Two Sided (eBook)

KB Manz (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2022 | 1. Auflage
286 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-1718-7 (ISBN)

'Two Sided' is about three stories that ultimately join together at the very end, though not exactly in the way one might expect. Set in the 1970's (not based on any actual events), it'll leave you wondering if anyone should really want to know everything. How do you know the truth is every fully revealed? Murder, plotting, and lies will all come to the surface when you take a thrilling dive into the mysteries of 'Two Sided'. It'll leave you wondering who you can really trust.

Everyone holds a secret and most are harmless, easily forgotten. What happens when secrets lead to committing acts that can never be forgiven?People can do things at times that are horrible and try to pass them off as not very important. Sometimes they even convince themselves that they did what had to be done and after all, no one will ever find out. What happens when lies and bad deeds come to the surface?In this book, three seemingly separate stories all come together at the end, answering most if not all, of the questions that have been asked. After all, do we really know all there is to know about the people close to us? You might be surprised by the answers.

Chapter One

November 25, 1968

The fire started slowly and almost burned itself out several times in the first ten minutes. One little flicker from a match that was tossed through the open window was all that it took. It was a small, intentional movement that would lead to not just death, but also the beginning of a cycle that would take decades to undo, if ever.

Well, it actually took an entire box of matches to light this fuse. It sounded better saying that it was so very simple. Is life ever that way though? The watcher wanted it to be. It’s not like there was ever going to be an opportunity to share this moment. Anyway, after lighting one match after the other and almost giving up, there was a whoosh as it caught and then the fire started so very quickly that the watcher had to jump backwards to get out of the way. It was cold outside, cold enough that the watcher wrapped the cloak more closely to her body, watching, waiting, and shivering. Her green eyes narrowed when it appeared that the fire might go out yet again. She even took one-step forward, then hastily jumped back when it became clear that the fire had caught and would do the job. Pleased, she took two more steps back in order to watch.

There were people inside, yet not one of them raised a hand to stop the beginnings of what would soon become their demise. Perhaps if the people inside had not been knocked to the floor, they might have stood a chance to escape.

They were doomed the second that they crossed the threshold into the room where the fire started its hungry, gluttonous, destructive path. Though they still breathed, what they inhaled was no longer fresh air, but noxious fumes. These fumes would cut off their oxygen so that they would soon die here. Even if they managed to open their eyes, their brains would find it difficult to process what was happening, and they would be unable to escape.

The locked doors would have helped keep them inside. The only open window required that they step through the fire to crawl onto the top of the kitchen sink, and then push through the small opening. From there, they would have to make their way around to the front of the house before they could summon any help.

Anyone who might stumble across the ruined remains would search in vain for the small brick that had hit each person in the back of the head. Even now, that damning piece of evidence was sitting comfortably in the front left side pocket of the cloak that the watcher wore. No chances were being taken. It wasn’t enough to knock them out and start a fire; she had to remain until she was sure that the victims were beyond any assistance.

Even here, standing at the foot of the woods, her face could feel the heat. Staring at the flames as they grew higher and higher was almost euphoric. While watching, she more fully understood why people were so addicted to setting fires; and was tempted to stay, until all was reduced to ashes.

The watcher did not intend to remain until the final moment. The plan was to be long gone before then. A sign was needed that it was time to leave, to move on.

What could now be seen was the large flare as the entire back of what had been the kitchen burst unchecked out and upwards. The watcher’s patience had been rewarded.

She knew that it wasn’t safe to remain, yet the fire was entrancing, engaging interest for far longer than was reasonably safe. Only when the back door fell with a loud, thunderous crash, did she turn to leave.

The job here was complete. As if another reminder was needed, there was the sound of sirens in the distance.

The hour was early and someone else was up. The watcher ran into the woods, and pushed through dangling branches along the path.

Going the long way ate up valuable time, but was necessary to stay out of sight. It was important not to be seen and not to have to answer difficult questions that would best be left unanswered. The back road was where the car was waiting. The sirens were getting closer now, and the watcher needed to be long gone. As luck would have it, by the time she hit the highway, the first fire engine pulled up in front of what was left of the once two-story house.

………………

If Pete Reynolds’ back weren’t hurting him, the house would have been a collection of timber before it was discovered. Instead, his inability to rest brought him to his feet and downstairs to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Grabbing two aspirin, he slowly walked into the kitchen, filling a glass with cold water from the sink, which helped him gulp down the pills. Straightening upwards, his quick glance out the window made him blink and blink again.

“What the…?”

Not wanting to disturb the slumber of his wife, Edith, he moved quickly, wincing at every step, to the phone to call the operator.

“Yes, this is Peter Reynolds out on Henderson. I want to report a house fire. Yeah, I don’t know the exact address but it’s the Pritchard house, the one set back from the road. You can’t miss it.”

He hung up, and wrapping his bathrobe around his waist, waddled outside in his bare feet, to stand on the back porch, watching.

It was there that Edith found him a half hour later. She had a bad dream and when she didn’t find Pete in bed next to her, she went downstairs to investigate. It took several minutes before she spotted him outside, barefoot. Thinking to scold him, she grabbed a coat and slipped her own feet into a snug pair of red boots, grabbing her husband’s pair as she did.

“Pete, what…?”

She smelled the smoke first and looking up, saw the fire.

“Isn’t that the Pritchard house?”

Pete just nodded, still watching as the fire trucks arrived. Everyone was moving quickly, trying to put out the fire and find any survivors.

She grabbed his right arm, horrified to be witness to such destruction.

“Where are they?”

Not willing to wait for his answer, she immediately headed off towards the house and Pete fell in behind, shaking his head at her question. “Damned if I know. One of the firefighters went inside about ten minutes ago. He is probably still looking.”

Edith called back over her shoulder as she hurried along. “They have to be okay, Pete. They have to be. Why, I was just talking with Delaney not more than three days ago. She was all excited that her entire family was coming from Atlanta for Thanksgiving.”

By the time Pete and Edith reached the house, they discovered that they were not alone. The neighbors had gathered, one by one, to watch in dismay and frustration as the Pritchard house continued to burn.

There were good times in that house, parties that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, for the Pritchards enjoyed celebrations.

The highlight was the open house that was held the Saturday between Christmas and New Year’s when neighbors, friends, relatives and others came to enjoy themselves.

It was an event greatly anticipated and not just due to the food and drink. People from all occupations attended. There were priests, politicians, teachers, grocery store baggers, fellow committee members, and assorted friends of friends.

As the neighbors watched, there was shock and disbelief that all of it was gone. There was nothing left.

The firefighters did their best, yet they had arrived much too late to stop the fire. They were concentrating their efforts at finding any survivors or at the very worst, bodies.

Edith continued to talk and talk about Jimmy, Delaney and their daughter as they walked closer to where all the neighbors were standing. Then they watched in horror, as the house became a pile of cinders. It had been the envy of the town with the domed ceiling in the living room; the large eat in kitchen, and hardwood floors that gleamed with weekly polishing. There was a cozy deck on the right side where summer cookouts and other parties took center stage.

Pete let out a sigh. His attention was solely on the fire and the vain attempts to contain it. He let Edith continue her rambling while his own thoughts swung back to Jimmy and Delaney. Jimmy Pritchard was one of his best friends since childhood. He and his wife, Delaney were an odd match. Jimmy was built like the linebacker he had been in his previous life, standing at 6’2” and weighing in at 218 lbs.

He could have played professional ball and he might have given it a shot if it weren’t for his wife, Delaney.

Jimmy met Delaney James freshman year when he went to college at Georgia State on a football scholarship. Sweet little Delaney weighed in at 120 and stood at 5’4”. With that southern twang of hers, Jimmy was hooked on first sight, and they soon became a match made in heaven. The year after they graduated, they were married, and a daughter arrived five years later.

Instead of pursuing the great game of pro ball, Jimmy...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	19.4.2022
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
ISBN-10	1-6678-1718-3 / 1667817183
ISBN-13	978-1-6678-1718-7 / 9781667817187

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