The Plymouth Fury was still parked among the low lying shubbery in the middle of the forest. The rain had ceased. Keith and John had gone absolutely nowhere. John's hands hadn't moved from the wheel. He was feeling that relaxed with his fingers at ten and two.
"You see that?" Keith asked John.
"You mean, that thing that looks like a giant prairie dog?"
"Yes, sir," Keith confirmed. "One giant prairie dog walking on two legs through the forest."
"Heading northwest?"
Keith peered through the windshield up into the trees. "Hard to say, Commander."
"Isn't that the Water Demon's wife? Say, is she tailing the giant prarie dog?"
Keith and John watched a flat chested woman in white mime make-up make her way from tree to tree.
"Oh, yeah," Keith paused. "Her. She ran out of unemployment benefits, been waiting for the widow's pension to kick in. In the meantime, she's taken on role of the Reputation of a Stalker. The pay is low, but a job is a job."
"A mute stalker?" John asked with curiousity. He thought about the matter. "Is this the Conjective Rodent Stalker Syndrom that I heard about?"
"Yes. When humans are told a whopping load of lies, they become so fearful in Colorado that they turn into giant prairie dogs, ducking and diving underground when they think it is necessary, and, of course, immediately their imagination hires Theresa to follow them." Keith said. "She's been very busy lately."
"So, the mute chick becomes the post-metamorphosis stalker?" John watched Theresa prance over a fallen log. "Isn't this a kind of chicken versus egg situation?"
"Yes, these giant prairie dog-people uncontrollably fear for their lives, therefore they need a predator," Keith said. "And unemployed people think they need jobs. The whole scenario could also be called McFerrel's Phantom Prey Absorption Theory."
As the giant prairie dog slowly made her way past a dead tree trunk, Big Foot suddenly appeared.
Big Foot looked at the giant prairie dog. The giant prairie dog looked at Big Foot. It was love at first sight.
"Hmmmmm," John said, "I'd watch out there, boy, that curvy furrball comes with a load of baggage."
For years Troy and his stepmom had been waiting for affordable housing. Back in 2022 they were supposed to be given the keys to 1046 Grant Street but then that deal fell through. The house had been flipped by the charity and Troy ended up living on and off at a friend's house while his stepmom moved into a motel.
Troy's stepmom eventually found a fourth job, cleaning a house for one of the people from the charity, The InnBetween. It was this way that she managed to get her name moved up on the list for housing in Longmont. Troy was happy to be moving back in with Trish because he liked his half siblings and Trish had been good to him. Troy was willing to do anything to help out. And because of the restraining order, he didn't have to deal with his dad.
"You know, you're going to have to find some part time work," Trish said.
"Yo."
"But don't worry, I'll find you something." Trish eyed Troy. "Nothing bad, okay? Just, well, maybe a little bit repetative."
Trish found Troy a cleaning job at the hospital. Which is where Emery found Troy.
To Troy, Emery looked like the blond goddess Athena. And Emery thought Troy resembled the perfect fake Mormon boyfriend. He was the splitting image of Logan Langley.
Troy put on the clothes that Emery brought him and rang the Noel's doorbell.
Emily and Emery had just polished off the leftover funeral potatoes. While Emery was wondering what effect Gator's pills would have on her, but she was even more curious what the pills would do to her mother.
When the doorbell rang, Emery said, "That will be Logan."
"Logan? Logan Langley?" Emily asked.
"Yes, he said he would drop off materials for the Teen Bible Study retreat."
"Oh?" Emily said. Logan Langley was sure a catch in Mormon circles. Why, after he finished his missionary work, Emily imagined he'd be quite popular with a lot of girls.
Emery knew that just the very name of Logan Langley would excite her mother, let alone him showing up at the front door with Bible Study materials in a shopping bag.
Emily grabbed the doorknob of the front door and jerked the door open. Her mouth fell open. "Logan!" she cooed. "And who is that...?" Emily was looking beyond Troy.
Troy stood in his borrowed clothes, ready to drop off the shopping bag that Emery had given him. She had already paid him ten dollars for his time. He smiled, "It's just me, Logan. Logan Langley."
"Don't be silly! I know who you are!" Emily held out her hand. "Didn't I meet your grandmother at a picnic? Annabelle?"
Troy wasn't sure he was supposed to bring someone. He turned to look at the empty space behind him.
Emery came to the front door and stood behind her mother. Troy was playing his part well, slow and steady. But.....was she seeing a ghost?
El-Don was unhappy. Just when his life got a little better, it always seemed to swiftly go sour. He woke up on the couch in his house. He didn't know what day it was, and Terry and Zelda were in the kitchen.
"Have you seen Flora?" he asked the women.
"That's what I want to know," Zelda said. "Mom, what did you say to Flora?"
"Nothing," Teary said. "You know, I feel she's been a little unstable lately."
"Flora said that you told her that Aunt Nadine, Aunt June and Aunt Sue are not to be trusted."
"Did I?" Teary said. "No, I don't think I said that."
"You told her to not contact them until you said it was okay."
"I said I would take care of it."
"Take care of what?" El-Don asked.
Teary pulled out a tray of muffins from the oven. "These are family things, El-Don. Nothing serious."
"Nothing serious," Zelda shouted. "You are making up all sorts of rumors about your sisters and telling Flora not to tell anyone the nonesense you've been ..."
"You will not talk to me like that, missy!"
"You're right, I am not going to talk to you!" Zelda grabbed her purse and left.
"Teary..."
"Oh, El-Don. This will all blow over."
El-Don wanted to leave the house. He didn't know where to go and he felt he had to go someplace safe. He needed to find Lolly.
Coming Soon Chapter Thirty-Two
#longmont #colorado #johnveglia #keithkumasenabbott #keithabbott #mormonpotatoes #bigfoot #speakingwiththedead #ghoststory #stalker #truelove #
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