Authors: David Reuben Aslin
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Horror, #Vampires, #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Suspense, #Teen & Young Adult
Recuperation
Fortune smiled on Ian and Zoey. Against all odds, they both made it back to land after the longest short walk of their lives.
They climbed up the ladder that led to the dock level, and hurried back to the Jeep, dripping wet and cold to the bones. Once there, Ian and Zoey were greeted by a very excited guard dog. Scout had been a good boy while they were gone. Ian petted his dog and even kissed him on his head, as he thanked Scout for being so good for so long. Ian started up his Jeep and cranked the heater on full; he continued for a moment petting his best buddy. Then all at once, Ian was hit square between the eyes by another epiphany. If they hadn’t made it back, what would have become of Scout? Ian suddenly felt terrible about that previously unconsidered possibility.
During their drive back from Astoria to Long Beach, the weather rapidly turned from bad to full-on coastal storm, about the time they were nearly halfway across the Astoria-Megler Bridge which spanned across the Columbia River connecting Oregon and Washington. They were traveling on the area of the bridge that was as straight as an arrow. Typically, its road surface was suspended around thirty feet above the river, but due to the high tide, torrential rain, and approaching gale-force winds, occasional waves were breaching the sides of the bridge’s sea-wall railing, making driving precarious at best.
Ian was getting a little nervous regarding the intensity of the wind; it had begun gusting so hard it was nearly pushing his Jeep into the oncoming traffic lane seemingly at its whim. That, compiled with his windshield wipers near-failing efforts to keep up with the pounding, torrential rain, and a heavy fog that seemed to have come from nowhere, made seeing where he was driving extremely difficult.
By the time they’d made their way into Long Beach, the wind had died down a little. It was still blowing in gusts that Ian estimated had to have been in excess of fifty miles an hour. Zoey, after having not spoken for nearly twenty minutes, decided to break the ice.
“So Ian, are you hungry? I’ll bet Scout is.” Ian hadn’t thought about it in light of what he’d just driven through, but upon hearing Zoey’s question, he realized that he was starving.
“Yeah, I could eat,” Ian said casually, not wanting to sound desperate as he glanced over at Zoey. He spoke again, this time smiling, “You got a place in mind? Somewhere that allows filthy, soaking wet people I hope.”
Zoey looked like she was concentrating for a moment. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I know someplace that would be perfect on such a gloomy, stormy night. That is, if they’re still open.”
“You mean if they haven’t closed due to the storm? You sure you don’t want to change into dry clothes first?”
Zoey fired back, “No. Are you kidding? Nobody around here closes due to a little weather. And we’re all dirty and wet most of the time. Ha! God, really. Inlanders!” She laughed.
The truth was they were dirty, but their clothing had dried to the point of not looking as wet as they felt.
Zoey spoke. “If we did go and change into dry clothes, by that time, every place will be closed.” Ian looked at the time on his cell phone. He realized she probably was right as he mused,
After what we’ve survived today, how ironic would it be if we end up dying from pneumonia.
As they approached the downtown area, Zoey quickly pointed towards a side street in the direction of the ocean. “There, Ian. Take that street. It will take you to the beach access drive. Near the end is the tallest building in town – the Seabreeze Motel. Yeah, it’s a real skyscraper. Three stories. At the top is a good lounge and restaurant that looks over the ocean. Even in this fog and rain, with the flood lights shining out at the dunes, you’ll be able to see the waves hit the shoreline. It’s really beautiful! Don’t worry about the way we look. This is the beach. Nobody cares. But if it makes you feel better, we can eat in the lounge.”
Ian smiled as he replied, “Sounds good to me. We can get something to go for Scout. Until then, I’ve got a bag of doggy snacks in the glove box. I’ll give him some when we park. That will tide him over. That is, after I’ve taken him for a quick walk to stretch his legs and relieve himself.”
As he drove, Ian thought about how very attractive Zoey was, even with her still nearly-soaked stringy hair and wet, dirty clothes. But also how very young she was and how it was becoming more than obvious that she liked him, as he did her.
Just then Ian remembered that he had a semi-clean dry towel in the very back of his Jeep; as they pulled into the parking lot of the motel he glanced at Zoey. “Hey, I’ve got a dry towel in the back of my rig. We can use it to dry off.” Zoey began squinting her eyes and puckering her lips in such a way that it reminded Ian of someone who had just sucked on an under-ripened persimmon.
“Um, not to be rude, but that would have been really useful information about forty minutes ago.” Zoey said with an intentionally cocky tone to her voice.
Ian smiled and shrugged his shoulders as he replied, “Sorry ‘bout that.”
The intensity of the storm had lessened considerably. It was still raining steadily, but not all that hard. It was now only a bit more than typically breezy. Ian silently marveled at how quickly and extremely the weather changed at the coast.
Ian quickly exited the Jeep, ran to the back and opened the tailgate door. He grabbed the towel, then rapidly rejoined Zoey in the front of the Jeep. They dried themselves off and wiped away dirt smudges on their faces with the towel as best they could. Then Ian gave Scout a handful of doggie snacks and cracked his driver’s side window.
“Okay, fella. I hate to leave you again. But I promise, I’ll bring you back something special to eat.” He and Zoey exited the Jeep and proceeded with haste across the parking lot into the motel.
Once inside the lower lobby, Ian pressed the button for the elevator and they both stepped in. Zoey immediately punched the button for the third floor. The door closed, and they were on their way up. It was a relatively slow, jerky ride.
On their way up, Zoey said, “Ian. After thinking it over, I think we probably
should
eat in the lounge. You know, with the way we look.”
Ian smiled and laughed just a bit as he replied, “Yeah, I think you’re probably right.”
The elevator door opened, and they both stepped out. Ian noticed immediately that there were only three directions that a person could take. Straight ahead led to the third floor rooms of the motel. To the right was the entrance to the restaurant, and to the left was the Sand Bar.
Once inside the cocktail lounge, it was obvious that it was a seat-yourself establishment. Zoey took the lead. Holding Ian’s left hand, she led him across the lounge to the ocean view tables. The place was decorated to the nines with Halloween lights and decorations. There were small, colorful pumpkins and gourds placed at each table.
There was only one other person in the lounge. He looked to Ian to be in his mid-to-late seventies. He had white hair that semi-circled his pattern baldness, and an equally white though shortly-cropped beard. He wore weathered, khaki dungarees that were supported by a set of wide, careworn, orange suspenders and a black and grey plaid flannel shirt.
Ian immediately surmised that the man was most likely a local. A commercial fisherman would be a better than fair money bet. Ian further deduced he was likely the captain of his own vessel. That hypothesis was based on the fact that the man’s hat bore some nautical-looking embroidered insignia. That, and Ian was pretty certain that it said ‘Captain’ just under the insignia.
Ian caught the man looking him over. He figured it was because he was wet and dirty, and especially because of his spiky, jet-black hair, so Ian wasn’t all that surprised. But on closer examination, Ian realized the man’s attention was not so much on him. He was more focused on Zoey.
The man spoke in a loud voice. “Zoey, girl, watch-ya doing out-en-bout. Ain’t a fit night fer man ner beast.”
Zoey instantly tore her eyes from gazing out the window at the ocean and looked towards the man. Zoey smiled as she spoke. “Oh, hi Ray. Better question, what are you doing out so late? Where’s Molly?”
Ray spoke, “My Molly, she’s up river …” The man let out a throaty couple of coughs indicative of a smoker of long standing. He then continued, “She be up river in Longview, visit’n er sister fer a few days. At dat home fer’ old folks. We moved her into er when her husband passed on a couple month back.”
Zoey looked over at Ian, who was still casually looking at Ray. She spoke directly to Ian. “Ian, I’d like you to meet Captain Ray. Ray McGuire. Ray, this is a friend of mine. Ian Mc… McBride.”
The older gentlemen was silent for just a moment. Ian spoke up, “Nice to meet you, Ray. Uh, Captain.”
The captain looked Ian up and down for a second. “Yes, well, any friend of this little gal’za friend a-mine. Say, you got some head a hair, don’t-cha, young feller? Zoey-girl, she cut yer’s and make er all shiny-black like dat? She cuts me Molly’s, right good.”
Ian was too embarrassed to answer. He just smiled as he panned his eyes around the room, double checking that there were no other people within listening distance other than the three of them and the bartender.
The bartender was a young man that Ian guessed was just barely old enough to be serving alcohol.
Without saying another word, the old sea captain finished his food, got up, laid some money down on the table, tipped his hat at Zoey, then turned and walked out of the lounge, leaving Ian and Zoey the only patrons in the place.
Ian and Zoey made small talk for a couple of minutes before the bartender came over to their table to take their order.
“Hi guys. So you decided to come out and brave the weather?” the young man said. Zoey smiled. “Aren’t you … I mean weren’t you little Joey Patterson?”
The young man smiled back at Zoey, recognizing her as well. “Yeah, that’s me. I mean, without the little part. Everyone calls me Joe now. You used to babysit me and my sister years ago, right?”
Zoey was smiling widely. “That’s right. And you were a handful!” The young man and Zoey laughed. Ian grinned as he mused,
Small towns.
“Now here you are working at the tall building.” Zoey smiled at Ian as she continued, “All the locals call this place the ‘tall building’ since for years it was the tallest building in town – and still is if you don’t count the large, newer time-share vacation club located just across the road. That place was built just a few years ago and is about the same height I’d guess.”
The young man said, “Yeah, here I am working part-time mostly on this side of the restaurant in the old Sand Bar
.
That is until they get a replacement bartender. Roger, the normal bartender …” Joe looked directly at Zoey. “Zoey, you know him, right?” Zoey smiled and nodded her head, yes.
Joe continued, “He up and quit the other day for no real reason I know of ‘cept he had been calling in sick a couple shifts before. Last time I seen him, he told me he’d been feeling real bad for the last couple weeks, and no kidding. He looked pale as hell. One thing I do know is he’d been working himself to death. He recently took a second bartender job over in Astoria. I don’t know what place. Janice, the manager, she told me it was especially odd for him to up and suddenly quit like that. That even though he only worked four shifts a week ‘cause of how good he was and how long he’d been here and all, she and the owner had decided they were gonna soon be putting him on the company medical plan. Anyway, man, if he is real sick, he sure quit at a bad time ‘cause he might really need insurance as expensive as it is to see doctors and all. Anyway, she says to me that it wasn’t like him. Not at all. That to the best of her recollection, he’d never taken a day off for being sick in over three years. I told her that I’d heard from more than one person that there’s a real bad bug going around. Anyway, when they fill the spot with an experienced person, I’ll be back over in the restaurant bussing tables. Only reason I’m here tonight is I’m the only newer help they got that’s twenty-one. All the people with seniority, they only want to work the busy shifts, if you know what I mean. For the tips.” Both Ian and Zoey smiled and nodded.
Joe caught his breath. He’d been speed talking, and it had nearly taken his breath away. “Well, you guys want some drinks? And maybe something from the kitchen? This place has got real good food.” Ian and Zoey took the opportunity to look the menu over.
“Uh, I’ve been studying the drink cheat-sheet all day. I’m sure I can make just about any of the drinks real good. You know, like screwdrivers or rum and coke or anything from a pre-mix. ‘Course, wine or beer … that’s easy. But I’m up for trying, I mean making, anything you want.”
Right out of the gate, Ian liked the young man. He was obviously nervous, but to his good fortune, it was a very slow night.
Ian spoke up. “I’ll have a Jack Daniels and Coke, in a tall glass.” He figured there wasn’t much chance the young man could screw that up.
Zoey, also not wanting to apply any pressure on the young man, decided to keep it easy as well. “I’ll have a glass of the house Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Joe looked at Zoey with a momentary blank expression on his face. But then as if a light just switched on in his mind, a large smile came over his face as he replied, “We’ve got that.”