Awake in the Dark

Introduction (chapter 1)
As I drove down the winding, gravel road that leads to the summer house. I was over come with memories of good times had there. All of the quiet walks into the woods where Jonnie and I would spend hours talking about our dreams and desires. Dreaming about what kind of parents we would be, when we decided to have children. We dreamed about the things that we wanted to accomplish what places we wanted to visit. The secrets we shared that we couldn’t tell anyone else, and the afternoon trysts in the woods. Oh the things we did. We would sneak away and have only a blanket to cover our would-be naked bodies. We would make love all day long. When we were tired we would sleep. We could do anything here. Not like the city where we could be arrested for going outside in just a blanket. Oh the memories of summer. The memories that got me through winter living in the city.

As I reminisced about the summerhouse I was suddenly flung into reality as I approached a vehicle that was parked off to the side of the road with its parking lights on, casting an eerie glow.

Part of it was on the gravel road the other was on the grass that would be a shoulder if it weren’t a low maintenance gravel road. Normally this isn’t a shocker but there are only three houses down this road unless you go about thirty or forty miles. One of the houses is Jonnie and mine: one is Carol and Allan Heftner. They are in Paris this summer, and the other house is vacant. The Gundersons own it and there going through a divorce. Both are fighting for “custody”of the house. So until custody is established no one gets to use it.

Thinking someone was lost or having car trouble I slowed down to a crawl and looked around for someone. When I couldn’t find anyone I stopped. With the moonlight shining particularly bright I was able to make out two people off in the distance. I rolled down my window as to call out to them to see if anyone needed help. When I noticed the two men in a rather odd position. One was on his knees the other was holding an object pointing at him. Without warning I saw a flash of light and the person on his knees was flung backwards. I must have screamed, although I can’t seem to recall it. Because the guy still standing with the gun turned toward me and started to run toward me.

Without even realizing what I was doing I began to speed off kicking up rocks and dirt, but not before I got a look at his face... his hair, his muscular build and his eyes. The kind of eyed that seem to look right through you and send shivers up you spine. As I kicked up rocks and dust, his silhouette was illuminated in my taillights, making him look Erie. The kind of Erie you only imagine in the horror movies.

I drove faster than I think I ever had. I didn’t slow down until I was sure he wasn’t behind me. I don’t think I ever drove that fast and look behind me all while keeping my eyes on the road. I pulled into the driveway of the summer home, hit the garage opener and pulled in. Making sure to shut it as soon as I was in. I went into the house. Afraid to turn the lights on in fear that he might come in and get me.

I stumbled around the house until I made my was to the bedroom where I locked the door. Peaking out the window to make sure he didn’t follow me, I shut the curtains and dropped to the ground crying not believing what I just saw. When I stopped crying the shaking I tried to gain my composure. Listening carefully to make sure I was alone. I reached for the phone, no good it was dead. I remembered I didn’t have the phone hooked up until Saturday. And it was only Wednesday night. I sat on the floor of my room trying to make sense of it all. It was hard through. It was about 11:30 and the moon was almost directly overhead. Which cast shadows on the floor through the skylight we had put in. Normally the skylight is comforting and soothing. Although not tonight. Without realizing it I drifted off to sleep.

“Amy, come here , look at this, hurry your going to miss it.” as I wondered to the edge of the forest to stand next to Jonnie, curious as to what he was all excited about. I looked off in the distance and between the trees just beyond the clearing in the woods were two deer, a doe and her fawn. The doe was obviously no more that a few months old. The doe was teaching her fawn the ways of the world. What to eat, what to avoid, all the necessary life skills it would need to survive. All of a sudden the doe stopped her ears perked up sensing that she was being watched, the doe and her fawn ran off further into the woods where they knew they would be safe from harm. What a peaceful sight, in the city you never get to see stuff like that.

Standing next to Jonnie at the edge of the woods, sharing this special look at nature makes me want to have a family of our own, before I know wheat was happening, I found myself jumping into the lake in front of the house. I wasn’t going swimming, although at first I could not figure out why I was in the water. It was soon obvious why, Jonnie was drowning, I could hear him calling out for me. I looked around and saw nothing. I tried to call out for him but my voice was gone. Somehow the daylight was going away and out of the corner of my eyes I saw Jonnies hand sticking out of the water, as I swan toward it, it disappeared under the water, I dove under and reached for him but he was so heavy I couldn’t pull him up. Jonnie had a hold on my arm and wouldn’t let go. As I ran out of breath, I knew I was drowning. And started to panic more, making me sink faster. As if I were in a bad movie, I woke up screaming, and clutching my chest, hyperventilation. As reality slowly came back, I realized it was only a dream. A bad dream, but a dream just the same. And how thankful I was to know jonnie was safe on business, and not at the bottom of the lake.




Chapter 2


was I so tired from making the five-hour drive from the winter house to the summer one, that maybe just maybe I imagined the whole thing? Could that be possible? But why would I imagine such an elaborate tragic thing as watching a murder, not just a murder but an execution, on the other hand I have been stressed out, and jonnie and I have been fighting a little. Ia am taking anti-depressants. That’s it! It was the medicine and the drive and all the stress. So why am I still scared? If it was real and I saw his face, maybe he saw mine and it’s a matter of time and he’ll find me. When he does, hell bring me out into the woods, make me get on my knees, point the gun and...bang, I’m dead too.

Stop it: stop it! You’re talking crazy. Now pick yourself up off the ground and look out the window. If you don’t look you’ll die hear of fright, not to mention starvation. Now quiet being a wimp and get up! You owe it to the man, no to the family of the man to let someone know what happened last night.

Slowly standing up I peaked out the window. It was amazingly bright out. Everything looks peaceful. As I stood there looking for him, I noticed a morning dove sitting on the phone wire outside my window, and as to say good morning, it chirped at me in its shallow voice. This was usually a welcome sigh of summer. Some how today it was and Erie realization that I was alone.

Next weekend is the summer opening for most of the residents around the lake. There are a few residents who stay at the lake year round. Most are retired couples who generally stay to themselves, going into town only for supplies and to complain about the boaters and jet skiers in the summer. There is one couple that works from home, using the computer, I think they sell stocks and bonds or something like that. What a life. Staying at home. Having meetings in your pj’s over the phone or computer, all while enjoying the lake anytime you want and earning a six- figure salary. Now that is the good life. I’ve only seen the couple once though. With a smile and a nod I’ve said hi but that’s as far as its gone.

Spring is my favorite time of the year. Every year in the beginning of may, all the lake residents make their way to the lake to open up the cabins so they can unwind form city life. I think it’s our way of getting therapy from all the problems we get.

I only came up early to get the house ready so when jonnie comes up we can spend as much time together as we can. We have been fighting a lot I guess because we never get a chance to see each other. With Jonnie’s schedule it makes I real hard. Jonnie is usually off on business trips or in conferences and I guess I get jealous of it all. Kind of silly huh? Getting jealous of his work. I guess I feel like work is always first and I’m just an inconvenience he has to come home to. I think that’s why he hasn’t wanted kids yet. He’s too busy with his own life and doesn’t want the responsibility of a child. Me on the other hand I wanted to have kids a few years ago. Hopefully if all goes right this summer I can talk jonnie into having a family. He has promised that we would talk about it when he comes up in a week. Just one week, I will be alone for a week

with the knowledge that I am alone. I need to come up with a plan. I have to muster up the courage to leave the safety of my bedroom. I’ll search the house make sure I am alone, then I’ll drive into town and talk to the local police about what I think I saw last night. What did I see last night? Did I see anything, or am I really crazy? Is anyone really going to believe me? Well there is no way to know unless I leave my room.

Right now I need to find something, a bat, a knife, something just in case, ah yes this will do, my tennis racquet. I stood next to the door with my ear pressed up to it listening for anything, for what seemed like an eternity, not hearing anything. “Ok Ann open the door” my brain is trying to tell my body what to do but somehow it’s not working. Why isn’t it working/ why won’t my legs move? I’m sure I’m alone. And I will be for a t least a whole week.

Is this what they mean when they said scared stiff? I bet it is. If only I could just relax, I could get my body to move. As I took a deep breath I let my mind wonder to Jonnie and what he’s doing right now. If I know him he’s probably smoothing over some business deal, for his employer. Looking wonderful in one of his dark suits. Oh how he would turn me on, looking like prince charming in his work clothes. The way he walked, the way he carried himself, the way every ones attention would no doubt be hanging on every word he spoke. He knew his business and it made hem very successful, powerful and rich.

I felt my body relax a bit. Enough to open the door. Slowly I unlocked the master bedroom door and pulled the door open looking out the door first left and then right. Nothing, so far so good. Turning left into the spare bedroom I entered the room nothing their. Checking the walk in closets and the bathroom when I was certain all clear I left the room. I never thought my heart could beat so fast and so loud. I’m usually not the type of woman to get squeamish or nervous very easily, but after last night I figure I have a good reason.

walking past the master bedroom into the den I peeked my head in. I didn’t see anything except the cherry wood desk that sat in front of the large bay windows, and the shelves of books that wrapped around the room. Also the oversized lounge chair that sits next to the reading lamp and table.

The den is a comforting room, many of hours have been spent in this room reading, relaxing and just getting a way form it all. We don’t have a radio, tv or even a phone I this room. When we built the house we wanted a sound proof room that we could get away form the noise and kayos of the day. Someplace we could go to be alone with our thought, away form distractions. This is something we don’t get in the city. The den is one of my favorite rooms for comfort too. As I reminisced about the comforts fo the den, reality hit and I remembered why I am visiting the rooms of the summerhouse holding a tennis racquet.

Quickly I turned around going back out into the hallway I diligently searched the bathroom the master guess room, the downstairs kitchen, bath, living room, family room and the laundry room, with my delight I found only the furniture and my memories in the rooms. The only place I didn’t check was the cellar. I figured if all three locks were locked then he wouldn’t be down there. After all if he were and he managed to lock all three deadbolt from inside the basement, then he was more that a murdered he was a magician and anything I could do to hide would be useless because he would get me for sure.

After deciding the house was safe I decided to take a shower and change. Then I could try to make sense of the last 24 hours, forgetting how wonderful a bathroom I have up here I soon found myself relaxing as the hot soft water hit my body. It the city we have hard water, not sweet and soft like it is out hear. I think it is well water out hear, well whatever it is it is soothing, relaxing and everything I love about summer. I guess it was so soothing I lost track of time. I wouldn’t have come back to reality but I ran out of hot water, only lukewarm water came out. Which if I didn’t turn off the water it would be ice cold. Nothing ruins a relaxing shower more than ice water.

After unpacking my suitcases and finding something to wear, I combed my long blond hair and put on a little makeup. I grabbed my keys, my purse and my jacket just in case the wind picked up. With a deep breath I opened the door and slowly walked to the garage. Opening the door, seeing that the coast was clear. I jumped into my car and backed up. I pushed the garage door opener to close the door and I started to drive off. I reached the end of the driveway and found myself suddenly scared. The only way into town with out going an hour or so out of the way, was to go back down the road I had sped down just less than 12 hours before. Drive down the road where I witnessed a brutal execution. An execution that a mad man committed. Committed without feelings. A man that I saw. Who may have seen me. Who could be waiting for me.

Anyone who lives around hear knows there’s only one road into town, if I go south I have to travel fifteen miles before I reach a cross road just to travel another twenty miles to get to the road that will let me get back on the path to go into town. Overall I would have to take and hour and a half scenic route just to get to town. If I go north I can be into town in twenty minutes. I think It would be smarter to teak the twenty minutes. If I take the other route who will be around? No one! No one ever goes on the back road. If something happens to me I’ll die waiting for someone to come along.

Thinking back to when jonnie and I bought this house on the lake, we loved the fact that it was so secluded and only about thirty or so houses on the lake. For such a large lake thirty houses hardly seems right. More people should be able to enjoy the lake. Fortunately for the forest, the zoning laws prohibit building of anymore houses. The county forks decided that they wanted to try and keep the forest for the creatures that live there. That’s why we love it here. We can enjoy nature you just don’t get in the city.

That’s it I will take the short way into town. I have to for my own sake. After all if I just killed someone I would be so far gone no one would ever find me and I’m sure that he has left too. Why stick around when someone can identify you right? Especially being near a little town where everyone knows everyone.

After fifteen minutes of driving I made my way towards town. No sight of him, I did see tire ruts in the road that must have been made by me when I sped off but nothing else. I guess in a was I was relieved. Hoping that all of this was just my over stressed and over active imagination. If I did see him what would I say? Would I just pretend that I didn’t know who he was and carry on with my day? Would I freak out and end up eight feet under like the guy I think I saw last night? Well for now I don’t have to find out. What a great relief for me. I’m almost in town and I’ll let someone else decide if I am crazy. Instead fo talking to the police maybe I should see a doctor. No, no, what I saw was real, and I’m not crazy. Come on if you’re not confident about what you saw how te hell is someone else supposes to take you serious? Don’t you pride yourself on being rational, reliable, trustworthy person? After all everyone who knows you thinks you’re the rock. The rock everyone can lean on in a crisis. The woman they can count on to get the job done, no matter what it is. So pull yourself together!

Chapter 3

lanyard city is a small town maybe 3,000 people if they count the pets. Where they got lanyard city from is beyond me. It’s not where to being big enough for a city, a town or village yes but city no. like I said I’s a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business.

Most of the residents came from larger cities. People who got tired of the day to day race they call life the city. Some people were burned out. Others were nervous breakdown and couldn’t handle it anymore. Some came to have families and raise them in a wholesome environment where they don’t have to worry about gangs or drive by or street walkers on every corner. Anyone who has lived in a big city knows that it is a fast pace. Where people are impersonal, not because they want to but because they have to. If you tell someone to have a nice day the usual response is up yours. Where in a small town if you say have a nice day your response is much warmer, more personal. Like thank you I hope you have a nice day too. If you want to stop by we’ll catch up on things, or something of that sort.

I guess that is why I spend the summers here. Jonnie usually comes up on the weekend to get away, if he’s not off on a business trip somewhere. Jonnie spend most of his time on business trips flying here and there, it’s not unheard of to not hear from him for a week at a time. But he always calls when he can. A few more years and jonnie will have enough to retire on. He figures he’ll have enough money that we can spend year round at the lake home, with any luck we will have our kids then and we can watch them growing up

jonnie has been investing money and playing the stock market ever since he was in collage. He figures that in a couple of years he’ll have invested enough that he wont have to work anymore and we’ll have enough money to live off of the interest and keep us in the life we are accustomed to. Which I have to admit is better than most. I guess you could consider us upper class. Growing up my family was very wealthy. When my parents died in an auto crash a few years back they left me a sizeable inheritance, that I can have when I turn 28. They never like jonnie and figured he was after my money. They figured that if he stayed around all these years then maybe he was actually in love with me. They figured if not by the time I was 28 I would figure it out and move on, still young enough to start a new life with a new man.


Craig smith is the town police chief, and hardware store owner. He has two deputies who work for him. Usual young men right out of the academy who want to get wet behind the ears before they jump into it full force. Most deputies stay for a few years before moving on to a larger city. Where there is more action and better pay. Craig doesn’t mind though, he feels good about getting rookies. He always says that if he can get to the rookies and install great beliefs and morals that they won’t be so likely to go bad. I think Craig gets a trip out of having the power to influence people into his “old way “ of coping where a cop was good and didn’t turn the other way for a few bucks.

Craig’s wife died a few years back. She lost her life to cancer. They never had any children. I think they tried for a number fo years but no luck. They found other “children” to fill their lives with love. Their children are the four legged kind. Any stray dog, cat hamster, rabbit or other critter that couldn’t find a home was welcome in their family. They take care of them and treat each animal like a member of the family.

Sarah was a wonderful woman. She was a school teacher by the age of twenty two when she died she was still working as a substitute teacher. I think thirty years, as a teacher is a great feat. She was loved right up until the end. Sarah was the first one to volunteer no matter what it was, or how much of her time it would occupy. The only rule she had for donating her time, was it had to be for a good cause. She had a heart of gold.

they have a large ranch a few miles from town. Craig hires people to help keep them fed, watered and just generally taken care of. His wife use to manage the ranch, right up until her death.

Last summer Craig hired an ex-con he busted way back when he was a rookie some thirty or so years ago. Mac found Craig and asked him to help him out. Mac spent thirty years in prison and for some reason kept in touch with Craig. At first it was to make his life miserable. For putting him in prison, after years in the pen and a lot of sole searching he came to see that Craig actually saved his life. If he were o the streets he would have been killed by now. Over the years they became friends. When mac was released he figured he was too old to do anything and wasn’t quite sure how to handle the real worked. Craig invited him into his home to help with the ranch and the rest was history.
“Excitement”that happened. To a town who’s biggest crime is public intoxication and adultery, not to mention curfew breaking by the local teens. Murder wasn’t a really big deal in the cities, but here it is.

Here we go. I got out of my car and stood in front of the doors with one last deep breath, I opened the door and walked in. After a friendly smile, accompanied by a polite “can I help you miss?”I hesitantly asked the deputy if I could see Craig. After a few moments the deputy said that Craig could see me, and he escorted me to his office.

The deputy was a tall man, with a slim, but muscular build. He had dark brown hair almost black. It was cut very short, almost military like. He talked with a soft voice, sort of soothing. The type of voice you could imagine on one of those relaxation tapes, or audio books. He had the type of smile that could calm anyone, not to mention make a woman week in the knees. If I wasn’t married and I lived in town, I think I would like to date him, not to mention, being held in his arms. I looked at his name embroidered on his shirt. It said officer berg. Latter I came to find out his first name is Matthew.

Craig smith was a heavy set man, tall with a child like look to him, a very sweet man. Jonnie and I spent many a nights at crags ranch playing cards, eating popcorn or watching movies with he and his wife.

when Craig saw me he stood up, walked over to me, and yelled”how the hell are ya, long time no see, your looking gorgeous like always, where’s jonnie? You came up early this year, come on give me a hug!” Did I mention Craig loves to talk? After an eternity being hugged by Craig I told Craig that I’ve been better, that I came up last night by myself, and Jonnie will come up next weekend if he can. “Craig”, I said, “I think I have a problem though” after emplaning everything that happened the night before and he could see I was shaken up and telling him what I believed to be true. He sat for a moment and then told me in half joking, half nervous voice that if this is the type of problems I come to vacation with that I wasn’t allowed to go on vacation anymore. Not expecting to hear that I kind of laughed.

Craig offered me a donut and a cup of coffee, while he left the room and talked to one of his deputies. When he came back the deputy he was talking to followed him into the office. Asking all the usual cop questions Craig spoke up and said he didn’t want anyone else to know about this until he was sure their was a crime committed, or evidence of foul play. He didn’t want the town people to panic and go gun happy trying to protect themselves. Craig was always thinking of the people, a nice and welcome change compared to the city cops.

Craig, tom and I hopped into their squad car and followed my path back to the spot where I had seen the execution, while officer Berg manned the police department. As I sat in the squad car I felt safe. For the first time in two days I felt really safe. Craig and tom were talking amongst themselves low enough so I knew they were talking but quiet enough so I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It is relaxing though, just to know I’m not alone and that I have law enforcement men near me, to keep me safe.

Sitting in the back seat of a cop car brings some looks by people in little towns. During the quick five minutes of driving through town, I bet twelve to fifteen people stopped, stared, and even pointed at me. No doubt trying to guess who I was and why I’m siting in the back of a cop car. Never mind that I’m driving away from the jail most people only see a person in the back of the car and assume that they did something illegal. O’well I guess I don’t mind they can stair, I have bigger problems than town gossip. Right now Craig, tom and I are about ten minutes away from finding out if I’m crazy or if I saw what I think I saw.

The closer we get to the woods the more my heart felt like it was in my stomach. Finally after what seemed like an eternity I pointed out my skid marks to Craig and he pulled the car over. Tom opened the door to let me out. Slowly I began to tell them what I saw again. When I was finished tom went around to the trunk of the car and pulled out a black bag. He pulled out rubber gloves for both he and Craig, and several plastic zip loc bags with the words EVIDENCE on them in big red letters.

Tom explained that it was just in case. He also pulled a Polaroid camera and extra film out of the black bag. Craig and tom talked between themselves for a minute then they instructed me to stay by the car. Just like I the movies, tom and Craig combed the area looking for clues of some crime or a body, or something, anything to prove I wasn’t crazy.

Tom stopped suddenly and called for Craig to come over to him. They stopped in an area in the clearing for a long time they bent over and seemed to be looking at something. I assumed it was the body. Craig came walking back toward me slowly, I asked him what was going on and he looked at me and only muttered your not crazy, oh lord how I wish you were. But you’re not.”
Without another word or look he walked to the drivers side of the car and he got on his radio. He called to headquarters and called for the forensic and cadaver dogs to come to this location.

When dispatch called back, he said it would take the forensic and dogs an hour to get here from the nearest town. Craig did say they didn’t find a body just lots of blood, and parts. Because this was officially a crime scene I wasn’t allowed to see any evidence. Just in case. They knew I saw something but they had to rule me out that I did anything. How about that? I was potentially a suspect and unfortunately or fortunately how ever you look at it, was the only witness.

Before long a coroners ban pulled up and a state police car along with a forensic team and the cadaver dogs. The local news was not allowed down the road. The police, knowing that no one would be here for at least a week, closed off the road to everyone but officials involved with the investigation. After hours upon hours of watching the police. I sat myself in crags car. He gave me a blanket and before I knew what hit me I drifted off to sleep.

While in dreamland the police found a number of things in the woods. While doing the initial search they found blood, enough to cause alarm, and they found what they thought was a finger, near the blood they found what they assumed to be drag marks where the body had been taken off somewhere. This evidence gave the police a need for more officers. Officers were called in to search the woods. Officers were needed to drag the near by lake. And officers were needed to search the property and homes of all the lake homes nearby.

While searching for clues Craig found a couple of odd pieces on the ground. One was a tie tack with the letters JM engraved in it. Assumable from either the killer or the victim. A decorative black rosary was also found. Also a pair of glasses the frame and one lens was broken. All the items were put in the evidence bags and placed in the trunk of crags car. Very few officers were told about it. They didn’t want any leaks to the press.

Upon further investigation Craig and the state police decided with all the blood the personal items, and my description of the man and car, along with what I saw the night before. I was no longer a suspect but a key and only witness to a homicide.

When the trunk of the car slammed shut I woke from my slumber. The state police and the local police decided to search for all missing persons, and any convicts released in the area recently. They also tried to figure out what to do wit me. Craig didn’t want to leave me alone so after much discussion it was decided I would stay at a local motel with officers watching over me around the clock. Until jonnie came, I was sort of in a witness protection. I was able to talk Craig into driving to the lake home so I could collect some things that I would need. This definitely wasn’t what I had expected. I figured I could come up and get the house ready so when Jonnie came we could hopefully start on that family while I was young enough to still have children.