Phoenix and the Dark Star Read online

  “Just give me a piece of paper that looks like a doctor’s note or a prescription,” Winona told him as she stood up. “Security won’t look too closely at me if they think that I was released.”

  “You really want to take that chance?” Evan questioned. “You did say that what you have to do tonight is important.”

  “Okay, well, do you have fingernail clippers to where I can start a tear in the band?” Winona asked.

  Evan—while digging into his front pocket for his clippers—walked back towards Winona. “I do.”

  Evan pulled out his clippers, and as he stepped up to Winona, he held them out for her to take. Winona took the clippers, and at her inner wrist she made a cut on both sides of the bracelet. She then pulled hard until the bracelet broke.

  “Here are your clippers,” Winona said while holding them out for him to retake. Evan took them without saying a word. “Thanks, Evan. For everything.”

  Evan nodded while saying, “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m going to get going,” Winona said while gesturing. “Bye.”

  “Bye,” Evan echoed before Winona could turn and walk away.

  Once Winona was in the hall again, she walked towards the exit as casually and as naturally as she could.

  As she was approaching the automatic doors, she glanced towards the security officers for a split second before facing the doors. She was unconsciously holding her breath as she was walking through the doors and then let out a sigh of relief when she stepped outside onto the sidewalk.

  Winona paused at the curb and looked over the parking lot. When she didn’t see Maryann’s car, she slowly walked towards the parked cars. She walked at a slower pace than her normal stride, and when she reached the very end of the parking lot, she moved to a different aisle and walked back towards the hospital.

  Winona was midway to the hospital again when she saw Maryann’s car pulling into the parking lot. She then, at a quick pace, moved towards the car.

  Maryann stopped next to Winona, and as Winona was getting in, Maryann said, “I thought you needed clothes.”

  “When I had spoken with you I did,” Winona said while shutting her door.

  “You didn’t steal those, did you?” Maryann asked as she drove away.

  “No. I actually ran into Evan inside, and he had lent me these clothes.”

  “Oh, uh, Evan works here at the hospital now,” Maryann shared.

  Winona shot Maryann a ‘No kidding’ look before questioning, “You couldn’t have told me that fact while you were visiting earlier?”

  “I didn’t think of it earlier,” Maryann replied.

  “Well, telling me that now is a bit late and useless,” Winona said bluntly.

  “I’m detecting an attitude from you when you should be grateful that I came and got you,” Maryann retorted.

  “I don’t mean to have an attitude,” Winona assured her. “But I ran into Evan inside the hospital, and he wasn’t there to visit his sick grandma.”

  “Oh no, his grandma’s sick?”

  Winona shot Maryann a curious look before saying patiently, “Maryann, when I ran into Evan, he was working his assigned shift. He had these clothes inside his work locker, and my comment about his grandma being sick was only rhetorical. I have no clue if his grandma is sick, healthy or even alive.”

  “Oh,” Maryann said.

  “Anyway, my car is parked at the pool’s parking lot,” Winona informed.

  “No it’s not,” Maryann told her.

  “What do you mean that it’s not?” Winona quickly asked.

  “Your dad drove your car home.”

  “Crap!” Winona uttered. “I can’t get my car if it’s at the house.”

  “Why not?” Maryann questioned.

  “Oh, um, I’m supposed to be at the hospital. My dad’s a detective, and if I would suddenly show up at the house he’s trained to notice that I’m not where I should be. And if my car would suddenly start up and drive off, he’s trained to notice that too.”

  “So where am I taking you?” Maryann asked as she stopped at the stop sign at the end of the hospital’s parking lot.

  Winona thought for a moment before instructing, “Drive me to Eric’s house.”

  “You’ll have to give me directions,” Maryann informed.

  “He lives near the pool, so head in that direction.”

  “Okay,” Maryann said as she pulled out of the hospital’s parking lot.

  It was quiet for a brief moment before Winona shared, “Evan has romantic feelings for me.”

  “Yeah,” Maryann said in a self-evident tone. “He’s been crushing on you since our freshman year.”

  “You knew that he has feelings for me?”

  “It was a bit obvious,” Maryann began. “Every time you would step into his view, his eyes would light up, and if you were with Travis, he would glower at him and snarl slightly.”

  “I never noticed,” Winona said.

  “You wouldn’t have. He was always putting on a cheerful front when you were around him, but when you weren’t around, I saw how miserable he was. None of that matters anyway, since you’re with Travis.”

  “For now,” Winona said in a tone as if that could change without warning.

  Maryann caught the tone and asked, “Are you and Travis breaking up?”

  “Travis is heading off to University of Alaska next semester and I’ll be attending a local college here in Fort Lauderdale,” Winona began. “You might know of a long distance romance lasting, but I certainly don’t. And those romance novels that you read don’t count as any.”

  Maryann tried to think of one before saying, “I still think that it was rigged that you didn’t get that swimming scholarship. You are definitely a better swimmer than Nancy Jargon.”

  “Nancy won that scholarship fair-and-square,” Winona defended.

  “You don’t think that you’re a better swimmer than Nancy?” Maryann questioned.

  “I really think that we’re even in the actual swimming events, but when it comes to the diving events she is slightly better than me,” Winona said. “And the day of the scholarship scout’s visit, I watched Nancy’s dives. She had definitely nailed her routine that day.”

  “I was there too that day, and you had nailed your diving routine as well,” Maryann insisted.

  Winona took a breath before saying, “When I was going through my routine that day, I felt as if I was just going through the motions. I’m mean, I was doing my best that day and I know I did well, but even to me my diving routine felt like a sham. And then Nancy performed her diving routine behind me. Every move she made was artfully executed and flawless. So I’m thinking that the scout had seen what I had felt.”

  “Yeah, well, regardless to what you think… or felt, I think that you had nailed your routine and then Nancy robbed you of it.”

  Winona grinned before saying, “Anyway, to get back on the subject of me and Travis… I’m not optimistic that our relationship will survive another year.”

  “Do you love Travis?” Maryann questioned in a tone as if to make a point.

  “Of course I do.”

  “And he loves you,” Maryann quickly informed.

  “I know he does, but I also know that the college experience has a way of shattering high school romances—regardless of what the couple feels for one another.”

  “Okay, now you’re depressing me with your pessimistic thoughts,” Maryann retorted. “So think optimistically that your and Travis’s high school romance can withstand the college experience, and that’s an order.”

  Winona grinned before saying playfully, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Now that it is settled that you and Travis are going to survive past college, what are you going after on the reservation?”

  Winona hesitated for a moment before sharing, “When I… died today for those few minutes, I had a paranormal experience…”

  “An out-of-body experience?” Maryann quickly questioned.

 
; “No; not an out-of-body experience,” Winona began before telling Maryann her experience, along with sharing what she had found out about her Aunt Ruth, and the dream that she had prior to calling her.

  A few minutes later, Winona and Maryann were stepping up to Eric’s front door—the door to the left downstairs apartment, of a four-family apartment building. Winona was the one to ring the doorbell.

  After a short wait, the door opened and a twenty-two-year-old woman asked, “May I help you two?”

  “Is Eric here?” Winona asked.

  “And you are?” the woman prompted.

  “Winona Rivers. I work at the pool with Eric.” She then gestured towards Maryann. “And this…”

  “Were you the one who had gotten struck by lightning?” the woman quickly questioned.

  “Yes, that would be me,” Winona replied. “Anyway, is Eric here?”

  “He ran to the liquor store for some beer,” she informed. “He should be back soon.” She then backed up a few steps. “You two are welcome to come in and wait.”

  “Thanks,” Winona said as she entered directly into the living room from the front door. “This is Maryann,” she continued while gesturing.

  “I’m Sharona,” she informed as Maryann was following Winona in.

  “Eric hadn’t mentioned having a girlfriend,” Winona shared.

  Sharona chuckled before saying, “I’m his sister, not his girlfriend.”

  “Oh,” Winona let out. “He had never mentioned having sisters or brothers either.”

  “That’s not a shocker,” Sharona said. “And as far as him not having a girlfriend; I know why, but it’s not my place to say.”

  “Okay, well, since he hasn’t shared that with me, he doesn’t want me to know,” Winona said. “So I won’t ask.”

  “I think that’s best,” Sharona agreed. She then gestured towards the couch and the armchair. “Anyway, have a seat.”

  “Thanks,” Winona said as she and Maryann moved towards the couch.

  “Do you have any more brothers or sisters?” Maryann asked before taking a seat on the couch. Winona took a seat on the couch as well.

  “Before I answer that, you should know that my dad was a bigamist,” Sharona shared as she sat down in the armchair. Winona and Maryann gave her curious looks. “He was married to three women simultaneously—not in the same city though, and all three women had gotten pregnant within two months of one another. My mom was one of them. Eric’s mom was another, and the third one lives in Chicago.”

  “Since you know that your dad was a bigamist, I guess that he had gotten caught,” Maryann surmised.

  “The mothers of us kids had found out when all three of them had showed up at the morgue to identify my dad’s body,” Sharona shared. “Anyway, I have a younger full-blooded brother in Detroit, two half sisters in Chicago and one half brother here—which as you know is Eric.”

  “Your life sounds like the makings for a movie,” Winona told her as someone grabbed the doorknob.

  Winona, Maryann and Sharona turned towards the door and watched as Eric—while carrying two twelve-packs of beer—walked through it.

  “Winnie!” Eric uttered when he saw her there. “I thought that they were keeping you overnight.”

  “So did they.” When Eric gave Winona a curious look, she continued with, “But I left early and without permission.”

  “She staged an escape and I was her accomplice,” Maryann added.

  “Sweet,” Sharona uttered delightfully. “I like your style.”

  Winona slightly grinned as Eric informed, “I never thought that you were that type of person.”

  “Normally I’m not, but I have something important to do tonight,” Winona began as Eric put the two twelve-packs of beer down on the coffee table. “However, I need to borrow a car to do it.”

  Eric slightly laughed without humor before saying, “And since you’re sitting on my couch, I’m assuming that you are here to ask for my car.”

  “What I have to do is important,” Winona repeated.

  Eric thought for a second before asking, “Why can’t you take your car?”

  “My dad had moved it to the house, and I can’t risk trying to get it.”

  “Okay, well, where do you need to go?”

  “The reservation. There’s…”

  “The reservation?!” Eric uttered. “You’re not driving my car that far without me being with you and I have a guest.”

  “Can you drive a motorcycle?” Sharona questioned.

  “I can,” Winona replied before gesturing towards the street. “Is that your bike out front?”

  “It is,” Sharona said while standing. As she went to get the key from her front pocket, she continued with, “I’ll allow you to use it. I will need it back tomorrow morning.”

  “You and I had just met,” Winona pointed out. “You have no idea if I’m even trustworthy. So why would you lend me your bike?”

  “I have a six sense when it comes to people, and I have a good feeling about you,” Sharona said before holding out the key for Winona to take.

  Winona slightly hesitated to take the key, and after taking it, she shared, “My dad is Detective Shayne Rivers here in Fort Lauderdale, and my uncle is Detective Clint Rivers on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation.”

  Sharona gave Winona a curious look before asking, “Why did you feel the need to share that with me?”

  “I’m less trusting when it comes to new acquaintances, and if I would take a gamble with my car or motorcycle by lending it to a new acquaintance as you are doing with me, I would want to know where I should start looking for that acquaintance if I need to. Of course that’s me though.”

  Sharona amusingly grinned before saying, “My six sense about people hasn’t failed me yet.”

  Winona nodded before saying, “Thanks.” Sharona just nodded. Winona then gestured towards the door while continuing with, “Anyway, I better go. Every minute I waste is a minute closer to my dad finding out that I’m not in the hospital, and once he finds out, he’s going to put a BOLO out on me.”

  “You know, Winnie, your dad is going to come to me first for your whereabouts,” Maryann pointed out.

  “Give me an hour and a half head start and I have no problems with you telling him that I went to the reservation.”

  “Alright,” Maryann agreed.

  “Oh, it’s going to be dark where I’m going,” Winona began. “So, Eric, do you have a flashlight I can borrow?”

  “I’ll get you one,” Eric said while picking up the two twelve-packs of beer. “It’s kept in the kitchen cabinet.”

  Eric walked into the kitchen with the beer, placed the beer into the refrigerator, went to the cabinet for the flashlight, and then took the flashlight to Winona.

  “Thanks,” Winona told him while taking the flashlight.

  “You’re welcome,” Eric replied.

  “Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Winona told them. “Bye.”

  “Bye,” they echoed before Winona could turn towards the door.

  Maryann—after saying her ‘goodbyes’ to Eric and Sharona—followed Winona out by a few steps.

  An hour later, Winona—with the flashlight shining down onto the ground in front of her by a few feet—was walking into the burnt out two-story house that used to be her grandparents’ house. The house was still filled with the burnt and water damaged furniture.

  Winona’s childhood summers were spent in that house, and she began reminiscing as soon as she stepped in. Those reminiscing thoughts continued as she toured every room of the house and visualizing each room as it was before the fire; along with visualizing one or both of her grandparents within the room. Her eyes had teared up at the beginning of the tour.

  Winona had toured the entire house before searching for something heavy and durable enough to smash out bricks from the fireplace.

  After searching most of the rooms for something, she found a long pipe and a hammer in the kitchen next to the si
nk.

  As she was returning to the room with the fireplace, she was startled by someone pointing a pistol at her and yelling, “Police! Drop your weapon!”

  “Don’t shoot!” Winona uttered as she dropped the pipe and the hammer onto the floor.

  “Winnie?” the officer questioned.

  Winona had thought that she had recognized the voice and asked, “Blake?”

  “Damn it, Winnie. I had almost shot you,” Blake said as he went to holster his pistol.

  “I died once already today, and I didn’t care for it,” Winona shared.

  “What are you talking about?” Blake demanded to know.

  “I was struck by lightning earlier today,” Winona again shared.

  “The lifeguard who was struck by lightning was you?” Blake questioned.

  “It was,” Winona simply replied.

  “According to the news report, you’re recovering at the hospital,” Blake pointed out.

  “I’m supposed to be there, but there’s something here that I need to find sooner than later.”

  “Winnie, you are violating the court order just by being in this house,” Blake informed.

  “I know, but this is important and it can’t wait,” Winona insisted.

  Blake took a breath before asking, “Okay, Cuz, what do you have to find?”

  “Parchments belonging to our great-great-great grandfather,” Winona shared.

  “Yeah,” Blake began while scratching behind his right ear. “Winnie, I do believe that those parchments had existed once upon a time, but Grandpa is certain… well, was certain, anyway, that his dad had destroyed them. And even if our great-grandpa didn’t destroy them, they’re not in this house. Grandpa had looked.”

  “He didn’t know where to look,” Winona retorted.

  “And you do?” Blake questioned.

  “I do,” Winona simply replied.

  “And how did you obtain this information?” Blake skeptically questioned.

  Winona thought for a second before saying, “I want to see if I’m right before I answer that.”

  Blake nodded before agreeing,” Okay. So where are the parchments?”

  Winona stepped up to the fireplace and pointed to the bricks at the inside-bottom wall of the fireplace before saying, “The parchments are beneath these bricks. When you came in, pointing your firearm at me, I was preparing to knock them out with the pipe and hammer.”