While they were growing up, Mary and her twin sister, Krisi, could not have been more different. Krisi craved adventure; Mary liked planting her feet firmly on the ground. As they became women, their inherent differences led them in separate directions. When Krisi became pregnant and suddenly asked Mary to raise her son, Mary couldn't refuse her sister's appeal for help, but soon the sisters lost touch. After two years of not hearing from Krisi, Mary learns that Krisi may be dead and that she may be a victim of murder. Mary refuses to believe it, for somewhere deep inside her, she feels certain that Krisi is still alive. After acquiring this shocking information, Mary focuses on raising Jordie, Krisi's son, and tries to move on. But when her house is inexplicably ransacked, Mary begins to sense that someone is seeking her attention. When she sees the message scrawled on her wall, warning her to leave her house, she has no choice but to temporarily return to her childhood home, even though it holds unpleasant memories.
THE COMMUNITY
By Jean SpenstiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Jean Spenst
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4620-2304-2Chapter One
November
The automobile smashed and bounced along the uneven earth. It was a great feeling to watch as the asshole and his car dove fifty feet to the rugged, uneven ground before hitting the bottom of the coulee. No one would miss him immediately. This opportunity couldn't have worked out any better. While the lookout point was a great addition to this community, Drake didn't expect any sightseers would come this way for a while, as the weather was getting colder and the tourist season was far off. He hoped for a huge snowfall to cover the remodeled '69 Mustang that the slimeball had called his pride and joy. If, by chance, the fall hadn't killed him, the weather and wild animals would do the trick. Drake envisioned the coyotes and maggots feeding on the idiot's remains.
The asshole, he thought, was a liar. He told everyone he had no money, but he was richer than anyone in this area. Another problem resolved and 'nough of the drama for now. Drake craved some weed and a good swig of Crown Royal on the rocks to calm his nerves.
Drake breathed in and slowly exhaled as he tried to relieve the pent-up tension in his body. After one last look in the direction of the coulee that now contained a not-so-permanent fixture lying fifty feet below, he turned away from the embankment and walked to his Harley that was parked a few paces away. He lifted a long, lanky leg over the seat and started up the beast, revving the engine to hear the roar of life and feel the vibration of the machine. He was ready to return to Drumheller and relax.
He decided to cool it, as a nosy neighbor lived not too far away. Then he remembered she was in town for the day helping out at the old folks' home. She had a nice ass and a set of tits, but it was too bad the rest of her was a mess; otherwise, he wouldn't mind having a piece of it. Knowing she wouldn't appreciate such a fine stud in her presence, he shook those thoughts out of his head and convinced himself that she wouldn't be able to handle him, yeah.
Now that the asshole was out of the way, he would get paid for a job well done. It was time to get his reward. In a few days, he would head back to Calgary.
Chapter Two
As Drake revved the Harley's engine once again, a shiver trailed down his spine. He sensed someone behind him. Slowly he turned his head, fully expecting to see someone, but no one was behind him. He shook his head and laughed nervously.
Man, this is nuts. That was a long way down from the lookout point, and there was no way anyone could have survived such an accident. He reached for his sunglasses to protect his eyes from the wind that would attack him on the ride to where he was staying. He put on the glasses, lifted his legs off the ground, and let the bike soar to life.
He approached the main graveled road from the exit of the lookout point and checked for traffic both ways. He turned left and headed to his friend's house where he was going to party that night. In twenty minutes, he would be there.
Man, it feels great being on this bike, he thought as he enjoyed the freedom of the beast. He was fortunate to have a friend who knew how to get great deals on this mode of transportation. Winters sucked, but the summer was just fine with the freedom to ride his bike through towns and villages.
Drake eased down the hill to head toward his destination. He wouldn't be alone much longer, as the big guy would come in from the north. Well, at least he would get paid, although he preferred being by himself without the boss hanging around. Drake didn't like that man, but the money was just fine. He hoped the boss wouldn't be staying long.
Drake drove into the farmyard and up the short, graveled, and bumpy driveway. He pulled up in front of the garage, got off the bike, and turned off the engine. He pushed down the kickstand, lifted his leg over the seat, and walked toward the front door of the house. No need to lock the doors in this neighborhood, which never had any crime—until today. Not really a crime, it was more like getting rid of the garbage. Oops, it was disposed of in the wrong place. Time would take care of the remains.
The house had three big bedrooms, a bathroom, an oversized combination kitchen-dining room, and a large, square living room. The kitchen cabinets were almond-stained oak. The flooring was dark brown linoleum that extended from the kitchen to all of the rooms in the house.
The closest neighbors were approximately two miles away on either side of the house. Drake loved the quiet. Everyone in this neighborhood was friendly, but most kept to themselves just the way he liked it—except for the nosy woman who lived about five miles away. He just ignored her.
Opening the front door, he took the steps two at a time and entered the kitchen. Drake shed his leather jacket and removed his sunglasses. He draped his jacket over the kitchen chair so he could easily grab it on the way out. He sat on that chair and admired his Harley Davidson boots that had been acquired not so long ago. He had friends in low places.
Man, after a job well done, I need to celebrate. Instead of the whiskey, a cold one sounded about right. Getting out of the chair, he made his way to the fridge and reached for his prize of leftover pizza and a cold one. He grabbed a paper towel on the way to the living room so he could watch TV while he relaxed. Without the satellite, he would have had a choice of only three channels that were fuzzy most of the time—man, that would be a drag.
He set his paper towel, the pizza, and his beer on the end table next to the recliner. Grabbing the remote, he turned on the TV and channel surfed until he came to the directory to select a sports channel to watch while he ate.
Yawning after wolfing down his snack and drink, he placed the bottle on the coffee table and stretched out in the recliner. The game was boring, but he wasn't interested in watching anything else. As his eyes began to close, he thought, This is the life, no one to hassle me and I can enjoy my free time. Man, I've had a hard day.
Chapter Three
Drake fell asleep as he watched the baseball game. In his dream he rode the beast on the straight and narrow dirt road. The clouds were dark with the hint of rain yet to come. The lightning made quite a show as it advanced toward him. On his Harley the road felt like it pulled him along on his ride. He didn't know where he was.
Another strike of aqua lightning steadily advanced. As he continued to ride into the oncoming storm, the clouds sank into the horizon. He heard a roar of thunder as if it warned of the danger that surrounded him. A couple of seconds elapsed, and more lightning appeared—only this time it was electric blue. The lightning shifted and changed colors with every bolt that occurred. He moved forward as the next strike flashed neon green, and the clouds continually disappeared into the earth. The sky was becoming increasingly darker. He drove toward the light show and saw a yellow flash as the clouds sank further. The thunder roared to life above his head like the sound of the king of the jungle announcing his mating call. A flash of vivid orange struck just twenty feet away from him as the clouds continued to drop. He tried to stop the brute from its journey, but the power of the road pulled him along. Five feet closer to the spot where the...
