The Girl in the Locket

Chapter Thirteen

Five years ago

I woke up in my motel room, breathless and hot. Sweat was dripping from my body onto the bed sheets that were wrapped around my legs so tight I couldn't move. I panicked, trying to stand, fiercely tearing the sheets out from beneath me. I finally wobbled up to standing, pulled my hair back over my head, and rested my hand on my forehead. It had been the dream about drowning again and it was always so dark. The thunder of the waves over my head always woke me like this.

I had been in Colorado for two months now, the money I had had to steal had kept me going up until now. I had bought supplies as soon as Joe the trucker had dropped me off. Clothes and shampoo was my first stop, but I was now running short on this week's rent and I was scared as to what to do. I didn't want to live like this, never knowing where I was running to, and I sure as hell wouldn't steal again.

I grabbed my white t shirt, blue skirt and the new jacket I had bought, swept my hair into a pony tail and put a small amount of make up on so I didn't look completely like death. I slammed my motel door shut. The number eight swung loose.

I walked in a slow stride over to the diner attached to the end of the Motel. There was always a few people in there at night, stopping on route to different destinations. The waitress, Sandy Clark, she was a lovely lady, warm and friendly.

I pushed opened the door and Sandy came round from the back. "Hi darl, come come take a seat up front with me. I could do with the company, only old chuck over there been in tonight" She pointed to a huge guy in the corner in denim, a trucker hat on, eating away at a cherry pie and sipping coffee.

"Thank you" I said, as I hopped up onto the stool and swung myself round to her.

She was dressed in an orange waitress dress with her unruly blonde hair sticking out of a bun that was tight to her head. She handed me a coffee and I slowly sipped at it watching the news channel on the TV on the wall.

"You want pancakes Darl?! I can go back and get you some of the leftovers from a big stack I made earlier" She leant in with a whisper "on the house"

"That's too kind Sandy. No, I'm okay don't worry"

"I'll be back in a moment" She said, going into the back.

I sat there, half listening to the TV, as the news bulletin came on.

"Search called off for the missing young woman in Florida who went into the ocean the night of hurricane Martha. The tragedy struck at Ten Thirty PM when..."

I reached over the counter and flicked the dial to a different station as Sandy popped back around and dropped the plate of pancakes in front of me.

I nervously thanked her and slowly began to fork the pancakes around the plate, eventually eating enough to satisfy my growling stomach. As the hours went by I eventually moved to the back of the diner and sat myself in a booth away from the customers. I reached into my jacket pocket and took out the paper pad I had bought with the pencils at the art store a couple days ago after my dream about sketching someone. I had been right, I was an artist of some sort. The pencil moved so effortlessly between my fingers. In the last few days I had sketched everything I had seen, but my favourite was the local people. I would draw them, and watch as their faces came to life. At first I had been shocked at my own ability, but now though, I was elated to realise I had a gift like this.

I began to sketch a family that had come in for breakfast as Sandy wandered over with her coffee pot. "What you got there kid?"

"Nothing" I answered, pushing the pad under my arms nervously.

"Oh let me see it silly" She said, pulling the pad out.

"Oh my word" She observed, flicking through my sketches.