Alone, p.1
Alone, page 1
Table of Contents
P rologue
Two People Killed In Head-on Collision
Prominent Beaumont resident Lorraine Huxland and 19-year-old Alexander Greisman were both declared dead on the scene after their vehicles collided Friday evening.
Law enforcement has confirmed the accident occurred when Greisman’s Cavalier veered into the oncoming lane, ramming into the Huxland’s Escape. The force of the impact was largely centered on the front of both vehicles.
Also in the SUV at the time of collision was 1 3-year-old Lilliana Huxland, who sustained only minor injuries.
Authorities are investigating the accident to determine what caused Greisman’s vehicle to enter the other lane. There are unconfirmed reports that the minor was on his way from an unsupervised party, though we have not received confirmation from law enforcement that Greisman had any alcohol in his system.
Toxicology reports will confirm whether the deaths were alcohol-related.
Lorraine Huxland, wife of Richard Huxland, leaves behind her a devastated community and family.
“She was always a joyful person,” one community member recalls, “She was dedicated to her family and to making Beaumont a great place to live.”
“She always had a kind word when you needed it and time to really listen to you,” said another.
Richard Huxland declined comment, but close friend Thomas Svenson said, “Richard and Lily are grieving. Losing Lorraine so suddenly is tremendously difficult for them both and they are going to need time to put the pieces of their lives back together.”
Services for Lorriane Huxland will be held Thursday at 10am at the First Congregational Church in Beaumont. A memorial for Alexander Griesman is yet to be scheduled.
- Priscilla Wincain
Peek-a-boo
Lily dipped her slender toes into the cool, clear water of the pond. Tiny ripples cascaded out, growing larger as she submerged her toes a little deeper into the chilly water. She laughed quietly to herself, an almost musical sound, when a sparkling bluegill swam up and nibbled at the painted pink nails under the surface. As the ripples caused by Lily's movement broke the surface and muddied the water, t he deep indigo crescent on the small fish disappeared .
“Stop, that tickles ! ” Lily squealed. Her movement startled the fish, who darted under a nearby lily pad. The bluegill’s lily pad drifted along the shore, just out of reach. It was fully opened to soak in the late morning sunshine and hid the tiny fish well.
The bluegill poked its head out and directed its giant, translucent fisheyes back to bright pink toenails tempting him just beneath the water’s surface. Slowly he crept forward, swishing his tail minutely, and nibbled once more. Lily giggled and splashed her feet in the water again; the bluegill fled back to its flower. They played the game a few more times before Lily pulled her feet out of the water and lay back on the dock.
The dock groaned loudly with the movement.
About ten feet long and made of now rotting lumber—a few planks rotted completely through— the dock hadn’t been used for anything in years. It was already old when Lily started coming here four years ago; she didn’t dare guess how long it’d been abandoned before she found it.
Lily often wondered why it had ever been built. The pond was really too small for more than a small boat to float on and nothing other than a few overly friendly bluegills called it home. A barely used trail led to it, overgrown with weeds and wildflowers; only a thin worn strip remained that the forest animals used to reach their watering hole. The trail actually had several forks, and it had taken Lily several months of dedicated excursions to rediscover which of them led here.
Lily didn’t think her father knew this place existed. Although it was situated on their own property, she’d never seen him set foot into these woods. And even if he had been in the habit of wandering the woods, the pristine lake lay veiled by hundreds of cedars, oaks, birch, and pine. The trees rose to tremendous heights, shrouding one side of the lake with darkness by afternoon, and making it almost impossible to find if you weren’t looking for it.
She figured that’s why she liked it so much; it was a secret, untouched wonderland she could explore.
Lily knew it didn’t make sense, but there had always been a comforting presence in these woods that she cherished. Sometimes she came out here and could feel someone sitting beside her ― could feel their warmth radiating into her .
This was the one place she never felt alone.
Even just lying there on the dock, knowing someone was with her made the time so much more significant. Staring up into the perfectly blue, cloudless sky she sighed contentedly .
She had risen early this Saturday to catch the sunrise out here and to get in some reading before she was likely to be interrupted. She had been working on Sense and Sensibility for a few weeks now and had only just completed it. Lily adored stories with happy endings, and this one did not disappoint. Lily closed her eyes and allowed the warm rays of the spring sun to heat her face, preparing to while away the rest of the morning in her secluded hideaway.
“This is what every day should be like,” she announced to both the woods themselves and the young swallow flitting merrily about above her. At her words, the bird peered curiously down at her and landed on the splitting wooden pole holding the far end of the dock in place. The swallow positioned herself on one foot and chirped her melody back in response, then flitted back into the safety of the woods, carrying her song with her.
Even without her music, the lake was far from silent. Gentle rustling noises filled the woods as various small woodland creatures scurried along the forest floor. The intermittent drilling of a woodpecker into an aging birch carried across the water along with the occasional croak of a wart-covered toad. Even the air seemed to sing as it wound its way through the trees, twirling the aspen leaves until they emitted a steady silver whisper.
The jarring noise of her own voice yelling forced her out of the quiet.
Hey you, pick me up!
Hey you, pick me up!
Immediately feeling like an intruder, Lily jumped to her feet, searching frantically for the source of disruption.
Hey you, pick me up!
Lily realized the location of the offending noise and muttered angrily to herself, “stupid phone”. Snatching it out of her messenger bag she spoke into the thin, neon green cell, “Hello?”
“HEY LILY,” her friend Brianna’s voice blasted into her ear, “WE’RE GOING SHOPPING TODAY! WANNA COME?” Music blared in the background , muddled voices accompanying it.
Lily imagined Brianna on the other side of the call, already speeding over in her jeep with two girls in the back. Each of the girls would be completely made up, snug in tight-fitting jeans and wearing clingy tank tops of various bright spring colors—all with perfectly arranged hair. They would be singing loudly, and probably off-key, to the latest songs to reach the top of the pop charts.
Lily stared critically at her own image reflecting off the smooth, still lake; she was make-up-less and her unruly red hair blew around her shoulders, a mass of tangles. Her knee-length white cotton peasant skirt had splotches of paint from when she had decorated her vanity a leafy green and she wore a faded blue Little League T-shirt she had received years ago when she still participated in team sports.
“Um…” she wondered aloud into the phone, “I’m not even dressed yet”. The statement was true enough—she would never wear this where anyone else could see her. She wasn’t expecting to receive this call so early; the girls rarely left before lunch.
“That’s okay,” Brianna replied brightly, “We still need to stop and get lattes anyway. Can I pick one up for you?”
“Um… yeah, sure,” Lily replied, grabbing her book and shoving it in her ba g.
“Rose latte, right?”
“Yeah.” The line went dead. Lily pushed the phone back into her bag next to her notebook and now-complete Jane Austen novel and raced down the trail toward her home.
A half hour later she was just applying a final stroke of mascara when a car honked loudly from the driveway. Lily grimaced at the sound, desperately hoping the noise would not wake her father. He was still dead to the world, courtesy of another long night “working”; Lily knew he really spent the evenings emptying the scotch he kept hidden in his study drawer.
Hoping to prevent any more noise that might wake Richard up, Lily quickly grabbed her newest purse and ran out the door, careful to close it quietly behind her.
The image greeting her on the driveway brought a huge smile to her perfectly made-up face; three teenage girls grinned at her from their perches in the Jeep. And they looked exactly as Lily had predicted. T wenty minutes of preparation after racing home from the lake had allowed Lily to fit this picture exactly. Lily adjusted the bright green tank top hanging over her tight, perfectly faded jeans and jumped into the car. Swiping her newly straightened hair out of her expertly lined and shadowed green eyes she turned to greet everyone, “Hey guys!”
Strike Out
Four years earlier…
“Mom, can we stop for ice cream?”
Lily pulled against the restraining belt as she called to her mother from the back seat of their Ford Escape. Normally she would be up front, but because the vehicle had a TV set only for the back seats, she chose to sit behind her mother on longer drives. Because they’d been the away team, their trek home from the softball fields in Sibley had taken over an hour. Tonight she watched Ella Enchanted.
Glancing at her daughter in the rearview mirror, Lorraine Hux
“Please!?”
“Well, I don’t know,” Lorraine teased. “I’m not sure you played well enough tonight to deserve a special treat.”
“M...O…M…,” Lily made the name into three distinct syllables and rolled her eyes at her mother, a habit she’d picked up when she was younger by observing her father, Richard Huxland, exasperate his wife. It was one of many traits Lily possessed that mimicked her father’s. The small nose, stubborn pride, sense of humor, and bright green eyes all belonged to him; the red hair and exuberant spirit definitely originated with Lorraine.
Thursday nights were Junior High softball games, and Lily had just pitched a great game against a rival team. She’d managed three strike-outs, a new record for her. The whole team had played well, and Lorraine had been pleased to hear Lily congratulating Ingrid, the first baseman and Lauren, left field, on winning the game with a few plays they had managed. It was true they’d done well, but no one could doubt that Lily’s pitching had won it for them. After congratulations all around and quick notes from the coach, the girls were released to their parents for a long weekend practice-free.
Not that Lily would have much more free time.
She and her best friend, Brianna, the catcher, had planned on a sleepover Friday night followed by a long day at the waterpark in the next town over. Luckily, Lorraine and Nancy Svenson were good friends; the packed weekend would be enjoyable for the parents as well as their daughters.
Lorraine pulled into the DQ parking lot and maneuvered to enter the drive-thru. Inside, the store was crowded with like-minded parents congratulating their girls on a job well done. The drive-thru was far less busy, though, and Lorraine only had to wait for two cars in front of them before placing their order.
“Did you remember to get extra chocolate in Dad’s?” Lily asked as they pulled up to the second window.
“I didn’t forget,” Lorraine feigned annoyance as she paid for their ice creams and accepted them through her open window. She passed the Oreo blizzard back to her daughter and set the others in the cup holders fixed between the two front seats for safe-keeping before merging back onto the road out of town.
Lorraine parked the car in the garage next to Richard’s more sophisticated sedan, and Lily jumped out and pulled open the door connecting the garage to the laundry room. Throwing her glove, ball cap, and cleats into the wicker basket beside the washer, she raced into the kitchen yelling, “Dad! We’re home!” Lily was still yanking off her sneakers when Richard pulled open his study door and strode into the foyer.
Richard Huxland was a fit man, and his broad shoulders and strong jaw added to the impressiveness of his appearance . His demeanor exuded a quiet power that was exceedingly useful in the courtroom, but sometimes made it difficult for him to form strong friendships. But while he intimidated most people , his daughter was not one of them. Standing at 6’ 2”, his wide grin was directed a full head below him as he wrapped Lily in a warm bear hug.
“How’d it go?” he asked, releasing her and turning to give his stunning wife a welcome-home kiss.
“Great! We won! And I got three strikeouts and Brianna caught a foul-ball. Oh, and mom stopped for ice cream so I got you your favorite…” Lily spoke feverishly in her excitement to fill her father in on everything he had missed. “Ingrid made this great catch and…”
“Awesome,” Richard broke her off, laughing lightly and simultaneously placing an arm around Lorraine, “Why don’t we go to the living room and we can eat our ice cream while you tell me all about it; slowly.”
Beside the Waterfall
Beaumont didn’t have a mall itself, so any major shopping happen ed in the suburbs surrounding the capitol . A favorite location for Beaumont teens was the Legacy mall. About half an hour away, the mall ha d most of their favorite shops and also boast ed that within its walls lay the largest Rainforest Café in the nation ( a pparently there were only a couple of dozen to compete with, but the shop took great pride in what they believed to be an impressive achievement).
The car had barely stopped before the girls all leaped from it and bee-lined for the closest mall entrance, tossing empty coffee cups in the trash receptacle by the door. Every moment after that was occupied by searching for the elusive “perfect thing”. None of them ever really needed anything, but each still believed she would be able to find exactly what she w as looking for, whatever that was. The team spent time in almost every store, excluding of course the toy stores, menswear, and places with gothic-looking clerks.
While shopping wouldn’t have been Lily’s first activity choice, if it meant spending time with these three girls, she wanted to be a part of it. As drained as these excursions always ma d e her , she thrived on the activity and normalcy of a day out with the girls. Th o se three girls had kept her sane after her mother’s death. With her father out of commission, Lily needed someone to talk to and to be with. Brianna, Ingrid, and Lauren were catcher, first base, and left field on the junior high softball team. They had stepped up to the plate (pun intended) and become even better friends than Lily could have previously imagined.
Brianna in particular had been an incredible friend. Her family became Lily’s own and they spent every weekend together the first full year after Lorraine Huxland’s death. All the time together gave the two girls a special bond allowing them to remain friends, despite obvious differences. Ingrid and Lauren took this friendship as an indication the foursome were all meant to stay close, and so the group entered high school as good friends and remained such, even as interests sometimes took them in different directions. When Lily was hanging with them, her mind was always occupied and the day was filled with laughter and light-hearted quips.
They’d just left their fourth stop of the day when a familiar voice called out from behind.
“Hey, Brianna!”
The girls turned as a single body to discover who the voice belonged to and found Jason Andersen weaving through the crowd.
Jason had only moved to Beaumont last month . While the end of the year is a difficult time for most teens to move into a new school system, Jason’s transition seemed difficulty-free. Being an athlete sped the process along—as he could count on any teammate to invite him to social events—but Jason’s outgoing personality added to that ease. Lily hadn’t really had the chance to talk to him more than in passing yet, but he seemed nice. And he was good-looking.
Really good-looking.
Jason’s long gait allowed him to easily overtake the crowds. He was dressed in carefully chosen jeans and a green striped polo that hinted at his well-toned upper body. His blonde hair was mussed up, but the way people do intentionally.
“Hi, Ingrid. Lauren. Lily.”
“Hi, Jason,” Brianna responded heartily, “What’re you doing here?”
“Well, actually,” Jason stopped steps away and glanced awkwardly about for a moment before responding, “it’s my mom’s birthday next week and I was looking for a gift . ” Jason turned sheepish, “I’m not a good shopper, though, at least not for this kind of stuff, and when I saw you I thought…. Anyway, I was hoping I could get a second opinion from you guys on the two things I’m deciding between.”
“Oh! That’s so sweet!” Lauren cooed, “Of course we’ll help you!” The rest of the group agreed, albeit less expressively, and Jason led the way to a nearby jewelry store .
The s mall corner shop was similar to most jewelry stores. Glass counters filled the space and jewelry of varying cuts, sizes, and prices lay locked under the thick glass. Diamond rings lay prominently at the front of the store and several cases containing other varieties of rings nestled nearby. Dozens of earring pairs rested alongside bracelets, watches, and other trinkets. Entire display cases were dedicated to gold, silver, or platinum.
