Chapter 2: Going Crazy
Late that night Caroline showered and head to bed. All the lights were off upstairs. The bathroom door was open and she could see what looked like dancing lights faintly outside the window.
"Just a car turning the corner down the road," she thought, staring at the lights.
She walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She wanted to see what the lights were because they became brighter, then dimmed. They moved unlike any car lights she had ever seen out of all the times she saw headlights shining through the window. She walked to the window and looked out.
"Hmm, no cars. That's strange," she thought.
She turned to flip the light on. As soon as she touched the light switch, the room lit up as bright as day. She spun around, eyes wide, heart racing faster than it was earlier in the day. The house shook as if there was an earthquake happening. The light shined for what seemed like several minutes. She froze with her back against the door. All she could do was stare into the light. She felt around for the doorknob, finally finding it. She flung the door open and ran out and down the stairs.
"MOMMA!" she yelled, running through the house.
No one was there. They were all gone.
She searched every room calling out for her family, "MOMMA, DADDY, COLE!! Where are you!?!? HEEEELP!!"
The light poured in from every window in the house, and the loud hum of the vibration from the lights pierced her eardrums. She heard the back doorknob rattle, and she ran to the kitchen, praying it was one of them. She stood there hesitant to run to the door. She could only stare at the doorknob. Sweat beaded down her forehead. Her hands shook and her breathing was ragged. Suddenly the free swinging kitchen door opened.
"Caroline," Momma said, standing there staring with a confused expression.
"Momma," Caroline exclaimed.
"Did you see the lights? Where were you guys? I called out for you and you weren't' there! None of you were there," Caroline cried.
"Honey, we are all in the living room. What's wrong? Are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost," Momma asked.
"Momma, the lights!" she shouted.
Tears streamed down her face as she fell to her knees on the floor.
"Oh my word, Caroline! Baby, come here. Sit down. Let me get you a washrag," momma said.
She grabbed the rag on the sink and ran it under cool water and rang it out. She folded it and laid it across Caroline's neck, then got another and laid it across her forehead.
Momma sat down in the chair next to Caroline and patted her hand and asked, "Baby, tell me what happened. I can't help if you don't tell me. Did you fall and hit your head? Let me see. Come here."
Caroline leaned her head down and let her mother check for bumps, but she could find none. Caroline sat there with her head in her hands, crying.
"Momma, there were lights in the bathroom window, then everything lit up like it was day. Please, tell me you saw it too," she begged, "tell me you felt the house shake and heard the loud humming!"
"Honey, we didn't hear or see anything except the crickets and the moonlight," momma said.
She was becoming concerned for her daughter.
"Maybe she has spent too much time out in the sun and heat," momma thought.
She looked Caroline up and down, examining her for anything out of the ordinary. She could see nothing, so she stood up and helped Caroline to bed. She tucked her in and checked on her before she and Buck went to bed.
The next morning, Caroline awoke, startled by daddy firing up the tractor and yelling to Cole over the loud tractor engine. She was drenched in sweat and breathless.
"What happened last night? Was that just a bad dream? It had to have been," she thought to herself, staring at the ceiling.
She sat up and looked around. Everything was normal. She looked out the window at daddy and Cole. Her father saw her in the window and he smiled and waved. She waved back. She could see the breeze blowing the wheat around in the field just beyond them. The sun shined on her face and she relaxed a little. She turned around and looked at her closet. The door was cracked open. It's never cracked, and she remembered shutting it last night.
"Oh my gosh, no, no, no! Please no," she whispered to herself. She jumped out of bed, rushed over and swung the door open, dropped to her knees and dug for her box.
It was right where she put it. She opened it, and the lingerie was still folded neatly inside the box.
"Why was the door open," she thought, sitting there with her arms holding her knees to her chest, staring into the closet then back into her room.
She thought maybe she was just dehydrated. She, in fact, had been out working in the sun and heat from sun up to sun down. She hadn't really taken breaks in the shade and she read she could get heat stroke easily in this type of weather. She slowly opened the door to her bedroom and peaked out. The sun shined and a warm breeze blew through the open windows. She opened the door and walked out. The breeze felt wonderful on her bare skin under her loose fitting night shirt. It gave her goosebumps. She tiptoed down the old creaking stairs and peaked into the kitchen. Momma was at the kitchen sink doing the breakfast dishes. She didn't hear Caroline walk in and jumped.
"OH! Caroline, honey. I didn't hear you come down the steps. How did you sleep? You gave me quite the scare last night," she said, helping Caroline to the table.
"I don't know, Momma," she said, looking up at her mother, "I had the horrible dream. There was so much light shining through the windows, and I ran and yelled for you but couldn't find any of you. Then I woke up, and I was drenched in sweat."
Barbara gave Caroline a sympathetic smile and nod and stroked her head and walked to the cupboard for a glass and plate to give Caroline breakfast and some water and OJ.
"No baby, I found you standing right there staring at the back door, sweating like a sinner in church. I touched your arm, and you snapped out of it and started bawling. I helped you to bed and didn't hear a peep out of you all night. Your daddy was worried, sick. He didn't sleep a wink. I think he checked on you a few more times through the night too," momma said, "I want you resting today, Caroline. You can help me. You've been out in that scorching sun for far longer than a lady should be. Your daddy appreciates all your help and hard work, and if he pitches a fit, he can deal with me. You're my only daughter and I'd like grandbabies soon."
Caroline looked at her momma with a smile and a soft chuckle.
"Yes, momma," Caroline replied, and ate her breakfast.
As the day went on, last night's episode stuck with Caroline. She and momma ran errands and made deliveries around town, yet she couldn't shake it. She stared off into space, trying to figure out what she did leading up to the moment it started. What had she eaten? Was it something she could have picked up from the baby chicks? She didn't know. Momma was talking the entire time, but Caroline barely heard any of it.
"Caroline, did you hear me," momma asked.
Caroline turned and looked at her mother.
"Yes, momma. I heard you," she said. Caroline liked today.
She needed the rest. She was convincing herself that rest was all she needed. Maybe she was just sleepwalking last night? Yes, that's it. She had a nightmare and was sleep walking. That makes the most sense.
"I'll take a couple days off and recuperate," she told herself.
She and momma made their first few deliveries and then went to the corner store for lunch. They had the best BLT sandwiches and sun tea. Momma had tried to recreate that sandwich several times, but it never tasted the same. They ordered lunch and sat in a booth by the window. They ate, talked and laughed just like when Caroline was a kid. It was great. As they were throwing their garbage away and walking out, a man walked in. His name was Walter Bridges. Walter was known around town as a "kook." He claims aliens abducted him several times. His hair and clothes were always disheveled and he talked to himself.
"Weirdo," she thought, bolting past him.
