Prologue
Elizabeth was backed into a corner, her back forcefully pushed by her own strength against the wall behind her. Perspiration swept across her face, and panic consumed her. She felt her heart beating so hard and fast, like it was trying to get out of her chest. She found it difficult to breathe. Her thoughts were racing faster than a racecar on the track. Was this really happening? What was she going to do? She blinked her eyes shut slowly and tight and then quickly reopened them as if she somehow hoped desperately that she was dreaming. Instead, the nightmare was absolute. She was alone with her attacker in this small house in the middle of nowhere, where no one would hear her screams. What would death be like? How much would it hurt? Was there any chance of survival? Her thoughts were immediately interrupted as the figure moved closer to her panic-stricken body. With every inch that it got nearer to her, she began to hold her breath, she felt faint, but that didn’t matter now. Then finally, the figure stopped, gun clutched in their hands, pointing directly at her. “Any last words?” the figure rhetorically questioned with head tilted and an evil smirk on their devil-like face.
And then it pulled the trigger.
Chapter 1: Elizabeth
She woke up and stretched. Her eyes opened, and she got out of bed. She walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Elizabeth Houston was stunningly beautiful. She was still young enough by society’s standards, 34 years of age. She was physically fit with an athletically slim build and waves of thick, long brown hair complimenting her pale skin. Her dark, sapphire blue eyes almost hypnotized any person who would look into them. And if her eyes didn’t capture you, her smile would.
“Bring on the day.” She said to herself. Elizabeth lived alone with her favorite companion, her dog. She spoke to herself frequently and spoke to her dog, Waffles, even more. She had always spoken to animals as if they could understand her, and she could understand them.
She picked up her toothbrush and started to brush her pearl white teeth when she looked behind her in the mirror and saw Waffles attacking one of her pillows on her bed. Pieces of feathers were flying through the air as if they all had their own journeys to take. Elizabeth turned to look at Waffles head, but it didn’t appear that he knew she was watching. He was hopping around on the mounds of blankets, and the pillow was being shaken quickly from side to side in Waffle’s mouth. She quickly ran to him and took the pillow from him, only to be greeted with a loud bark and large paws coming at her.
Waffles was a large German Shepard. Still, a puppy mentality, although full grown. When she got him from the shelter, she was notified that he had been dropped off there anonymously with a note that said, Too difficult to handle. She had chalked it up to him being 9 weeks old, but he had never tamed down, and she had rescued him almost 2 years ago.
With toothpaste leaking out of her mouth and a feather stuck to her chin, she shooed Waffles off her bed and into the hallway. She finished brushing her teeth and went downstairs to let Waffles outside. Waffles was waiting by the big glass French doors to start his morning routine. She opened the door, and he ran out, almost pouncing on his way to the trees.
Elizabeth considered herself fortunate to have a large yard with woods hugging her home. It was a great place to have a large dog that needed room to run and play. She loved her home, an exclusive loft house surrounded by large beautiful pine trees. The chalet-style home was nestled in the woods just out of Bar Harbor, Maine, with a sizeable glistening pond just down a steep bank from the house. The house was grey, and the front displayed huge windows that almost took up one whole side. A cobblestone walking pathway guided her up to the door. Bushes edged the front of the house, and she had a beautiful Maple tree in the middle of her yard. Elizabeth loved being in the woods with access to the Woods Pond, and she was just far enough away from town to hear birds and quiet instead of traffic. She loved that she could always smell cool, crisp, and clean air.
She went to her kettle placed on her stove and turned it up high so she could savor her daily morning herbal tea. She had a large box of assorted flavors and types. Elizabeth enjoyed having so many options to choose from. She had no favorites, just enjoyed drinking tea that suited her mood every day.
“Let’s see. I think I will have….. this one. Mint and lemon verbena.” She brought the bag to her nose and breathed in. She turned the stove off and poured herself a cup of tea, peeked out to check on Waffles, and went back upstairs to get ready for work.
She owned a striking modern-day art gallery located in Bar Harbor, Maine. Although she had only owned the gallery for three years, she already had an established clientele. She was creative and artistic and had an exceptional talent for photography. Since she was a teenager, she knew that she wanted to own her own gallery and display not only her pictures but those of others as well. She always felt that art in all its forms should be looked at and appreciated. When she was 18, she moved from her small town in Montana to Maine to go to college for art and business. She worked hard at a local fresh seafood restaurant and paid her own way through college. It wasn’t easy when she first arrived, but she was determined to follow her dreams, and she eventually succeeded. She followed her heart and became fortunately successful at what she loved to do, create art. She was a well-known local artist and was excited to display her artistic creations to share with others. Her creativity was so powerful that it just led her sometimes. Whether it was painting or taking photographs, it just felt like there was something inside of her that yearned for more and more creations.
Elizabeth went downstairs and opened the door to let Waffles in. She looked at the beautiful trees and thought she would go walking and take some pictures after work. Elizabeth found that she felt most creative when she was outside in the woods. In particular, right outside her house. Bar Harbor was so beautiful with the Atlantic Ocean, the trees of Acadia National Park, and the blueberries of Blue Hill Mountain. Yes, living in Maine amongst the trees, the ocean, and the whistling sound of the birds as their songs echoed for her to hear; it got her creative juices flowing.
She gave Waffles a hug and his usual array of treats, Milkbones, one of each flavor. She grabbed her blazer and headed out the door for the gallery. She smelled the fresh salty air as she stepped outside and felt the sun on her face thinking to herself that at this moment in time she couldn’t think of anything else that she could want. Not a care in the world.
Cryptic Corner 