The Phone Call:
As I stood there on my front porch, facing the mountains, I felt disheartened. I was supposed to come up with a new novel idea on my day off. Nothing. By four o’clock, the tiny trashcan by my desk was full of balled up papers. My brain was not functioning, not producing any ideas.
There was a low rumble of thunder over the mountains. Dark storm clouds were slowly rolling in. The weather app had said that Canon City was due for a storm.
“Damn,” I muttered as I snubbed out my cigarette. “A waste of a day off. Fuck!”
It was like mother nature was agreeing as another rumble of thunder echoed through the valley.
Hoot, hoot!
I didn’t have to look to see who had messaged me. By the distinct ringtone, I knew it was Teresa, my literary agent. Did I dare to look? It wasn’t her fault that she kept asking me about my writing. I looked anyway.
How’s the writing coming along, Jessica?
What should I tell her? That I sat around and twiddled my thumbs and didn’t get a single fucking word written?
I got an outline done for a new story. Hopefully it’s a good story.
For most of my writing career, I’ve written stories about vampires and such. My other books about werewolves and witches were selling well. The vampire novels, well, they are collecting dust on a shelf. No one wanted to read vampire stories anymore. Not even if I threw in the hottest sex scene between a vampire and a human.
The other reason my writing took the back burner was Kirk, my second husband, had a massive stroke in 2019. My life became chaotic to the point I couldn’t focus on my writing career. I left Buena Vista to be closer to him. That’s how I settled down in Canon City. Even after he passed away, I stayed in Canon City. The town had become my home.
Hoot, hoot!
This time, I didn’t want to see what Teresa messaged back. Like I said, it’s not her fault. Just the dickhead that runs Mystic Ink.
Hey, that’s a start there! What is the story about?
As I was about to answer her, another idea came to me. Now after I sat the day away, the thoughts come to me. What the hell?
The first story outline is for another vampire novel. I don’t think it will go well with the readers. But I got another idea that I need to get to paper before I forget.
I’m well-known in the paranormal genre especially when it comes to vampires. Yet, I think that trope is slowly dying. I was floundering. What could possibly be popular to write about now?
My new idea for a novel was about a woman with a unique gift. She could see and speak with the dead. Sort of a reflection of my personal life. I was maybe a teen when I realized I could see and speak to spirits. Yet, I think I was younger than a teen when I saw my first spirit. Let’s just say it didn’t go so well. I screamed and dove under my blanket.
I leaned back in my office chair with my notes. For a moment, I wanted to crumple up the paper. It all sounded stupid to me. Like anyone would pick it up and read the damn book. I’m doomed!
Hoot, hoot!
How about I come over and we bounce ideas around? Order some food and bounce ideas around.
Her idea sounded great to me. I could use some help with ideas.
That sounds like a plan to me. What are you in the mood for? By the way, it’s my treat. The last time we ordered food, you paid. It’s my turn.
That was one of the pluses of living in Canon City. There was a better variety of restaurants here compared to Buena Vista. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the food up there was delicious from mom and pop owned businesses. As far as choices of fast food and pizza, there wasn’t much of a choice. The years I lived up there, I got burned out on McDonald’s, Sonic’s and Domino’s Pizza.
After Kirk passed away, I became reclusive. I didn’t leave the house unless I needed groceries. My writing career took a serious beating. I tried to write through the grief. You know, to take my mind off of him passing. It didn’t work.
Teresa convinced me to use my cashier experiences to find a job. I landed a job at Home Depot but not as a cashier. It was working in the lumber yard. Let me tell you this, being the only woman SUCKS! All the shit I had to put up from men, especially the older generation. The generation that thought women were supposed to be soft and gentle and at home.
I loved the schedule though. Most of my shifts started late in the day. That gave me the day to try to write. Or at least try to come up with ideas. Charles Gaunt was the president of Mystic Ink. He was the asshole pushing Teresa to push me. Well, he’s still pushing her.
Hoot, Hoot!
We’ll think of something to order when I get there. Damn! This weather has turned nasty on a dime!
As I looked out my office window, I heard a loud crack of thunder. I could barely see the oak tree in the side yard. Lightning lit up the skies and I cringed. Thunderstorms were dangerous here in Colorado. One lightning strike and there could be a fire. I’m not saying all wildfires here were from lightning. Some of them were caused by careless humans.
I felt a slight chill around me and sighed. “Kirk, I miss you still. You left me too soon.” As I said that, I felt a small squeeze on my shoulder. It was if he was reassuring me. How I wish we had more time together. The years we had were too short.
A few months after Kirk passed, I tried to move on. Enter into the picture, James Kilroy. I thought I knew him since we were friends when Kirk was alive. Boy! I was fooled! He betrayed me in the worse way possible.
So, that relationship ended and here I am, a single middle-aged woman.
“Shit,” I muttered as I picked up my phone. “Teresa is probably waiting for my response.”
Be careful out there. This rain brings out the idiots!
A wave of homesickness washed over me as I watched the rain. I haven’t been home since I was twenty-six. Maybe a change of scenery is in order. The more I thought about returning home, I realized it would be the best. I had nothing here for me. Besides, I had family out in Virginia. My dad’s side of the family. I could meet my aunt for the first time in years. Through her, I found out I have an older brother named Jason. I had a lot of cousins to get to know too.
As I was getting up, my regular notification sound went off. Who messaged me? Or was it a Facebook notification? I was still on their dating site.
My blood boiled when I saw the message was from James. I didn’t block him because I thought ignoring him would get my point across. Now, I should have blocked him instead of ignoring him.
Jessica, can we please talk? I miss you.
I let out a bark of a laugh when I read his message. He misses me? Yeah right! What he missed was me paying the bills so he could keep his money to go date other women.
You don’t miss me one bit. I am going to ask you to leave me alone. Lose my number and never contact me again.
After I messaged him, I blocked him. I went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. With the storm, the temperatures had dropped. As I waited for the coffee to brew, I thought about writing a different story. Maybe I could write James in to the story and kill him off in a gruesome way.
“Damn! This weather is nasty!”
Teresa’s sudden appearance made me jump a little bit. “Hey, where are you?” she called out.
“I’m in the kitchen,” I hollered back. “Do you want a cup of coffee?”
She appeared in the kitchen, shaking her short, sandy-blonde hair. “Yea, that sounds good. If it keeps raining like this, we’re going to need a boat to get around.”
I laughed as I said, “You know where the towels are.”
I got down two coffee mugs as the coffee maker gurgled out the last drops of coffee. As Teresa was making her way back, she asked, “So, what’s the new ideas about?”
She came over and grabbed her mug as I said, “One is a vampire story, but I may scrap that one. I think the vampire troupe is dying out.”
“I hate to agree with you, but I do agree with you. What about the second story?”
For a moment, I hesitated but I told her, “It’s about a woman with special abilities to see and speak to spirits. She’s a bit based on me.”
Teresa turned and looked at me with a smile. “The second idea may sell. You can see and speak to spirits too?”
I didn’t want to say anything at first. When I was growing up, my mother raised me to think I was crazy. That if I told anyone about me speaking to spirits, I would be locked away in a mental hospital.
Teresa has been my literary agent for ten years. I could trust her. “Yes, I can ever since I was teenager. Well, maybe younger than a teen.”
“Like the lady on that show, The Dead Files?” she smiled at me as I nodded. “That’s pretty damn cool there.”
“I guess it is unless they pop out of nowhere,” I said with a laugh.
She looked at me like she knew something else was bothering me. “What else is going on, honey?”
I stood there, leaning against the kitchen counter as I fiddled with my coffee cup.
“You were born and raised here in Colorado, right?” She nodded her head. “Do you ever feel like stagnant being in one place?”
Teresa was quiet for a moment and then, she looked up at me. “Sometimes I do wonder why I stay in Colorado. I’m a widow now like you. My children are grown-up. So, what’s holding me here?”
“I have been in Colorado since I was twenty-seven. Today, I was thinking about home. I have nothing here.”
We went to my office and I opened the window. It was raining cats and dogs outside to have a cigarette.
Colorado was getting expensive to live in now. Ever since Covid, prices have gone up for groceries and rent. There, I was blessed to own my own house.
Teresa’s voice came through my thoughts, asking, “What is the plan then?”
I looked at her with a deer in headlights look. Did I hear her right?
“My aunt Dawn has been asking me if I had plans of coming home anytime soon.”
“Back to Virginia?” I nodded and she smiled. “Why the hell not?”
“A change of scenery could help me with my writing too.”
She laughed as she said, “Yeah, Charles would love for you to write him a best-seller again.”
I rolled my eyes as I said, “He’s gotta understand life happens. Not everybody is blessed with a perfect life like his.”
Teresa changed the subject by asking, “What shall we order for dinner?”
“No pizza, I’m burned out from ordering pizza. How about Chinese?”
“I heard China Garden Restaurant has some good Chinese food.”
She took out her phone to use Google to order our food. I wrote down what I wanted for dinner. She placed our dinner order as I messaged my aunt.
Hey auntie, how have things been for y’all out there? I’m coming home.
As I set my phone down, it started to ring but I didn’t recognized the number. So, I declined the call. A feeling dread knotted up my stomach. The number had a 757 area code. Could the caller have been my uncle Eddie? No, I had his number programmed in my phone.
Recently, my uncle Eddie had told me that my granny was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Her time on earth was growing short.
If that was him, I should call the number back. I pressed call back on the number and waited.
“Hello?” A deep man’s voice came over the phone and I knew it wasn’t my uncle.
“Um, I was returning,” I paused for a moment to wipe my sweaty hands on my pants. “Someone called me from this number.”
“Miss Burton?”
The room started to spin as I answered, “Yes, I’m Miss Burton.”
“My name is Lance Dawson. I’m the lawyer in charged of your grandmother’s estate, Oakwood Manor. Do you have a minute to spare?”
“Yes, sir.”
He chuckled as he said, “You don’t have to say sir. Could you come back to Virginia? I need to go over some things in her will with you. She left you as the sole beneficiary of her estate.”
My heart stopped for a moment. “She hasn’t passed away, has she?”
“No, she’s in the hospital right now. Her doctors feel she’s slipping quickly though.”
Teresa looked at me as I said, “Give us a few days and we’ll be out there.”
“I will meet you at Oakwood Manor on October third. Or you can let me know when you are in town.”
We hung up as Teresa said, “Looks like our plans have been upped.”
I sat there, not answering her. There was a knock on the front door and Teresa got up. As I heard the front door close, I heard her call out, “Dinner is here!”
The feeling of dread still sat in my stomach. Even the smell of piping hot Chinese food didn’t appeal to me.
“Something feels off,” I said as she took out the white take-out containers.
She glanced over at me and said, “What do you mean?”
Even I didn’t know what exactly was wrong. Mr. Dawson had told me that my granny was alive. Barely, but she was still alive.
There was so much we had to do before we make our trip to Virginia. I didn’t want to leave my work hanging by this short notice. They have to understand this is a family emergency. If I wait two weeks, my granny could pass away.
As we sat there, eating, we drew out our travel plans. Time was of the essence. I had to return home.
