Memories
Memories
I awoke in a cold seat. The power was off and a storm raged outside. The thunder sounds permeated the Cliffside, the rasping noise of ocean on rock caused the house to shake, and the lightning illuminated the black sky. I rose softly and looked out the window at the storm as the images from my dream entered my mind. I was no longer I my cozy bedroom; I was in a dark brown court room all eyes on me.
“Ms. Lovett please tell us what happened that night?” a lawyer said kindly.
“Well I saw the evil man in my Mommy’s room. He had a knife in his hand and Mommy was on the floor just lying there. I was hiding in the closet and then he put the knife in Mommy and she stopped moving.” I answered not fully aware of what was happening.
“OK Ms. Lovett, go ahead and step down.” I did as I was told and I as I stepped by the man I looked at him contemptuously and continued out the door.
It had been many years since then yet the memories of the even laid fresh in my mind. Back in America the man was safely behind bars yet he still frightened me. I knew he couldn’t find me here in the country side of Ireland yet I was terrified of him.
In the hours that passed I tried to sleep but it never took me. At almost seven o’clock in the morning the phone rang pulling me from my newest book. I set my glasses on the table and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?” I asked into the phone.
“Hello, Ms. Lovett?” I woman asked.
“This is she; may I ask whose calling?” I asked her.
“Hello, I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Cindy Serverellie and I was the prosecutor in the Richard Rocklin trial.” She said kindly.
“Yes Ms. Serverellie I remember.”
“I’m calling today to let you know that Mr. Rocklin was released from prison yesterday, he is not aloud out of the country so there is no reason to worry, but I thought you should know.” My heard practically stopped in my chest as panic and fear raced through my head. “Ms. Lovett are you still there?”
“Um, yes thank you.” I put the phone down and put my head in my hands crying. After a few minutes of crying I composed myself and went outside to catch some fresh air.
I didn’t bother with shoes; the sand from the beach next to the cliff by my house was warm and welcoming. The wind wiped though my hair and the waved crashed at my feet. Up ahead I saw a yellow lab running toward me barking, and tail wagging. He ran and jumped on my knocking me into the surf up to my knees. The dog began to lick my face happily as I pet his neck. He stopped licking and let me sit up to look at him.
“Hello boy, who do you belong to?” I searched his coler for tags but found none.
“Lady, what are you doing out here?” a man with a deep voice and Irish accent asked. I looked to my left and saw a large strapping young man with shoulder length brown hair jogging toward me and the dog.
“Hello there Lassie, I see you found me dog.” He said offering a hand to help me up which I gladly took and stood to my feet. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Here you go, I see he got your face pretty good.”
“Yes he did, thank you.” I took the cloth and wiped my face. I looked up at the man and got my first good look at him and recognized him immediately and my eyes got large. “You’re Aiden Fitzgerald, the writer.”
“Aye that be me, but who might you be?” He asked with a smile.
“Bethany, Bethany Lovett.” I said as I extended my hand to him. Instead of shaking it like I thought he would he gently took it and kissed my knuckle.
“It’s a pleaser to meet you Mrs. Lovett.”
“Oh, it’s just Ms. and the pleaser is mine.” I said with a smile.
“My apologies Ma’am.” He said looking me right in the eye. I got a good look at him now and his pictures don’t do him justice.
Aiden had shoulder length dark brown hair, a chiseled face and what look to be muscles under a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans.
“Please, to make up for my dogs ill behavior, let me take you to lunch.” He said with a wide grin on his face.
“I don’t know I’m not really dressed for going anywhere.” I said.
“Please, it will just be at my house and I will give you some dry cloths and hot food.”
“Yes alright.” I said as I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have lunch with one of my favorite authors.
I followed him to his home and air lunch with him. We talked, watched movies and had fun for a brief time I was happy, but that was soon to end.
August 17th 1998 journal of B Lovett
Weeks after my encounter with Aiden Fitzgerald we had been spending every day together. In the past weeks I had forgotten about Richard Rocklin and for once in a very long time I was actually happy. Today we are just going to watch a movie together, today is just a day to relax.
I was prancing around the house tidying up and getting ready for Aiden to arrive. Today was the first time he would be at my house and I wanted everything to be perfect. A knock on the door brought me back to reality. I rushed to door hoping I wasn’t flushed and opened the door with a warm smile that quickly faded the moment I saw who it was.
“You.” I said as panic and fear flooded my body. “Richard Rocklin.”
“That’s right toots, me!” He started to come in as I tried to slam the door in his face. I ran toward my office where the closest phone was but Richard was faster than me. He cut me off and I tried to turn around and run the other way be he got to me first. Richard grabbed me and put a knife to my throat.
“Though you could get away from me did you love?” He stuttered out, the smell of whisky on his breath.
“No, please let me go.” I sobbed out with tears running down my face.
“No, I don’t think so, you locked me up for twenty year, and I will get my revenge.” He dragged me into the living room were the front door was and through me onto the floor.
I hit my head off the table and fell face first onto the floor. My hand reached up in instinct to grab my now swollen and bleeding head. I started to crawl to the door but Richard was smart. I heard a gun cock and I stopped in my tracks.
“You are going nowhere missy!” Richard walked over to me and back handed me back to the floor. “You will stay where you are!” I looked up at him and the evil glint in his eyes.
“You want to kill me; just do it, unless you lack the courage of your convictions.” I said trying to sound brave.
“You bitch, how dare you insult me!” He hissed. He started to circle around me toward the door when he was almost right in front of the door he stopped. “You want to die do you? Well then DIE!” He pointed the gun at me and was about to pull the trigger when the door opened and the gun went off.
I looked at the floor where a bullet hole lay only inches from my chest. I looked toward the door to see what had happened, in the door way stood Aiden staring down at me and Richard on the floor to Aiden’s right trying to recompose himself. The door had hit Richard which through his aim off. Richard got to his feet and was heading to Aiden gun aimed at his back.
“Aiden, behind you!” I screamed.
“Aiden turned and knocked the gun hand down in time for it to go off. I saw Aiden wince in pain. At that moment I only had a few moments to crawl to the closet and close the door but the door wouldn’t shut leaving a crack for me to see out of. I pulled my knees to my chest and cried. It was as though my childhood was happening all over again and I felt like a cowered for hiding but I didn’t know what else to do.
I watched as the two men fought. I head the gun go off again and closed my eyes in fear. I heard a thud hit the floor and limped footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened and a man with blood on his face appeared. Even with the blood I knew who is was.
“Aiden.” I shouted jumping up and embracing him in a large hug and noisy kiss that made me blush like crazy.
“Owe, owe, Bethany it’s over now and I’m fine relax.” I looked down at his leg a gasped.
“Fine my arse, you’ve been shot, come on sit on the couch.” I said as I led Aiden to the couch and set him down softly when my door opened again.
“Bethany, are you alright I heard the gun shots.” An old man with an Irish accent said.
“Yes, Dr. Stevens I’m fine but Aiden was shot.” I said to my neighbor. Dr. Stevens ran over with his bag and started working on him when he looked behind him.
“What happened to him?” He asked.
“The gun discharged while I was wrestling him and he got shot in the stomach.” Aiden answered.
In the hours that passed the police arrived and Aiden was air lifted to the hospital; I never left his side.
The doctors had taken him to the operating room to get the bullet out and I waited nervously, a doctor came out in scrubs and walked to me.
“Your Fiancé will be fine.”
“Thank you and…” I didn’t have time to tell him Aiden wasn’t my fiancé before he interrupted me. “You can see him now.”
I followed the doctor to his room and saw Aiden already awake and eating. I smiled at him and started walking over to him when the doctor stopped me.
“Your fiancé needs rest, don’t overexert him.” He said and I nodded.
“OK and he’s not my fiancé.” I said with a small smile.
“You can be if you want to be.” Aiden said form the bed.
“What?” I asked with wide eyes.
“I was going to ask you to marry when I came to your house but then this happened. So, Bethany will you marry me? I know it’s not the most romantic way to ask but I do have a ring in my pants pocket.” He said with a smile.
“Aiden, I don’t know what to say!” I said as tears welled up in my eyes.
“Just say yes.” He said smiling. I ran to him and though my arms around his neck.
“Yes Aiden.” He kissed me and that was the start of our happy life together.
Over the years we started our life together, married on Samhain and parents on Yule the year after. Together we had three children and two dogs (not to mention the little pets in cages and tanks). Twenty years later I’m no longer haunted by the memories of the past and though I still think about my mother and how I never really knew her I think only of the good times I had with her that are stored in my memories.
“Ms. Lovett please tell us what happened that night?” a lawyer said kindly.
“Well I saw the evil man in my Mommy’s room. He had a knife in his hand and Mommy was on the floor just lying there. I was hiding in the closet and then he put the knife in Mommy and she stopped moving.” I answered not fully aware of what was happening.
“OK Ms. Lovett, go ahead and step down.” I did as I was told and I as I stepped by the man I looked at him contemptuously and continued out the door.
It had been many years since then yet the memories of the even laid fresh in my mind. Back in America the man was safely behind bars yet he still frightened me. I knew he couldn’t find me here in the country side of Ireland yet I was terrified of him.
In the hours that passed I tried to sleep but it never took me. At almost seven o’clock in the morning the phone rang pulling me from my newest book. I set my glasses on the table and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?” I asked into the phone.
“Hello, Ms. Lovett?” I woman asked.
“This is she; may I ask whose calling?” I asked her.
“Hello, I don’t know if you remember me but I’m Cindy Serverellie and I was the prosecutor in the Richard Rocklin trial.” She said kindly.
“Yes Ms. Serverellie I remember.”
“I’m calling today to let you know that Mr. Rocklin was released from prison yesterday, he is not aloud out of the country so there is no reason to worry, but I thought you should know.” My heard practically stopped in my chest as panic and fear raced through my head. “Ms. Lovett are you still there?”
“Um, yes thank you.” I put the phone down and put my head in my hands crying. After a few minutes of crying I composed myself and went outside to catch some fresh air.
I didn’t bother with shoes; the sand from the beach next to the cliff by my house was warm and welcoming. The wind wiped though my hair and the waved crashed at my feet. Up ahead I saw a yellow lab running toward me barking, and tail wagging. He ran and jumped on my knocking me into the surf up to my knees. The dog began to lick my face happily as I pet his neck. He stopped licking and let me sit up to look at him.
“Hello boy, who do you belong to?” I searched his coler for tags but found none.
“Lady, what are you doing out here?” a man with a deep voice and Irish accent asked. I looked to my left and saw a large strapping young man with shoulder length brown hair jogging toward me and the dog.
“Hello there Lassie, I see you found me dog.” He said offering a hand to help me up which I gladly took and stood to my feet. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Here you go, I see he got your face pretty good.”
“Yes he did, thank you.” I took the cloth and wiped my face. I looked up at the man and got my first good look at him and recognized him immediately and my eyes got large. “You’re Aiden Fitzgerald, the writer.”
“Aye that be me, but who might you be?” He asked with a smile.
“Bethany, Bethany Lovett.” I said as I extended my hand to him. Instead of shaking it like I thought he would he gently took it and kissed my knuckle.
“It’s a pleaser to meet you Mrs. Lovett.”
“Oh, it’s just Ms. and the pleaser is mine.” I said with a smile.
“My apologies Ma’am.” He said looking me right in the eye. I got a good look at him now and his pictures don’t do him justice.
Aiden had shoulder length dark brown hair, a chiseled face and what look to be muscles under a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans.
“Please, to make up for my dogs ill behavior, let me take you to lunch.” He said with a wide grin on his face.
“I don’t know I’m not really dressed for going anywhere.” I said.
“Please, it will just be at my house and I will give you some dry cloths and hot food.”
“Yes alright.” I said as I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have lunch with one of my favorite authors.
I followed him to his home and air lunch with him. We talked, watched movies and had fun for a brief time I was happy, but that was soon to end.
August 17th 1998 journal of B Lovett
Weeks after my encounter with Aiden Fitzgerald we had been spending every day together. In the past weeks I had forgotten about Richard Rocklin and for once in a very long time I was actually happy. Today we are just going to watch a movie together, today is just a day to relax.
I was prancing around the house tidying up and getting ready for Aiden to arrive. Today was the first time he would be at my house and I wanted everything to be perfect. A knock on the door brought me back to reality. I rushed to door hoping I wasn’t flushed and opened the door with a warm smile that quickly faded the moment I saw who it was.
“You.” I said as panic and fear flooded my body. “Richard Rocklin.”
“That’s right toots, me!” He started to come in as I tried to slam the door in his face. I ran toward my office where the closest phone was but Richard was faster than me. He cut me off and I tried to turn around and run the other way be he got to me first. Richard grabbed me and put a knife to my throat.
“Though you could get away from me did you love?” He stuttered out, the smell of whisky on his breath.
“No, please let me go.” I sobbed out with tears running down my face.
“No, I don’t think so, you locked me up for twenty year, and I will get my revenge.” He dragged me into the living room were the front door was and through me onto the floor.
I hit my head off the table and fell face first onto the floor. My hand reached up in instinct to grab my now swollen and bleeding head. I started to crawl to the door but Richard was smart. I heard a gun cock and I stopped in my tracks.
“You are going nowhere missy!” Richard walked over to me and back handed me back to the floor. “You will stay where you are!” I looked up at him and the evil glint in his eyes.
“You want to kill me; just do it, unless you lack the courage of your convictions.” I said trying to sound brave.
“You bitch, how dare you insult me!” He hissed. He started to circle around me toward the door when he was almost right in front of the door he stopped. “You want to die do you? Well then DIE!” He pointed the gun at me and was about to pull the trigger when the door opened and the gun went off.
I looked at the floor where a bullet hole lay only inches from my chest. I looked toward the door to see what had happened, in the door way stood Aiden staring down at me and Richard on the floor to Aiden’s right trying to recompose himself. The door had hit Richard which through his aim off. Richard got to his feet and was heading to Aiden gun aimed at his back.
“Aiden, behind you!” I screamed.
“Aiden turned and knocked the gun hand down in time for it to go off. I saw Aiden wince in pain. At that moment I only had a few moments to crawl to the closet and close the door but the door wouldn’t shut leaving a crack for me to see out of. I pulled my knees to my chest and cried. It was as though my childhood was happening all over again and I felt like a cowered for hiding but I didn’t know what else to do.
I watched as the two men fought. I head the gun go off again and closed my eyes in fear. I heard a thud hit the floor and limped footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened and a man with blood on his face appeared. Even with the blood I knew who is was.
“Aiden.” I shouted jumping up and embracing him in a large hug and noisy kiss that made me blush like crazy.
“Owe, owe, Bethany it’s over now and I’m fine relax.” I looked down at his leg a gasped.
“Fine my arse, you’ve been shot, come on sit on the couch.” I said as I led Aiden to the couch and set him down softly when my door opened again.
“Bethany, are you alright I heard the gun shots.” An old man with an Irish accent said.
“Yes, Dr. Stevens I’m fine but Aiden was shot.” I said to my neighbor. Dr. Stevens ran over with his bag and started working on him when he looked behind him.
“What happened to him?” He asked.
“The gun discharged while I was wrestling him and he got shot in the stomach.” Aiden answered.
In the hours that passed the police arrived and Aiden was air lifted to the hospital; I never left his side.
The doctors had taken him to the operating room to get the bullet out and I waited nervously, a doctor came out in scrubs and walked to me.
“Your Fiancé will be fine.”
“Thank you and…” I didn’t have time to tell him Aiden wasn’t my fiancé before he interrupted me. “You can see him now.”
I followed the doctor to his room and saw Aiden already awake and eating. I smiled at him and started walking over to him when the doctor stopped me.
“Your fiancé needs rest, don’t overexert him.” He said and I nodded.
“OK and he’s not my fiancé.” I said with a small smile.
“You can be if you want to be.” Aiden said form the bed.
“What?” I asked with wide eyes.
“I was going to ask you to marry when I came to your house but then this happened. So, Bethany will you marry me? I know it’s not the most romantic way to ask but I do have a ring in my pants pocket.” He said with a smile.
“Aiden, I don’t know what to say!” I said as tears welled up in my eyes.
“Just say yes.” He said smiling. I ran to him and though my arms around his neck.
“Yes Aiden.” He kissed me and that was the start of our happy life together.
Over the years we started our life together, married on Samhain and parents on Yule the year after. Together we had three children and two dogs (not to mention the little pets in cages and tanks). Twenty years later I’m no longer haunted by the memories of the past and though I still think about my mother and how I never really knew her I think only of the good times I had with her that are stored in my memories.