Disclaimer: The Cobras, Castle Rock, etc. belong to Stephen King and Columbia Tristar. Katherine, her parents, Maggie, Sarah, and Jennifer belong to me.
Epilogue
When I regained consciousness I was in a hospital room in a cold, hard bed. There was no one in the room and I didn't really know what happened and where I was. All I wanted was to see Ace, and know that he was all right. Then my mother entered the room. "Mother? Where am I?"
"You're in a hospital in Boston. We thought it would be best if we came back here. Life in Maine was apparently worse for you than anywhere else."
My heart just dropped right then. How could I be in Boston? Did any of my friends know what happened to me? What about Ace and the Cobras? How could my parents do this to me? "What about my friends? What did you tell them?"
"That girl Sarah came to visit you a few times, as did a young lady named Margaret and one named Jennifer. They seemed nice. I tolerated them for your sake."
"Thank you. Anyone else?" I asked cautiously.
"If by anyone you mean that hood who was arrested when you were so seriously injured, no. And if he did, he wouldn't have been allowed in anyway. You know better than that Katherine."
I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to process al I'd heard. This just couldn't be happening. I had lost everything in one small piece of time.
-----------------------------
Life, as it always does, went on. I tried hard to forget Ace, especially since no one knew what happened to him after that night. Sarah told me she tried to find out where they sent him, but no on would tell her. I kept in touch with Sarah, Maggie, and Jen for years after that. I still keep in touch with Sarah today. It's 1989, and all of what I've just told you happened around thirty summers ago. Sometimes it's hard to keep track. Eventually I got married, to a sweet young high school history teacher. I love him, in a different way from how I felt (and sometimes still feel) about Ace. That was young love, wild, immature, but love nonetheless. I have three children and, no, none of them are named Ace. That would just be odd.
Sarah and I sometimes reminisce (okay, we do it all the time) about that school year, and what a crazy time it was. I remember most of it fondly, and try hard to block out that last night. I don't really blame anyone any more for what happened, it's sort of like looking at pictures in a photo album, that's how faded the emotions have gotten. And they were just like that, until yesterday. I went to my mailbox to get my mail, and there it was. My husband was staying late at the school to tutor some students, and my youngest child (who's 17) was staying after school at cheerleading practice (sincerely!), so I was all alone. I sat at the kitchen table, turning the envelope over and over in my hands, knowing that it was something I wouldn't want to open and yet at the same time knowing that it had to be done. Finally I tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. This is what it read:
To Ms. Katherine Reyes,
We've never met, but I feel as if I know you so well. My name is Louisa Stanton, but my maiden name is Merrill. I believe that you knew my younger brother by the name of Ace quite a few years ago. I never had the courage to look you up before, but I feel as if I can no longer keep what he told me from you. You see, when Ace was sent to prison on those blown up assault charges, I just didn't know what to do. But every time I spoke with him, he asked if I could find you, and every time I told him I couldn't. I just didn't want to break his heart. If only I'd known what he was going through, perhaps I would have done as he'd asked, but there's nothing to be done about that now. I wanted to inform you of his passing. I don't know when you will receive this, but trust me when I say these parting words to you. He always loved you Katherine. I'm not sure if that is something you want to hear right now, but I suppose that it is better late than never. That is all he ever wanted to impart to you, and so now I am honoring those wishes.
All The Best,
Louisa Stanton
So that's it. Yeah, Ace loved me and I loved him. We had some good times, him and me. And maybe we could have been happy in the future, who really knows? But when it all comes down, I guess you just really gotta take the hand you're dealt and play it in the best way. Dig?
Epilogue
When I regained consciousness I was in a hospital room in a cold, hard bed. There was no one in the room and I didn't really know what happened and where I was. All I wanted was to see Ace, and know that he was all right. Then my mother entered the room. "Mother? Where am I?"
"You're in a hospital in Boston. We thought it would be best if we came back here. Life in Maine was apparently worse for you than anywhere else."
My heart just dropped right then. How could I be in Boston? Did any of my friends know what happened to me? What about Ace and the Cobras? How could my parents do this to me? "What about my friends? What did you tell them?"
"That girl Sarah came to visit you a few times, as did a young lady named Margaret and one named Jennifer. They seemed nice. I tolerated them for your sake."
"Thank you. Anyone else?" I asked cautiously.
"If by anyone you mean that hood who was arrested when you were so seriously injured, no. And if he did, he wouldn't have been allowed in anyway. You know better than that Katherine."
I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to process al I'd heard. This just couldn't be happening. I had lost everything in one small piece of time.
-----------------------------
Life, as it always does, went on. I tried hard to forget Ace, especially since no one knew what happened to him after that night. Sarah told me she tried to find out where they sent him, but no on would tell her. I kept in touch with Sarah, Maggie, and Jen for years after that. I still keep in touch with Sarah today. It's 1989, and all of what I've just told you happened around thirty summers ago. Sometimes it's hard to keep track. Eventually I got married, to a sweet young high school history teacher. I love him, in a different way from how I felt (and sometimes still feel) about Ace. That was young love, wild, immature, but love nonetheless. I have three children and, no, none of them are named Ace. That would just be odd.
Sarah and I sometimes reminisce (okay, we do it all the time) about that school year, and what a crazy time it was. I remember most of it fondly, and try hard to block out that last night. I don't really blame anyone any more for what happened, it's sort of like looking at pictures in a photo album, that's how faded the emotions have gotten. And they were just like that, until yesterday. I went to my mailbox to get my mail, and there it was. My husband was staying late at the school to tutor some students, and my youngest child (who's 17) was staying after school at cheerleading practice (sincerely!), so I was all alone. I sat at the kitchen table, turning the envelope over and over in my hands, knowing that it was something I wouldn't want to open and yet at the same time knowing that it had to be done. Finally I tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. This is what it read:
To Ms. Katherine Reyes,
We've never met, but I feel as if I know you so well. My name is Louisa Stanton, but my maiden name is Merrill. I believe that you knew my younger brother by the name of Ace quite a few years ago. I never had the courage to look you up before, but I feel as if I can no longer keep what he told me from you. You see, when Ace was sent to prison on those blown up assault charges, I just didn't know what to do. But every time I spoke with him, he asked if I could find you, and every time I told him I couldn't. I just didn't want to break his heart. If only I'd known what he was going through, perhaps I would have done as he'd asked, but there's nothing to be done about that now. I wanted to inform you of his passing. I don't know when you will receive this, but trust me when I say these parting words to you. He always loved you Katherine. I'm not sure if that is something you want to hear right now, but I suppose that it is better late than never. That is all he ever wanted to impart to you, and so now I am honoring those wishes.
All The Best,
Louisa Stanton
So that's it. Yeah, Ace loved me and I loved him. We had some good times, him and me. And maybe we could have been happy in the future, who really knows? But when it all comes down, I guess you just really gotta take the hand you're dealt and play it in the best way. Dig?
