A Haunted Marriage & The Cookie Baking Poltergeist

Chapter 19: The Bridge

    At 1am, Julia stretched her arms before getting out of bed to use the bathroom. Julia removed her phone from the nightstand to activate the flashlight function. She turned to her left before leaving the bedroom. There was no sign of her husband buried under the comforter. The only sign of his existence was the rising and falling of the comforter due to his breathing. Julia noticed the lump in the bed shift once on her way to the bedroom door. Before reaching for the doorknob, Julia took her bathrobe from the closet and draped it over her shoulders. Julia slid her feet into the slippers placed conveniently next to the bedroom door.

    Hopefully I won't have the ghost of Frances Pine reach out for me while I am taking care of my business on the toilet.

    After gently shutting the bedroom door, Julia extended her cell phone/flashlight forward to illuminate her entire path to the bathroom. Julia opened the bathroom door and flipped on the light. After taking care of her business, she shut the bathroom light and walked back into the hallway. She glanced over to the living room and saw that the television was still on. An episode of the original Star Trek, The Trouble With Tribbles was nearing its end.

    I should go shut off the television so Jacob doesn't wake up. He has school tomorrow. Mike and I should really fix up the storage room so he has a real bedroom and some of his own space. I think I will make him waffles before he has to leave for school tomorrow.

    Julia illuminated her cell phone on her walk into the living room. She glanced over into the kitchen and noticed Bogey sitting once again by the basement door. No cabinets propped open or strange baking smells for now thank goodness.

    Julia walked over to the couch and sat down next to the lump of a comforter and a pillow set atop. She placed her hand on the mount of blankets and her hand sunk into the couch. She yanked the blankets down to reveal an empty couch. Julia lifted the pillow up and threw it over her shoulder.

    "Jacob are you here? Where are you, you're scaring the s**t out of me?"

    Julia jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen. She kicked Bogey away from the basement door before opening it. Julia flipped on the light and walked halfway down the stairs before saying, "Jacob, are you down here?" Julia breathed in a smell of freshly baked cookies. She ran back up the stairs into the kitchen. Julia had to grab her chest due to her intense panting.

    Where the hell could he be? Why the hell would he run away? We were so nice to him. I actually felt like he was my real son.

    Julia ran back into the living room and noticed something on the coffee table that she did not notice on her first visit into the living room. A white envelope stood on the table propped up against the flower vase. Julia snatched the envelope and tore it open to reveal a handwritten note written in black ink. The note was only one paragraph. The notebook paper shook in Julia's hand as she read the note out loud to herself in a voice slightly above a whisper. The note read:

Dear Julia and Michael Blake,

By the way, your house is really haunted. I went downstairs and actually saw my grandmother's ghost. It was pretty disgusting. It scared the crap out of me. But what really scares me more is being shuffled from one family to the next. I am sick and tired of it. My real family is dead and I think my grandmother is trying to tell me to go be with her and them. I haven't had much of a life the past few years. Nothing really matters to me anymore. I can't take it anymore. I don't think you guys will want me either even though you have been pretty nice to me so far. My destiny is to end it all so I can join my real family.

Signed,

Jacob

    A tear from Julia's eye fell onto the page smearing the blue ink in the word "Jacob," a word that meant more to her than living her own life. So many of Julia's tears fell upon the page that the word "Jacob" became smudged as if erased from existence.

    Julia placed the note on the coffee table and wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt nauseous. Julia stood up, bent over and sobbed into her hands. Jacob is most likely dead already. That poor kid. I am losing a son I have just gotten to love. The nightmare of living is this shitty upstate hick town continues. I should have stayed with my mother downstate.

    Julia picked up the note once again and read its contents three more times. This is what it feels like to be in the Twilight Zone. What did I do wrong to make Jacob go and kill himself? I failed him. I am really a failure as a human being.

    Julia trembled as she picked up the note and folded it into thirds. She wiped another tear from her eye as she got up from the couch to head back to her bedroom. That baking smell is starting again. Frances you need to leave us alone right now. She nearly tripped over Bogey on her way back to talk to her husband. Julia pulled open the bedroom door so hard that she felt as if the door would come off its hinges into her hand. Julia slammed the door shut behind her. The drop onto the bed after turning on the light on the nightstand. She pushed the lump of blankets next to her.

    Michael rolled over before pulling the comforter from his body.

    Julia extended her hand with the note to Michael. She wiped more tears from her eyes with her other hand.

    "What's wrong?" Michael asked.

    "Just read it."

    Michael took the note and read its contents. His hands shook as he read each word of Jacob's note.

    "It's over honey. We have to call the police he could be dead by now," Julia said grabbing Michael's hand.

    "I don't think so. This is a cry for help. I think he wants to be found. Why the hell would he leave a note in the first place otherwise?"

    "He could be anywhere. We have to find him he's such a good boy," Julia sobbed.

    Michael jumped up from the bed and slid on a pair of jeans he left folded on the corner of his bureau. "I actually think I know where he's going."

    "Where?"

    "The Stillwater Bridge."

    "Oh my God. Can you go bring him home?" Julia said as she walked up to Michael side to hug him.

    "We are going to bring our boy home. It will take both of us to get him to stop what he's attempting to do, assuming it's not too late."

    "I have to get dressed,"

"You're fine. Let's go," Michael said jogging out of the bedroom.

    Julia followed her husband into the front hallway. By the time she reached him, Michael already had his jacket and sneakers on.

    Michael flipped the porch light on before leaping down its steps. I had better leave this on. It will still be plenty dark when we get back.

    Julia slammed the front door behind her. By the time she reached Michael's Honda, her husband was already holding the car door open for her. Julia sat down and pulled the visor down. A face full of mascara streaks running down the cheeks stared back at her. Julia's neck cracked as her husband jammed his foot on the gas pedal to back out of the driveway.

    The backup lights of Michael's Honda revealed a road devoid of any cars at 1am. Michael jerked the wheel to the right and stepped on the gas pedal even harder than before. Pebbles kicked up from the Honda's tires at it began to accelerate down Mulberry Street. Although the speed limit was only thirty miles per hour, the Honda reached fifty five miles per hour upon reaching the stop sign at the end of the block. Michael jammed on the brakes; the Honda slid through the stop sign as if it were driving on ice instead of blacktop. Michael turned right onto Stillwater Road, a road that within one mile would reach the Hudson River and Stillwater Bridge. Michael turned on his high beam headlights to illuminate a two lane road aligned with pine trees on both side. A deer on the roadside stared back at Michael. Michael jerked the wheel to the left and slid into the middle of the road. After jamming on the brakes, Michael pumped the gas pedal to reach forty miles per hour.

    The lights atop the Stillwater Bridge steel trestle illuminated the roadway below. On the right side of the bridge a pedestrian walkway stood behind a green steel fence. A Cadillac drove under those lights and passed the Honda as it approached the bridge. Michael slowed down as the Honda entered the bridge span. He looked to his left and right. Where the hell could he be? Hopefully it's not too late.

    "I don't see him. We failed him. He's dead already," Julia sobbed into her hands.

    "Wait a minute. Let's cross the bridge and see if we see him on the other side," Michael said as his right hand left the steering wheel to grab Julia's left hand.

    Halfway across the bridge, Michael pulled the Honda off to the shoulder and pulled up the parking brake. He left the car running so the headlights would provide him with enough light to search for Jacob on the pedestrian walkway. Michael pushed the button to light the car's hazard lights.

    Michael jumped out of the car and left the door open. Julia followed him close behind and slammed her door shut. Michael jumped over the gate so he was now on the walkway overlooking the river.

    "Wait for me," Julia said.

    Michael grabbed Julia by the armpits and lifted her over the fence. The Blakes simultaneously peered over another fence to their right. The waters of the Hudson River glistened in the moonlight two hundred feet below. Not a wave could be found. The water appeared as still as if in a mill pond instead of a moving river. Michael took Julia's hand and walked further down the walkway to approach the eastern side of the river.

    "Jacob honey where are you? Please be here," Julia shouted.

    "JACOB, JACOB ARE YOU HERE? IT'S MICHAEL."

    No answer. I hope he didn't carry out what he was planning, Michael thought.

    Michael and Julia noticed a shadowy, hooded figure with their hands behind their back. The figure stood over the side of another green fence on ledge overlooking the river. Sneakered feet extended five inches over the bridge's edge. The figure's hands clasped a pole behind to maintain balance. The figure swayed back and forth when staring down at the river below.

    Jacob did not see Michael and Julia approach him from his right.

    "Jacob what the hell are you doing?" Michael asked.

    "Sweetie come on back. This is a mistake," Julia said.

    Jacob intensified his grip on the pole behind him. He turned his head to his left before saying, "I am doing exactly what my grandmother wants. She wants me to be with her. By ending it here I will finally be able to be reunited with my parents."

    Michael slowly walked closer to Jacob.

    "Don't come any closer Mr. Blake or I will jump."

    "Ok, ok I stopped," Michael said grasping Julia's hand harder.

    "Come on back home with us, please," Julia said as she sobbed.

    "Home you say. I don't have a home. My real home is to be with my dead parents and grandmother. No one has really wanted me. I need a do over."

    "We want you Jacob," Julia said.

    "Bullshit. I overheard you guys say that you were going to send me back to Social Services. You're just like everyone else."

    "That is totally out of context. Julia and I want you to be a part of our lives permanently. By meeting you, you were able to bring out the person my wife was always meant to be. You've done more for our marriage than any marriage therapist ever could. We want you to be part of our lives because we both love you."

    "That's right Jacob, we want to adopt you. I couldn't ask for anyone better for a son," Julia said.

    "Think about it Jacob. I don't think the ghost of your grandmother is haunting us because she wants you to be with her. I think she wants her only grandson to be loved. And we do love you Jacob. I am not just saying that to get you off this bridge. Please come home, to a home that is your home now too."

    "You're not just saying that?" Jacob said as he climbed over the fence to face Julia and Michael.

    "Nope. Our house could use a little more love. That's what that place has been sorely missing," Julia said.

    "That love is what the three of us together are going to use to help your grandmother finally move on. It's time to go home Jacob and start your new life as my son," Michael said reaching out his hand to Jacob.

    Jacob removed his hood before wiping a tear from his eye. Julia walked over to him and placed her arms around his shoulders. "I am sorry mom that I did something tonight this stupid."

    "It's ok sweetie. Let's go home. The time has come to do right by your grandmother," Julia said.

    Michael walked over and also placed his arms around Jacob's waist. "I hope this medium Beatrice Nelson makes house calls in the middle of the night. I'll pay her double."

    Jacob walked back to the car with Julia and Michael Blake holding each of his hands. The three cast longs shadows on the bridge and appeared to be one giant person.