The Secret of the Dark (7 page)

“Any time. I'll promise a more spectacular trip next time.”

“Keep telling me that. Maybe I'll give in.” I left the shirt and the can and him sitting there on the front steps. I could feel his eyes following me down the trail, and I wanted to run, even knowing that would be silly. Finally I turned back and waved. He waved back.

I had started up the mountain again when I decided he'd followed me. I stopped to listen. Looked back. All around. I swore I'd heard the crunch of footsteps behind me. “Rick. Is that you?” No answer. “This isn't funny anymore.” No answer.

I moved as quickly and quietly as possible, my heart pounding up in my throat, making it difficult to breathe. Then I stopped abruptly. Could my steps echo? All I could hear was my heavy breathing.
You're getting paranoid, Valerie
, I scolded. I thought of the horror movies Pam and I had loved. Every time someone was alone, the creature appeared. I'd felt safe, huddling in the dark theater, clutching Pam's sweaty hand. Scared but safe. Now I felt scared but not safe. I really was alone. Very much alone.

“Rick,” I called out again, partly to break the silence.

It was the day's events. The phone call, then the darkness of the cave, and Rick's joke. Plus this silent, silent world.

What cheer? What cheer? What cheer?
The bird call was welcome and made things seem more normal. I went on. But I'd never known a mile to be so far.

Even though the path got steeper I started to run. “City girl, city girl, city girl,” I said to the rhythm of my pounding feet. When I could see the cabin from the top of the mountain path, I slowed but was still puffing when I went inside.

“Did you run in this heat, Valerie?” Fleecy looked at me. “Lordy, your face is red. You'll have a heat stroke.” She got up and fixed me an iced tea while I sat in Granny's rocker and breathed deeply.

I said it out loud. “I can't get used to it being so quiet outside, Fleecy. I got scared and ran. Isn't that silly?” I tried to laugh.

Fleecy laughed a lot. “My niece came once from Cleveland. She hated it here. Said she wanted to go home to her busy street and TV and normal noise. It was so quiet to her she couldn't sleep.”

“I thought I'd like it.”

“You will, once you get used to it.”

I wasn't so sure. But one thing I decided. I wasn't going to wander around by myself very much.

CHAPTER

7

I
DREAMED
I was in the darkness and couldn't wake up, couldn't see, was smothering. Something heavy held me down and I couldn't see it. When I got myself awake, I found Mrs. Butterworth sleeping across my neck.

“Hey, give me a break.” I shoved her away. She squeaked a little and then curled up in the curve of my body as I lay on my side. No way was she going to leave. Even though she'd caused the dream, I was glad to have her there. From my bed I could see a sliver of moon, and I lay there thinking that a darkness filled with moon and pinpricks of stars was comfortable. The total darkness of the cave was scary.

Mrs. B. purred loudly when I rested my hand on her soft fur, and I felt safe and cozy here in my bed. I drifted back to sleep.

In the morning, we had oatmeal again, since we were out of everything. I ate, cleaned up, and helped Granny get ready. After choosing a dress myself, I hurriedly put it on. I was barely ready when Neal appeared at the door.

“Did you go in the cave?” he asked when we had Granny settled in the back seat of the van, which had a bed in the far back. I sat in front, turned so I could see him. He looked cute in jeans and a western shirt that was mostly blue with a strip of blue gingham checks. His dark hair waved just enough to shape around his ears and sweep his forehead.

“Yes. I'm not sure I liked it, though.”

“My dad and I go caving — spelunking — as often as he can get away. It's the one sport I enjoy. There's an eerie beauty to seeing what nature has created under the ground like that.”

“Eerie. That's the part I don't like. The darkness. The idea of being under tons of rock with only the one way out.”

“There are usually several ways out. I guess it's a risky sport, but we've never gotten into any trouble. I hear that Rick's father has a wild cave behind that dinky tourist trap. Sure would like to see that”

“He wants me to go there. But there's no way to get tourists in it. He and his dad are looking for another cave.”

“A good cave could mean big money. I wouldn't mind discovering one.”

“Would you open it to tourists?”

“No, I don't think I'd enjoy that. It's like being a glorified tour leader. I'd get bored in a hurry. The state runs lots of the caves in Arkansas for recreation. They're protected that way.”

“If I tell Rick I'll explore the big cave, will you go with us?” I didn't want to tell him I didn't want to go alone with Rick, but since he wanted to go anyway, I'd invite him.

“I'm sure Rick didn't invite me.”

“I'm inviting you. In fact, I'd like a crowd along.” I thought of Rick's trick of leaving me in the dark and knew he'd enjoy doing it again. And I knew I wouldn't enjoy it. “Rick thinks it scares me just because I'm from the city. It's just all so new.”

“Downtown New York City might be just as scary to me.”

I was glad Neal said that. I knew the big city was scary to lots of people. I'd lived there all my life and I found it wonderfully exciting. But anything that was different could be scary at first.

It was silly, but going to the store felt like an event. All that food after our bare cupboards, all the things that reminded me that civilization existed. Granny didn't have a TV or get a newspaper. Anything could have happened while we lived up there, isolated.

The little store didn't have a New York paper, but I bought the
Arkansas Gazette
, two magazines — one gossipy and one a women's magazine with fashion and beauty tips. Then I piled in some candy bars and a bag of potato chips, Cokes, and ice cream.

Neal laughed. “Feeling the effects of junk deprivation?”

“Enough of pioneer living.” I had the basket full to the top. It would take all of one month's household allowance to bail me out.

At the last minute I grabbed a big flashlight from a display and added it to my collection.

“If you're getting that for the cave, it won't work. You have to have your hands free. I'll bring you dad's hard hat and headlamp. I think my mom has an old pair of rubber boots too. You should wear your oldest clothes. It might be muddy.”

Again the thought of crawling around in the mud underground gave me goose bumps, but if both Neal and Rick were along, I'd be all right. And I hated being chicken.

“Look how Granny's enjoying herself,” I said to Neal while we checked out. She had moved to a wooden bench outside the market and spoke to everyone who passed by. Granny hadn't paid much attention to the shopping except at the produce where she said she wanted garden sass. I learned that was salad with no dressing, preferably fresh from a garden. Then when I looked over the jams and jellies she told me we didn't need any. I knew we did so I slipped a jar of peach and one of strawberry in the cart.

While Neal loaded groceries into the van, I walked over to the post office. Granny had a box there. I twisted the dial on the combination lock, got it wrong, and tried again. Seven to the left, four right.… Someone was looking at me. I could feel it. Sure enough, across the room a youngish man leaned against the wall and watched. He grinned and I could see that although he was about thirty, his mind wasn't that far along. He had shaggy hair and a cigarette dangled from his mouth. I looked back at the lock and had to start over. Even then my hand shook.

“Oh, Valerie. Thought I'd see you today. I come to town every day for my mail. Where's Annie?” Fleecy came round the corner from the walk-up window.

“Hi, Fleecy. Granny's talking to everyone who will listen. I guess she's been lonesome and is catching up.”

“Did you meet Cedrick?” She motioned the man over. “This is my nephew, Cedrick.”

“Howdy, Valerie,” he said and grinned again. His teeth were stained with tobacco juice and a dribble of brown ran down his unshaven chin. His clothes, big to start with, were rumpled and dirty as if he hadn't changed in days.

“Hello, Cedrick.” I was ashamed of my feelings but I didn't want to shake hands or even be near him. I put my mind totally on the post office box. This time it popped open. There were several letters. I was supposed to watch for Granny's Social Security check, but I didn't think it was time.

“Looks like foreign postage.” Fleecy leaned over my shoulder. I didn't like her being so nosy but knew she meant no harm.

“Yes, letters from my dad and Rue.” I put all the mail in my tote bag without looking at the rest of it. “Fleecy, do you know someone who could granny-sit?”

“I'd be glad to, child. I kin always bring my piecing. I like to get over as often as I can anyway. You just call me any time. Cedrick can bring me over. He's a little slow so he don't hold no steady job. I got him two jobs lately, but he didn't stay with either one till it was finished. But he drives real good. Fletcher don't like to drive no more.” Fleecy's husband, Fletcher, was retired and Fleecy said he spent most of his time fishing.

Cedrick had gone on outside, maybe at mention of the word
job
. Maybe he wasn't as slow as Fleecy thought. I walked out with Fleecy. Neal had the groceries and Granny tucked into the van.

“Can I buy you and Granny lunch?” he asked.

“My ice cream will melt. Besides I bought tons of lunch meat and cheese. Come and picnic at Granny's.”

“Let me stop at Dad's office and see if there's any hurry for me to get back.” Neal started the engine and swung down the main street. Around the block was his dad's office, out of his home like doctors used to work. I thought of the spotless clinics and hospitals in New York and decided this was probably friendlier.

At the drugstore Neal found one prescription that needed to be delivered. “But it's good luck. It's for By Golly. You and Granny can go with me after lunch. He lives fairly close to you.”

“Who is By Golly?” I laughed at his name.

“It's a nickname, of course. Most people have probably forgotten his real name is Hillard Talley. By Golly was all I knew till I delivered his first prescription. I've recorded him once since. He plays a mean jaw harp.”

The picnic was fun. Neal brought Granny's rocker out onto the porch, and he and I sat on the steps eating our sandwiches. As soon as I finished eating, Mrs. Butterworth jumped into my lap to see if there were scraps. Her tail flicked across my nose. I sneezed twice. “Stop it, kitty. Get down.”

“Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger,” Granny said.

“Granny's sayings,” I whispered to Neal. “Rue warned me.”

“The hill people love their superstitions.” Neal smeared mayonnaise on another sandwich. “I find myself aware of them even if I don't believe.”

“What if I sneezed on Tuesday, Granny?” I asked for fun.

“See a stranger.”

“Well, I don't need any more strangers. Or cat hair.” I rubbed my nose and held back another sneeze.

I watched Neal put away another sandwich while I nibbled potato chips. It was great to have some junk food.

“Want to go visit By Golly, Granny?” I asked when Neal finished, and I started to gather up the lunch food.

“I reckon. I'spect he's got so high collared he cain't see the sun excepting at high noon, though.”

It was the funniest thing I'd heard Granny say, and I couldn't help laughing at her. The phrase spoke for itself. “Why would By Golly be stuck up, Granny?”

Neal answered for her since she just kept rocking. “He was invited to sing on a record for
National Geographic
. Fortunately, I'd already recorded him or he might have expected me to pay him equally as well. Weren't you sweet on By Golly once, Granny?” Neal teased.

“That old fool. Just let him come messing round me.”

I laughed again. I would love to meet one of Granny's suitors.

We drove to By Golly's, although Neal said it wasn't far from Granny's. We stayed on Granny's road till it swung around the mountain and climbed some more.

“See that slope?” Neal pointed to the mountain behind the little cabin we'd come to. “Up and over and you're at Granny's. It's steep and there's no trail but it's not that far. I was afraid Granny couldn't walk it.”

“I could if it pleased me.” Granny had heard Neal.

Neal winked at me and I felt glad for the day, this time with him. There was a small pond in front of By Golly's house. Ducks swam on it. Some kind of flower bloomed nearby and the air smelled sweet, buzzing with insects. A bird warbled overhead.

“That's my old mockingbird over here,” Granny observed.

“Annie!” An old man, so tall and skinny I had to look way up to him, answered the door. He had a white fringe of hair round his head and his chin was covered with a white stubble of unshaved beard. He wore Oshkosh bib overalls and a plaid shirt. “By golly, Annie, yore a sight for sore eyes. “Bout time you came to visit me.” His blue eyes twinkled as he greeted Granny, hardly looking at Neal or me.

“I misdoubt you missed me.” If Granny had any enthusiasm for seeing Mr. Talley again, she hid it.

“Annie like to broke my heart, by golly. I asked her to marry me over and over and all she said was she'd think on it”

“I thought on it and decided you was an old fool, Hillard Talley. I'd rather live by myself. Now you hush up about it.”

I covered my mouth to hide a smile although no one paid me any attention.

“By golly, ain't she some woman? How are you, Neal?” Mr. Talley finally acknowledged that someone else was there besides Granny. “And who is this pretty child?”