Vampire Dream
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A few days after they got back to the house, Ben was working on a piece of machinery when he heard someone calling. “Ben!”
It was his mother. He went outside and saw her at the front of the house. She was waving both arms above her head to get his attention. Then she pointed toward the road and mouthed the words “I’m here.” He could hear other people talking behind her and then the sound of horses in the distance.
They were coming up the road and he could tell they weren’t locals. Someone was shouting his name. It must be one of those new visitors from town, so he ran inside to change his clothes. The person came up the porch steps and knocked on the door, but nobody answered, so he walked right into the living room. He knew who it was without having to look around the room.
“Mandy,” he said. She had a huge grin on her face. Her hair looked like she just left the beauty shop, as did her dress, which she wore over black stockings and high-heeled shoes. The color brought out her eyes even more.
He hadn’t seen her for almost two years so it was hard not to stare when he looked into them. But his attention was immediately drawn to the silver cross she always wore around her neck. She smiled at him and said, “You didn’t expect to see me here, did you?”
He tried not to stare at her long enough to let his imagination go wild with what she meant by that question. “Yes,” he said, still smiling.
“Good.”
He followed her back down the stairs, wondering where she was leading him. She went through the kitchen and into the parlor, which she called the salon, which was where they kept all the fancy furniture. He followed her into the room and stood there looking at her, not knowing what to say first.
“I’ll get us something to drink,” she said, walking toward the bar and pulling a bottle of wine out of the icebox. He watched as she poured some into a crystal glass and set it on a tray. Then she took two glasses from another cabinet and put them on the tray, along with a pitcher of water.
She carried it out to the salon and he followed her down the hall and through the swinging door, surprised to find an empty parlor with only a couple of chairs sitting on either side of the fireplace. She pulled out one of the chairs for herself, and he sat in the other, waiting to see if she had any more questions about their arrangement or whether she’d brought someone else with her.
She set the pitcher and glasses down on a table and poured two glasses. When she handed one to him, he saw that hers was filled with red wine. He wondered why she would bring a bottle of that and then realized she must be expecting someone else to come by. She smiled at him, but then she reached for her handkerchief and began dabbing at her eyes. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too,” he said. She wiped away some tears. “Where are the boys? They’re never far from you when I’m here.”
“They’ve been busy. It was good to see them. You’ll meet them soon enough,” she said. “Are you still living here?”
He didn’t understand how he could hear so many horses from inside the house unless his mother had already ridden up the road, but it seemed she hadn’t even left yet. The horses came closer and then he heard people shouting and running up the steps as if they were being chased by bandits.
A few minutes later he could tell his brothers and sisters were running into the room, excited about something. He saw them standing at the doorway looking toward the back of the house. That was the direction Ben looked in when he saw Mandy and knew it was time for him to get out of there. His sister Lucy caught up to him and took hold of his sleeve, saying, “Who’s that?”
He was confused by her question, thinking that maybe one of those strangers from town was in the parlor. He turned and told her, “No one,” as he started for the door, but then she pulled at his sleeve again, pulling him back. “Don’t walk out there now, Ben,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Just don’t, okay?” Lucy said, looking right into his face. She must have seen it.
“Lucy?” a man’s voice said from behind his sister. He could feel his father’s hand on his shoulder.
“This is your brother, Ben. He’s staying with us while he waits for a train to Texas,” she said, her eyes meeting his.
He nodded at his father who shook his hand firmly. He felt his heart beating harder. He’d never really met his parents or any of the others before so it was hard to keep his mind off of the fact that this wasn’t some stranger coming in for a drink, as Mandy had hoped. His family had always been wary of visitors, especially men as if the only thing they brought were trouble.
As they went outside together, Mandy followed, saying, “We’ll meet them later. For now, I need to show you something.” She led him across the backyard and toward the stable. “You’ll find that there are quite a few horses here,” she said, turning back to him and smiling.
“I’ve taken care of them since I was just a girl myself. It was good training for me. The boys will help me in the morning with feeding and taking care of them when we ride. I’m sure they’re happy to have a chance to ride, too. You can see how beautiful the property is now, but in another year or two it’ll be even better if you decide to stay.”
“Why would I want to?” he said, still thinking about the way Mandy had looked at him. He didn’t know what she meant by her comment about staying. Did she think he was considering it? What was so special about this place anyway?
Why would anyone choose to live like this? But he realized then that the answer to all of these questions could only be that this was home.
And he knew without a doubt that she thought he already lived here because she seemed so confident and proud about her family’s land and livestock, knowing full well that most people who visited here were only interested in its money-making possibilities.
“I thought you might,” Mandy said. She looked past him, into the trees where she could see his mother and sister walking around. They must have gone over to say hello. “Your brothers seem very fond of you.”
Ben looked up to the sky and then down at the ground and tried not to let on that he’d overheard. He didn’t understand why she would bring a stranger inside and make such a fuss about it. He was surprised Mandy seemed so upset about it, especially after he found out the woman was coming to town as a reporter from a magazine, not someone looking to buy the ranch.
It sounded more like his mother would be interested in what she wanted from Ben. He wondered what sort of information Mandy really wanted and what it might mean for him.
She led him back inside and he saw that Mandy had put away the tea and coffee cups. His sister Lucy walked up and gave her a hug.
Mandy’s eyes brightened with surprise at her greeting. He could tell that this was just an everyday thing, and that Lucy was no longer a frightened child who wouldn’t talk to strangers or smile at people.
“You look different, Lucy,” he heard Mandy say.
“Yes ma’am,” Lucy answered.
Ben’s mother came in from the parlor. He could hear them talking but couldn’t make out any of their words.
As he was going for the door, Lucy stopped him again and asked, “Is Uncle Ben your real brother?”
“No. But I’m still a family member,” he said, wondering why she was asking. He didn’t know what she was expecting him to say, but it was obvious she wasn’t getting the answer she wanted. She shrugged and said nothing else. She turned and followed his sister into the kitchen.
They all went to the table, except for Mandy who remained standing by the door, watching his family. As he took his place at the head of the table, he felt Mandy staring at him. He kept his eyes on his plate.
Lucy asked, “What is that? Looks kind of like cheese.”
He looked up and saw that it was cheddar, a type of cheese that was hard, white, and sharp-tasting, usually used as a condiment for eggs or sandwiches. His father placed it on top of Lucy’s bread before pouring a dollop of yellow butter over it.
They all started to eat. Mandy joined them. Ben was glad that none of them were curious about him so he could concentrate on not letting them see how much he hated being here and what was happening in town. After dinner, they sat around the kitchen table talking, and Ben tried to ignore them as best he could.
He noticed that Mandy had put away the dishes and was now standing by the kitchen counter.
“You can do the same thing you did with me in the parlor,” he told his mother. “I need some time alone.”
She looked at Mandy.
“Why don’t you help her, Ben? I’ll tell Lucy where you are and she can come to get you when she wants to say good night.”
After he closed the door behind him, Ben walked quickly back out to the barn to check on the horses. They seemed happy to see him and their neighing echoed throughout the open-windowed stable. But even the sound of their nickers wasn’t enough to keep his mind from turning back to Mandy.
His thoughts drifted back to what Mandy had said about how the ranch would change if the family sold it to someone from outside. The first thing he’d notice would be the lack of work ethic among the hired men.
There wouldn’t be any of those hard days of toiling in the heat and dust of the fields and plowing under the land with heavy farm equipment. No, it would be more like driving a horse-drawn plow up and down the field. If the new owner wanted to run cattle, the ranch hands probably wouldn’t know what to do with them once they were captured.
He was surprised she hadn’t mentioned his family. He thought about telling her that he wasn’t sure his mother would agree to sell. But then he realized she already knew that.
When he returned to the house he found Mandy in the kitchen helping his sister clear the table. His father was wiping down the kitchen counters. When his mother saw him, she hurried into the parlor to talk to him in private.
As soon as they left Lucy came over to him. He noticed Mandy walking in through the open front door and heard his parents calling for him to join them.
Ben didn’t want to go in but he knew he must, so he walked into the parlor and took a seat across from his mother and father.
“Are you all right?” his father asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “I’m fine.”
Mandy came in and sat down next to him. Lucy followed and Ben looked at her questioningly. Mandy leaned forward, touched his arm and said, “They’ve been worried about you. I’ll get my coat if we’re going outside.”
He smiled at Mandy and got up, taking his jacket off a hook by the door. As soon as she was dressed in her hat and scarf and put on her gloves, she stood to take the reins of their horses and led them out.
His mother and father were sitting there watching him go with concern in their eyes. After he went back inside, his mother turned and whispered something to his father who nodded before turning away and closing his eyes.
They seemed relieved when Mandy came in with the horses. He had no idea what she meant by telling him how his family had been worried about him. It made him think that Mandy was trying to keep her distance from him.
Was it because he wasn’t the real Ben? Or maybe she didn’t want his family to find out about him. But why? His thoughts were interrupted by Lucy returning from the kitchen, putting her coat and hat on.
She looked at him and he could tell she wanted to say something. But when he saw his mother glance at his father’s eyes closed in sleep, he decided to leave and not mention what Mandy had done or how she’d acted so oddly toward him.
Instead, he told his parents good night and hurried upstairs to get ready for bed. He pulled off his clothes and climbed into bed wearing only his underwear, wondering if he should be concerned that Mandy hadn’t even asked about him while he was in the stable.
But he decided it wasn’t worth worrying over, knowing that she probably didn’t want to upset his family any more than they already were.
***
Ben woke up to Mandy’s alarm clock buzzing to let her know it was almost noon.
He rolled over and saw that she was still asleep, lying on her side in a position that looked as though she’d been crying. She was breathing steadily and there were no tears on her face.
After waking his father, Ben went downstairs and got them coffee while his mother prepared some lunch. His sister was working on her schoolwork with his mother. He sat at the kitchen table and ate his cold breakfast but felt restless.
When they finished eating, Lucy left to finish her school work and Ben decided to go for another ride. So much time seemed to pass between the time they rode around the ranch in the mornings and evenings.
And now that the horses weren’t running free like they had been before, he found riding in the same place was getting boring. After walking out to the barn he saddled up the black mare and walked her down to the corral gate.
There he tethered her and went back to the house to fetch the brown horse and his rifle. He led the mare out of the corral and started to ride up the trail leading away from the house. The sun was bright so he tied the rifle to the saddle, thinking it might come in handy if the ranch hands tried to run the horses in the direction he planned to ride them.
The trail led along the creek bank for a way before reaching a clearing. As he followed the path he saw several large rocks jutting out of the ground near the base of the cliff that formed the back wall of the canyon. They were the only signs of what lay ahead.
They rode out farther into the clearing. The horses didn’t seem nervous but Ben was. It wasn’t the thought of riding in a wild country. After all, he’d ridden on many trails like this before. But he hadn’t ridden in these kinds of circumstances. If something happened to him, then who would find him? He couldn’t ask his mother or Mandy to do such a dangerous thing.
He rode along at a cautious speed. Every few minutes he glanced toward the edge of the trees that marked the border of the clearing, but so far there were no signs of danger. The mare stopped to eat a shrub growing by the side of the trail and he pulled the reins to bring her to a stop and dismounted.
He untied the rifle and laid it in the crook of his arm, taking care to keep it in the shade as much as possible while he walked the mare along the trail to water her. She looked thirsty but otherwise seemed in good health.
He led her up the slope and through the underbrush into the forest. As soon as they were inside he put on his hat and started to look around in both directions. “What did you say about a cave?” he asked when he saw a break in the trees where he could see down into a rocky area below. “Did Mandy tell you where to go or are we riding all day without any clue?”
His mother had been staring out over the canyon rim in the direction Mandy said the cave was located. Now she turned to him. “She didn’t know exactly how to get there,” she told him. “But she knew we needed to go past those rocks and follow the path. That’s all I could gather from what she said.”
Ben nodded. “Well, let’s ride up there and take a look,” he suggested.
They led the horses out of the clearing and walked them to the top of the cliff before mounting them again. He rode forward, looking for the break in the trees. His mother stayed back with the horses as Ben walked his horse along the edge of the trees, stopping occasionally when the trail opened up a little more.
They came to the place Mandy mentioned so many times, but nothing else looked familiar. There were no large rocks or a way down into the canyon. The only opening he saw led up toward a ledge and then stopped abruptly.
“It’s gone,” he told her. He felt disappointed and defeated.
Ben’s mother reached him at that moment. “What do we do now?” she asked. “You don’t think it’s gone? We haven’t ridden this far and not found a hint of its location.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m sure Mandy said something about how far away it is. I just couldn’t remember.”
His mother sighed. “I suppose we’ll have to go all the way back to the ranch house.”
He dismounted and handed the reins to his mother. “Come on. We’ve wasted enough time here,” he told her. She followed him as he rode slowly up the path behind the rock wall. At least they would have company when they returned. As long as nothing went wrong while he was gone from the corral, Lucy would stay home, so if he needed help, then she’d be ready.
As they walked in silence he thought about what he had said to his mother the other day after their ride: You’re always telling me to find my own answers. What if I hadn’t remembered any of the words she used?
Would I have been able to tell you what she meant? I guess I should be glad that she didn’t ask me to find it. But that still doesn’t tell us anything. Why wasn’t she able to find it? I can’t figure out why there was no cave if she did know about it in the first place.
Maybe she just got lucky. Or maybe she was looking in the wrong spot. I don’t know if that’s true, but if she was lucky enough to find the cave the first time, then it might be true again. Then she wouldn’t need our help at all.
It was obvious that something was missing. That had bothered him on the ride out. He’d wondered if it had caused a rift between him and his mother before he could tell her about his mother’s visit. Was it possible? Had that conversation with Mandy made him feel like there was something else going on behind his mother’s back? If he’d told her now, would she believe him?
The thought of his mother and Mandy together brought an unwelcome chill through his body. He’d known from the start that she was hiding something, but how much trouble could she really cause? Mandy had said she was only looking for information, not the real treasure.
Did his mother suspect differently? If so, would she go to the ranch house to tell his father? Or would she go straight to the authorities?
He tried to shake off the thought but couldn’t. As they rode up toward the cliff, he found himself asking questions about his mother again. She’s been doing a good job raising me. She never lets anyone else see how hard she works. She’s always too busy.
I’m sure it has nothing to do with your mother being with someone else, he reassured himself as they rode along. But what if she’s lying to me? What if she isn’t as honest about my life as I think?
She’s not cheating on Father, he told himself. It’s obvious from how she treats Mandy, but even then I still feel guilty because of what you said about her and her lover. What if she’s just pretending to be normal?
What if she’s only trying to keep us safe so we won’t know the truth? Maybe she didn’t want to take the chance of me finding out and getting upset. Maybe it was better to have Mandy believe everything is fine than have her worry about what I might find out later.
And that’s why she didn’t tell me Mandy had visited in the first place. If she had, I would have been suspicious of her, and then she would have told me about Mandy sooner. But what if she does know that she’s hiding something from me? What if she’s lying?
They passed the rock wall. Ben wondered if he would ever reach the point where he’d stop wondering and trusting everyone. Would he grow to trust people again one day or would it all go away like a dream after he woke up?
The corral came into view. It was deserted.
“It’s still early,” his mother said. “We should see Lucy and Mandy in the corral soon.”
Ben shook his head. He couldn’t explain it but there was no sign of anyone in the corral. They rode around to the other side of the barn, but still, they saw nothing. As they circled back around to the front of the ranch house, Ben saw someone coming from the direction of the stable. At least Lucy would be home.
Lucy met them as they rounded the corner of the house. She was carrying their horses’ reins. “Where’s Mandy?” she asked as she handed them over.
Ben thought quickly. His mind flashed back to what happened on the ride out when he’d tried to explain how his mother was different: You’re always telling me to find my own answers. What if I hadn’t remembered any of the words she used? Would I have been able to tell you what she meant? Would I have been able to tell you anything? But he’d never get an answer from her now.
Instead, he turned toward his mother with a question. “What did Mandy mean when she said you were looking for something in a cave?”
She hesitated and looked down at the ground before answering. “I’m not sure she really understood me,” his mother said. “She must have heard it from one of her friends who had talked about going on an adventure.”
He nodded. So there might be a hidden tunnel somewhere in the cave system that they’d discovered while they were digging around inside the cavern. Did that explain why he was so drawn to the caves? Was it because there could be treasure hidden within them? If she knew about that, maybe she also knew there was a treasure in the mines. “What is it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should ask your father.” She started to lead the horses away, but he pulled on their reins. “No,” he said quickly. “I want to find out for myself.”
She didn’t argue or protest, only watched as he followed after Lucy into the stable.
His heart sank upon entering the stables. Nothing. Not a single horse or even a donkey was in sight. The entire place felt strange like it was empty of people. It reminded him of how he’d felt when he walked out of the tunnels behind him.
They must have all returned to town. He thought he would see some sign of their having left—the tracks they would have left on the dirt floor. There were none. Just a clean, smooth space. It’s too quiet, he thought, but what else can I expect after all that happened? What other way is there for them to feel safe?
He found his mother in the kitchen talking with Lucy. “You should stay home tonight,” Ben said. “The miners might have more trouble and you’re still nursing. And besides, Lucy should be here to watch out for things. She’s already proven capable of handling herself when needed. She could probably use the extra hours at work now that she has the chance.”
His mother shook her head. “I’ll come back tomorrow. Mandy can take care of herself and Lucy is perfectly capable of watching over us. I’m sure if the miners had any plans for the mischief they’d have acted before now.” She glanced around the room. “Where did everyone go?”
“They went home,” Lucy said. “There was no need to stick around and watch you and Ben leave.”
Ben shrugged, not wanting to discuss the miners anymore. Lucy looked relieved as he and his mother headed outside again.
They passed the barn and headed toward the main entrance of the ranch house. A man rode up behind them and rode past the gate and around the ranch house. The horses shied and pulled at their reins. His mother grabbed one of them as they approached. Ben was about to ask who it was but his mother’s voice stopped him. “Ben, stay here and keep an eye on your sister while we talk.”
“What are you doing?” he asked, not liking the tone of his mother’s voice.
“Stay here,” she ordered. “Don’t argue. You know what Mandy will do if you don’t obey. Now stay put!”
Lucy watched as he took their horses from his mother and handed them over to Lucy. He turned to face Lucy but didn’t say anything. They walked in silence down the long driveway and around the corner. The stranger rode off before they got around the bend.
“I think it’s time,” his mother said softly, “for you to learn more about your father’s business.”
“It’s been a week since they found out about me,” Ben said, still looking back at Lucy as they walked. “Shouldn’t they be able to tell something has happened by now?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” his mother answered. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
He followed her in, but instead of going up the stairs to the main floor of the ranch house, she led the way upstairs toward his old room. It felt strange being here after all this time. There was no sign of the furniture that had once stood there or of the posters his father had hung up on his walls.
She closed the door and walked across the room. She stopped beside her dresser and picked up a piece of paper, folded neatly. His heart sank as he recognized his father’s handwriting. A letter? Or an order form? He didn’t recognize any of the stamps or addresses on the back side either. No, he decided, it can’t be.
The envelope was sealed with his father’s wax seal. “Is this what I think it is?”
His mother nodded. “Yes. But why would your father have given me this? What am I supposed to do with it?”
“Read it,” he said, reaching for the paper. She shook her head. He pulled it out of her hand and opened the letter. Nothing happened. Just blank white paper. Then his eyes widened. “Did you open it?”
“No!” She glared at him, then handed it back. “What makes you ask that?”
“Because the letter’s empty. There’s nothing in it.”
She laughed bitterly. “There is no letter, just like there is no money.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the gold was never there.” His mother looked at him intently, as if she expected him to say something, but all he could do was stare at the letter, feeling confused and angry. “That was our savings,” he finally choked out.
“It’s been in his accounts ever since we moved here.” He glanced up quickly at Lucy, who stood frozen next to her. “What else did Dad tell you about this?” he asked his mother.
“He mentioned that your father had some business to discuss when he got the chance, but it took time for him to put things into order so he wouldn’t be accused of anything under suspicious circumstances. That’s all I know,” she said, trying to hide a smirk.
Ben glared at her. “What did he mean by ‘suspicion’?”
“Suspicion of being an accomplice to murder.” She shrugged. “Your father told me he didn’t think it was necessary to involve anyone until everything was ready, but it seems like your father made some other arrangements before he died.”
“But who would have wanted him dead?” Ben asked, still not convinced this wasn’t just another lie meant to keep them all away from the truth. “The mine couldn’t possibly be worth the amount they found.”
Lucy was shaking her head. “Why would my father go back on his own word? We already knew what happened.”
His mother smiled. “I thought you were smarter than that, Ben.”
“What?” His mother laughed again. “You mean to tell me you’ve been listening in on my conversations with your father and you haven’t realized it yet?”
“Not really.” Ben felt his anger growing.
“I don’t understand. How did they do it? What did my father find out that caused this to happen?”
“There are two kinds of people in the world, Ben,” his mother said softly as if reading his mind. “People who are willing to give up their freedom to help others and those who will use others’ misery to make money. And your father chose to join the latter group.
The mine wasn’t worth the amount he found. Your father never wanted to dig for gold anymore, not after we moved here.” She turned and walked over to her bed, picked up something, and then walked toward the door. “He was tired of working so hard.”
As she left the room, Lucy came to stand beside Ben. He stared at the envelope, still not sure what was going on. It couldn’t be true. Could it? If there had been no gold, how could his father have gotten so much money into his accounts? But if that’s what his father wanted, why did he leave his family and friends? And most importantly, if the gold wasn’t here, where is it?
It didn’t matter that there was no explanation. There had to be a way to get to the bottom of this. He knew it was time to talk to someone he trusted.
The End