Chapter 16

I slam the phone down forcefully. "Unbelievable!" I growl angrily. Upstairs as I change clothes, anger, grief and shock flow through my body as I try to process everything that has happened the past few hours. I explain to Freddie, and his parents what I found out from my call to the hospital. "I've got to get out of this house. I'm going for a walk" I tell everyone. Freddie offers to go with me but I just want to be alone. 

As I start my walk it seems my whole life comes flooding to my mind and it's all just too much. Walking in the moonlight of the evening I find myself at my favorite spot in the woods. I used to come here so often to read or just admire the beauty of the woods. The weather had been very peculiar lately with not a trace of snow or extreme cold until very late in December. I was just glad some of the flowers were still holding on. It almost seemed magical with the large willow tree nestle in the center of the woods, the lily pond, and the colorful wild flowers surrounding it.

So many sad things have happened but I've always been able to get through it. But losing Bonnie, how could I come to terms with that? Sitting next to the lily pond, I run my fingertips along the surface of the water, and wonder what to do now. I couldn't go back to the house right now, I just didn't want to think about anything. I didn't want to think about the fact that my daughter was gone. I just wanted to sit in the beauty of the evening, where it was quiet, and I could sort my thoughts. 

I hear a twig snap behind me, but in my overwhelmed state I assume it's just Freddie. "Freddie, I appreciate you coming to check on me but I just need to think" I say without bothering to turn around. The sound that follows makes every inch of my skin crawl. I turn to see the silhouette of Margo in the moonlight and hear her snickering as she starts to approach me. 

"MARGO! How dare you come here now!" I shout, jumping to my feet. "I didn't know you owned the woods. The last time I checked I can go where I please" she states flatly. "Why did you release my mother? You know she isn't right, and would try to take Bonnie" I say angrily. Margo and I stand facing each other, rage pulses through my veins but I use everything in my power to control my temper. "Always such a goody two-shoes. Playing the sweet innocent, perfect girl. You knew I've been crazy for Freddie since we were kids, but you stole him from me regardless! I remember it like it was yesterday, that day at school when you made a laughing stock of me right in front of him, spilling your tray on my best outfit. I hated you down to the core, and I swore to myself that I would get you back if it was the last thing I did" she snarls at me.

"B-but Margo, I never meant to-" I stammer. "SHUT UP!" she yells and slaps me across the face. I stand flabbergasted, holding my cheek. "Just shut up! I don't want to hear your lame excuses for destroying my chance at happiness. I figured I could win him back but he was already blinded by you. Haven't you wondered where I've been the past year? I've been away studying, perfecting my gift. A wonderful gift that will finally give me the opportunity for happiness" she continues.

"Your actions killed my baby daughter!! I wasn't trying to steal your happiness" I shout, but Margo waves her hand ignoring me. "I want you to suffer the same lonely, miserable life I've had. That is why I stole Betsie's identification, and gave it to your mother after I released her. She can't just run around freely now can she? I knew she would go after Bonnie. Now, I just take care of you, and swoop in to console a broken-hearted Freddie" she laughs creepily. Concerned for my safety I try to calm her down and reason with her "Margo you have a great life, adored by your friends and members of society. You have many gentlemen interested in making you a bride. Please let's talk this out!"

"Stupid girl! There will be no talking anything out! I told you I have a gift, a powerful gift. Some would call me a witch, but I don't see anything wrong with my powers. Now, to send you far away from here..." she laughs as she takes a few steps away from me. My eyes grow wide in fear, and I shout, "I don't believe you! There are no such things as witches! You'll never get away with this Margo. I will see you locked up until the end of your days." 

Anger fills me, this delusional girl has single-handily turned my life upside down and taken my precious daughter from me. I lung toward Margo with my fist clenched ready to strike, but then something strange happens. Margo ducks then shoves me back, pointing a wand at me. "Oh perfect Nora, it's time to reclaim my happiness and send you far away!" Margo yells. 

Terror washes over me and I take a step back. I put my hands up in a peaceful protest, and glance behind me. Trapped with Margo in front of me, and the lily pond surrounding behind me, I try to reason with Margo. She laughs in that horrible high pitched voice then mutters something I can't understand. "MARGO! Please, I don't know what you are doing but please don't!" I shout hysterically. She takes a few steps closer as a sparkling light emerges from the tip of the wand. 

"I'm sending you somewhere far away Nora! I tried to send you last night but you woke up and of course ruined my plans. But now, I am sending you someplace where you can't steal my life! You're a thief! You've always been a whiny homey girl! You don't deserve Freddie!" she shrieks. Shouting a spell in the air, she slowly twirls the wand around her head and forcefully directs its contents towards me. A prickling feeling sweeps over my entire body. Calling out, I scream as the prickling turns to a stabbing sensation. "No one can hear you! I have enchanted these woods with a sound barrier" Margo snickers.

I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance and Margo waves her arms frantically and hollers out enchanted words as the wind picks up. Swirling her wand around she shouts the incantation wildly. I want to run but the pain in my body is too great and I wail in pain. Suddenly a claw-like device emerges around me springing up from the ground. Four large prongs point upward towards the sky and I am unable to leave the object. A strange blue glowing light bursts from the center of the object. Placing my hands up against some sort of force field I frantically plea with Margo to release me. 

Just outside the device I can see her standing there with a smug look about her. An eerie blue light wraps around my body, pulling me towards the center of this crazy contraption. My heart is pounding fast as I call out for help, though I know it is pointless. A surge of electricity tears through my body and I scream with pain as I feel myself being sucked into the white-blue light. My skin feels freezing cold but my insides are burning up. I can no longer see beyond the bright light of the device. My eyes begin to sting from the intensity of the bright light, closing my eyes I feel the pain in my body ceasing. Now I feel light, as though I am a feather. Then, just as quickly as it all began, everything stops and I am in pure darkness. And fears engulfs me as something comes into focus outside of the strange device. A powerful scent of lavender fills my nostrils, and I look upon the room I saw in what I thought was a dream last night. 

Chapter 15

December 2nd, 1945
The photo's and reception turn out wonderfully. Freddie and I are so very happy that we got to share this special day with almost everyone we love. There was great music from the live band, and everyone had such fun dancing. Toasts were made and blessings wished. The food was excellent and the cake, perfect. Freddie and I shared our first dance together and the day was splendid. 

George and Ruth tell us that they've got everything they need for Bonnie and will see us in 2 weeks. It was so thoughtful of them to look after Bonnie so we could enjoy our honeymoon. After the wedding and reception guests leave, Betsie pulls Freddie and I to the side. "There's one last gift" she says in a curious manner. "This is from Grandfather, he told me about it before...well anyhow here you go" she continues, handing me an envelope. Freddie and I exchange confused expressions before I reveal the envelopes contents. 

I drop the envelope and clap my hand to my mouth in pure shock. "Sunflower what is it!?" Freddie asks slightly panicked. Betsie grins and replies for me, "Grandfather bought you a house." Freddie stands there, mouth gaping, and I utterly speechless as tears fill my eyes. Betsie just laughs lightly before telling us that all of our belongings have been moved to the new house, and that if we like we can go there before we leave for our honeymoon. We agree and Betsie offers to take us to the new house. 

The drive to our new home seems quite familiar, as it is the same route to Freddie's parents house as well. "Ok we're here!" Betsie says happily, as we all get out of the car. Freddie chuckles "But Betsie, we're at my folks place." I ask her if we forgot something, and Bestie replies "Well...that's part of the surprise! You're new house is across the street!" She hands me the keys and I gasp excitedly. "Aces! I just can't believe it!" Freddie exclaims. "Congratulations! Have a wonderful honeymoon and I will speak to you soon" Betsie tells us. 

Standing in front of us is the old James' residence, a large victorian style home with a beautiful garden in front. "Oh my goodness Freddie, we have our own home!" I smile from ear to ear. "And, you're still by the river just like you've always wanted!" Betsie chimes in. "Let's go check it out Sunflower" he suggests. Betsie hugs us and heads off to her house. 

At the front door he pauses, sits our travel bags down, and scoops me up. "Carrying my new wife over the threshold to our new home. What an amazing night" he says. I kiss him sweetly and he carries me into the house. "You know we don't have to leave tonight, what do you say we stay the night in our new home and leave in the morning?" Freddie offers as he places our bags inside and shuts the front door. "I think that is a wonderful idea darling" I tell him and he carries me upstairs to our new bedroom. 

Later that night I awoke to a strange sound. Trying to focus my eyes in the darkness, I noticed that Freddie was no longer beside me. The scent of perfume hung in the air, a perfume I did not recognize. Perhaps a lavender scent? I tried to find the lamp chain but knocked something off of the night stand that was beside the bed. "My goodness it's very dark", I think to myself. Making my way across the room I finally find the lights, but when I flip them on my mind races with what I see. I am now in a room I have never seen before, strange decor fills the room and even the bed is made in a different fashion. 

I start to panic slightly and think that this must be some sort of dream. I turn the light off and back on again, and this time I see our room with Freddie snoring away in our bed. "Jeepers! What was that about!?" I softly think aloud. I can still smell a hint of that odd perfume, and decide to go back to bed. I snuggle up to Freddie and drift back off to sleep.

The next day I awake to the smell of pancakes and coffee. I crawl out of bed and follow my nose downstairs to the kitchen, where I find Freddie attempting to cook up some breakfast. He grins sheepishly at me and before I am able to speak, he blurts out, "Some of them are a little singed, but I gave it a shot!" I suppress my giggles and ask where he learned to make pancakes. "My mother taught me...well she cooked, while I watched. Certainly is harder than it looks!" he explains. "How's about I do the cooking from now on" I offer sweetly. He nods happily and I thank him for his efforts. The pancakes were not half bad, and I was glad to be greeted with such a kind gesture. 

I decided not to tell Freddie about the strange events from last night. Were they even real, perhaps I was sleep walking? Nevertheless I decided I wouldn't worry him with it on such a wonderful day. After breakfast was eaten and cleaned up, Freddie gathered our bags and sat them by the front door. I could hear him talking to someone, but couldn't quite make out who it was. As I approach the door I realize the visitor's are Ruth and George. 

Ruth is hysterical and George is trying to hold her up, to keep her from collapsing. "Son, we just don't know what happened. The police are on their way now, we'll get to the bottom of this!" Mr. Warner declares in a stern gruff tone. Freddie says nothing and turns to me just as I reach the front door, he is as white as a ghost. "Good heavens, what ever is the matter!?" I inquire worriedly. Noticing that Freddie is lost for words, Mr. Warner speaks again "Someone has taken Bonnie dear. Please try not to fret, the police will be arriving shortly and we'll find her-" 

George Warner's words melt together into a muffled sound, his face concerned, mouth moving, but no words. Reality isn't registering, I look over at Freddie who is crouched down, with his hands grasping his hair. Poor Mrs. Warner is leaned up against the door frame sobbing into her hands. All I can do is stand there. Warm salty tears flow from my eyes, the knot in my throat is preventing me from speaking, and my hands are shaking angrily. Surely I am in some twisted nightmare. Surely this cannot be. Everything goes dark and now I am falling. 

I open my eyes and notice that I am lying in my bed once again. A police officer is talking softly with Freddie on the other side of the room. Freddie nods solemnly and leaves the room. The police officer walks over to my bedside and gently speaks, "Excuse me miss...I have spoken with your family already, but I'm afraid I have some awful bad news. We found that your in-laws place was broken into late last night. We've concluded that said burglar took off with your daughter, but didn't make it very far. We found them on the bank of the river, drowned. I'm very sorry to inform you that your daughter and the woman are both deceased."

Stunned, and unable to process what the officer is saying entirely, I manage to ask who took Bonnie. "Who, sir? Who was the woman that took her!?" I demand. Officer Bristol glances away nervously, but regains his professionalism and replies "A mad woman, a Miss Betsie Collins." I gasp with utter horror and shout "NO! It couldn't be! It just couldn't! She's my very dearest friend!" The officer looks slightly flustered but calmly says "We found identification on her Mrs. Warner, I'm sorry to say.." 

My head is reeling, spinning in circles, unable to stop. I am trying to find my voice of reason, to sort this all out. It couldn't be Betsie, she would never do this! Officer Bristol looks shocked when I ask to see the body of the woman and informs me that he doesn't think that is a good idea. He tells me that the family doesn't know who the woman was, only that Bonnie is gone. I run downstairs as fast as I can. Bursting through the front, I see the ambulance parked in front of our house. I rush to the gurney as two medical workers try to stop me but manage to whip back the sheet laid across the body of an adult. Laying there dead as a door nail is Marion Bracford. 

The next few hours smear together, and honestly I don't even want to attempt to recall them. All I know is that my dearest, my darling Bonnie is gone. My heart feels ripped into shreds. My mother was somehow released from the hospital and Betsie had nothing to do with any of this tragedy. Freddie, and the Warner's had been good about it all, comforting me, doing their best to help. Ruth had taken to cleaning and cooking for us, "I can't just sit around. I've just got to do something", she had told me. 

Freddie and I explained that we did not in anyway blame them and that we love them very much, but I know Mr. Warner blames himself. I overheard him telling Ruth that he feels like a poor excuse of a man, a husband, a father, a grandfather. "I should have heard the break in. I should of been there!" I heard him say. "Oh George! How could you have known!? Darling no one blames you. It's that wretched woman. Poor sweet Nora! We must be strong for them, they need us!" Ruth had replied. 

To say that I was infuriated with Marion Bracford would be the understatement of the year. Grief stricken and utterly broken-hearted, I had to know more about how this could happen. I decided to find out what imbecile would sign a consent form releasing a deranged psychotic patient out of care. After speaking with several personnel to get the information, I finally had my answer... Margo Evelyn Pierce.