Chapter 4~ Reason to Believe
Suddenly, realization set in. She had disappeared because she was injured.
But how? Why? When? "Michael? How much time are we talking about here? I
mean, we met and somehow got engaged all before I disappeared. And now here
you are and I don't know how much time has passed."
"Since we met? Let's see that was the summer of 2002 and it's 2004 now."
"When?"
"June of 2004."
"So we've known each other for two years."
"That's right."
"And all that with Colorado and our house? When was that?"
"Pikes Peak was June 16, 2002. You were in the hospital until July 23. And we were scheduled to move into the house October 27."
"But I disappeared."
"Yes." Michael's mood suddenly saddened.
"And ended up here." Melissa assumed.
"You really think you've been in the hospital for that long?"
"I don't know. No one has told me much."
"No, the first time you disappeared, you.you went home."
"Home? I have a home?"
"That's what I was thinking when I got your letter."
IMichael was sitting on the porch of their new house, hoping that any minute, Melissa would come running across the great expanse of their property. But she never came. It was October 20th. They were going to be moving into the house soon. But Melissa hadn't come home in three days.
Suddenly, a figure came around one of the trees. Michael stood up excitedly but he was disappointed to only see the postman. "Got a letter here all the way from Missouri." The man said.
Michael took the letter and watched the postman leave before sitting down on the porch again. He looked at the front of the envelope and almost collapsed from joy. It was from Melissa. Tearing open the envelope, Michael hurried to hear that she was alright.
Michael, You're probably wondering where I am. Well don't worry. I'm safe at home. I'm sorry for running out on you and our home, but I had to come home. It's for the best. Please do not try and find me for it will only be a waste of your time. I'm enclosed some money for the house. I hope you won't give it up. Maybe one day I'll find my way back there. Again, I am sorry. Melissa
Michael quickly flipped over the envelope. No return address. Missouri. How did the mailman know? It didn't say. How did he know?/I
"How did he know?" Melissa wondered.
"I have no idea. I tried to chase after him to ask, but he was long gone."
"You said before that you didn't think I really went to Missouri. Why?"
"I think that's a story for another time." Michael said, not wanting her to be hurt by what he knew. It was better to take things slowly.
Melissa was beginning to feel guilty about all the grief she had caused him. "I put you through a lot."
"Yes you have.but every minute of pain was well worth it. For each time I see you smile, it gets rid of ten bad memories."
"But we weren't engaged when I was in Missouri. I must have come back."
"Indeed you did."
"When?"
"I stayed in that house for weeks waiting for you."
IThe snow was piling up outside. There had to be six inches by now. Michael walked down the hallway of his apartment to the thermostat. Slowly turning up the heat, he returned to the sofa where he had been watching ER. He and Melissa used to watch it together every Thursday. Now she was gone. Now he still religiously watched the show, only now he did it alone.
The phone rang right before the commercial break ended. "Hello?" Michael answered.
"Hey Mike, it's Greg."
"Greg ER is back. Can you call me back?"
"Well umm, I don't think that's a good idea. I need to talk to you now."
"Where are you?" Michael knew there was no phone at the house.
"I'm on my cell, at the house." That's what everyone called it. "The house."
"You know how important this is Greg. I can't miss it."
Greg was getting frustrated. "It's the Christmas episode. Moral of the story: Miracles can happen."
Michael turned down the volume on the television. "Alright Greg what is it?"
"I need you to come out to the house."
But Michael still refused. "No."
"No? What do you mean no?"
"I can't do it Greg. I can't go out there."
"You've had me living here for six weeks and haven't been out here once. I know it's hard, but you need to come now."
"It'll only remind me of her."
"Is there anything I can say that will get you out here?"
"There's six inches of snow on the ground!"
"Yea and I need some company. You're the one with the car."
"I can't."
"Do you want me to come there and drag you out here."
"Why is this so important Greg? Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"I'm not supposed to say. It's kind of a surprise."
"I don't like surprises."
"You'll like this one." Greg insisted.
"I don't believe it."
"Michael I mean it. If you're not here in an hour, I'm getting on those snow shoes and coming after you."
"I'll think about it."
"One hour." Greg persisted. /I
Melissa stopped him there. "You weren't living in the house?"
"No.I stayed from October 20th until November 12th."
"Why did you leave?"
"I couldn't stay there anymore. Everything about that house reminded me of you. It's as if you were part of it. I missed you so very much."
"Who's Greg?" she wondered.
"He's my best friend.the one with the red car. You told me not to get rid of the house, so I wasn't going to. But I couldn't live there so I asked Greg to move in. I guess in the back of my mind I was hoping you would come back. And I couldn't have no one there if you did."
"I came back that night didn't I? That's why Greg called you."
"Yes you came back."
Melissa saw the pain in her fiancées eyes. "What is it? Wasn't that a good thing?"
"I didn't go to the house when Greg told me to."
"Why not?"
"Just the thought of stepping foot in that house was too much for me. We had only known each other for a few months. But Melissa.we're soul mates. I know we are. You said it too eventually. Being without you was tearing me apart inside. And being in that house without you was even worse."
"Did I wait for you?"
"When I didn't come, Greg did come after me. He was about ready to hit me over the head and drag me out there."
"But he didn't?"
"No. We made a deal. He wouldn't make me go if I promised to sell the house."
Melissa gasped, "Sell the house?"
"He knew I never would. It was the one sure fire way of getting me to cooperate, short of telling me you were there."
"So you went with him."
"I did."
"But?" Melissa knew there was more to be told.
"But you weren't there."
She was astonished. "I didn't wait?"
"You came back."
"I couldn't stay there without you either."
"That's what you said." Michael smiled.
"Tell me what happened."
Michael looked over at the clock. "It's almost morning. You should get some sleep."
"No I want to hear!"
"I'll tell you later. But now, it's important that you get well. If you want to get out of here, you have to rest."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Forever." Michael promised. "Forever."
"Since we met? Let's see that was the summer of 2002 and it's 2004 now."
"When?"
"June of 2004."
"So we've known each other for two years."
"That's right."
"And all that with Colorado and our house? When was that?"
"Pikes Peak was June 16, 2002. You were in the hospital until July 23. And we were scheduled to move into the house October 27."
"But I disappeared."
"Yes." Michael's mood suddenly saddened.
"And ended up here." Melissa assumed.
"You really think you've been in the hospital for that long?"
"I don't know. No one has told me much."
"No, the first time you disappeared, you.you went home."
"Home? I have a home?"
"That's what I was thinking when I got your letter."
IMichael was sitting on the porch of their new house, hoping that any minute, Melissa would come running across the great expanse of their property. But she never came. It was October 20th. They were going to be moving into the house soon. But Melissa hadn't come home in three days.
Suddenly, a figure came around one of the trees. Michael stood up excitedly but he was disappointed to only see the postman. "Got a letter here all the way from Missouri." The man said.
Michael took the letter and watched the postman leave before sitting down on the porch again. He looked at the front of the envelope and almost collapsed from joy. It was from Melissa. Tearing open the envelope, Michael hurried to hear that she was alright.
Michael, You're probably wondering where I am. Well don't worry. I'm safe at home. I'm sorry for running out on you and our home, but I had to come home. It's for the best. Please do not try and find me for it will only be a waste of your time. I'm enclosed some money for the house. I hope you won't give it up. Maybe one day I'll find my way back there. Again, I am sorry. Melissa
Michael quickly flipped over the envelope. No return address. Missouri. How did the mailman know? It didn't say. How did he know?/I
"How did he know?" Melissa wondered.
"I have no idea. I tried to chase after him to ask, but he was long gone."
"You said before that you didn't think I really went to Missouri. Why?"
"I think that's a story for another time." Michael said, not wanting her to be hurt by what he knew. It was better to take things slowly.
Melissa was beginning to feel guilty about all the grief she had caused him. "I put you through a lot."
"Yes you have.but every minute of pain was well worth it. For each time I see you smile, it gets rid of ten bad memories."
"But we weren't engaged when I was in Missouri. I must have come back."
"Indeed you did."
"When?"
"I stayed in that house for weeks waiting for you."
IThe snow was piling up outside. There had to be six inches by now. Michael walked down the hallway of his apartment to the thermostat. Slowly turning up the heat, he returned to the sofa where he had been watching ER. He and Melissa used to watch it together every Thursday. Now she was gone. Now he still religiously watched the show, only now he did it alone.
The phone rang right before the commercial break ended. "Hello?" Michael answered.
"Hey Mike, it's Greg."
"Greg ER is back. Can you call me back?"
"Well umm, I don't think that's a good idea. I need to talk to you now."
"Where are you?" Michael knew there was no phone at the house.
"I'm on my cell, at the house." That's what everyone called it. "The house."
"You know how important this is Greg. I can't miss it."
Greg was getting frustrated. "It's the Christmas episode. Moral of the story: Miracles can happen."
Michael turned down the volume on the television. "Alright Greg what is it?"
"I need you to come out to the house."
But Michael still refused. "No."
"No? What do you mean no?"
"I can't do it Greg. I can't go out there."
"You've had me living here for six weeks and haven't been out here once. I know it's hard, but you need to come now."
"It'll only remind me of her."
"Is there anything I can say that will get you out here?"
"There's six inches of snow on the ground!"
"Yea and I need some company. You're the one with the car."
"I can't."
"Do you want me to come there and drag you out here."
"Why is this so important Greg? Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"I'm not supposed to say. It's kind of a surprise."
"I don't like surprises."
"You'll like this one." Greg insisted.
"I don't believe it."
"Michael I mean it. If you're not here in an hour, I'm getting on those snow shoes and coming after you."
"I'll think about it."
"One hour." Greg persisted. /I
Melissa stopped him there. "You weren't living in the house?"
"No.I stayed from October 20th until November 12th."
"Why did you leave?"
"I couldn't stay there anymore. Everything about that house reminded me of you. It's as if you were part of it. I missed you so very much."
"Who's Greg?" she wondered.
"He's my best friend.the one with the red car. You told me not to get rid of the house, so I wasn't going to. But I couldn't live there so I asked Greg to move in. I guess in the back of my mind I was hoping you would come back. And I couldn't have no one there if you did."
"I came back that night didn't I? That's why Greg called you."
"Yes you came back."
Melissa saw the pain in her fiancées eyes. "What is it? Wasn't that a good thing?"
"I didn't go to the house when Greg told me to."
"Why not?"
"Just the thought of stepping foot in that house was too much for me. We had only known each other for a few months. But Melissa.we're soul mates. I know we are. You said it too eventually. Being without you was tearing me apart inside. And being in that house without you was even worse."
"Did I wait for you?"
"When I didn't come, Greg did come after me. He was about ready to hit me over the head and drag me out there."
"But he didn't?"
"No. We made a deal. He wouldn't make me go if I promised to sell the house."
Melissa gasped, "Sell the house?"
"He knew I never would. It was the one sure fire way of getting me to cooperate, short of telling me you were there."
"So you went with him."
"I did."
"But?" Melissa knew there was more to be told.
"But you weren't there."
She was astonished. "I didn't wait?"
"You came back."
"I couldn't stay there without you either."
"That's what you said." Michael smiled.
"Tell me what happened."
Michael looked over at the clock. "It's almost morning. You should get some sleep."
"No I want to hear!"
"I'll tell you later. But now, it's important that you get well. If you want to get out of here, you have to rest."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Forever." Michael promised. "Forever."
