by Phillip Johnson
Chapter One Hundred Twenty Four
Over a year had passed since they had been to Discovery and the four of them got together for an early Saturday dinner. Layla mentioned that she would have a few days off starting the next Friday through the following Monday and she said, "I really need to get away. The last two months have been wicked."
Mitch laughed and said, "I know, let's go to Discovery."
"You are joking right?"
"Yes and no. Okay, how about this. The four of us go up there, but not stay. You can see what the boutiques have now and we can have lunch or an early dinner at Ethel's and then head on south to wherever. Find a nice motel or resort and just crash."
"But not stay at the Twilight right?"
"Nope, just visit, see what's going on and then leave."
"Okay, I'm for that. Buck...Anita?"
"As long as we don't stay and get caught up in that mess again." Their plans were set. They would be on the road no later than eight and in Discovery in time for lunch.
The four of them were on the road ten minutes ahead of schedule and with Mitch at the wheel made good time. "You know it seems so long ago that Layla and I stumbled into Discovery in a broken car and our lives were changed forever."
"All four of our lives were changed forever," Anita added. All of that really does seem so long ago."
"Be honest Nita, did you bring Discovery shorts to wear?"
"No...Okay I brought something, but I brought the skirt instead."
"Now that's music to my ears."
"You've seen my naked butt so what's the big deal?"
"Did you bring heels too?"
"Yes love, I brought heels too."
"Layla?"
"Of course," they saw the old sign for Discovery first and Mitch slowed down to about ten miles an hour, but where he planned on turning to the left there was now a gate across the road.
"What the hell?"
Layla was next with, "Oh my God, the stores are boarded up."
Mitch pulled over in front of what used to be Jim and Delia's store and stopped. They got out and just looked down the old main street of what used to be part of Discovery. "How can this be after just sixteen or eighteen months? When we left here everything was booming."
Buck looked across the street toward the warehouse fronts and said, "I'll be right back," and ran across the street to the first door he saw. He tried the knob and it opened so he went in and saw a door to his left and went through that to a counter and looked to see if anybody was around.
Then from his right he heard, "Can I help you?"
"Oh...um, yeah, what the hell happened to the village across the street?"
"Oh that. Hold on I'll get somebody else for ya," and he disappeared. A minute later she came in and Buck smiled, "hi, Wendy."
"Buck, what a surprise this is."
"What happened?"
"It's a pretty sad sight isn't it."
"We've just seen this side of it but I take it there's nothing left."
"That's about right." She looked at her watch and said, "I'll be going to lunch in half an hour so if you want to hang around we can talk."
"That would be great. Is there anyplace for coffee or anything?"
"Not anymore. Listen just go through the gate and get comfortable and I'll be over shortly."
"The gate's closed."
"Oh, just pull it open, it sometimes closes on its own." "See you in a little bit," and he went back out and then ran toward the gate telling the others, "Drive down to the gate and I'll open it." When they drove through, Buck walked down what used to be south side of the town square and as he caught up with the others, he said, "This is really sad. Damn look at the town square, all filled with tall grass and weeds."
"And boards across the store windows," Anita added. "It's really sad and kind of creepy now, like there are ghosts hanging around watching us."
They saw the alcove to their apartment and went over there and looked up the steps. Layla looked around and said, "This is so unbelievable. Look, behind the steps are those colored pads they scattered around the square for the celebration. I didn't realize there were so many of them. So no restaurants or anything open then."
Buck shook his head and said, "All gone now. No motel or grocery or anything."
"Then why is Wendy still here?"
"Don't know, but you can ask her when she comes over." They were still standing there talking about what once was when Wendy appeared. "Hi. I came through from the other side. Let's go up and have some iced tea and talk." They followed her up the steps and then to the right and into what was Faith's apartment. "Make yourself comfortable."
Layla followed Wendy and said, "Let me help. You probably have to hurry so you can eat and get back to work."
"I told them I'd be late getting back. It's not a big deal, but thanks. I'll pour and you can carry some of them."
They gathered in the living room and Wendy said, "I'll bet all of this was a real shock to you. Well, let me give you the quick version and then we can fill in the blanks. Forgive me for eating in front of you. Okay, let's see. You were here for the celebration so..." and she took a bite of her sandwich and chewed as she thought, washed it down with iced tea, and continued. "Well, all was well after the celebration, but not for long. We destroyed the town from within. Jealousies formed and that was never a problem before. It seems that weekend of total decadence and pagan hell raising was about the worst thing to have happen here. It all seemed great at the time. For whatever reason what we did at the Playhouse was okay and nobody had a problem with it. But when we did the same thing out in the open on the town square it was a different matter."
She paused to take a couple more bites and the continued. "First one couple moved out and then another. Just moved away and abandoned their houses out at the south end of town and didn't look back. There was nobody to buy them so why not? Anyway, Ma's Kitchen was one of the first to close and of course the gift shop never did do any good or the Men's store either. Then Mae closed Casey's, but what really did it was when Dwayne closed down the grocery and the auto repair and left. It was like dominoes falling after that. Now all that's left is Roberta in her place in the back. She works for Jim and Delia in the shipping and warehouse area. Another couple that moved in right after the celebration and their name is Rod and Adriana something."
"Well I'll be damned," Mitch said.
"You know them?"
"We met at Faith's."
"Oh yes, Faith. Now that's more of the story. Look, this is going to take quite awhile. Why don't you stay at your apartment tonight?"
"We need to eat and so forth."