She heard voices that sounded far away.
"I want to save the girl."
"Meredith?"
"Hurry, there's not much time."
"Wait at the door."
"Meredith."
There was a knocking sound, and she looked up. Doris was in the doorway.
"Didn't you hear me calling? Dinner's ready."
Meredith turned back to the cup. The image was gone. The water was clear. As she closed the curtains she thought she saw a shadow in the gazebo doorway, but it faded quickly.
CHAPTER 6 - STRAWBERRY CREPES
Meredith stretched and blinked at the alarm clock's glowing red numbers. 7:00 a.m. Morning sunlight fell on the potted plant in front of the window. The flowers were still shriveled, but the leaves no longer drooped.
Peppy guitar music drifted down the hall. It thrummed in her brain. Doris had unpacked her exercise video.
"Four, three, two, one. Let's just stretch that out. To throw in a balance challenge, lift your right foot and point your toes while?"
A loud crash was followed by an indignant howl. Small paws galloped down the hall. Meredith sat up as Edison dashed into the bedroom.
"Sorry, Edison?" Doris called from the living room. The music from the exercise video continued on. Edison sat on Meredith's rug. He smoothed down his fluffed tail with short, vigorous licks.
"Do you miss Murky Manor, Edison?" Meredith scratched his ears, and he allowed himself to be comforted.
In the morning light, the cup definitely looked blue. Faint lines appeared to be etched on its surface. She filled it with water and studied the liquid. There were no images inside. With a quick movement she dumped the water on the plant, and left the cup on the hall table.
Doris had rolled up her exercise mat, and was vacuuming up dirt. She flicked off the hand vacuum as Meredith entered.
"Not as roomy here as it was at Murky. I'll have to make a few adjustments."
She pursed her lips as she pressed dirt around an African Violet in a small pot. The flower looked lopsided. Several of its leaves were broken. Doris set it on the end table and gave it a critical look.
"I don't think Ms. Argon will notice, do you?"
Meredith smirked. "Uh?maybe it will recover before we move out."
Doris nodded. "What say we head down to the Clipper and get some fruit crepes?"
"Won't that defeat your exercising?"
"Nonsense. That's why I exercise. Well, one reason. It's not raining yet. We'll walk. That'll burn off some calories."
Meredith looked over the menu while they waited for the server. Pancakes and waffles dripping with butter and whip cream. Eggs loaded with cholesterol. Bacon and sausage oozing with fat. And everything topped with sugary syrup.
If she kept eating like this, she wouldn't have to worry if her clothes were in fashion. She'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe. She could even buy pink. Heather was fanatical about weight control. A slow smile crept across her lips. But Heather wasn't here now. She decided to go with the crepes and whip cream.
"Hello, I am Amari. Have you chosen?"
The words had a strong cadence. Almost like a chant. Meredith looked up to see the waitress. It was the girl who had been clearing Ms. Argon's table a couple nights ago. Her dark blue eyes almost matched the streaks in her black hair. Meredith wasn't sure if they were highlights or dark blue dye.
"Strawberry crepes," Meredith said. "With whip cream."
"Straw-berry crepes," Amari repeated, enunciating each syllable. She stared at Meredith's hands, then turned to Doris. "You have chosen?"
"Sounds good to me," Doris said. "I'll have whip cream too."
Meredith glanced at her nails. They looked fine. What was she looking at? As Amari walked away Meredith noticed the back of her T-shirt. It had a picture of a large pine tree with words in a circle around it. Evergreen Landscaping - We Beautify Your Yard.
Meredith made a face. Who'd wear a shirt with an advertisement on it? Especially in public. If Heather were here, she would be hysterical.
When Amari returned with the food, Meredith noticed her belt buckle had a buffalo on it. Where did she get those strange clothes?
Meredith looked down at her own outfit. Heather had helped her pick it out. Her t-shirt had a sprinkling of tiny white flowers scattered across one shoulder. It was the perfect shade of blue to coordinate with her navy shorts.
The crepes were delicious. Each bite was a mix of sweet pastry, slightly tart berries, and smooth cream. She scooped up the last spoonful.
"Gramps asked me to bring this out."
Tony set a small plate down on the table. It held a heart shaped scoop of ice cream surrounded by a drizzle of chocolate syrup. An imbedded strawberry leaned off center, and slowly slipped down the side of the mound.
Meredith swallowed. The crepes felt heavy in her stomach. Maybe all this sweetness was not such a good idea first thing in the morning.
Doris giggled. "Well that's very pretty, but even a walk back to the apartment won't compensate for this meal and that dainty. Why don't the two of you split it? I told Ms. Argon I would meet her this morning to set up an appointment with the repairman. Don't let the sugar go to your heads. Stay out of trouble."
Tony slid into her spot, and grabbed a fork. "You want the strawberry?"
Meredith picked up the berry and nibbled on it while Tony gobbled up the ice cream. She watched Doris talk to Carlo at the cash register. They leaned toward each other over the counter. For a terrible moment, Meredith was afraid he was going to kiss her. She sighed with relief when they both started laughing instead.
"Would have been a great morning for fishing."
The voice came from a nearby table where two old men sat. The speaker's gnarled fingers were wrapped around his coffee cup. The other man spoke up.
"Yep. Just like yesterday and the day before. We been out every day this week and haven't caught a thing. Even the pesky seagulls seem to have flown off somewhere."
"I think maybe it's that tropical storm hanging out in the Atlantic. Helga I think they named it. Animals can sense those kind of things you know."
The clinking of plates turned Meredith's attention back to her table. Amari was picking up the dishes. How had she sneaked up so quietly? She held out the plate, and pointed to the stem Meredith was still holding. Surprised, Meredith dropped it on the plate. Amari's flip flops slapped softly as she walked away.
"She's weird," Meredith said. "Does she live around here?"
Tony shrugged. "Just showed up one day and wanted a job. Gramps said she must have waited tables before somewhere. Seems to know what she's doing. Real quiet though - and talks funny when she says anything at all."
CHAPTER 7 - FOG IN THE RAINFOREST
They returned to Green Earth Condos. Hank was coming out the front door muttering to himself.
"Crazy summer. Cold and rainy all the time. Now the fog's getting inside the building." He looked up and smiled. "Watch your step in there. Ms. Argon must have brought in a fog machine for her rainforest."
When they entered the lobby, thin strands of mist crawled over the marble floor. A patch hovered by the wall fountain. The running water made Meredith want to head upstairs to the bathroom.
"No one at the front desk," Tony said. Then he dropped his voice to a hoarse whisper. "The Amazon is out. Let's check out the indoor rainforest."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the path through the ornamental trees. A short footbridge spanned a shallow pond. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a couple pennies. Grinning, he dropped one in her hand. He flipped the other coin into the water. It landed with a soft plop. Meredith was about to toss the coin when she heard a woman's voice.
"You won't have any trouble at the house. They're both staying here until the job is done."
Meredith's fingers closed around the coin. She turned to Tony.
"The Amazon." She mouthed the words.
A man's voice answered. "G
ood. I don't want any annoying children under my feet when I'm trying to work. The old lady will be difficult enough. But I'm very interested in this job. That house is unique. It deserves special attention." His voice was high pitched and grating.
"Well, don't take too long on the job. My plants aren't used to carelessness," Argon said. "One child attracts another. Now that boy is hanging out here too."
"There's more stray kids than cats these days," he said. "I think this town is a corridor for runaways. Did you see that strange one at the Clipper?"
"Just because her hair is dyed blue doesn't make her strange."
His voice had a slight whine. "I'm not so sure it's dye. Her eyes are the same dark blue."
"Probably tinted contacts."
"I don't think so. There's something uncanny going on behind those eyes. Do we know where she's from?"
"You're not going to say from Atlantis are you?" Her voice sounded tired.
"The Atlanteans were very fond of blue," he said. "A deep blue the color of the sea. Some progressive scholars believe they all had blue eyes."
"Lots of people have blue eyes. That doesn't mean they're from Atlantis."
"Sometimes it is the dreamers that have a clear understanding of the truth. The dusty minds of professors are clouded and can't interpret the facts that are right in front of them."
"In what facts have you found hidden truth?"
"When I find the artifact you'll see." He sounded arrogant like a know-it-all professor. "What do you think is causing all this strange weather? Things are out of alignment. Just like they were 150 years ago. They were having strange weather then too. And in the Captain's notes, he described IT as blue."
A chair scraped across the tile floor. Meredith pulled on Tony's arm and they raced outside.
They didn't stop until they reached the gazebo. Panting, Meredith collapsed onto the bench. It was chilly inside the building.
Tony sprawled on the other bench. "Who do you think she was talking to?"
Meredith shivered. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dimness. "I hope he's not the guy Doris hired to fix the electric. It sure sounded like he was describing Murky Manor."
"Is it really spooky there?" Tony asked.
She laughed. "Well, there are a lot of odd things in the house. Apparently the Captain brought them back from his voyages. I don't know how he found room on the ship for anything else."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Oh, old paintings and photographs. Corners are filled with statues and urns. Walls are covered with face masks, swords, and tapestries. It was eerie that night the power went out. It's pretty dark in there without electricity, even in the middle of the day."
Meredith swung her feet back under the bench, and they hit something soft. She hung her head down over her knees and squinted into the shadow.
"What's this?" Her fingers dug into cloth. When she pulled on it, she almost tumbled off the bench. A canvas bag slid into view.
Tony said, "That wasn't here yesterday. What's in it?"
"Probably old rags for cleaning."
The drawstring gave way, and the bag fell open. Inside were t-shirts, jeans, skirts, and a pair of old tennis shoes. She held up one of the shirts. Cater Lake was printed across the front. She grimaced.
"Tourist stuff. Look at this." She giggled as she held up a brown skirt with a parrot and palm tree.
"That would look good on the Amazon," Tony said.
"I don't think they'd fit her.
Something pink was near the bottom. She tugged on it, and pulled out a jacket. The soft fleece slid over her arm. She ran her fingers over its surface. The dim light cast shadows making the fabric in the folds a deep rose color. Something fluttered to the floor, and Tony picked it up.
"What is it?" Meredith asked.
They bent over it together as Tony unfolded the piece of paper. "It's a clipping from a newspaper. Looks like a tree with some patchy fog on the ground."
"That's the willow tree," Meredith said.
"The one outside here? That doesn't look like the park."
"No. The one at Murky. Must be late in the day because there isn't much fog. There's just that strange column of mist next to the tree. It goes up several feet. Read the caption."
Tony read. "When Captain Morgan moved into the old manor, the fog moved in with him. It wasn't long before neighbors dubbed the place Murky Manor. This picture was taken from the newly constructed turret that Robert Morgan added to the house he inherited from his father. Note the strange column of mist in the yard."
"Willow trees seem to attract fog," Meredith said.
"Could be just water from a sprinkler."
She nodded. "Wonder who left these clothes here."
"Maybe that guy is right," Tony said. "Maybe there's a runaway living right here in the gazebo."
Meredith was thoughtful as she put the clipping and the jacket back in the bag. "Last night I thought I saw a shadow in the doorway."
"You mean while we were here?"
"No, silly. Later. From my window."
"You can see the gazebo from your window?" He leaned out the door and squinted. "Yeah. I can see part of the building through the trees. Can't really make out windows though. Looks like it might rain."
"That's not all I saw last night," she said.
He sat down next to her, and put one foot up on the bench. With a disarming grin he said, "Do tell. What other shadows did you see?"
Unlike Amari's dark blue, alien eyes, Tony's eyes were a clear blue. In spite of, or was it because of, his casual manner she felt drawn to him. He invited confidence. She found herself telling about the cup, and the image floating in it.
"This cup was from the manor?"
She nodded. "It belonged to the Captain."
A crack like a twig breaking made her look towards the window. It was getting dark outside. She could just make out the waving willow tree branches.
She jumped up. "Let's get back to the condo before the storm hits."
It felt weird to be afraid of a storm. She loved storms. Why did this feel different?
The rain started when they reached the back door. They took the stairs. Edison met them at the door with loud meows.
Meredith laughed. "I better feed him. The cup is on the table at the end of the hall."
As Tony went to get the cup, she popped open a can of cat food and crinkled up her nose.
"Is it this blue one with no handle?" Tony called.
"Dark blue," she called back. "I don't know how you eat this stuff, Edison. This is disgusting." She scraped the food into his bowl. Loud purrs were punctuated with gulping as he tried to eat and purr at the same time. His fur was soft against her fingers as she scratched his back. It was almost as soft as the pink jacket.
She stood up and called, "Did you find it?" There was no answer. "Tony?"
She heard a soft moan. A chill went down her spine, and she looked around the corner. Tony stood in front of the small table. His hands gripped the cup as he leaned over it.
With a few quick steps she was beside him.
"Tony? Are you alright?" She put her hands around his on the cup. Water sloshed inside. He looked up.
"It looks like it goes down a long way?" His voice trailed off and his fingers released their grip.
"Careful," she said. Water spilled onto her fingers as she caught the cup.
The front door opened. Doris called, "Meredith? You home?"
"Down the hall watering the plant," Meredith called. She dumped the water onto the fichus tree and set the cup back on the table. It wasn't her imagination. The cup was a lighter blue than she remembered.
"Well, the plants outside won't need water for awhile. Good thing I had my raincoat. It is pouring out there!" She came into the living room fluffing her hair. It floated out from her head and settled back down in a red mass. "Oh, hello, Tony. I picked up some donuts. If we're lucky they'll still be hot."
Tony lo
oked up. His stomach rumbled. Meredith snickered, and they followed Doris into the dining room. As she opened the box the smell of sugar and cinnamon drifted up.
CHAPTER 8 - THE CAPTAIN'S CHURCH
Meredith's blue sundress flared out as she twirled in front of the mirror. The nice thing about church, she thought, was dressing up. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but it refused to stay. With a smile, she slipped on her sandals and admired her small feet. She hurried down the hall. Carlo and Tony had just arrived.
"I thought we might visit the old Lutheran church up the street," Carlo said. "The building is over 200 years old making it an historical site."
"That might be interesting," Doris said. "The realtor who sold me Murky mentioned it has a long history in the town."
"There are some really old tombstones in the churchyard," Tony whispered as they followed the adults down the stairs. "Some go back to the 1700's and have some pretty clever epitaphs."
Meredith grimaced. "Sounds great." Now I'm dressing up for dead people she thought.
The church was an imposing, gothic structure. It sat back from the road with a small cemetery on the side. The grass was well kept, but the tombstones were old and worn. Some leaned at odd angles.
They passed through the tall, red double doors into a dim sanctuary. The walls, furnishings, floor, and ceiling were all polished oak. Stained glass windows scattered a rainbow of colors across the glossy pews.
Meredith was surprised to see Hank shuffling down the aisle toward them. A label tag identified him as an usher.
"Hello, Hank," Doris said. "I didn't know you attended here."
"Fifty years," he said. "First time for you?"
Doris nodded.
"Ah, then you should sit in the Captain's pew."
Doris' eyes lit up. "Captain Morgan? He attended here?"
Hank nodded and led them down the aisle. His hair glistened where he had attempted to slick it down in back, but one piece was still defiant.
He stopped at a pew near the front. "Here we are."
They filed in and sat down. Meredith stopped to read the brass plate on the end of the pew.