A Vampire Story .....by Richard Koss
As I look down from my third floor window on this cloudy Autumn morning, I
can see the entire driveway winding from the main gate to the front
entrance of Western State Mental Hospital.
Soon Richard would arrive to take me back to Seattle and from there, we
would plan our journey to the northwest forest to do what must be done.
Staring out the window, my thoughts drift back to the September of a year
ago and I begin to relive the agonizing ride in the ambulance with my son
Richard at my side.
The pain in my left arm and chest seemed like a dull toothache after
receiving the injection from the paramedic. But with the oxygen mask
covering my mouth, I was unable to speak, unable to tell Richard of the
danger the others were in. The others we left behind at the campsite.
As I drifted off into semi-consciousness, I could hear the faint words of
Richard assuring me that I was stabilized and promising me we’d be at the
hospital emergency room in no time. Almost as if in a dream, I began to
think back to the week before the nightmare began.
I had just told Helen about the results of my catherization tests. Three
arteries with 85% blockage again. This would be my second triple by-pass in
ten years. Helen and the kids were concerned. With my family history of
heart disease, having two older brothers who didn’t make it to fifty and now
approaching my fiftieth birthday, even I was concerned.
My concern wasn’t really for me, it was for Helen and my two sons and
daughters. I hated to put them through this again.
Doctor Brewer was optimistic despite the returning blockage. He insisted
my heart was strong. I just needed to keep my arteries clear. After the
operation, we could reduce my cholesterol with new medication and if I
exercised and followed my diet, I could live a normal life. It sounded
like the same thing my other doctor told me ten years ago but I didn’t tell
that to Doctor Brewer.
My surgery was scheduled for the following Wednesday but the doctor assured
all of us that I was in no imminent danger. This kind of put Helen at ease
a bit and prompted my number two son Eric to suggest a family “reunion,” a
weekend camping trip. He had been to a new site about a month before with
some friends and said it was more peaceful and isolated than any spot they’d
ever been to before.
Since we moved to Seattle ten years ago, Helen and the kids got me to
appreciate the picturesque beauty and tranquillity of the Pacific northwest.
We spent many weekends camping together and it was always a great way to
unwind. After my promotion a year ago, I couldn’t seem to find much time to
share with Helen and the kids. Now I would make time.
We didn’t own a camper because all of us enjoyed “roughing” it a bit. We
just took pup tents, sleeping bags, food and miscellaneous stuff, and prayed
it wouldn’t rain. It was supposed to be a gorgeous fall weekend and
although the evenings would get cool, it was great for sleeping.
The neatest part of these camping trips was that Helen and I got to sleep in
our two-man sleeping bag. My stories seemed to bring out the passion in
her and we had to sleep quite a ways from the kids because Helen was known
to get noisy. Once I heard my sons snickering about hearing their mother
while the girls thought it was disgusting. If I ever told Helen I heard
them talking about us I’d probably never get laid again.
With Doctor Brewer’s approval, we all agreed the peace and quiet would do
me good, besides, my oldest son Richard was in his last year of medical
school and capable of handling any emergency that would arise. According to
Eric, we would only be about 50 miles from the city.
After loading everything in the station wagon, and I mean everything, the
six of us headed for our weekend wilderness. As Eric drove and Helen and I
sat way in the back of the wagon, I thought about how nice it was to share
the simpler things with your family, sucking up nature and sitting around
the campfire, reminiscing, and telling stories to your kids.
I always wanted to write fiction instead of being a journalist. But it
takes time to write good fiction and I just never took the time to put my
ideas down on paper, (especially without getting paid), although they were
always in my head and I could tell the stories as if they were written by
someone else and I had read them over and over.
Helen squeezed my hand and smiled at me as she looked at our two-man
sleeping bag folded up on the floor in front of us. Beneath that pretty
smile I could sense the concern she tried to conceal.
My eyes shifted to the four of them in front of us. Eric, our most recent
college graduate and Richard, the future M.D. next to him. Behind them were
my fraternal twins, LaVerne and Lynn, both juniors in college. Neither one
looked like her mother. Nevertheless, they were still attractive and really
nice girls. My sons made sure of that.
As I thought about them, I was only half listening to Lynn teasing Eric
about meeting a strange girl at this campsite and dragging us all back here
just to see if he’d run into her again. “I have no idea where she came
from, she just walked into our campsite. She was pretty but kind of strange
and quiet. We all fell asleep around the campfire and in the morning, she
was gone.” Then LaVerne chimed in. “Jim Watson got really sick right after
that weekend, didn’t he.” “ Yeah, he had some kind of blood poisoning. Had
to have several transfusions. In fact he just got out of the hospital
last week. I went to see him but he still didn’t feel too well. He lost a
lotta weight and still looked pale. Couldn’t ‘ve been the food we ate that
weekend because nobody else got sick.”
Eric got off at the interstate exit and headed east toward Mt. Baker
National Forest. After a while he turned north on a route I had never been
on before. Where are we now Eric? Richard was not familiar with the road
either. “We’ve got about a three mile climb until we come to a little one
lane bridge. When we cross it, we take a sharp left up the mountain road
and the site’s about five miles on the left side.” Richard shook his head.
“I’m glad you know where the hell we’re goin’.” Eric boasted a little.
“That’s why I’m driving, brother genius.”
Soon we approached the bridge Eric talked about. It was really narrow and
didn’t look all that sturdy. Eric slowed down as we began to cross the
bridge, much to the dismay of Lynn who was not fond of heights. Looking
down through the space between the bridge platform grates, you could see the
tops of the giant trees about 10,000 feet or so below. “Why are you slowing
down? Are you trying to bug me Eric?” Lynn was not happy. “Wait Eric, I
want to get a closer look at the names engraved on that railing.” Now I got
Lynn even more upset and Helen admonished me, “Alex, don’t tease her.”
Richard’s eyesight was near perfect and he spelled out;
“C-h-r-i-s-t-i-n-e - - - H-e-n-r-i-”
Lynn had her eyes buried in her lap and LaVerne was laughing quietly as we
finally got to the other side of the bridge. Lynn picked her head up again
as we turned left and started up the steep mountain road. It was a slow
climb and about a quarter of a mile after the road leveled off, Eric turned
left through an opening in the brush and onto a road not much bigger than a
trail. “How the hell could your remember exactly where to turn in?” Eric
frequently did things to amaze Richard and that pleased Eric. Though never
the brilliant student like his brother, he seemed to have better instincts
and was more mechanically inclined than Richard.
“Well here we are,” Eric smiled as he turned around to face us after parking
the wagon. “We did a lot of clearing work the last time we were here, so
there’s not much to do but make camp.” Looking up at the blue Autumn skies,
LaVerne sighed, “ It is sooooh beautiful up here. This is awesome.”
We unloaded the station wagon and started in on our little routine
assignments and chores. After dozens of camping trips, we discovered who
was good at what and who liked to do certain things. None of us were lazy
and everyone pretty much did their fair share of work. Richard and the two
girls went to gather fire wood while Eric and I sorted out the pup tents and
bed roles and started digging trenches around where we would set up the
tents. Helen went through the portable fridge and freezer and started
organizing her kitchen stuff.
Richard and the twins made a couple trips back and forth with the wood.
Lynn, looking at her brothers said, there's a stream a couple hundred yards
down there. “ Maybe you guys could catch us some fish.” “Who’s gonna clean
‘em, little sister? - you?” Eric was making fun of Lynn’s attempt last year
to clean and filet fish. She cut her fingers with the knife and that was
the end of their fish dinner. “No, I’ll let you do it, Mr. outdoors.”
In less than two hours, the place was all set up. The tents were up and I
made sure ours was the farthest away from the campfire in case Helen decided
to get noisy later. It was starting to get a little dark and Eric had
already started the fire. “Hey Rich let’s take a look at that stream. Bring
those spear sticks you got in case we see some fish. We can always have ‘em
tomorrow for lunch.” Having been here before, Eric knew exactly where the
stream was and the two brothers headed for it with a couple of homemade
fishing spears.
The sun was down but they could still see almost to the bottom of the
stream. Occasionally, Richard made an attempt to spear a fish he thought he
saw but they were few and far between. Eric just sat on the bank smoking a
cigarette, laughing at Richard trying to catch the “phantom fish.” Eric
smoked cigarettes, mostly when he was drinking with his friends, but he
wouldn’t smoke in front of his mother. She was very much against smoking,
especially after her father died of lung cancer.
As Eric dragged on his cigarette, watching Richard poking and splashing in
the stream, he heard a giggle several yards above him. He turned, expecting
to see one of the twins, but there sitting in the dusk, was a girl, or young
woman, it was hard to see her face. She was wearing a plaid hunter’s jacket
and jeans and a tossle cap with her hair pulled up underneath it.
Her voice was sweet and clear. “You’ll never catch any fish there at this
time of day. You’ve got to be up here real early morning, just before the
sun comes up. ”Eric looked up at her. “Thanks, I’ll set my alarm.”
She slid down the little mound where she was perched and brushed the leaves
from her jeans. “Hi, my name’s Madelaine.” She smiled a soft smile and her
eyes were as black and shiny as coal. “I’m Eric, and I met you last month
up here when I was with my friends.” “Where’d you come from?” She looked
back toward the dense part of the forest. “I live up that way. Are you
here with your friends again?” “No, just my family.” Eric got closer and saw
how really pretty she was. “Then Jim’s not with you, is he?” She smiled
again, as if she were a little embarrassed to ask the question. Eric
countered in a teasing tone. “Oh, you remember Jim, do you?” She didn’t
answer so Eric offered. “ Why don’t you come up by the campfire with us?”
The girl turned away slightly. “I can’t tonight, I have to get back. Maybe
tomorrow night.”
Richard walked up to Eric just in time to see the girl disappearing on a
path leading into the woods. I thought you were talking to LaVerne. Who
was that?” “That’s the same girl I met up here last month. I think she
came to see if Jim was with us. Probably has the hots for him, although I
can’t imagine why.” They started walking toward the campfire. “Where the
hell did she come from?” “She says she lives somewhere around here.” Eric
shrugged his shoulders but his intuition agreed with Richard’s obvious
skepticism. “ Who the hell would live up here? Does she live In a goddamn
tree house or what?” Eric shook his head a little. “I dunno, but she sure
is a pretty thing.”
Back at the campfire, Helen had been grilling pork chops and chicken
breasts and boiling redskin potatoes while the girls prepared the salad.
There was coffee perking in an old percolator sitting on a grate at the end
of the campfire. The kids were all beer drinkers so the coffee was just for
Helen and me. Everybody helped themselves and as we started, I thought
about trying one of Helen’s pork chops, but she gave me a no no look so I
stayed with the chicken.
The temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees since we arrived here. It
was always colder in the higher elevations and we were pretty much up in the
mountains. The coffee was great. I always loved perked coffee and it
tasted so much better out in the night air.
Eric and Richard took a little walk in the woods after dinner to do what
comes naturally. It also gave Eric a chance to have his last cigarette for
the evening. The women didn’t have to worry about walking in the woods
because we had an easy to assemble port-a-potty. If they disappeared for a
while, we knew where they were.
Although we didn’t expect to see any strangers, Lynn still brought her
make-up kit, curling iron with batteries, and a four foot vertical mirror
she used to have in her bedroom. She was usually up before anyone else and
insisted on looking her best, no matter where she was. LaVerne was not as
vain, maybe because she was always more of a tomboy than Lynn.
Now we were all sitting around the fire. The kids were still drinking beer
and Helen and I were just about coffeed out. LaVerne broke off her
conversation with her siblings and called over to me. "Hey dad, why were
you so interested in the names engraved on that bridge railing?” Before I
could think of an answer, Lynn interrupted. “Oh shit! To think we have to
go back across that rickety little bridge hanging over those trees,
thousands of feet below. Those trees looked like toothpicks and they have
to be two or three hundred feet tall.” “That bridge has been there for a
long time and it’s a lot sturdier than it looks.” I offered this to console
Lynn as the others were all smiling. “Yeah, but on the way back you can get
out and walk across it if you don’t think it’ll support the wagon.” Eric
liked to needle Lynn and this time she responded by giving him a little
“bird” which she didn’t think I saw.
Helen was quiet as usual but she turned to me and said, “I’m curious too.
Why were you so interested in the names on that railing?” All their eyes
seemed to be upon me, anticipating the beginning of one of my stories. “I
remember reading about a bridge like that and a legend of two star-crossed
lovers who engraved their names on it.”
Eric came in. “Here we go. That bridge stuff was just a set-up for one of
dad’s new stories. This one must be good.” “No Eric, this is not one of
mine. I remember now, it was in a book I bought at that underground city
tour we took when we first moved here.”
“I think we still have that book somewhere around the house. In fact, I
remember the exact title.” “Legends of North American Witches, Warlocks,
and Vampires.” “Oooooohhhh!” My offspring sounded like a chorus mocking
the sinister tone I must’ve used while reciting the title of the book.
“Well come on, let’s hear about these star-crossed lovers and don’t tell us
you don’t remember the story. You never forget anything you’ve read.”
LaVerne didn’t have to do much prompting, for she knew I loved to tell these
stories. And they all loved to listen to them.
“Well there wasn’t a whole lot to it. It seems there was a French count
name Andre’ Bouchard who came to the Seattle area from Quebec to invest in
coal mining. This must have been around 1860 or maybe even before. He
brought his servant with him, who was a widower with a young daughter….
Christine, that was her name. She had a young boyfriend back in Canada whom
she left behind when she was forced to leave with her father. A few years
later, her father became very ill and the Count, being a nice guy, offered
to marry the servant’s young daughter. Well her father died and having no
where else to go, she married the Count and became Countess Christine
Bouchard.
The Count did very well in the mining business and they lived in a sizeable
dwelling outside of Seattle. Now Christine, still very young, was not
happy with the Count. He was much older and treated her like a child.
Meanwhile, Christine’s old, or I should say young, boy friend…. (I can’t
remember his name)…. anyway, he follows Christine to Seattle and finds out
where she is… with the Count of course. The young man is a welcome sight
for her and they resume their romance sneaking around behind the Count’s
back.
Soon they are discovered by the Count and he threatens to kill her lover.
So Christine and her beau run away to the northwest woods, probably right
around this area. Both the young man and Christine had learned to hunt and
fish and survive in the wilderness from their days back in Canada, so they
were apparently doing all right until the Count and his mercenaries started
to track them down.
They had to keep moving around and the legend goes on to say that before the
Count and his troops could catch up with Christine and her lover, the two of
them were attacked by some wild animal or animals.
They never found the young man but they found Christine Bouchard and
brought her body back. She was buried in a lonely cemetery just outside of
Seattle. The Count was disgraced by her unfaithfulness and refused to honor
her with a Countess’ burial.
The villagers were a superstitious lot, especially the French migrants.
They spread the story of her death …. about the marks on her neck and most
of the blood drained from her body. Shortly after her burial, an unruly
mob of villagers stormed the cemetery overpowering the resistance of the
local police and even the Count and his men. They dug open the gravesite
and when they opened the coffin, it was empty.
Many villagers believe that Christine Bouchard was killed by a vampire and
still roams the northwest forest in search of her lover. More logical minds
conclude that the Count did not want his wife’s grave desecrated and had her
body removed to another site before the villagers could get to it.
In the past hundred plus years since the death of Christine Bouchard, there
have been many stories of people who went into the northwest forest, never
to return or be found. And there have been reports of campers and hunters
finding unmarked dead animals, with the blood drained from their veins.”
There was absolute silence at the conclusion of my story…..then……..
“Clap,Clap,Clap,Clap.” The silence was broken by the sound of singular
applause coming from the darkness behind the campfire. Eveyone’s head
turned toward the sound while Eric pointed his flashlight at the intruder.
It was Madelaine. “The boy’s name was Henri, otherwise you did a great job
on that old legend.” Eric got a little excited as Madelaine shielded her
eyes from the flashlight beam. “How long have you been here? This is
Madelaine, everybody.”
We all kind of waved at her from the campfire as she walked closer to the
fire but sat down at a distance where she could hardly get any warmth from
it. “I heard that story many times before, which is why I remember Henri’s
name.”
Eric was delighted that she had come back and after he made all the
introductions, Madelaine proved to be a very entertaining and knowledgeable
intruder. She talked about the history of the Pacific northwest and her
love of the forest and the animals who were her friends. She even knew
quite a bit about the Seattle’s downtown underground and talked about the
great Seattle fire of 1889. I had been here ten years and was learning more
about this area just listening to her. It must have been well after
midnight when she got up and suddenly said good night to everyone.
Eric almost fell down as he got up to escort her to where I don’t know, and
neither did he. “Let me walk you home.” Madelaine laughed, “You’d get lost
and probably never find your way back here.” “Well, why don’t you just stay
here with us tonight?” “I must be back before daylight, my family would…….”
Her voice trailed off as she kept walking toward the path Eric saw her enter
earlier. “But you can walk with me for just a little since you’ve got your
flashlight. You’ll get back okay.”
Everyone was buzzing about Eric’s nature girl and as Helen and I settled
down in our sleeping bag, Helen asked me why Eric hadn’t returned yet.
“Now why do you think he’s not back yet?” I laughed at her naivete even
though I had some mixed feelings about the strange, pretty girl that had
come uninvited, into our lives. My story about Countess Christine Bouchard
apparently didn’t arouse Helen very much because she curled up and fell
asleep in no time.
I woke up a few hours later. It was still dark and I heard the crunching
of footsteps on the leaves and branches. I peeked out of our tent in time
to see Eric with his homemade spear and a bucket apparently heading for the
stream to do some pre-dawn fishing. I started to say something to him but
changed my mind and went back to sleep. Helen was still out like a light.
It was a chilly morning. Right after the sun came up I heard Helen get up
and head for the port-a-potty. The girls had already been there and gone
and were nice enough to start the coffee perking. Lynn’s portable radio
found a country western station but the static was too irritating so she
gave up on it and shut it off. She was sitting by the fire playing with her
curling iron looking into her mirror propped up against one of the coolers
while LaVerne was stretched out reading something.
The fire was warm and had been going for a while. Eric started it right
after he got back from spear fishing. He caught about eight fish but had no
idea what kind they were. We would find out how edible they were at lunch
time. The wood supply was getting low so Richard was out gathering more
and you could hear his axe hacking away.
The girls were talking about Eric’s lengthy absence last night with
Madelaine and their attempts to tease him didn’t seem to bother Eric. “I
walked her quite a ways down this trail. We just walked and talked about a
lot of things. On my way back, I just followed the trail but I would have
been a little shook if my flashlight batteries decided to quit. I never got
to see where she actually lived but it must be a long way from here.”
The girls started to laugh and Lynn led the parade, “Right! They were
walking and talking. Look at the sucker bites on his neck!” I smiled as
Eric showed a little embarrassment but Helen seemed a little uneasy about
this whole Madelaine business. “I have to agree with Richard. Who would
live up here and who does she live with? Does she have parents or a
guardian or how do you know she isn’t married?”
Richard made his contribution. “I think she’s older than she looks. Maybe
too old for you Eric.” “But just right for you Doctor Kaufman.” Lynn
countered. Richard smiled and changed the subject a little. “There are
people living around here. You could hear trucks and cars on the road we
came up on early this morning.” “Yeah but I bet they’re mostly just campers
like us or maybe hunters.” LaVerne’s comments fueled the doubts of Helen
but as Eric got up to take a walk, probably to take a leak and have a
cigarette, the topic of Madelaine was dropped, at least temporarily.
Richard looked at me and said. “You know dad, it’s funny you didn’t seem to
think the names on the bridge were important.” “What do you mean Rich?”
“Well it is sort of eerie that the names carved on the bridge railing were
Christine and Henri, just like in the legend, even Madelaine knew that.”
“Probably done by someone after they heard about the legend, maybe to add
some authenticity to the story. Maybe a frustrated unpublished fiction
writer like me.”
“Oh I don’t know. I think some of that legend is probably true and maybe
they were up near here and wandered out on that bridge.” Lynn, the romantic,
added her two cents. “Although, not even Tom Cruise could get me out on that
bridge.”
The rest of us laughed at Lynn but she really did have a fear of heights and
to her, it wasn’t funny. “I don’t believe in the vampire stuff but there
could have been a real Christine and Henri.” I closed it out with,
“unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure, will we? That’s why these
stories are called legends.”
Afternoon came and the girls wanted to take a walk to see if there were any
cabins or houses up the trail where Madelaine came from. “You don’t want to
wander too far up here. There’s wild animals around and they all don’t look
like Bambi.” “I’ll take the 410 and go with them dad.” Richard was curious
too. Helen felt more comfortable with Richard going along and I nodded my
approval. The boys brought two 410 shotguns with us and although they
wouldn’t exactly stop a bear, they were protection in the event we came
across a hostile visitor. None of us hunted, but the boys knew how to use
the weapons.
Eric was lying by the fire and had fallen asleep, which was surprising,
because Eric usually had more energy than any of us. But remembering how
little sleep he had last night, we let him be.
Helen and I laid around, talking about the kids and tried to avoid
discussing my upcoming surgery. We started to fool around a bit but she
looked over at Eric sleeping and I knew she was a little uncomfortable, so
we sat up and talked some more. I started to get a little heartburn and got
up to take some antacids which prompted a serious look from Helen. “It’s
that fish we had for lunch. Not exactly brook trout, you know.” Helen
smiled and headed for the port-a-potty.
The afternoon went quickly and around four-thirty Helen started to get
dinner ready. Chicken stir-fry with rice tonight. Helen was avoiding red
meat for me, but she had hot dogs and hamburgers and pork and beans for the
kids.
Just as Eric finally woke up yawning, the girls and Richard came strolling
in from the woods. Helen looked relieved to see them. “We must’ve walked
for miles up that trail. There’s nothing up there. No cabins or shacks or
anything.” LaVerne then interrupted Lynn. “There were some caves further up
the trail, but they were pitch black inside. Rich wanted to go in with his
flashlight but Lynn wouldn’t come in with us.” Lynn defended herself. “Who
knows what animals are living in those caves. Or other creatures for that
matter.”
Richard looked at me. “I did go into one of the caves for about a hundred
yards. I didn’t see anything but it looked like that cave could go on and
on forever. It would be interesting to go back there sometime and see how
big it really is.”
Helen and I started eating our stir-fry while Richard and the girls were
grilling their hot dogs and hamburgers. Eric wasn’t eating. He sat around
kind of quietly drinking a can of beer. “Why aren’t you eating Eric?” Eric
didn’t say much and just kind of shrugged his shoulders. “I’m really not
all that hungry right now. Maybe later.”
“Can’t you see he’s in love.” Lynn couldn’t resist. “Yeah he’s gonna live
out here with wonder woman.” LaVerne got in her licks as well. Eric just
ignored their teasing. I looked at Helen and she was staring at the red
marks on Eric’s neck as she continued eating.
Eric finally had a hot dog but that was it. As it started to get dark, he
walked away toward the stream, no doubt for his usual routine of peeing and
smoking.
Things were pretty quiet around the fire and I didn’t feel much in a story
telling mood so we all just settled for family small talk. It was then that
I started to feel a little numbness in my left arm. It was not a welcome
feeling. I tried to ignore it hoping it would go away though I knew it
wouldn’t. Above all, I didn’t want Helen to suspect anything was wrong with
me.
Then I heard Eric’s voice. “Hey guys, look who’s here.” In the flash of the
fire light we could see Eric almost beaming with Madelaine at his side.
They sat farther away from the fire than the rest of us.
After exchanging greetings, the girls began talking to Madelaine about
normal get acquainted things like where she was born and went to school.
Helen and I were quiet, listening to the echoes of their conversation when
Richard came over to me.
“Are you feeling okay dad,” he whispered in my ear. “You look kind of pale.”
Helen was busy looking at Madelaine so she didn’t hear me tell Richard to
get me a Nitro pill from the first-aid kit bag. As Richard got up, I
started to feel some pressure in my chest. Now I began to perspire a
little. I looked at the four of them, sitting across the campfire.
Madelaine removed her tossle cap and I saw the shiny long black hair emerge,
flowing down her shoulders. Even LaVerne and Lynn were stunned by this
unveiling. She sat close to Eric, her arm coupled with his.
Her face was fair, almost pale, but even removed from the firelight, I could
see her fine, delicate, features and those shiny black eyes. Now those eyes
were staring directly at me, almost right through me. Where had I seen this
face before? It was now more familiar than ever. Trying to recall, I
looked down for a moment. When I looked up again, her eyes were literally
burning a hole in my chest and I began to sweat profusely. Now there was
pain in my left arm…. Then I remembered.
The book about the legend. That’s where it was. I could see the page now
in my mind’s eye. A picture of a beautiful young woman with jet black hair
and fair skin. The description underneath the picture read: The Countess Christine Madelaine Bouchard . Madelaine was her middle name!!!
I felt like I was going to pass out when Richard came back with some water
and the Nitro pill. Quickly I put the pill under my tongue and swallowed
the water. Now we had Helen’s attention and she was crouching over me,
realizing I was in trouble.
“ Oh no, I was afraid of this.” She was pale herself and held back her
tears. Richard took charge. “Put something under his head, I’m going to
get the cell phone out of the wagon and call 911.”
By now the others across the campfire noticed what was going on. “Is dad
all right?” Lynn spoke as they all stood up together. Helen put a rolled
up blanket under my head and turning to the right I looked directly into
Lynn’s four foot mirror leaning against the cooler. With the moonlight and
glow from the crackling flames, I could clearly see the reflection of them
standing across the campfire. Lynn and LaVerne and further back, my son
Eric. Everyone but Madelaine. I could not see Madelaine’s reflection in
the mirror!
My head began to buzz and I tried to speak but Helen urged me to be still.
I managed to blurt out something like “you’ve got to get them out of here!”
but no one was listening. Helen was busy wiping away my perspiration and
trying to console me in her own loving way.
How Richard got through to the highway patrol with that 911 call, I’ll never
know. Even more amazing was how the ambulance ever found us up in those
mountains. We didn’t even know the name of the road we came up on. As they
lifted me into the ambulance, I watched the fear and the grief on the faces
of Helen and Lynn and LaVerne. It was the last time I saw their faces.
I see Richard’s car coming through the gate entrance. At last I can leave
this place. It really hasn’t been so unpleasant here. Just too much time
to think.
The knock on Alex’s door came soon after his son’s arrival. “Your son
Richard is here Mr. Kaufman. All the release papers have been signed and
you’re free to leave with him.” Mr. Wiese, the administrator, was polite
and courteous as he’d always been since Alex’s arrival at this hospital.
Richard walked into the room and the father and son embraced. Their slight
smiles were tempered by thoughts of the formidable task ahead of them.
Richard grabbed the large suitcase and Alex carried the other two as they
walked to the elevator. At the main desk, Richard signed out on the visitor
’s register and they both shook hands with Mr. Wiese before leaving.
It was less than an hour’s drive back to Seattle. Richard lit up a
cigarette and Alex looked somewhat surprised to see him smoke but he said
nothing about the cigarette. “Were you able to…. “ “No dad.” Richard cut
him off. “There’s just you and me. You really didn’t expect anyone else to
join us, did you?” “No, I guess not.” Alex stared straight ahead.
Now Alex began to recall the aftermath of the nightmare. He was in
intensive care and after a week, Doctor Brewer did the by-pass surgery.
Richard didn’t tell him right away but he knew he would never see the rest
of his family again. Alex never saw the newspaper account of the tragedy.
The freak forest fire started by sparks from the campfire which ignited the
station wagon’s gas tank. An explosion and a fire which apparently trapped
the three women - A mother and her two daughters.
The fire fighters responded heroically and their efforts averted a near
disaster. The mild weather enabled them to snuff out the fire before it
reached proportions that could have turned that region of the northwest
forest into a wasteland. Among the ashes and debris, the charred remains of
the three women were found. There was no trace of Eric’s remains or the
girl who had visited their campsite.
Richard took care of the funeral and only when Doctor Brewer felt he was out
of danger and recovering did he allow Richard to tell Alex what had
happened. But Alex already knew what had happened.
Convincing Richard was difficult at first, but he finally came around after
his visit with an aging university professor named Kirchner who taught
classes on the occult and demonology. He shared with Richard his life
threatening experiences dealing with unexplained phenomena and while
investigating unusual deaths and disappearances. Most of the faculty and
students thought he was just an old kook.
When at first he couldn’t convince Richard, Alex became frustrated and
distraught. Then when Eric’s friend, young Jim Watson died, Alex kind of
lost it. When no one would listen to him, Alex took matters into his own
hands and dug up young Watson’s grave and set fire to the coffin. He was
arrested for desecrating a corpse, trespassing, and a number of other
charges. But the worst part is that when he told his story to the
authorities, they turned him over to a state psychologist and he ended up
being committed to a state mental hospital.
It took Richard nine months to get his father released but not without the
help of an expensive attorney, Doctor Brewer, and a psychologist who roomed
with him in medical school and was able to pull a few strings with some
directors on the state board of mental health.
The two of them continued to ride in silence. It was almost noon when they
got off the interstate exit and headed for what had once been their
beautiful suburban home.
The grass was now a brownish color and it had not been cut in weeks. The
house looked dim and listless as they pulled in the drive. Inside, Alex
found some coffee and started the coffee maker while Richard made himself a
drink. He had been drinking a lot these past months.
They sat at the kitchen table and looked at each other. “So even professor
Kirschner wanted no part of this.” Alex waited for Richard to respond. “He
’s old dad. And with his previous experiences, I’m sure he’s afraid. But
he was helpful. He warned me that this is a very dangerous thing we’re
attempting. He said she’s very clever and not to underestimate her.”
Alex nodded. “No doubt, after all, she’s managed to survive for a hundred
and fifty years.”
“What happened to your friend Raymond?” Richard stared straight ahead. “Oh
I think he wants to believe us but he just thinks the whole thing is too
bizarre. He said even if everything we say is true, we still might be
better off to leave things as they are. Leave them in God’s hands. Maybe
he’s right.”
“Eric will never see God unless we free his soul. Didn’t Kirschner tell you
that? Richard nodded sadly. “I’m still with you dad, after all, he was my
brother but….” “But what?” Alex demanded. Richard sipped his drink. “Dad
are you sure you’re up to this?” This angered Alex a bit. “Never mind about
me. Doctor Brewer and you both know I’m in better shape than ever with the
strict diet and all the exercise I got at that goddamn hospital.” Richard
couldn’t help but crack a smile. “All right, then we leave at sun up.” “Will
that give us enough time? We have no idea how big those caves really are.”
Richard looked his father in the eye. “We’ll find out though, won’t we.”
Richard continued to drink as he watched his father fall asleep on the
living room couch. He thought about his discussions with Kirschner. “There
is no other place for them to be but in those caves. Even the dense forest
can’t shield them from daylight. Forget that archaic crap about using a
wooden stake. It’s too risky and takes a lot of guts to do that to your
brother. Do you really have the stomach? Can your father handle that with
his heart? No, fire is the only sure way. You have to get a hold of a
couple of flame throwers, the miniature kind. Know anybody in the military?
If not, try the black market, nose around, you’ll find someone who can help
you.”
Richard was a little hung over and Alex was irritated that they were getting
a late start. They got on the interstate and as they drove Alex realized he
didn’t even know what day of the week it was. “I think this is the exit isn’
t it dad?” Alex nodded and Richard got off. They drove for a couple miles
but they didn’t see the bridge. “Shit, I think we got off one exit too
soon.”
They had to turn around and circle back on the interstate, wasting almost 45
minutes before they finally found the right exit. In a little over two
miles they crossed the bridge. Alex looked down out the window at the tops
of the trees thousands of feet below and thought of Lynn.
Then they started the steep climb up the road leading to the campsite.
Richard found the opening and drove as far in as he could. You could see
how much more open the area looked missing dozens of trees burned down in
the fire.
The flame throwers had shoulder straps to make it easier to carry and
Richard went over the safety lock and the primer switch with Alex again.
They each had two flashlights in addition to the miner’s hard hats they wore
with powerful search lamps mounted on them. They were prepared all right but
they could get pretty tired if they had to walk for hours wearing all that
gear.
The sun was bright as they walked down the trail toward the caves. Richard
didn’t remember them being this far along the trail. They continued well
beyond where he thought the entrance should be. “I don’t understand it. It
’s got to be somewhere around here.” They walked up and down the trail
for what seemed like hours. Finally Alex said. “I’m sorry my young doctor,
but I’ve got to rest a bit.” “Okay you stay here for a while. I’ll keep
looking and come back for you when I find the entrance.”
Richard left his father sitting on the trail and continued his search alone.
It was fall and there were only about two more hours of daylight left. As
Alex watched his son heading back up the trail where they started from , the
chest pains began. Alex tried to call out for Richard but he was too far
away to hear him.
Even Richard started to get a little tired, but he continued to walk further
up the trail. For the third time, he then went back to a spot where he
thought the cave entrance should have been. As he studied the surrounding
terrain, he noticed a patch of brush that looked somewhat different than the
surrounding foliage. He started to pull back some of the brush and weeds
and branches. Beneath it he found the cave opening. Kirschner was right.
She was clever. She camouflaged the cave entrance anticipating they would
come back to find her and Eric.
The sun would be going down soon. There wasn’t enough time to get his
father and come back here. He would go back for Alex after he had finished
the job himself.
He turned on the lamp mounted on his hard hat and with a flashlight in his
hand, began his march through the cave. As he got several hundred yards
inward, he saw two forks of the cave branching off and started to worry
whether he would choose the right one. He now knew his life depended on it.
He made a decision and followed one of the forks for another two hundred
yards. It was the right decision. At the end of his lamp’s beam, he could
see two rectangular boxes that looked like wooden coffins.
When he got within ten yards of them, he took the flame thrower from his
shoulder and leveled it at the coffins. For a moment he hesitated, then he
removed the safety latch and squeezed the trigger-like lever. A stream of
flame shot out and the force recoiled against his shoulder. He held his
finger on the lever and kept it there as he saw the coffins engulfed in
flames. His closed his eyes for an instant when he heard the human-like
screams coming from the coffins.
The smoke was getting thick but he released his finger from the lever and
stood there watching the coffins as they turned into a stack of charred wood
and ashes. Then he turned away and started back toward the entrance of the
cave.
As he scurried toward the cave opening, the smoke followed him and his blood
raced and frightening thoughts of doubt ran through his mind. Was that
them? Should he have opened the coffins and made sure before destroying
them? Were there others in here with them? When he finally reached the
opening, he saw that it was now dark outside.
Walking down the trail toward where he had left his father, he shouted,
“dad!, dad!, where are you? It’s over, it’s done! “ His voice was half
jubilant, half hysterical. When the echoes of his shouting faded, there
remained only an ominous silence. Then the light on his hat found Alex.
He was lying on his back and his eyes were closed. Richard knelt over him
and felt for a pulse. There was none. He put his ear to his father’s
heart, then felt his throat with his fingers. He was gone.
Richard looked at his father. His lips were quivering and the tears began
to run down his cheeks. He bit his lip. Now he was the only one left. All
of them gone. Mom, LaVerne, Lynn, Eric, and now…..dad.
He sat for a few minutes in the dark next to his father. This must be a
dream, he thought. I’m going to wake up and find out that none of this is
real. Then he looked up at the sky and as he breathed in the crisp night
air, he knew it was real. All too real.
He left the flame thrower on the ground, put his father over his shoulder
and began to stagger down the trail toward the campsite where he parked the
car. Alex was heavy and Richard had to stop a couple of times to rest
before he finally reached the path that led to the bank of the stream where
he and Eric went spear fishing.
He put Alex down and stopped to rest again. Kneeling down, he looked over
to the bank just above the stream.
She was sitting on the bank, looking at the stream, her long flowing black
hair draped over the back of her shoulders.
Breathing hard and nearly exhausted from carrying his father, Richard knelt
there motionless. Strangely enough, he felt no fear, no anger, no sorrow,
and if anything, perhaps a desire to surrender.
Madelaine turned around and looked at him. Even in the dark, he could see
her eyes shining brightly and the silhouette of her classic features. “Come
sit down beside me. We’ve much to talk about.”
He suddenly found himself sitting next to her on the bank. There was a
bubbly feeling in his stomach like that of a teenager who had just fallen in
love.
His eyes were fixated on her beauty, concentrating on her moist and shapely
lips as she spoke. “It was you I really wanted all along, Richard. Jim was
nice, but your father destroyed him. Then you took Eric from me. Now I’m
all alone. I don’t like to be alone. Promise me you’ll stay with me. We
can be together forever.”
She moved close to him. As they became locked in each other’s arms, Richard
felt her warm sweet lips on his. Then Madelaine moved her lips to his ear
and whispered. “I know a bridge not too far from here. We could carve our
names on it. Then everyone would know we belong to each other forever.”
They ran down the steep road toward the bridge, stopping now and then to
kiss and caress and hold each other tight. As they came to the bridge,
Richard was no longer tired, in fact he felt exhilarated.
“Give me your knife, Richard.” He took a knife out of his back pack and
gave it to her. Madelaine began carving their names on the railing and
Richard stood a few feet away looking down over the railing at the tiny tree
tops thousands of feet below.
As he stood there, he felt something warm and moist running down the side of
his neck. He felt his neck with his fingers and in the moonlight he was
able to see the blood on his fingers.
He looked over at Madelaine smiling like a school girl as she carved on the
railing, a crimson stream trickling from the corner of her mouth. He turned
away from her and now he saw the faces of his father and mother and Eric and
Lynn and LaVerne.
Madelaine nearly finished carving, turned to Richard only to see him
kneeling on the bridge and making the sign of the cross. “Richard what are
you doing!!!” Her face was contorted by anger and fear.
Before she could reach him, Richard pulled himself up, and with one violent
thrust, vaulted himself over the railing.
Madelaine watched in agony as she saw him soaring downward toward the tree
tops below, his arms extended wide like a giant bird who had just escaped
from captivity.
Epilogue
Friends and former faculty colleagues of professor Rudolph Kirschner
reported his mysterious disappearance to the Seattle police. Professor
Kirschner was last seen attending an auction at a historical museum one
evening last week. The auction records disclosed that the professor had
purchased a railing from the legendary “Lover’s Bridge” which was renovated
as part of the Mt. Baker National Forest restoration project. He paid
$10,000 for the railing. Others attending the fund raising event told
police they saw professor Kirschner leave the auction before eleven p.m.,
accompanied by an unidentified, young, black haired woman.