Not A Good Reason

by McCarthy, G. L.

  “Not screwing up, just being different. It’s like you’ve changed in just three days. What will you be like after six weeks?” Alex suddenly felt that maybe she had rushed into this relationship without enough information about Sam’s personality or how it was going to change from this new job.

  “You’re right. I seem to be in my own head and not thinking about anything but this job. I’m sorry, just be patient with me I’ll get it right. I promise.” Sam now realized that this was probably why they wanted the cadets to live at the academy during their training. No outside distractions.

  “I’ll try and please be patient with me as well. This is all new to me too.” Alex hugged Sam and hoped that this job wasn’t going to bring out a side of Sam that could be the end of their loving relationship.

  Sam watched some television while Alex set up Eva’s new litter box. No artificial litter for this family, pine pellets would be the safest for Mom and babies. Not to mention they smelled like a forest.

  The last chore was to open up some cat food and let Eva get her fill for the night. After consuming two cans she seemed to be satisfied and cleaned her face, then jumped back into to the box with her little family.

  “Good night, Eva. If you see Oliver tell him thank you for me.” Alex closed the door quietly and wondered where he went after they went into town.

  “Hi Alex.” Oliver was standing by the door.

  “There you are. How are you? All rested I hope.” Alex reached out and brushed his cheek.

  “Yes, finally. It took a while but I’m back. I guess I need to work on that.” Oliver was a little concerned about this new problem.

  “You did great. I know you’ll get it figured out. Good night and thank you for our present.” Alex had felt his cheek before so she brushed the hair out of his eyes. “Much better.”

  Giving his arm a light squeeze Alex went to see if Sam was ready for bed. Alex was tired from having such an emotional day and just wanted to sleep. Tomorrow was another week and who knew what it would bring.

  Chapter 31

  Monday morning found Sally Jennings putting her plan into effect. She had been a patient long enough to know who she could use to her benefit. One patient in particular would prove to be a huge asset and also the fall guy when all was said and done.

  John Thomas (JT) DeFranco was a patient at NEIMH for the past several years. JT, a former Bartender, was arrested for violating a restraining order. As a suspected stalker, JT was put under psychiatric observations and showed signs of antisocial behavior. His sudden bursts of uncontrolled rage were keeping him here under Doctor’s care.

  JT had been a hovering pest to Sally in the past, but now she had a plan to use him to help her slip out early one morning. As well as being the key player in helping her in her quest to regain her position as the only hero in her daughter’s life.

  Having Alex die accidently wasn’t going to be an option that anyone would believe. Sally had used her recreational computer time to research the most common forms of suicide. After several articles that started out promising only to turn in to anti-suicide dialog Sally realized that the majority of accidental suicides came from either overmedicating or mixing prescriptions and alcohol and Alex wasn’t on any medication that she was aware of. How can you accidently overdose on prescription medication when you aren’t on any? No Alex would have to be the victim of a deranged mind other than Sally Jennings. Then they would see that Sally should be released to console her daughter and prove her sanity.

  The only possible glitch could be the Head Orderly Kirby James who was aware of everything and had a sixth sense when it came to any changes in the patient’s behavior. It was going to prove to be a challenge that Sally needed to be on her toes in order to make this plan work. One break she could work to her advantage was Kirby’s up coming vacation. It was only going to be a long weekend but how long does it take to kill someone you hate with every cell in your body.

  No, this time Sally was sure it was all going to go her way. This time no one would come to the rescue and save Alex. This time all would see the life of one Alexandria Whitney end and no one would be the wiser. Sally had four days to work on JT and have him eating out of the palm of her hand. She knew he liked her; all she needed to do was get him to believe she was crazy about him and that she needed to leave her husband. If she could make him believe that her husband was standing in the way of their happiness he may suggest killing him as well. Which of course Sally would think was a wonderful idea. With her husband and Alex out of the way she would definitely have her daughter all to herself. Sally would need to play up the victim part and convince JT that Alex was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between her and her daughter Megan. She knew once she had him under her spell anyone getting in their way would end up regretting it in more ways than one.

  By the time Kirby returned to the floor on Monday morning Sally would be awakening from a sound sleep and all her troubles would be over. It would be later that morning when she would hear the terrible news that her husband had been killed and one of Hastings most adored citizens had died as well. It would be a huge shock and loss to the town. One that she would not only remember, but cherish for the rest of her life.

  Alex had been in a sound sleep and woke up with a jolt when the alarm went off. What had that strange dream been about? Another cryptic message to decipher which was predicting another calamitous event in her life. What was a dream about an old cabin and the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest have to do with her? Yes, there was an old shed near by, or so she had heard. The movie was one of her favorites, but why dream about it now?

  Sam moaned a good morning, but didn’t make any move to get up.

  “That alarm was for you dear. Any special requests for breakfast and lunch?” Alex was going to keep this possibly new problem to herself.

  “The usual works for me. Will you be a saint and start the shower for me? I just can’t seem to get motivated this morning.” Sam was apparently over the thrill of the academy and now felt it was hard work.

  Alex reached under the covers and put her hand between Sam’s thighs. Sam moved closer to Alex and knew a few minutes of passion would get her heart started.

  “How many more weeks do I have to go?” Sam pulled Alex over and kissed her.

  “That would be five plus weeks or twenty-seven more training days. Which ever sounds the easiest to take?” Alex felt the same way Sam did. This seemed like it was going to take forever.

  “Neither one sounds good. I’ll stop whining now and get up. Love you.” Sam rolled Alex back over and sat up.

  “Count to sixty and then head for the bathroom.” Alex grabbed her robe and headed for the bathroom to turn on the shower, heater and use the toilet.

  When Sam went out the door she was at least smiling and took a moment to kiss Alex properly. Alex wanted to crawl back into bed and think about the dream, but she needed to get into a routine. Five weeks was a long time and the sooner she got used to this schedule the better.

  Alex stood in the shower and let the hot water relax her. What did that dream mean? She only had those types of dreams when something was going to happen, but what and to whom? No one else was in the dream, but herself. This was a first as she had always interacted with others in these dreams and there was a warning. This didn’t have a warning, but maybe she’d woken up before the warning could have been played out. Who could she talk to about this, not Sam, Cyn or TJ? They’d all been through enough and it could be nothing. If Oliver was around she’d run it by him. Maybe he could show her the shed were he found Eva and babies. Maybe there was something else she needed to find.

  But what did her being alone in this dream mean? No people or animals, just dead quiet. Did it mean she’d have no one around to save her as she meets her end in that small cabin? What did the movie mean? She remembered it ends with the main character having a lobotomy and his Indian friend ripping a piece of equipment out of the ground and throwing it out a big window. What d
id that mean? Was she going to lose her mind this time and be alone in her own thoughts? That her friends would be angry, but helpless in saving her from losing her mind. Was the Indian Sam, Anna or Ramon and they couldn’t save her in time?

  This was crazy stuff, she needed to get a grip and wait to receive more pieces to the puzzle. But she did want to see the shed, it may or may not be the one in her dream but it was worth checking out.

  Alex walked out of her bedroom and knew Oliver was about. The TV was on and the volume was low. But no Oliver in sight.

  “Oliver. Oliver where are you?” Alex needed another cup of coffee. The first one was okay, but got cold sitting for her to finish her long shower.

  “Good morning Alex.” Oliver was watching TV, but he wasn’t visible.

  “Still resting? Are you okay? How are you feeling?” Alex wondered if he truly was recovered from bringing the box with Eva and kittens home.

  “I’m okay, but not being visible does seem to make me feel stronger longer. I guess if I’m alone it doesn’t matter. What’s up?” Oliver knew Alex must have a question for him and materialized so she could see who she was talking to.

  “Can you show me the shed where you found Eva?” Alex left it at that.

  “Sure. It’s just a shed that looks like it was used for storing tools and fencing. Although everything is pretty rusty so I’d say it hasn’t been used in a long time.” Oliver had been all over the surrounding area and it was the least interesting place he’d explored.

  “Tools and fencing.” Alex didn’t remember seeing anything like that in her dream. “Are there any other abandoned structures around that look intriguing?” Alex asked the question before she realized Oliver may not understand.

  “Intriguing?” Oliver was quiet as he didn’t know how to answer the question.

  “I’m sorry, intriguing means is it interesting or curious. I had a dream with an old cabin in it and I’m wondering if it’s nearby.” Alex figured she might as well tell him what she was looking for.

  “There are a lot of abandoned structures in the area. Some are really fun and one in particular has a heavy feeling.” Oliver felt as if he was being watched when he explored it, even though he saw no one there.

  “Heavy! Like possessed by something dark or evil?” Alex wondered if this was the place.

  “Not possessed, but I think something bad happened there.” Oliver didn’t know how to explain what he felt when he walked around the place.

  “Do you know when it happened?” Alex felt she may need to get Sheriff Taylor involved.

  “I think a long time ago and there’s another ghost living there. I think they’re like me and they don’t think they can leave or maybe something is keeping them there. I just felt like I wasn’t alone, but there wasn’t anybody around.” Oliver had no idea if ghosts could see each other.

  “Is this place nearby?” Alex felt this dwelling sounded more promising.

  “It’s not that easy to get to from here by truck. There is a back road, but it enters from the other side of this hill.” Oliver didn’t want to seem nosy but what was so important about her dream?

  “How long would it take to get there? Could we go there before it got dark?” Alex would like to see it as soon as possible.

  “Well I guess. If you got home right after work and we left straight away we could make it. But we should take a lantern just in case.” Oliver didn’t want to be there when it got dark without light.

  “I’ll make it a point to get home as soon as I can and we have several lanterns.” Alex didn’t have time to explain what a flashlight was this morning. She needed to make her lunch, feed Eva and get going.

  Alex just hoped the day didn’t drag by like it tended to when she had an important mission and this seemed to be one she hoped would be a piece of cake.

  As she made her lunch she suddenly felt like this was déjà vu. Here she was about to go solo again because she felt Sam would make her wait until the weekend so she could go along.

  But she wasn’t really alone, she had Oliver and he could warn her if she was in danger. Not to mention Anna and Ramon would be there if things got out of hand. Anyway this wasn’t anything you could consider really dangerous. She was just going to investigate an empty old building that she hoped wasn’t as eerie as Oliver thought.

  The last chore Alex did before leaving for work was to lay out what she was going to wear. She would just take long enough to jump into these clothes and they would be off as soon as she got home.

  “Oliver, I’ll be home at my usual time and then we’ll be off.” Alex didn’t see him but hoped he’d heard her.

  This was going to be an interesting evening, as it was going to be the beginning of Alex’s next adventure – ready or not.

  Chapter 32

  Alex flew through the back door and headed straight for her room to quickly change so Oliver wouldn’t have to wait on her. As she walked back through the house there was no sign of him. A quick stop to grab the flashlights was the next task, but then she remembered Oliver wouldn’t need one.

  Alex walked out the back door and found Oliver patiently waiting by the F-1.

  “Hey right on time.” Alex opened her door as Oliver jumped in on the passenger side. “How was your day?”

  “Good. How was yours?” Oliver was looking forward to spending time with Alex, but not their final destination.

  “Long. I guess I was so excited about going on this little adventure it just seemed to make the day drag on.” Alex started the F-1 and looked at Oliver for instructions.

  “Go towards town a few miles until you see a downed tree on the right. Drive past it and look for a dirt road. I’ll point it out if you don’t see the one I mean.” Oliver had spent a good part of his time exploring the area around Alex’s house.

  Alex found Oliver’s direction easy to execute and spot on accurate.

  “How many times have you been out here?” Alex found the dirt road in need of some work as the weeds were scraping the sides of her F-1.

  “Not that often. I just have a great memory. I’ve only been this way one time, but it took me a long time to get back home. It’s a lot quicker if you go through the woods behind your house.” Oliver smiled at Alex as he looked ahead.

  “Once. Wow you do have a great memory. I’m glad you’re with me so I can get back home. Now I get why you said it was nearby, but not easy to get to by truck.” Alex suddenly felt a chill as a dark structure appeared just ahead.

  “We’re here.” Oliver just stared as that uneasy feeling came over him again.

  “Do you see someone standing in the window near the front door?” Alex wanted to shine her headlights on the front of the cabin, but there was a pile of debris in the way.

  “I do see something, but I’m not sure it’s a person. Let me go first. You wait here.” Oliver knew nothing could hurt him so being brave was easy.

  “No argument from me. Just give me a holler when you want me to come.” Alex felt very safe in her truck with the windows up and the doors locked.

  It seemed like less than a minute had passed before Oliver appeared in the passenger seat with a strange look on his face. Alex reached over to touch Oliver’s arm.

  “What’s wrong?” Alex knew he was spooked.

  “It is someone. But they’re dead like me.” Oliver felt like crying but couldn’t.

  “Oh no, Oliver. Do you think they will tell you why they are still here? I need to talk to them so they know they can crossover.” Alex felt this had to be the cabin in her dream.

  “She’s not afraid of us. But she doesn’t want to talk to anyone.” Oliver wanted to leave this place now, but would stay as long as Alex wanted to.

  “Will she let me go in so I can look around?” Alex wanted confirmation this was her cabin from the dream.

  “I’ll go see if it’s okay.” Oliver disappeared and reappeared again in less than a minute. “It’s okay, but you need to be quick about it. She doesn’t like anyone hanging ar
ound.”

  “I understand. I’ll be in and out as quickly as I can.” Alex jumped out of her seat with flashlight in hand and carefully jogged around all the debris to the front door.

  It wasn’t twilight any longer so the figure in the window was no longer visible. Alex walked into the darkened room. The beam from her flashlight danced against the walls. This was the cabin from her dream – so now what? Was the woman in the window part of it or just a victim as well?

  How was Alex going to know what to do here? But one thing was for sure this place was creeping her out too.

  “Let’s go Oliver. I’ve seen enough. Any chance she will tell you her name?” Alex was walking as quickly as she could back to her truck.

  “I can go ask.” Oliver hoped she was in the mood to talk.

  He was waiting with the answer when Alex returned to her seat. “She said her name is Lizzie Borden and then she laughed.”

  “She’s not going to tell us. That isn’t her real name. Ms. Borden was famous for supposedly killing her parents. She lived in Massachusetts and died a long time ago. It appears our ghost lady doesn’t want us to know who she is.” And Alex had no idea of how she would find out who this woman was.

  By the time they got back home it would be time to get dinner ready. Alex thought for a moment and then asked Oliver for his solemn promise to keep this little trip just between the two of them. She would let him know when it was okay to share it with Sam and TJ. After all that had happened in the past several months telling Sam she’d met another ghost may not sit well. Plus Alex didn’t even know what she was supposed to do. Maybe another dream tonight would help clear it all up. She just needed to get home before Sam and act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened today. She just hoped Sam didn’t ask “What’s new?”

  When Sam slowly walked through the door it was obvious to Alex it was going to be an early night. Three Ibuprofen were already waiting on the table with a glass of milk. Sam barely had the strength to eat all her dinner and Alex was grateful they had leftovers from their dinner at the Ridgeway Inn, so prep time had been a snap.