Nobody's Fool Y'all

31

 Whoever came up with this really knew their stuff, she thought. They were good. Definitely good at details. The paper looked old. There were stains and old folds and jagged worn places and age spots that would be hard to replicate on new stock. The typeface was vintage twenties. The words were haunting.

EDITION: 19 VOL: 27

Kyrk's Ridge

There is a dark side, a shadowy side, to this hideaway among the rolling hills of these

Appalachian mountains.

Nestled between the ridges is a veiled gem. It is a place of secrets and

Terrifying tales.

A haunted land of black nights and darker sins.

Eerie stories. Whispers of restless ghosts.

Wandering souls who never will find peace.

Inevitably doomed

Entombed.

Such tragedies unfold.

The frail beginning of a Life's journey cut too short.

Holding on. Yet, you lose hold.

Even now, you sleep with the Immortals.

Remembering what was once and can never be again.

E're the sun's golden ray lights the rock nearby, and there, you dream.

"What you got there?" asked Lou Edna.

It was staring her in the face, but before Hadley could answer, they heard the blaring sounds of a car horn and someone screaming at the top of her lungs. The vintage automobile plowed through the far glass wall and screeched to a stop just before plunging headlong into the azure water.

Shards of glass rained down in a shower of shimmer, splashing into the pool. Luckily, none reached the other side where Hadley, Maury, and Lou Edna sat.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I couldn't stop!" the driver was screaming. "Something's wrong with the brakes! Is anybody hurt! Oh, dear! What will they say when they hear about this?"

The woman began to giggle.

"Or maybe it won't matter. It's just a few dents and scratches," she said, swaying. "And it's only money, after all! Oh, my. It is rather smashed. Just like me. Hee. Hee. I think I've had a bit too much to drink."

Renny was by the woman's side. She was beautiful. The rich, dark color of her thick flowing locks contrasted with the brightness of her ice-blue eyes. She was tall and moved like a gazelle as she exited the automobile.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not physically," she said. "But my pride is devastated."

"You ladies alright?"

"Fine," they said in unison.

"Do you want me to call the cops?" said Hadley.

"Coppers!" she said. "Do you know who I am? I'll be sent to the Big House!"

"You ladies go back to your room," instructed Renny. "I will take care of this."

Shaken, but unhurt, the three exited the pool house.

"She was something," said Lou Edna, stumbling as she looked back at the ruined indoor pool house. "Maybe I've had a bit too much to drink! Renny said it was tea, but it was hard tea. You know, she could have gotten herself killed."

"Or worse," said Maury, "she could have killed us!"

"Y'all are sure you're okay," said Hadley.

"Shaken," said Maury, "but fine."

"That's why I always pick a designated driver when I do girls' night out," Lou Edna said. "It's the only responsible thing to do."

"I'll say," said Maury. "But I thought the party wasn't supposed to start until midnight."

"Well," said Hadley, "she just got her start before the rest of us. Did you see her outfit? And that car! Well, what was left of it."

"She certainly looked the part," Maury said. "That beaded sequined dress was gorgeous. It looked authentic. Wonder how much she paid for it."

"Plenty, but remember, it's only money," said Hadley.

"And that choker collar was the bomb," said Lou Edna. "You're right, Maury, That car's not too much to look after she finished with it. She really did a number on it. I don't know if even Brinkley could bring it back to life."

"Where would you find the parts for such an old jalopy?" Maury asked.

"I don't know," said Hadley. "I'm just glad nobody was injured."

"Amen," the other two women said in unison.

A heavy blue mist descended over the three, blanketing them, as they walked back to cottage No. 27. By the time they reached the front stoop, the incident at the pool was forgotten. They threw the towels they held in their hands on a nearby shelf.

"That's your souvenir for our trip," Maury asked, pointing to the old looking piece of paper peeking from a fold in Hadley's towel.

"I guess so," she said, tossing it into her opened travel bag.

"I didn't drop my button," Lou Edna said, putting it away in one of her many pieces of luggage. She walked over to the bed and started fiddling with Hadley's iPad.

"Don't you have some kind of course to research on your thing-a-ma-bob?"

"Later, Lou. Any of you guys hungry?" Hadley asked.

"We could call in room service," said Maury. "That way, maybe I could rest up before the party."

"Good idea. It's getting dark," said Hadley. "Let's order some sandwiches and sodas and chill for a little while."