Revelations (The Revelations Series Book 1) (14 page)

Jenna sat on the bed and picked up the picture of her and her mother from a few years ago. She smiled as she thought back to the day it had been taken and how happy they had been.

Jenna closed her eyes trying to erase the pain of the last few days. This wasn’t fair. It should be her dead, not her mom! She couldn’t understand why her father let her be killed. He said he loved her.

Not able to take being in her mom’s room any longer she clutched the picture to her chest and left the room. Back in her own room, she set the picture on her nightstand and grabbed her suitcase out of her closet, tossed it on her bed and then went back to the closet. She bent down and pulled the loose board up and out of the floor. She reached in and grabbed the book her father had left her and took it out. She stared at it for a moment, not sure if she wanted to take it. All she could think about as she looked at it was that her father had let her mom die. Why should she keep anything he had given her when he had stood by and let her mom be killed?

She started to put the book back, but decided against it. It was the last thing her mom had given her and she couldn’t bear to part with it, so she walked over to the bed and threw it in her suitcase.

Next were her clothes. She grabbed a t-shirt and wrapped the picture in it then set it in her suitcase. The rest of her clothes she just threw in, not bothering to fold any of them. There really wasn’t anything else in her room worth keeping so she zipped her suitcase as her stomach began to growl.
Time to eat
, she thought as she set it by the door.

****

Jenna woke to the sound of Alex knocking on her bedroom door. “It’s time to go, Jenna,” he called from outside the door. “Arlene is here.”

Jenna moaned and rolled over. “Okay, I’ll be down in a few minutes.” She rubbed her eyes trying to wake up. “Oh god, this is really happening isn’t it?” she mumbled as she climbed out of bed. She didn’t even bother changing her clothes. At this point, she really didn’t care. All she wanted to do was get in the backseat and go back to sleep. She looked around her room one last time, thinking of her mother. Then picked up her suitcase, opened her door and made her way down the stairs where Alex was waiting with a slender petite woman. She had shoulder length brown hair that looked sun tinged and she was wearing worn out jeans and a blue and red flannel shirt that Jenna thought was ugly and would never wear herself.

“Hey, Jenna, this is Arlene, your mom’s friend,” Alex said as he spotted her on the stairs.

“Hi.” Jenna wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. Here was this woman who she knew nothing about and was supposed to trust.

The woman walked over to Jenna and extended her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jenna. Your mom has told me so much about you.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Jenna replied instantly regretting the words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” Jenna bent her head and studied her hands. “It’s just that my mom never mentioned you, and now all of a sudden I find out she wanted me to live with you if anything ever happened to her. It’s a lot to take in.”

Arlene lowered her hand. “I understand,” she told Jenna. “But your mom was doing what she thought was best. If she told you about me and you mentioned my name to just one person then it wouldn’t have been safe for you to come stay with me.”

Jenna answered with a nod of her head. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to be having now. She knew they needed to get out of town, not stay here talking about her mom.

“Is that all you have?” Arlene asked gesturing toward Jenna’s suitcase.

“Yes, I don’t really have a lot of stuff. I packed all the clothes I had, but it wasn’t much.”

Alex picked up Jenna’s suitcase. “I’ll put it in the trunk with mine,” he said as he headed out the door. “Are you ready?” he asked Jenna over his shoulder.

“I guess so,” Jenna whispered as she headed for the door. She turned as she got to the door, took one last look and then flicked the light switch plunging the room onto darkness. She followed Alex and Arlene out the door and down the steps. They stopped beside the car and Arlene popped the trunk so Alex could put the suitcases in it.

“Do you want to sit in the front or back?” Alex asked as he closed the trunk and came around the side of the car.

“The back,” Jenna replied. “I’m still tired so I’ll sit in the back so I can go back to sleep.”

“Are you both sure you have everything you need?” Arlene asked as they all got in the car.

“I do,” Alex said as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Yes,” Jenna replied although she wasn’t happy to be leaving her mom’s stuff behind. She would have loved to take it, but knew it would be useless to her. She had the bracelet and that was all she needed.

“Good, then let’s get going.” Arlene pulled down the road and out onto the highway.

Jenna looked back over her shoulder at the house, then turned around in her seat and closed her eyes.

“WE’RE
here,” Arlene announced as they passed a sign that said
Welcome to Chesterville
and drove over an old rickety bridge. By the way it creaked and groaned Jenna was surprised it didn’t collapse under the weight of the car.

“Don’t worry; it’s stronger than it looks,” Arlene said as they got to the other side.

Jenna watched out the window as they drove through what she assumed was Main Street. All the shops were housed in red brick buildings except the library and town hall, which were much larger in size and constructed of stone.

Jenna touched her mom’s bracelet. This seemed like a place she would have loved. It was a place that she could possibly call home again. She made a mental note to take a walk through town one day after she got settled. She wanted to get a better feel for the town, and not to mention familiarize herself with it. She was determined not to have to move again, even if it meant defending herself here.

About ten miles out of town, Arlene turned down a long dirt road that was lined with apple trees. Behind them, Jenna could see nothing but mountains. It was beautiful the way the clouds hung over the tips of the mountains, almost as if they were sitting on top of the peaks.

“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” Arlene asked.

“Yes, it is. Are there any hiking trails in them?” Jenna asked. She hoped there was. She loved to take long walks to clear her head when life got hectic. And, life couldn’t get any more hectic then it was right now.

“There are a few. One of them starts beyond the pasture behind the barn,” Arlene pointed out as she stopped the car in front of a two story Victorian house. It was snuggled into a hillside and behind it sat another small apple orchard.

Jenna climbed out of the car and looked at the house that was to be her new home. She scanned the property, which consisted of the house and a huge barn that sat further back towards the woods.

“Well, it’s not a Palace, but it’s home,” Arlene said as she opened the trunk of the car. “I fixed up your rooms before I came to get you. They’re at the top of the stairs to your right. You’ll be sharing a bathroom. I hope that’s okay?”

Jenna grabbed her stuff out of the trunk and started toward the house. “That’s fine, I don’t mind sharing, and I’m sure the house and bedrooms are great.” Jenna had to admit she wasn’t thrilled to have to share a bathroom with Alex, but she was determined to make this a new beginning for her. If this was what her mom had wanted then she would try to make the best of it. But, she couldn’t help feel guilty for being here in this beautiful place without her mom.

She waited for Arlene to unlock the front door then followed her inside along with Alex. The house was nothing less than perfect. It was decorated in neutral colors that gave it a country feeling. The furnishings were sleek and comfortable and nestled between two windows was a stone fireplace that went from floor to ceiling. The living room seemed cozy and she could already see herself reading one of her mystery novels in the armchair by the window.

She followed Alex up the stairs to what would be their bedrooms. She smiled when she opened her door and saw that her room had a window seat. She had always wanted one in her room since she was a little girl. But, that was a dream she had given up on along with many others.

Torn by conflicting emotions, Jenna hesitated. She was already wracked with guilt about being here without her mom, but now that she loved her new room she felt even worse.

“I hope you like it,” Arlene said walking into the room. “If you want to move anything around it’s fine with me. I want you to feel at home here.”

“It’s perfect just the way it is,” Jenna assured her as she sat down on the window seat. “It’s funny,” she said as she ran her hand over the blue and purple striped cushion. “I’ve always wanted a window seat in my room.”

“I thought this room would fit you better, that’s why I chose it for you.” Arlene sat down next to Jenna. “You know, your mom and I used to be best friends all throughout high school and college,” she said as tears glistened in her eyes. “I was so sorry to hear about her death. If there is anything I can do to make this a little easier on you, I want you to let me know.”

A faint smile found its way to Jenna’s lips. “You’ve done enough just by taking us in. I don’t know where we would have gone if it wasn’t for you.”

Arlene’s eyes cleared as she reached over and squeezed Jenna’s hand. “You know, when your mom first contacted me years ago about taking you in if anything ever happened to her, I never once hesitated. She had done so much to keep me on the right track that I felt as though I had let her down somehow when she told me she had considered suicide. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. She told me everything about you after your father left. Unfortunately, we had to cut all contact after that to keep you safe. I knew it was for the best, but it was hard for me to lose her like that. I really hope you can come to trust me as you trusted her. I want to make sure you understand that I know everything; even that Alex isn’t your real brother. Upon her death, I was mailed a package that explained it all.

“Feel free to look around. The only thing I ask is that you let me know where you’re going if you leave the house. It will make me feel better about becoming an instant parent to two teenagers.”

Jenna smiled and glanced out the window at the orchard.

“It’s pretty isn’t it?” Arlene asked nodding toward the orchard. “It was a selling point when I bought the house. It’s hard to keep up with so I had to hire a local teenager to help me during the harvest and around the house. But, it’s worth it. What I don’t sell at the farmers market and to local apple pickers I make into jam and sell on the off season.”

“I’ll be glad to help you any time you need it. I’d be especially good at getting the apples that are high up down for you.”

“That’s something I may take you up on someday,” Arlene said laughing as she got up and headed for the door. “Well, I have to return some calls so I’ll leave you to unpack. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will; and Arlene, thanks again.”

“No problem, sweetie.”

Jenna stood up and shut her bedroom door. She picked up her suitcase and tossed it on the bed. She quickly put away the few clothes she had bought with her. Then set the photo of her and her mom on her nightstand. She put her father’s book on the top shelf of the closet until she could find a better place to hide it. As she got to the bottom of the suitcase she noticed the journal her mom had given her on her birthday. She was glad her mom had been able to save them from the fire. She looked at the door, raised her hand and the lock clicked into place.

She walked over to the desk and sat down. Opening the top drawer, she found a pen and took it out. Her mother had told her to use the diary to keep things in perspective and if there was ever a time to try to work things out it was now. She opened the diary and began to write.

Dear Mom,

It’s been a little over a week since you were murdered, and I still can’t believe you’re gone. I look for you everywhere. Every night I pray I’ll wake up in the morning and find out it was a horrible nightmare. At least I know you’re with dad and happy. Don’t worry I’ll be okay. We’re with Arlene now and she seems great. It’s hard not having you here. I wish you could see this place. You’d love it. It’s beautiful.