Someone's in the River

Chapter One

Disclaimer: This story contains mature themes such as mental health and abuse.

     If there was one thing Rachel Hight noticed about Umber Bay it was that it was definitely not New York City. Umber Bay was a town for summers spent by the beach, country clubs, and dreaded brunches. Rachel rolled her eyes. "Brunch" was not a thing no matter what Rachel's mother said. Umber Bay looked consistently.... Well-to-do. High maintenance, quaint, quiet.... Rachel bet every household had at least one Yorkshire Terrier in their neatly, manicured lawn.

     She looked into the trunk of her car, grinning at her own dog, Skyler. Skyler was a mutt Rachel had found wandering her neighborhood. The dog had had blood on her head but as soon as Rachel looked into the pups golden eyes, she knew the large, black dog was meant to be hers. Skyler was her partner in crime and would be accompanying Rachel on this new adventure to a new town.

     Before packing up and leaving New York City Rachel had bought a house online. Probably not the best idea but Rachel was desperate and quite frankly didn't care where she lived as long as there was a roof over her head. After her parents had stuck her in a "hospital" with a request of "isolation", Rachel knew anything was better than there.

     Rachel didn't like remembering her stint in that tiny, colorless room. No visitors, hardly any interaction with the orderly's or nurses. Rachel had been a New York City nurse before her parents had put her away. She lost her job after rumors swirled about her mental health and a fictitious suicide attempt. Her friends had turned their backs on her, hospitals stopped taking her calls; she was, in a sense, blacklisted. As blacklisted as a nurse can be in a city as bustling as the Big Apple.

     After her release, Rachel had maintained her isolation in her tiny apartment, determined to waste away, and screened her parents calls. She gave her 60 days notice to her landlord before she had received her job offer at Umber Bay Medical Park. Rachel grabbed her beloved dog and left under the cover of night. She didn't leave a forwarding address, knowing her parents would try to find her. Her social media accounts were deleted. No one would notice anyway.

     Rachel thought a new beginning was exactly what she needed. No one knew who she was or where she had been. Rachel's mental health record had been privately disclosed to human resources at the hospital, apparently no red flags had arisen because no questions had been asked about it during her interview.

     She was grateful for that, she didn't want anything from her past to affect her new start. Rachel saw her recently purchased house just ahead and she lit up as she pulled into the driveway. The house had a historic feel, probably built in the 70s. The exterior was a pale blue in color with accent pillars painted a creamy white on either side of the concrete stair case. The porch wrapped around the corners of the home, adorned with dilapidated patio furniture, including a busted rocking chair. Very southern, Rachel thought. She could picture herself, out here, drink in her hand, Skyler nestled next to her feet, watching the neighborhood kids happily play in the summer time.

     Rachel had had no furniture from her apartment, the landlord wouldn't have let her take it anyway. All she had was tucked into her trusty 2010 Honda CR-V. The "mom car", as Rachel had affectionately referred to it, was filled to the brim with clothing, mostly scrubs, blankets, and a very small amount of toiletries. Rachel had even had to sell Skyler's kennel because it just wouldn't have fit.

     Rachel stood outside of her car, Skyler's leash in hand, and observed her blue, retro, home. She suddenly worried if the door would be open for her to enter the property. Was she supposed to have called her realtor, Lyle? She had emailed a week in advance and had no response.

     I guess I should have called first, Rachel shrugged her shoulders and began the ascent up the stairs. On a normal day, she would be annoyed at the no response, Rachel thought ignoring emails was simply unprofessional. But today was not a normal day and this was a brand new Rachel. No more being impulsive or quick bouts of rage. She decided she wasn't going to let things get under her skin as much as they used to.

     Rachel led Skyler to the front and pushed the old, wooden door. It was creaky but the door opened right up, revealing the antique inside. The house was in disrepair with unknown stains spattering the floor.

     "Home sweet home, huh, baby?" Skyler wagged her tail and licked Rachel's leg in excitement. "This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime."