Past Due: Chapter Four, It's Me

Today's post is bittersweet. I'm sharing chapter four, the conclusion of Past Due, our latest Progressive Story Project.

I'm always so excited when I send a brand new story on its way, wondering what direction it'll be taken in by all of the contributing bloggers. It's like opening a present as I get back each segment and see what steps it's taken as each author adds their own voice and imagination to craft the whole. And it's always both bitter and sweet to bring it to a conclusion. 

Until next time, friends . . .

In case you haven't read or need a refresher of the previous three chapters, start here before you move on to today's ending.

Chapter one: Five Days
Chapter two: Jester's Canyon
Chapter three: The Past is Present

As always, above and to the far right of each section I've listed the author of that segment as well as a link to their blog. 

Past Due

Chapter Four: It's Me

Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Dyson sat in disbelief. Mary? Amy? Certainly that was impossible. There was no way Amy could have survived that crash. No body had ever been found. The car was eventually found by search parties with dogs, and there was no one inside. The authorities were certain that, after the crash and length of time it took to get down into the canyon, scavenger birds or animals had done the rest.

He jumped into action. Thankfully he had the resources to start another investigation - even if unauthorized - into what had happened so many years ago to rip his heart in two.

His first call was to Jake, his old partner, who had more connections than anyone he'd ever met. Surely Jake could help him discover who Mary really was.

Jules of The Bergham Chronicles

He filled Jake in, with as much information as he could about Mary and their time together including their meeting. He then fought back tears as he explained about his first love Amy, her unsolved disappearance, and all he had done afterwards to find her, and to heal. Then Dyson filled him in on the contents of the envelope, the picture and the letter. He confided how he often had moments when Mary would remind him of Amy, and how she did so many things just like Amy. Jake agreed to dig in and find out what he could. Dyson thanked him and hung up.

He picked up the phone and dialed his cousin Emily's number. He was not sure how she would react to him calling. They were once very close, until Amy had disappeared and he just cut and ran, and started the life he was supposed to live with Amy.

"Hello?" came Emily's voice.

After a slight pause, Dyson spoke "Hey Emmylou, how are you?"

"Dyson!" gasped Emily, "Oh my gosh! I have missed you. I am okay, how are you?"

"I am okay," he replied, "but very confused by a note my girlfriend left me, implying she was Amy ad had obviously been in a terrible car accident, and was now going to sing the sins of my cousin and her friends from the housetops." he said in a rush.

"Shit," Emily said in a sad tone. "Amy is alive? Still? She survived! I was so worried about her, but it was just so dangerous. We were all scared. She is alive! Is she okay? Did she suffer much? Please, tell me everything you know. I know I am about to be in huge trouble, but I just need to know the truth. Oh, Dyson, I am so sorry. This is all my fault!" Emily began to quietly cry as she closed her bedroom door, and sat in her window chair to hear her cousin out.

Jenniy of Climaxed

Emily gasped loudly and sat straight up in bed. It was that dream again . . . nightmare actually. She had been having it since she was just a teenager around this time of year, for a few days in a row since she was young. Five days. She always had it 5 days in a row, at least since she started journaling about it.

She pulled her journal out now. She kept one on hand just for the dreams and had already filled up a few volumes with detailed accounts of everything she could remember upon waking. Some of the fine points and events in the dream changed up, but overall the story seemed to ne that Emily and some other high schoolers had let a girl die and never told anyone.

She'd known a girl named Amy in high school who'd died in an accident just before graduation, but Emily hadn't been there that night. No one had seen it, and Amy wasn't found until days later. The story going around was that she had succumbed to the elements and possibly dehydration and could have been saved if anyone had known where she was, so Emily always thought she might have felt guilt all these years. That's what she had always chalked the dream up to . . .  the huge weight of guilt because she HAD been in the area with friends, but they'd been too busy goofing around and finding a place to make out to have noticed anything.

Right?

This dream though . . . it had felt so much more real than the others. There was more to it. She'd never remembered this much, there was never a bunch of them meeting now in the present because of notes . . . and Amy hadn't dated Emily's cousin . . . had she? Who was the man who saw it all? Could he just be a symbol for how bad she had felt when Amy was found? What was she missing? Emily chewed her lip in concentration, but so much of that time was fuzzy to her, and she felt uncomfortable. Her body was broken out in chills, and it seemed like she was on the verge of something . . . there was some little snake of a detail right there on the edge of her consciousness that kept slipping out of her reach. The only thing she really remembered about that night was what she'd been told by her mom after she finally talked to her about the dreams - that she came home that night pretty late and had told her mom that she'd been driving around all night with Josh, Eddie, and Sue, and went for ice cream. 

That's all there was to it, right? She struggled to pull any detail from her mind, but it had all muddled with the dreams over the years.

She checked the time. It was barely 5 a.m. She knew she'd never get back to sleep now. She threw off the covers and padded down in her corgi covered slipper socks and her oversized purple tie dye sleep shirt to make some coffee. She had to clear her head and read back through the journals. Maybe there was something she was missing.

and Me!

Two days later she sat again in the same familiar chair she'd been occupying once a week for the past 10 years. Emily had worked through a lot in this chair, done what she had to do to bring her through the cancer, past a painful lost love and into her loving marriage and ability to mother her children. And yet, she was still coming here. Something, something, was still undone.

As she'd been doing for a while now, Emily had brought her current journal. Emily knew, though, that today would be different.

Doctor Jastin started the session as she always did. "Hello Emily, it's good to see you. Go ahead and read me what you've journaled since we last met."

"No. Not today."

Doctor Jastin was taken aback. "Something's different today? Would you like to tell me what?"

"I'd like to be done with this . . . uncertainty. This feeling of unfinished business," Emily started, "I've been reading, really reading my journals, and I think I know how. I have to go back."

Doctor Jastin was careful not to change her expression. "Let me ask you a few questions," Doctor began, "I know I've asked them all before, I'd like to hear whether your answers might be different this time."

"Go ahead," Emily's voice was strong.

"Who was that man on the road that you were dreaming about, the one you felt was a threat?"

"He was me," Emily responded.

"And who is Mary, this girlfriend of Dyson's in your dreams?"

"She is me."

"Who was sending those notes in your dreams, for five days, always this time of year?"

"Me. It's all me. My conscience, anyway. Something happened back then, I believe that now, and whatever it is, I have a need to remember it, to face it."

Doctor Jastin could literally see the difference in Emily. "You've done some very hard work since we last met, Emily, but there's still a rough road ahead. If you feel that you're ready, let's step together into your past, only there you will find the tools you need to step alone into your future."

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I hope you enjoyed reading Past Due as much as we enjoyed writing it ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Today's recipe: 

Crock Pot Roast with New Potatoes and Peas

I want to thank, once again, all of the authors of this story and encourage you to visit their blogs:

Sarah of My Life After
Kimberly of When I Grow Up
Dawn of Spatulas on Parade
Jenniy of Climaxed
Jules of The Bergham Chronicles
Lydia of Cluttered Genius
Diane of On the Border
Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom
Rena of Wandering Web Designer and The Blogging 911
and me!

Crock Pot Roast with New Potatoes and Peas

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 can French Onion Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup beef broth
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP sour cream
2 1/2# chuck pot roast
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 onion, sliced
4 medium sized new potatoes
4 oz mushrooms, sliced 
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:
*Grease the bowl of your slow cooker and turn on to high. Mix in the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, butter and sour cream. Cover and heat for 20 minutes.
*Season the pot roast on both sides with the seasoned salt and pepper. Add to the crock pot along with the sliced onions. Lower heat to low and cook for 5 hours, turning over a few times during the cooking.
*Cut the new potatoes into wedges. Add to the crock pot along with the mushrooms and peas. Cook for another 1 1/2 hours.

Past Due: Chapter Three, The Past is Present

Today I'm sharing chapter three of our current Progressive Story Project.

This current story is the 9th time a group of writers have come together to create a piece of fiction. This project is part collaboration and part challenge. Each blogger moves the story along with their own voice and in their own way, but in keeping with what has been written before them.

This story, told in 4 chapters is called Past Due. Before you read the segments written by this group of writers, be sure you've read:
Chapter one: Five Days
Chapter two: Jester's Canyon

Above and to the far right of each section you'll find the name of the contributor and a link to their blog. I recommend you visit the sites of all of my talented friends.

Past Due

Chapter Three: The Past is Present

Lydia of Cluttered Genius 

The sky was pitch black, and the car was moving quickly. Emily held on to Sue in the back seat of Josh's car while she listened to Eddie. "Go faster, Josh! You've got to get closer to their rear bumper!"

It had just begun to rain, and Amy and Betty's car was swerving every now and again as the other four followed them just too close to be really safe. Sue was laughing, but Emily had a sinking feeling something bad was going to happen. Every few moments, she shared this fear.

"Maybe we should stop, guys," she said. "I think we've made our point." Sue laughed her off and patted her arm.

"There's no making a point with Amy and Betty.  We have to show them that they can't be complete jerks to everyone and get away with it," Sue told her.

"Yeah, Emily," Eddie said impatiently, "Get over yourself. We're just messing around." Emily sighed and held on just a little tighter to Sue, who was still making googly eyes at Josh. Sue had pulled her into this mess. She wasn't a fan of Amy and Betty, but she didn't mean to get in a car and chase them in the dark.

They rounded Jester's Curve, and suddenly Amy's tail lights disappeared. Where had they gone?

"They flew over the edge!" Josh screamed. "They went over the damn cliff!" He pulled the car over quickly, and the four of them got out. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and the four of them huddled together.

"What are we going to do?" Emily screamed. "We have to help them!" Josh moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"They're fine, Em." he said. She looked up into his face but not before she saw Sue glaring at her. "I'm sure the brush down there broke their fall," Josh continued.

Suddenly, hands appeared at the edge of the cliff.

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Betty pulled herself up over the edge. She was covered in mud, and the right side of her face had a few scratches. Emily and Josh rushed to help her to her feet. "We saw you go over!" Emily said. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Amy," Betty gasped out. "Amy's still down there. I think she'd dead."

After the cliff edge disintegrated, a wall of rocky mud broke away and fully covered the smashed car, they all leaped back.

Even though they were in shock, they all seemed to agree that there was nothing that could be done, especially considering the fact that the steering wheel broke, and a bent part impaled Amy's chest. According to Betty, she was bleeding profusely. On top of that the landslide must have made it impossible to escape the crushed car.

"This is bad. We can't be associated with it. Our futures would be ruined." Josh bravely said what everybody else was secretly thinking. "Let's make a pact right here and now to never, ever talk about it. We were at the movies, Amy said she had to be home by 10 pm and left on her own. We went for ice cream, and we cruised along the river (which is in the opposite direction), then everybody went home."

They tried to regain some composure, took deep breaths and left with heavy hearts. 

It was pitch dark, and Emily, Betty, Sue Eddie and Josh were too preoccupied to notice he guy who was walking his dog, standing by he coves, a mere 50 yards away.

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade 

Em looked around the room. Pulling from an inner strength that she rarely could find, she said "okay, then why are we here? We all know what happened and we know there is no way (cough) that anyone could survive such a thing. So who thinks this is funny? Josh? Eddie? Who sent the notes?"

Josh looked at her, stunned. "Seriously, Em, you think I sent the notes? You are a piece of work. Miss Goody Goody, how do we know it wasn't you?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Oh great, now hey were turning against her again, just like in high school. She hung her head and remained silent once more.

When they were all silent, a noise, like a muffled laugh came from somewhere in the house. Looking at each other, Emily had a sinking feeling, jus like the night of the accident. The lights flickered and no one knew how, but there, in the middle of the floor, lay a note. They all stared at it but no one moved. Finally Betty stood and walked over, picking it up and opening it.

She read it aloud as the others turned white. "I know what you did and it is time to pay your dues. Four days left now."

They all sat stunned, scared, and in total shock. HAD Amy lived after all?

Like rats leaving a sinking ship, they all left and went to their homes, jobs and activities. Each one determined to stay silent and also to live past what was now FOUR days. That is, if guilt didn't drive Emily completely insane first.

Rena of The Wandering Web designer and The Blogging 911 

Emily paced back and forth across the kitchen as she prepared dinner that night. It wasn't until she had burned the sauce and the powerful, pungent smell pulled her back into the now. "Shit," she said as she picked up the smoking skillet and dumped it unceremoniously into the sink.

"Mom! You said a bad word," 8 year-old Meghan said from the kitchen table where she and her brother were doing their homework. "I'm telling daddy," 4 year-old Max said, giggling at the thought of his mom in trouble.

"Well, how about I buy your silence with a pepperoni pizza," she said grabbing her phone. She then realized that her joke wasn't funny, especially after the day she had. "Just kidding Max! But you can still have pizza." She was never going to tell another lie as long as she lived!

She hadn't wanted to tell the first one, but hadn't had the guts to stand up to the crowd back then and she didn't have the guts to stand up to them now. She looked around her kitchen and thought "I will do whatever it takes to protect my family including standing up to whoever thought they knew the truth, and the others. 

She should have gone to the police, she repeated for the millionth time since that stormy night. Now that she had children of her own, she realized what was truly at stake. Nothing from back then had any bearing on her life now. Her children shouldn't have to pay for her mistakes.

"Honey? I burned dinner, can you stop and pick up a pepperoni pizza for dinner? I'll call ahead," Emily said when her husband answered his cell phone. 

"You burned something? Martha Stewart herself?" he laughed, "of course." 

"Honey," Emily said, "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. 

She stared at the phone for a long time after they had hung up.

Kimberly of When I Grow Up

Dyson pondered what to do. A large envelope ha been left leaning against his front door. At first he though it was from his girlfriend. She liked to leave him notes and clippings of articles she knew he'd enjoy. She was special. She came into his life unexpectedly, almost from nowhere. Somehow she knew him, on a deep level. He hadn't had anyone in his life since . . .

He knew he'd have to shut down this line of thinking. Her loss was too much to bear. He hadn't said her name since that night. He couldn't bear to have anyone in his life who had even known her. He moved away and cut off contact from his friends and family. Starting over was the only way he knew to survive.

He opened the envelope mindlessly. Inside was a single sheet of paper and a photo. He saw the name and he couldn't speak, or even think. His face paled and he began to shake uncontrollably.

Diane of On the Border

Dyson crumpled the paper, then clutched the picture in nerveless hands and sank to the floor, unable to look away.

A young woman trapped in the front seat of a wrecked car. Blood everywhere. Her pain-darkened eyes staring imploringly up at the photographer out of a bloody, wrecked face.

His breath came in little gasps as he stared. Surely not. It couldn't be . . . her. All smashed and broken. 

He didn't know how long he sat there, drinking in every detail. Her long, blonde hair lying all about her. Her blood soaked clothing.

His eyes moved to the interior of the car. Long forgotten and still familiar. Blood had spattered everywhere, but he could still see the burn mark from his and Amy's disastrous first attempt at smoking a joint.

Finally, after what seemed hours, his eyes turned to the paper. he smoothed it and started to read:

"My Dyson . . ." it began.

His eyes filled with tears and he scrubbed them away impatiently and kept reading.

"It has been so wonderful to reconnect these past few months. You have been, as you always were, amazingly kind and considerate and I am grateful to have had these stolen moments together."

Dyson frowned. What on earth?

"But I'm afraid (to resort to the mundane and over-used and abused), all good things must come to an end. My preparations are now completed and this is where you and I will forever part company.

Simply put: I will not have you follow where I must go.

The truth is about to be trumpeted from the housetops and you and everyone else will know what your cousin and her former friends have done.

And what their long-awaited sentence had to be.

Please forgive me - at least a little. And know that I loved you.

Once.

Mary. AKA: Amy"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Read on for the conclusion of Past Due ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

And before you go, here's today's recipe:

Ham and Brown Rice Casserole

 

Ham and Brown Rice Casserole        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups cauliflower florets, cut small (can substitute broccoli)
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBSP stone ground mustard
2 tsp dried chives
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
6 oz chopped smoked provolone cheese
1/4 up seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 X 11 casserole dish.
*Partially cook the cauliflower in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Set aside.
*In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, milk, chives, salt and pepper.
*Gently mix in the cauliflower, rice, ham and provolone. Spread into the prepared dish.
*Top with the bread crumbs and mozzarella, cover with foil.
*Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Past Due: Chapter Two, Jester's Canyon

I'm sharing chapter two of our current Progressive Story Project collaboration. This project features a piece of fiction written by a group of bloggers who do not discuss the story with each other, just continue to build on the contributions of the last writers. In the end, we end up with one cohesive story, usually told in about four chapters.

As this is chapter two, be sure to read chapter one before moving on to today's bloggers' contributions. 
Chapter one: Five Days

Credit for the writing of each section is above and to the far right, along with a link to their blogs, each one well worth visiting.

Past Due

Chapter Two: Jester's Canyon

Diane of On the Border

Emily's heart began to pound. She sat up, her hand still shading her eyes. "Betty James?" She got to her feet. "Betty James?" she said again.

The woman nodded, her eyes on Emily's face. "Do you remember me?" she whispered. She glanced at Emily's companions, then leaned forward. "That night . . ."

Emily drew a sharp breath. Suddenly she knew why Betty's name had sounded so familiar.

In a heartbeat, she was standing once more on Jester's Curve . . .

The red lights of Amy Westerland's car were shining weakly up at her and her three companions as the four of them huddled together in the pouring rain, peering over the cliff into Jester's Canyon.

Sue linked arms with Eddie and giggled rather hysterically. "I guess we won then?"

A noise from the cliff face. Emily stared at the muddied girl who pulled herself up over the edge. Amy's friend, Betty James. Emily and Josh rushed to help her to her feet. "We saw you go over!" Emily said. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"Amy," Betty gasped out. "Amy's still down there." Shadowed, haunted eyes sought, first Emily, then Josh. "I think she's dead. The steering wheel . . ." The girl shuddered and nearly collapsed. "We have to do something!"

At that moment the cliff edge seemed to disintegrate. The five of them leaped back as a wall of mud broke away. It slid down the sleep slope, covering the smashed car and obliterating the red lights.

"What can we do?" Sue demanded shrilly. "If she's dead . . ."

Emily spun to look at her fried. "What if she isn't?" She turned again to stare at the spot where Amy's lights had been visible. "Moments have made the difference in the past." She started forward.

Josh put a hand on her shoulder. "It's too dangerous, Em," he said quietly. He looked up at the dark, heavy clouds over them. "You might get caught in the next landslide."

"I don't care! I . . ." This time, both Josh and Sue hld her back.

Sue let out that strange giggle again. "Don't waste your time, Em." She looked over the cliff. "Amy got what she deserved."

Emily collapsed against Josh and let the tears flow. "I never meant for this to happen," she gasped out. "It was just a harmless little prank. To kick off the graduation celebrations. You know, the five-day countdown."

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Emily's mind was racing. What should she do? Was there a point in playing dumb? What could Betty possibly want? This happened many, many years ago, couldn't they just let the past be the past? What if she could still be reported and charged?

"I - I don't know anybody by that name, Betty Jones you said? You must have me confused."

The pink lady looked determined though. "betty James, and I'm sure that you know exactly who I am. Come on, let's take a walk."

"B-but, I'm here with my friend, Liz."

Betty stretched out her hand, smiled and said "coe on, I won't bite, I'll have you back here in no time."

Reluctantly Emily followed Betty who was tottering amazingly fast in her pink pumps. "Where are you taking me, I have to be back at home and make dinner. My son Andrew is coming over with the kids."

As they left the park through the West Gate, they crossed the street, and after a block they turned into an alley and arrived at an ivy-clad house that looked abandoned. Mysterious at the very least.

Betty used the door knocker three times.

Soon enough the door slowly squeaked open.

"Come on in," Eddie said. "We've been waiting."

Jenniy of Climaxed

She followed Betty inside the house and looked around. Everyone who had received the note was present.

Eddie, Josh, Sue, Betty, and herself.

Eddie took a seat in the small living room in a blue plush armchair and beckoned for the two women to take a seat in the folded chairs set up to accommodate more guests. Sue was in a matching armchair across the coffee table from Eddie, and Josh had taken a folding chair as well.

She was shaking as she looked around. It was all very normal and mundane despite this being very abnormal circumstances. The carpet and walls were a similar beige color. No photos. No art. Just a small tv set on a white Ikea stand and a few coasters on the table. She couldn't even tell whose house it was if it was anyone's. The outside didn't make it seem like it was some kind of great investment.

"Em?"

She realized they'd been talking while she dissociated, and snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry. What all was said? This is . . . this is all terrifying and weird to me."

They all looked at her in slight disgust, but it was Eddie who finally grumbled, "What do you think it is for us, princess? Of course you're still a goody two shoes who thinks she's the only one with problems."

"EDDIE! Enough. Enough. That's not going to help." Betty reached over and squeezed her hand and then continued. "We all know what this is about. Now what do we do about it? Who did you all tell about how Amy's car got down in Jester's Canyon? And why are they coming for us now?"

Each of them in turn answered "no one."

Emily certainly had never said a word, not to anyone ever. Not her ex, not her brother, and when she hooked up with Josh that summer, they hadn't discussed it once. After a few weeks of being completely overcome with guilt and coming close to turning herself into the cops right afterwards, she buried it. She spent all of her adult life pretending as much as possible that it had never happened.

So who else possibly could have witnessed what happened that night besides Amy? As far as any of them knew, she had died in her car in the bottom of Jester's Canyon while everyone in this tiny white bread living room ran home and lied about where they had been.

Jules of The Bergham Chronicles

Emily knew lying and secret keeping was not the way to live her life. She also knew she was terrible at both, and that is why she had spent much of the first month after that fateful night at Jester's Canyon telling herself she needed to go to the cops, and unburden her heart. She had managed to talk herself out of it each time, and eventually had been able to pretend that night never happened. Eventually, as the memory faded, and life continued on, she had managed to forget about that night, and she had moved on, living each passing year as if that night had never happened.

Now here she was, in a strange house surrounded by the very people she had spent years forgetting. As she looked around at each face, taking them each in, she was transported back to that fateful night, decades before, right before graduation and the start of her life. The same night when Amy's life had ended. The same night they all chose to keep quiet, and protect themselves from any possible consequences.

Over the years, anytime guilt had tried to overcome her, Emily had reminded herself that Amy would have done the same exact thing. No way she would have gotten herself in trouble and risked ruining her future. Her bright future. She had been on her way to Washington D.C. after graduation, and she was destined for a career in one of the top crime labs in the country. She was on her way to achieving every dream she had ever had, including marrying her childhood sweetheart, Emily's cousin Dyson. Emily had grown up in a close-knit family, and her cousins were like siblings to her.

That was why it had hurt her so much to watch Dyson, in the weeks following that night at Jester's Canyon, come apart at the seams as Amy's disappearance stretched on. He had eventually moved to Washington, as he and Amy had planned, and immersed himself into politics and the CIA, and eventually completely growing apart from his family. They rarely saw him anymore, and nobody had any real idea of what he had been up to. He had never seemed to fully recover from losing Amy. Why he was so upset by the loss of her, Emily would never really understand. Amy had been difficult and selfish. All the plans she and Dyson made were in benefit of Amy's wants and hopes and dreams. Dyson just sort of catered his choices to whatever would make Amy happy.

That is how it had always been. If Amy was happy, that was all that mattered, and it was something that most of her family and friends had struggled to accept, but not Dyson. He had always been able to make his happiness reliant on Amy's happiness, and he always seemed to live for her benefit. It was a weird, symbiotic existence, that had intrigued Em over the years, and anytime she had been able to get an idea from Dyson, about what he wanted in life, it never seemed to add up to the plans he made with Amy. The more time had passed, the more Emily began to think of Amy as a parasite, who was feeding off her cousin. That may have been why she had been able to keep quiet, after that night in the Canyon. She knew, if nothing else, Dyson was finally free.

She was not convinced he had ever embraced the freedom from Amy. He always seemed stuck in the past, even though he had moved on and distanced himself from their family and their hometown. Now here she was, surrounded by the memories of that night, and the moment her cousin's future had been rewritten. The night she finally had a secret of her own.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Read on to chapter three The Past is Present ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And before you go, here's today's recipe:

Red Curry Chicken and Snap Peas

 

Red Curry Chicken and Snap Peas        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
6 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 green onions, cut into approximately 3 inch pieces
1 cup snap peas, rinsed and dried 
1 carrot, shaved
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips (cut the longer ones in half)
salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 bottle (about 13 oz) Thai Red Curry Sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 
1 tsp lime juice


Directions:
*Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper, mushrooms, green onions, snap peas, carrot, ginger and garlic. Cook until the vegetables just start to soften, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan.
*Sprinkle the chicken strips with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to the same skillet and cook, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through. Drain.
*Add the sauce and red pepper flakes to the skillet with the chicken, mix in the cooked vegetables.
*Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and  allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Drizzle with the lime juice.
*OPT: Serve over rice with lime wedges.

 

Past Due: Chapter One, Five Days

I'm featuring today the first chapter in a piece of fiction. Not just any piece of fiction, but a collaborative one. And not just any collaborative story, but the 9th in a series of Progressive Story Projects I've been gifted with over the years.

The magic of this type of story is that it comes from the imaginations of many. If you haven't read one in the past, I'll list links to them all below, but let me tell you how this works. I start a story, then pass it on to another writer who adds to it, it then goes on to another author and then another. The challenge for each of us is to add to the story without controlling it. In the end, these bloggers, all with their varied imaginations and writing styles, put together one cohesive story. And, as I said, it's a gift as I get to present it. 

Previous Progressive Story Projects:
A Holiday Story
Storm Past 
A Holiday Story, The Sequel
Sincerely Sarah
Take Aim
Skin Deep
Mystery at the Castle
Her Time

Today I'm honored to present chapter one of our newest story, Past Due. As always, before each section, over to the far right I've listed the author of that piece of the story and a link to their blog. I highly recommend checking out these blogs and seeing what my very talented friends have to share there. 

Past Due
Chapter One: Five Days

Karen of Baking In A Tornado

There were still only five. It's not that big a number, no way to lose track, count and count again, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it wasn't going to change anything. There were only five left.

Sarah of Medicated Musings

I looked around, trying to figure out what to do. I only had five days left. I wanted to make the most of it, spend time with my loved ones, do things I didn't typically have the guts to do.

Make cherished memories.

I didn't know what would happen on the 6th day. The note didn't say. It was simple and to the point.

"Emily, you have five days left."

It put me on edge, unsure of what to expect. Was I going to die? Was someone going to kidnap me? Was the world going to end?

Would I ever find out?

Five days wasn't a lot of time for one to live their best life, but damn it, I was determined to live mine.

Dawn of Spatulas on Parade 

Five days, why only five? She had lost the love of her life, or so she thought he was, five years ago and during that time she had battled and won the fight with breast cancer. So why now? Why didn't she die during that time? This made her angry, the longer she dwelled on it, the angrier she got.

Liz reached over and touched her hand. "Em, what's going on with you? You are not yourself today."

Emily looked at her longest and dearest friend, putt on her smile and said "oh nothing, just going over the past." She took a deep breath and said "Hypothetically, if you knew you only had 5 days to live, what would you do?"

Liz jumped out of her chair and said "WHAT?" and quickly sat down realizing she was causing a scene here at the Java Joint. Leaning over she quietly said, "Oh my gosh Emily! When? Why didn't you tell me the cancer was back?"

Emily laughed, "Oh no, no, no, no." Shaking her head, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking. It's not back, I'm fine, I mean, I think, well, yeah . . ." and she started to cry.

Liz, looking relieved but still concerned, looked at her, deep into her eyes and said "Come on Em, this is me. We've known each other for how long? High school, college, marriages, divorces, kids, cancer and the death of parents. Tell me what is going on."

Reaching into her pocket, Emily pulled out the paper. She handed it to Liz who read it and then began to laugh.

"Oh my dear sweet dramatic Em! Don't you know a kid prank when you read one? I mean, really. Who would send you something like this and why? Everyone loves you. You know it's some dumb kid pulling a prank."

Just then Steve walked up, kissed Emily on the forehead and said, "Hey what's this?" as he reached for the paper. She tried to move it but he was already reading it. Shaking his head he said, "You know several people at work got this same stupid piece of paper. I'm guessing prank time at the high school. Remember those days?" as he sat down.

Kimberly of When I Grow Up

"Really?" Emily looked up at her brother, relieved.

"Yeah," he said. "Someone is messing with you."

"Anybody I know?" she asked.

"Well, let's see . . . you know Eddie, he lived down the street when we were kids, And Sue; wasn't she your best friend at one point? I think Josh Miller got one, but you didn't know him. Oh, and the other one who mentioned it was Betty James. She was pretty shaken up, but she's not from around here either. So, to answer your question, you know two of them."

Emily didn't say anything. Steve didn't know. She had actually dated Josh one summer when she was home from college. He lived a couple of towns over and she knew her family wouldn't approve, so she hadn't told any of them, not even Steve, who knew her better than anyone else, even better than her ex. It was just a summer fling; she and Josh broke up before the fall semester began and she hadn't heard from him since.

The name Betty James sounded familiar as well, though she couldn't quite figure out why. Emily noticed that Liz was looking at her quizzically and that she had to snap out of it.

"I guess I've been reading too much SciFi lately. Let's get out of here. Who's up for a trip to the park? There should be some great people watching on a beautiful day like today!"

Rena of Wandering Web Designer and The Blogging 911

Emily stretched out on the blanket as she watched all of the other people who were soaking up this beautiful day. She had scolded herself all the way for letting something so stupid get to her so badly. Kids! Pranks! She had to laugh at herself, "Em you are much too gullible," she scolded herself.

She watched a little boy play with his dog, laughing every time the collie chased after the frisbee. Each time he would bring it back to the boy and drop it at his feet. Then there was the cute daddy pushing his little girl on the swing, back and forth, up and down. It was relaxing, almost hypnotic, following the little girl's path with each push.

She loved this little town. She had spent her whole life here and now that she was outside she could see that the note was just silly. I can't believe I wasted a moment being upset about something so dumb. She watched a woman in a beautiful pink dress get out of her car and start walking across the park.

She walked straight up to Emily and stood over her, blocking out the sun. Emily shaded her eyes and looked up at the strange lady who seemed to know exactly who she was. "Emily! I'm so glad I found you. I'm Betty James."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Read on to chapter two, Jester's Canyon ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

And before you go, here's today's recipe:

Strawberry Dalgona Cocktail

Strawberry Dalgona Cocktail        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 2):
1 cup Baileys Strawberries and Cream liqueur
1/2 cup White Chocolate liqueur
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup instant coffee crystals
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup boiling water

fresh strawberries

Directions:
*Pour 1/2 cup Strawberries and Cream liqueur, 1/4 cup White Chocolate liqueur, and 1/4 cup milk into each of two glasses. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
*Whip the instant coffee crystals, sugar and boiling water until it's light brown and creamy and stiff peaks hold (similar to how you'd make whipped cream).
*Remove the glasses from the refrigerator, add ice if desired, and top with the whipped coffee.
*Serve with fresh strawberries.