Dreamland Chapter 6

The steady cry of beep… beep… beep… awoke Joven from a unplanned restless sleep. Dreams filled with shadowed fingers reaching out for her from a vast garden of evergreens. No more than a few feet of safety before running head long into the next guardian of nature, arms out stretched, tearing with leave tipped hands, desperate to hold her.

Falling off the bed she gasped for breath. Drenched in sweat she tried to calm herself by slowing her breathing down. If she were to be honest she wanted to look over her shoulder and confirm the flat white wall was all that stood over her. Feeling the hard wood floor beneath her, she closed her eyes and found herself back in a black forest. Movement of white made her turn her head and the image was lost to her.

Sighing deeply she felt released from the icy thorns that had acquire her lungs so easily. The murky ghost that had invaded her mind was gone. A featherlike trench connecting them still ran along the edges between reality and dream, unnoticed by her conscience. The soft scent of evergreens was evaporating, retreating, to the other side.

Testing the floor cautiously with her hands, she stood slowly. “Get a hold of yourself girl.” She ran her right hand, still dotted with splinter pricks, through her hair. Coming back with a single evergreen leaf in her hand. She turned pale, letting it fall. Running for the bathroom she slammed the door, holding it in place with her body.

Her breath was coming in waves again. Sweat ran down her forehead and into her eyes causing a double vision effect. For a brief second she could have sworn she saw Devlin. He appeared to be speaking but the vision was soundless.

Sliding down the door she put her head on her knees and cried. Several minutes passed before she gained control of her fear. Fact and fiction joined in her head, circling around each other, terrifyingly real, testing her sanity.

Pushing her back firmly against the door she stood back up. Another deep breath and she was ready to face her bedroom. Cracking the door, she peered through the slit and surveyed the area. Everything was in its place, no trees had mystically shot up through the floor. No monsters were hiding in the corner, waiting to pounce unknowingly on her. Slowly she pulled the door open, keeping an eye on the room, least it change its mind and shift to a wooded world.

The bathroom door was fully open and Joven felt foolish for trying to sneak back into her bedroom. Suspiciously she crept into the open space and leaned slightly to look at the floor on the other side of the bed. Inch wide floorboards ran from one wall to the other, rich in brown colors, clean of leaves. Feeling completely stupid, she walked back to the bathroom. Leaving the door open she started the shower, stripped of her night shirt, and stepped into the warm water.

*****

Thirty minutes later she was standing at the kitchen counter mentally willing the coffee maker to work faster. Her damp hair was pulled up in a white hair clip with a few loose strands dripping spots onto the pick polo shirt. Blue jeans, no shoes or socks finished the outfit. Taping her fingers on the counter alerted her stomach and it growled in rhythm. On top of the refrigerator set a box of chocolate pop tarts. Quick and easy was the name of the game this morning, and she grabbed a packet of two. Ripping it open she noticed the note on the refrigerator for the first time.



Jo, had some errands to run today. Should be home by lunch. Don’t forget I work the night shift tonight, 11-7. If I don’t see you please don’t stay out past midnight, and call me before you go to bed. Love mom.



“Great, here all alone… everyone doing their own thing without me.” She still felt a bit off balance and wanted to share it with someone.

The coffee finished its cycle and she poured herself a cup. Mixing in some creamer and sugar, she took the cold pop tarts and the steaming cup of coffee to her darkroom. Sitting them down on the viewing desk she slipped into the dark blue cloth covered chair. Sliding her feet back and forth on the floor, soft squeaks whimpered from the wheels, reminding her that dream boundaries could be crossed.

Mechanically she ate her breakfast staring out of the double windows. The edge of a lifeless circle meeting living forest, head to head, neither advancing upon the other.

Shaking herself out of her melancholy, Joven pulled her camera out of its bag and rewound the finished roll of film. Moving over to the darkroom side she slipped under the black tarp and began the method of processing the test roll she shot of her mother and herself to check her chemicals. Sitting the newly shot roll of film down on the work desk, the images of breathing life, locked in time, would have to wait.

*****

Edoha stood at the edge of the rocky cliff staring down. A still form laid neatly between two prominent boulders shading the face of the fallen. He rested on his back, arms covered in a long sleeve blue pullover relaxed at his sides. The crease in his blue jeans clearly showing from thirty feet away. Hiking boots untied and caked in mud without a drop of water insight. Rick Reynolds had been located, or at least his remains, around nine that morning. “I just can’t see him falling like that, he must have walked up on the cliff and figured out he couldn’t get up it in the dark.”

Brian Hallman nodded, “It didn’t get below forty, maybe dehydration or an injury we can’t see yet.” He studied the wild flowers, standing tall, undamaged and blowing in the wind.

Edoha knelt down on one knee, “won’t know until we get him back.” Pulling his radio from it’s holster, “Jason, how much longer until you reach him?”

The radio hissed static for a moment, “bout ten minutes or so. This is not the route I would chose if I were lost. We’ll have to take it slow getting him out, no real path here and the ground is loose.”

“Take all the time you need, he won’t mind. Are you following his tracks in?”

“Nope, but we are leaving plenty behind us. He must of fell, he didn’t walk in there.”

Taking a deep breath Edoha turned back to Brian, “Maybe he dragged himself there for shelter after falling.”

Brian lifted his binoculars from his chest, sweeping the view back and forth, “don’t see any drag marks or footprints. Only answer is he laid where he landed. That is a hell of a mark to hit.”

Edoha nodded and turned to walk back to the search team that had located the body. “You guys spotted him from up here, right?” A few soft “yes’s” greeted him, with heads moving up and down in response from the rest.

He turned back to the edge and rubbed his right temple. There was no point in asking them if the grass or wild flowers were disturbed before they located the fallen man, they wouldn’t remember and they hadn’t been looking. A five man search team, and ten more coming to answer the call of a location, the answer was forever lost. Tracks led back and forth from the drop-off destroying anything that could be linked to the victim.

Shortly there after, voices rose up and reverberated off the cliff walls, a moment later the crunching of boots on loose rocks crawled up the barrier greeting those peering down. Four men dragging a litter behind them followed the sound, debating amongst themselves the best route back to the trail. Clear footprints marked the passing, a few wiped clean by the litter taking up the rear.

“Now isn’t that interesting…” Edoha pointed at the path. “Let me see your binoculars for a minute.” reaching over he viewed the scene through two small windows. “From here it looks like two sets of tracks instead of four.”

Brian took the binoculars that were handed back at him. “You think someone dragged him there and left him?” He tried to zoom in at the area below Rick’s feet. “I don’t see any marks of someone clearing tracks away. If that is the case, this isn’t an accident.”

“Yeah, it would mean that. Not the best way to start the hiking season. We don’t know nothing about this guy except he got lost. Now we get to find out who hated him.” Edoha sighed, “things like this make me hate my job.”

“That’s why I’m only a deputy.” Brian straightened his light brown jacket over his blue jeans. “You want me to start the background check while you deal with the family?”

It was just past ten thirty in the morning, clear skies with a few clouds floating on the air watched over them. The temperature had started its climb through the low seventy’s with only a light breeze chasing the heat randomly. Edoha zipped up his sheriff’s jacket as if he had a chill. “Yeah, I’m headed back to the visitor center to deal with them now.” Turning back to the modest crowd, “there’s nothing else to do here. I appreciate all the help, but they will take him out from below.” He made his way through the throng and mounted a bay stallion.

*****

Thirty minutes later Edoha was walking towards his image in the double glass doors of the visitor center. Dark circles under swollen eyes stated a lack of sleep. The light brown jacket with a encircle star on the right shoulder was still zipped concealing the brown short sleeve uniform shirt. Dark blues jeans confirmed they had been slept in as they tried to crawl out of worn black cowboy boots. Long black hair pulled in a tight ponytail, bound by leather, drawing up the wrinkles on his forehead, but missing the crows feet babysitting the edges of brown eyes.

It was times like these he missed Silvia. She would have got on to him, stating no proud Cherokee would be seen so sloppy. She would have insisted that he put on a clean uniform, of course there would have been a clean uniform to put on, while she made him a perfect cup of coffee. Three years since cancer had stolen her from him and he was still helpless around the house.

Putting his mind back on the task at hand he pulled open the right glass wall and walked in. His footsteps were muffled by the off gray carpet allowing him to observe the family waiting for news in the managers office directly across the room. Mrs. Reynolds eyes matched his attesting to no sleep. Shoulders were bent forward over cold coffee draped in a white Cheoah Point tourist t-shirt. Black shorts covered black slender legs ending in white socks and tennis shoes.

The over sized brown chair swallowed her as she tried to fade into it. Lifting her head at the sound of his steps. Hope leaked for her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and free falling when she saw the look on his face. “No… no… he has to be okay.”

Edoha squatted down to be eye level with her. Unable to look her directly in the eye he studied the soft blue wall behind her right shoulder. The color reminded him of the vividness of the sky outside. He let out a deep breath, “I’m so sorry Mrs. Reynolds, but we located your husbands body a little over an hour ago.’

Screeching, “No!” She launched herself at him. He was forced to catch her with his left hand while balancing them both with his right hand on the floor.

“I know this is difficult, but we will need you to identify your husband. I also need to ask you a few questions when you feel up to it.”

“Questions? What questions could you possibly have, you already know more about his death then I do.”

“Ma’am, we can wait to do this until you have identify your husband. That really is the first step here.”

Forcing herself out of his arms, “No! I want to know what questions you have about my husband?”

Edoha sighed, “He was found in an unusual place, almost like someone placed him there. I don’t have a cause of death from the coroner. Is there anyone who knew you were coming here that had a problem with your husband?”

Large brown eyes flew wide, “you think someone killed Rick? That there is someone out there that would want to hurt him? He taught junior high math… does that sound like someone with enemies?”

“No ma’am, it don’t.” He could have kicked himself for not bringing up medical issues first. “The other issue is medical. He could have laid down to rest and an underlying condition could have led to his death.”

“My husband was thirty-eight, he was in perfect health.” New tears ran unheeded, following the tracks of their predecessors. “I want to see Rick now.”

Standing up he nodded, “I can take you there. Just so you know, we may make it to the morgue before him. They are bringing him out on horse back and it could take some time.”

“I will wait.” She was stone faced, shoulders squared as she brushed past him.

*****

Three hours later Edoha pushed the remains of a chicken fried steak across the table and finished the last sip of his tea. Staring at the floral on the red bench across from him, he tried to erase the morgue scene from his mind. Dr. Quinn had promised a preliminary report by the end of the day. Until then he just had to avoid anyone looking for information about the dead hiker.

“Two hours, and counting,” he explained to the empty seat.

“You say something sheriff? Need some more tea?”

“Thanks Becky, yeah, I guess another glass would be good.”

“I’ll be right back with it.” Turning towards the front of Lynn’s Place she went to the kitchen. Sneaking back up on him with a full pitcher of tea. “Here you go.”

His shoulders squared slightly at the sound of her voice. “Thanks.” Flicking the bottom of two packets of sweet-n-low he sighed again. A quick rip and he dumped the contents into the glass before stirring it with his spoon. The clatter of the spoon hitting the table was amazingly loud in the near empty dinning room.

He sat sipping his tea while the scene ran through his mind. The smell of the plateau filled his nose. All the trampling of the vegetation had overloaded the air with sweet aromas from different wild flowers. It had been a fragrance any perfume company would have been proud to bottle. The out of place odor wouldn’t leave him alone.

He went to take another sip of tea and once again found his glass empty. Putting the glass gently on the table, the vinyl creaked when he slid out of the booth and stood up. Walking straight to the cash register he paid his bill and stepped out into the bright sun light.

The temperature was now in the low eighties but the chill stayed in his bones. Twenty years of law enforcement told him this was just starting. The unconcern town around him went about its day. Children thrilled to be out of school on summer break were taking over the city. Parents would be allowing small rules to be broken in the spirit of not having the kids around the house all day. Visitors would migrate from all over the country. One place they would all have in common would be Cheoah Point.

Closing the park would be out of the question for the towns people, this was the busiest season for them. It would help pay the bills when the snow came before hunting season opened. He wondered how they would feel if they became the hunted?

Standing outside the black SUV he tried to imagine the streets quite. People roamed freely before him. Dressed in shorts, t-shirts and sunblock, they scurried from place to place, store to store. Vacation, fun to be had by all, because they knew they were safe in the quaint nature bound town.

He open the door and slid behind the wheel slamming it shut. Starting the truck he turned it towards the hospital. Traffic was not heavy by city standards and Edoha made decent time to his destination. The scenery remained full of smiling families wondering carefree through their day.

He reached his target and pulled into a parking slot. Shutting off the engine he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The one place he didn’t want to be was at the morgue. “Hiding out won’t change the answer,” he explained to himself.

Five minutes later he was standing in the morgue staring down at the same dead man from earlier in the morning. Rick Reynolds black skin had a gray hue to it, no other details told the truth of his sleeping form under the white sheet. “So Quinn, what can you tell me?”

“Nothing, and that is not for a lack of trying.” Dr. Marcus Quinn stood on the opposite side of the metal table. “I have samples out to tox right now and they will take a few days. From everything I can tell there was nothing wrong with this man. No medical issues, no injuries, he didn’t appear to be dehydrated… there is no reason for him to be dead.”

“Something killed him, give me your best guess.”

“Only one I have is a toxin, but I see no organ damage to sustain that as a cause of death. I’m hoping tox will ID something. Honestly, it looks like he just laid down and died.”

Edoha rub his right temple, “That’s not what I wanted to hear. I needed this to be a medical issue.”

“What you want and what you get are two different things my friend. Your thinking this is murder?”

“Yeah, of a tourist, not the typical he stole my wife crap. You just told me that someone did a perfect job of it. Someone like that likes to kill. Someone like that will be hard to catch, and the snack bar just opened.” Shaking his head at no one, “Let me know when that report comes in.” Turning on his heels he walked through the double doors holding back the world of the living.

*****

Mace pulled his horse to a stop an answered his cell phone. Devlin’s horse Midnight pawed the ground impatiently waiting for the call to end. “We’re going back in, the search is over.”

“Good, then I can spend the rest of the day with Joven.” A smile branded Devlin’s face. “If she’s up to it. That was quite the ride for her yesterday.”

Mace didn’t return the smile, “Rick’s body was found about forty-five minutes ago, there still bringing it in. They found it at the bottom of a cliff, guess he fell off it in the dark.”

His smile gone, “That sucks, I feel for his family. Why do people think they can find there way out at night?”

“I have no clue. But its not the best way to start off the season. People will talk about it all summer long.”

Nodding, “yeah, they will. I’m sure Joven will be upset too. This is her first search, it should have had a happy ending.” He turned Midnight back the way they had come with Mace falling in behind him. “I promised to take her out to dinner tonight and let her know how the search was going. I guess it is going to be a lunch. You want to come?”

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea. We will just have to explain to her sometimes this happens. Its not anyone’s fault.”

Hooves crunched over loose stones and rocked their riders. The wind whispered a lullaby through the leaves bringing the scent of snapped green twigs and flatten vegetation whishing a soft goodbye. Devlin let the forest wrap around him lost in his own thoughts of how to tell Joven that a man she had never laid eyes on was dead.

Mace followed behind staring at his friends back wondering how this girl could effect him so quickly. He had known her only a few hours, no real conversation had passed between them beyond riding lessons, but the feeling of needing to shield her was overwhelming. To make things worse, this was his best friends girlfriend.

They continued in silence for several minutes until he felt as if it were screaming at him. “Hey Dev, are you sure you want me there? I mean if she is going to be real upset it might make it worse.”

Devlin glanced over his shoulder, “why would you think that? Joven likes you. I’m more worried about her feeling like she didn’t do enough. Even though it wasn’t our search grid. It’s just that …”

“It’s just what?”

“Joven recently lost her dad, don’t know how long ago it was, but he was murdered. She was there and she feels guilty, like she should have stopped it somehow. So I’m worried about how this will effect her.’

Mace’s voice held sadness, “sorry to hear that. I think I will hang back man. I don’t think I need to crowd her. “

Devlin continued the ride in silence, guiding the horse down the ruff path on autopilot. Torn between the warm feeling in his stomach when he thought of her, and knowing he would upset her when he told her the bad news.