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appreciate before the accident.
    Despite the splendor of the lush surroundings there was something odd about the woods that encircled the manor, something Abby could not quite put her finger on. It was as though something were missing. Darrow hunched over as he pushed her along talking softly in his now cheery mood.
    “You’re going to love it here baby. I’ve got your room all picked out for you. It’s got a large plate glass window overlooking the creek in the back, with lots of pretty trees for you to stare at. Would you like that baby?”
    Abby willed herself to speak. “Yes, I would like that.”
    The words came out: “deyes iwoo ike da.”
    Abby gazed upward, watching the sunlight filter in through the narrow openings between branches creating individual spots of sunshine that danced in rhythm to the swaying of the trees. It was like the light from a disco ball without the music. And then Abby realized what had been bothering her about the woods. Where were the birds? The tops of the trees were desolate and empty, the air eerily quiet. There was no chirping, no fluttering of wings, no cries of warning to the other forest creatures that humans had entered their domain. In fact Abby could see no signs of life at all, no chipmunks, no squirrels, no insects of any kind. A striking and terrifying epiphany dawned on Abby. The woods surrounding Talcott Manor were dead.
    Dread and panic overtook Abby as Darrow pushed her along, slowly making their way to the mansion growing ever larger in the distance. She was trapped, like a fearful child on a roller coaster wishing she could get off, listening to the clicking of the track as the car neared its first big drop. Darrow’s boots echoed on the gravel in tune with the roller coaster in her head. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Click. Click. Click.
    The gravel path ended and they began the journey up the cement ramp leading to the front porch. They paused briefly in front of the large French-doors that folded inward. At that moment Abby was sure she was looking at the gates of hell itself.
    “Welcome home baby.” Darrow whispered before opening the doors.
    Had she been able, Abby would have turned and fled, screaming and running as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

FIVE
     
     
    It felt like a jackhammer in her head, each ring reverberating around the inside of her skull like a pinball. Ellie rolled over and reached across her body to the bedside nightstand fumbling blindly in the dark and knocking over the orange plastic container in the process. She had forgotten to tighten the lid and her medication went everywhere. The small blue pills bounced off the hardwood floor in rapid succession like popcorn exploding in a microwave. The phone rang again, aggravating her pounding head and darkening her mood.  Mercifully she located the receiver and placed it to her ear before it had a chance to ring a third time. When she spoke her voice was deep and groggy with sleep.
    “Hello?”
    The voice on the other end was annoyingly cheerful.
    “Good morning Ellie.”
    For a brief moment Ellie was stooped in confusion before it all came back to her: her return to Saltar’s Point, the all night conversation, and the beer. God how much beer did I drink last night? She did her best to sound attentive but the haze of alcohol made it difficult for her to focus. She hoped Randall couldn’t tell how hung over she was.
    “Hi Randall.”
    “I didn’t wake you did I?”
    “No, no, I’m always awake by…” Ellie squinted at the alarm clock. “Six-thirty.”
    “Sorry, I guess I’m just used to country living. I can’t sleep after the rooster crows.”
    “Maybe you should shoot the rooster and get some rest.”
    Ellie chuckled at her own joke making her head throb. Despite the pain, hearing Randall’s voice made her smile.
    “God Ellie you sound awful.”
    “That obvious huh?”
    “Maybe I should call back later.”
    Ellie sat up causing the room to spin. “No, I’m fine.