Greshmere

Greshmere

Scott Wittenburg

Copyright 2013 Scott Wittenburg

Smashwords Edition

Discover other titles by Scott Wittenburg at www.scottwittenburg.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person to share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters and events of this book are entirely the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, or to any persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Heaven is what you make it.

Chapter 1

-Then-

Gary Jamison tapped the steering wheel repeatedly, lost in thought over the Briggs deal. Although Manco Corp didn’t really need Briggs and its vast holdings, he wasn't about to let this account go down the toilet. He did not like losing anything, period, and now that Briggs had rolled the dice at the last minute, it was time to come back with a counteroffer they would not be able to refuse.

And that’s what made it all so worthwhile—the hunt, the shoot, and the kill.

The only problem was Brigg’s rep, who was a prick and very difficult to predict. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Joel Cornish reminded Gary of himself: smart, savvy and deceptively pushy. He didn’t trust Cornish any further than he could throw him and there was actually a decent chance that the bastard might not take the bait. But even if he—

The blare of a horn snapped Gary out of it. Glancing in his rear view mirror, he saw a blue Toyota Corolla following only inches away. The driver, some punk in his early twenties, was scowling and looked as if he might implode at any moment. The boy apparently didn’t think Gary was driving fast enough.

Gary’s first thought was to lock up the brakes and let the guy rear end him. But that wouldn’t solve anything nor did he particularly want to hang around while the police wrote up a report.

So he opted for a much better idea.

He slowed down to around twenty and grinned when he saw the murderous rage on the kid’s face. They were both traveling east on a two-lane Chicago city street with cars parked bumper to bumper on either side. The oncoming traffic was relentlessly thick since it was rush hour, so the antsy little asshole was pretty much being forced to go the same speed Gary decided on.

Oh, what a feeling…he sung to himself.

Gary eased up on the accelerator until the BMW’s speedometer read only fifteen. The kid laid on the horn, dropped back a few feet then punched it until he couldn’t have been more than a coat of paint away from Gary’s bumper. Then he suddenly cut the wheel to the left as if to pass him, only to just miss being sideswiped by a minivan.

Gary was loving this.

There was an intersection up ahead and the light had turned red. Gary wound it down to ten mph—slow enough to enable him to crawl to an agonizing, gradual stop. There was a break in the oncoming traffic due to the traffic light as he waited in anticipation for the kid to make his move. There were only two cars in front of him and Gary prayed that he would take the bait.

Suddenly he heard the screech of tires as the Toyota shot around him. When he passed by, the kid gave Gary the finger—his anger so intense that Gary could actually see his hand trembling. Gary offered his most congenial smile and braced himself for the inevitable sound of metal on metal—

But instead of running into another vehicle, the kid miraculously busted through the intersection, just missing being broadsided by a northbound truck.

The joke was on him—

With a scowl, Gary fished inside his breast pocket and pulled out his Droid, his wheels turning. He pressed a couple of buttons and counted how many rings it took before somebody answered.

Mulgrew, a voice replied three rings later.

I need you to look up a plate number for me. Got a pen handy?

Yeah, shoot.

28936 CN. Late model Toyota. Find out who it’s registered to for me.

Got it. You in a hurry for it?

I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Call me the second you get me a name and an address.

Okay, boss. You got it.

Gary ended the call and smiled to himself. That little pissant hasn’t seen the last of Gary Jamison, he thought. He would pay dearly for his little ploy at his own expense.

The light changed and Gary’s thoughts automatically switched to Megan Kendall, the gorgeous woman at the firm’s Ohio field branch who so far had flatly rejected his advances. As if he were some kind of loser! He didn’t know how her husband maintained such an ironclad grip on her, and he didn’t really give a crap. That was irrelevant.

Because both Megan Kendall and the kid in the Toyota were about to learn that Gary Jamison doesn’t like losing at anything.

Not one bit.

Chapter 2

-Then-

Megan pulled onto the freeway with a death grip on her iPhone, a huge smile on her face. I am pregnant! After all these months of trying, she and Daniel were finally going to be parents! She was so ecstatic that she could barely keep her Mini Cooper on the road.

Her first reaction was to call Daniel to give him the news. But since she would be home in another ten minutes, she decided that she would much rather tell him in person. And besides that, she wanted to see the look on his face when she told him. She could almost see him now, staring at her in total disbelief, thinking that surely she was kidding him. He was such a doubting Thomas anyway, and it would probably take a couple of minutes for her to finally convince him that she was really telling the truth.

Then would come the best part: his face would suddenly light up with that big, broad irresistible smile of his and he’d hug her so tight that she would have to catch her breath. Then he would lift her up in his arms to celebrate a moment they would always cherish, reveling in the absolute joy of knowing that their prayers had finally been answered.

She leaned over and slipped the phone back into her purse and checked the time. It was half past five. Daniel would be in the kitchen by now fixing dinner and drinking a beer. It was always like that on Fridays since it was the one day he got off work before she did—and the one day he handled the kitchen duties. Daniel had worked at the same company for seven years and had finally earned the privilege of leaving early for the weekends.

It was mid-December and already growing dark, so Megan switched on the headlights. Snow flurries were dancing wildly in the beams and she remembered that the forecast called for a major snowstorm blowing in later that night. It would be a perfect evening to watch a movie and snuggle in front of their cozy fireplace.

And an excellent time to start picking names for their baby.

Megan got off at the Lakeview Road exit and laughed out loud. We’re going to have a baby! No more doubts, no more worries about what could be wrong and whose fault it was that nothing was happening. The deed was done! And now, instead of wasting quality time worrying and stressing over this and that, they could start preparing for their new arrival. Megan had always secretly wanted a girl, but she had never told Daniel. She knew that he wanted a boy, as most men did, and the last thing she wanted was a big debate over which it would be and all of that nonsense. She now suddenly realized why so many expectant parents said that they didn’t care what sex it was as long as it was healthy.

What a difference really being a parent makes.

Her cellphone rang. She fished in her purse and looked at the caller ID. Her heart took a nosedive—

It was Gary!

The last person on earth she wanted to talk to right now was Gary Jamison. She slipped the phone back into her purse, her jaw set. Why did he of all people have to call just as she was enjoying the best moment of her life? Why wouldn’t he just give up and leave her the hell alone?

When the phone finally fell silent, she tried forcing herself to forget it had ever rung. Gary Jamison was not going to rain on her parade, she thought.

But try as she may, she could feel herself going into a slow burn.

Gary Jamison had been calling her for a couple of months now, determined to coerce her into meeting him for a drink, and as he put it, just to talk. She had met him at the firm’s recent seminar in St. Louis. Gary managed the company’s Chicago main office and was one of the principal players in the corporation. The moment he had introduced himself to her, Megan could tell he was more than just a little interested in her as he proceeded to undress her with his eyes. She had in fact spent most of her time at the meeting trying to avoid him and those cold, piercing blue eyes.

But Gary Jamison was one of those men who never took no for an answer. She had politely told him that she was very happily married and had no interest whatsoever in getting anything started with him or anybody else. But he was just as adamant as he was arrogant. He had started calling her at work on practically a daily basis ever since the seminar, usually under the pretense of talking shop, and other times trying to get her to let her guard down. At first Megan saw all of this as a mere annoyance, although for a split-second she had to admit it was flattering knowing somebody that rich and handsome could be so head-over-heels over her.

But after a few weeks, the conversations changed in tone, with Gary becoming more aggressive and unwilling to give her any peace. In fact, the man was becoming obsessed with her and she was starting to get frightened. He had a way of being charming one moment, and the next moment becoming nasty and possessive. Megan began ignoring his calls altogether as she realized that the whole thing was getting way out of hand. This only served to make Gary even more persistent and on the offensive.

The last straw had come early this morning. Gary informed her that he really needed to see her. He tried to convince her that he was finally giving up on trying to get anything romantic started with her and that all he wanted to do was get together for a harmless chat between friends. Megan didn’t believe him for a second and brazenly told him that she wasn’t interested in meeting him in any kind of situation after all the grief he had caused her. She loved her husband and didn’t sneak behind his back for anything.

Gary had suddenly gone into a fit, cursing and telling her that she was going to regret her decision—that he had plenty of influence in the company and could easily see to it that she lost her job. Megan had snapped at that point, not really sure what to say. She promptly hung up on him and tried not to give it another thought. But that didn’t work.

She had decided that she would tell Daniel about Gary Jamison tonight. She had held off telling him thus far, honestly believing that the whole thing would eventually blow over. But it hadn’t, and in fact, didn’t look like it would anytime soon. She realized now that she should have told her husband what was going on from the very beginning and that she would probably be reprimanded for not doing so. She and Daniel had always based their relationship on truth and honesty, and this would look like she had some sort of ulterior motive for having been less than up front with him. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.

But now everything had suddenly changed. She had just learned that she was pregnant and all of this business with Gary Jamison was a totally moot subject as far as she was concerned. She would still tell Daniel about Gary some day, of course—he had every right to know. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to sour this special evening with it.

The smile returned to her face and she spent the remainder of the drive home thinking of names for their new baby. She was so excited to tell Daniel the good news about her pregnancy that she nearly drove past their street! Laughing at herself, she hung a wide right-hand turn onto Woodlawn. This was going to be awesome!

But as she approached their house, she immediately noticed that Daniel’s car was not in the driveway. She pulled in and parked, wondering why he was not yet home from work. It was not like him to be late, although it had happened a couple of times before. But both of those times he had let her know well in advance so she wouldn’t worry.

Megan turned off the car and stared at the pitch-dark house. Even the porch light was off, something she had never experienced upon her arrival from work. She had an awful feeling that something was very wrong. It was not like Daniel to pull something like this.

Instead of getting out of the car, she took out her phone and called Daniel’s cellphone. After four rings it went to voicemail. This only added to her suspicion that something must have happened. Maybe something bad.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the door handle. Suddenly the driveway was bathed in light as a car pulled up behind her. A smile came to her face—Daniel was home!

But when she looked back and discovered that the car was not Daniel’s, Megan released her hand from the door handle and her heart became filled with utter dread.

It was a police car.

Megan remained in her car and waited for the officer to get out and walk up to her. He pointed his flashlight in her face and made a gesture for her to roll down the window, which she did.

Excuse me, Ma’am. I'm looking for Megan Kendall. Do you know if she is inside the house?

When she replied, Megan felt like she was having an out of body experience. Her voice was weak and didn’t sound like her own. I’m Megan Kendall, officer. Why are you looking for me?

Would you mind stepping out of the car? I need to talk to you.

Oh God, officer! Please tell me it’s not about Daniel! she cried hysterically.

Please, Ma’am. Let’s go inside, if you don’t mind.

Her hands trembling, Megan managed to open the door and step out. The policeman shut the door for her and nodded toward her house. Megan knew that something bad had happened; yet the idea of not knowing what it was for the brief moment it would take to go inside her house was eerily welcome. She led the officer through the side door and into the living room. She noticed his features for the first time. He was fairly young, maybe thirty, and had short cropped blond hair.

Thank you, Mrs. Kendall. I’m afraid there has been an accident. Your husband was driving on Stanser Lane this evening and apparently lost control of his vehicle. He ran down an embankment and struck a tree. I’m afraid that he died at the scene, Mrs. Kendall. I am so sorry for your loss.

No! she cried. It can’t be true! Oh, my god, please don’t tell me this!

And for the next several moments, Megan felt her whole world collapse beneath her feet. Her love, her life, her very existence was shattered to pieces.

Her beloved Daniel was gone.

Chapter 3

-Now-

His first thought upon awakening was not, where am I, but more like, how did I get here? A strong wind was howling and it was nighttime—he was certain of that much. All he could see in the darkness was the weak glow of a solitary streetlight. Or at least he assumed it was a streetlight, although he didn’t know exactly why.

The only thing he knew for sure was that the light seemed very far away. Perhaps very far below was a more fitting word. As his eyes began to adjust, he was able to make out a few details of his surroundings. And what he saw suddenly made his heart begin to hammer.

He was standing on a ledge that was no more than a few inches wide. The streetlight he saw was a mere dot shining through the tops of some trees. The only thing standing between himself and a sheer drop-off of several hundred feet were the few inches of concrete he was standing on!

He shivered and jumped back, only to smack hard against something. He glanced up, looked side-to-side and saw nothing but a wall extending as far as his eye could see. In a panic he bolted along the ledge in search of some means of escape but suddenly lost his balance. In an instant he felt himself hurtling over the edge and plummeting swiftly toward the earth below.

That is when the first miracle happened.

Without another thought, he began flapping his arms vigorously and eased into a smooth glide down toward the ground. The action was as natural as could be, but at the same time shocking.

Because he didn’t know that he could fly.

He flew in a broad circle above the streetlight before banking left, extending his feet and landing softly on the ground. He looked up at the towering streetlamp and made another realization.

Either this was the tallest streetlamp in town or he had shrunk.

Something didn’t seem right. First he discovers he can fly and now he seems to have grown shorter.

He heard a thump-thumping sound from his left and turned just in time to see a huge cat running toward him! In an instant he sprung up and took flight. He heard the cat’s vexed hiss as he flew higher and higher away from the monster.

Soaring upward, he noticed the first sign of daylight as the sun began to appear on the horizon. To his surprise, the wooded landscape suddenly gave way to streets and buildings comprising a thriving urban area. He looked back and saw that he had just flown away from the fringe of a city park surrounded by city trappings as far as he could see. Traffic was heavy, the silence now replaced by the sounds of a city coming to life.

But the city didn’t look familiar at all. He peered down at the scene, trying to spot something that might reveal where he was, but nothing registered. Lots of nondescript buildings and houses, a few billboards, tree-lined avenues and a couple of small parks but not much more. He would have to fly higher to get a better look.

As he ascended sharply in an arc, he couldn’t help but feel total exhilaration. To be flying this high without a thing standing in the way or a care in the world was absolutely intoxicating. The cars looked like toys as he flew steadily higher, the buildings and houses like a congested Monopoly board. He flew briskly, amazed at his stamina. He didn’t feel the least bit tired. To the contrary, he felt more and more energized the higher he flew.

He noticed that he wasn’t alone in the sky when he spotted a flock of starlings a hundred feet below. Seeing the birds reminded him that although he was flying with great skill and expertise, he had no idea where or when he had learned these skills. This was a troubling thought indeed, but for now he decided to just let it go. He was enjoying this entirely too much to let anything possibly ruin it.

His eyesight was so sharp that he could still spot the details of the shrinking landscape below with incredible clarity: the subtle textures of the rooftops of houses, the bands of color on a canvas awning, a squirrel jumping from limb to limb in a tree. He wondered what had made his eyesight improve so dramatically.

The deep blue of a body of water caught his eye to the left. An ocean! Wherever he was, he was near a coast somewhere. But where, exactly?

He headed toward the ocean in a wide graceful bank to his left. He was high enough now that he could glide for miles and give his arms a rest, although they didn’t need it. As the huge blue body of water loomed larger, he could see white sand and waves breaking along the shore. A flock of gulls were flying here and there; a few sailboats dotted the water.

He began his descent and made a beeline toward the beach, wondering if he would be able to ascertain his location once he got there. He felt sudden updrafts of air as he flew closer to the water, adjusting his position accordingly. He allowed himself to descend as the drafts allowed, not in any particular hurry to make it to ground.

As he approached land, the sun bathed the sand in warm yellow-gold. Long shadows played along the dunes skirting the beach. He gently touched down on the sand.

At that very moment he spotted the shadow of a huge bird appearing from out of nowhere behind him. Startled, he did a one-eighty and prepared himself for battle.

But he saw nothing.

He turned around and saw the shadow again.

The shadow belonged to him.

Suddenly, the reality of the entire situation hit him like a ton of bricks. For not only was he some place he did not know, and able to fly just like a bird, he was indeed just that.

A bird.

A bird that had not an inkling who he was or how he got here.

The feeling of panic returned and he took flight, staring in disbelief at the shrinking shadow of his flapping wings below.

A bird!

He flew sporadically along the beach, not sure where he was heading. After a few moments he decided that there was no need to be overreacting like this. So he was a bird. Big deal! Why would he expect to be anything else but a bird? Once a bird, always a bird, right?

Of course. He didn’t know why he was freaking out and the more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. He had to admit that for some reason he felt that being a bird was an unnatural thing, but it ended at that. He could think of no reason why he should feel that way so why not just move on with life?

That’s it, he resolved. I will just move on.

He saw a rather large, opulent looking beach house ahead and decided to check it out. Now that he knew he was a bird, it was time to find out where he was. The house may give him some clues.

As he approached, he chose a silver maple tree and lit on a branch near the top. From this vantage point, he could assess the layout of the house and contemplate what to do next. He spotted an expensive-looking car parked outside the garage and had an idea. He sprung off the branch and flew down to the driveway.

He touched ground and peered up at the license plate. New York—

New York. What am I doing in New York?

Like everything else thus far, being in New York made no sense either. But rather than debate it, he opted to explore further.

He heard a door squeak open and instinctively flew off toward the shrubs lining the yard. He stood by and watched as a middle-aged man came out and got into the car. He waited until the man had pulled out of the driveway and then began thinking of how he could get inside the house.

At first he thought that he would try the door and see if it was unlocked, then simply walk inside. Then he realized that this was an absurd notion and questioned why he would consider it in the first place. He was a bird. Birds don’t open doors. Birds fly through open doors.

Time for Plan B.

He looked up at the house and spotted the chimney. He knew how he would get inside the house: just as Santa Claus would.

He flew up onto the edge of the chimney and peered down into the darkness. It seemed incredibly intimidating. Nevertheless he decided to take the plunge. He hopped off the edge and felt himself freefall down the black shaft. He flapped his wings wildly in a panic as he discovered that there was nothing jutting out far