Free Echoes of Tomorrow by Jenny Lykins

so preoccupied that her crew gave up all attempts at conversation and socializing  with her after the first two days.
    Reed found himself moping, too.  This was only after he had read books, ridden horses, and walked the entire width and breadth of the plantation.  He'd "practiced" with the toaster, coffee maker, microwave, and telephone.  When he'd gotten several "Hellos" on the other end, and once even a monologue in a foreign language, he'd decided to stop practicing with the latter.
    He then gave in and turned his thoughts fully to Elise.  He relived all of their conversations and outings, especially dwelling on the last few moments they'd spent together.
    As he sat in the chair and stared at the sunset, he felt the last vestiges of energy drain from his body, as if someone had turned on a tap and drained him.  His last thought as his head sank back comfortably onto the soft headrest was that this time tomorrow night Elise would be home.
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    The Jag roared into the driveway at two in the morning.  Elise threw the car into park and jumped out.  She ran up the steps, tried the door and found it locked, then wasted precious seconds fumbling for the right key.  Every second wasted was an eternity.  It already seemed like she'd been separated from Reed for a month.
    Once the door was unlocked, she threw it open and yelled, "Reed!  Reed, I'm home!"
    She stood poised, ready for his reply, but only a chilling silence greeted her.  She burst into the foyer and took the stairs two at a time as she called Reed's name.  Her heart pounded against her ribcage, and desperation caused her voice to crack.
    His room was empty.  She raced to her own and performed the ritual of the desperate by opening closet doors and looking in every corner.  She even checked in the shower, though the water wasn't on and she knew he wasn't there.
    With exaggerated gentleness she closed the shower door, as if pushing too hard would cause it to shatter.
    A film of sweat collected on her skin.  As she turned toward the hallway she didn't even realize she was talking to herself.
    "He's in the den.  Yeah.  He'd wait for me there."  She forced herself to walk calmly down the huge hallway.  "He's in the den.  He's asleep in the den.  Let him be in the den.  Please, God, let him be in the den."
    Empty.
    She stood in the doorway and scanned every inch of the room, her breathing so shallow it was almost non-existent.  The hair  on her neck dampened, and she swallowed convulsively.  A trickle of sweat ran between her breasts.
    "Oh God, oh God, oh God, nooooo!  He's not gone!  Please!"  She flattened herself against the door and begged for this not to be true.  Her body slowly slid down the wall, and she slumped to her knees.
    She felt as if her body had become a vacuum.  A totally empty shell.  She took her fist and pressed it hard against the center of her chest to try and ease the pain.
    As she knelt there, her head shaking back and forth in a futile, agonized denial, she became aware of music filtering into her consciousness.  She slowly raised her head and turned, unable to pinpoint its origin.
    With the dread of someone in mouning, she rose from her kneeling position and slowly, resentfully made her way back down the hallway.  Whatever this was, she couldn't deal with it right now.  If Jeffrey was in the house again, she would kill him.
    When she approached the top of the stairs the music became clear enough for her to identify.  It was "The Emperor's Waltz."
    Totally confused, and not a little hesitant, she held tight to the banister and made her way down to the first floor.  The music drifted from the ballroom. 
    Could it be Reed?  It couldn't be.  There was no stereo equipment in the ballroom, and even if there was, he wouldn't know how to work it.  He would have answered her call when she entered the house.
    She stopped in the foyer and picked up her tear gas, then walked the length of the hall.