Weeping Willows

Chapter 28

Trip to Nowhere

                “Elizabeth.”

                A clear male voice spoke in her ear startling Elizabeth awake.  She flew out of bed looking wildly around her room scared of an intruder.  The room was quiet in the wee morning hours, the only noise was her harsh breathing echoing off the bare walls.  As she glanced about, her body relaxed noting there was no one there with her.  She tried to evoke what happened the night before but could only remember writing the letter.  She didn’t even call to mind going to bed.  She must have been exhausted.  Bits and pieces of events floated in and out of her awareness foggily, Elizabeth was unable to grasp much more then impressions.  She must have had another nightmare though this is the first time she can recollect that she wasn’t able to recall what it had been.  She sat heavily down on the bed watching the grey light of dawn beginning to filter through her window.  It was unbelievably early, too early to be up really.  As she contemplated going back to sleep something about the time niggled her thoughts.  It took a minute before she was shooting off the bed once again in a panic.  Wide awake now she rushed about the room gathering up clean clothes and heading to the bathroom.  She did not want to get caught in the shower when Jan and Ryan showed up this morning.

                Elizabeth was nose deep inside the wardrobe in the studio when they showed up.  She had been checking to see if she had put the letter away since her memory seemed to be failing her this morning.  Jan walked into the studio just as Elizabeth was closing the door to the standing closet.  Jan raised her eyebrows as her eyes drifted between the woman who looked like a kid caught doing something they shouldn’t and the closet beside her.

                “Just what are you up to in here?”

                “Nothing.”  Elizabeth laughed trying to brush off what she just saw.

                “I don’t know Lizzy.  It looks like you’ve got a secret.”  Elizabeth laughed nervously tossing her hair up into a ponytail out of habit.

                “Nope, no secrets.  Not down here at least.”  Jan looked at her curiously as a wide smile spread across Elizabeth’s face.  Jan soon joined her when she pointed up stairs.  Both women rushed from the room the closet now forgotten in the excitement in the treasures waiting to see the light.  Neither was paying attention in their haste and nearly ran over Ryan, Clayton, and Elliot.  Ryan and Clayton steadied Elizabeth and Jan when they came to an abrupt stop.  Elliot stood in the middle of the hallway legs and arms spread wide trying to protect Addison as she leaned around him trying to see what the commotion was.  Elizabeth looked around at the three-ring circus going on in the hallway wondering what everyone was doing here that early.  Right about then Jenny came out of the kitchen with a basket of fresh muffins in hand catching the attention of Addison.  Mason came out next baring hot cups of coffee he placed on a small folding table they had set up for breakfast. 

                “What is all of this?”  Elizabeth asked looking for an answer but not talking to anyone in particular.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.  Jan draped an arm across Elizabeth’s shoulders pulling her close.

                “It’s a kickoff.”  Still confused Elizabeth looked around in bewilderment.  This looked more like an impromptu party then the start of a day to her.  Jan chuckled and shook her head.  Jenny sighed in exasperation as she placed the food onto the table.

                “The guys volunteered to take a few days off to help clear out the rest of the attic while you guys worked through stuff.  Mason and I still have to work today unfortunately so we came to do what we could until then.  I have the breakfast shift so after I set up here, I’ll be heading out.  Mason will be here until nine then he’s got to go to the parish.”

                “I’m here to be nosy.  Oh, and of course for food.”  Addison added while moving off to be the first to dive in making everyone laugh.

                As everyone slowly made their way over to get something to eat Mason made his way over to Elizabeth’s side.  Merriment danced in his eyes as he watched his friends chat and plan their day.  Elizabeth giggled as Addison swatted Elliot away from her plate when he tried to steal a bite off of it.

                “How are you doing these days?”  Mason inquired lightly drawing Elizabeth’s attention away from everyone else.  She was about to just give the standard fine but stopped herself and answered honestly.

                “I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.”  Mason nodded as if he expected her response.

                “My doors are always open as soon as you’re ready.”  She met his steady calming gaze and gave him a genuine smile.  It wasn’t overly large, but it wasn’t forced either.

                “I appreciate that.”  Smiling kindly back at her he gave Elizabeth a warm brotherly hug of support before leading her over to the table to eat.  Everyone said goodbye to Jenny who waved absently at them all as she headed out the door.  Elizabeth figured that since Dan wasn’t here as well that he must have left already sometime this last week.  Everyone was just about to finish up when there was a whirlwind of a person that burst through her screen door.

                “Have no fear, now that I’m here we can get this thing started.  Mason my man.”  The boisterous newcomer strode over enveloping him in a bone crushing hug.

                “Mikey!”  Everyone but Mason yelled out clearly excited to see him.

                “Oh, no.”  Mason sighed looking to the heavens.  Elizabeth decided he was either saying a little prayer or asking for strength.

                “You must be Lizzy.”  He stated heading in her direction next.  Elizabeth held her hands out in front of her to ward off any bear hugs heading her way.

                “That’s close enough.  I like my bones exactly the way they are thank you.”

                “Fair enough.  Spunky I like it.”  At his words Ryan moved to her side placing a possessive arm around her waist.

                “Relax Ry, I got the 411.  I’m here on tattle tale duty for Lauren only.”  Ryan relaxed and gave his friend a welcoming hug as Elizabeth glared at the man.  She was seeing an unpleasant phone call to her friend in the near future.

                Everyone was standing around Mikey catching up and laughing.  Elizabeth stood back observing them interact together.  Mikey stood in the center of the group just eating up the attention.  He was fairly tall standing about the same height as Elliot who was 6’0”.  He had a muscular build but more like a soccer player’s build then someone who was a gym rat.  He was dressed in a relaxed style with a black t-shirt, kaki carpenter shorts, and canvas slip on deck shoes.  He wore some kind of beaded bracelet on his wrist and a pooka shell necklace making him look a bit like a surfer.  He carelessly ran his hands through his floppy mop of sandy blonde hair.  His deep green eyes sparkled with mischief while he smiled a devil may care grin showing off perfect pearly whites and dimples.  Mikey was a looker and from the way he carried himself he definitely knew it.    It was also clear by the way he soaked up the attention around him that he loved being at the center of everything.

                While everyone was distracted Elizabeth slipped off and headed upstairs.  The rest of them could come up once they were done but she didn’t want to just stand around like a fish out of water watching.  Besides it had been hard enough not start tearing into things without everyone and wait until today.  While she had managed to hold off, she wasn’t waiting any longer.  She opened the doors of the three rooms upstairs.  The last room on the right would be where the guys would put everything as it came down out of the attic.  The first room on the right would be where things would be brought to clean up and look over.  The room on the left was set up for everything getting donated.  So far, the old books that had been boxed up and brought down had been placed in there.  Ryan would start there looking through the dusty tombs to see if any were salvageable.

                Elizabeth grabbed a crate taking it into the other room to start going through.  She had to use a hammer to get the nails out of the wooden top before it could be opened.  Slowly the wood creaked open revealing a bunch of old records for a Victrola.  She got so excited to flip through them that she tossed the lid back letting it crash to the floor.  She was so busy sifting through the titles that she didn’t even notice the thundering from the stairs.  Elizabeth was oohing and aahing over each one.  She fell back with a startled screech when everyone came pouring into the room from both directions.

                “What the heck you guys?  You scared the crap out of me.”  She growled out glaring at each person as they looked at her incredulously. 

                “We scared you.  What was that?  We thought you fell up here.”  Elizabeth just sat there like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar realizing what Ryan was referring too.  Instead of telling them she just pointed to the lid on the floor looking around sheepishly.  Jan wandered over to see what she had uncovered reaching in to pull out one of the records from inside.

                “I can’t believe you started without me.”  She chastised Elizabeth looking from the box to the red head sitting on the floor. 

                “You guys were busy, that’s not my fault.”  She teased Jan as she glared down at her.   Clayton came over picking up the crate and placing it on the table as Elizabeth got up from the floor.

                “Maybe we should get started before she makes a total mess in here.”  He teased her making her squawk out a protest.  Remembering what she had found she rushed out into the hall to call out to the guys before they got too far.

                “See if you guys can find a Victrola up there somewhere.  I’m really curious to see if it still works.”  They all agreed to keep an eye out for one and let her know the minute they found it.

                Addison and Elizabeth were looking through the boxes of clothing that she had brought out of the attic the other day while Jan was snapping pics of them playing around with them.  They were holding up different corsets as Elizabeth was telling them about nearly taking Clayton out with that box.  Jan and Addison were laughing at the story when Mikey stuck his head in the room smiling at the three of them.

                “Just wanted to let you know we found it.  It’s been put into Ryan’s room so Elliot can look it over.”  With that he left the room going back to help the other guys with the bigger items.  Elizabeth was in the middle of admiring the corset that the raccoon had nearly stolen the other day when music began to play.  Excited she rushed to the other room to see the Victrola in action leaving Jan and Addison behind in her haste.  She burst into the room expecting to see either Elliot or Ryan in there, but no one was around.  Walking closer to the machine she marveled at how new the player looked.  Confusion came over her when she saw the gleaming oak stand it was sitting on.  She didn’t remember seeing that sitting in the attic the few times she had been up there.  Distracted in her thoughts she was startled when the door opened up and a willowy figure came in.

                “Honestly, Elizabeth why are you not dressed yet?  I thought you had work to do.  Hurry up now or you will miss breakfast.”

                “Oh, leave her alone Ruth.  I am sure Lizzy will be down momentarily.”  Ruth was pushed from the room by a second younger woman who winked at her as she closed the door behind her.

                Elizabeth stood in the room stunned to find herself wearing the corset she had been holding along with the bloomer Clayton had pulled off his head.  White stockings cover her legs and her long wavy auburn hair fell around her torso when she looked down at herself.  She looked around at the now furnished bedroom in awe.  What on earth was going on?

                “How did you get it working?  Elliot was having a hard time getting it going.”  Elizabeth turned at the sound of Ryan’s voice watching as he walked over to the now well used and slightly dusty machine.  Instead of the stand it had been on it now rested on top of one of the folding tables they had brought in that were once again lining the walls.  Ryan reached out taking the corset that was once again in her hand and placing it next to the Victrola.  Coming back to her, he swooped her up in a waltz around the room.  Elizabeth was looking down at the t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers she had put on that morning.  As Ryan spun her out, she gazed around the room that was back to the way it had been when she opened it up about an hour before.  As they waltzed around in the middle of the room to the music that was playing Elizabeth tried to make sense out of what she had experienced.  That had clearly not been a haunting so what the heck had it been?