others in the home, there were no notes just the food magically appearing.
Mack grinned shaking his head. "I bet the staff is trained to wait until we aren't around and they come in to deliver the food. The Gilbert's said this was a magical place. Ted and Agatha Gilbert owned Harper's Island. They were Mack's boss and loved his work so much when he announced he and Johanna were engaged they insisted on the couple staying at their island paradise for their honeymoon.
"The home sits empty most of the time. We are always looking for others to occupy it when possible. We spend the spring there so you can stay for several weeks when you marry." They had caretakers, which apparently, the old captain was one. However, Mack and Johanna became caught up in being alone and on their honeymoon they didn't give it a further thought.
Weeks later Johanna stood on the beach as the water gently lapped over her feet bringing the soft warm sand to cover her toes with each wave. "You know, I haven't had one instance of asthma or any allergy," she said turning to Mack who walked up behind her. He rested his arms about her enjoying the warmth of the breeze that blew her hair across his face as he kissed her neck.
"I know," he said between kisses. "Maybe we should just move here. Maybe the Gilbert’s will let me work from here, bring a laptop and do my engineering from home."
Johanna giggled. "That sounds nice. I rather enjoy breathing fresh clean air. Neither of us have been sick since arriving. It's like the place is on blessed ground."
Mack smiled and his eyes sparkled as he turned his wife to him and down they went laying on the sand as the water rushed up around them. They didn't care and abandoned passion rose up and they stayed where they were until they met the need.
They lost track of time and continued to frolic and enjoy their company and the island. They often commented about it being a true paradise with the perfect amount of everything they enjoyed. However there came a day when they each felt they had stayed well past the time they should have left. The old captain said he would come back to get them to return home when it was time. Mack didn't worry too much about it knowing the Gilbert's expected him back soon anyway. Had something happened to the captain they would have sent someone else along to check, Mack was sure about that.
The following morning, they slept in just enjoying the coziness of their bed. After breakfast, they stepped outside onto the front patio and saw the boat and the old captain come to the dock. Each walked up the dock to meet with the old man. "Ahoy there," the captain said with a nod.
"Sir," Mack said nodding back. Johanna smiled.
"Bet you thought I'd never return," the captain said as he tied the dingy to the post.
"Well we had wondered. How long have we been here? We've sort of lost track of time," Mack said bowing his head with a grin.
"Of course, you did. You are honeymooning and that is as it should be," the captain said with a grin revealing his perfect teeth. It unnerved Johanna for if he had half rotten or missing teeth he would look more the part.
"I guess it's time we head back to the mainland," Mack said.
"Yes. That's why I'm here to give you warning. I'll be back in a couple of hours to get your things. Go pack and be ready." He turned and proceeded to climb aboard the dingy. "You can stay though as long as you like. You don't have to leave now." He reached across and let lose the rope. The boar floated free of the dock.
"We probably should head back. The Gilbert's are moving us to Mississippi, relocating. I figured they'd send for us before now."
"Naw, it's okay to stay here as long as you like. It's an open invitation. I know the owners personally and they told me as much. But I'll be back in a few hours," the captain said as he steered the boat around and the engine hummed to life and was off.
Johanna and Mack slowly walked back to the house. Both were a bit down to have to leave their private island paradise, where the weather is perfect and the food magically appeared in the kitchen each day. Each one pondered the implications of this but each agreed it must be the staff hired by the Gilberts. Still they wondered...
They met the captain on the dock with their packed bags ready to head back to civilization. The shoreline loomed ahead, the sunlight glinting off the turquoise of the car. They looked behind to see the afternoon rain heading to their little paradise. "Aw," Johanna said as she and Mack exchanged glances remembering their time in warm afternoon showers.
Mack slammed the trunk and shook the old captain's hand. "Thank you much, sir," Mack said.
The captain nodded as he backed away and towards his truck. "Remember folks, you are always welcomed back here anytime. Should you decide to turn around and come back you can take the boat to the island. Anytime," he said with a serious look on his face.
Mack nodded and smiled, unsure of what to think of the invitation. He and Johanna slid into the car and by the time he shoved the key into the ignition the captain disappeared in his truck. Mack turned to her as worry thoughts crossed his mind. "We will need gas but I didn't see a gas station anywhere around after we saw that wreck on the way in. If we don't find one, we'll have to call for help. We certainly do not have enough gas to get us two hours up the road," Mack said sounding very much as he did on the way there.
Johanna just laughed. "You said that coming here but we made it didn't we?"
Mack smiled and shrugged. "Hmm. Guess we did." He turned the key and the engine hummed to life.
"Look," he gasped pointing to the gas gage.
Johanna peered over the steering wheel and the gas gage pointed to beyond the F. "How?"
They looked at each other as the shock of the full gas tank sunk in.
"The captain had to have gotten gas," Johanna said with a nod of her head.
"I had the only key to the car. The gas gage has a lock on it."
Thing just seemed to get weirder and weirder as they remembered the bizarre near accident they witnessed on the way in. Johanna had a strange feeling about it, sadness for the family. They drove on the eerily vacant highways, never seeing another car, never seeing any sign of life. The sun slid on down in the west as they approached the fateful intersection, void of traffic. A lone street light dimly lit the area. For some odd reason the lights just didn't seem bright enough.
Mack slowed the car as they beheld a large white wreath. "It has names on it," Johanna said barely audible. She strained to see but it was too dark.
"Looked like two names. The silver against the white makes it hard to see at night."
Johanna's heart sank. "This means at least two people died that night."
"We don't know it was the accident we saw," Mack said unconvincingly.
Johanna just shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "We should have stopped, Mack. We should have done the right thing and turned around and gone back. It might have meant the difference between life and death."
"No, if it was a bad accident there was nothing we could do. It happened, it didn't affect us."
Still, Johanna kept the thought near her broken heart about the people she left behind. They would have had to spend their first night as husband and wife in the car, but that would have been okay. At least they would have tried. She felt bad they didn't even try.
Mack reached over and grabbed her hand. "Honey, if they died it was just their time. Nothing we could have done would have stopped it. It's done. Don't feel bad."
Johanna batted a stray tear from her cheek. "I just feel bad for the family that is left behind."
They drove on in silence and the traffic picked up significantly the closer they came to their town. The odd thing was the cars, many antiques just like the one they were in. Mack strained to see the drivers, but the windshields and windows were peculiarly opaque. As much as he tried to see their faces he simply couldn't. He chose to keep this observation to himself so as not to upset Johanna further.
By the time they reached town the traffic was bumper to bumper. They crept along the main road anxious to get to Mack's cousin's house.
Johanna
took a deep breath noting she was no longer in the sea air. No sign of constraint. "I hope my inhaler is in the room where I left it," she said shaking her head. "Why all this traffic? What day is it?"
Mack shook his head. He normally stayed on top of things and especially the date. Their days on the island made his lose all track of time. He honestly didn't know the answer to the date or the day of week. The traffic moved at a snail's pace. He reached over and offered his wife a smile.
"No worries, hon. If you can't find your inhaler, worse case we can hit the emergency room and get another, if you need it. How are you feeling?" Mack asked.
Johanna took another deep breath and smiled. The smile did not reach her eyes, but she shrugged. "I am fine. Maybe the sea air cured me."
Mack chuckled. "Maybe so."
They edged past the city cemetery which had more people than either had ever seen. It seemed alive with hustle and bustle of people. Odd green lights seem to emanate from the ground casting ghostly shadows. Johanna stared trying to figure out what was going on there. It seemed to be a festival with all the people she saw there.
"Someone famous die?" she asked and let out a nervous laugh.
"Beats me," Mack said and put the blinker on to turn left to head to his cousin's house up in the residential area. Normally the quaint street lights lit the area but tonight the lights cast the same dim light as the street light over the accident intersection way back. The homes
Beyond the Mist Page 3
