Chapter One, Episode 102 - Twisted - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
This revision of Episode 102, was an exercise in vocabulary and word crafting. In frequent trips to the online Thesaurus, I was able to locate better word usage, rather than too many repeats of an already tired word. Author Stephen King suggests that the first draft use of a Thesaurus is not useful. It interrupts the flow of a story when it is just spilling out onto the page. This Revision being a third draft, I felt quite comfortable using a thesaurus. It still amazes me that I can find outright mistakes or just poor word choices in what I have written.  Not perfect?  Darn - and I thought I was.

Twisted

There was little solid sleep that night. Emmie and Dez sat in the living room while Sarah, the little ghost girl, was on her swing. When she cried out, a west wind rose, whipping the branches through the air. It was a long night. The sisters fell asleep. Dez on the over stuffed sofa, Emmie in the purple velvet wingback chair. In the morning, stiff and sore, Dez woke up. Stretching her unforgiving muscles, she yawned. Looking at her sister still asleep, Dez wondered a sleepy thought. Do I wake her? “Em……Emmie………It's morning. Time to wake up.” Rising awkwardly from the sofa and, clutching her blanket around her, Dez walked slowly to the living room window. Had it been a dream? There was no swing. No ghost. The wind had died down and the sun’s orange rays streaked across the estate. 

Dez heard someone come into the kitchen. Wrapping her warm fuzzy housecoat around her, she guessed it was Cook. She didn't think anyone else was here that early. Cook started the day for everyone at the Estate. Dez pulled her gaze away from the expanse of lawn that only held trees and flowers. She decided her sister wasn't going to even stir so she'd try and get her into her bed. What did their mother call Emmie when she needed to get her attention? “Emelina Caroline.” That was it. But mom always gentled it with a bit of 'honey' when necessary. “Emelina Caroline, honey.....get up and let's get you to bed to sleep a little more.” Emmie barely opened her eyes, but obediently did as she was told. Dez guided Emmie to her room and tucked her into her bed as though she was a little girl. Closing the drapes against the early morning sunrise, Dez slipped out into the hall and into the bathroom. Still not quite awake, Dez had a solution to her grogginess. “A shower. I really need a shower to get myself going.”

~~~~

Dez could hear Cook setting up the coffee machine for the day and humming a tune she didn't recognize. From the fancy machine, a pot of coffee was brewed into its own thermal pot. After there wasn't a drop left, it was one cup at a time - serve yourself coffee. It wasn't long before the aroma of fresh coffee drifted upstairs, encouraging Dez to get dressed a little faster. A pair of black jeans, a brightly coloured but non-descript t-shirt and a plain white short sleeved cotton shirt. Dez strapped her walking sandals on and went downstairs. Dez accepted a steaming mug of fresh coffee, warmed her hands around the mug and sat at the long kitchen table. “Thank you Cook.”  Dez was clean and presentable, but her eyes still felt heavy. 

“You look like you didn’t get a wink last night, Miss. Are you all right? Where’s Miss Emelina?” Cook was concerned about Dez. And about Miss Emelina. So often the two of them were together, laughing and talking about bees or the orchard or about their latest bit of mischief. This morning, Dez was quiet and Miss Emelina wasn't down yet. She usually came downstairs just as Cook was setting up the coffee. Her concern greater than getting breakfast started, Cook decided to slow up her morning. “Do you need to talk about anything, Miss Dez? I’ll just get us a bit of toast and jam.” making the pretence that she hadn’t yet had any breakfast. She just didn’t feel right about leaving the Miss Dez sitting there looking all worried.

The kitchen felt heavy and quiet, despite the ever brightening morning. When Dez realized there was a plate of toast in front of her and Cook was sitting across from her, she stirred. “Cook? Has anything different happened here recently?” She hesitated to say that she and Emmie had seen Cook, Samuel, Digby and Martha at the cottage on July 1st, with a fifth unknown person.

Cook didn’t quite know what to say. What was Miss Dez talking about?She had seen them? Quite innocently she said “Whatever do you mean, Miss? The only thing I can think of is that Martha and Digby are getting married. Do you have your invitation yet?”

“Cook, you must know something.” Dez lifted her head, smiled and looked squarely at Cook. “Emmie and I were at the orchard yesterday. It was still early and the sun was bright. We had eaten the chicken salad sandwiches Emmie made - by the way that was good chicken salad - and were just putting things away. Maybe we were nosy but, we saw you and Samuel, Digby and Martha and a stranger over at the cottage. And then, last night Emmie and I saw the little ghost Sarah. It's just all very strange that it should happen with in hours of each other. Maybe I'm making things bigger than they need to be, but it's just weird. ”

“That doesn’t sound too dreadful, Miss Dez. Surely not something to lose sleep over and look so worn out. You just need a good healthy breakfast.” Cook started to get up. Dez reached out and held her arm. “Cook, hear me out. That ghost….. Sarah or whoever she is……was screeching last night. Or crying or maybe it was just the wind and I was dreaming. But Emmie was in the dream if it was a dream…………You’re probably right. I just need a good breakfast.”

“No Dez, it was no dream.”  Emmie had appeared in the kitchen, showered, polished and dressed in tailored slacks and crisp shirt. “It was Sarah and she was crying out. She seems to know all the secrets of this Estate. Someone is leaving the estate. What do you know, Cook?” She shared Dez's worry....as an employer she was doubly concerned.

Cook was nervous, fidgeting with her mug and picking at crumbs left by her toast. She felt pressed to tell about the rehearsal on Canada Day, but was saved by Martha coming in the back door, happy and calling out. “Yoohoo!... Elizabeth!...... Oh my goodness, I shouldn’t be so noisy. The sisters may be still in bed……..” Martha brought herself up short when she saw Dez and Emmie - not just up, but dressed and looking ready to get to work at whatever they had planned for the day.  “......you’re up!” Martha was a bit flustered, but she calmed herself and turned to Cook. “Elizabeth, we might as well tell them. I can’t keep it quiet. It was just such a lovely evening.”

Before Martha could continue, Dez blurted out her story. She almost spilled her coffee in her agitation. “Before you tell us anything, Martha, Emmie and I saw and heard that Sarah last night. She was on her swing but very upset.” 

“Sarah was upset? What on earth for? There’s no reason…….this shouldn’t cause such a turmoil.” Martha was perturbed. The only changes she knew of were that she and James were getting married. Sitting suddenly, her sweater still on, her purse on the table, she cried “Oh my, I think we’re just like the cutlery in the china cabinet.”

Cook sat up straight and looked at Martha. “What are you talking about, Martha!? You’re not making any sense calling yourselves knives and forks. That’s just foolishness.” Cook stood and bustled over to the refrigerator, abruptly taking out eggs, bacon and tomatoes. She busied herself making breakfast for an army. 

“Heavens, Elizabeth, that’s not what I was saying.” Martha laughed and continued “James and I have lived in our homes for the last many years. James, since he was a boy. Joanie and I for the last twenty years. If we really must talk about this little ghost girl Sarah who's the cause of all this kerfuffle, I'll tell you what's going on. James and I are moving. But only from our single homes into our own little cottage together. That’s what all this is about. That young lady is just going to have to get used to it. Neither of us are retiring and will still be here everyday. And I do hope Sarah is paying attention.” Martha glanced sharply towards the staircase. “Now, ladies. I’m going to hang up my sweater, put my purse away and get to work.”

~~~~~

Sarah was paying attention but still looked troubled. 

“This whole conversation was turning into 

a twisted version of Abbot & Costello’s Who’s on First.”

~ Kelly Moran, Tracking You