said, gaining control.
I did understand. It was so very close to what I experienced every time I laid down and took Trip into my body. Her images were more intense because they were tainted with years and years of yearning and pain.
"Where are you? Your body, I mean?"
She pointed out the bedroom window, and then was gone. I didn't even see her go.
The door flew open and Trip came rushing in, followed by Mikey. His face was a mask of white fear.
"What happened?” Before I could answer, he dropped to his knees and gathered me into his arms. His heart was beating so forcefully that it masked the beat of my own. He was scared.
"I'm fine. Calm down. I just had to exercise a little control.” I pushed him back gently, smoothed his hair, and kissed him. “It's okay. I promise. I know what to do."
He pushed out a huge breath and slumped. “Great. Next time you figure out what to do, could you let me know without giving me a heart attack?"
I barely had the energy to laugh, but I did. “I promise to give that a try."
* * * *
The five of us tramped through the same rocky, uneven ground in my vision. The woods surrounding the house were dense and silent. No bird sounds, no squirrels, nothing to indicate presence of life.
Mikey smacked his cell phone and muttered a curse. “I can barely get reception out here. Why am I calling Margaret?” He took out a cigarette, and Liz smacked it out of his hand.
"You trying to start a fire? There's about a bazillion dead leaves on the ground, idiot!"
He turned nearly purple, but held his tongue. She had a point.
I held Trip's hand and soaked in the contact. I was still weak and exhausted but, after a Coke and a few aspirins, was up for the trek.
"I need to know if Jeremiah's buried on the grounds. A lot of times they had private cemeteries on the larger farms."
Mikey nodded and then plugged his ear. “Yes! Hello?” He waved us ahead while he tried to get Margaret to the phone.
"It's up ahead?” Trip asked, his eyes searching the thick stand of trees for a break.
"I think it's just past these trees. She showed me the whole thing.” I shivered. “It was awful. Horrible. I still can't believe what some people are capable of. And for what reason? Because they were in love!” I could feel myself tensing and pushed the anger back.
"Different times, Babe. It isn't right but, sadly, it was common. I don't get it either but we were raised to be PC."
"PC, my ass,” I spat. “We were raised to be human."
Trip shrugged and pulled me against him. “Let's find her and get this over with. It's Halloween. I'm ready to go home and hide under the covers with you and tell you campfire tales. Then I can comfort you with my manly ways."
I grinned. I was ready for home, too.
Mikey came running up panting, “Margaret says it's on the east side of the house. All you can see from the house is a grove of trees, but she said it's on the other side."
We reached the edge of the field and picked our way carefully through the brush. The dead leaves crunched under our feet, and twigs snapped as loud as gunshots. A branch smacked me across the face and drew blood.
"Shit!” I wiped my face and tried to calm down.
"It's up here,” Liz called. “I can see where the land drops off."
The drop-off was steep and led to a shallow river peppered with rocks and boulders. I recognized the spot immediately.
"That's the spot, but where's the body?” Missy asked.
I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and got my answer. “We need to climb down. It should be right under that oak."
"Who buried her?” Liz sighed.
"Jeremiah did. Alone. He buried her under this tree because they had picnicked here once."
"Sad. So sad.” Missy was the first to start picking her way down the incline. If we stayed to the less steep side, we would make it down without injuries.
It occurred to me that we looked like a funeral procession. Because we were.
It took a few hours, but when we were sure we had all of her, I laid
I did understand. It was so very close to what I experienced every time I laid down and took Trip into my body. Her images were more intense because they were tainted with years and years of yearning and pain.
"Where are you? Your body, I mean?"
She pointed out the bedroom window, and then was gone. I didn't even see her go.
The door flew open and Trip came rushing in, followed by Mikey. His face was a mask of white fear.
"What happened?” Before I could answer, he dropped to his knees and gathered me into his arms. His heart was beating so forcefully that it masked the beat of my own. He was scared.
"I'm fine. Calm down. I just had to exercise a little control.” I pushed him back gently, smoothed his hair, and kissed him. “It's okay. I promise. I know what to do."
He pushed out a huge breath and slumped. “Great. Next time you figure out what to do, could you let me know without giving me a heart attack?"
I barely had the energy to laugh, but I did. “I promise to give that a try."
* * * *
The five of us tramped through the same rocky, uneven ground in my vision. The woods surrounding the house were dense and silent. No bird sounds, no squirrels, nothing to indicate presence of life.
Mikey smacked his cell phone and muttered a curse. “I can barely get reception out here. Why am I calling Margaret?” He took out a cigarette, and Liz smacked it out of his hand.
"You trying to start a fire? There's about a bazillion dead leaves on the ground, idiot!"
He turned nearly purple, but held his tongue. She had a point.
I held Trip's hand and soaked in the contact. I was still weak and exhausted but, after a Coke and a few aspirins, was up for the trek.
"I need to know if Jeremiah's buried on the grounds. A lot of times they had private cemeteries on the larger farms."
Mikey nodded and then plugged his ear. “Yes! Hello?” He waved us ahead while he tried to get Margaret to the phone.
"It's up ahead?” Trip asked, his eyes searching the thick stand of trees for a break.
"I think it's just past these trees. She showed me the whole thing.” I shivered. “It was awful. Horrible. I still can't believe what some people are capable of. And for what reason? Because they were in love!” I could feel myself tensing and pushed the anger back.
"Different times, Babe. It isn't right but, sadly, it was common. I don't get it either but we were raised to be PC."
"PC, my ass,” I spat. “We were raised to be human."
Trip shrugged and pulled me against him. “Let's find her and get this over with. It's Halloween. I'm ready to go home and hide under the covers with you and tell you campfire tales. Then I can comfort you with my manly ways."
I grinned. I was ready for home, too.
Mikey came running up panting, “Margaret says it's on the east side of the house. All you can see from the house is a grove of trees, but she said it's on the other side."
We reached the edge of the field and picked our way carefully through the brush. The dead leaves crunched under our feet, and twigs snapped as loud as gunshots. A branch smacked me across the face and drew blood.
"Shit!” I wiped my face and tried to calm down.
"It's up here,” Liz called. “I can see where the land drops off."
The drop-off was steep and led to a shallow river peppered with rocks and boulders. I recognized the spot immediately.
"That's the spot, but where's the body?” Missy asked.
I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and got my answer. “We need to climb down. It should be right under that oak."
"Who buried her?” Liz sighed.
"Jeremiah did. Alone. He buried her under this tree because they had picnicked here once."
"Sad. So sad.” Missy was the first to start picking her way down the incline. If we stayed to the less steep side, we would make it down without injuries.
It occurred to me that we looked like a funeral procession. Because we were.
It took a few hours, but when we were sure we had all of her, I laid
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