Scattered Read online

Screams flooded the darkness, and in an instant, Rebecca realized they were her own. Wiping the sweat off of her brow, she sat up in bed, seeing that it was past dusk. Hyperventilating, she glanced at the clock to see it was just past eight o'clock.

  "It was just a dream," she told herself, but she knew it was too vivid to be just a dream.

  Moving towards her side table, she picked up the receiver on her telephone and dialed Dr. Miller's office. On the third ring, his secretary picked up, stating that the doctor was in a session with a patient and couldn't be disturbed.

  "Please, tell him that I called," Rebecca pleaded. "He asked me to trust him, and I am willing for the first time to do that. Tell him that I had a dream. I remembered something."

  Hanging up the phone, she stood up and ran to her art studio. Opening the box, she removed the pictures and paid attention to each one. On the surface, they were just pictures with her friends, but something in one of the photos caught her eye. The gazebo. She quickly realized it wasn't the people she had to pay attention to, but the background. Each one of the photos was taken in a different place... a place that had been burned down.

  Lifting up the newspaper, she saw Danica's article seemed to confirm this fact. The fires had taken place in all the hangouts she had visited that summer. Danica found the link, and she was dead.

  Rebecca only had one choice. She had to return to her father's cabin and see what she could remember, once and for all.

  Seeing no one in the house to prohibit her escape, Rebecca grabbed her brother's keys off the hook in the foyer and popped out of the front door. Nearly having a heart attack, she ran into a figure that was standing just outside, becoming tangled in their arms.

  Pushing away from the person awkwardly, Rebecca stood up tall. "What are you doing?" she asked, shocked as she realized it was Dane. "Who stands outside of someone's door like that?"

  He shook his head, blending into the shadows perfectly with his dark clothes. "I was just about to knock when you came bursting through the door," he told her, appearing happy to see her. "You didn't respond to my message, and I was hoping we could hang out."

  Rebecca shook her head. "Oh, Dane, I forgot, and I wanted to go somewhere tonight."

  "Where?" he questioned, raising a suspicious brow.

  Averting her eyes like a child who had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar, she responded, "My father's cabin."

  "Why would you want to go there?" he asked, appearing surprised. "There is nothing there anymore."

  "There was a fire," Rebecca stated, remembering her dream.

  "Yes, a year ago."

  "No matter," she said adamantly. "I have to go."

  "No, you don't," Dane said, stepping towards her. "Come on. Let's just go out and have fun."

  Closing her eyes, Rebecca shook her head, feeling tears well up beneath her lids. "You don't know what it is like to have these question marks in your head. It is like a bubble in your mind that is taking up space, waiting to be popped. I need answers, Dane. I want to remember everything."

  "Don't go," he spat out, blocking her exit. "I mean.... What I meant was don't go alone. I will take you."

  Rebecca smiled, nodding in acceptance. Replacing her brother's car keys on the hook, she walked with Dane towards his black mustang and jumped in.

  In the darkness of a moonless night, they drove silently for a half hour towards her father's cabin. Looking out of the window, she remembered the side streets that led up to the secluded cabin. When Dane stopped the car, signaling their arrival, she was surprised by what she saw.

  Dane shut off the engine. "Go ahead," he urged. "I will give you a minute."

  She nodded, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you."

  Climbing out of the car, she saw the cabin had been almost completely burned to the ground. All that remained was a charred shell of the structure that used to be. Walking up to what would have been the main entrance, she stepped through the threshold, feeling as if a memory was about to surface.

  Suddenly, as if coming from the air, she heard phantom voices, shouting in fear and anger.

  Covering her ears, she looked about in a panic but saw nothing unusual in the darkness that surrounded her. Feeling her heart rate quicken and a nervous flutter in her gut, she tried to close her eyes and focus on what was being said. Without warning, there was a high-pitched scream that caused her to gasp and spin around, nearly falling on her tangled legs.

  "Rebecca!" Dane cried out, running towards her. "What is it?"

  "There was an argument," she said on the verge of hysterics. "I remember hearing their muffled voices."

  "Whose?" Dane questioned, arching a brow.

  "Danica and... someone else. I didn't see them," she responded, shaking as tears fell from her eyes. "I was hiding in the closet. Danica stopped screaming, and then I smelled smoke. I realized the cabin was on fire, and I ran out of the house. I only caught a glimpse of Danica's body on the floor. It was on fire! I ran through the woods, scared that her killer would still be around, and didn't look back."

  "And that is all you remember?"

  Rebecca nodded. "She thought I was involved in something. She thought I was involved in the arsons."

  "You weren't," Dane muttered.

  "No, I wasn't," she said, wiping her tears. "Why would she think that?"

  Shaking his head, Dane stepped away, turning his back on her and gazing off into the distance. "Because your father was having an affair with Kayla Miller," he told her in a nonchalant manner.

  "What?" she questioned, running her hands roughly through her dark tresses.

  "Your dad was having an affair," he said coldly, turning to face her once more. "Do you really not remember this? You were devastated when you found out. Taylor told you he caught them when he went to meet your dad in his office. Taylor was really upset. Can you imagine? He wanted to kill her. You see, he had become close to Kayla, but she was just using him as a cover to go over to your house and be close to your dad. Sick, isn't it?"

  Feeling the world spin around her, Rebecca wanted to vomit. She didn't remember an ounce about the affair, but deep inside she knew it was true. "Taylor didn't kill her," she stated, trying to convince herself that her words were true.

  "No, I never said he did," Dane said, his voice low and grim as he pulled out something which was under the waist of his jeans and hidden under his sweater.

  As he held it up, it took Rebecca a minute for her eyes to adjust in the darkness and register that he held a pistol. "What are you doing, Dane?" she said, looking at him with pleading eyes as she backed away from him with her hands up.

  He stared at her without blinking. "I killed Kayla and her family. I did it for you. You were devastated. Your family was about to break apart. You wanted her dead. You just didn't know how to say it out loud, but I took care of it," he said calmly, aiming the gun at her chest. "I did what I had to do."

  Rebecca shook her head in disgust.

  "You must have known I did it, because you began to pull away from me. I thought that your memory loss was a blessing," he said with a humorless laugh. "But now... you are remembering. It would only be a matter of time before you figured it out... like Danica did. And, once again, I am forced to do what I have to do."

  As he adjusted his aim, Rebecca tried to think of ways to stall him until she could come up with a plan to flee. Keep him talking, she thought. "You killed Danica?"

  "I was sure you saw me," he said, taking a step closer to her. "She discovered my secret. You see, I have always liked to play with fire. So much so that I killed my own parents in a house fire when I was a kid and was sent to live with my uncle. My records were supposed to be sealed, but Danica found out the truth and linked me to the fires. I had to do what I had to do."

  The way he repeated those words made Rebecca cringe. It was obvious he wasn't in his right mind, and he wouldn't hesitate to cover up his s
ecret. "So, the fires were all set by you?"

  "I have a need," he shouted, grinding his teeth together as he momentarily lost control. "It is a burning inside of me. Those fires were like art... my art."

  "Who else knew about you? Danica couldn't have kept it a secret."

  He laughed. "I suspected Taylor knew, but he never said anything. Although, he did watch me closely, trying to hang out with me. I am sure he thought he was preventing more fires."

  Suddenly, the sound of an engine broke the silence, and a car could be seen coming up the drive. Adjusting to the glare of headlights as it illuminated the facade of the structure, Rebecca squinted. The shadowy form stepped out of the car, standing just out of the reach of the lights; however, their outline could be seen.

  Gasping as she recognized the form, Rebecca screamed, "Watch out, Daddy! He has a gun!"

  In an instant, Dane grabbed her by her hair, pulling her close to him, while pointing the gun in the direction of her father. "Dr. Ardsley, so nice of you to join the party!"

  Standing behind his car, her father put his hands up in surrender. "What are you doing, Dane?" he questioned, his voice calm although his stance was tense. "You know you can't hurt her. You love her, remember?"

  "I do," he answered sincerely before shaking his head as if wiping away those thoughts. "Rebecca and I were just having a conversation about your extramarital activities. It seems I am not the only one who hurts those I love, Adam."

  Her father shook his head, obviously furious beneath his calm exterior.

  Waving the gun, Dane ordered, "Come and join us."

  Without hesitation, Dr. Ardsley approached until he stood in the doorway.

  Dane smiled, appearing pleased with his power. "How did you find us anyway?"

  "I saw you pulling out of the driveway as I returned from work. Taylor told me that Rebecca was starting to remember. She is desperate to know the truth. If she was really ready to remember, I knew she would come here," her father replied. "Taylor also told me about his suspicions... and your threats. Threatening to harm a girl that doesn't remember anything won't cover your crimes."

  Dane sighed. "Did you ever apologize to your daughter, Adam, for your crimes?"

  Her father shook his head, biting his lower lip. "No, I haven't," he answered after a long moment of silence. "I am sorry, Becca. I came close to ruining our family. I was selfish and destructive. I didn't know what I had. I love your mother."

  Rebecca nodded, hearing the sincerity in his tone. "I forgive you, Daddy."

  Focusing his attention back on Dane, he said, "The police are on their way here. I called before I left the house. If you go now, you can escape. Just don't harm my daughter."

  Holding the gun firmly, Dane scoffed at him. "You know, Adam, you didn't thank me for everything I did for you."

  "What?" her father questioned with a quizzical brow.

  "I killed Kayla, ending your affair permanently," Dane said, staring at Dr. Ardsley in the eye. "I saved your family."

  Losing his calm exterior, her father lunged at Dane with his hands extended as if wanting to strangle him.

  Closing her eyes tightly, Rebecca gasped as if knowing what would happen next.

  Without warning, a shot ran out, echoing through the night like lightning.

  Screaming, Rebecca watched as her father collapsed to his knees, and his hazel eyes rolled back as blood oozed from a wound on his shoulder. Falling on his back in pain, he held his wound, applying pressure.

  Feeling her heart stop in her chest, a cold shiver ran down her spine as she watched blood trail down her father's arm, collecting beneath him in a puddle on the ground. "Let me go!" she screamed, freeing herself from Dane's grasp and throwing herself on the ground next to her father.

  Dr. Ardsley winced in pain. "He shot me," he said in apparent shock, his eyes wide as he looked upon his wound.

  Removing her cardigan, Rebecca wrapped the sleeves around her father's shoulder, using it as a tourniquet to prevent him from bleeding out. She watched as her father's head bobbed in the air before he rested it on the ground and closed his eyes, giving into unconsciousness.

  Although her father was alive, he desperately needed medical attention. She had to get him to safety. Shaking with fear, her eyes shifted towards Dane, trying to anticipate his next move.

  She saw the wild look in his eyes that was almost feral as if hypnotized by the sight of her father's blood. Crazed by the power he possessed over them, he seemed prepared to fire another shot at her father.

  Making up her mind to catch him off guard and fight back, she charged him, tackling him to the ground.

  Hitting him with her fists as hard as she could, she thought she had the upper hand, but Dane was larger than her and threw her off of him as if he were swatting a fly.

  Bouncing back, she attempted to gain access to the gun, but he held onto it tightly. Before she could react, he hit her over the head with the butt of the gun.

  She groaned, feeling a blinding pain work its way through her head clouding her vision.

  "You should have just left it alone," he told her, aiming the gun at her head. "Not remembering is better than dying."

  Gaining back her vision, she gazed into the barrel of the gun and held her breath.

  Suddenly, she heard several cars screeching to a halt in the front yard, surprising her. Scattered amongst the shadows of the forest and the high beams of the patrol cars, police officers swarmed the facade of the cabin with their guns aimed at Dane.

  "Freeze!"

  "Put the gun down!"

  Rebecca looked up, breathing a sigh of relief. She had never been so happy to see Det. Bennette as he aimed his firearm at Dane.

  Dane's eyes widened.

  He spun around, holding the gun out as if ready to shoot, but Det. Bennette fired first. Dane collapsed instantly, hitting the ground lifeless as the bullet seemed to have struck his heart.

  Holding her head in her hands, Rebecca could feel the adrenaline seeping out of her system, leaving her in a state of delayed shock. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf in the wind, and she could do little to control it. She wanted to escape. She wanted to hide inside of her mind again as she did a year before.

  Suddenly, she heard familiar voices screaming her name, bringing her back into reality. She looked up as she saw her mother, brother, and Dr. Miller running towards her. Dr. Miller stopped short, surveying the scene from outside of the burned facade. Her mother and brother ran to her father's side, kneeling before him and questioning him with concerned voices.

  Glancing at her father, she watched as his head floated upwards. "Go to him," he whispered to her, grimacing as he held his shoulder. "I'll be fine."

  Without further hesitation, Rebecca nodded, running towards Dr. Miller. She wrapped her arms around him, and he responded, holding her tightly. Finding the safe haven her mind needed at the time, she let her walls come down and cried.

  Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, Nathaniel Miller appeared to be a far cry from the doctor she knew. With his hair tousled, he appeared a little more than nineteen. "I swear I didn't know," he said, his voice sincere as his blue eyes flashed with emotion. "I didn't know about Kayla and your father."

  She shook her head. "It doesn't matter now."

  "When I heard your message, I knew something was wrong, and I called your father. He thought you remembered the affair, and he confessed it all to me. He rushed home to explain to you, but you must have left," he said, staring off into the distance as if trying to work it out in his head.

  "He saw me leave with Dane as he pulled up to the house."

  He nodded. "Adam and Layla's relationship didn't seem inappropriate. She looked up to him just like I did."

  Glancing up at him, she asked, "And now?"

  Appearing perplexed, he shook his head. "I don't know," he said.

  "He has to live with what he did, but he didn't kill her," she told him. "H
e cared for her. As much as it hurts me to say this, he may have even loved her. Have you ever loved someone so much that you were willing to break the rules to be with them?"

  Tearing his gaze away from the forest, his eyes met hers, and he nodded.

  "We should talk about it... over coffee," Rebecca offered, letting her feelings be known for the first time. "As you know, you are not that much older than I am, Nathaniel."

  "Six years older," he said, raising an eyebrow at her as a crooked smile played on his lips.

  "It wouldn't be that inappropriate since I don't need a doctor anymore, and I think my parents would approve," she said, looking past his shoulder momentarily to see her father being wheeled out on a stretcher. Her mother glanced in her direction, nodding in approval, before she hopped inside the ambulance. "I think we have my parent's blessing. What about that coffee?"

  He smiled, averting his gaze shyly. "I would like that."

  "Then shall we?" she asked, eager to leave as she wrapped her arm around his.

  With his blue eyes reflecting the moonlight, he nodded, leading her away to the safety of his car.

  THE END

  * * * * *

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  List of Literary Works by Sandra Madera

  Short Stories:

  The Collector

  Overboard

  Sangre Falls

  Scattered

  Shattered

  Weeping Willow - Part One

  Weeping Willow - Part Two

  Novels and Trilogies:

  Restraint

  Lament: A Restraint Novel

  Malcontent: A Restraint Novel

  Wicked Magic: A Weeping Willow Novel

  Wicked Love: A Weeping Willow Novel (coming soon!)