Left alone, Bethany took a drink of her can of soda and felt a cold breeze brush across her skin, making her shiver again. She looked up to see one of the windows still open and got out from under the light blanket, stood up and stretched then proceeded toward the window to shut it, afraid the howling wind would push the downpour of rain into the attic and ruin the flooring.
Halfway to the window, Bethany walked right into a cold spot and froze as every hair on her body suddenly stood to attention. Her heart began its frantic stumbled beat in her chest, her breathing became labored and shallow. She felt an ice cold hand land upon the back of her neck and smelled something floral as she heard a whisper in her ear. "Stop now. Some door should never be opened. The second journal will lead you down a path, you can't come back from. And if by chance you manage to come back, you'll never be the same again." Bethany could have sworn it was a soft feminine voice that whispered in her ear and when she turned her head, she thought she'd caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman from long ago times based on her high neck collared and floor length dress.
Bethany shook her head from side to side and mumbled to herself, "Stop letting your overactive imagination get the best of you! It's just a darn journal!" She then continued on to the window, shut it tight and locked it then locked the other as well. Before she turned back to head to the bed she felt a hand upon her shoulder again. glancing down with her eyes alone, she saw real fingers and screamed in her fright.
"Sis, it's only me! It's Daphne!" Her sister exclaimed after she too screamed in fright.
Bethany, with her heart in her throat blocking her ability to speak, her hands immediately drew up to rest splayed out over her heart. "Damn it Daphne! Don't sneak up on me like that! this attic is creepy enough all by itself!" Bethany hissed at her younger sister then immediately felt awful. Her eyes gleamed with welled up, unshed tears in apology.
Daphne rushed to the air mattress, set her things down and rushed back to hug Bethany. Something had spooked her sister and badly. She could see and sense it, clear as day. She took no offense at Bethany's outburst and blamed the storm for the suddenly creepy vibe she was feeling in the attic as the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood to attention.
"Come on sis, let's get back into bed. I brought up supplies, just in case the storm gets any worse and we lose electricity. Mom and Dad are still out on the town with their friends. Hey, do you think the building Mom and Dad are starting the museum in, is the same one that Mariana and Daniel built to have their hotel and restaurant in? It does say Hotel in block letters on the top of the building and it was the first brick building built here." Daphne suggested excitedly.
"I believe it is, now that you mention is sis. We can trace the lineage of the building's owners back to its original owner in the 1800s by taking a trip to the Dallas County Recorder's office. Are you tired Daphne?" Bethany changed the subject at the last moment, now fearful about reading anymore of the journal and was prepared to heed the warning.
"Oh no you don't big sis. You are not getting out of reading the rest of the journals!" Daphne hisses, knowing they can't just leave it like that.
"No, of course not, Daphne." Bethany's mouth said the words while her brain screamed to heed the cold words whispered in her ear only moments before, as she snuggled on the bed close to Daphne for strength and comfort. She then grabbed both of the journals and began to read again....
October 28, 1846
What a fabulous fall day! Our small settlement came together today to help one another build our settlement's first buildings and we are hopeful that one day this will become a blossoming city. For now, we are grateful and blessed to have three more shops go up on this little dirt track in the middle of the prairie. The men toiled from dawn to dusk while us womenfolk keep them full of drink and foods to fill their bellies thanks to the outdoor fire pit they made for us.
Once the building were up and the furniture placed, we had a grand celebration. Some of the men played their homemade instruments while the rest of us dance a jig around the fire after the reverend blessed the buildings and our celebration. Great fun was had by all.
December 12, 1846
Today was a sad day as one of our eldest settlers here, passed on yesterday. His name had been Eli Coffin. Old man Coffin had been staying for a spell with my brothers John and Lewis as he'd been struck down will illness in his advanced age and needed assistance. John said the Lord had taketh him away in his sleep to his eternal paradise in Heaven. today, we buried old man Coffin at Clayton Cemetery. He is only the third adult to be buried there. The first residents of the cemetery was the Clayton family. They died while trying to cross the swollen Raccoon River to travel to Fort Des Moines when their handmade wood log raft fell apart and the parents along with their three children were swept away by the current in the center of the river. By the time they were pulled out, they had been taken away to Heaven. It was one of the most tragic days in our settlement's history to date. I fondly remember one of the stories that old man Coffin once told me.
He said, It was a hard day's travel on the trail for my younger brother and I. We found ourselves at dusk not more than half way to our destination. We attempted to cross country, but the dry weeds reached our chests and were very dense. It was a hard walk through them during the day's light, let alone by the light of winter's moon. As the sun fell, the chill of night began to set in so we decided to make camp for the night. But we had no wood for a fire and did not have an axe on our person nor did we have any matches either. My brother came up with an alternative idea to light the tall prairie grass on fire by firing our guns into it. We finally accomplished our goal after a great deal of patience and gun powder. What we did not expect or had even thought about was that when those grasses lit on fire, it carried on for half a mile until it hid the river bed and fizzled out. The Lord took care of us that night and controlled the fire. I will never forget the amazing adventure of that night!
Old man Coffin often told me such miraculous tales of his life, of his extreme faith in the Lord and how the Lord has brought all of us together in this place, in his beautiful creation and that every moment, every little blessing we have, he, the Lord has bestowed upon us. Yesterday, Mr. Coffin taught us one final thing and that's the blessings the Lord giveth, he can also taketh away and we lay to rest the Lord's angel in our lives for so brief a time and yet his impact on our lives is eternal.
I spoke at his funeral today having been the closest to him and the one who helped my brothers care for this amazing man. I told the truth as I saw it in his soul.
Eli Coffin was brave and reckless, having very little sympathy for the ways or customs of human civilization. Only in advanced years did he settle his trapping and trading ways. He knew not an enemy nor foe. He travelled the whole world over and lived with many of the peaceful tribes of the Indian nation. He lived in the way God intended for his life. He was always kind and generous to a fault and always true to his face and his fascinating stories, showing us what true faith and belief in the Lord really is. But I will miss him most of all because he gave me strength when I had none of my own to lean on. When we first arrived, it was Eli Coffin passing through the territory, who showed me I had much more to be grateful for than saddened about. I will forever rejoice in the day god placed him in my path.
May 2, 1857
We have gotten news today by way of travelers passing through our hotel that men from the railroad are coming this way to look over our lands here and may possibly lay tracks for the rail to bring us shipments and supplies and letters for others in our settlement. Part of me wishes they do not come because my life is very busy with her four children and running our flourishing restaurant and hotel. I have already seen so many births and deaths as the circle of life keeps on turning round and round. I feel blessed that I have not suffered severe illness nor has my family and we are still all alive by the Lord's amazing grace. More and more come by wagon train to live in our proud settlement. Several men make the
ir money traveling back and forth between our settlement and Fort Des Moines. It is still a dangerous trip back and forth for supplies.
Today, the weather is dark and stormy and matches my mood well. Daniel and I buried our stillborn twin daughters today. Our first and only daughters, now reside in Clayton Cemetery. I don't know how much more I can take of this life! I build my dreams up only to have them crash and burn around me. I pray to my Lord tonight to help me be strong for my husband and for my family.
July 2, 1859
My labor has been going on now for four hours but something is wrong with my baby. I have never felt such extreme pain from childbirth before. I write in my journal now because I fear that I will not live to see my baby born or at least see him or her grow up and I fear for Daniel, my soul mate. I fear he will be against remarrying another but I want him to go on and have a good life with another. I love him that deeply, that I want him to find love again and I want my children to have a mother's love again. If I am wrong and I live, I will feel blessed and grateful to God but if not, then I have accepted my death and do not fear my eternal reward where I can watch over my family from my eternal paradise above for all of eternity and until the day they come home to me.
July 3, 1859
This will be the last entry in this journal. I only write now because I feel this journal of my wife's deserves closure. I am devastated and lost. My wife died today after bringing our beautiful only daughter into this life.
She lived only one hour after giving birth to our daughter she named Bethany Ann Wright. Mariana had precious little time to tell Bethany how deeply she loved her and held her in her arms before the Lord called her home. Thankfully, God sent us Marietta, a twenty year old widow who has just buried her own babe a week ago. She has agreed to be Bethany's wet nurse and to care for my children, helping them to heal from the loss of their mother. She will move into our home here in the hotel. Apparently my wife thought ahead yesterday. She'd already spoken to Marietta and garnered her promise. I will save this for my daughter so that she might one day know her mother through it.
I, on the other hand, await for when God calls me home to my eternal paradise in Heaven so that I can be with my brave and beautiful Mariana for all of eternity.
Signed,
Daniel Wright, husband of Mariana (Stump) Wright and father of Bethany Ann Wright, aged 34 years old.
Upon reading the last entry in Daniel's own handwriting Bethany laid down the journal that so briefly mentioned the birth of her namesake. She and Daphne turned to and help one another as they cried for the life of their ancestor that had been cut far too short. They knew they couldn't speak of it to anyone and it became their secret pain to guard. What they didn't understand was why Grandpa said never to show anyone at least this journal.
Bethany said a silent apology to her Grandfather as she knew in her heart that Mariana's story deserved to be told, to be read by others to bless their lives and for the world to cherish and rejoice in the life of their brave, selfless and beautiful great-great-great-great pioneer Grandmother. One of the very first to settle this land our home resides upon and who very likely died on the third floor of the old hotel building.
The very last page written on after Daniel's entry had been a sketch drawn by one Marietta Wright of Mariana with the inscription, For my beautiful Bethany who shines as brightly as you mother once did. Mariana Ann Stump-Wright, born and died by the grace of God, 1829-1859 at thirty years and two months of age.
"I can't handle hearing anymore tonight, sis. I feel like I just lost Grandma Mariana and never even knew her although, I really wish I had." Daphne whispered as her voice choked up and more silent tears fell from her face.
Bethany wholeheartedly agreed. She felt as if she'd lived alongside Mariana her whole life and especially during the events in the journal, lived a lifetime's worth in only a few short hours. She ever so gently wrapped the journal back up and hid it in a cubby hole she'd found near her bed, wanting it close to her along with great-great Grandmother Clarice's journal.
When she felt no one would touch or find the journals, Bethany laid her head down and expected to fall into a dreamless refreshing sleep. But that's not what happened....
Chapter Two ~ The Haunting Dreams
"WHERE THE HECK am I? When the heck am I? Why am I still clothed in my nightgown?" Bethany asked herself aloud as she found herself standing on a worn down dirt road or track if you will. As Bethany glanced around her, she could see homes, log cabins really, spread far and wide and most noticeable by the culling smoke entering the sky.
All around this street, Bethany stood on what must me the Main Street for the town. On both sides, were businesses of all shapes and types. there were fifteen building that she counted with the largest being the hotel and restaurant right in the center between the general store and the newspaper office. At the far end of this main dirt street, she saw beautiful houses with beautiful yards and some that even had orchards in their yards.
Before Bethany could take one step, she heard a whisper in her ear, "You read the journal and opened the door. Now you must see it through to the end of the vision, traveler." Bethany whipped around and yet saw nothing as she turned in a rapid circle, seeking the owner of that feminine whisper. She was starting to believe it belonged to a ghost that she just couldn't see. And if it was indeed a ghost, then Bethany knew she'd just free fallen into a world of insanity and would have to hide it from her parents.
Bethany knew her parents would force her to see a shrink or worse, send her to an insane asylum. It did not matter that the closest one had talk of it being closed down in two years. Her parents would say it was plenty of time for her to get the help she needed. No, she was going to have to keep this-whatever this was, to herself.
Decision made, Bethany, fearful of being spotted in her night dress and not aware she was the spitting image of Mariana, she cautiously approached the newspaper office. The newspaper displayed in the window, stated it was "The Prairie Flower Newspaper." She tried the door, expecting it to be locked only to find her hand passed right through and she ended up falling heavily on her hip as her whole body fell right through the entrance door.
"What is going on here? Did I die in my sleep without rhyme or reason? But if I died and became a ghost, then why would I come back in time to the past? This can't be my hometown!" Bethany uttered to herself as she spotted a bundle of freshly printed newspaper sheets. On them, it said this place is called Tracy, Iowa not Van Meter, Iowa which she knew was the original town name before it was changed to Van Meter. The date on the paper says...."Holy cow! This says I am in Tracy, Iowa on May 1, 1869. Oh wait a minute - this article says they are to vote to re-name the town to Van Meter, after some man who built the first mill. What on earth am I doing back in 1869? This feels almost too real to be a dream. Am I absolutely crazy?" Bethany is clearly confused and in shock as she walked right back out of the newspaper office and walked to a bench by the General store and sat down heavily as she tried to figure out this turn of events.
Bethany knew she really was at home in Van Meter, Iowa just many years in the past, then that meant that the current time here is actually ten years after Mariana's death. That could mean that her great-great-great-great Grandfather, Daniel Wright, is still alive at the top of the hotel with his children. The Bethany she was named after, would be around 10 years old now. Maybe Daniel and his children could help her to get back to her own time. There was no reason for Bethany to be there. That it had to be a dream, never crossed her mind instead, pure insanity seemed more plausible to her as she deeply wished Daphne was there to reassure her. Bethany sighed and decided it couldn't hurt to try to watch and find Daniel Wright. She stood up and walked next door to the hotel to glance in the windows, care not to touch them having learned from her previous experience. She found the hotel nearly empty as well as the combined dining room. So, she decided to enter and wander, hoping to run into Daniel as some point. Although, how she'd garner his help,
she currently had no clue but she had to try something.
"Here goes nothing...." Bethany whispered to herself as she walked right through the entrance door and into the hotel. She wandered through the first floor but did not see anyone but a cleaning woman who did not see her. Bethany decided to head up the stairs to the third floor and walked through the door to find all the children asleep in their beds and a strange woman asleep in the master bedroom with a young girl around ten years old. The girl must be Bethany's namesake. She was a very beautiful woman. She was proud to be named after the beauty Mariana struggled so hard to bring into the word.
Bethany went down a hallway and through the closed door at the end of it. She stopped immediately in her tracks as the man behind the table did a triple glance at the door where she stood. His face quickly became the palest white and he gasped out loud.
"There's no way, it's not possible! Mariana, my love, is that you? Have you come back to check on Bethany? She's growing like a weed and very beautiful. She looks much like you already." Daniel says to the ghostly woman he's sure is Mariana, come from Heaven to check on them. He suddenly felt great shame for having moved on with his second wife Marietta. Perhaps that act had upset her so greatly that she came back from her eternal paradise. What he actually heard come out of her mouth, shocked him to no end.
"I'm sorry Daniel, I'm not your wife Mariana. My name is Bethany and I was named after your only daughter. I am your great-great-great-great granddaughter. My name is Bethany too. I am from the year 2014 and I know how completely insane that sounds but I swear to you on my own life that all I say is true." Bethany rushed through her explanation, praying that her ancestor would hear her out.