Psychic deathline
CHAPTER 1:
"Yet another strange case" said one of two formerly dressed police officers, reaching for his cup of coffee that lay untouched on the dashboard of his vehicle. The dark brown contents of his cup had turned almost black staining the coffee cup.
"Yeah" agreed his partner, nodding slowly
"Just goes to show what comes out of a quiet summer"
The second officer pulled out his binoculars out of his side compartment, he pulled them over his eyes and peered at the primrose cottage the two officers had pulled up at.
Another two hours passed when eventually the gentle hum of a vehicle passed up the road, disturbing the awful quietness.
The blue tinted Honda roared past the officer's car unsteadily and kept going up the country path without stopping. The car pulled to a halt within the cottage grounds.
"You think its her," the first officer said
Out of the parked vehicle appeared a young aged woman; she wore a simple cotton top over her plaited skirt. Her long brown hair tumbled towards the floor almost sweeping up the dust off the ground. Her eyes looked as if they had been set back in her head with force but not a strong kind of force more like a careful delicate force, she elegantly floated her way towards the front entrance of the cottage and disappeared inside.
The officer gathered the brown envelope below the binoculars, containing the young woman's details.
"Miss volcom" murmured the second officer peering between the pages of her file, which didn't contain much just a few leaves of paper. Usually the file contained long descriptive tables conferring different information for example whether the person of interest had been to a state prison or any signs of offensive criminal activity.
"No offences, a clean record"
"You suppose we go brake the news"
"I guess we should" agreed the second officer with a touch of regret in his voice. Sometimes he really did hate his job.
The two police officers dragged themselves from their parked car, yes dragged, as the news they wanted to break was not a nice message for the start of the week.
Stones crunched underneath the officer's feet as they approached the cottages welcoming garden. The cottage was a mix of white dashed here and there with a blot of subtle pink, the front garden was awe inspiring with dozens of different coloured flowers each individually placed as if measured. Creeping ivy twisted and turned its way around the front of the house, twining within the windowpanes, which were almost rotted to dust.
The cottage was awfully big for one lone woman thought one of the officers.
As the two officers reached the parked Honda, the front door, painted in white enamel opened as if welcoming the two officers.
"Can I help you" piped up a delicate voice from behind the door
"I hope so mam" replied the first officer looking up and down the female figure
" Im officer dunwoody and this is officer burnt" the second officer said
" Do-do you have badges or something" asked the woman, now visible as she had opened the door more ajar
"Sure" said officer dunwoody, pulling out of his front pocket his badge which he had taken off whilst in the car.
" Can we come in mam, we have some news about a Miss M. volcom"
"My mother" replied the woman extremely puzzled
"Yes we believe so"
"Come on in officers im sorry excuse my wariness I grew up in Chicago so you can't always be to sure" she commented
"What do you mean by that?" asked officer burnt now trying to peer around the woman and into the eerily quiet cottage.
" Well you can never be to careful around the city centre, lots of dodgy people" she replied
" Like drug dealers and such" she added
"Sure, off course"
"Anyway come on in officers I fell like I need to hear this news"
The officers passed threw the front door and into the cottage hallway.
The smell was the first thing to hit the officers; it was a musty smell combined of something cooking and some deep incense.
"You making a broth miss volcom" piped up officer burnt jokingly
"Oh god no" replied Miss volcom almost with a sense of sincerity
The woman lead the officers through the hallway that was decorated with a range of pictures some made up of deep coloured sunsets and some displaying pictures of children playing in cornfields.
The woman led the officers round a set of stairs and into her living room.
"Please sit down"
"Thanks Mam" replied dunwoody sitting on a small couch and almost disappearing into the folds of the furniture. Old he guessed.
" Well miss we have some news" announced officer burnt stood up straight against the far wall of the room eyeing the entire place with curiosity
"Please call me Jane"
" Oh ok miss-I mean Jane" officer burnt replied almost choking on his words.
" So what's this news you folk have for me" asked Jane sat on a small pedestal next to what appeared to be a t.v covered in piles of clothes.
The officer held his breath and did not want the bad news to creep out of his mouth, but the words didn't just creep out they tumbled out like a log falling over in the deserted forest with no one around to see.
"Umm miss j volcom was found dead at her home in earlewood yesterday evening, im so sorry for your loss" said officer burnt feeling the need to go and embrace with Jane and hold her till her tears ran dry, but that was not part of the job
"My-my mother" stumbled Jane, her eyes darting form object to object in the room
The two officers stared at each other unwilling to speak as Jane lay with her head in her hands, she was not yet crying but she soon would with such a loss.
"How umm how did my mother die, was it murder?" Jane asked fighting back tears.
"The MID ruled out in favour of suicide" replied officer burnt
"Suicide" exclaimed Jane making officer dunwoody almost jump out of the old couch.
"You don't think you're mother would try to commit suicide" questioned officer burnt
" No she wouldn't, she couldn't its not like her" stammered Jane her long fair hair now flowing form side to side as she sat with a stern look upon her face, as if she was almost squinting.
" So what are you going to do now have you taken away the body, oh god what about the funeral?" asked Jane her face shrouded in confusion
"Don't you have any close family or friends here?" asked dunwoody cupping his hands and avoiding eye contact with Jane.
"No I have family all over this state, but were a small family anyway and anyone I was close to I left behind in Chicago"
The silence that followed seemed like forever almost like when a criminal takes a pedestrian hostage and cuts their throat just for some petty crime.
The officers had never been in that situation but those kinds of things were always on the news or splashed on the front cover of local newspapers.
" Well we've got to be going" announced officer burnt after a rather long and uncomfortable silence, he ushered towards the door giving officer dunwoody a stern look.
Jane lead the officers back through her house and towards the front door
" Once again were very sorry for your loss," said officer dunwoody with one last look at the inside of Miss volcoms house. The silhouette pictures on the inner walls shimmered as if alive.
"Thank you officers," said Jane as she turned and shut the door almost trapping the officer's faces in the ever-closing gap.
The two officers paused for a second and then slowly walked down the path of the garden, they both turned and took one last look at the beautiful cottage and steadily made their way to their car.
"You think she took that well"
" I don't think there is a well way to accept news like that," said officer dunwoody.
" In all the years ive served as man of the state I have never found parts of these cases so easy"
" Do you think her stories true?"
"True meaning?"
"Her living alone and leaving her family left behind in Chicago?" officer dunwoody replied pulling the door handle of the vehicle
"Looks like we will have to do some investigating to find out"
"We better get back to the station" burnt said sitting himself down
"Alright, but first can we go to Poyos Bakery, I think im in need of a doughnut" officer dunwoody said laughing
"Sure" replied officer burnt trying to keep a straight face.
The police car pulled out of the deserted lay-by and rolled off down the ever-tumbling hills.
Behind the cottages safe doors Jane just let go of her emotions and broke down and cried, a sobbing so hard her throat made noises like a distressed horse, she wrapped her arms around herself, and collapsed onto the floor.
CHAPTER 2:
Bright sunlight woke Jane up with her voice almost uttering a startled expression, she had fallen asleep next to the door where she had laid and cried. Jane picked herself up off the floor and swayed herself from the dizzy hallway and into the lounge.
2o clock the old wooden grandfather clock read. Jane had been asleep for almost 3 hours.
"My pot pie" Jane uttered as she slowly walked towards her kitchen.
Her head was still full of thoughts when she reached the entrance to her kitchen and saw the oven oozing out tons of black thick smoke, which slipped its way around the room encircling all the utensils and almost cloaking Jane's vision.
She leapt for the oven turning off all the dials and opening the windows. When Jane's vision had returned partially she opened the grease covered grill cover.
Her smoking once raw pie was completely black and burned
" God damn it" she exclaimed she grabbed the closest towel and pulled out her non-existing dinner.
Jane felt that all of this was a weird dream, the officers, her crying fit and her now perished pie. After all it had been what 10 years since she had last seen her mother in the flesh, she had received numerous telephone calls and cards for all occasions but due to where she lived and how Jane and her mum were almost always in fights it didn't look worth taking the time for a reunion.
It took a further 2 hours for Jane to completely clean the kitchen of smoke and scrub as hard as she could to clean the oven. She returned to her normal bed and laid there till her eyes could no longer uphold and before she realised she was yet again in a deep sleep.
When Jane eventually awoke from her dream, reality hit her. Her mothers death. The one person in the world who you were supposed to love and forever behold until you both grew old was now gone leaving a huge hole in her heart. Jane was only 25 years of age although her appearance made up for it. Her mother had been 51 years of age, Jane had heard the average age of woman in the states was around 70ish although it wasn't the age that was bothering Jane. It was how her mother died. Suicide, Jane knew more of her mother than that for her to commit suicide. She would just not except that theory.
She went for a walk around the grounds of her cottage to contemplate her feelings. In the backyard the tire swing, which was attached to the aged oak tree, swung silently. The wind whispered in the air, making Jane feel the cold rush down her body like a trickle of cold water. She sighed. The sun was now disappearing behind the border of the endless fields. Orange striped sunset now covered her cottage making the appearance of the home turn to a pink flush.
Jane walked over to the tire swing, she sat down and swayed herself. Before she knew it the sun had disappeared and the creeping darkness now choked her neck. She ushered a shiver, which shook her whole body and then took off back into the now warm contents of her cottage.
She sat in the front room and put some brown oak logs onto her chimney, the fire alit almost instantly.
Jane took out of her bedroom all the information and references she had on her mother, she poured herself a mug of vodka, which was so unlike her but due to these circumstances she didn't really care.
The first image that her eyes came across was a picture of her and her mother, the picture was old, black and white. She remembered when this photo was taken, it was a cold august morning and Jane looked to be about the age of 8. The fire crackled and almost sounded like a laugh, she took another swig of vodka.
Before Jane could even realise, she had finished the entire bottle of vodka, the drink had not done what she had hoped. The pain still remained. By 11-o clock her hands ached and had finished fishing through the shoebox full of pictures.
The fire was now reduced to embers the light which was produced dimly lit up the whole room, shadows danced around the room jumping from object to object. Although Jane wanted to sleep she knew due to her rest earlier sleep was not possible.
She thought about watching t.v but the endless piles of clothes on top and the Ariel problem she choose not to, instead she turned to her work. Jane was a proud newspaper editor.
Her work had pulled her through a lot of tough situations. She started out in Chicago but then after about 5 months she decided to move back out to the quieter pace of Hamble.
A rather small town, the kind of place where everyone knew each other, sometimes it was hard to keep secrets. Hamble only had one post office and one bar but if you travelled to the bottom of the village you would soon come across the harbour.
The harbour was always busy; shipments of fresh fish were delivered daily. The fishermen were always out and about at the sea no matter what the weather for example the tale of triumphant john.
It was a normal day for john as he set out among the sea, his boat floated gently on the surface. The first sign of the oncoming storm was the big black cloud approaching from the south, the wind picked up and john soon found out that his small fishing vessel might not hold out. John went against his gut feeling to return to port at once and decided to keep fishing, throwing out another line.
The
rain came tearing into johns vessel as the waves grew, yet john kept
fishing
"a little rain never hurt anyone" he murmured to
himself
But it was the rain that would almost claim his life.
After another hour at sea the waves were almost tipping his boat and John decided to kick in the fishing as he was feeling seasick and John never felt seasick. He pulled up his net and gathered the few fish he had caught, he turned the boat round and started for the port. Halfway there the waves suddenly grew in size almost monstrously Johns boat rocked and twisted the very seams of the boat began to creek.
"not good" John shouted aloud trying to hear him self over the roar of the waves.
All of a sudden the boat cracked. A huge hole appeared in the middle of the boat
"Shit" John exclaimed
the boat tore in half with a sound so reckoning it sound like a hail of bullets and before john could shout he was thrown overboard into the freezing water. John gasped for air as the icy water forced its way into his mouth and lungs. Desperately grabbing for his vessel he snagged himself on a piece of wood which cut into his leg. Blood stained the water and john could feel the salt-water flow into his raw flesh
"arghh" John exclaimed biting his bottom lip and fighting back tears.
He was tossed about until he could no longer feel parts of his body, eventually john grabbed a piece of timber belonging to the boat. The waves smashed John over and over again he closed his eyes but forced them back open.
"come on old boy don't give up" he told himself
Daylight broke the towns people surveyed the now calm waters. The storm had caused major damage ripping into the local boathouses this once quiet town had never experienced such a bad storm.
Suddenly one of the fishermen noticed something floating on the surface
"Quick theirs a body" he exclaimed pointing to the object.
"where" exclaimed another fisherman
"near the pebbled shores" he replied
"come on"
the two fishermen ran to a vacant boat and set sail right away. They paddled as fast as they could, trying to reach the person as they got closer they realised who it was.
"Its john" exclaimed the fisherman
"He must have been out in the storm, stupid stubborn old fool I thought he would of known best" replied the other fisherman putting down his oar and grabbing for john.
"he's cut"
The two men pulled John on board and realised it was his knee that was injured. They tried desperately to revive John using CPR but it seemed there was no hope.
Just as the two men where about to give up John breathed in. His chest depressed.
"Hes alive, it's a bloody miracle" exclaimed the fishermen
They returned to the port where many people were awaiting them including the village doctor, which someone had called for.
"get him over here" ordered the doctor clearing a space on the floor and laying down a blanket.
The two fishermen carried John, his frail cold body almost looking like a puppet. The doctor took a close look at his knee, the skin had eroded away and the wound had turned a rancid yellow the surrounding tissue had turned black due to the cut off of circulation.
" How does it look doctor?" questioned an old woman her long coat covering almost half of her face
"well he's been in the water for a long time but still he's got a steady pulse so we just need to warm him up" replied the doctor
the fishermen felt a sudden release and both cheered embracing each other over their victorious achievement.
Suddenly John's eyes flickered open. He was alive. Everyone's faces lighted up as they agreed to help dry and warm John up.
"How did I get here?" questioned John with a really confused look on his face
From that day on John was known as Triumphant John.
It was the sudden noise from the grandfather clock that awoke Jane from her daze.
"12 o-clock" she sighed
Jane agreed with herself that it was time for bed and thought about what tomorrow would bring.
Tomorrow she would have to sort out her mother's funeral. Jane could never get use to saying that.
CHAPTER 3:
"Yes I no this may be an inconvenience but I need to talk to Mrs Burch, please tell her its urgent its about Maggie Volcom" Jane said raising her voice loud enough to hear feedback.
She heard some kind of rustling on the other end of the line and then it went quite, Jane could hear the distant sound of talking.
The front room curtains blew effortlessly in the gentle warm afternoon breeze. Outside the sound of birds floated across the wind diving in and out of Jane's cottage.
"Hello?" said a voice on the other end of the telephone, making Jane almost jump
"Uh yeah hi, umm I don't suppose you remember a Maggie Volcom," asked Jane
"Why yes dear," asked the woman on the other end, she sounded old and frail would she even be able to turn up at her mother's funeral, she asked herself.
"Yeah, im afraid she died" Jane said feeling tears swell in her eyes.
"Oh dear, is this her daughter im speaking to?" replied Mrs Burch
"Yes-yes this is Jane"
"Im so sorry to hear about your loss dear, she was a great friend of mine we use to talk about book club and how the seasons were changing so fast. Its just since I moved out here to Ohio I haven't had much contact and I haven't been able to make it." The old woman cried running out of breath
After a long pause Jane decided to ask her.
"I was wondering if you would be able to attend my mothers funeral?"
"When is it dear?" asked the aged woman on the other end of the receiver
"Ummm not too sure on a date exactly but it would be within the next couple of weeks maybe" replied Jane, her mind scrambled.
"Im afraid I don't get out much my dear, see since I moved into this horrible hostel my old arthritis has got worse and with the winter coming again I shan't be expecting it to get better"
"Oh well we wouldn't want you getting any worse would we?" Jane replied, almost tasting the sarcasm in her voice
"Im very sorry dear but if you would just lay some flowers for me I would really appreciate it"
"Okay sure I will Mrs Burch"
"Thank you dear, and once again im sorry- Jane cut the line she felt almost instantly guilty but she couldn't take anymore sympathy from other people.
The next job in her itinerary was to arrange the funeral but Jane decided that in order for the full service and for her mother to properly rest in peace, the service would be held in her mother's town. The town of Maine. This is where her mother had escaped to (yes escaped because Jane saw it as her mother giving up on here duty and simply fleeing) although in her heart she knew the truth deep down.
She went into the kitchen, which was now smoke free and dipped her hands into the oak cupboard. This set had been given to Jane from an old friend as a wedding present. She tumbled things around and finally found what she had been searching for Country life, a map to all of the north states quietest havens another book given to her but this time from her mother.
All of the pages had been stained due to the amount of time that book had been suspended in darkness unable to escape into the sunlight.
Finally she found the page, the map looked awfully confusing with all the states main roads labelled with different measures reading in KM and miles. Jane took out a pencil, sat down and drew a line from he direction of her house in Hamble all the way north to Maine. The journey looked tiring and long, it would probably take at least 10 hours to get there and that was excluding traffic or a stopover if needed.
All of her things were packed into tiny cases out in the hallway, she wasn't planning to stay long, and left a note outside for the milkman telling him that she wont need milk for a couple of days. She gathered her coat swept it on and headed into the mornings-cool breeze. Bags in the trunk house all locked up and ready to roll when old Mr. Hammerhead came trudging across the unused bypass and into Jane's garden.
"Never could mind your business" Jane mumbled to her self
"Ah Miss volcom glad I could catch you I noticed a cop car outside of your house yesterday and wondered if everything was okay" called the little old man while catching his breath
Jane did feel sorry for him as he had lost his wife a couple of years ago and his arthritis had settled in bad over the years slowly taking control of the mans life.
"Yes my uh mother got herself into a spot of bother down in her village so Im just going to go pay her a visit, catch up session you know" replied Jane slowly edging her way to the drivers side of the car.