Haunted Nights, Prologue
 
 

Kay Bennett was eating some cookies in Tabitha’s kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Simone.

“ Simone?”, Kay said, pretending to be surprised. Simone looked horrible.

” Kay, I came to say goodbye.”

” Goodbye? Simone, what are you talking about? Come on in.”

Kay sat Simone down at the kitchen table.

“ Kay, you don’t know what happened.” Kay bit her tongue. “ I walked in on Whitney and Chad having sex.” Kay kept quiet. “ I took him some of  Tabitha’s soup, and I thought he would appreciate me giving him the soup. There he was, having sex with my sister.”

” Oh.”

” I mean, I knew she had been working him, but I didn’t think they’d had a chance to take  it that far. “

” What did you do?”

” I reacted by instinct. I blew up. I got mad. I slapped Whitney a few times, accusing her of stealing Chad from me. Do you know what he said?”

” What?”

” He said there was nothing to steal. That he never had feelings for me. That he never loved me. That he had always loved Whitney.” By this time, tears were streaming down Simone’s face. “ I didn’t want to believe him at first, but I thought about it. You know what I don’t get?”

” What, Simone?”

” I mean, you hid your feelings from Miguel, so when he met Charity, he didn’t know how you felt. I didn’t do that. I was honest about how I felt. I didn’t hide it from anyone.”

“ No, you didn’t.”

” I was the one being honest, and it didn’t matter. He never loved me. What should hurt more, Kay? That my sister did this to me, or that Chad didn’t even respect me enough to tell me the truth?”

” Simone..”

” I…..I thought my parents finding out would make some sort of difference. But, there my father was, embracing Whitney. I couldn’t take it. My mother gave me some bullshit about  my feelings counted too, but that was garbage. I have to go.”

” Where are you going?”

“ Hell if I know. I went to a few ATM’s and emptied out my bank account, but that was only a few thousand dollars. It’s enough for a bus ticket.”

” The bus?  Simone, you hate the bus.”

” Ok, I’ll take a train. “

“ You don’t have to leave town.”

” Yeah, I do.”

” When are you coming back?”

” I don’t know if I will.”

” Simone!”

” Kay, I’ll keep in touch. I know your email address. If nothing else, I’ll find a Kinko’s and drop you a line.”

Kay pulled Simone into a hug. “ I’m pissed at my family too. So, stay here with me and Tabitha.”

” Kay, you don’t have the right to offer me a place to stay.”

” Sure, I do! I’ll be one long slumber party.”

Simone laughed. “ Kay, I HAVE to go. I don’t feel like I would be able to control myself around Whitney and Chad, and it sort of scares me. So, let me find my way.”

“ Well, at least you can have this.” Kay went to one of the cabinets and pulled a jar off one of the top shelves and brought it to the table. When she opened it, Simone saw that it was full of $ 100 bills.

” Kay! What are you doing?”

“ You need the money, so I’m giving it to you.”

” It’s not yours.”

” Too bad. Simone, take this money, find a bank when you get to Boston, and buy travelers checks. Simone, we watched enough afterschool specials to know what happens to young women going to new towns with no money. This is insurance.”

” But…”

” Besides, I’ll tell Tabitha to get it back from your parents. After the shit they’ve done to you, it’s the least they owe you.”

“ Maybe this is Tabitha’s pension money.”

Kay rolled her eyes. “ Simone, Tabitha knows how to take care of herself. Don’t worry.” Kay was gathering the money and filling Simone’s money belt.

After they finished with the money, Simone looked up at Kay and hugged her. “ Tell Tabitha that I’ll pay her back.”

” You just worry about taking care of yourself. “

Simone got up from the table. Kay had given her a nice snack to take in her backpack. They went to the door. Simone hugged Kay. “ You’re my best friend, Katherine Bennett.”

” I know.”

” Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and my godchild.”

Kay laughed. “ I will.”

” Kay, I mean it. Make me a promise – you’ll put this baby first, before anything. Even before Miguel.”

Simone looked at Kay, who sighed and then accepted. “ I promise.”

“ Well, I gotta go.”

Simone left Kay standing there, crying.
 



 

Eve Russell was glad for morning to come. TC spent the night in his shed, Whitney and Simone went to their rooms, and Liz was circling like a buzzard. Hopefully, with the new morning, everyone can find some perspective. She went out into the hallway. She would take the time this morning to go talk with Simone. To help her daughter through this hard time. Maybe Simone’s temper had cooled down.

Eve knocked on her door. No answer. She gingerly opened the door and whispered, “ Simone?”

Eve came fully into the room. Her blood ran cold. It was quiet. Too quiet. Simone’s bed hadn’t been slept in. She went to the closet. As far as she could see, her clothes were still there. But, then she looked down at the bottom. Simone had an all purpose backpack from L.L.Bean that she’d gotten for camping. It was gone. She went to the place where Simone kept all of her ID’s – they were gone, including the passport.

Eve sat down on the made bed and began to cry.

Simone was gone.

Her baby was gone.
 
 
 

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