Chapter 47

Back in the residential area of Peach Creek, all was quite tranquil on Haventhought Way, Rethink Avenue's sister cul-de-sac. While most of the houses in the development had been completed and subsequently occupied, two of the homes seated in proximity to the inlet still needed to receive a proper roof and paint job.

The township had yet to install any public lighting on the thouroughfair; the street was almost pitch black, the only sources of light being that emanating from the interior of the residences, and the large tree placed in the center of Rethink avenue. The envelope of darkness was quickly interrupted, as a black BMW sedan had just made the turn from the cross street into the cul-de-sac, it's cream colored high beams growing in intensity as it approached the roundabout. Upon reaching the roundabout, the vehicle veered left, eventually pulling into the driveway at the base of a relatively large, three story house.

The house was of a modern, Victorian style, the most prominent features being a gable roof, ornate cherry shutters around the windows, and a circular turret projecting from the left corner of the house. The turret spanned the two upper floors, housed a large circular bay window for each floor, and was topped by a conical cornice. On the flat surface of the facade, a single double hung window sat in the center of the triangle formed by the gable roof, serving the third floor. Below, two double hung windows served the second floor, the bottom boundaries of which coincided with the roof of the ornate porch. The porch itself ran along half the length of the house; a large picture window, acting a viewport for the spacious living room sat underneath the roof. The entry way to the house sat on the right side of the porch, and consisted of a set of thin double doors, leading into an ornate vestibule.

The driveway leading to the two car garage at the basement level of the house, was of a slight downward grade. At the end of the driveway were two large bay doors, functioning as vehicular entry ways into the garage. As the vehicle approached the left entryway, the automated system sensed it's presence and began opening the door.

The sleek, black vehicle entered the spacious garage, at which point the bay door began closing behind it. The garage itself was well lit by two large shop lights. In the rear was a large work bench, with various wrenches, hammers, and other tools hanging from the peg board. Several lockers and large tools boxes flanked the main bench, including several other shelves containing what seemed like hundreds of automotive accessories (oil, coolant, oil filter wrench's etc.). On the opposite side of the garage were several tanks similar to those used to fill helium balloons, filled with unknown gases, as well as a large capacity air compressor complete with air tool accessories; the most prominent of which was an impact wrench not unlike those commonly used by pit crews to quickly change tires in NASCAR events. The overall theme of the garage was that of an automotive shop; it was obvious that an experienced and passionate mechanic had built it.

While the shop itself was quite impressive, the highlight of the garage was the owners prized possession: a blue 1959 Cadillac DeVille, complete with retractable roof and signature fins and "pin tail-lights". The owner had upgraded the vehicle to modern emissions standards, (against his wishes), in order to utilize his favorite make and model as his daily driver. Aside from upgrading it to be able to pass state inspection, it had been restored to appear as if it had just come off of the assembly line.

The BMW stopped in a position directly next to the Cadillac, at which point the driver deactivated the headlights and shut off the engine. The passenger and drivers side doors opened simultaneously, and the occupants, Lindsay and Edyta Statorowski emerged separately. The two women shut the vehicles doors, and began making their way toward the solitary door leading into the houses den, neither saying a word to each other, nor making eye contact.

The den of the house was a cozy 12x15 space. On the far wall from the door leading into the garage, was a small anteroom, leading to a laundry room, recreation room (equipped with a foosball and pool table) and the stairs leading up to the first floor area. On one of the perpendicular walls sat a marble mantle, equipped with a fireplace, the flames within filling the room with a flickering orange glow. The walls were decorated with genuine, cherry wood paneling, and were adorned with various photographs of Lindsay as an infant, graduating pre-school, and receiving communion. Mounted on the back wall was a large golden plaque, acting as the centerpiece: Inscribed on the plaque were the following words:

Research Excellence Award

Charles Joseph Statorowski, pHD

Mechanical Engineer

CEO Imaging Sciences International

Presented for Profound Contributions in the field of Diagnostic Imaging.

Two large bookshelves occupied the walls of the room, containing text books on various engineering topics, including "Heat and Mass Transfer, Classical Electrodynamics, Nuclear Physics, and Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Principles".

In between the book shelves were two reclining arm chairs. One of the arm chairs was occupied by a man who appeared to be in his late thirties. The man when standing, stood six foot two inches, and while not necessarily muscular, appeared to carry a fit build. He was was currently wearing a red flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of brown bedroom slippers. His blonde hair, typical gelled to the front in a biff style, was relaxed just as he was; the chair was reclined, and his feet were kicked up and crossed, as he read a rather thick book titled "Semiconductor Physics and Devices".

At that point, the door leading into the den from the garage opened with an audible creek. Edyta entered the room first, a smile adorning her face, with Lindsay following suit, cradling her grey designer handbag over her shoulder. While Lindsay was still quite shaken up regarding the tongue lashing she had received earlier that night, she for whatever reason, decided to muster up a false smile, attempting to portray complacency.

"We're home!" said Edyta in a long drawn out manner as she entered the room, her Polish accent quite pronounced as she enunciated her words.

The man marked his book, after which he closed it, placed it on the table adjacent to the chair, and looked towards the two women with a smile.

"Hey, there's my girls!" said Mr. Chuck Statorowski, in an exuberant manner.

"Sorry for leaving you alone for so long, słoneczko," said Edyta as she walked towards Chuck, pinching his cheek as he spoke, "But we saw some cute scarves in the window of that new department store on the way home and couldn't resist stopping to check them out."

"Sounds like you two had a blast as usual," said Chuck as he brought the chair to an upright position. As he and his wife spoke, Lindsay made her way over to the second arm chair. She kicked her brown high heeled boots off, plopped herself down on the cushion, and reclined the chair.

"So Scout," said Chuck as he glanced towards his daughter with a radiant smile, "How was the movie?"

At that point, Edyta had made her way towards stairs leading to the first floor. Prior to answering her father, Lindsay's eyes darted towards Edyta. The two women locked eyes for a brief second, with Lindsay continuing to display a smile as Edyta discretely flared hers, as if indicating a subtle threat to the blonde haired teenager.

Within an instant, Lindsay returned her focus to her father, and decided to reply.

"It was okay," said Lindsay, "I mean, it wasn't as good as everyone said it was, but it was still worth it. Of course, you know the guy fell in love with her at the end and they got married. It was a typical chick flick, so predictable ugh!"

Chuck giggled slightly at Lindsay's comment, at which point Lindsay turned her attention back toward Edyta. The petite woman simply nodded while maintaining a neutral expression,p. She then proceeded to begin making her way upstairs, intent on showering and removing her makeup.

As Edyta took her leave, Chuck decided to continue the conversation.

"Yep, that's why I avoid them!" said Chuck, "But you know what's fun and unpredictable...?"

Lindsay turned towards Chuck, her disposition had seemingly changed. She now seemed much more comfortable, and was currently displaying a genuine smile.

"What?..." she said in a sarcastic manner.

Chuck quickly grabbed his book off of the table, and held the cover up towards Lindsay.

"Quantum Physics!" yelled Chuck exuberantly.

Lindsay reached over and slapped Chuck in a playful manner, at which point the two shared a laugh.

"Seriously Daddy," said Lindsay, "You're such a dork!"

"Hey, getting you out of here allowed me to kill five chapters without being called a nerd every two seconds!" said Chuck, "That's a new record!"

The two individuals shared a laugh, after which Chuck decided to continue.

"You know Baby Girl," said Chuck, "You two have been spending so much time together lately, and as much as I miss you handing me my tools when I restored the Caddy, and coming to work with me as my special little assistant to help me out with the finances, I'm glad to see you branching out and being yourself."

Lindsay briefly appeared as if she were attempting to hold back tears at the sound of Chucks statement. However, the slim blonde quickly shook away her feelings, and brought a smile back to her face as she leaned back and stared towards the ceiling.

Lindsay grabbed the television remote off of the table, and attempted to turn on the wall mounted plasma television. However, just before she pressed the button, she felt Chuck place his hands on hers. She promptly turned to meet eyes with her father, who appeared to be displaying an expression of concern.

"No more of that, right?" said Chuck.

Lindsay slowly turned towards Chuck, eventually making eye contact with the slim man. There was a brief moment moment of silence, after which Lindsay responded be shaking her head slowly in a horizontal direction.

"No," said Lindsay quietly, "No more."

Chuck smiled, after which he returned to a relaxed position. As Lindsay began scanning through the TV guide, attempting to find something to watch, Chuck decided to pose an additional question.

"So, if I dare ask again," said Chuck, "Have you given any thought to what you wanted for Christmas?"

"No," said Lindsay, as she remained focused on the television, "I haven't decided yet."

Lindsay turned her head towards Chuck.

"How about you?" said Lindsay, "What do you want?"

Chuck rose up from his seated position, grabbing his empty drink cup as he did so.

"I'm happy as long as my little Scout is happy." said Mr. Statorowski as he placed his free hand on Lindsay's head and rubbed her hair, a common display of affection that the two had shared since Lindsay was a little girl.

Chuck proceeded to make his way out of the den, disappearing around the corner and up the stairs to prepare for bed. Lindsay scanned through the channels for a few more seconds, after which she deactivated the tv, and violently slammed the remote onto the table as if she were frustrated. She then leaned back, folded her arms, and let out a sigh as she stared towards the ceiling.

A half-hour had passed, and Lindsay had relocated to her bedroom. In preparation for retiring to bed, she had removed her makeup and earrings, showered, and had changed into her bed wear of choice; a green, knee-length, sleeveless night gown, with white shoulder straps and frilly white lace trim. In addition, she had once again tied her blonde wavy hair up into a tight bun.

While the blonde diva's bed time preparations were complete, she still had a few areas of unfinished business to attend to. After ensuring that her hair was properly secured, she made her way towards her bedroom door, placed her finger on the small button mounted on the knob, and slowly pushed it to the locked position. The tall, slim girl then proceed to tip toe toward her bed, being cautious as to avoid creeping the floorboards.

Upon reaching the bed, Lindsay kneeled down onto the floor, placed her hands underneath the bed, and slowly but surely slid a silver safe from underneath. As soon as the safe was clear from the bed, she quickly entered the combination by turning the rotary dial. With the sound of a slight click, indicating a successful combination entry, Lindsay gingerly lifted the lid to an open position.

Once the lid was open, Lindsay reached into her prized handbag, currently sitting on the floor adjacent to her bed, and removed the silver second-place trophy she had received earlier that night. She held it in her hands for a few moments, admiring the finish with a melancholy expression, at which point she uttered a few words to herself.

"That bitch isn't going to take everything away from me," said Lindsay, "I'm proud to lose to you and glad you won, you deserved it."

Lindsay had been ordered by Edyta to discard the trophy in the dumpster, as "it was a reminder of her embarrassing performance", however Lindsay had managed to smuggle it back to the house undetected for safe keeping.

Lindsay placed the trophy into the box, which contained a myriad of other items: these items included a a few photographs of Lindsay as a kindergartener, standing next to her best friend Lee; in fact, the photographs were carbon copies of the photographs Lee kept in her bedroom vanity. Lindsay's half of the "best friends forever" drawing she and Lee had collaborated on was also stored in this lock box, placed in a cellophane envelope similar to those comic book collectors use to protect their items (a precaution following the Rolf incident), and a thick blue photo album with the word "family" written on the front of it. Lastly, tucked away in the corner of the box were several golden trophies. the trophies appeared to have been awarded for outstanding acheivements in basketball; each depicted a statue of a female basketball player in various poses, and were inscribed with various statementa including "shooter of the year" and "theee point contest winner".

Lindsay stared at the interior of the box for a few moments, at which point she reached inside and removed a pair of black rimmed glasses. She held the child-sized frames in her hands, observing the artifact with a somber expression. While the frames themselves were in tact, with the exception of the nose bridge (held together with a thick wrapping of tan masking tape), the glass lenses had been destroyed; the left lens was completely missing, while the right appeared to have been shattered, displaying a "spider pattern" typical of broken glass. The overall appearance of the damaged spectacles seemed to convey that they had been destroyed by a violent event.

Lindsay, her eyes glassy due to the formation of tears, held the spectacles out in front of her for a few more moments, after which she placed them back into the box. She then removed the blue family photo album, and proceeded to open it.

Lindsay spent the next few minutes paging through the book, each leaf containing three to four photographs depicting Lindsay's family. The photographs depicted what appeared to be a young Chuck, along with several other members of his family at what appeared to be a reunion; at a time prior to Lindsay's birth.

One particular picture depicted Chuck on the beach, surrounded by his family. Chuck stood in the center of the photograph, smiling heavily as he placed his arms around two women standing next to him; one appearing to be a middle aged brunette, and the other a blonde woman around the same age as Chuck. The two women embraced a pair of young men with the arms opposite of Chuck, who accordingly embraced several other individuals of all ages in a daisy chain fashion.

Lindsay smiled as she removed the photograph from the membrane. She turned it over to read the back, which was labeled with all of the individuals names who appeared in the photograph: Richard, Matt, Bridgette, Tommy, Mom, Charles, Tiffany, Lance, Edward. She turned the photograph back over, observing its contents for a few more seconds, after which she placed it back into the album and closed it.

Lindsay then removed the photographs of her and Lee from the box, paging through them as a tear began to slowly drop down the left side of her face. She placed the pictures down gently, after which she lifted her head, glancing toward the wall as if in deep thought.

At that point, Lindsay detected movement from the direction of the night stand in her peripheral vision. The source of the motion was a piece of stationary hanging halfway out of the drawer, flapping due to the floor heating register located directly below. Lindsay rose to her feet, walked towards the drawer, and removed the piece of paper for examination.

On the single sheet was the poem Eddy had plagiarized from his English textbook, and delivered to Lindsay a few nights prior on behalf of Rolf. Lindsay's eyes scanned the latter, rolling sarcastically as she re-read the lines. Not only was the poem completely copied verbatim, but Eddy's distinct handwriting was comparable to chicken scratch, and highly illegible.

At that realization, Lindsay's eyes suddenly widened as if an idea appeared in her head. She remained frozen for a few seconds, staring at Eddy's distinct penmanship. As she pondered the words, her mind was brought back to a conversation between the Ed's she had happened to overhear a few days prior; at that point an expression of complacency filled her face.

Lindsay folded the letter in half, and placed it into her handbag for safe keeping. She glanced at herself in the vanity mirror one last time, as she uttered a few more words to herself.

"Looks like I just found out how I'm going to win that crown" said Lindsay, "But at what cost?"

Lindsay proceeded to lay down in her bed, placing her hands on her abdomen while interlocking her fingers.

"I'm sorry I have to do this LeeLee," said Lindsay, "Hopefully one day you'll understand."

Lindsay sighed, closed her eyes briefly, and glanced towards the ceiling.

"I wish it were you instead of me..." said Lindsay as she stared to toward the ceiling with a somber expression.

A few seconds passed, after which Lindsay decided to relax herself by listening to music. She placed a pair of earbuds into her ears, plugged them into her portable radio, and turned on the device.

Unfortunately, the radio was currently tuned to the "80's Classic Rock block"; the moment happened to coincide with the beginning of the chorus of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by def Leppard. At the mere sound of the song, Lindsay pulled the earbuds out of her ears in frustration, threw them across the room, turned off the lamp, and rested her head on the pillow in preparation for sleep. prior to closing her eyes, she whsipered a few words to herself.

"What do I want for Christmas?," said Lindsay, "I want everything to go back to the way it used to be, and I want my best friend back."