Paula was happy to meet Diane and even happier to discover she was her neighbor as she hauled the boxes out of the truck and scattered them through her little new home. With Chad's departure from her future, Paula was more than a blue. Although she didn't want to be around tons of people, as she had in her city loft, she was still in need of company. Her new place sat daintily along a quiet lane which was crowned with old gnarled trees forming a tunnel of sorts down to the dead end. Paula had bought the house at the end of fall, when the trees had given their best performance; flashing brilliant hues of red , gold and vibrant orange. It had been perfectly romantic. Now here in the stark of winter, the trees played a different role; one more of guardian or warden. Their bent, limber branches wound together to close off the neighborhood and shroud it in a velvety darkness. The lake at the end would stuff the spaces between houses (a whopping seventeen of them) with fog. Yes, Paula was grateful to meet Diane.
They quickly chumped up, exchanging cell numbers and calling to share their new home experiences. Diane herself had only been in the area for a year or so. She was waiting for her fiancee to finish settling their old place so they could move in together. Each young woman had met other folks from the street, but none that were as sociable as these two. Most seemed withdrawn and cautious, especially at night. It didn't really matter to the girls. They clicked and enjoyed each other's company. One night, while out walking and laughing about their days, they were met at the end of the lane by Michael, an old timer who had been on the water since the late sixties. He watched them walkng in the lavender sunset and at last came out to speak.
"Would be careful if I were you." he said slowly. "Walkin at night ain't so good 'round here."
"Why Michael? It's early yet. Coyotes aren't out. Bears are down for the season..." Diane asked honestly
The old man chewed his cigar and glanced around. "Just looks like fog."
The girls smirked. "Fog." they said in unison,rolling their eyes.
His gaze was sharp on them, wiping their smiles instantly. "Fog ain't so good. Hasn't been for years. Not safe. Well you do whatcha like." and he turned giving one last hefty puff off his stogie before muttering something about stupid kids and heading in. The ladies nudged each other and continued their nightly stroll
"Ruh-roh Raggy..." Paula joked in her best Scooby-doo voice.
"Jinkys Scoob. Like, I think we have a mystery on our hands. Let's look for clues!"
They continued to giggle and make suppositions about what could possibly be wrong with their sleepy little community. The sun went to bed and the fog crept in quietly around them. The girls scoffed but picked up their pace to get home. With age came wisdom right? They agreed to research and check in with each other over dinner in the next few nights. All they found was a small article about a young woman who had left town abruptly in the seventies.
"Hardly worth noting." Diane shrugged poking her chinese takeout with chopsticks.
"Did she leave or disappear?" Paula hunched over the paper and read as if more were written.
"Nothing. Left town."
"Should we ask Michael about it?"
They sat back, chewing and contemplating. Indecision sat stoically between them. They changed topics and began to move forward; laughing and talking as good friends do. It was late when Paula dragged herself from the couch and announced she was heading home.
"You can stay here if you like." Diane offered, swiping the table with a sponge to clean up their mess. "I have to get in early so I can wake you." She looked out the window and paused. "Besides. There's fog."
Paula raised her eyebrows and put her hands up to her mouth in mock terror. "Fog ain't so good. Not safe." she uttered in her deepest voice then chuckled a deep smoker's cough. They hugged goodnight and Paula began her trek next door.
The night air was sweet and damp. The road was hardly visible with the dense soup blanketing the houses. She laughed to herself and continued along. She really thought the footsteps were echos of her own until the shape of a person appeared almost on top of her. She jumped and squeaked childishly, dashing down the side of the road and up her own little drive. She scampered in to her house and flipped the lock, something she rarely did. Then snagged her phone to call her neighbor.
"Di! Lock your door!" she huffed.
"What? Ohhhh really...c'mon. What're you..."
"DI! Do it. There's someone walking the road!" Paula pleaded.
Relieved to hear the faint click of her friend's lock, she told her what had happened.
"Load of rubbish my dear girl. No more ghost stories for you. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." They chuckled nervously and rang off.
Paula's dreams were thick and dark much like the fog outside. She dreamt of the stranger she had seen and of voices calling to her and of Chad. It was not peaceful.
The two chums spoke early in the morning confessing poor sleep and creepy dreams. They ate dinner together at Paula's that night and waited for the dreaded fog to begin chugging up from the lake.
"Better go Di. Before it gets too bad." she told her friend warily.
"You're chickenshit." Di snorted over her wine glass, but slipped into her coat and out the door without further prodding.
They spoke together on the phone, each peeking out the window and waiting for the walker. They had almost given up when Paula squealed in Diane's ear that she saw it coming. Paula's heart was pounding. Diane was gasping as if she had run for miles. Each woman pulled back from their window as if hiding. The form continued down the road toward the lake.
Another restless night
After an awful day at work Paula drove home and pulled in to her garage. She sighed heaviily and went in to unwind. Half way up the walk, she was startled by Michael.
"Been watchin the fog?"
"Really Michael. I have more important things to do than watch fog settle."
"Bad things come from that fog."
"Do you know how crazy you sound?" she stomped her foot with irritation and spun on him. "What exactly IS in the fog Michael? You seem to love to warn us about it, but come clean...what's IN the fog?"
"I'm guessin you already saw her." he mumbled to the ground.
"Who?"
"There was a girl livin here a while ago. Young spunky thing like you and your friend. She disappeared though. I used to see her walkin down near the water. Then I didn't see her at all."
"The fog got her?"
"No. That's stupid." he laughed and Paula stood dumbfounded.
"She IS the fog."
"Ahhh of course! Much more rational" she chimed sarcastically
"She lost her man. He was a cheatin dog but she loved him and he just left her heart broken. She tried to move on, but never really got better."
"Killed herself?"
"Dunno. Just disappeared." Michael shook his head, sucked his cigar thoughtfully and meandered off.
Paula thought about it and then swept inside to wait for Diane. It was her turn to cook.
"Ordering pizza shouldn't count." she told her friend tugging a strand of cheese.
"But it does."
Paula told her friend of the conversation with Michael and they tried to talk through it, but there was a heaviness and a chill in the air. They felt safer with a change in topic. when the fog began to roll in, Paula quickly jumped up to go.
"I'll call you in a few." and out the door she shot.
It was heavy out and the young lady found herself panting just at the edge of the driveway. Quickly she walked up the lane toward her door. The mist was thick and visibility was almost zero. It was why she nearly fainted to look up and see a young woman walking toward her. Paula froze.
The woman had medium red hair and wore a black pea coat too warm for the night. Her hands were tucked in her pockets. Her face was pale and her eyes were extremely dark. She walked just in Paula's line so as to be sure to meet her. Paula tried to smile with her mouth closed, certain that a shriek would scream from her lungs if she opened her lips. The stranger stopped and stood in front of the terrified woman. Her expression did not change. It was almost vacant.
"Hello." paula whispered.
no response.
"Are you new here?"
nothing.
"Do you need help?"
the woman then turned and looked right through Paula asking a question with a strange almost watery whine. "Would you like to walk with me?" at this, she pulled her arm to the side as if Paula should link in with her for a friendly stroll.
Paula shook her head and backed slowly away. "No. No I can't walk with you tonight. Maybe tomorrow."
The woman took a step toward her but Paula jumped to the side and scurried up the walk. The stranger kept moving. Walking toward the lake.
Panic stricken, Paula raced for the house, fumbled with the lock and slammed her door shut. She bolted the door, setting a chair in front of it. She tore around the house and pulled all the blinds while dialing frantically for her friend next door. When Diane answered, she rushed with her story, almost in hysterical tears. diane listened and waited. When Paula had regained herself, Diane asked if she wanted her to stay over.
"NO! We can't go outside now!" Paula hissed in to the phone all the while, slipping peeks out the curtains, watching for the odd woman. "Call me tomorrow!"
Several nights drifted by, uneventful, unvistited by the woman or the fog. Paula began to question herself and the experience with the help of Diane's chiding. It was almost forgotten until the day Diane's fiancee told her he wouldn't be coming. Diane was inconsolable. She cried and ranted. Paula, having been through it fairly recently could certainly sympathize. They had shared their usual supper and were consolling each other when Paula noticed the fog.
"Di. you better go. The weather is getting bad."
Diane looked up and shrugged. "I'll go in a few. I can't let this stupid thing get to me. I just don't have the energy."
"Then stay here tonight. Don't go."
Diane laughed and remained a little while longer before moseying down the street. Paula cautioned her friend and made her promise to call in the morning. The morning came but no Diane. Thinking her friend had to work early again, she dismissed it. However, when Paula came home that night, the police were waiting to speak with her. Diane had been found at the end of the road, drowned in the lake. They began to ask her about her fiancee and other people in her life. The night was long and horrible for Paula. At last things quieted and she sat alone in her house with a glass of wine and a box of tissues. The fog once again began to sneak up the road and cover the houses on the lane. Paula got up and looked out the window.
There were two forms walking down the road toward the water. They stopped and waited outside Paula's home.
Has it really been so long? things have been so very busy and difficult, I confess I truly haven't been able to write. I hate that. Although this isn't my best by any means, I consider it fairly good with an appreciation for the length of time I've been away from here. Thank you all for your concerned wishes and emails. I hope we aren't in for another stretch like that.
Be good to you. Until next time.
Thanks for coming over. I've missed you much.
