SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

Secret Place - 4

Alison sat at the base station and Sebastian sat next to her for moral support as she spoke to Judy, relaying her instructions over the telephone. She learned the neighbor, who was an equine vet tech had given him medication for the pain and was resting. Alison explained that there were tarps and blankets in a small storage room located in the main part of the barn. Along the chain link fence to the dog yard were large rocks that could be used to weigh the tarp down. She was desperate to learn which horse was down, but was afraid to ask. She asked again if her sister's car was still in the driveway and closed her eyes and lowered her head. Then, she asked that the neighbor pay a visit, just to check on Beth through the windows...something had to have happened to her; she wouldn't have allowed this to happen...When Judy mentioned that the police should be called for that task, Alison informed her that there were large dogs in the house that were protection trained...they wouldn't allow a policeman or anyone else into the house without the safe words being used...and Alison was the one who had to speak them; the dogs wouldn't even listen to Beth if she voiced the verbal cues to them. Beth was allowed to come and go only because she was in the house when Alison was there and they understood that she was allowed to be there.

"I don't want my dogs being shot," she said.

Judy relayed the information. "Your neighbor said that it's very dark out so, it should be easy to look through the windows."

"Thanks. Oh...please tell her that I'll pay her for her time...for sitting with him and the medications."

"I will Darling," Judy replied quietly.

A few minutes of dead air passed when Judy's voice came back over the speaker. "It's done, Ali. I'm so sorry, Love."

Alison clenched her eyes tightly together and she nodded as she breathed in deeply.

"Roger that," Sebastian said over the mic. "We'll be in touch," he said.

"Ten-four," Judy said quietly. "I'll be nearby." They heard static for a moment then Judy came back on. "Is Topher still nearby?"

"He's outside with James," Sebastian said as  Alison got up from the chair and walked away in the direction of the bedroom. "He's fairly shaken up."

"I know he is. He feels like he betrayed your every confidence."

"What! Oh please..."

"He has all your gear packed in the Jeep. Told me that he was going to park by some little market at the base of the mountain and fly up. Said that the entire thing felt wrong to him. That's why he was adamant about seeking you out."

"I'm glad he did," Sebastian said quietly. "Ali and James almost got into it..."

"Oh no," she whispered. "What happened!"

Sebastian relayed the events that transpired; he could hear Topher yelling at his son and asked Judy to stand by for a moment. He left the radio unmanned and walked over to the door.

"For the last time, no, you can't have a beer to cool your nerves!'

"WHY THE HELL NOT? I'M OLD ENOUGH!"

"THAT isn't the point!"

"THEN WHAT THE FUCK IS!"

Sebastian watched the birds leave the trees en mass and returned his gaze to his best friend setting out to teach his son a valuable lesson.

"Oh...I DUNNO!" He watched Topher get to his feet and wave his arms as if he were about to take off. "Well, let's try this! You're a FIRE DANCER! How's THAT! And LO AND BEHOLD...HERE WE ARE! SITTING ON THE WOODEN DECK...OF A WOODEN STRUCTURE, SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF BUM-FUCK EGYPT...IN THE BLOODY WOODS NO LESS! LAST TIME I CHECKED, WOOD AND FIRE DON'T GO SO WELL TOGETHER! IS THAT ENOUGH REASON FOR YOU! YOU MIGHT SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST! AND GOD DAMN IT MAN, I PROMISED MY WIFE I'D BE HOME BEFORE MORNING! AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'D MUCH RATHER DEAL WITH YOUR LITTLE WHINING TEMPER TANTRUM THAN TO DEAL WITH THE LIKES OF HER ANY DAY!"

Sebastian leaned on the door jam and laughed as he walked outside and held out his arms. "Come here, man..."

Topher looked up at his best friend as he had his own personal melt down; he pointed toward his godson. "Your KID is being a..."

Sebastian chuckled and nodded. "I know...he's just pissed off is all." James looked to his father and glowered.  "Come, Eagle Eye. Come and walk with me..."

"The nerve," he grumbled. "He needs WATER!"

James raised two fingers high in the air.

Sebastian craned his brow and glared at his son. "That will be enough. You've now two people to apologize to..."

"I fucking hate damage control," Topher grumbled.

"I know you do," Sebastian replied quietly. He put his arm around Topher's shoulders. "Listen, I want to thank you."

Topher nodded.

"You are one of the few people I trust, you know that?"

Topher nodded again.

"I mean it, man...thank you. What you did, I know you wrestled with it. And I'm sorry you had to do that. I'll give you the coordinates before we leave."

"But this is your secret place," Topher said quietly. "Your place to safely get away..."

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, but what good is it if you can't share it with family?" Sebastian wrapped his arms around Topher's shoulders and embraced him. "I love you, man..."

Topher pulled away and nodded. "I love you too," he whispered.

Then, they both heard a sniffle and turned toward where the sound originated. "Oh, how I love a good bromance," she said. "Please, don't let me interrupt you or anything." She held out a couple of tissues toward them. Topher nodded and took one, then blew his nose as Sebastian sneered.

"Ha. Ha. You're funny," Sebastian said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I just talked to Judy," she said, her voice too calm for anyone's liking. "She said that my neighbor told her that Beth is in the living room watching TV with my dogs and cats, feeding them pizza."

"So she's alright, your sister?"

Alison nodded. "Seems so?" She looked to Sebastian. "How fast can you get me home?"

He looked at his watch. "It's nine-forty. I can get you home within the hour..."

"OH HELL NO," Topher roared, causing James to jump up from his spot on the bench seat.

"Wot," James asked with concern.

"Your father wants to take your mother eastward..."

"I thought that was the plan," James replied, his brow knotted in confusion.

Topher nodded. "Right now..."

James' eyes grew wide. "NO! Dad you can't do that! You'd be incapacitated for a week!"

Sebastian shook his head. "Nah. I'll just need to sleep for a day is all..."

"Ohhh," Alison mused. "That won't do."

"But I can get you there, Darling..."

She nodded. "Yes...okay, lets say that you do. And I need you...Look at it this way, if I am a witch then the chances are pretty good that Beth is too. What if she's already figured it out? And if she is responsible for this mess, I'm going to need help...She's really very intelligent...smarter than I am...the thing is, I don't know every single little detail of her life..."

"Why not," James asked innocently. "You made it sound like you two were really close."

"When we were kids, we used to be." She looked up into his eyes. "Alright, fine. Because...well, David didn't like her much, I don't think?"

"Well, maybe there was something to that, huh?"

"Maybe so," she replied and took James' hand in hers and he hissed at the coolness of her palm touching his.

It was crystal clear to the men that she didn't want any of the chain of events to have been put into motion by Alison's sister, Beth...it seemed to tear at her very soul.