The Visitors

The Beginning

In the beginning there was peace, love, kindness, brotherhood among men (and women), and ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream... oh how I miss the ice cream. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Because no one will understand what happened here unless I start from the beginning. My birthday.

It was a day like any other day, except today was my birthday (which was May 4th in case you were wondering) which meant it was an extra special day. I was FINALLY turning 17. And I know what you're thinking, you're graduating in less than a month and you're BARELY turning 17??? Well I skipped 4th Grade... Sue me.

Anyways, this day was also special for another reason. It was my one year Anniversary with my dog Alex. She's a German Shepard who is also a police dog reject. The only reason she didn't make it onto the force was because she couldn't learn the command stay. Okay it was also because she is a giant softy and would have cuddled the criminals instead of catching them but still that's no reason... okay I guess it's sort of a reason. Gosh I'm getting off topic again, the point is, it was our anniversary and since I'm not big into birthdays I wanted to spend the day with her at a dog park. Well not a dog park THE dog park. And not THE dog park as in its only dog park the popular dogs go to, no it was the ONLY dog park in my town. Why? Oh yeah did I forget to mention I live in a secluded town in Maine, surrounded by mountains, far away from any other town or city, and is only mainly accessible by plane or helicopter. Yeah.

Well there is one road to and from town but you have to go up and over the mountain and it's rocky, and curvy, and a lot of people have died trying to make the trip across it, and... okay you get my point. Where was I again? Oh yeah, so I'm on my out the door with Alex when my dad yells at me, "Emma!" he shouted running after me, "and just where do you think you're going young lady?"

"umm, to the dog park, like I told you I was going to, since it's my birthday, and my one year anniversary with Alex, and I don't like to celebrate my birthday, since mom, and you know all of this so why are you asking?"

"I just wanted to have a conversation with my one and only daughter on her 17th birthday." He said while pinching my cheeks.

"ewww stop dad," I said while swatting his hand away.

"okay well be home by 8, and I'll have your favorite meal waiting for you and we can talk some more about the move"

"Got it, love you!!" I yelled to him as he went back to the kitchen. "love you" I whispered kissing the picture of my mom that stays by the door. Then I was off on my way.

Before I get ahead of myself let me clarify some things so you don't get confused. The move my dad was referencing was about the new job he got at an oil drilling site in Texas. Then money was good and it's by where I am going to college in the fall. Oh, and the thing about my mom. Well exactly three days from my birthday, May 7th, it will be the ten-year anniversary of the day she went missing. She just vanished one day into thin air. She didn't take any of her money, her keys, or her I.D. and she didn't leave a trail. Most people say that she's dead and I sort of think that too, a lot of people have gone missing in the mountains surrounding out town, but there's always hope.

Back to what we were talking about; It wasn't a very long walk until we got to the park. After all the town I live in is very small, we have about 2,000 people total and the mountains don't give us very much space (thanks nature) so everything is crammed together. We make it work though, we have one of all the things a town needs, one high school, one library, one major hospital (although there are a few private practices), one lake, and of course one dog park. One dog park that is very nice and well-kept since the smell would be terrible otherwise.