Free Yule Tidings by Savannah Dawn Page A

back together.  That the kids were all home for Christmas, and everyone was laughing and smiling.  The grandkids all played on the floor while the kids joked together.  Anne watched and smiled contentedly until she realized, somewhat belatedly, that Jason was missing.  She called his name, but he didn’t answer.  Rose, Michael, and Trisha didn’t know where he’d gone, and the grandkids suddenly seemed to disappear, one by one.  Anne searched the house for Jason, but she couldn’t find him.  She was panicking, searching everywhere for him.  She knew it was imperative that she find him.  He had to be part of the gathering.  She was crying, looking for him in desperation as sobs shook her when the door opened and a shadowy figure entered.  She reached out to Jason, but he didn’t respond.  His shadow hovered in the doorway, neither in nor out, and nothing she tried brought him into the house.  She woke, calling his name. 
                  Anne was sore and stiff in the morning.  She felt relatively well rested for the first time in years, but her body definitely felt the effects of the accident.  She struggled to sit up.  Her sides ached and her ankle felt like a mass of pain.  Maybe she should have gone to the hospital after all, she thought.  She stood slowly, reluctant to put any weight on her ankle.  It started to give immediately.  Anne hobbled to the bathroom, holding onto the wall.  A hot shower might help, she thought.  She closed her eyes, trying to control the pain.  She took a long shower, but it didn’t seem to ease her aching body.  She dressed infuriatingly slowly, each step done with painstaking care.  Pulling her socks over her swollen ankle proved the most difficult feat, and she resisted the urge cry out as elastic tightened around the swollen appendage.
                  When she finally made it downstairs, Anne couldn’t get the unusual dream out of her head.  She rarely dreamt.  The entire episode played in her mind’s eye over and over, leaving her uncertain and afraid.  A cold lump of fear climbed up her throat and she fought the urge to gag; if she didn’t do something, she knew she’d lose Jason forever.  The urge to call him and apologize was so intense she couldn’t help herself.  She picked up the phone, unaware of the time, and dialed Jason’s number. 
                  One ring. Two rings. On the third ring a woman’s voice answered.  She sounded half asleep, her voice cracking slightly.  Anne listened to the voice for a moment.  She wanted to ask to speak with Jason.  She wanted to make things better, to apologize or something, work things out, but that voice froze her.  She couldn’t bring herself to respond to the repeated “hello” so she hung up, her good intentions washed away.  She hadn’t expected Alexia to answer.  Jason said she lived with him, but it hadn’t clicked, it hadn’t been real.  Anne didn’t want it to be real.  She didn’t want to see that her son was an adult and didn’t need her anymore; in fact, he had already replaced her.  Anne shook her head.  She needed to get going for work, anyway, but first, one more call. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
                 
                  Merle watched, relieved, as the woman drove off.  She pulled away slowly, looking left and right several times as she passed him.  At least she’ll be extra careful now , he thought to himself as he started to search for the deer.  He didn’t really need the meat, but there was no reason to waste it if it was still good.  Venison was always a special treat to him; especially in stew. 
                  The deer wasn’t in the road, so she’d either knocked it off the road, or it had lived long enough to get out of traffic.  He glanced around, the darkness making it difficult to see.  Work smarter, not harder, Merle,