Chapter Four
Somehow in the wee hours of the morning Kate and Roman had managed to make it to the bedroom. They made love once again before falling asleep in the tangled mess of sheets. There were no frightening dreams for Roman this night as he relived each and every kiss, touch, and moment of pleasure that they had shared. The intensely erotic dreams left him aching for Kate once again when he woke up.
He opened his eyes and went to reach for Kate but she was gone. "Maybe she's in the shower," he thought and headed for the washroom. The bathroom was empty so he began to wander the rest of the house calling out to Kate. Roman peeked out the window and saw that her car was still sitting in the driveway. "Now this is weird, where could she be?" Roman thought as he reentered the bedroom.
He gazed around the room, then bent over and looked under the bed. "I did not just do that!" he said out loud, shaking his head at his own stupidity. He tried to save face by telling himself that a good cop is always thorough in his investigation. Roman remembered that there was a silky robe hanging on the back of the door that had fallen onto the floor during their wild encounter and he noticed that it was missing.
Roman was starting to get worried. He knew that Kate wasn't the type to go wandering the streets early in the morning wearing only a skimpy robe and his gut instinct told him something was wrong. I have to go look for her," he thought. "But first I need some clothes. How the hell am I gonna get to my place ?" Roman began to search for a towel or something but Kate still had a ton of boxes left to unpack and he didn't have time to start searching through them. He spotted a large black garbage bag lying on the floor and had an idea.
He knew how ridiculous he looked and Roman prayed that he wouldn't run into anyone outside but as soon as he stepped out the door he ran smack into the nosey old biddy from across the street out walking her dog. "Roman ?" she looked him up and down. "What on earth are you doing in the O'Malley house? And why are you wearing a garbage bag?"
"What?" he shot he a confused look, "Oh right, I almost forgot I had this thing on, ha!" He flashed her a smile, "Actually a friend moved in here yesterday and she's having some uh, plumbing issues. I came by to lend her a hand but there was water spraying everywhere so I put on this garbage bag over my clothes," he cringed slightly realizing that he'd put a little too much emphasis on that last part. Before she had a chance to respond Roman took off with a wave.
Moments later he was back outside minus the garbage bag and fully dressed. He wasn't sure where to even begin looking for Kate as he checked their back yards and wandered once around the block. There were no signs of her anywhere. Roman looked towards the dark forest that loomed in the distance. It was the same forest that Karen O'Malley had disappeared into, never to be found again, all those years ago. With a sinking feeling he made his way into the woods.
Once he was out of the sun it was very chilly. He thought about Kate in only her robe, "She must be freezing. I have to find her right away." He called out and his voice seemed to get lost in the dense brush. He shivered but it wasn't from the cold. Roman had a sense that someone was watching him and no matter how hard he tried it was a feeling he just couldn't shake.
Roman worked his way deeper and deeper into the forest. He had explored these woods as a kid but had never gone in quite this far. He slapped at the bugs that were attacking the back of his neck. "Dammit Kate, where are you?" he said out loud.
A bird made a loud squeal from high above startling Roman and bringing a wave of goosebumps to his arms. He arrived at a tiny clearing where the ground was nothing but soft mud. Through the center of the mud he saw fresh footprints made by someone in bare feet and he knew they were Kate's.
He ran around the edge of the mud and back into the forest on the other side. Roman began to move quicker, the branches and twigs snapping under his feet. The dank mossy smell of trees and wet mud filled his nostrils and he choked on the scent. He could see something up ahead but couldn't quite make out what it was. As he got closer he realized that it was a tiny old Cemetery.
The wrought iron fence was caked with rust and leaned dangerously, ready to fall at any time. The gravestones were all toppled and lay in a scattered mess. Roman shivered and he felt a nagging sense of anger, at the lack of respect for the dead, that he saw in front of him.
Roman was relieved when he spotted Kate on the far side of the graveyard. She looked so helpless, like a little girl, curled up tightly in a ball lying on the ground next to a fallen gravestone. He ran to her and fell to his knees at her side. Kate's legs and feet ware scratched and she was covered in bug bites. He gently touched her shoulder and shook her, "Kate, wake up."
She lifted her head and looked at him. Her hair was a disheveled mess and her cheeks were streaked with mud and tear stains. "Roman? What...what's going on..." she looked around utterly confused. "Where am I ?" As soon as Kate realized she was in a graveyard she started to panic. "Oh God, Oh God.." Her hands were shaking and she gulped in the stale air almost hyperventilating.
Roman reached for her and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back while he whispered soothing words in her ear. She sobbed against him her whole body shaking in his arms. Roman continued to hold her tight, she was freezing and he removed his jacket, placing it over her shoulders.
He was almost sitting on top the gravestone she'd been lying beside. He reached out and tugged at the thick moss. Roman had a feeling he knew exactly what name he was going to find cut into the stone. His suspicions were confirmed as he pulled away the last chunk of moss and revealed the name. James O'Malley, 1890-1923, Gone but not Forgotten.
Out of the corner of his eye Roman caught a glimpse of a figure fading slowly away. His heart began to pound as he watched the ghost of Karen O'Malley disappearing into the trees.
Somehow in the wee hours of the morning Kate and Roman had managed to make it to the bedroom. They made love once again before falling asleep in the tangled mess of sheets. There were no frightening dreams for Roman this night as he relived each and every kiss, touch, and moment of pleasure that they had shared. The intensely erotic dreams left him aching for Kate once again when he woke up.
He opened his eyes and went to reach for Kate but she was gone. "Maybe she's in the shower," he thought and headed for the washroom. The bathroom was empty so he began to wander the rest of the house calling out to Kate. Roman peeked out the window and saw that her car was still sitting in the driveway. "Now this is weird, where could she be?" Roman thought as he reentered the bedroom.
He gazed around the room, then bent over and looked under the bed. "I did not just do that!" he said out loud, shaking his head at his own stupidity. He tried to save face by telling himself that a good cop is always thorough in his investigation. Roman remembered that there was a silky robe hanging on the back of the door that had fallen onto the floor during their wild encounter and he noticed that it was missing.
Roman was starting to get worried. He knew that Kate wasn't the type to go wandering the streets early in the morning wearing only a skimpy robe and his gut instinct told him something was wrong. I have to go look for her," he thought. "But first I need some clothes. How the hell am I gonna get to my place ?" Roman began to search for a towel or something but Kate still had a ton of boxes left to unpack and he didn't have time to start searching through them. He spotted a large black garbage bag lying on the floor and had an idea.
He knew how ridiculous he looked and Roman prayed that he wouldn't run into anyone outside but as soon as he stepped out the door he ran smack into the nosey old biddy from across the street out walking her dog. "Roman ?" she looked him up and down. "What on earth are you doing in the O'Malley house? And why are you wearing a garbage bag?"
"What?" he shot he a confused look, "Oh right, I almost forgot I had this thing on, ha!" He flashed her a smile, "Actually a friend moved in here yesterday and she's having some uh, plumbing issues. I came by to lend her a hand but there was water spraying everywhere so I put on this garbage bag over my clothes," he cringed slightly realizing that he'd put a little too much emphasis on that last part. Before she had a chance to respond Roman took off with a wave.
Moments later he was back outside minus the garbage bag and fully dressed. He wasn't sure where to even begin looking for Kate as he checked their back yards and wandered once around the block. There were no signs of her anywhere. Roman looked towards the dark forest that loomed in the distance. It was the same forest that Karen O'Malley had disappeared into, never to be found again, all those years ago. With a sinking feeling he made his way into the woods.
Once he was out of the sun it was very chilly. He thought about Kate in only her robe, "She must be freezing. I have to find her right away." He called out and his voice seemed to get lost in the dense brush. He shivered but it wasn't from the cold. Roman had a sense that someone was watching him and no matter how hard he tried it was a feeling he just couldn't shake.
Roman worked his way deeper and deeper into the forest. He had explored these woods as a kid but had never gone in quite this far. He slapped at the bugs that were attacking the back of his neck. "Dammit Kate, where are you?" he said out loud.
A bird made a loud squeal from high above startling Roman and bringing a wave of goosebumps to his arms. He arrived at a tiny clearing where the ground was nothing but soft mud. Through the center of the mud he saw fresh footprints made by someone in bare feet and he knew they were Kate's.
He ran around the edge of the mud and back into the forest on the other side. Roman began to move quicker, the branches and twigs snapping under his feet. The dank mossy smell of trees and wet mud filled his nostrils and he choked on the scent. He could see something up ahead but couldn't quite make out what it was. As he got closer he realized that it was a tiny old Cemetery.
The wrought iron fence was caked with rust and leaned dangerously, ready to fall at any time. The gravestones were all toppled and lay in a scattered mess. Roman shivered and he felt a nagging sense of anger, at the lack of respect for the dead, that he saw in front of him.
Roman was relieved when he spotted Kate on the far side of the graveyard. She looked so helpless, like a little girl, curled up tightly in a ball lying on the ground next to a fallen gravestone. He ran to her and fell to his knees at her side. Kate's legs and feet ware scratched and she was covered in bug bites. He gently touched her shoulder and shook her, "Kate, wake up."
She lifted her head and looked at him. Her hair was a disheveled mess and her cheeks were streaked with mud and tear stains. "Roman? What...what's going on..." she looked around utterly confused. "Where am I ?" As soon as Kate realized she was in a graveyard she started to panic. "Oh God, Oh God.." Her hands were shaking and she gulped in the stale air almost hyperventilating.
Roman reached for her and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back while he whispered soothing words in her ear. She sobbed against him her whole body shaking in his arms. Roman continued to hold her tight, she was freezing and he removed his jacket, placing it over her shoulders.
He was almost sitting on top the gravestone she'd been lying beside. He reached out and tugged at the thick moss. Roman had a feeling he knew exactly what name he was going to find cut into the stone. His suspicions were confirmed as he pulled away the last chunk of moss and revealed the name. James O'Malley, 1890-1923, Gone but not Forgotten.
Out of the corner of his eye Roman caught a glimpse of a figure fading slowly away. His heart began to pound as he watched the ghost of Karen O'Malley disappearing into the trees.
