SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

Secret Place - 5

Sebastian looked to the empty perch with disappointment and he extinguished the last torch. James and Topher had flashlights beaming and they huddled together and left the deck for Sebastian's Jeep some thirty feet below. They got into the vehicle, strapped in and began the descent down the steep mountain.

Forty minutes later, they reached Topher's Jeep and transferred the gear and rations to Sebastian's Jeep and said their goodbyes. Alison turned on her phone to find about fifty notifications from her neighbor and her face crumbled more for each time she listened to a voicemail, or read a text or messenger message. She dialed her neighbor and was happy that she hadn't awakened the woman. Topher knew he couldn't leave her in such a state...Judy would understand.

"Hey Suzy..."

"Hey Alison," Suzy replied quietly. "I'm so sorry about Charlie..."

Alison covered her mouth to keep her voice from crying out.

"Are you there...hello...?"

Alison nodded. "Yeah...I'm sorry. I didn't know which one..."

"No, it wasn't Rajah. But still..."

"Yeah," Alison whispered. "Charlie was David's...now all I have left of him is his dog..."

"You're cutting in and out...where are you?"

Alison looked out the window into the darkness. "Umm...we're..."

Topher placed his hand on her thigh and shook his head and placed a finger to his lips.

"You know, I have no idea," she said laughing uneasily. "Listen, I want to pay you for your time..."

"Oh, absolutely not! As many times as you and David have helped us? No way!"

"At least let me reimburse you for the medications..."

"Noooo...."

Alison sighed heavily into the phone. "Alright, thank you."

"It was the least I could do. I do have some paperwork for you to sign though. Do you have any idea what you want to do with the body?"

"Uhh...I want to bury him, of course...preferably as close to David as we can get him."

From Suzy's description of where Charlie's body was, she knew that there was no way of getting the carcass closer...David was buried about forty feet uphill from the horse's location.

"Well," Alison began as she began crying again, "I'm gonna let you go because I know it's late and..."

"Wait one other thing..."

"Yeah?"

"Your dogs..."

"Uh huh," she sniffed.

"They're trained to react to noises outside right?"

"Yes."

"They didn't. The cats looked up at the door, but your dogs nor your sister didn't. I was right at the door...It's like they were completely oblivious or something. It's weird..."

"Hmmm. That is weird. Thanks for letting me know...have a good night and thanks again Suzy...for everything."

Alison ended the call and lay the phone in her lap with a sigh. Then she inched up between the two front seats and rested her chin on Sebastian's shoulder. He turned his head and kissed the tip of her nose. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so?"

"Whaaaat....I know that little voice..."