"True friends are those rare people who come to find you in dark places,

and lead you back to the light..."

-Steven Airchison

.oOo.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason.

People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong

so that you appreciate them when they're right, you

believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but your self,

and sometimes good things fall apart

so better things can fall together..."

-Marilyn Monroe

.oOo.

I hope you all like the rest! And thanks for the encouraging reviews, I am glad you all are liking my story:)

Mandie placed everything back in the large metal box, except for the letter. She wanted to keep it close to herself in her apron pocket.
Celia, Joe, and Johnathan left the room after that so Mandie could have some rest.
Mandie laid awake for a while thinking about all that had happened. The clues. The lake from her dreams. Mr. Holt. Everything.
'I wonder who the person was that was dragging me to the lake in my dreams?' She asked herself.
Mandie laid with her eyes open, and then suddenly it seemed as if her room was fading away. Trees stood in place of the furniture and there was a black sky dotted with white, glowing stars instead of the ceiling. Mandie got up off her bed. Her leg didn't hurt anymore. She could walk without a limp. Suddenly her bed disappeared. She slowly walked around in a circle, taking in her surroundings. For some reason Mandie could sense that something evil was in that forest with her. Something that was out to kill her. To get rid of her. She began to run, pushing the tree branches away from her face. Her breathing became hard and fast. 'Something's following me,' she said to herself.
All of the sudden Mandie felt a cold hand grab her around the neck, she screamed.
She turned around and looked into the person's face and saw that it was the man with the black mask. He had teeth like tallons and fangs and eyes so dark they blended in with the dark sky. Mandie screamed again as he growled and hissed, "I'll find you. I will." Then he began to laugh and howl.
"You are an animal!" Mandie yelled. The man with the mask howled like a wolf and growled, his fang-like teeth chomped down on each other.
Mandie cried out, "Joe! Save me, save me!"
The man with the mask laughed and grabbed her around the throat. Mandie couldn't breath. All she could do was look into the masked man's evil face.
His eyes bored into her, and Mandie slowly felt like she was fading away. And then she was in her room again.
Mandie covered her face with her hands and sobbed. She had a terrible feeling deep inside. Like something terrible was going to happen that day, or had already happened. And she could do nothing to stop it.
Mandie sat up and crawled out of bed. She didn't want to be alone.
She quickly changed her clothes and grabbed her crutch. She limped down the stairs and walked out on the porch. Mandie sat down on the rocking bench and sighed, "I would rather be out here in the sunshine than all alone in my room," she whispered to herself, using her good leg to rock the bench back and forth.
Mandie heard a door open. She spun around to see who it was, and it was Joe. Mandie smiled sweetly.
"Hey, Joe," Mandie said.
Joe grinned and sat down on the bench next to her, "Hey." Then he got serious, "Are you doing alright, Mandie?" He asked.
Mandie looked at him and shook her head, "Not really."
Joe frowned and reached out his hand and stroked a part of her hair and her cheek, "Why?"
Mandie looked into his brown eyes and replied, "Nightmares."
Joe sighed, "At least they're just dreams," he reasoned.
Mandie shook her head, "No they aren't. That dream I had about the lake came true. What if this one does? What if I... I'm having visons or something," Mandie took in a deep breath and blew it out, "What if what has happened haunts me forever? What if I never get over it?" Mandie felt tears in her eyes, "What if... he comes back?"
"Who?" Joe questioned.
Mandie swallowed, "Mr. Holt."
Joe frowned, "Mandie, they arrested him too. He's in jail just like all the others. He won't come back. He can't."
"He said he'd find me," Mandie cried. "And he meant it. Just like when the man with the scar found me. They don't just throw around words, Joe. They're evil."
"When did Mr. Holt say he'd find you?" Joe asked, stroking her face.
Mandie pressed her lips together, "In my dream."
"Mandie, see? It's just a dream. You were imagining it. You'll be alright," Joe sighed with relief. He had been afriad that Mr. Holt had actually said that to her.
Mandie shook her head, "What if Mr. Holt is somehow getting into my dreams. What if he's trying to tell me something? Just like I was trying to tell myself about the lake? What if he is coming to find me?"
"Mandie. That's immpossible. No one can invade someone's mind. No one can make you dream about them because they want to tell you something. He's not coming to get you," Joe reassured her. He was beginning to get more concerned about the way Mandie was acting.
"I got into my dreams to tell myself something," Mandie frowned.
"But you're you. It's your mind and your dream. You can make anything happen," Joe said.
"So you don't believe that I was trying to tell myself about the lake? You don't believe that I knew deep inside and was trying to tell myself?" Mandie asked.
"I think th..."
"Tell me Joe," Mandie cut him off, "tell me what you really think."
Joe cleared his throat, "No I... I think that it's immpossible."
Mandie pressed her lips together, "I believe it. I believe that deep down inside I knew so I was trying to tell myself. I believe that these dreams aren't pointless and for nothing. I believe. Because deep down I have this feeling. I know. You don't have to agree. You can think I'm crazy, that... I'm out of my mind. But, that doesn't mean it isn't true. I know it's true, Joe. And if no one else believes me, I believe myself. And right now I am the most reliable person I have," Mandie stood up and began to make her way to the door.
Joe stood up and caught her hand, "Don't go, Mandie. I want to talk with you."
Mandie pulled her hand away, "I'm sorry for you, Joe. I'm sorry you can't see things that are as plain as day."
"I might not see things as plain as day like you can. And, I might not always agree with whatever you say," Joe looked into Mandie's blue eyes, "but that doesn't mean I won't stick with you, Mandie. Because I will. No matter what you do. I will rescue you when you need rescuing. I will stick with you when no one else will. I will pull you out of the darkest nights and bring you into the brightest days, Mandie. Because... thats what true friends do, best friends. I mean it."
Mandie looked into Joe's face and tears filled her eyes, "I would do the same for you too, Joe."
Mandie walked into the house and Joe pressed his lips together and followed.
Even though what Joe said cooled Mandie down a little, she was still all fired up, 'Why can't anyone just believe me for once?'
Mandie walked into the palor with Joe close at her heels. Uncle John, Mother, Celia, and Johnathan were there.
"Mandie! There you are," Uncle John exclaimed.
"We've been looking for you," Mandie's mother added.
"Mandie, we don't want you to leave the house alone," Uncle John said.
"Why?" Mandie asked. Celia walked over and laid her hand on Mandie's arm.
"We just received news that... that Mr. Holt escaped from prison," Uncle John said.
"What? When?" Mandie's heartbeat quickened.
"About an hour ago," Mandie's mother said.
Mandie took in a deep breath, 'That's around the time I had that dream,' she thought.
Joe pressed his lips together and laid his hand on Mandie's shoulder.
Mandie turned around and looked at Joe. Fear showed in her eyes as she mouthed, "I told you. He's coming to find me."
Joe looked into Mandie's face. He read her lips and got what she mouthed. He still didn't believe that could be possible.
Mandie's mother came over and gave Mandie a warm hug, "You just stay here and never go out by yourself. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"You're sure but you're not sure," Mandie sighed.
Celia squeezed Mandie's arm and shook her head. She whispered, "I know you're scared and upset, just don't show it. Not now."
Mandie's mother frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Do y'all think he will try to find me?" Mandie asked.
Mandie's uncle looked at Mandie for a moment, "We're... we're not sure."
"Just trust us Mandie," Mandie's mother said.
Mandie nodded, "I'm going upstairs."
Mandie limped away and walked up the stairs. Joe, Celia, and Johnathan followed her.
Mandie went into her room and sat down on the bed. She was dazed. Her friends also walked inside and Celia sat down next to her.
Mandie pressed her lips together, "I... I was the one that started all this. In his eyes him getting arrested and not finding the place where all the clues led is my fault. He - being the man that he is - would want revenge. What better way to get it than to make me pay for what he believes I caused."
Johnathan walked over and said, "That's why we are keeping you here. Where you're safe."
"If he really wants to find me my staying here won't stop him. He would go anywhere and do anything to get me. To find me. He already knows where I live. I'm not any safer here than I would be wandering the forests alone," Mandie said.
"That's not true," Joe encouraged, "Here you've got us. Out in the forest you would have no one."
"If he wants to make me pay nothing would stop him. Not even if I was in a house filled with people. He would still find a way," Mandie persisted.
"Mandie, stop. You're scaring yourself," Celia said, wrapping her arm around Mandie's shoulders.
"Why does it matter? I couldn't possibly get any more scared than I am right now," Mandie shot back.
Mandie covered her face with her hands and took in deep breaths and blew them out.
Joe looked down at her and bit his lip while Johnathan rocked back - and - forth nervously.
Celia whispered in Mandie's ear, "You'll be fine because, not only have you got us, but you've got God too."
Mandie turned and looked into her friend's face, "You're right. No matter what happens to me I'll be alright."
"Nothing is going to happen, Mandie. You have to believe that," Joe reasoned.
"You don't know that, Joe. No one does. Only God - and Mr. Holt - knows. We don't know a thing," Mandie sighed.
"But I know that everything happens for a reason. Every wrong makes us all the more glad when there's a right. Every lie makes us all the more ready for the truth. And-"
"When no one else believes you it helps that you believe in yourself," Mandie interrupted. Mandie's friends nodded.
Mandie was scared to death. There was nothing she could do about it. That feeling she had was right and she knew she was right. Something bad had happened and was going to happen and she could do nothing to stop it. All she could do was sit where she was and wait for the evil to pounce...

So, this chapter was more of a drama between Mandie and Joe. I thought I would like to focus more on them in this chapter than on the mystery, just this once! I am sure you all will still like it, though! Jomanda.;p