48 Hour Short Story Contest

The Journey
By Barbara Lowry


She had not seen or heard from Mary in probably 15 years. But when Mary called and asked to meet with her, she was intrigued. They had been friends in high school and Beth had thought her to be a fascinating person. Mary had been raised for many years in a commune in Oregon by parents who were genuine hippies. She knew how to read Tarot cards and tea leaves and knew all about meditation and raising one’s consciousness. She was always into something a little off-beat.
Beth arrived at the restaurant a bit early and so ordered iced tea and waited. Finally she saw Mary enter at the far end and waved to her. Mary was wearing a colorful peasant blouse and skirt with a dangling necklace and earrings. She hurried over to the table where they hugged and then sat. Quickly the waiter appeared and took their order. Beth could see that Mary hadn’t changed much in the years since high school but looked and seemed wiser and more mature. They chatted for a while about what they’d done since school+ and what they were doing now. Mary was still quite the eccentric and it made Beth giggle inside. Always into something different, yes, that was our Mary….only she now spelled it “Maree,” which had some old Celtic meaning she claimed.
Finally Mary leaned down and pulled a manuscript out of her bag. It was easily an inch thick and was held together with brass pins.
“I would really like it if you would read this for me before I submit it to be published.” Mary said seriously. Beth was thrilled to be asked, but a bit puzzled after all these years.
“I’d love to read it, Mary, but can I ask why you chose me?” Beth asked.
“You were the obvious choice!” she replied with a big, happy grin on her face.
“Um…why?”
“The topic is a bit off-key, you see, and I remembered that you were always open to new and different ideas like no one else was. You never ridiculed or laughed at me. You listened to me when no one else ever did.” Beth could see Mary’s eyes water as if she were about to cry.
“But Mary, you always had fabulous thoughts and ideas. I was always intrigued!”
They talked for a bit longer. Beth had no idea that all along Mary had been so horribly insecure and felt so all alone because she was different from the other kids. She thought it ironic that she had always felt that way+ too. Lunch came, so they ate, and laughed, and talked. Finally Mary looked at her watch and jumped up to leave. Beth was sorry that their time together was over but honestly could hardly wait to get home and start reading.
“Oh,” Mary said as she started toward the door, “don’t let anyone else read it or tell anyone what it is about, okay?” Beth agreed although she thought it was an interesting request to make. When she got home that evening, Beth made herself a cup of tea and settled into her favorite chair by the window to read. At two o’clock in the morning, she closed the last page, sighed, and stared out the window at the lights of the city below. Even at this hour, she thought, the city is alive.
Beth had a few busy days following her late night but finally was able to reach Mary.
“Well, what did you think?” Mary asked. Beth could tell that she was hesitant with anticipation.
“I have a question for you, Mary. Where did you ever get the idea for this book?”
“Um….I had a number of sessions with a guru. It was so very enlightening and the book basically wrote itself. Why?”
“Before I started reading, I had no idea what to expect. Is the fountain real? By the middle of the first chapter, I was completely drawn in. So much so, in fact, that I would very much like to go to the island and explore it for myself!”
“Oh, really, Beth?” Mary was beside herself. “I was so hoping you’d see it that way! Let’s make the journey together!” Mary said she would contact her agent and get the trip booked.
In two weeks the friends boarded a plane headed to the island off the northern coast of Brazil. It was an island that had a great deal of history tied to it, so both women were excited to start their exploring.
Now Beth stood at the railing beside the pond. Even the breathtaking view of the surrounding green and humid tropical forest of large rubber trees couldn’t take away her anxiety. She could barely even hear the cawing of the birds over the rushing sound of the waterfall. Noticing a bench a few feet away, she parked her Schwinn bicycle and sat down, pondering how she had ended up here all by herself in such a strange place.
How it had gone so wrong? And what had happened to Mary? The concierge at the hotel had told Beth he’d seen Mary, carrying a small bag, leave by the front door and get into a Mercedes that sped off toward the west side of the island. That was three days ago, and Beth had heard nothing. Mary’s things, abandoned in the hotel room, were strewn about as if she had packed in a hurry and she had left no note of where she was going. Beth was so worried that she even contact the U.S. Embassy, but they couldn’t or wouldn’t help since it appeared that she had left on her own.
Beth picked up the bottle cap she’d found on the bench and nervously played with it. I’ve just got to figure out how to find Mary, she thought. Suddenly she heard a car engine on the road behind her and quickly spun around to see a black Mercedes speed by. A black Mercedes, she thought! She was sure they hadn’t seen her. She jumped onto her bike and began pedaling after it. It was down hill so she didn’t have to work very hard to keep the car in view on the one lane path through the thick woods. The car turned into a private drive at the bottom of the hill and disappeared from view. She braked as she neared that same corner and peered up the lane.
The car pulled up to the front entrance of a large stone mansion. Beth got off her bike and hid behind a tree to keep from being spotted. The driver leaped out of the car and opened the back door to allow a rather small man step out. She could see that he was dressed in a dark suit and had a dark mustache. He glanced around the trees in the clearing as if to be sure they weren’t followed. She ducked a bit to be sure he wouldn’t see her. Peeking around the tree hiding her, Beth watched as he turned entered the house followed by the driver. She was sure she could approach the house without being seen because the woods were so thick. She desperately wanted know if Mary was in there. She tucked her bike in the bushes so it couldn’t be seen from the road and crept among the trees toward the house. After about 10 minutes of climbing over bushes and under branches she was at the side of the garage. She continued until she had reached the back corner of the house and then slowly peered around it.
She saw a large patio area and very tailored gardens surrounding a lovely pool. The pool was smooth as ice and on the patio were lounging chairs and a table under a large colorful umbrella. It was silent except for the bird chatting in the trees.
As she crept quietly up to the pool area her heart stopped. The man with the mustache strode out onto the patio followed by a woman with long, flowing red hair. They were talking intently so Beth leaned in to listen.
“So what should we do with her, Emil?” The woman asked.
“We have to get rid of her. If anyone reads her manuscript, we could all suffer!” He seemed quite agitated. “The promise of the fountain is our secret and no one should know of it!”
From inside the house she suddenly heard Mary’s vindictive voice.
“You will never get away with this! You will have to answer to the United States of America!”
Beth was stunned. What did they mean by “get rid of her”? She wondered. They were talking about Mary’s book and the fountain. Mary had listed a number of clues that led to the fountain which the natives had said held magical cures. It was why they had come here together, to see if they could follow the clues themselves. Now Mary was being held captive and might even die!
She waited for the man and woman to go back inside and - crept back out to where her bicycle was hidden. Before she pulled it from the bushes, she paused to be sure she wouldn’t be seen. Suddenly she heard shouting from the house and dogs barking. She leaped onto her bike and took off pedaling, wishing that she had rented a car as Mary had suggested when they first landed on the island.
Beth arrived back at the hotel about an hour later and breathlessly asked the concierge where to call the police. He asked her what was wrong and she told him that she had found Mary and she was being held captive. He picked up the phone and dialed for the Constable.
Beth waited in his office pacing the floor. So many questions went through her mind? What could be done and why was the search for the fountain going to make everyone suffer? It was obvious that the man who was holding Mary was very rich and she was afraid. Finally, she heard voices outside the door. The door handle turned and the door swung open. There in front of Beth was the man with the mustache.
“I think I have something of yours,” he said holding up a black sock with Mary’s monogram on the side. Beth had found the mate to it in their room upstairs so Mary must have only taken the one when she packed her bag three days ago. “You must tell me what you know and where you are hiding the manuscript!” His face twisted with anger showing very white teeth behind the dark skin and mustache.
“I…I don’t know what you are talking about! Beth lied. “I came here on vacation with my friend and now she’s missing.” She had remembered Mary’s warnings about the manuscript when she’d given it to her in the first place and knew that her disappearance was probably related to it so she had carefully hidden it that morning before taking off on her bicycle. She knew the manuscript was safe where she had left it, taped behind the toilet out of site in their room
“Take her!” the mustached man barked at the large man in the purple flowered shirt beside him. The big man grabbed her arms, placed a hand over her mouth, and dragged her from the room through a back door of the Inn. He took his hand off her mouth just long enough to open the Mercedes door and shove her into the back seat. When the door slammed behind her, Beth righted herself on the seat while looked around in the car. The front dash area had many buttons and lights that reminded her of an airplane. A few minutes later, the two men climbed into the car, the small man in the back seat beside her, and the other took the driver’s seat.
“Take us back to the house!” barked the man beside her. The drive back to the mansion was short and quiet. The Mustache man looked out the window as if studying the scenery. When they arrived at the mansion, the driver opened the door for the man and reached in to grab her, too. Dragging her out of the car, he gave her a shove toward the front door.
“Don’t try anything!”
Once inside the building, she was taken to a room near the back. The driver opened the double wood doors, pushed her in, and closed the doors behind her. Beth fell, nearly cracking her head on the ceramic tile floor but caught herself just in time.
“BETH!” cried Mary. Beth looked up and saw Mary in a chair near the back window. Her hands were tied behind the back of the wooden chair.
“Oh my God, Mary!” Beth got back to her feet and ran over to her, hugging her tightly. “Let me untie you,” she said, reaching behind the chair. Just as she got the ropes loosened, she heard the doors open and turned to see the small man enter and close the doors behind him.
“Well, now I have both of you!” he said with an evil grin.
“What do you want with us?” Beth asked, starting to get angry.
“Well, the manuscript for one thing.”
“What manuscript?” Beth asked, hoping to sound sincerely puzzled.
The man just stood there looking from Beth to Mary as if pondering Beth’s question. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe they really were just tourists, as Mary had claimed over and over. Beth could see the anger soften on the man’s face. He walked over and sat on the settee.
“You don’t have the manuscript?” he asked still in a quandary as to whether to believe them or not.
Mary piped up. “I told you, I don’t have any idea what you are talking about. I know nothing about a manuscript!”
The man sat quietly for a few moments and then looked from Mary to Beth.
“I think there has been a terrible mistake made. If you can forgive me, I will have you driven back to the Inn+ and you can continue your holiday.” With that, he got up and walked toward the doors. He reached and opened the doors and just before he stepped out of the room he turned toward them.
“I hope you are telling the truth. The welfare of this country depends on it.” He turned and walked out. Beth looked at Mary. Both were at a loss of words.
Finally Mary broke the silence.
“Let’s get outta here!” She jumped to her feet and headed toward the doors, grabbing Beth’s arm on her way.
Outside, the driver held the back door to the Mercedes open for them, and returned them to the Inn as promised. They quickly ran up to their room and locked the door behind them.
“So what do we do now?” asked Beth.
“First, where did you put it?”
“What?” asked Beth.
“The manuscript!” replied Mary, getting a bit frustrated.
“What manuscript?” Beth asked again. “What manuscript are you all talking about?”
“MY manuscript!” Mary said in reply. “The one I gave you to read back in New York.”
“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about!” With that, Beth pulled out her suitcase and began to pack. “I’m going home!” She wanted nothing more to do with intrigue or eccentricity. She just wanted to be safe in her home sipping her cup of tea by the window overlooking the busy city. Mary was sitting on the bed, tears in her eyes, as Beth opened the door to leave.
“Good luck, Mary. Sorry, I just can’t participate in your life anymore.” She started through the door and then turned. “Check the bathroom…” and closed the door softly behind her.

Word Count: 2641

The Journey  (E) A manuscript leads a woman on an adventure #1212584 by BarbL