MESSAGE IN THE TREES
By Linda SC Valentino ©2009
Addy walked alone on this desolated street with her cell phone in her hand as she left work as usual. She wanted no one to know where she was coming from, she worked at the bar just a few miles from her house, she was paranoid that this man would be coming for her. She did not know his name but his piercing eyes was his giveaway of how she felt. He was hers. She made him hers. She would dream about this man she make him up in her mind’s eye every time she went to work at the nightclub. She would change her homely clothes to become the spotlight girl that every man dreamed about. She would become the instantcious woman that every man craved.
She was the one who made the man go crazed in this town, not knowing that she lived a secret life all of her own, back in the woods. She felt content at home, surrounding herself with her plants in the brown and green pots, all her plants had names of people she once loved and cared for. She even had one representing her three cats. The potted plants had faces like the cats, but there were no cats to be found, only the memory of them prancing in and out of her back door.
She arrived home around three am, when she came home a note left on the back tree blowing so lightly. She opened up the back light and proceeded to the tall brown aging tree, with its bark darkening ever so lightly. The message read” I know who you are”. No name. Nothing. She became frightened, then she walked around the house looking for a predator to see if “he” was the one following her each night. There was no one. No one that she knew if that was the case.
She turned out the lights and stepped into the house, in the corner of the room was a dark figure, she could see the outline of the figure. She thought to herself who is this? Did I invite someone in my home? She walked away still shaken, but never to reveal who this stranger was to her she went into the kitchen to get herself a hot cup of cocoa. She turned around this figure of an elderly a woman sitting on the other side of the table where she normally sits. She says nothing. Addy looked at her, she grabbed her large green and red mug and poured the hot water into the mug and went into her bedroom as she always does. Turns out the lights in the living room and kitchen. The figure still standing there. She did not talk to that woman.
Addy rolled down her bed, and fluffed up her pillows turned on the Handel music and went to turn the bath water on, with her favorite bubble bath Strawberries n Cream. The water was getting quite hot, the dark figure turned the water off. Alarming her in a way she could not figure out who that person was. She did not scream with fear, she just did not know what to think of it. The figure was in her house for the last one hundred years. She has seen it before, Not knowing what and who it is, she just did not say anything.
She washed off the old day of her body, cleaned off all the handprints of all the men that had been touching her and washed away the old and refreshed with the newness of the spring like spray she was putting on her body. She dressed into her long pink nightgown with pretty little purple daisies and went to bed. By that time the cocoa was cold. She went into the kitchen and the woman was gone. She thought to herself that it was her own mother checking up on her to see if she was okay. She was not alarmed anymore, since she did not see her in the kitchen anymore she was not afraid.
She took off her slippers and placed her body in her bed, leaving the small table light on, prompted up on her bed with her favorite book Message in the Trees. She was about to turn in and turn the light off and she heard this big thump. She jumped up to see what it was. She looked out her bedroom window the tree she found the note on fell forward. She got scared. She drew down the curtains and she went to sleep.
The next morning came it was raining out heavily. Her newspaper was drenched, she loved reading her newspaper but she could not. She decided that maybe she can microwave it, to get it dried but all it did was to burn the ends of it. Not a good idea, she thought.
Her cell phone rang it was only seven thirty in the morning. Who on earth would call me this early.
Addy? Yes this is she, this is Mel down a the club. Did you know someone by the name of Royce Triple? Name sounds familiar why? He was snooping around your place last night. We all called the sheriff, did anything happen there after you left work? No. Wait yes it did, I heard around eleven the thump of some kind, was it him? Was it Mr. Triple? I do not know he is not talking, he said that you live in his house. His house? Where, when? He used to live there when he was a child. He just got out of prison and wanted to know why you were there. I did see a dark figure in my house, but I see my mother often to protect me that’s all. Did anything happen to you Addy last night anything unusual? No Mel. I am sorry to bother you, I just wanted to know if you are okay. You working tonight? No Mel I am off. What a nice day to be off. Its raining outside. Not a problem Mel, I like the rain, I can get things done in my home. Thank you.
If you hear or need anything please call me, you have my number right Addy? Yes I do Mel, do not be so much of a worried hound, I will be alright. Good. I will see you tomorrow. All right, have a great rainy day. I will bye.
Addy became frightened again. The thump she heard it again. This time she put on her boots and her shinny yellow raincoat and went out to the back of the house. Across all the trees there were messages. One said. I know who you are, the other sleep tight little one, mommies here, you can never leave here. Why all the messages? Was the book I was reading coming to life?She thought of returning into the house. Turned on the teapot, took out the peanut butter and slabbed on some on the wheat toast that she just made. Poured a cup of green tea in the cup, went to sit on the sofa to read the rest of her book. The characters were starting to come out of the book, the messages were trying to follow her, she could not understand why? Or why did Mel mention the man’s name Royce Triple. Did he read the same book? In the book was that man’s name. Was it Royce coming back from the dead to claim his rights to this house? I wonder what it could be she thought. Now I really have to finish this book.
The doorbell rang. Hi are you Addy Fowler? Yes it is, I have a package for you, will you please sign for it. Sure. Will you like to come in and have a hot cup of tea with me. I cannot mame; I am only here to deliver parcels. Maybe next time and your name is? Oh, sorry My name is Ralph.
Thank you Ralph. For a second I thought you were going to tell me your name is Royce. No that is my dad’s name. Is your last name Triple? No its not. I’m sorry to have bothered you.
You are not bothering me mame. Addy went to sit on the couch did not open up the parcel at first, just continued to read her book. She looked mesmerized at the parcel. She did not order anything and no more books were ordered by mail, so what was in the parcel. She opened up the brown-papered bag like wrapping and took the brownish cord kept on staring at her name on the addressee. Whom was this from?
