Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
The Investigators, Inc. The Lost Doll. Chapter 13.
While M.C. and I were in the basement, Annelie and Rock were in the attic, and Kat, with Muffin, were in the living room thinking. “Remember what we talked about before Muffin?”, asked Kat. Meow,meow?=You mean about fireplace maybe in that wall over there? “Yes, that’s it,” she said, “and if so, maybe there’s a way to open it up.” There is a mantel on that wall, between two book cases that go from floor to ceiling. Muffin and M.C. measured things before and the living room is 4 feet shorter than the outside measurements. That leaves enough room for a hidden fireplace.
Why anyone would want to hide it for, I have no idea. But Kat and Muffin started looking around. Kat put Muffin on the mantel and told her not to knock anything onto the floor. Meow,meow.=Little lion not move, it stuck. Kat tried turning it, pulling on it, sliding it, but nothing worked. Then she tried pushing down on the lion, it moved just a little and that section of the wall between the bookcases opened up to reveal a fireplace! “Hey, we onto something Muffin,” said Kat excitedly. Her and Muffin looked all over, but found nothing.
Then Muffin thought she saw something in the chimney part of the fireplace, so Kat held her up as high as she could reach. Meow,meow.=Need to go higher. “Hmm,” said Kat and she pulled Muffin back down, covered in soot. Kat giggled, “my lovable black kitty.” Muffin looked at herself and sighed, she knew this meant a bath for her later. Kat got a stool from the kitchen to stand on so she could reach higher. Muffin stood on her hand and stretched as high as she could. Meow,meow.=No doll. Kat then pulled Muffin back down and shut that big door again.
Back to M.C. and I in the basement…When I turned to leave I stopped and stared. M.C. noticed I stopped and came back to find out why. “Look,” I told him. He looked the way I was pointing but saw nothing. Meow?=What I supposed to see? “The woman in the white dress,” I said, “it’s Jennifer.” “Careful Steve,” said Jennifer, “there is danger. The doll, fireplace, danger, John, John is here, he is not dead, he wants to kill you.” My head was swirling, paining bad. I held my head and fell backward hurting my back again. I fainted from the pain.
M.C. hit the distress signal which alerted everyone. Muffin came flying down to the basement with Kat not far behind and found me lying on the floor. Meow.=It his head again, he see things, said he see Jennifer. Then he fall and hurt back and go to sleep. By that time Rock and Annelie were there too. “He hurt his back when he fell,” said Kat. “Carry him carefully Rock,” said Annelie and she showed him the best way to do it. Rock then carried me to the living room and put me on the sofa. It was not long and I opened my eyes. “Where am I?”, I asked.
Then I saw Kat and Muffin jumped up on me. “Okay,” I said smiling, “I remember now. I sure hurt my back when I fell. I saw something, it wasn’t real, but it was that woman in the white dress, it was Jennifer.” “Steve, you know that is not possible,” said Kat and she leaned over and kissed me. I smiled, “yes, I know it is not possible, but my head was swirling again, and things get mixed up when that happens. But I said it before too, John is not dead, he is here and wants to kill us. I know that is real, and yet it can’t be real.” “I checked John’s body myself Steve,” said Rock, “he was definitely dead.”
“If that really was John,” I said, “maybe it was someone working for John, someone that looked more like Baldwin that John did.” “That’s an interesting thought,” said Annelie. “I heard things when I was taken by them and given those drugs when they were trying to find out what I knew,” I said, “but it’s just trying to figure out what is true and what is not. By the way, why are you so dirty?” “Muffin and I were looking in that fireplace you keep talking about,” she said. “Did you find the doll?”, everyone asked at the same time.
“No doll, but a lot of old soot,” she laughed. Meow,meow.=It not funny, look at me, now I need bath. M.C. giggled. Muffin jumped. AAAAAA!!! Flooof! Meow,meow.=Now you need bath too. Meow!=My nice white patches! “Maybe you just missed it Kat,” said Annelie. “Take a look for yourself, just push on the lion,” said Kat. The door slowly opened again. Annelie and Rock went inside to look around. Rock looked in the fireplace and bumped the side. Flooof! He was covered with soot. The cats were watching and giggled. Kat put her head beside mine. “Now,” I said. She took her phone out…”Now.”
To Be Continued.
Previous chapters of this story, and other stories in this series, can be found on my home page under, “The Investigators, Inc.”
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Wednesday’s Wanderings. #28
Good morning everyone! It’s cloudy and cool here this morning. It was clear earlier, but those dark storm clouds have been steadily moving in and now they cover the whole sky. Storm warnings have been issued for our area. I think it’s safe to say that today we officially say good bye to fall and hello to winter. The snow is to begin later today and taper off to flurries on Friday. In between that comes winter. The birds are very busy this morning which is normal before a storm. I’m glad the juncos decided to leave when they did, they had lots of time to get further south before the storm.
The purple finches left at the same time, I was hoping they would stay around for the winter, but I guess they didn’t like the idea. But, they don’t always stay the winter, they are a bit unpredictable that way, like a lot of the finches. Most of the evening grosbeaks have gone too, there is about 30 of them out there this morning, down from their high of more than 100. But the smaller birds are increasing in numbers slightly. There are about 2 dozen chickadees now, 4 white-breasted nuthatches and 3 red-breasted nuthatches. My lone pine siskin seems to have gone too, plus the redpolls.
The redpolls never did come down to the feeders though. This storm should bring in more birds from the north, such as more redpolls and pine grosbeaks. And perhaps some Bohemian waxwings too. Although the neighbors cherry tree doesn’t have many berries this year and that’s the main attraction for the waxwings. Jasper is running around through the trees right now. He must be out for his morning exercise. Sometimes I think he likes running around through those trees just for fun. He runs back and forth along the same routes, and he is by himself, so he is not chasing or being chased by anyone. The grosbeaks had flown away for whatever reason, and they sometimes don’t need a reason, they just fly, but they are back again filling the feeders once more.
Now suddenly everything is quiet again, all the birds are gone this time, even the blue jays. Not a movement of any bird out there. I can’t see anything though, but there must be some danger around, something that even scares the blue jays. Happened yesterday too, the blue jays suddenly squawked loudly, then everything was quiet. Of course this has been going on for some time now, but it’s late in the season for any hawks to be around, except one called the goshawk. That’s another bird hawk and our largest of that group. Oh well. I must go for this morning, but I will be back again later. Have a wonderful day everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 