Chapter Eight

Jessica was reluctant to put distance between them but she had a clearer mind when she did.

"What's wrong, Jess?" Seth looked concerned. Was she filled with regret? Did she not want him?

"I don't want our hormones to carry us away, Seth. When we make love we will be in full control and not just full of lust. My body is ready but I'd like my mind to be ready as well."

Seth took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Okay Jess."

She put her hand on his shoulder before giving him a hug. "I'm not saying no forever but I don't want to rush into something and have regrets later. It hasn't been a week since we've been together."

"We are in it for the long haul, Jess. A little more time won't hurt, well not much." He kissed her cheek. "You better run on into bed."

Jessica tossed and turned in bed for an hour. Was she being foolish? She knew Seth wouldn't insist on making love but she didn't allow him to voice his opinion at all. She got out of bed and stepped out of her room. Seth's bedroom door was closed. Knocking softly she waited until she heard his voice telling her to come inside.

He was sitting up in bed with a book.

"Trouble sleeping?" she asked.

Seth smiled ruefully. "Just trying to tell my body to go to sleep."

Jessica was immediately regretful.

"No Jess, I…When we 'make out' as the kids say, my body immediately went on alert."

"I couldn't sleep either," she admitted. She sat at the foot of his bed. "It's not that I don't want to, Seth. I just don't want to move too fast and ruin things between us."

Seth looked at her then looked away. "But you are attracted to me?" He hated feeling vulnerable but he wanted to make sure he was who she wanted.

"Oh my dear, I want you, all of you." She pulled his hand toward her. "I'm very attracted to you, body and mind."

"You make me feel like a teenager." Seth looked at her again. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable or move faster than you want."

Jessica smiled at him and they began discussing what they wanted and needed from an intimate relationship, how to handle her fame, and invasive Cabot Cove rumors from nosy citizens while maintaining privacy. Jessica stretched out on his bed and got comfortable while they talked. Seth urged her under the covers and she fell asleep after yawning for several minutes. Seth kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her waist. He slept peacefully.

Seth woke up when Jessica snuggled closer and he cherished having her in his arms. He wasn't embarrassed or tense. It felt natural and he hoped when she woke up she would be at ease, as well. A few minutes later, she woke up and smiled at him.

"That was the best sleep, Seth."

"Ayuh, I would recommend it." She didn't seem in any hurry to move so he didn't either. They spoke for a few minutes, planning their day, before Seth had to empty his bladder. When he returned Jessica had left his bed and returned to her room. He could smell her scent on his sheets as he made the bed.

Saturday morning found Seth and Jessica fishing on a boat far out in Lake Gunnison. Jim Bastian rented boats and took people out to fish. They had to go further out, away from the jet skiers and water skiers. It looked like fun but neither wanted to risk injury. There were others fishing on the boat as well and it was a jovial crowd. Jessica had packed sandwiches and drinks.

"This week has flown by," remarked Jessica. "I can't believe we leave tomorrow."

"Ayuh, it's been a fun week, rain aside," agreed Seth. "But we have a week to reach home and we can take our time."

"Are we going back the same way or do you want to explore around?" asked Jessica.

"We can go a different route. Maybe Nebraska, Iowa, and the northern parts of Illinois and Indiana instead of Kansas, Missouri, and the southern parts of Illinois and Indiana."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Jessica. "Time alone with you is always good."

Seth smiled at her and turned back to his fishing pole.

They returned to the cabin exhausted but there was a bonfire that night and Jessica wanted to tell a story so she took a quick nap while Seth took the fish he had cleaned on deck and began preparing them for dinner.

"I don't think I'll be eating any hot dogs," lamented Jessica. "The fish was delicious Seth, thank you." Jessica shooed him away from the sink. "You cooked so I'll clean up. I'll be ready to leave for the bonfire in a short while." She filled the sink with water and began scrubbing dishes.

The weather was great for a bonfire. The sky was clear and there was barely a breeze. They settled in a recliner together again and others followed suit. It was a larger crowd than a few days ago. Neither ate any hot dogs but Seth couldn't resist the smores and Jessica ate some fruit.

The singing started soon after and many show tunes were included followed by songs from television shows. The spooky stories started soon after. After several were told Jessica stood to tell one of her own. She held her flashlight in her hand but it was turned off. Somehow word had gotten out that she was a mystery writer and she had everyone's attention.

"Now, I didn't witness what happened in this story. My aunt told it to me and swore me to secrecy." Jessica smiled at the listeners. "The statute of secrecy expires after fifty years so I can tell it to you now."

"It was more than fifty years ago when my aunt's best friend, Emily, asked her to stay at her house overnight. She lived in a big, gloomy house set way back in the woods, far from the road. She didn't want to be alone there at night. Her parents had gone out that evening and wouldn't be back until the next afternoon. Emily said they would have a really good time without her parents around. So my aunt, Sara, decided to stay the night. They listened to the radio and ate popcorn in the living room until late at night. When all of a sudden the power went out. They were in total darkness and became afraid. They hadn't noticed it before, but now the downstairs seemed too big, and almost sinister looking. They could only find one single candle in which to light their way to bed. They started to go upstairs. Then all of a sudden, they both ran up the steps to Emily's room as if something was coming up from behind them. After they closed the door, they laughed at themselves. They lay chatting for a time in the candle's feeble light. When suddenly, they thought they heard a sound from somewhere below. It sounded like somebody sharpening a knife against stone. Then they heard another sound. A sound as if someone is moving about the house. They both stopped talking and stared at each other, feeling really scared inside. For a while there was only silence in the room. Aunt Sara was frightened. But Emily started to laugh. She said she had heard a sound like that in her house before. Emily said it was probably the shutters or something. That made Sara feel better and they started to talk again. Then they heard the sound again! SCRRITCH. SCRRITCH. The sound made Sara's head hurt as if somebody's fingernails were scratching on a chalkboard. But this sound was much worse. It shrieked up from the dark, lonely rooms below us. SCRRITCH. Emily got a horrible look in her eyes, as though something awful had come into her head. She said that she was going down to investigate. Sara tried to persuade her to stay but before she could catch her, she took the candle and departed out of the room, slamming the door shut. Sara heard her footsteps as she ran down the first flight of stairs, and then stopped. She sat in the dark, sick with fright. She didn't want to stay in the dark room alone, but even more she didn't want to go out into that other, more forbidding darkness. SCRRITCH. She heard it again, that disgusting sound. Then she heard Emily's footsteps moving down the next and final flight of stairs. She went more slowly, as if she really didn't want to. Sara heard her reach the bottom. She waited in the room, wondering what Emily was doing. You see, the noise had stopped right after she heard her reach the bottom of the stairs. It didn't come after that anymore. Emily probably had just fixed the shutter, or whatever was making that horrible screeching noise. Maybe she had known for sure about that all the time. She had just acted strangely to scare Sara. Maybe she was sitting on the steps now, laughing at Sara. She thought about going down there, but a feeling of fear swept over her that held her back like a hand against her throat. Nothing could make her leave her secure darkness for that darker unknown outside the room. Time passed as she fearfully awaited Emily's return. Her ears strained for any sound. Presently after a long silence she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. A slow, shuffling noise on the bottom step. Was it her friend? It had to be. Yet the footsteps seemed too heavy, too deliberate. Sara's heart began to pound and she shivered with terror. The shuffling footsteps had reached the second flight of stairs. Sara cowered back toward the headboard of the bed in terror. She felt the skin crawl on the back of her neck as the footsteps reached the top of the stairs and moved slowly down the hall towards the bedroom. They came along the hall and turned into the room. Her eyes forced wide from a panicked state of shocked horror, as the door creaked slightly as it swung open. She stared at the dark figure looming in the doorway. She called out to her friend, but there was no answer as the steps came out across the bedroom. She laughed anxiously and begged her friend not to play jokes on her. But only silence answered as the footsteps paused beside the bed. She reached out her hand and felt a wave of relief as it touched the soft edge of her friend's robe. She was so happy. She lifted her hand around her friend's nightgown collar to touch her friend's face. But instead she felt something cold and wet. As her fingers moved up there was nothing. Only the bloody stump where her friend's head had been. SHE SCREAMED AND SCREAMED. When Emily's parents arrived back home, their eyes were seared by a dreadful sight. On the stairs were a trail of blood. The footsteps leading upward. And on the floor in the girl's bedroom lay Emily's corpse. It's head was severed from the trunk. And on the bed my Aunt Sara sat.. Her lips mumbling the tortured fancies of a maniac. In time the police officials pieced the story together and concluded an escaped convict had killed Emily but my Aunt Sara knew better. It wasn't an escaped criminal. It was Jim Bastian!"*

Jessica shone the light on Jim, an old fisherman, who had his hands up in the air, and he immediately screamed. Naturally, half the listeners screamed. There was applause and Jessica returned to sit with Seth. People nearby thanked her for sharing the story.

Seth kissed her cheek and hugged her to him. "Great job, Jess," he murmured in her ear.

They listened to a few more stories and laughed or yelped along with the crowd. Seth leaned back, relaxed. Even with the rain it had been a wonderful week. He and Jessica were definitely a couple and she wasn't afraid to be affectionate. He was looking forward to traveling back to Maine with her. It was nice not having to hurry home. He was suddenly filled with emotions he could scarcely describe. His heart was pounding in his chest and his eyes watered. He must have made a sound because Jessica turned around to look at him.

"Seth?" she questioned lightly. She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his lips.

So overcome with emotion, he could only look at her helplessly.

She stood and helped him up. She grabbed the blanket and led him away. They walked back to the cabin in silence, holding hands.

*random story I found online, author unknown