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Erased: Chapter 18

Erased, a novel


Chapter 18- Large Pieces to a Growing Puzzle


Tayeton- I was finding my way around my fears.  I'd invited Kat to have lunch with me.  We had to dig deep between the pages of our schedules to meet this way, but it was worth the dig.  She was quite the explorer and always had a secret location where we could spend time together.  Today it was a small public reserve with lots of tiny lakes and cool spots where we could catch the shade.  I hadn't shared my scare with her.  I didn't see how it could help just yet.  We sat together stealing and exchanging pieces of each other's sandwiches.  Between bites we talked about the progress of "Thinking Outloud".  The ads were coming in, and we were working on my first attempt at lecturing.  I had taken Mr. Wells directive, but the college had been somewhat tight lipped about the publishing, and the name I was given had belonged to a retired employee.  Therefore, I'd put the idea of republishing my mom's work down, and continued to follow all the roads that were popping up like little arteries from the blog.  I'd gotten an offer from Mr. Simpleton to integrate the blog with Simpleton and Fisher's website, and I declined.  It was my tribute to my mother, and I thought to keep it free and personal.  I kept the viewership tightly under wraps and made light of the progress, and even more so now that my life had been threatened.  I still accompanied Walter to  some industry events and business lunches, but tried not to let my revelation surface.  I'd gotten my car back within twenty-four hours, and some of the changes were still a blur to me.  All I wanted to do was drive.  I didn't care about all the tricks of the trade, but I understood that they would care for me.  I made my rounds at the yard and the guys helped me become a better driver; considering.  When I heard the beeping, fairly muted and coming from beside Kat, I knew our time was up.  An hour had passed by in a blink.  I drew her face into mine and kissed her cheek and lips.  Her hair blew and got between our kisses.  The beeping didn't stop nor did we.  I knew it was going to be a late night for me, and I thought to get some warm kisses.  I walked her back to the parking area, and returned along the path we were on right after she left.  I'd never been, and I had more time to stay a while.  I wasn't sure how we'd missed it, or where they'd come from, but there were two lizards at the edge of the concrete, bathing in the heat, both turned on their sides and with their legs interlocked.  It had never occurred to me how human like they could be.  I quickly tried to capture a picture because I wasn't sure if anyone would believe it.  As I got close, they jumped up an scurried away separately.  I checked the picture and it was nothing but a blur with two seeming tails moving in opposite directions.  It wasn't even clear what they were.  Still, I had recorded in my mind what an amazing sight they were.  I walked on.  Before long, and just pass where Kat and I had eaten, I came to a fork.  I chose the side that had pictured birds next to an arrow.  Walking with me were a few butterflies, or flying alongside me; depending on the outlook.  They were enjoying making circles, and then leaping forward ahead of me.  In the distance, on a low rock wall with a flat top near another small lake were a few scatterings of people sitting alone.  There were large groupings of trees that I could see were keeping the area cool, and I was naturally gravitating to the coolness.  I took a spot on the wall just a few steps away from a man with a mangled and unruly beard and a fishing hat sitting high on his head.  He kept a small duffle closely at his feet, and there was a bag on his back.  He was journaling.  I sat down, and he looked up briefly.  His head didn't even come up high enough to make eye contact with me.  His back was turned away from the water.  It was what I would have thought to be the ideal inspiration; the lake that is, but perhaps he had enough to write about.  I stepped over the wall to observed the lake.  I heard the hard pages of his journal turn a few times and eventually found my attention moving towards him.  My eyes landed on his wrist and I recognized the black bracelet with three strands of chord attached to a small rectangular piece of metal.  My mind quickly computed, and the words ran right out of my mouth.

"Mr. Timothy Wells?" He looked up slowly and in a suspicious way.

"I am."  I realized that he either didn't remember me, or couldn't see me.  I got up and stepped back over the wall.  I didn't bother to sit, and instead extended my hand out to greet him.  His white shirt was a little dull, and so were the straps to the back pack he had on.  His eyes were not open wide and filled with light like I remembered.  He left his pen in the book, closed it, and set it down near him.

"It's Tayeton Fisher." I looked on as his shoulders seemed to stand back, and his head got taller.  He jumped up and greeted me back.

"Hey Tayeton.  What you doing down here?" He spoke of the place as down here, and I didn't exactly know what he meant.

"I was having lunch with my wife?"
"How's the blog?"
"The blog is doing good, but what about you? Why all the bags?"

"Things got a little rough that's all.  Did you check out any of the information I gave you?"

"I did.  I'm working with Simpleton and Fisher now.  It's good to see you and thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

"Actually Mr. Wells, maybe I can return the favor.  Tell me what you need, and I'll do my best."

"It's not so simple.  Someone tried to set fire to my life; got to the minds of most people I know.  My properties went up in smoke, clients bailed, and nearly everywhere I turned there seemed to be something standing in the way of my progress.  It's been eighteen months out here already.  I got some ideas about what's going on, but there's a lot of dead ends."

He was sitting down again and so was I.  We sat closer, and both of our voices had dropped down beneath our surroundings.  He showed me the notes that he'd collected.  There were only three and they were all written in a different handwriting.  One of the messages got me in the gut.  It read, "Mind Your Business." It was spelled out on legal pad paper in red.  He explained how every so often he'd awakened to the notes.  It was like he'd said, not so simple.  Whoever had gone after him obviously wasn't satisfied, and there was no way to simplify that.  He was strangely open about his circumstances, and I wondered who else he'd shared this with.  Just as the thought came to me, he assured me I'd been the first person.  I thought about how meeting him had changed my life, and I couldn't leave him behind.  With that thought also came a revelation; one that brought my hands over my face, and my face into my lap.  It was me.  I was the business he'd gotten into.  And with the memory of the incident on the road not far behind me, it was not hard to believe.

"Would you be willing to let me help you?" I asked not clear what it would mean, or require but I was already on the list, and I was sure my name hadn't been erased.  I sat and waited while he tried to overpower his emotions.  It was nothing he could do; the tears were running, and his lips trembling. He got up and walked a distance.  He stopped with his back to me, one hand on his waist, and his face turned down.  My emotions had also risen up and were manifesting.  My head was again hung between my legs and tears wet the ground next to my feet.  After a while there came a shadow and then I could see the worn pair of sneakers Mr. Wells was wearing.  I wasn't ready to lift my head, but I could hear him packing his things, and I rose my head.

"Thank you."  It was all he could give to my question and it was an acceptable answer.  I got up with my mind now filled with the fact that the issue was growing and had grown far beyond my grasp, yet I didn't shrink back from my offer.  I led the way a step or two ahead and kept what I knew to myself.  I only had one trusted alliance, and I had to lean on it.  Thankfully he seemed to know a little something about these things.  I'd opened the door for Mr. Wells to put his things in the trunk of the car, but he asked if he could keep them with him.  I didn't know anything about such a life, but I assumed his bags and whatever were in them were his only alliances.  We rode to Shepherd Engines in silence.  He stared out the passenger side window, and me out the front.  Before us darkness... mixed with a little light.  It was still early afternoon however, and I still had a meeting I couldn't blow off.

My father in-law was distinguish, and didn't ask lots of questions.  I told him as much as I could and left them behind.

Part-two begins with Chapter 19.




Erased, a novel

Copyright 2018 by Natisha Renee Williams, All Rights Reserved

Grace Call Communications, LLC Copyright 2018

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