Hidden in Shadow Pines (4 page)

Rule 6. No resident shall go hungry. Any person in need of assistance with a food supply shall contact the town council immediately. Within five hours, the town council shall deliver enough supplies for thirty days of food.

Rule 7. A clinic shall be open twenty-four hours a day for medical care. If a resident has a serious medical condition that requires advanced care, a member of the town council will transport the resident to the nearest hospital.

Rule 8. No resident of Shadow Pines shall discuss the town or its residents with anyone not residing in Shadow Pines. Failure to follow this rule shall be met with harsh punishment.

Rule 9. Anyone caught damaging the stone wall in any way, shape, or form will be quarantined for six months.

Rule 10. No one is allowed to leave Shadow Pines, whether for an hour or permanently, without written permission from the town council.

“Do you have any questions about the rules?” Jamie asked. “You haven’t said a word.”

Stunned as to what I’d just heard, I answered. “I…I don’t know what to say. Everyone in Shadow Pines follows these rules?”

“They must. Why wouldn’t they?” Jaime said, sounding disappointed.

Was this a cult? Was she brainwashed? “Not everyone follows the rules,” I said firmly. “That’s why we have violence in the world. But also, why we have creativity. If everyone followed all the rules, life would be…well, boring.”

Jaime flashed me a sweet smile. “I guess I like boring. Shadow Pines is wonderful. I don’t know any other way to live.”

The next sheet of paper was a detailed map of the town, drawn in pencil. The outline of the town reminded me of a capital L. A single winding road led out of Shadow Pines. The streets had been carefully laid out in straight lines. Six streets ran east-west, and six ran north-south. The map marked the church, cemetery, library, fire station, nursing home, school, park, clinic, and a group of stores that resembled a downtown area. Each house was indicated by the residents’ last names. From the map legend, it looked as though the town was hidden in the middle of a huge forest.

The last sheet in the yellow folder was a list of activities. Jaime said, “I think you’ll enjoy the activities the town council picked for you. I’ve heard the ladies say such great things about the etiquette and speech class.”

It was in my blood to have a schedule. That much was true. However, my schedule, not a schedule someone else had created for me.

Sunday: church—9:00-11:30
am

Monday: quilting and sewing—9:00-10:30
am

Tuesday: etiquette and speech—2:00-4:00
pm

Wednesday: church potluck dinner—6:30-8:30
pm

Thursday: town council meeting—7
:00-9:00 pm

Friday: prayer and Bible study—7:00-8:30
am

Saturday: faith interaction meeting—7
:00-8:00 pm

Jaime added, “You’ll be expected to attend each activity. If you don’t show, consequences will be meted out. Unless of course you’re sick or helping an elderly neighbor. Things like that. The town council makes the determination whether or not any actions will be taken against you.”

I asked, “Do you have a list like this?”

“Of course. Everyone has a list of activities. Mine’s not the same as yours because I work at the bank. I have one early morning and one evening class that are different from your schedule. Several women in town have two activities a day. But that’s their choice and it’s approved by the town council.”

My mind swirled with questions. “How many people live in Shadow Pines?”

“As of last week, one hundred fifty-two. Seventy men, fifty women, and thirty-two children.”

“How did I get here…to your house?”

“The town council told me that you’d arrive late at night, so not to wait up for you.”

“Then you didn’t see who brought me here?”

“No. I was asleep. I assume one of the town council members dropped you off. When I got up this morning, a note on the counter said you’d arrived safely.” Jaime looked at her white leather watch.

“But…”

Jaime interrupted my thought by standing. “We’re ten minutes behind schedule. We’ll have to walk faster than I anticipated.”

I wanted to tell her that I didn’t want to be here. That I was brought here without my consent. Instead, I stood and followed Jaime out the front door. “Where are we going? Don’t you need keys to lock the door?”

Jaime giggled. “Of course not. Nobody locks their doors.”

Right. Rule 3—no stealing.

Jaime added, “You have an introductory meeting at the church with the town council. We can’t be late.”

As we walked, Jaime told me who lived in each house on her street: Gary and Dona Folsom, Vince and Georgette Kirby, Walter and Alberta Sutter, Charlotte Hannon, Gus Hearn, Kenneth and Amanda Mason. A mix of two-story and ranch-style homes lined the street, each home a different color than the one next to it. Tan, blue, hunter green, chocolate brown, white, gray. This could be a street in Darden.

I spotted the church steeple from several blocks away. As we approached the small church, the first thing I noticed were the four recessed arched windows. The window above the door was four panes high and two panes wide, but the two windows on each side of the front entrance were smaller, only one pane wide. The fourth arched window was positioned directly under the clock—black with white numbers and hands. The spire had a greenish tint. I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be that color or if the elements had tarnished it. A ramp led to the front door, flanked by two wrought-iron benches. The church reminded me of one I’d visited in Pennsylvania during a high school class trip.

We took the sidewalk around the side of the church. Three stained-glass windows, each of a different angel, sparkled in the morning sun. Jaime informed me the town had added the attached brick building thirty years before. She led me in through a side door and down a short hallway.

The grey-speckled floor shined as if it was new. Perhaps the overhead lighting and white walls made everything look so clean. Double doors led to a longer hallway. Closed, white doors, approximately twelve feet apart, lined both sides of the hall, each marked by a black plate engraved with white lettering inserted into a silver metal wall plate holder. We walked by
room 15, room 14, daycare 6,
and
daycare 5.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 11 a.m.
(day 1 in Shadow Pines—meeting the town council)

Jaime stopped at the door marked
private—town council
. She knocked twice. “Jaime Clark. Isabella is here for her meeting.”

Jaime whispered, “When you hear the chimes you can go in. Close the door and sit in the chair. Let the council speak first. I’ll be waiting on the bench outside for you.”

I watched her walk down the hall and disappear behind the double doors. Looking around, I wondered if secret cameras in the ceiling were watching me. Hearing the chimes, which sounded like the wind chimes hanging in Tish’s backyard, I took a deep breath then opened the door.

The room of bare cream walls with oak hardwood flooring was smaller than I’d expected—no bigger than my dining room. Behind an extra-large rectangle oak desk, which must have been custom-made inside this room, considering I couldn’t see how it would ever fit through the tiny door opening, sat three men along with two empty chairs. In the middle of the room was a high-back, slated oak chair.

I closed the door as quietly as I could, then sat in the chair. The three men said nothing. They just stared at me before writing something in their spiral-bound leather journals. I looked down, thinking I had a spot of dirt on my shirt. Instinctively, I brushed my hand over my shirt several times, erasing the invisible stain.

The first man spoke. “My name is Oliver Blair. Next to me is Hudson Gillen, and on the end is Zackary Larson. We’re the three members of the town council. Did Jaime provide you a yellow folder and go over its contents?”

I hadn’t sat this still since my dad had given me a lecture on drinking. I kept reminding myself to breathe, blink, breathe, blink. My voice was shaky. “Yes. Yes, she did.” To calm myself, I twisted the button on my shirtsleeve. I didn’t want to show these men how nervous I felt.

“Very good,” Oliver said. “We’re so glad you’re joining Shadow Pines.”

I expected the men on the town council to wear clerical collars or suits, considering the religious-oriented culture of Shadow Pines. Instead, they wore ordinary clothing.

Oliver Blair appeared to be in his fifties. He was husky—as though he’d never missed a meal. His receding light-brown hair made his forehead too large for his small round glasses. He wore a light-blue dress shirt with a maroon tie. Two pens poked out from his shirt pocket.

Hudson Gillen’s face reminded me of a golden raisin. The only other person I’d ever met with as many wrinkles was at a ninetieth birthday party. He wore overalls, a dark-blue t-shirt, and a tattered ball cap. A toothpick hung out of the side of his mouth.

Zachary Larson, with reading glasses perched on his nose, reminded me of a bald Santa on vacation. He had rosy cheeks and a long, well-trimmed white beard. He tried to hide his rotund belly under a red Hawaiian-print shirt. I expected him to look up and say “ho, ho, ho.”

Zachary spoke next. “I’m sure you have many questions. Jaime will answer them. If she cannot, she’ll provide a list of questions to us, and we’ll contact you for another meeting. However, I hope that won’t be necessary.”

“Isabella, you’re very special to Shadow Pines,” Hudson said. “You’ll live with Jaime for the next three months. We want to make sure you feel comfortable before allowing you on your own. Currently, we have three unoccupied homes. Each home is in a different area of Shadow Pines. Based on recommendations from the extended council, we’ll assign you a house. The town pays for services such as electricity, water, gas, and the like. Your homeowner obligations are to keep the house in a good state, maintain the yard, and pay a monthly fee of one-hundred dollars to the town.”

“We’ll discuss the exact arrangements after your first three months in Shadow Pines. Thank you, Isabella,” Zachary said. “Jaime will show you the town now. You’re dismissed.”

My hands trembled. In less than five minutes, all three men had intimidated me. These people believed I was here because I wanted to be and expected me to live here the rest of my life. I hated confrontations, and after listening to Jaime read the rules, the one word that popped in my mind was ‘quarantine.’ Standing, I said, “Thank you,” and walked out, gently closing the door behind me.

Across the hall I saw a door marked
women’s restroom
and went inside. Perspiration beads had formed on my forehead. I splashed water on my face and patted it dry with paper towels. Looking in the mirror, I asked myself,
What’s going on?

Still trembling, I walked outside and around the corner toward Jaime, who sat on a bench.

Jaime gasped. “Oh, you don’t look so well. Sit. Did the meeting go okay?” Jaime continued asking me questions. However, I’d stopped listening.

A warm sensation came over me. Looking at Jaime, I said, “I’m going to pass out.” I got on all fours, crawled over to the grass, and lay on my back. Things got fuzzy, then went black.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Wednesday, August 7, 2013, 4:30 p.m.
(day 2 in Shadow Pines—at the clinic)

“Good afternoon,” said a sweet, angelic voice.

I tried hard to fully open my eyes. “Where am I?” I asked. I could see white textured ceiling tiles from the bed I was lying in. Turning my head to the left I noticed the IV line running from the clear fluid bag into the vein on the top of my left hand.

“You’re at the clinic. I’m Nurse Gloria Pettit.” She stopped talking for a moment while she took my blood pressure. The heavyset nurse with a light-brown pixie haircut wore a short-sleeved white polyester scrub top with a matching white polyester skirt. I couldn’t see her feet, but presumed she had on white leather, comfortable shoes.

She pushed a button on the adjustable bed and raised my head several inches. “You gave everyone quite a scare yesterday.”

Now fully awake, I said, “Yesterday? How long have I been here?”

“Let’s see.” Gloria looked at her white leather watch. “Seventeen hours. You were in and out all night. Mumbled a few things. But I’ll keep that between you and me.” Gloria smiled and patted my arm. “I’ll be back in an hour to recheck your vitals. If things are within normal ranges, we’ll have one of the volunteers give you a ride.”

“No!” I shouted. Realizing how loudly I’d spoken, I quietly said, “I mean, I don’t take rides. Never get in vehicles. I always walk.”

“But you arrived here in a car,” Gloria countered.

“Yes, but I was unconscious. That’s the only way I get in a car.”

Gloria’s sweet, tender voice lowered an octave. “You must have had a very traumatic experience to be so afraid.”

I hated having to explain my situation. “My mom and dad died in a car accident on my eighteenth birthday. It was very devastating to me.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Your dad was a very nice young man.”

What? Did I hear that right?

Before I had a chance to question Gloria about my father, the door opened. An older man wearing a grey-and-black-plaid blazer, white shirt, black pants, and black penny loafers entered the room and walked over to my bedside. Gloria handed him my chart and he flipped through four or five pages.

“Hello, Isabella. I’m Doctor Carson. You had us worried yesterday. You still look a little pale, so we’ll keep you here another hour or two, then you can go home.”

“I can go home?” My eyes widened.

“Yes, Jaime has your room ready for you. Try to go back to sleep. We’ll be back later.” Dr. Carson nodded his head at Gloria, and before I could say anything else, they left the room.

My heart sank. Home to them meant Jaime’s house. Home meant Shadow Pines. Everyone I’d met so far acted as if I didn’t have a life and home of my own in Darden.

I wanted to scream, cry, run away. Instead, I did what I was told—I fell asleep.

At six-thirty, Jaime and I left the clinic. I was still feeling weak as we walked slowly down the sidewalk. Luckily, Jamie lived only three blocks away. Jaime’s left hand rested softly on my left arm, while her right arm gently pressed against my back, steadying me when we stepped off the curb into the street. I kept my head down, only paying attention to the next few feet in front of me. Jaime talked every so often. I heard the words ‘cupcakes,’ ‘bake sale,’ and ‘tricycles.’ None of what she said made any sense. Nothing about the last two days made any sense.

I felt as though reaching the steps of Jamie’s house took an hour. I used one last burst of energy to walk in the front door.

I stopped at the foot of the stairs, grabbing the railing to steady myself. For the first time since we’d left the hospital, I raised my head to look at Jaime. “I’m going to lie down.”

“Don’t you want anything to eat?” Jaime asked me.

“No. My stomach’s still a little queasy. I’ll come down and get something when I’m hungry. Hopefully, I’ll sleep through the night and be ready for breakfast in the morning.”

“But it’s only…”

Interrupting, I said, “I know you’re just being helpful, but I need rest.” I gave a forced smile then went upstairs and closed the bedroom door. I changed into my pink-striped pajamas, leaving the clothes I’d worn in a pile on the floor, and crawled into bed.

So many unanswered questions I’d been afraid to ask remained.
What if they never let me leave?

I thought about Ed. I knew he’d be wondering what happened to me, especially as he hadn’t seen me since Tish’s murder. I’d never spent a night away from home in the last sixteen years. I was sure he’d gone to see Chief Burton at the police station and submitted a missing persons report. Unfortunately, the police would never be able to find me. I was hidden in this place.

I hadn’t seen a phone or a computer yet. I somehow needed to figure out a way to send Ed a message. If not, my case would soon turn cold, and I’d end up as another unsolved statistic. I pulled the covers over my head and cried myself to sleep.