Hello, my loves! It's been a while, but I've been quite busy with family vacations and such. But I'm back! How about that last chapter? Intense, eh? Well, get ready for more! As always, love to my girls Tm12Brady, ClaymoreQueen6176, GoldenGirl1920 and wwechristina for your support!
OK, take a deep breath and let's find out what happened to Cherry! What is revealed to her is just tragic. But will she be OK? Only one way to see. Enjoy!
1966
Cherry was in a fog. Literally, she was standing in a haze of mist and confusion. Before this, she has the panicked feel of being sucked away from her home in a whirlwind. She had been screaming, "Christine! Drew! Oh god! What's happening?" The idea of freefalling to her death was too great and she closed her eyes, bracing for the eventual shattering impact.
But then, she felt herself being set down as light as a feather, her feet safely on the ground. But she was surrounded by darkness and vapors swirling around her. Then, she heard that familiar voice, that feminine Southern drawl of Shelby telling her, "Please don't be afraid. Nothing will happen to you and your babies. I just need you to see… I need your help to set it right…" Cherry looked around frantic and calling out, "Shelby! What do I need to see? What needs to be set right?"
She turned around praying for daylight or something to illuminate her way. Just then, her eyes started to clear as she did see a light, but it was neon. Fuzzy at first, the closer she walked to the object, she found that it was a sign in a window flashing with a shiny brilliance. The object was a neon moon with wording: Scooter's.
Cherry gasped as she remembered what Shelby told her, "That's the name of Bobby's bar." She glanced around and saw her reflection in the large mirror in front of her. But was mystified by her appearance, "What in the hell?" Her hair was piled high on her head and saw her clothes had changed. Instead of her pajamas, she wore a pink mohair cardigan sweater, a black pleated mini skirt and matching high heeled boots. And that is when she noticed she still clutched Phoenix's bracelet in her left hand.
As she looked on shocked and confused, the clouds around her started to clear in the mirror's reflection. She turned around and saw a bar set up in the far back corner of the space. Though there was still smoke obscuring some views, she could see sawdust on a wooden dancefloor. She found a calendar on the wall next to the dance space. There were some dates marked out in red already and the most current date landed on: March 15, 1966.
She shook her head violently and shut her eyes tight, "No! This isn't real! This can't be fucking happening! I'm not really here!" But as she slowly opened her eyes, she found she was still in the strange space. She wanted to go into hysterics. She needed to find a way back home. Back to her own time. Back to Drew. She tried to think, "How the hell did I get here? I was at home. I found the bracelet. I leaned against the jukebox and picked it up… The jukebox and the bracelet! I touched them both at the same time. What the shit does the bracelet have to do with this? No, I don't care. Maybe if I touch both again, I'll go back home. I have to find that…"
But she was shaken from her thoughts by a muddled sound. That underwater sound again. It was a song. She gasped, "The jukebox!" She turned away from the bar area and a lighted object started to clear on the other side of the room by the dance floor. The song started to become more prominent as well, but it was different. Now, her confusion grew as she started to hear the lyrics: "Love is a burning thing/and it makes a fiery ring/Bound by wild desire/I fell into a ring of fire…"
Cherry was more confused than ever, "Wait, this isn't "Here Comes My Baby". I don't understand any of this!" She approached the light source cautiously until it became more vibrant and vivid to her. She put her hand over her mouth as she walked slower, the objects of pool tables and the cues hanging on the walls next to them appearing in her peripheral vision. She shaky voice sounded hoarse and strained as she recognized the illuminant object, "1964 Wurlitzer. That's my jukebox!"
A whirl of haze swirled in front of the jukebox as she approached and landed on the form of human standing in front. But this wasn't Shelby. She could see the much taller height and muscular definition on this specter's back. She walked around the side and viewed the form of a handsome male with jet black hair with a white t-shirt, denim jeans and cowboy boots. His hand was on the jukebox, thumbing to the beat of Ring of Fire as the song ended.
His head came up and he sighed as the next song played. Cherry recognized it immediately. Her mother had been a huge fan of the Everly Brothers: Dream, dream, dream, dream/Dream, dream, dream, dream/When I want you in my arms/When I want you and all your charms/Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream, dream, dream/When I feel blue in the night/And I need you to hold me tight/Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream/I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine/Anytime, night or day/Only trouble is, gee whiz/I'm dreamin' my life away/I need you so that I could die/I love you so and that is why/Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream, dream, dream/Dream
Cherry thought about just touching the jukebox and going home. But there was something about this scene that made her feel at peace. She had a warm, loving sensation around her, like she always felt whenever she was near Drew. The guy smiled as the song continued with a blissful, happy smile across his mouth. He inhaled and whispered in a thick Southern drawl, "Shelby! My love. Our song."
Cherry gasped and hollered, "Oh my god! You must be Bobby! Hey! Bobby, where's Shelby?" But no matter how much she shouted or waved her arms, he didn't speak to or acknowledge her. It was if she wasn't there. Cherry ceased her commotion when she realized, "Wait. They can't see me or hear me. I'm an observer. Shelby wanted me to see what happened to them. This is how she's protecting me and the babies. Oh Shelby!"
The song ended, switching over to…Here Comes My Baby. She heard light footsteps across the room and heard that now familiar voice, "Bobby!" Cherry looked back at the same time as Bobby to see a smiling Shelby holding a suitcase in her hand. Bobby held out his arms and said in a deep, sultry tone, "Come to me, Baby." Shelby dropped the suitcase to the floor and ran into his waiting arms.
Cherry felt happy tears spring from her eyes as she witnessed the obvious deep love and sweet passion that Shelby and Bobby had for each other. He picked her up and twirled her around, kissing her with an intense passion. He sat her on her feet and held her close to his body. Their bodies started swaying in time to the song, almost as if it was natural instinct. Cherry saw the apparent parallels between their love story and the one she shared with Drew.
Bobby cradled her face in his strong hands and asked, "Are you ready to spend the rest of our lives together, darling? It's time for us to start the life we were meant to live." Shelby's bright, happy eyes twinkled. She lifted up her hand, a silver and moonstone bracelet dangling from her wrist, as she nodded, "Yes! I've been ready since the day I met you. I love you, Bobby!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Cherry wiped a tear away as she smiled, until she remembered what Shelby told her. It was their last kiss. Bobby broke from the kiss and said, "OK, we gotta hurry. My friend is meeting us at the airfield…"
But something started happening around Cherry. A cold draft of bitter, biting wind crept in by the bar area. A black, foreboding cloud appeared halfway on the dancefloor between the couple and the bar. A vicious, roaring sound came from the foggy form. She couldn't understand anything if there were words spoken by it, but a frightened Shelby cried and shrieked, "No!", as Bobby pulled her behind her, using himself as a human shield.
Cherry started to panic and cried out, "Shelby! What's happening?" At that moment, a lost and scared Shelby only looked at her and mouthed, "Please help us, Leslie." With that, as Dottie West sang My arms are open wide, a blast came from the cloud and struck Bobby between the eyes. An aghast and sobbing Cherry put her hand over her mouth as she screamed, watching Bobby's lifeless body slump to the floor, his blood and brain matter now splattered all over the front of the jukebox.
Shelby fell to her knees at Bobby's bloody dead form. She let out a mournful wail as she touched his chest. She screamed, "Bobby! No! Goddamn you! I will never let you get away with this!" The cloud moved directly in front of her and said another incoherent sentence, this one in a hushed, sinister tone. As a helpless and shocked Cherry looked on, another loud flare came from the mysterious form with a loud bang. Shelby was struck in the chest directly in the heart.
She fell back, feeling the blood gush and her life fade before her eyes. As she struggled to breathe and stay alive, the mist hovered over her fallen body. Cherry managed to see the form of a hand reach down and watched it rip the bracelet off Shelby's now limp wrist, the piece jingling with a hollow echo. Shelby, with her dying breath, managed to speak, "I'd rather be dead with him than alive with you, you bastard."
Then, Cherry heard the unmistakable sound of a death rattle, and looked on weeping as Shelby expired as the song ended. With the record now skipping at the end, she knew she had to get back. The cloud was moving to the jukebox to unplug it. She grasped the bracelet even tighter as she reached over to touch the now blood-soaked item. It was her only way back home to Drew…
Riverside, Present Day
Christine panicked and paced around the couch. She had managed to carry an unconscious Cherry and lay her down for comfort. She cried as she knelt by her best friend, putting her trembling jeweled hand on her still small baby bump. She still felt the energies radiating from the babies, which relieved Christine. But Cherry would not respond to any effort she used to rouse her. She lay there, sill with her eyes open and rolled in the back of her head.
Christine took her hand and squeezed, pleading with her, "Cher, please! I need you to wake up. Honey, please! Give me a sign that you hear me! Fuck! What do I do?" She saw Cherry's other hand was clutching something. She lifted it and saw her new bracelet dangling from her fist. Christine raked her hands through her hair and cried, "Cherry, I swear. If you hurt yourself getting this thing back to me… Damn it, Sis! Wake up!"
Christine's cell phone started to ring, and she exhaled when she heard the 3MB theme song. She answered it in a frantic tone, "Drew! Where are you?" Drew sounded almost desperate as he spoke, "I'm driving home. I can't explain it but I had this terrible dream about Cherry. I need ta be home with her. I tried calling her cell but she's not answering." Christine sobbed, "Drew, something bad has happened! I came downstairs and she was on the floor in front of the jukebox! She's unconscious and I can't wake her up! I don't know what to do!"
Drew screamed, "Fuck! I'm about two hours out! I'm breaking land speed records ta get there! Phoen, I'm sa scared!" Christine tried to calm him, "I'm taking her to the hospital. Please slow down and get here in one piece, Drew. She and the babies need you alive. I'll let you know as soon as I get her checked in." Drew, rubbing his eyes and trying and failing to reign in his emotions, Siad, "Phoen, I can't lose her!" Christine sighed and said, but not without trepidation in her voice, "You won't, Bro. Not as long as I have air in my lungs. Concentrate on the road. Love you."
She hung up and prepared to dial 911 when Cherry sat up, screaming and wailing, "Shelby! Bobby! No! NO!" Christine ran to her said and knelt down, trying to take Cherry's flailing hands, "Cher! Oh my god! I'm here! Sis, please!" Cherry was gasping and sweating profusely, yet she was trembling with goosebumps running down her arms. She cried out, "Shelby and Bobby…shot…murdered…blood! Oh GOD!"
Christine sat on the couch in front of Cherry and took her face in her hands, pressing her forehead to hers and said, "Sis, breathe. I'm here. It's Christine. You're awake. It was just a dream. Breathe, Cher. The babies. Breathe." Cherry started to come out of her haze of confusion and looked around, "I'm home. I'm back. Christine? Is it really you?" A relieved Christine said, "Yes, Sis. It's me. You're fine. It was just a dream."
Cherry shook her head and started to cry again, "No, Chris. It was no dream! I was there. 1966. I saw it happen. Shelby and Bobby were shot to death. They were murdered! Here Comes My Baby was on the jukebox. That's why it kept playing for me! She wants me to set things right. I don't know what that means! She needs my help, Chris!"
Christine held her hands up and stated, "Sis, my only concern is for you and the babies. You need to rest." Cherry was insistent, "Chris, you don't understand! I was there! I was in 1966! I saw them being murdered! Please, you gotta believe me!" Christine looked at her, seeing the desperation in Cherry's eyes. She nodded, "Look, I believe you. But you need to rest. The babies, Cher. Think about the twins. Please!"
This seemed to reach Cherry, as her breathing started to regulate, and her voice started to calm. As Christine went to the kitchen, Cherry took deep breaths, resting her right hand on her tummy, and said, "You're right. My babies. I need to calm down." Christine came back to her side with a glass of water. She rubbed Cherry's back as she took a sip. She soothed, "Sis I need to call Drew and let him know you're OK. He's on his way home."
Cherry shook her head, "No! He needs to stay and do his job." Christine huffed, "You try to tell him to stay away from you. He sensed something was wrong, Sis. Look, I know you just went through it, and I completely believe you saw this murder happen. But you need get some perspective. Your babies are more important than this Shelby and Bobby, whoever they are." Cherry murmured, "Shelby is the ghost from the jukebox. She picked me to help me, Chris. She needs my help, but I still don't know exactly what she needs."
Christine took the glass from her and said, helping her up from the couch, "But the twins need you more, Cher. Look, let's discuss it tomorrow morning when you've had time to get some real rest and sleep. Go upstairs and lay down. I'll be upstairs as soon as I clean up." Cherry relented, "You're right. I know it. I just hope you don't think I'm crazy." Christine shrugged, "I know you're crazy. That's why I love you." Cherry gave a half laugh as Christine embraced her tightly and whispered, "Don't you ever scare the shit out of me like that again. You hear?"
Cherry nodded and headed up the stairs towards her bedroom. Christine kept her eyes on her as she shut the door. She cut them to the jukebox and walked over to stand in front of it. She scanned the song list three times, but was shocked by what she found, "Here Comes My Baby isn't on the list. What the fuck?" She went around to the backside against the wall and pulled the cord from the floor. It wasn't plugged in.
Christine stood back up and looked at the jukebox. She sent a text to Drew: "Cherry woke up. She's OK, but there's something strange going on. We'll talk when you get here." She spoke in a hushed but demanding tone, "I don't know who you are, Shelby. But I will not let Cherry get sucked into this any longer. She has those babies and my brother that need her. I will never allow her to be hurt. She's been through too much in her life and she deserved a happy and healthy pregnancy. Do NOT bring her back into your world again. Do you hear me? Leave her alone!" Christine turned out the downstairs light and walked up the stairs. As she closed the bedroom door, the light in the unplugged jukebox flickered on, then off.