her writing methodology. "Well," she said. "Here is how this works. I finish the book then set it aside for a few weeks, maybe a month. During that time, I do something else...something new. Then I come back and look at it one last time and make any improvements before sending it on to the publisher."

  "Oh, yeah," Jason said contemplating, "I think I understand your logic. Let it rest for a few weeks then take a last fresh look at it. That's a great idea. I sort of do the same thing with reports at work. I write them one day, then let them sit overnight and look at them again the next morning before submitting them. Makes sense to me." Then he thought for a moment and asked, "So what are you going to work on in the meantime? Are you going to start another kids' book or do something different?"

  "I was thinking of something really different," Stephanie replied. "Ever since we learned about this house I have been thinking about doing some research into my family tree. You remember I mentioned that to you a few times?" Jason nodded and Stephanie said, "Mason Armstrong had told us my Uncle Emerson hired a private investigator to do a good deal of research for him. I believe it’s all in a box I located today up in the attic. I didn't take much time to check it out, but I suspect I should be able to find all sorts of stuff in it. Depending upon how much I learn, I was thinking of organizing everything into a nice understandable document. You know, into book form. And then maybe using one of those on line print-on-demand places, I could make a few copies for us, the kids and Chuck and his family. It might make for a nice Christmas gift for them. And it will serve to take my mind away from my kids' book for a while too. It's just what the doctor ordered."

  Jason replied enthusiastically, "Steph. That's a great idea. Wow. I never would have thought of that."

  "To be perfectly honest with you," she said, "I can't believe I thought of it either. I have no idea where the idea came from. It just seemed to pop into my head." She turned and looked at the timer on the oven then told Jason, "Honey, could you go and tell the kids to wash their hands and get ready for dinner?"

  "You bet," he replied, happy to find things quickly returning to normal once again.

  Upstairs in the attic a quiet guttural burst of laughter could be heard coming from deep within the old mirror. Dwight Livingston's ghostly voice said, "Well. It looks like some of the suggestions you gave to the woman have taken root after all. Now we simply have to wait for her to come to us and read what she needs to read. Then she will be ours, once and for all."

  Chapter 26

  Stephanie sat with her legs crossed on the worn wooden plank attic floor. A large brown cardboard storage box sat on the floor next to her. She was positioned in a way that permitted her to benefit most from the meager lighting coming from the single bare bulb suspended from the fixture high above her head. The attic was every bit as grimy and disordered as Stephanie had remembered from the last time she was there several months earlier. And if she were to be perfectly honest about it, the place gave her the creeps. She was starting to think; perhaps she shouldn't have come up to the dreary room alone in the first place. But she had wanted to get her project underway and in order to do so she needed to locate the box containing the private investigator's research material.

  Now that the box was so near, she couldn't wait to gather some
of the documents and then return to her loft to begin her work. She had a natural dislike for attics in general and this one, in particular, seemed much less hospitable than most, it being filled with many of the unsold antique items they had removed from Washburn's bedroom as well as many other mysterious unopened boxes and crates. They had assumed these containers had been stored there, most likely by Washburn, prior to Stephanie's taking possession of the property.

  She realized she would need to have Jason carry the large box to her loft workspace later when he got home from work, as it was both too awkward and too heavy for her to manage on her own. In the meantime, she was briefly looking through some of the photos and notes to see what she might want to take with her immediately.

  Fortunately, young Sammy had gone down for a nap in the loft bedroom a half hour earlier, and Connie Franks had been nice enough to agree to watch over the boy once more while she dusted loft area. This permitted Stephanie a brief time whereby she could venture up into the attic in search of the needed documentation. Fortunately, Sammy had taken to both Connie and Wilbur Franks as did the other kids, and couple had become their surrogate grandparents. So, Stephanie felt confident if Sammy awoke early, he would be quite comfortable finding Connie watching over him instead of her.

  Stephanie couldn’t help but notice that Sammy seemed to be sleeping a lot lately during the day. It didn’t cause her a concern as of yet, but she had made a mental note to watch his sleep patterns more closely for possible signs of trouble.

  Upon examination of the box, Stephanie was surprised by how disorganized everything inside was. Absolutely nothing was in any proper arrangement whatsoever. She had naturally assumed a highly paid private investigator would have done a more systematic job of keeping things organized. Then she realized perhaps the investigator actually had done so. Maybe he had submitted all of his findings to Emerson Washburn in a nice, neat and orderly package. However, if Washburn had been as mentally unstable as she suspected he might have been near the end of his life, it was very possible he had actually been the one who and muddled up the files.