Reunion (A Psychological Suspense with Murder, Mystery and the Paranormal) (25 page)

“How long are you visiting?” she asked.

“Visiting? I wouldn’t call this a visit.”

Lana swallowed. He had her attention. “Well…what do you call this? Are you on holiday?”

“Holiday? No!” Noah chuckled. “I’m on a sabbatical.”

“A sabbatical?” Lana’s brow furrowed, concerned about where this was going. “How long are you staying?”

“As long as it takes.” Noah couldn’t have been more serious. The music continued, though it sounded muffled in Lana’s ears. Lana noticed the others making their way toward center stage.

“As long as it takes…for what?” she asked.

Noah did not answer. His eyes dropped to her left hand, presumably looking for evidence of a ring.

“So did you ever get married?”

She cocked her head and lifted her left hand, revealing her marital status.

“Divorced.” She rubbed the empty space on her ring finger.

“Listen, Noah. I have a life now. And I’m trying to make sense of why you’re here, but you can’t come back with some happily-ever-after notion that everything is going to be like it was.” Her thoughts turned to Zoe. What would she think? How would she deal with Noah arriving in her life?

“I mean, I hope you have a nice visit and all. I hope your sabbatical goes well…and…” She grew suddenly emotionally weary. “And I hope you find whatever it is you’re here for. Really, I wish you all the best.”

She turned around and hobbled after the others, wondering if she would later regret those words. She regained her composure as she made her way through the euphoric crowd. Noah sighed, dropped his head and likewise made haste toward the stage.

• • •

As the survivors assembled near the podium, they shook hands with two former students in wheelchairs already on the stage. Twenty years before, they had been in the ninth grade. The Superintendent directed Maria and the others to the chairs prepared just for them. As they sat down the musical piece ended and the crowd grew silent.

Reaching both arms out to his constituents, the mayor began to talk into the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! We’re gathered here on this beautiful evening to celebrate not only the return of these classmates to Crescent Falls High, but we’re also here to celebrate a new beginning. We’re here today to thank each of these men and women for fearlessly looking away from the past and into the future. And we’re here to join them in their quest for restoration.

“We’ve all been through one of life’s most traumatic experiences. Together, we descended into the pits of terror and anger. We mourned the loss of our children and watched our town become a worldwide spectacle of horror. Yet, together we can put that all behind us now. Together we will rise up, conquer our fears and return to a life of hope and promise. Together, we can celebrate a new Crescent Falls, not looking back on the past except to learn from our mistakes.”

The crowd applauded and cheered. The mayor resumed.

“With that said, I want to thank these valiant men and women who, among others, survived our dark past and who represent the bright future that is ahead for all of us here in Crescent Falls!” The mayor turned toward the honorees. “Lades and gentlemen, would you all please rise.”

They complied with the mayor’s request.

“On behalf of the entire Crescent Falls community, I want to thank each one of you for coming here tonight. As I call out your name would you please step forward and be recognized, and accept this key to the city with our utmost gratitude and appreciation.”

Maria and the others looked at each other, surprised and visibly in awe of the colossal celebration. Rick Heinz handed a key to each one, while the mayor shook their hands.

“Deputy Bryan Jacobs, on behalf of the citizens of Crescent Falls, thank you. Kate Tooley…thank you. Lana Jones…thank you. Tanner Khan…thank you. Maria Vasquez…thank you. And…” Seemingly surprised to see Noah, he continued. “…from the United Kingdom, Noah Berkley. Glad you could make it.”

The mayor read out the names of the victims killed by David Ray and the names of those who were injured. He then asked for a moment of silence. Moments later a cage full of white doves were released into the sky and everyone watched in silence as they flew away. The only sounds that could be heard were the fluttering of wings and the weeping families of the dead as they remembered.

After the birds had disappeared, he continued.

“These survivors represent the courage and strength that will help Crescent Falls go forward after today. And we are extremely grateful.” The mayor looked out at the crowd and said, “Let’s give them a great big Crescent Falls thank you, shall we?”

The crowd cheered and clapped, and their smiles and tears reflected back at the honorees. The six classmates waved at the crowd and stepped off the stage. The party continued.

• • •

The survivors surrounded Noah and blasted him with questions about what he had been up to for the past twenty years. He told them that the school shooting had brought about a huge change in his life. He explained his sudden disappearance and over time, how the trauma he had suffered caused him to seek a better understanding of the nature of human beings. Lana was especially interested.

“I went to Oxford to study psychology and theology. With everything that had happened, I needed to get a handle on what caused David to do what he did. But I wasn’t satisfied with what I learned in psychology. To me, David’s actions had to run deeper than neurons and electrical impulses triggering homicidal behaviors. Some of the theories made sense but they never seemed to get at the core of morality and eternity. I wanted to know more so I began to explore the spiritual realm, parapsychology, the paranormal, the whole shebang. Consequently, I ended up being a pastor, or as we say in England, a vicar, of a small church near Winchester. And that’s where I’ve been ever since.”

“Are you telling me that our star-studded exchange student became a man of the cloth?” asked Bryan as he laughed out loud.

Maria lit a cigarette and puffed the smoke out of the side of her mouth and asked, “You’re a preacher and a ghost chaser?”

“Right.” Noah grinned at Maria and then looked at Bryan, studying his uniform. “What about you, Bryan? I thought you were going to medical school?”

“Well, you know how things change…” Bryan straightened his freshly pressed shirt, decorated with patches and other official identification. He put his hands on his fully loaded gun belt, smiled proudly and said, “As it turns out.” He cleared his throat. “I discovered I’m hard-wired for law enforcement.”

“But why are you in uniform, today of all days?” asked Noah. His eyes studied him with curiosity.

“Larry, my boss, insisted. Thought I’d make the department proud—good PR or something like that.”

Kate smiled and then turned the conversation back to Noah. “So, you see dead people? Real ghosts and all that kind of stuff?”

“I have,” replied Noah.

“What brought you back here?” Lana asked with enmity.

All eyes turned to Noah.

Noah looked directly at Lana and answered, “I came here, for…this, of course.”

Lana looked away. She respected that he didn’t broadcast his true intentions.

“When Maria contacted my mother,” continued Noah, “I was shocked that anyone remembered me! Although I knew it would be hard to return, I had to come back. It was a perfect opportunity to see all of you and—”

His eyes turned toward Lana again.

Bryan interrupted. “Paranormal phenomena, huh?”

“Right,” answered Noah, turning back to the deputy. “I’m quite an anomaly among my peers. Most clergy in the Church of England shy away from the paranormal. Fear of the demonic, I suppose. But I’ve found that one’s search for truth in God can include a little ghost hunting now and again.” Noah chuckled.

Lana joined in the laughter even though she found his statement a little unnerving, considering the strange events of the last few days.

“So where is everyone else?” asked Noah.

“This is it,” responded Maria. “We either couldn’t find them or they didn’t want to come back. In some ways, I don’t blame them.”

Rick Heinz approached them. He stuck his head between Kate and Bryan and put his arms around them.

“Hey folks, I’m getting ready to open the doors so you can go inside and enjoy some peace and quiet. We’ve got food and refreshments inside. Just help yourselves and have a good time!” He looked up at the sky. “Besides, looks like we might get some rain soon.” He smiled and walked back toward the podium and spoke to the crowd again. “Thank you all for coming. We’re going to open up the school now and let these folks enjoy their first class reunion in
twenty years
!” With a dramatic motion he took the key to the recently replaced front entry door and unlocked it.

The group looked at each other with trepidation. Maria pressed her unfinished cigarette onto a tree trunk, and tossed the butt into a nearby trash can already filled with debris. Then she joined the group as they walked up the concrete steps and waved at the applauding crowd. The rumbling of thunder echoed in the distance.

Lana limped up the steps. Noah offered her his hand. She hesitated, but then accepted. “Thank you,” she said smiling at him for the first time.

“My pleasure.”

The group moved forward, nervously, like a school of fish naturally mimicking each other’s movements. Lana looked at the happy crowd and thought, if they only knew what’s been going on. Her eyes and hesitant movements reflected her inner fears. Are the others as scared as I am, she wondered? Is Noah scared?

As they entered the foyer, they walked over a tile mosaic of their school mascot, The Fighting Cougar. Lana looked at the floor and commented, “It looks just as beautiful as I remember. Its claws and fangs warning all who pass that the Crescent Falls Fighting Cougars are a force to be reckoned with.”

“Yeah. We sure showed them, huh?” Maria added, with a hint of cynicism.

“Streamers and balloons? Wow. Someone really went overboard here,” said Kate.

Lana scanned the cafeteria as she continued walking. The decorations were coordinated with the school colors like the archway that had welcomed them. She looked in awe at the restored interior. The polished floors and bright lights contrasted with her last memory of the building.

As Lana walked inside, the shadowy echoes of gunfire rang in her ears. Each step on the freshly waxed floor reminded her of the sound of running feet trying to escape David Ray’s fury. She suddenly realized that everyone was huddled together, navigating toward the table of refreshments in the center of the cafeteria. Lana walked with caution, on high alert, examining the walls and floors for clues to prove that what she remembered really happened. She watched as Maria winced from the painful reminders that must have been swirling about in her mind. The others seemed to be holding back their feelings in defiance of their memories. Lana thought that she and the others must look like D-Day veterans walking the beaches of Normandy, brave yet broken.

“I wonder,” asked Tanner, “has there ever been a class reunion with so much tension?”

“Not likely,” answered Kate as she studied her surroundings.

Lana interjected, “The food smells great. I’m starving!” Hunger began to overpower her fears.

“Still hypoglycemic, huh?” asked Noah.

“Yes! I can’t believe you remembered. Gotta have fuel every four hours or down I go!” Lana arched her hand and zoomed it like a crashing airplane. They all laughed and the tension eased a little.

• • •

Noah grinned, but something was bothering him. He scanned the room and squared his jaw. Something wasn’t right, he thought. He felt a heaviness in the air; it was everywhere.

Images and sounds of the shooting echoed in his mind. The anxiety and numbness that had haunted him for twenty years rushed through his veins, keeping him on edge as the group entered the dining hall. With short, careful steps and cautious eyes he arrived at the snack table. They all stopped and took deep, relieving breaths.

Well, we made it, Noah thought, but something keeps gnawing at me. He searched his surroundings for the source of the evasive feeling. Nothing…yet.

Tanner said, “If we can make it this far, I think we’ll be fine. Every step counts, right?”

Noah reluctantly nodded as memories of the shooting raced through his thoughts, reminding him of the evil that had swept through the place that day.

• • •

Kate watched as Bryan grabbed a plate and started filling it with barbeque sausage and then laughed sympathetically when he spilled some on his crisp uniform. He grabbed a napkin and wiped it off, looking agitated by his clumsiness. Lana loaded up on garlic bruschetta.

Kate couldn’t let go of her belief that David Ray was in the building. She grabbed a handful of chips, while inspecting the boarded-up windows and her classmates. The others seemed to silently observe the open space. She wondered if they were thinking about David Ray as much as she was.

Lana said, “Everything looks smaller,” just before she popped a crunchy morsel of bread into her mouth.

“I agree,” said Tanner. “But it still has the bullet holes. Look!” He pointed to one of the pillars on the perimeter that was peppered with buckshot.

Maria stood next to Kate and scooped up a slice of cherry pie and asked, “What do you think, Kate? So far so good, huh?”

Kate’s eyes wrinkled. “I guess.” She looked around, waiting for something to appear. “It’s too quiet.”

“Well, would you look at that!” Tanner plopped down into an oversized chair. “A different color for everyone! How cool is that?” He stroked the leather and observed its qualities. “Beautiful shade of red, cozy, soft leather, brown shag rug on center. Very chic!”

Lana laughed. “This place looks like Starbucks.”

“Glad we don’t have to sit in those plastic cafeteria chairs. That would freak me out,” added Maria. Kate studied the room and watched her friends, wishing that Nick was there with her, sober and tender like he used to be. I’m scared, she thought. And I feel so alone.

• • •