Chapter 2 Dreaded Reverie in Denton

She donated some money for Paula and opted out of the funeral two days later, and no negative remark was made.

She longed for a break from her routine and watched the news on Friday night to

check the weather forecast for the weekend. She needed to relax at the beach and hoped bikini weather would be the norm. Before the weather came on, though, she sat upon

the sofa's edge and watched black smoke billowing into the sky from a gasoline truck

that exploded on Route 404 near the Denton, Maryland exit. The driver was killed in the crash, and the investigation continued. However, nothing indicated why the truck

crashed and when and where it did.

Robin felt chilled and rubbed her arms.

"It crashed there, so I would hear about it on the news. Listen tome, Stella, what

part of I'm not going to Denton, Maryland, don't you get? I don'tcare if it's my future or my fortune. I'm not going to Denton!"

*

Three weeks later, Ariel called her at home. "You won't believe what just happened, Robin! Some wild entrepreneur company has opened a hotel and casino in Denton,

Maryland! They sent me reservations for two and an $800 coupon for slot machines or Blackjack gambling for promotional purposes! Wahoo! And since I'm single and not

dating, I immediately thought of you. Do you want me togo with you? I mean you go

with me. Do you want to? Do I sound excited? I don'twin anything, ever! But I won this time without trying! Wahoo!"

"Denton, Maryland, huh? Now that's damned convenient if you ask me. All's been quiet on that front, and now you're kicking it off again. Thanks, Ariel."

"Oh, now I get it. So, you think this freebie forme and the invite is all going back to Sister Stella's fortune from the State Fair, don'tyou?"

"It was thrown in my face quite often after that night and then nothing for three weeks. Now you're triple excited togo to Denton and take me with you."

"So, does that mean you'll go with me? You know I can't stand driving alone for long distances. You can take some books and read and relax in the hotel room. On the other hand, I'll give you some money to start you off on the slots, and you might winsome

jackpots and have some fun. Are you in? Pretty please, sweetie? Just say yes and make us both happy. You'll be okay. I promise you and cross my heart."

"I give up. I'min. Are we going this weekend?"

"That's the plan. I've put in for vacation on Friday and plan on a three-day weekend. Do you want to try the same thing tomorrow? That way, we can hit it together. I can't

wait."

"I can wait, but right now, some adventure sounds great. Maybe some millionaire

will notice me and want me to be his showpiece. If he does, I'm in,and you can meander back to Seaford alone. I've got faith in you, even if it takes you a week."

"I'm glad you do."

"I'll talk with Brandy tomorrow morning and let you know."

She laid the phone down, filled a glass with tea, and walked downstairs to sit on a patio designed for the apartment dwellers to share. She chose a table, satin the quiet area, and relaxed until a neighbor approached her as quietly as a cat and touched her shoulder.

"Hello, Robin."

She yelped, recovered, and patted her chest to calm her wildly beating heart.

"Hello, Rachel, you evil ghost. What's going on? You scared the crap out of me!"

"The sight of you sitting alone and looking sad motivated me. May I join you in your solitude?"

"Sure thing. Pull up a chair and participate in my Quaker Church Meeting. Do you believe in fortune tellers?"

"Can I talk?"

"You can. The meeting is over. Do you?"

"No, I don't. There's something to them, but they're not gods, demigods, or seers

into the future. I think they fish for answers and then ask questions, quite certain how

you'll respond. They are swift at deciphering human behavior and psychology, but that's about it, other than the capability to put on a display of good charm and professional

bullshit. Why do you ask? Do you have one bugging you?"

"Well, I've not seen her since the fair left, but it seems I'm bugging me. She said I must goto Denton, Maryland, and that's all I can see or hear about for a time. Had a small break, and now Ariel gets a free weekend at a hotel and astake for slot machine play in Denton's new casino. I'm getting on my nerves and don't knowhow to stop it."

"So, she's using your own mind to mess with you. She planted a seed and hit on

something you love, and you can't stop thinking about it. Try going to New York City instead. That's north and along way from Denton. There'sabustrip through Dawson Tours this weekend with five open seats. Have you been to Manhattan before?"

"No, and no thanks. I'dbe lost."

"That won't happen with me around. I love that city. No matter what you want to do, you can do it at any hour during the day or night, even if it'sillegal."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Oh, come on, Robin! Live a little before you grow old. You'll have fun, and I

promise that you'll never have time to recall that Denton is even apart of the world if you hang with me. I party like I'm on speed in that city. I love it!"

"Well, you've convinced me, but I've already committed to the Casino with Ariel. Remind me if you go again and I'll go with you then. Sorry."

"That's fine with me, but I think you'll be sorry you didn't go this time. Anyway, what'son for the rest of the night?"

"I've started researching my ancestry, and I think I'll work on that unless you have a better offer."

"How about having dinner with me? I'm doing hamburgers, baked Mac and Cheese, and broccoli for the kids. Of course, you'll be filled with a desire to be bored by your

ancestors between the food and the kids who will give you stimulating conversation and energy. Does that sound first-rate?"

"Sold."

*

She relaxed after the dinner and missed the noise level of Rachel's children and the stimulating, honest discussions. She turned her computer on, opened the tree program, and logged into the website. She groaned because it did not maintain her last search.

She typed in the information on her parents and grandparents, hit search, and cracked her knuckles as she waited. Her mouth hung open twenty minutes later, and she stared at the screen.

"What? Where did you come from? I don't recall you being there the last time." She jotted down the information on a notepad and switched to vital statistics for Maryland, and she found the woman she would swear was not on the tree before. However, she

read it on the screen again and felt weak and sick.

{{MARK family name?}} "Cherie Pandora Waterman, born January 25, 1882, in

Denton, Maryland. Mother, Shannon Evelyn Dudley-Waterman. Father, Harvey Joseph Waterman. Cherie was delivered at home, and the birth was reported to Vital Statistics by the father on January 28, 1882."

"Son-of-a-gun! I don't believe it! Iknow for certain that entry has never been there before! Noway in hell! How can she be my great-grandmother, and I only find that out now?Wrong! If you're messing with me, Stella, I'll track you down and feed you to Rex after beating the crap out of you!"

She shivered as if she had left a window open in winter, erased all the names, and started over. Twenty minutes later, she was breathless and gave into Cherie being on the screen again.

"I see it, but I don't believe it, but I guess we must. And I know my mind did NOT manufacture this to mess with me. It's scary and downright frightening, but I didn't cause it to happen. Wonder when and where she died and where she'sburied?"

She jotted some more notes and questions, shut the computer off, and stretched to relieve pressure on her back.

"Well, I guess that cinches where I go this weekend. I'd rather goto New York, but I'll goto Denton with Ariel. Are you happy now, Karma and Stella? I want to smack you both with a big hard stick, but I'm the one who opened my mouth."

*

Robin and Ariel set off for Denton, Maryland, at nine o'clock Friday morning. Robin drove; Ariel rode shotgun and babbled about how she would casta spell on the slot

machines, how many jackpots she would win, and what she would do with her winnings. Finding a quality boyfriend remained the number one task after securing riches.

"What will you do with your winnings, Robin?"

"Oh, something useful. I'll wait until you have your quality man, and then I'll take

him from you and marry him like you don't want to. And we'll send you Christmas cards with children's photos every year, so you can remember how you almost had it made."

"You prick. Sometimes, I don't know why I keep hanging out with you. I swear. You prick."

Robin grinned and slapped the wheel. "But I'm acute and faithful little prick, so you have to love me. Right?"

"Right, and I will until something better comes along. So there."

*

They checked into the hotel, and Ariel was excited about starting her gambling spree.

"What are you going to do first, Robin?"

Robin jumped on one of the beds and flopped around. "First thing, I'll nap like I

can'tat the office. Afterward, I'll take astroll on the boardwalk. I can't believe the casino built one along the river. Find a greasy dive for some decadent fries, then sit on a bench and display my attractive body for any available man to notice."

"Sounds like a winner tome. Look me up in the casino, and I'll join you for that outing."

"Ten-four, good buddy."

Robin saluted her, got comfortable without undressing, and slept before Ariel closed the door.

And she dreamed:

She drove the streets of Denton, looking for clues to her roots, and stopped by the cemetery. She never made it inside the entrance before she slammed on the brakes. A tall man dressed in black stood in the middle of the road, holding a huge chef's knife that dripped blood and made a bone-chilling sound as it scraped across a sharpening stone in his other hand.

"Come on, Robin. I've been waiting for you."

Scrape, scrape, scratch.

"Let me add your blood to the pool. There's always room for more of that delightful red juice."

She screamed, jerked the gearshift into reverse, and hit the gas.

The car did not move, and she scrambled out the door, panicking to flee from him at full speed.

"Come on, curious bitch. Do you want to open Pandora's Box? It's waiting for you here, and so am I. I'm inside, and when you succeed, I'll cut you, and you'll bleed out faster than you can breathe, but you'll never scream as you wish."

He laughed and swished the knife around before him. "Come on, curious bitch. Let our first date be the best and the last."

She ran, her lungs ached for more air, and she heard him close behind her. She saw a family at a picnic table in the distance and screamed for help as best she could.

She stumbled and fell facedown on the pavement when the sharpening stone cracked her skull. She remembered being picked up with one hand and laid on the tabletop with cups and plates scattering and breaking with her body's impact. She

screamed and opened her eyes, and all around her sat a family of vampires, smiling with anticipated pleasure.

She screamed as the father moved his face toward her neck to take the first drink of her blood.

She awoke from a violent spasm when she fell from the bedin a flash of lightning

and a clap of thunder that shook the whole building. She swore it demolished half of the building, crossed the floor with catlike steps to pull open the curtains with trembling

hands, and felt a wave of relief at the sunshine and people strolling on the boardwalk by the river.

Then she dropped them and stepped back as she saw his face hovering over the water on a brown stem with dead leaves.

"Oh,and if you're intrigued by me, once you join me, I can cut you as many times as I want, and you can't stop me or die. Doesn't that sound like fun? We all need a pet to

torture. You're mine, curious bitch."

She turned with the intent of running to the bathroom and fell when she saw him standing in front of the door, still wielding the huge knife that was even bloodier.

"Going somewhere, girlie? You didn'twait for Ozias to say you could go pee. Naughty girl. You do nothing without my permission."

Her wide eyes still stared at the dripping knife and the blood pooling on the floor at his feet.

"Yeah, tenderhearted me cutup a few boardwalkers on the way to the hotel. I had the urge to practiceso I could cut you better."

He lunged forward, and she fainted.