'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 51 (finale)

The four friends hobbled out of the taxi cab, into the parking lot of the hotel. Shirley Sue quietly sang to herself as the party massed together a pile of cash and handed it to the taxi driver, who thanked them and drove off. The cool night air bit at Roger’s fingertips, but that sensation was quickly replaced as Sarah’s hand connected with his. Sarah smiled and leaned in against him as they walked toward the building.

The four hurried through the doors and into the lobby of the Chester Inn. Charles looked up from the book he was reading and greeted them.

“I trust you had a good evening,” he said with a grin.

“We did,” Roger heard himself say through the cacophony of his friends’ responses.

Charles bid them a good evening as they walked toward the elevator. As they stood waiting for the elevator, Roger glanced back at the lobby and watched as Charles locked up the front doors of the hotel for the night. The soft tone of the elevator chimed out as the elevator doors opened and the four of them entered the narrow room. The ‘3’ lit up as Shirley Sue’s finger tapped the button. Moments later they were stepping off the elevator onto their floor.

Shirley Sue held tight to Buck’s arm as they laughed and giggled between themselves while they ambled their way to their room. Buck pulled out their key-card and led Shirley Sue into their suite, leaving Roger and Sarah alone to traverse the last few doors.

Sarah paused at her door and turned to face Roger. “Looks like it’s my stop.”

“Ya,” Roger said, unable to hide the tone of disappointment which crept through his voice.

The pair stood for a moment, their hands still intertwined. Roger reached a hand up and caressed Sarah’s face with his thumb. His heart raced as he tilted his head and closed his eyes. A wave of electricity washed over him as his lips connected with hers. Sarah’s fingernails sent a chill down his spine as she combed them across his scalp.

Sarah drew her head back from Roger’s, her arms now draped around the back of his neck. “See you tomorrow?” she asked.

Roger nodded. He watched as Sarah slipped into her room. Like the sun falling behind the hillside, she watched him until the door had finally eclipsed his face. Roger stood dumbfounded for a moment, awash in a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he turned toward his room and slid his key-card into its slot.

Roger floated to his bed and climbed underneath the sheets. He replayed the last few moments over in his head, reliving that sweet memory as it lulled him to sleep. A single thought popped into his head as sleep overtook him, that their adventure here in Chester hadn’t been that bad after all.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 50

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Buck found himself following the uniformed man toward the table where Rob was now standing. He glanced around and saw that his brother, Shirley Sue, and Sarah had joined him in his journey toward the table.

Rob cleared his throat and shouted into the crowd, “Nothing to see here folks, just go back to enjoying your evening!” Dozens of heads snapped away from the direction of the two police officers, as though they had been released from a spring, and the music resumed from where it had left off. The partygoers shot the occasional glance toward the officers as they peered from a distance, trying to ascertain what could be so urgent.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Rob said in a hushed tone. “Who’s gone, Jim?”

Jim’s face grew pallid, and the circles under his eyes seemed to intensify as he contemplated his response to Rob. “Aura, the dead lady,” his voice eked out. “The janitor found the door to her cold chamber ripped clear off its hinges. I took a look at the door and it was dented on the inside, like she pounded her way out or somethin’.”

“Jeez,” Rob said, mimicking Jim’s tone. “This must be some kind of prank.”

“That’s not all,” Jim said with an audible gulp. “Someone broke into the evidence room and stole that fancy knife of hers… No prints or nothin’.”

Rob cleared his throat and tugged on his collar. “I’ll go and check it out.”

“Want me to come with?” asked Sarah.

“No… Why don’t you folks stay here and enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With that, Rob, Shawn, and Jim said their farewells and filed out into the crowd toward the exit.

A shiver traced its way down his spine as Buck stood in silence. The weight of what he had seen earlier hit him anew. The soft yellow glow of those eyes… He shook the thought from his head. It had been an animal, nothing more than an animal. The most reasonable explanation was that someone was playing a cruel joke; after all, the vampire angle had been played up since the investigation had started.

Shirley Sue placed a hand on Buck’s forearm. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Buck turned toward her and nodded. “Everything is fine,” he said, smiling at her.

The four friends returned to their evening of dancing and drinking. The thought of Aura, her knife, and the glowing eyes faded from Buck’s mind as the night wore on.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 49

Roger and Buck stood outside in the crisp evening air, surrounding the groom who stood beaming as the other men clapped him on the back and congratulated him. The heavy smell of smoke intermingled with that of alcohol and cheap cologne. After ten minutes or so the crowd of men began to dissipate as they filtered back into the building, escaping from the cold air which permeated through their tuxedos. The two brothers took up leaning on the railing as they finished off the stubs of their cigars. The pair stood in silence, listening to the muted music and gazing at the starscape as they enjoyed the evening. Buck took a drag on the cigar and held it for a moment. As he exhaled, he dropped his cigar and was overtaken by a coughing fit.

Clapping his brother on the back, Roger asked, “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Buck said as he recovered from the attack. He reached down and picked up the remnant of his cigar. “I though… I thought I saw something,”

“What did you see?”

“Eh, it was just a wild animal, the light reflecting off its eyes,” Buck said, regaining his composure.

“Whatever you say bro,” Roger said with a chuckle.

Roger watched Buck’s hands grip the railing as he looked into the distance, his eyes darting over the landscape. Roger opened his mouth to say something when Shirley Sue and Sarah stepped out onto the porch.

“There you two are!” Shirley Sue said with a grin. “We were starting to wonder if you got lost out here!”

“We were looking for a couple of fine gentlemen to dance with,” Sarah said with a giggle. “Have you seen any?”

The four friends shuffled onto the dance floor and started to boogieing to ‘Love Shack.’ “This one is called the grave digger,” Roger said as he pretended to dig a grave. Sarah giggled and shook her head as she imitated his grave digging. The sound of Bill Medley’s voice singing ‘Time Of My Life’ faded in over the song as Roger was mid stride of a digging motion. Roger, who felt like a deer which had been caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, stood frozen. His heart raced as Sarah moved closer to him. He broke free of his spell in time to take Sarah’s hand and drape his arm around her back. Roger gazed into Sarah’s eyes as they moved in rhythm with the music. The pair drew closer together as the song progressed. Roger could feel the warmth of Sarah’s body seep through his shirt. Her head rested lightly on his shoulder as Jennifer Warnes’s voice harmonized with her partner’s. Sarah looked up at Roger. A brunette wisp fell from the tidy up-do her hair was contained in. Roger reached his hand up and brushed the lock behind her ear. He felt her hot breath buff against his cheek as their faces drew nearer to each other.

The music cut out, leaving the room bathed in the soft murmurs of the confused partygoers who looked around dumbfounded. The whole room’s eyes followed the officer who jogged across the dance floor. The sea of dancers parted for him as though he were Moses crossing the Red Sea.

“Brady!” the man said through gasps. “We’ve got a problem. She’s gone!”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 48

Roger shuffled in rhythm with the crowd as they ambled toward the door leading into the reception hall. He had fidgeted his way through the wedding ceremony, fussing at his collar and tie. He could feel the cool breeze flowing in from the double doors which ushered the crowd out of the stale, hot air of the church.

Roger stepped out into a cross breeze, flanked by his three friends. The cool air weaved through the quartet as they walked toward the stout brick building ahead of them. The sun, hanging low on the horizon, peeked out from a cloud and smiled warmly down on them, a nice change of weather compared to the cold damp weather they had been having in Chester over the last week.

“What a lovely day for a wedding!” Shirley Sue said as she craned her head backward and looked toward the sky.

“Ya, it’s too bad they couldn’t have it outdoors,” Sarah chimed in.

Roger passed through the door and glanced around the room through the crowd passing in front of him.

“Look!” Sarah said, pointing toward a table in the back of the room. “It’s Rob and Shawn.” On the other side of the room sat the two gentlemen seated at one of the round tables. Rob was waving at the four of them.

“Save me a seat,” Shirley Sue said, veering off from her friends. “I need to freshen up for a moment.”

Sarah plopped down into one of the eight gray, padded chairs surrounding the table. “You two are looking sharp.”

“You’re not looking bad yourself,” Rob said with a wink. “I just love how those shoes look with that dress, very well put together.”

Roger took the seat next to Sarah. He watched as Rob flirted with Sarah for what seemed like an eternity. As he listened to the pair, a pang of jealousy hit him squarely in the chest. He glared at Rob and Shawn as the pair continued their small talk with Sarah and Buck.

The four of them were laughing when Shawn paused mid sentence. “Is everything alright Roger?”

“Is everything alright?” Roger heard himself repeat back. Roger felt all four pairs of eyes on him. “No, everything isn’t alright. We know about your dirty little secret.”

“Secret?” Rob said, his cheeks flushed.

“Ya, and it’s high time the rest of the town found out about what you’ve been hiding.”

“I’m not sure I understand...”

“Shirley Sue and Buck heard you arguing when they were stranded at your place. Hell, they even saw the photo and we pieced it all together.”

“Rob’s face turned a dark shade of crimson. “Ah, that was just…”

“Give me a break Rob, it’s nineties,” Shawn blurted out. “So what, we’re gay. That’s what we’ve been hiding, albeit poorly, from you and from everyone else all this time.”

A few heads turned toward the table and several of the tables around them grew quiet.

“Oh my,” Roger said with a raised eyebrow, tugging at his tie. “That wasn’t what I...” Roger trailed off.

“What I think he is trying to say is...” said Buck, trying to dodge the glances being shot at them from the surrounding tables. “Well, he just thought you were killers… not that you were gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Being gay that is, not killing, of course.”

“The way people avoid the Greasy Hog, you wouldn't think that,” Shawn muttered under his breath.

“Hey Buck!” Shirley Sue’s voice broke through the chatter that had rekindled at the tables surrounding them.

Buck cleared his throat. “Hey Shirley Sue.”

“I’m grabbing a drink, wanna join me?”

Buck stood up and took Shirley Sue by the arm. “Duty calls,” he said, leaving four of them stranded in the uneasy silence.

Roger watched as Shirley Sue and Buck disappeared into the crowd. He turned his attention back to his companions sitting at the table.

“Um… Sorry for accusing you of murder. I guess I just got a little carried away.”

“No problem,” said Shawn. “I guess I got a little carried away myself.”

“Too bad we’ll have to kill you now, since you know our real secret,” said Rob with a dead pan tone.

Roger’s eyes bulged out of his head for a moment as he met Rob’s stony gaze. The four of them burst into laughter. The awkwardness of the situation melted away into good natured conversation.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 47

A rusty pickup truck bumped along a dirt road. The driver glanced down at the young woman who was sleeping in the seat next to him, then into the back of the truck's cabin, where his brother lay sprawled out over the seat, snoring loudly. They had only been on the road an hour, but the flurry of activity over the last week had left him and his companions exhausted.

Buck thought back to the long days in the interrogation room with the FBI agents. The barrage of questions they were asked. The blinding flashes of lights from the multitude of reporters who spent their afternoons waiting for anyone to give them a tidbit of information on the case. Buck chuckled; their determination never ceased to amaze him. Despite being told numerous times that there was a gag order over the case, they continued to pry for new developments. After the sixth day of the media circus, Sarah had been able to convince the federal agents to allow them to head back to Franklin to escape the media flurry, at least for a little while.

No sooner had they arrived in their home town, had they receive word that Patty and Ben had decided to tie the knot. It seemed that the pair had grown closer than ever since Jack’s murder. With the help of the venue and caterer, they decided to move the date down by a couple of days and to make the gathering a little more intimate.

Buck was happy for the duo, but he had been looking forward to a little downtime. It looked like he and his friends would have to wait a few more days before they could relax.

A sensation of deja vu swept over him as the truck came to a stop in front of an old faded stop sign. The turn signals clicked in rhythm with his heart, and bid him to make his way onto the smooth paved road ahead.

“Fifteen more miles Buck,” he said in a whisper to himself. “Fifteen more miles.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 46

Sarah listened to the silky tones of Shirley Sue’s voice as it melted away through the wall of the interrogation room. She strained her ears in an effort to pick out a word or phrase from the murmurs as she waited for her turn, but the walls were too thick. A cold chill raced down her spine as her mind drifted to the thought of Aura laying on top of her. She had been subject to the sensation all morning, as though a whole army of ghosts had been parading across her grave.

Fatigue began to set in and Sarah blinked her eyes in an attempt to fight off the waves of sleep as they washed over her. The hum of a fan in the background intermingled with the sing song tone of Shirley Sue’s voice, inviting her to rest her head.

A shadow passed in front of her and she glanced up in time to see a pair of black slacks move toward the interrogation door. Through the haze of her rapidly blinking eyelids, Sarah registered the hollow sound of the man rapping on the interrogation room. He carried a large yellow envelope which twitched at his side as he waited for the door to open. A moment later the wooden door swung open, revealing Rob standing in the door frame.

“Looks like the blades match,” the man said, handing Rob the envelope.

“Thanks Todd.”

“No prob Rob,” Todd said giving a quick nod before marching away.

Rob turned his attention to Sarah. “Sorry to keep you waiting Sarah. You’re welcome to come in now,” he said gesturing for her to enter the room. “I’m just about done with Shirley Sue.”

Sarah stood up and shook head in an effort to clear the heavy fog which clouded her thoughts. “Wait a second,” Sarah said, walking into the room. “Did he say that Aura’s blade matched the murder weapon?”

“It looks that way.”

“Which case?”

“Both.”

Sarah greeted Shirley Sue and took the seat she had previously occupied. Just as her friend began to meander out of the room, the phone on the interview desk rang out and shook violently. Rob answered the phone. The color in his face drained as he listened to the receiver.

“Yes sir.”

“Yes.”

“Understood sir.”

With that Rob hung up the phone. “That was the FBI,” he said clearing his throat. “This case is now under their jurisdiction.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 45

Sarah jumped as the silence of the room was shattered by the whine of a zipper. She glanced over toward Rob and watched as his hand, which grasped the silver pull tab, guided the slider along its chain. She felt a chill race down her spine as the zipper clambered its way up the sack.

“What a shame,” she heard him say as Aura’s pale complexion disappeared behind the heavy black cloth.

She took a deep breath and winced at the pain that rushed through her chest, a memento which kept her thoughts locked on the chaos that had filled the house in the moments after Aura’s death. She wasn’t sure exactly how she had gone from being underneath Aura's body to the hunched over stance she had assumed moments later while she tried to regain her breath. She had a vague memory of Roger helping her to her feet, but the memory was enveloped by an impenetrable haze.

“How’s Emma holding up?” Rob asked in a hushed tone.

Sarah glanced over at Emma. Emma's two brothers hovered over their sister as a paramedic tended to her. She sat clutching an icepack to the side of her head. “Well, it looks like she’s at least conscious now.”

Sarah thought back to the moment when Emma had rushed into the mudroom to investigate the racket. Emma opened her mouth as though she was going to lecture the four of them for being so loud. However, instead of a lecture came an ear-piercing shriek. Her complexion grew pale as the air escaped her lungs, turning the woman into a marble statue. Emma’s screams were cut short as she tottered over and smacked her head on the doorframe.

“You okay?” Rob asked as he put a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

“Ya, still just a little shook up, I guess.”

“We’ll take the knife down to the medical examiner’s office and see if it matches the one used in either of the murders,” Rob said as he looked over the knife in the evidence bag.

Sarah watched as Rob helped the coroner load the body onto the gurney. The coroner, who was holding the end of the gurney where Aura's covered head lay, opened the front door of the house. Red light strobed through the entryway. Sarah squinted and followed the pair out the door and into the pre-dawn morning. Three patrol cars sat crammed along the road next to the house, their lights intermingling with those of the ambulances. A pair of officers leaned against the hood of one of the cruisers, smoking cigarettes. The officers rose to their feet and walked toward Sarah, Rob, and the coroner. A heavy trail of smoke followed the officers as they reached the trio.

“We just finished up out here Brady,” said one of the men.

“Ya, we looked around for any sign of forced entry but we came up with diddly-squat,” chimed in the second. “No ropes, ladders, or rocket packs as far as we can tell.”

The first officer elbowed the second. “Rocket packs, Jim? You’ve been watching too much of that god-awful rocket man movie, bud.”

“I tolds ya before Kevin, it’s called The Rocketeer, and it’s not possible to watch it too many times.”

“Enough you two,” interjected Rob. “I’m heading up to the station to drop the knife off with forensics. See to it that our friends here are taken care of before heading out.”

The pair nodded in unison.

“Oh and Sarah,” Rob said, turning his gaze to her. “After you all are rested up, be sure to drop by the station to give statements.”

Sarah nodded at Rob and they exchanged their goodbyes. Her eyes followed Rob as he climbed into the cruiser. The thud of the cruiser door resonated through her body, sending a fresh shiver down her spine.   

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 44

Sarah jumped to her feet, the springs in the recliner helping to propel her upward. She noted that her fingers had acquired the hilt of the knife during her leap upward. The harrowing shriek still echoed through her head as she searched for the source of the cry. In her confused state she, wondered if the scream had been some horrific nightmare, but she saw Roger and Buck startled awake looking just as confused as she felt.

“Shirley Sue?!” Buck questioned as he raced to his feet.

His query was answered by the sound of footsteps thundering from above. The trio scrambled to the stairway and looked up in time to see a figure clinging to the railing stumble down the last couple of steps. Through the darkness Sarah could make out Shirley Sue's face, twisted into an expression of horror. The sound of her panting sobs chilled Sarah to the bone. Sarah felt herself let out a gasp as a figure wrapped in darkness appeared at the top of the stairs and began pursuing Shirley Sue down the stairs.

Sarah grabbed Shirley Sue's arm and helped guide her down the remaining stairs. When she reached the bottom, Shirley Sue began to nurse her shoulder. Her voice was frantic and her words were hard to make out. However, Sarah's blood ran cold at the mention of one word in particular, 'Aura.'

The second figure paused in the middle of the stairway. Sarah looked up at the figure cloaked in shadows. She saw two familiar yellow orbs hanging in the darkness.

“Graaa!” Aura shouted as she leapt toward the four friends.

Sarah shielded herself, placing her arms in front of her as she saw Aura’s silhouette flying toward her. She fell backward and hit the floor with a thud. She gasped for breath as her diaphragm ached from the force of the impact. Aura wore a cruel smile as she looked into Sarah's eyes, as though she was enjoying watching Sarah struggle to breathe. Then the smile melted away into confusion. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words ever came and the yellow flame in her her eyes faded to black.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 43

Shirley Sue pushed open the door and walked into the room. She looked down at the sleeping figure in the cot.

“Rachel?”

Shirley Sue stood, waiting for Rachel to reply. The child turned on to her side, but provided no answer. Shirley Sue took a step toward the cot.

“You better not be playing a prank on me,” She said under her breath.

She began to lean forward to examine the child more closely when she felt the cold grip of a hand cover her mouth.

Shirley Sue's screams were stifled by the hand smothering her face. She tried to wriggle her head free from the ice cold palm wrapped around her lips. However, the harder she struggled against her assailant's clasp, the deeper the long, slender fingernails gripping at her dug into her face. She flailed her arms backward. Her elbow connected with her captor's stomach. She struck at her foe once more. She felt the grip of a second icy had grab hold of her wrist. A muffled cry of pain escaped her mouth. She thrashed, frantically trying to free her arm, but her assailant quickly overpowered her and twisted her arm behind her back.

“Shhh,” Aura whispered. “Don't make this harder than it has to be.”

Shirley Sue tried once more to pull away from Aura. She felt the burn of pain burst through her shoulder as Aura applied pressure to her arm.

“You see... My dear, you and your friends have put me in to quite the bind,” Aura whispered. The words tingled against Shirley Sue's ear. “It didn't have to be this way. If only you had just left well enough alone.”

Shirley Sue froze as a sharp sensation prickled at her neck. Aura's hot breath following close behind the needle-like sensation. Shirley Sue struggled despite the pain rushing through her arm. Her muffled cries grew more frantic as the Aura's teeth searched for their target. Tears of anger, pain, and frustration welled into Shirley Sue's eyes as she struggled against Aura. She felt a tear run down her cheek as she involuntary squinted from the burning sensation that seared through her neck.

The room flashed full of light, as though a bolt of lightning had struck Shirley Sue’s neck. The necklace which had adorned her neck clattered to the ground, still faintly glowing from the broken links of the chain. Aura shrieked and relinquished the grip on her prey.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 42

Shirley Sue lifted her head from Buck's side, freeing herself from the arm which was draped over her shoulder. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced around the room. Her ears perked up at the sound of a floorboard groaning. The smell of rain filtered in through the nearby window and the pitter-patter of the droplets intermingled with the faint hum of the 1000 hertz signal playing through the speakers of the television.

She stretched her neck, attempting to work out the the crick which had developed from laying against Buck. In the corner of her eye, she saw Roger sprawled out along the couch, his arms crossed over his chest like he had been placed in a casket. To her other side, she saw Sarah stretched out in the recliner. She saw the glint of something metallic; the hilt of the Aura's knife peeked up from between the cushion and the arm where it was wedged.

The images of Sarah and Roger escaping from Aura danced through Shirley Sue's head as she absently gazed toward the dagger. Shirley Sue could still remember the duo's frantic tones as they described their escape. SHe had never seen Sarah that shook up over something except maybe that night in the woods. The sound of the floor creaking once more drew her out of her trance. She shook her head, as though she was clearing the image from an etch-a-sketch, and returned her attention to the television.

She gazed into the screen of the television and watched the eye searing, multi-colored test pattern. She reached for the smooth black remote that lay upon the coffee table before her. The surface of the remote was covered with a mind boggling quantity of buttons. She aimed the remote at the television and pressed the power button. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She rose to her feet and looked around the room. Her eyes made contact with the glinting blade once more.

Shirley Sue jumped at the sound of the creaking from above once more. She glided toward the stairs and whispered up the stairs, “Rachel?” After a moment of silence, she crept up the stairs. Every other step groaned with protest as she made her way to the top. After cresting the last step, she was met with a long thin triangle of pink light emanating from Rachel's room.

The pink light disappeared momentarily as a shadow passed between the door and the night-light.

“Rachel?”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 41

Rachel's eyes fluttered open, her dreams shattered by the sound of wood squeaking against wood. The night light in the corner cast a soft pink glow around the room. Rachel squeezed a tattered teddy bear. “Did you hear that Mr. Snuggles?” she said. Before Mr. Snuggles could answer, the noise returned.

The springs on the tiny cot squeaked as Rachel sat up. She looked over toward her bed, which Aunt Shirley Sue had been borrowing. “Aunt Turley Tue?” Rachel's tiny voice said, barley above a whisper.

Rachel climbed off the cot and hurried over to her bed. She placed her diminutive fingers on a pink comforter with images of kittens, owls, and bunnies that was draped across the bed. The sheets and comforter were still pulled taut across the surface of the mattress and the pillow remained unoccupied.

“Rachel...” The voice sent a chill racing down Rachel's spine. The voice felt close, as though someone had spoke directly into her ear. She whirled around and faced the window. The soft pink curtains drifted outward, buffeted by the cool night breeze coming through the open window. On the edge of the window sat a beautiful woman. Her pale skin and short black hair stood in stark contrast to each other in the soft pink glow of the night light.

“How did you know my name?”

“Your name? I'm afraid I don't know your name.” The woman sighed and a small crystalline tear traveled down the side of her cheek. “I was looking for my doll and her name is Rachel.” The woman burst into tears.

“Don't be sad!” Rachel said as she crept over to the figure sitting on the shadowy windowsill.

“But I've lost her and I don't know where to find her.”

“What does she look like?”

“Oh, she is the most beautiful doll with long black hair, porcelain skin, and a lovely red bow in her hair. I'm afraid she has wandered off on me and I'll never find her again.”

"Where did you see her last?"

“The last time I saw her, she was dancing on this windowsill before she ran away.”

Rachel's eyes grew wide with amazement, “She dances?”

“But of course! May I come in and look for her?”

Rachel nodded and extended her hand toward the woman. The pair first looked under the bed and then the searched the dresser drawer. The woman let out a sigh. "We'll never find her."

Just then the duo heard what sounded like a mouse sneezing. They made a beeline over to a shelf lined with Rachel's stuffed animals. There in the middle of the shelf sat a doll just like the one the woman had described.

"She is so lovely!" Rachel exclaimed.

“Thank you so much for your help!” The woman pressed the doll up against her chest and hugged it. "What's that you say little Rachel?" She drew the doll up to her ear and listened.

"Little Rachel tells me that she wants to spend the night here with you," the woman said getting down onto her knees. "Is that alright with you?"

Rachel beamed as she nodded. The woman passed the doll to Rachel and the little girl clung tightly to the miniature. Just then Rachel let out a deep yawn and her eyes felt especially heavy. The woman led the her over to the cot and tucked her in.

Rachel's vision grew bleary as she smiled and clung tightly to her new friend. Soon she was dancing and drinking tea with her little Rachel in a deep, sweet dream.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 40

The gravel under Aura's shoes crunched softly as she approached the white, mud specked SUV. A steady sprinkle of mist pelted the side of the vehicle, coalescing into large droplets which carved out thin estuaries through the mud caked door. Her eyes darted from one end of the vehicle to the other, looking for any sign of the driver and passenger, but she saw neither. She crept up to the side of the vehicle and peered through the rain spattered window. A crystal charm gently swung back and forth from the rear view mirror as though it was a metronome keeping its own version of time. Sarah and Roger could not be far away.

Aura turned her attention to the multi-colored flashes of light emanating from the nearby building's window. She glided up to the house and peered inside. There she saw four figures sitting on couches and chairs, two of whom were Sarah and Roger. She could hear the faint murmurs of their voices intermingled with the television as she watched them, but could not discern any of their words. She would need to find a way into the house.

She scanned the front yard. Her eyes fell upon a wooden sandbox, painted red. On the side of the box, written in bold, white letters was the name 'Rachel.' She walked over to the box and peered inside. An assortment of colorful toys were littered across the golden grains. Aura reached down and scooped up a handful of sand. The rain from earlier turned the grains into a shapable, cohesive mass. Using her left index finger, she drew something that looked like a tuning fork with a dot in the middle of the sand and closed her fingers around the mass.

Aura took a deep breath. “Aedificare pupa,” she said, breathing out the words at a near whisper. As she spoke, she waved her left hand over her closed right hand. A deep indigo light emanated from her fist for a moment and quickly faded into darkness. She opened her hand once more and in the place of the sand was a tiny doll with straight black hair.

She smiled to herself. Not bad. Now to find the little girl.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 39

Buck felt his heart thunder in his chest like the time he and his brother had been caught by the sheriff smoking weed in the woods. The logical part of his mind knew that it was probably just Roger walking through the door, but the irrational part of his mind, the part that jumped at shadows in the dark, envisioned Emma's stocky figure bursting through her bedroom door, yelling at him and Shirley Sue for sharing the couch past midnight. He felt his pulse slowly dial back when he looked in the direction of the noise and saw no sign of Emma's writhing bathrobe nor her wild, sleep twisted hair.

Buck realized that he was watching the adjacent room with the intensity of an owl tracking its prey. He heard the front door creak shut, followed by the clomping of shoes working their way down the wooden floor of the mudroom. Shortly thereafter, Roger passed into the arch which connected the living room and mudroom, with Sarah on his heels. Under his eyes were bags of exhaustion, illuminated by the dim light generated by the flashing cathode-ray tube across the room. Roger and Sarah's movements were stiff and mechanical as they walked as though they had spent the last hour doing squats or running on the treadmill. Buck wasn't sure if it was just the light, but he though they both looked a little pale.

“Hey Roger. Hey Sarah,” Buck said in a voice that hovered above a whisper. “Welcome back.” Buck studied his brother's face. Behind Roger's eyes he caught a glimpse of something. Fear. His pupils were dilated and his face was indeed pallid. “Somethin' the matter?”

“We ran into our old friend Aura,” Roger said. “And she tried to kill us.”

Sarah and Roger walked into the room. Sarah sat down in Emma's recliner, and Roger plopped down on the loveseat on the other side of the living room.

Roger and Sarah launched into their alleyway encounter. Buck sat rapt, eyes wide with disbelief.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 38

Buck was starting to regret coming on this vacation. Nothing was working out like he had hoped. First the hotel, then the truck, and now Shirley Sue wasn't talking to him. His earlier attempt to reconcile with her had been met with a cold stony silence, but maybe now he would have better luck.

Buck gripped the wooden rail as he walked down the stairs. He froze as one of the steps creaked under his weight. The sound dragged out for what seemed minutes, drowning out the faint babble of the television. Why did even the slightest noise seem to become amplified to an ear popping volume in the darkness? He lifted his foot from stair and it creaked once again. Just what he needed, a landmine in every step. It's a wonder anyone could move up or down these stairs without waking the entire house. He carefully crept the remainder of the distance. As he went, he tested each step with only a fraction of his weight and avoided any stair which threatened to cry out.

A deep sigh left his lips as his heel connected with the hardwood floor of the mud room. To his left, bright flashes of colored light reflected off the white walls from the living room. He peered around the doorway to the living room. The gray upholstered couch created a barrier between him and the television. The space behind it provided a path to the empty dining room. The nearby windowpane rattled as a gust of wind tried to gain entry. The sound of gunfire playing from the television drew his eyes back to the couch. A pair of feet poked out over one arm of the couch, pointing toward the unadorned ceiling.

Go on Buck, tell her what happened. She can't stay mad at you forever. Buck shook his head. He knew it wouldn't be that easy. What was he supposed to say to her? Sorry about talking with Aura and not telling you about it? No, that would certainly not get him out of the dog house. She would glower at him with those baby blue eyes and he would shrink away from her gaze, like a leaf caught in bonfire.

Buck's heart raced as the chime of the grandfather clock sitting in the back corner reverberated through the living room. He counted along in his head as the chimes signaled the time: nine, ten, eleven, twelve. The sound of the clock reminded Buck that the night was wearing on and that he would have to say something to her eventually. He wished for some kind of inspiration to strike, but instead was cornered by nagging voices telling him that anything he said would be wrong and that there was no way to fix what was broken. After what seemed like forever, but couldn't have been more than three minutes, he took a deep breath. He felt words vibrating his vocal cords as they left his mouth. “Can we talk for a minute?” He listened to the voice. It sounded strange, like he had a bubble in his throat which distorted his voice.

The feet withdrew from the arm of the couch. A moment later a head popped up over the back of the couch. He tried to find something in her eyes that would reassure him in his mission, but all he saw was a dim reflection of light. The darkness smoothed out her face and masked her expression. For all he knew, there could be a look of bloodlust in those eyes and he would never be able to see it. The television light blazed behind her head like a halo, simultaneously illuminating her hair and masking her face. Little stray hairs at the top of her head danced in the light, waving back and forth as though they were unaware of the tense air which filled the room.

Buck was on the verge of breaking the silence which hung between them when Shirley Sue spoke. “What do you want to talk about?” she said. The cold edge which had attached itself to her words earlier had evaporated, leaving soft, but tired tones.

“I know I should have told you about Aura. I'm really sorry you found out that way,” Buck said. “It was just that, well, after what happened at breakfast I was worried that you'd get jealous or hurt. I talked with her long enough to find out her name and got away from her as quick as possible.”

“A part of me wants to stay mad at you. I feel betrayed. The worst case came to my mind, that you really did know her when we were at the diner, that you'd been hiding something with her all along. I hope I'm not making a mistake by trusting you.”

A few notes to an old song popped into Buck's head as he stood there staring at Shirley Sue. “I only have eyes for you, Shirley Sue.” It sounded cheesy to him, and he wasn't exactly sure what had motivated him to say it.

“Come on you goofball,” she said. “A few more cheesy lines like that and you might just win me back over.”

Shirley Sue motioned for him to sit down beside him. Her expression broke and he could see her white teeth reflecting what little light they caught. He took a seat next to her. Shirley Sue leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Buck felt the warmth of her body seeping into his. A sigh of contentment escaped his lungs as he huddled closely to his partner.

Shirley Sue yawned. “Just promise me you'll try and be more open with me in the future, Buck,” she said.

“I promise.”

“Seal it with a kiss?”

Buck leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “That good?” he said.

“Maybe you should try another just to make sure.”

Buck smiled. “I think I can do that,” he said. He leaned down more slowly this time. The moments stretched out as he drew closer to her. He could feel the heat of her breaths as his lips drew nearer to hers. There was a feeling on his lips, like electricity was radiating out from her mouth.

The front door creaked open and Buck and Shirley Sue jerked apart.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 37

The night was quiet, except for the echo of Sarah and Roger's footsteps and the huffs of Roger's ragged breaths. Sarah paused and glanced over her shoulder. No sign of Aura.

“I think we're safe,” Sarah said.

Roger rested his hands on his thighs as he gulped down deep breaths. After a moment, he wiped beads of sweat from his brow and straightened up. “She didn't seem happy with us at all,” he said and looked around.

“Did you really have to tell her that we thought she was the killer?”

“Well, at least we got a confession out of her.”

Sarah sighed. “That won't do us much good if we're dead.”

The pair continued their journey in silence. As they walked, a drizzle of rain began to fall from the sky. The fine mist clung to Sarah's skin and pelted her face. The smell of petrichor permeated the atmosphere as the cool air soothed her aching lungs. She looked around the street and realized that she and Roger were the only two people traveling down the road. A distant traffic light turned from green to red, bidding spectral cars to come to a halt.

Sarah looked at the faded crosswalk. She glanced from one side of the road to the other and began to cross, with Roger close on her heels. Halfway across the street, she caught a glimpse of yellow light in her peripheral vision. She stopped and turned in the direction of the light. “Did you see that?” she whispered.

Roger stopped and looked. “See what?” he whispered back.

Sarah scanned the empty road but saw no sign of the light.

“Nothing,” she said. “I guess I'm still a little spooked from earlier.”

As the duo walked the remainder of the distance to Sarah's vehicle, she periodically glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she and Roger arrived in the parking lot where her car was located. The pair opened the doors and climbed into the vehicle. Sarah turned the key in the ignition. She let out a sigh of relief as the car hummed away. She put her car into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot.

Her windshield wipers smeared a long streak across her window. Her heart froze as she saw in the distance a pair of two yellow floating orbs of light. She blinked and they were gone. She put her car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. She couldn't wait for this vacation to be over.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 36

Sarah felt her stomach knot as she watched Aura dive away from the streetlight's glow, into the surrounding darkness. A panic seeped up from her stomach and filled her heart. She could almost feel the cool steel blade against her throat. Her eyes caught the dim outline of one of the trashcans she had seen earlier. Her hand flew to the canister. The sound of metal scraping across the ground echoed through the alley as she pulled the can from its resting position. She felt as though she was caught in a slow motion video as she played through the motions: gripping the handle, pulling it from the ground, and thrusting it into Aura's path. Her gaze connected with Aura's for a moment before the air was filled with trash. Aura's eyes seemed to glow in the dark, like an owl's.

Sarah watched in horror as Aura's feet wove past the canister, moving with the fluidity of a drop of water navigating around oil. As Aura glided around the mound of muck, her foot caught on Roger's outstretched leg. She flailed her arms as her body toppled forward. A glint of silver flashed in the light. The dagger clattered to the ground as Aura collided with the nearby dumpster.

Sarah grabbed Roger's arm as she took off toward the street. “Run!” she shouted, pulling him into motion. Roger tugged away from her grip and swooped down to pick up the weapon. In her peripheral vision, Sarah saw Aura pull herself to her feet.  She grabbed Roger's hand and shot forward.

An ear-piercing shriek followed the duo as they hurried away from the alley. Sarah glanced back and saw Aura's menacing silhouette standing in front of the dumpster. A chill raced down her spine as she gazed at the woman, who now seemed larger than before. Her golden eyes glimmered in the darkness. Sarah's unease deepened as she realized that the woman was not giving chase to them. She felt a torrent of rage wash past her, as though Aura's anger had become a wave of radiation.

“You'll pay for this. Mark my words,” Aura's cold voice penetrated the night air.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 35

Aura looked at the two faintly glowing figures standing in the back of the alleyway, huddled together as though they were a pair of mice cornered by a panther. Under different circumstances, she might have taken pleasure in the effect her performance seemed to have on them, but a wave of frustration welled up inside of her. There was always a person or two in every town who had to push her boundaries. Why couldn’t they leave well enough alone and mind their own business? She wouldn’t enjoy what she was about to do, but she had to put a stop to them before they ruined everything for her.

Her eyes focused in on the young man’s neck. She could see a dark red light of the blood coursing through his arteries. She could almost feel the warmth flowing down her throat as she drank from that fountain of youth. Her tongue slid across her top lip as the urge to feed nearly overwhelmed her. She took a deep breath. Perhaps these two had a good reason for following her. She would have to reserve her judgment for the time being.

Just a little ahead of her, a street lamp cast a circle of light. A mote of dust drifted down through the beam. It would be perfect for her grand entrance. There were few things in this life which gave her more pleasure than a grand entrance. She watched as a younger version of herself stepped into the spotlight on a stage and gazed out at the seats filled with patrons waiting for her performance. She shook her head. Those days were long gone. She would have to make do with this humble street lamp.

She felt the flutter of her clothes brush along her fingertips as she walked into the beam. “What’s the matter? Cat’s got your tongue?” she said, drawing the dagger from her purse. The blade weighed heavily in her hand as she griped its hilt. She watched as Sarah’s eyes darted to the knife. Sarah’s face remained stoic. Roger on the other hand, had his mouth open and his eyes had grown wide. Aura saw the pulse of his blood speed up. “I’m feeling charitable tonight. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t free you from your mortal coil?”

“We know all about you, Aura,” Roger said, his voice shaking. “And our friends do too.”

Sarah rammed an elbow into Roger’s side. “Roger!”

Aura felt a ice cold lump of fear lodge itself in her chest. How could they possibly know? How could she have exposed herself like this? She usually fed only once per town to reduce the chance of being found out, but there was something intoxicating about Chester which kept her longing for more…

No, they couldn’t possibly know. Rob told her that they found and arrested the killer. She was in the clear. All the pieces had fallen into place and no one in the town was any the wiser. Had he been on her trail this entire time and used the arrest as a decoy?

Aura cleared her throat. “Whatever do you mean?”

“It’s awfully suspicious that all those men died in the same way, don’t you think Aura? The ones here in this town too.”

“I suppose I have grown a little sloppy,” Aura said. “No matter, I’ll just have to take care of you and your friends then.”

Aura lunged toward Roger and Sarah.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 34

Sarah and Roger trailed a dozen paces behind Aura. Her pale skin reflected the yellow street lights, casting twisted shadows, while her black, flowing gown melded her form with the inky darkness. Sarah heard every scrape from her and Roger’s shoes as they walked. The sound amplified in her ears as though it was being played through a bullhorn, yet Aura’s slow, graceful stride remained unperturbed.

Aura arrived at an intersection on a corner where a building with white siding resided and turned right. Sarah squinted in the darkness, trying to make out the street sign. After a few moments, she was able to read the green and white sign, which said ‘Oak St.’ A rush of unease rocked her body. Her stomach twisted into a sharp knot and her mouth felt dry. A dozen prickles rode in a wave down her spine. Why were they following Aura anyway? What did they hope to find out about her? Sarah searched Roger’s face for a sign of the uncertainty which she felt, but she could not read him in this darkness.

Sarah peeked around the corner and saw Aura moving down the street. Her pale white arms swung like pendulums. She stopped mid stride and turned her head as though she were looking around for something.

Sarah’s heart raced as she ducked behind the corner. The speed at which she recoiled caused her to stumble backward into Roger. He let out a grunt as she struck him. She felt his warm arms wrap around her around her waist, holding her upright.

After she regained her balance he let go of her. “Sorry,” he whispered. His apology was so quiet it almost escaped her ears.

Sarah took a deep breath and glanced around the corner. She saw Aura turn right down a road sandwiched between two tall, brick buildings. Sarah hurried toward the side street, with Roger close behind her. She reached the turn and strained her eyes as she gazed into the darkened alley. She could make out the silhouette of several trashcans and a dumpster which sat along a brick wall at the far end of the back street.

This was absurd. Aura couldn’t just vanish into thin air; she had to be somewhere. Sarah instinctively reached for her firearm, but her hand only found air. Her heart raced as she forced her feet to carry her down the alleyway. Her keys jangled as she pulled them out of her pocket, clasping her car key between her fingers as she had been instructed to do since girlhood. The sound of rustling made her blood freeze in her veins. A mouse squeaked as it scampered somewhere out of sight. Sarah let out a chuckle and clapped a hand over her mouth, but her ears were met with silence.

The pair moved down the alley toward the dumpster. Sarah froze at the sound of a drip which rang through the alleyway. Her hand began to shake, causing the keys hanging from the ring to clatter together. She closed the last couple of steps to the dumpster.

“Well I’ll be… Where’d she go?” she asked.

“I guess she gave us the slip,” Roger said.

Sarah whirled around when a voice thundered from behind them, “Fancy meeting you two in a place like this.”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 33

Roger’s mouth dropped open as he watched Aura walk away. His eyebrows twisted back as he tried to figure out what just happened.

“That was abrupt. Interesting friend you’ve got there,” Sarah said.

Shawn laughed. “That’s Aura for ya,” he said. He lowered his voice, “I get the impression that she likes a good challenge.”

Rob took a sip of his beer. The condensation dripped off the cup and onto a thick paper coaster with the red silhouette of a hog. “She’ll be challenged here alright,” he said and laughed.

Rob leaned over to Shawn and whispered something into his ear. Shawn’s face turned bright red. “Shh, not right now,” he whispered back.

Sarah cleared her throat. “So, how do you know Aura?”

“We met her out in Clinton a couple weeks back. We didn’t even know she was in town until earlier this evening. We saw her as we were walking over here,” Shawn said.

“It was almost like she appeared out of thin air,” Rob added. “One minute we were walking down the street, the next-poof-she was standing off to the side. I guess it’s all the dark clothes, but it scared the crap outta me.”

“She matches the suspect’s description, don’t ya think?” Roger asked.

Sarah glared at Roger and kicked him under the table. Roger gritted his teeth and looked over at Sarah.

Rob sighed. “Maybe a little, but so do a lot of people. Our witness didn’t give us much to go with.” He gulped down a mouthful of beer. “Besides, I don’t know what your point is. We’ve got the killer locked up, without bail. She’s not talking now, but I reckon we’ll get a confession out of her in a day or two.” Rob took another gulp of his beer and turned his head toward the stage. “Hey look, Jim’s getting up onto the stage.”

The party turned and watched as a stout man huffed up the short walk to the stage. His curly, long brown beard swung like a metronome as he walked. He tapped on a few buttons on the remote. “Ya’ll know who this one is fer,” he said as the instrumentals to ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ echoed through the building.

Sarah laughed and clapped along with the rest of the crowd as the man’s high pitched voice sang the words with the most off beat and pitiful tone of voice. As the last few notes of the song played through the speakers, she let out a relieved sigh. However, she watched in horror as he fiddled around with the remote and selected yet another song to sing. Jim proceeded to murder two more songs before he stumbled off the stage. By the time he finished, Sarah’s ears were bleeding.

A few minutes later, Aura approached the table. “I don’t think this place is quite my scene,” she said. “I’m going to go and find some other venue I can sink my teeth into.” With that, she wave goodbye and the party reciprocated. Then watched as she exited through the doors.

“I think we’re in the same boat,” Sarah said. She and Roger stood up. “It was good seeing you around.”

Rob and Shawn waved them goodbye as the walked toward the exit. Sarah pushed open the door of the establishment and walked out into the cool night air. She looked around and saw Aura walking down the street.

She pointed at Aura. “Let’s see what she is up to,” Sarah whispered.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 32

Sarah and Roger took a bow as the half dozen patrons who occupied the tables in front of the stage cheered. The lanky man who had been on the stage before them let out a wolf whistle as she and Roger walked off the stage.

“Look who just came into the bar,” Sarah whispered.

Roger turned his head toward the door. Rob looked over in their direction and locked eyes with Sarah. She smiled and waved at him. As she and Roger walked toward the trio, a man shouted from somewhere in the bar, “Fun’s over, Bradys’ here.” The bar erupted into laughter. “You better watch out, he might cuff ya and frisk ya,” another man shouted.

“Hey,” Brady said. His eyes darted around the room. “I didn’t expect to find y’all in a place like this.”

“It seemed like a nice enough bar,” Sarah said. “We were just looking for a place to hang out for a bit.”

Rob made a motion for them to sit at a nearby table. “Oh,” he said, sitting down. Sarah and Roger took seats beside each other. Moments later, Shawn and Aura joined them at the table. Shawn set down a beer in front himself and another in front of Rob. Aura set down a glass of whiskey before sitting next to Roger.

“Hello there, my name’s Aura,” she said and winked. She extended a hand to Roger.

“Hi, I’m Roger,” he said. They locked eyes and a goofy grin spread across his face as he shook her hand.

“The pleasure is all mine I’m sure,” Aura said. She caressed the side of his face with her fingertips. “Hopefully, we’re not... interrupting anything here.”

Sarah felt a pang in her chest as she watched Aura and Roger interact. What was wrong with her? Since when did she care about who Roger flirted with?

Sarah cleared her throat. “Hi Aura, I’m Sarah,” she said.

“How rude of me,” Aura said and looked at Sarah. “Here I was, flirting with your boyfriend. You can’t blame me though. He is quite a feast for the eyes.”

“We’re not together,” Sarah said. “He’s all yours.”

“Oh? That’s all right. You two make such a cute couple, I’d hate to get in the way,” Aura said. She winked at Sarah and picked up her glass, then stood up and meandered away from the table, toward the pool tables.