Fall had struck the town of Lake Tashmore. The trees had started to turn wonderful, bright colors and the weather was slowly starting to turn cold. The Townspeople looked toward the holidays with hope and the children were getting used to the school routine once again.

Katie Culver, a once resident of Lake Tashmore, drove into the town and felt revived. The place had the same charm that it had always held and she was looking forward to experiencing it completely. Quickly remembering everything about the small town, Katie drove to her parents house, Mark and Melinda Culver.

I can't wait to see Juliet...it's been ages since I've seen her. And everyone else. She paused as she drove into her parents' driveway. Behind their house she could faintly see the town lake. Across the lake was the Rainey house. Mort Rainey, the famous writer and his wife, Amy lived there in the summer and fall, leaving right before Christmas to go back to their house in upstate New York. She knew the couple fairly well, since they had bought their dog from her parent's, and often saw them around town.

I'll have to ask my parents about them...and maybe go see them.

Getting up from his nap was harder than Mort Rainey expected. He grunted and scratched his head, messing up his hair a little. Finding his glasses on the couch he put them on and sat up. What did I want to do again?

Sink.

Drip. Drip.

Mort grimaced and looked towards his kitchen. His sink was leaking underneath the counter. And he could hear it. He groaned and got up, deciding he had to stop the annoying 'drip' the water made.

An hour later, Mort cursed as he hit his head on the top of the counter. Plumbing had never been a talent of his, but to hire someone to fix his sink was too much of a hassle now.

Maybe you should just move.

Maybe you should just shut up.

He sighed and turned on the faucet. Water poured out smoothly but he heard the faithful drip, drip that he had been hearing for the past week. He sighed and shut it off. "Mountain Dew will work." He said quietly to himself.

You can't boil food in Mountain Dew.

Says who?

He sighed again and stood up. "Forget it," He said. He would just have to get some bottled water when he went to New London. He paused before walking up his stairs to his study, he still had a story to finish.

After a few screams from her best friend, Katie and Juliet had planned a date to meet the next day. Juliet worked at the local post office and got off around dinner. "But it's not like it's all that busy here...everyone's friends and family live here. No one ever gets any mail." Juliet told Katie that night on the phone.

Katie shrugged, putting away her clothes in her old dresser, "Whatever works."

"So how long are you staying?"

"Hm, I'm thinking the day after Thanksgiving or something. And then Michael and I will be down here again for Christmas." Michael Monroe was Katie's fiancée. They both lived in New York City but her family lived here, and his family lived in Manhattan. So, as his job as a computer designer called him to Manhattan, he was going to stay there with his parents, and she decided she'd go stay with her parents.

"Well good. I guess I'll need to know the man I'm going to torment..."

"Jules, whatever you think you're gonna do on my wedding day- forget it."

"You should just be lucky I'm not planning drunken embarrassment for you."

Katie rolled her eyes as she flopped on her bed. She frowned and slowly asked her friend something, "Jules, does Mort and Amy Rainey still live here?" also remembering that her friend had a little crush on the married man.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before Jules spouted, "Why do you want to know?"

Katie frowned, "The funny thing is, I asked my parents the same thing and they wouldn't talk about it. It's a simple enough question, isn't it?"

"Kate- if you don't know then you don't want to know."

The serious tone in Juliet's voice was something that Katie hadn't heard a lot in all her years of knowing the young woman, so hearing it now unnerved her. "Juliet, why can't you just-"

"Just don't talk about it, Katie. I gotta go. I'll meet you tomorrow." The phone line clicked and the connection was gone. Katie sat there a few moments before hanging up the phone. What was that about?

"Hello, Mort."

Mort's back straighten immediately and a slight shiver ran down his back. The tone of that voice was easy to recognize, and the simple greeting was something he had heard so many times in his life from people he would rather not talk to.

He turned around to meet the smiling face, that Mort was sure was fake, of Sheriff Dave Newsome. The sheriff of Tashmore Lake. "Hello, Dave," Mort said plastering a fake smile of his own and putting his hands in his pants pockets.

Dave turned off his engine and sat in his car that he had parked on the side of the road Mort was on. "What're doing?"

Mort sighed and moved aside, "I'm assuming you didn't notice the 'Puppies for Sale' sign, did you?"

Dave raised a brow and looked down. There was a cage of little black labs playing with each other with a young boy and a father watching them and sitting next to the sign. "Going to get another dog?"

"Chico's been gone for over a year...don'tcha think it's okay to move on?" he asked, itching his ear.

Dave sighed, "It's not that Mort..." he paused, watching Mort carefully, "You think...you can keep a dog."

Mort paused, staring at the old man, "I'm not quite sure...what you're implying...or even saying."

He sighed again and shrugged, "Do what you want Mort...but don't expect me to..." he stopped and shook his head. He started up the car again and left, leaving Mort in a bit of a haze. He looked back at the father and son and said, "How much for a male?"

Katie yawned again and sat down at her parent's round breakfast table. Her mom was in the kitchen whipping up a large breakfast and her dad was sitting across from her reading the newspaper. She laid her head down on the table and said slowly, "Mom, have you heard from the Rainey's lately and how Chico is doing?"

Her mom was quiet for a moment before pushing back some graying hair from her large mass of brown hair. "Why do you ask?"

Katie sighed, not liking the jumping around the subject. "How much more direct can I make it? Have you heard from either of the Rainey's? I know Amy was especially fond of Chico."

She was silent for a moment and then said, "No, no I haven't heard from either one of them." Katie sighed and looked at her father, but he was buried in his paper, that Katie was sure was on purpose. Katie's mother, however, moved on to the next subject.

"What are your plans for today?"

"Hmm...I'm not sure. I have a dinner date with Juliet tonight, but other than that, nothing."

"You want to get some groceries for me today?"

"Melinda..." Katie's dad started, "I'm sure she doesn't want to run errands for us..."

"Mark, it was just a simple question!"

"No, dad, it's fine...I need to get out anyways. See people. Remember things."

"Don't remember too much, dear." Melinda said.

Katie rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the comment her mom made. "But I might see the Rainey's, which would be a treat."

Up went the paper and down came the mom. "Katie Ann, I do not want you going up to the Rainey place, do you understand me?" Her mother's temper amazed Katie and took her by surprise.

"Mom, I didn't say anything about going up there, I was just saying-"

"Do you understand me?"

Katie took in a deep breath. This was ridiculous. She and her family used to be close to the Rainey's, what had happened? "Mom, what is wrong? What's the big deal?"

Ignoring the question, Melinda repeated herself. "I don't want you going up there!"

Katie shook her head, "I'm twenty seven, mom, not twelve." With saying that, she got up and went to her room, deciding she wasn't hungry anymore.