Chapter nineteen

The Old Dirt Road Out Of Castle Rock

Sahara walked the old dirt road out of Castle Rock, the soles of her Keds remembering the prints that they'd made years before. She hummed a happy-go-lucky tune her face masked with a stupid grin.

"Sahara, Sahara, Sacky!" Vern's unmistakable voice called from directly behind.

"Hey, Vern-o, how you been?" Sahara asked, linking arms with Vern who, now was a good 6 inches taller then her.

"Good, been missing you man, where you been lately?"

"Y'know round" Sahara smiled, holding Vern closer, remembering the days when his arms we soft and plushie and the word 'girl' or 'boobies' sent him into fits of laughter, the good ol' days.

"I've been talking to Chris, y'know…" Vern hinted. "and well, Sahara, I am so happy for you" Vern whispered, stopping to face her, his brow furrowing and hiding the luminous black of his eyes.

"You're a bloody idiot, but I'm happy for you!"

Sahara smirked, "Hey cock-knocker just coz I got knocked up don't make me any dumber then what you already are!"

Vern laughed and pulled her into an unbreakable yet gentle headlock; and with that the moments of awkwardness and despair evaporated like the water in summer, but water has a habit of coming back with the copper of autumn heeding its warning.

Gordie and Teddy walked the old dirt road back into Castle Rock, the soles of their Keds remembering the prints they'd made years before. Their hands were jammed deeply into their jean pockets and not a sound was past between them. The silence was filled instead by the birds that inhabited the trees yonder.

"Y'know Sophie, man?" Teddy asked, breaking the relaxing silence.

"ummm, that bird you've been seeing lately?" Gordie replied, scratching his nose thoughtfully.

"Yeh, man, its been 'bout 2months now s'pose."

"Yeh, so?" Gordie shrugged.

"I think I'm in love with her" Teddy said sounding sadly unconvinced of his words.

"Wow, man is cupid in the air this season or what?" Gordie laughed sheepishly trying the lighten the mood

"Yeh" Teddy said his voice flat.

"Jeez Teddy don't sound to infatuated!" Gordie said, Teddy drew and blank.

"It means in love Teddy."

"I loved her once" Teddy said, so faint the Gordie could've sworn he'd said the words himself.

"I know man, we all did" Gordie replied, the mood darkening the like storm clouds in the winter, he knew exactly who Teddy was talking about, he knew because his feelings were being mirrored in the hazle eyes of his friend,

"Sahara" the voice of god seemed to sigh.

Sahara rounded the corner into Arlington road, her sister's house marking the beginning of the road.

"SiSi I'm home, SiSi!" Sahara called from the entrance hall of the ridiculously sized house.

A scrapping of floor boards and muffled laughter prompter Sahara to investigate further.

Stalking up the arduous stair case she finally made it to the Hallway with four closed doors, knowing two where hers and locked it left only Sienna's and her husbands Jim, who was still away on business.

Walking first over to her Brother-in-law's she found it was locked and when she placed an ear to it she heard only silence.

Leaving only one room left, Sahara tentatively walked towards it, cupping her hands she let the door open ever so slightly.

The door however had other plans, on its first movement it made a horrendous screech and gave in to her body weight sending Sahara sprawling into the middle of the large tastefully furnished bedroom.

Sienna screamed and a man, clad only in grundies toppled from the bed, the man was not Jim.

"Oh Jesus, Oh jesus, I'm sorry SiSi, I'm really sorry!" Sahara stammered, backing away from the scene. Her apologies where silenced by the pillow sailing through the air and hitting her directly in the mouth.

"Get out, get out GET OUT!" Sienna hollered.

Bolting Sahara made it out alive but not without standing on a few of the unidentified man's ring covered fingers.

Two hours past the man had come and gone and with him daylight followed. The moon was up now, luminous and proud in its heavenly kingdom. Sahara was brewing a pot of coffee a peace offering to her furious sister, who was still locked up in her bedroom.

Sahara poured the boiling pot of black liquid into her sister's Mickey Mouse mug a favourite of hers since she was nine.

Walking back up the stairs she delicately knocked on the door.

"Sisi, Sisi, please talk to me, is it really that bad between you and Jim?" Sahara begged.

She heard a muffled cry, "More than you'll ever know" came the dreaded answer.

"Help me to know then"

"Sacky, I'm pregnant with his child, I'm in the same boat as you now and I don't know how I'm going to cope!" Sienna cried.

Sahara was lost for any soothing or helpful words so instead she placed her ivory hand up against the oak door feeling an unusual warmth, and she knew that her sisters tear stained hand was in the exact same place as her own.

Thank you for all of your reviews sorry there was no Chris but I needed to add poor OL' VERN-O in there somewhere.

Hope you still enjoy the story.

Much love, Bex