Chapter 85

I

After getting settled in Kelly’s bedroom and getting that much needed nap, they decided that they really didn’t want to go out to dinner after all. Instead, they wanted to cook in a real kitchen and not on hotplates and in microwave ovens like what they had in their dorm room.

Kelly’s grandfather and Krysta didn’t seem all that disappointed to not be going out. Indeed, they seemed rather pleased that the girls wanted to cook.

“What are you planning to make?” asked Eric.

“We sometimes watch this cooking show on TV that has cooks making these incredible meals out of random ingredients,” Kelly said; “We’ve actually tried it, and sometimes it works, and sometimes, it goes straight into the trash!”

“Lets see what you have, then we can decide what we can make with it,” Miri said.

The girls raided the refrigerator and found some duck, cherries, carrots and other ingredients to make a pretty decent meal.

“I’ve never had duck outside a Chinese restaurant,” Miri said; “Just what can we make with all that?”

“We could roast the duck, make a cherry glaze, and maybe the carrots could have a honey butter sauce,” Kelly said; “There’s even a starter for dinner rolls!”

“You start the duck, and I’ll make the glaze,” Miri said; “We should do the dinner rolls now so we have time to bake them. At least there’s no Tripod around to beg for leftover dough!”

“Tripod eats everything, Miri!” Kelly said, laughing; “Remember when he tried to eat the frog he caught?”

“He thought it was dead, and he really freaked out when it moved!” Miri said, remembering and laughing. “I think he was just going to play with it. He used to catch the gophers and other little critters around Jack’s ranch, but he wouldn’t eat them. He stopped that when the raccoon he caught bit him and Jack had to have the vet come out and give him a rabies shot!”

“He’s a real trip, that dog!” Kelly said; “Bet he likes all that space to run around in up there in Belvidere.”

Miri was rolling out the dough for the biscuits, and replied, “He has to share it with Sarge, the horses, the cows and the goats. But he does like to think he’s the top dog out there.”

Within three hours, the meal was finished. Miri and Kelly thought they did a good job, and hoped it tasted as good as it smelled.

Their hopes were confirmed when Eric and Krysta had nothing but praise for their culinary skills, as everything tasted great.

“I think you two are not going to have any trouble finding guys, because all men love to eat!” Eric said; “Krysta, maybe you and I should watch that program and see if we can’t do this for ourselves.”

“It would increase my confidence in the kitchen, that’s for sure,” Krysta said, just a little nervous that Miri would ask why Krysta didn’t cook. “I kind of had to learn how to cook on my own, and am not always good at it. But, as Eric says, I haven’t poisoned him yet, so I must be doing something right!”

Everyone laughed, and Kelly said, “Miri already has a guy to cook for. She just hasn’t yet.”

“Kelly!” Miri exclaimed, embarrassed.

“Is this someone at school, Miri?” asked Eric.

“No, it’s someone I met before I went to Northwestern,” Miri said; “He’s in the Army, stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, near where my grandparents live. I don’t get to see him much.”

Eric nodded his head, saying nothing more on the subject. He sensed that Miri Summers didn’t want to talk about her personal life. With her background, he thought, I don’t blame her one bit.

“Sorry, Mir,” Kelly said; “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“It’s okay, Kel,” Miri said. “If it were anyone else I’d be mad. I know you didn’t mean any harm.”

The subject was quickly changed, but Kelly silently was beating herself up over her blunder. Miri was her best friend. She didn’t want to hurt Miri’s feelings in any way.

Eric noticed that Kelly seemed to be preoccupied by something. He wouldn’t pry, like he had when she was still in high school. Kelly was almost an adult, and he knew that if anything was troubling her, she’d let him know. He sensed that she was upset about embarrassing Miri. The girls had become close, and Miri was probably the first real friend that Kelly had.

Eric remembered that Kelly was the shy and studious type in school. She got teased for being so smart, for not having a mom at home, for her gawkiness. She didn’t have many friends, and no friends she was as close to as she was to Miri. Kelly was confident on the outside; but inside, she was in turmoil. College had been good for her, and letting her choose where she went was the best decision Eric ever made.

It would be in the next few days that their friendship would be tested. None of the people in Eric and Krysta’s house knew that yet.

===

II

I’m going to take everything you hold near and dear from you, Kathryn. It’s my time, and you have no place in it. I will get what I want, because I want it. You are useless to me. You are weak. You are undeserving. It’s my life now, Kathryn. It’s time for you to die!

-No! Never! I will never allow you to take over again! You are evil and selfish! I hate you and everything you stand for. I WILL take back my life, and you will be the one who will die. Die, Chastity! Die you motherfucking whore! DIE!

Oh, you think it’s that easy, do you? Just to tell me to die? You are delusional, Kathryn! Christian will see right through that! It’s ME he picked up that night all those years ago. Not you. ME! You just came back as things were getting good between us. You fell in love with him. You had those little brats with him. I have no use for your stupid daughters, Kathryn. Let’s see how long they love you when I take over your life forever!

-They’ll see right through you, Chastity! You can’t fool them. They know their mother and you are NOT their mother. I am! Helene already knows the difference. She won’t allow you to take me away from her, her sisters, and their father. You need to step aside and not be a poison to our lives anymore! Get away from me, Chastity! Stay away from Christian and the girls. They’re not stupid! They’ll know you’re not me. Sleep Chastity!

Oh, give me a break, sister! You will be so far down in that prison that you’ll never get out. Then I will rule your body forever!

-NEVER! I will NOT allow that to happen! You will die, you bitch! Stay away! I will not allow you to imprison me in my own mind. You will die, Chastity! Mark my words!

Oh, I’m quaking in my shoes, Kathryn! You don’t scare me.

-You should be very afraid!

I’m not. Of you? Don’t make me laugh!

-Die, Chastity! Just motherfuckin’ die already!


Kathryn awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her chest as if it would break out at any moment.

She got out of bed and went down to her studio. I’ll draw or sketch something until I calm down, then I’ll go back to bed.

She shook Christian gently on the shoulder and said, “Christian, I’m going down to the studio. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Christian woke up enough to say, “Okay, Kathryn. Don’t be too long, love.” Then he went back to sleep.

Kathryn made her way down to her studio and got out her sketch pad and pencils and started to draw something. As it began to take shape, Kathryn felt herself tremble. The drawing, still in the sketch phase, absolutely scared her to her core.

In the background, a woman; one moment begging for someone to kill her; another moment, taunting someone.

The foreground showed the arms and hands of a man holding a gun on the woman. His finger was on the trigger, ready to fire. Next to the man, another woman. Not as well developed as the first, but seemingly telling the man where to shoot.

Beside the first woman, a shadow of herself. The shadow was the taunting one.

Kathryn had no idea where that image came from. Suddenly, the sketch pad was flung across the studio. Kathryn screamed.

Looking in the mirror, a familiar voice came forth from Kathryn’s mouth.

“I hate looking like you, Kathryn,” Chastity said; “but I will change that.”

From a secret compartment in one of the drawers that held Kathryn’s art supplies, Chastity removed a box of green contact lenses. She took a pair out and placed them in her eyes.

“Now, to get rid of the bimbo’s blonde hair,” she said with evil in her voice.

She grabbed Kathryn’s purse and car keys and headed out the door leading to the garage where Kathryn had her car.

Soon, she was gone. Where she was headed, only she knew.

===

III

Helene heard a scream coming from the basement where her practice studio and her mother’s art studio were located. The girl was sure she wasn’t hearing things and left her bedroom to investigate. She ran into Erin in the hallway.

“Did you hear the screaming, too, Helene?” asked Erin.

“Yes! I did hear it. What if Mom’s in trouble?” Helene said with a concerned tone in her voice.

“We should get Dad,” Erin said.

They went to their parents bedroom, where they found their father, already awake and pulling on his robe.

“I’m going to check downstairs,” he said; “I heard what sounded like your mom screaming.”

“We heard it, too, Dad, and we’re coming with you!” Helene said.

Christian knew better than to tell the girls no. “Follow close behind me,” he said.

The three of them made their way down the stairs to the basement. Helene’s practice studio was a left turn at the base of the stairs; Kathryn’s art studio was on the right. Making the right turn, Christian’s heard sank.

The door was wide open, and he could see that some kind of struggle had taken place.

Helene saw the sketch pad on the floor. It had barely missed the painting that was on an easel waiting to be framed. She picked it up and looked at the drawing. The 13 year old gasped.

“Helene?” Christian asked; “What is it?”

“Ch-Ch-Chastity,” Helene said, stumbling over the name of her mother’s alter. “She wrote something on this drawing.”

Christian and Erin came over to take a look at what Helene was talking about.

There, at the bottom of the page, Chastity had written, in handwriting very different from Kathryn’s: You are MY shadow, Kathryn. You will be no more.

Christian got out his secure phone and called the police.

===

“What’s the matter, Kel?” Miri asked as the girls got ready for bed. “You’ve been really quiet since dinner.”

Kelly looked at her friend and roommate, then said, “I still feel bad that I embarrassed you at dinner. I had no right to do that.”

“Kelly,” Miri began, “you didn’t embarrass me. True, I was a little taken aback when you mentioned that I had a guy to cook for, but it’s okay. Your grandfather and Krysta took it all in stride. It’s not a big deal because you’re one of the few people outside my family that I trust with personal stuff. I know you’d never do that intentionally. We’re with your family, and I know that whatever is said within this house doesn’t leave. I think your grandfather senses that I don’t want to talk about my family that much. Maybe when I get to know him and Krysta better, I’ll open up more. But you should stop beating yourself up over your perceived faux pas. I’m not mad.”

Kelly let out a sigh of relief. Miri knew about Kelly’s past. That she was shy and smart and teased relentlessly as a child. It’s why Miri didn’t kid her like she’d do to her own family and friends. Kelly was sensitive because she didn’t have her mother her whole life. In reality, Kelly had only known her mother for less than a year. Miri realized that she was fortunate that she had her mother for support, and Julia even extended to Kelly that if she had anything to talk about that she felt she couldn’t tell even Miri, to tell her instead. “Even if you just need advice on something, I’ll do my best to help you with that. I know what it’s like to be raised by someone other than my mother,” Julia had told Kelly; “and what it’s like to lose the person who did raise you. You and I have more in common than you might think.”

“Miri, I still have trouble with that,” Kelly said now; “I turn everything inward, and I know that I shouldn’t do that. The counselling sessions they make Bio Science majors take have really helped me.”

“That’s good, Kel,” Miri said; “And you know you can tell me anything.”

“It’s nice that your mom is so approachable,” Kelly said; “Most people probably don’t even realize that about her. All they know is that she was the ‘SpineSplitter’. Like they forgot that she’s human, too.”

“Mom has always been that way,” Miri said; “and so have my aunts. My sisters, brother, and cousins are really lucky that our parents have their collective heads screwed on straight. They saw way too much during the Occupation; it amazes me that someone hasn’t lost their marbles yet.”

They decided that they should get to bed and get some rest. Kelly had made plans to take Miri to the places she hung out at when she lived at home and meet some of her friends.

“Mir, I’m going to apologize in advance for Grandfather and Krysta,” Kelly now said; “if you hear moaning or something weird, it’s just them making love. Krysta is more restrained than my grandmother was, but you can still hear a lot of what’s going on.”

Miri laughed, then said, “Kelly, you should have lived in Wyoming with me! My mom and her companion, until he got sick, made that a nightly ritual. My bedroom was right next to theirs, and Mom was not quiet! You should have heard some of the embarrassing questions they got from my little sister! It’s funny now, but then, I’m sure Mom wanted to die of embarrassment!”

“I once told my grandmother that she was so loud, that people in Canada could hear her,” Kelly said; “and considering how close to the border we are, that wouldn’t have surprised me in the least! But, I just thought I’d warn you first.”

“Consider me warned, Kelly!” Miri said, laughing.

The girls laughed, then turned out the light and went to sleep.

The next couple of days wouldn’t be so normal.

===

IV

Christian called the police and filled out a missing person’s report on Kathryn, even though the officer who came out said that she’d have to be missing for 24 to 48 hours. Because of Kathryn’s mental condition, that was waived. Christian also told them that there was to be no press about the matter for the privacy of their daughters.

“I don’t have to tell you what would happen if word of this got out,” Christian said.

“Mr. DeWitt, we will not publicize this,” the officer said; “Our utmost concern is for Ms. Hope’s safety and the privacy of your family.”

Christian then called Cameron Chang and proceeded to ream her out. “That medication you gave her sent her over the edge!” he yelled into the phone; “If anything should happen to her, I’m holding you and your clinic personally responsible.”

“Would you like me to come out and help with the search?” Cameron asked.

“Are you serious, lady?” asked Christian sarcastically; “Haven’t you done enough to tear our family apart?”

“Even if I know where she might be headed?”

“You have as much information as I do about where she is headed,” said Christian angrily. “I’m planning to call her father in the morning to let him know that she’s missing. Kathryn’s oldest daughter, Kelly,  is home for Fall Break. This is going to devastate her. Do you even care about that?”

“Of course I care, Mr. DeWitt!” Cameron said. “But if I told you Kathryn might head that way, toward her father’s house, would that help?”

“How do you know those are her plans?”

“She knew that Kelly was coming home for the break and bringing her roommate with her,” Cameron said. “Kathryn was looking forward to meeting the roommate.”

“I’ll tell the police to start there, then,” Christian said. “I hope you’re right about this and not just blowing smoke in my face.”

While Christian was on the phone with Cameron Chang, Helene and Erin were in Lili’s room telling their little sister that their mother was missing. Lili, understandably, was very upset by this news.

“We’re going to find her, Lili,” Helene said; “Mom will be home soon.”

“What if something bad happens to her?” asked Lili; “Like if her evil side comes out?”

Helene and Erin were taken by surprise that Lili figured out there were two sides to their mother. “How do you know this, Lil?” Erin asked.

“Because her evil side says terrible things about Mommy,” Lili said; “I’ve heard her! Then she tries to pretend she’s Mommy. I know she’s not Mommy and that makes her mad.”

“How long have you known this, Lili?” asked Helene.

“About a month. Since Mommy was getting ready for her art showings,” the six year old said.

“Helene,” Erin said, “we should tell Dad.”

“No!” Lili said; “What if I could have stopped Mommy from leaving and didn’t do anything? Daddy will be mad!”

Helene put her arm around her baby sister and said, “Daddy won’t be mad. Not at you or me or Erin. Dad’s more mad at Cameron right now.”

“I don’t like Cameron,” Lili said; “She puts Mommy in the hospital that keeps her away from us.”

“We should still tell Dad,” Erin said. “Lili, Dad will want to know if you know anything that will help.”

Lili swallowed hard, then said, “I heard her evil side say she’s going to Grandpa Eric’s house.”

“When, Lili?” Helene asked.

“Last night before I went to bed,” Lili said.

Helene didn’t even have to think about it. She said, “I’m going to talk to Dad, okay? Erin, stay with Lili until I get back.”

She then left her baby sister’s room to look for their father.

===

Chastity drove into Toronto, where she had found a house to live in.

She hated to be Kathryn, and would show that weak excuse of a person that she meant business. She didn’t care about Christian, his and Kathryn’s daughters, or the cute little life they had together.

All she cared about was finding her next fuck.

And some place that sold hair dye so that she could get rid of Kathryn’s blonde hair.

Then she’d go back down to the States and exact her revenge.

Starting with Kathryn’s father and that whore Krysta.

Chastity had no idea that someone would stop her, and that she would be no more.

It would be Kathryn’s revenge on her. But Chastity was clueless.

===