Wolfshead Island (closed)

[DrStein]

Gabe thumbed through the old book again. Page after page of old journal entries, attached newspaper clippings and the occasional photograph, all yellowed with age. And the dark spots on the last few pages. Spots that Gabe always tried to tell himself were just stains from coffee or red wine. His grandfather Henry had disappeared shortly after writing the last entry in 1991. Gabe was 5 years old at the time. It left him with few memories of a very smart, intense man who instilled in his family a love of reading and learning.

He looked out the window at the ocean passing by. It would be a few more minutes until they pulled into dock. The little passenger boat he was on was one of only a few that made any regular trips to Wolfshead Island. It was a small place off the coast of North Carolina and a subject of his grandfather's research.

He saw a faint, ghostly reflection of himself through the glass. Haunted blue eyes with bags under them stared back at him and a couple days' of dark stubble contoured his lean, handsome face. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing the tattoos on his arms, with a vest over it and jeans. Some thought it odd, but he honestly preferred to dress a little more dapper, even casually. That his grooming had fallen slightly behind was an indication of how little sleep he'd been getting lately. The nightmares had been getting worse.

Before too much longer, the boat pulled into dock and as Gabe stepped out into the sun he took in his first look at the island. On the one hand, it was perfectly picturesque. Exactly the sort of colonial-era old town that history buffs salivate over. And yet... something about it made the hair on his neck stand on end for a moment. There was history here. And with history came secrets.

Gabe looked down at the ward tattooed into his left palm. He somehow knew that he was in danger here, but he had come this far and would not turn back now. Closing his fingers around the tattooed palm he heft his backpack and suitcase and headed off to the B&B he had reserved.

 

[SandS13]

The house was large. It had always been large but now it felt overwhelmingly so. Her room was as she had left it, which was a little annoying since she was no longer that awkward teenager. Now, in her early twenties this room felt child like. She figured it was her father's sentimentality or perhaps his hope that she would one day come home that had caused him not to touch it.

Her father.

The only thing that could have brought her back here. His death had been a shock to her. Even more that they had ruled it a suicide. It wasn't true, she knew it in her heart. There was no way Edward Maltone would have killed himself. He was too strong, too proud, too well off and too respected.

Rowan Maltone stood and looked at herself in the floor length mirror. Dark, long hair. Blue eyes. She was her father's daughter. There was no mistake of that. She bore all the Maltone family traits. Except in her frame. She was slight, like her mother had been. A pixie sized, female version of her father was a more realistic description.

She left the room and wandered the large manor. It was quiet expect for the few staff that were still on retainer. She wasn't looking forward to clearing this place and putting it for sale. She had time, the estate was large and the money would last years if she did things right. The lawyer had suggested she move in, after all her father had left it to her. Rowan had scoffed at the idea. She had left this town, this house so many years ago. Why would she stay now?

 

[DrStein]

Gabe was checked in and unpacked within an hour. He had no idea how long he was going to be there, but his family made sure he was financially secure regardless. The room at the B&B was part of a small, colonial era home. Even though the amenities were modern, there was an air of the antique about the place. Not for the first time since arriving, Gabe got the sense that he had been somehow displaced in time. As if by setting foot on this island he was occupying vast stretches of time all at once, past and present blurring together like spilled paints.

Then again, Gabe had traveled before and always found it a challenge to sleep in a strange bed the first few nights. Perhaps this was simply the tourist in him getting antsy. Only on real cure for that.

Gabe shouldered his backpack, checked the weather on his phone, and strode out to go exploring the town. He planned to be here a while, so the first order of business may as well be familiarizing himself with the nearby landmarks. It was almost lunchtime anyway and he wouldn't mind finding a nice place to eat out.

 

[SandS13]

'I can make you something Miss."

"No thank you, Mrs Bernard. I really need to get out of the house. I need to stretch my legs."

"I really think it best that you stay here, close to home. Things have not been easy around town as of late. Odd feel to the air nowadays." The housekeeper and cook was in her mid seventies but insisted on staying on in her role.

"I will suffocate here. There is a reason I left." Rowan pulled a leather jacket on over her royal blue t-shirt. In the v of the collar hung a pendant with a piece of a rowan tree encased in resin. She wore a jean pencil skirt and sneakers.

"I am going to walk, get some food, check out some stores and be home after that. Promise."

Rowan opened the door. Mrs Bernard stepped up behind her and watched the young woman go. She muttered a little protection spell over her before looking up. The clouds were a bad sign. Something was brewing. She closed the door and headed to the kitchen.

Rowan headed off down the street, ear buds in and music filling her ears. The town had an odd charm, she could never deny that.

 

[DrStein]

Gabe was fortunate to quickly find his biggest goal: the town library. It was surprisingly large and well-stocked for a small-town library as well. He looked up at the stone relief sign over the entrance. Van Dyne Library. By the look of the building, it had to have been built in the 19th century. And Van Dyne was likely whoever had the cash to finance something this impressive.

He spent an hour perusing the shelves and registering for a library card. He had books to read already, but he checked out a copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury all the same. It was Gabe's favorite novel and since he knew the first couple nights would be a little restless, the comfort of an old standby made it a little easier to bear.

On his way out he decided to have lunch at a diner across the street from the library. Tommy's Diner, the sign said. It was a quiet place and there weren't many people around. A server took him to a booth, left him a menu and with an order for a hot tea. He never did take much to coffee.

He took a moment to look around and relax. By chance, he made eye contact with her just as she entered.

 

[SandS13]

Window shopping was always enjoyable. It wasn't that Rowan didn't have the money to shop, she just preferred the act of looking, observing.

Her stroll took her into Tommy's. The diner had been there since her father was a child and before that. A family business like all of them here in town. It was actually the first time that had occurred to her. Every one of the businesses were family owned, handed down over generations. That was not typical. Sure, little towns had a higher chance of that being true but for such a high percentage?

Rowan was pondering this thought when she walked into the diner. The little bell on the door rang and she looked around expect she got as far as the man in the booth. Their eyes made contact and Rowan suddenly saw a shadow cross behind him. She blinked and it was gone.

She ran a hand through her long hair and went to the counter. "Hey Johnny!"

"Rowan? Rowan is that you?" The older man came out of the back. It looked like he was dressed to cook. "Come here you!" He scooped her up, hugging her tightly. "It's been-"

"Too long."

"I am sorry about you dad." He hugged her again.

"I know. Everyone is but no one wants to talk about it."

"Come on, go grab a booth and I will bring you your favourite."

"You still remember?"

"Sweetheart I may be old but I still got it all in there and I can't forget something like that."

Rowan bounced away and took a seat. She found herself facing the man's booth. She could see him over the backs of the bench seats. She didn't recognize him but that wasn't shocking. She had left long enough ago that many wouldn't know her either.

Except now she was Edward Maltone's only surviving relative and that brought pity to the eyes of everyone.

 

[DrStein]

Gabe tried to avoid eavesdropping. He was a bit of a private person himself and didn't want to spy on anybody. Still, get caught a few sentences here and there just from being within hearing range. Sounded like something had happened in the family. No matter, not his business. When his server came by, she smiled at him and asked, "Hey there, handsome stranger. Are you ready to order?"

His cheeks flushed lightly and he smiled. He always felt a little awkward around people with honey dripping from every syllable. Even if they were just being nice, Gabe felt oddly self-conscious about it. "Oh... it all looks good. Uh... surprise me." She jotted down an order with a wink and left for the kitchen.

Once more, Gabe took out his grandfather's journal and started leafing through for entries about the library. He wanted to start taking and comparing notes of his own. Without looking up from the page, he reached for his tea and accidentally knocked it off the edge of the table.

The whole diner seemed to stop for a second at the sound of shattering ceramic before the rhythms of its background resumed. Gabe whispered a small curse and got out of the booth to start picking up pieces.

 

[SandS13]

Rowan was on her feet and over to help. "Let me help. I have broken my fair share of dishes around here." She smiled at the man. She knelt down, using napkins to wipe up the tea. Her face turned to look at him.

It was as someone dripped cold water down her back. She didn't take a breath. Under the table it was as if the shadows were moving. Rowan's hands began to trembled and she looked at the napkins, scooping them up. She had gone very pale.

"Let me go dump this. I know where they keep the broom." She stood and half ran towards the garbage and then the back hall.

Fuck...fuck...pull yourself together. Rowan opened a back closet and grabbed the broom and dust pan. She needed her meds. They were in her bag back in her booth. Just hold it together. It isn't this guy's fault your head is fucked up.

Rowan returned. "Here." She held the broom out to him. "You sweep." She crouched back down and waited for him to sweep the pieces toward her.

 

[DrStein]

Gabe was not surprised that someone offered to help. What did surprise him was how she started acting. He saw her hands shaking, the color drain from her face. There was fear there. She ran off before he could say anything and returned shortly afterward with the broom.

He helped her sweep up the pieces but something had obviously spooked her. "Are you okay?"

 

[SandS13]

Rowan tried to laugh it off. "Yeah, hungry is all...low blood sugar." She took the dustpan and the broom. She stopped in the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Her eyes lifted to look at her reflection in the mirror. She thought she was past all of this. She thought it was under control. She knew the stress of her dad's death was going to hit her, her doctor had said the same which is why her prescription had been changed. He had been concerned about her returning home, knowing that was a stress point. Add death of her last remaining family who she hadn't seen in years and it was a recipe for a break down.


Rowan was walking back as the waitress came over with a new cup, fresh hot water and a fresh tea bag for him. "Food's almost ready."

Rowan returned looked less freaked out and more human now. She smiled at the man as she passed back to her table. "Enjoy your meal." Her eyes spotted the papers. She stopped. "Research?"

A smirk. Some things never changed. This placed had been attracting historians and researchers for longer than she remembered. So many young PhD candidates coming to see if they could uncover all of the history and mystery here. So may rumours and folk tales over the years had been blown up into an almost mystique. That seemed to bring them in in droves. It amused Rowan that even that hadn't changed. She used to find it stifling but now there was comfort in that.

"History or Anthropology? They get a lot of people here doing research for papers and books." She gave a shrug.

"I am sorry, I am being rude and nosey. Look, um..let me buy you your lunch. A way of apologizing for getting up in your stuff." She gestured to the table. "My name is Rowan, and I promise I will shut up now and leave you to it."

Like father like daughter apparently... Her father had a habit of talking to everyone and though from what she remembered he put his foot in his mouth a lot less than she did.

 

[DrStein]

At first Gabe was a little flustered by how quickly she was talking. Rowan, she said her name was. "Um... Gabriel Ashcroft. Gabe's fine. I mean... okay?" He gave his head a quick shake and started trying to put things back together.

"Sorry. I just got into town this morning and I'm short on sleep." He felt a little self-conscious, standing up in the middle of the diner like that. "Are you one of the locals, Rowan?"

 

[SandS13]

Rowan almost rolled her eyes. Not at him but at herself.

Smooth. Poor guy. It was clear she had made him uncomfortable with her comments and offer to buy his lunch. Toss money at it. Another Maltone trademark. Can't charm them, then just offer to buy them what they want... She never realized how easily she slipped into the habits of her father.

"Nice to meet you Gabe. Ugh, no...well yes...sort of." She ran a hand through her hair nervously.

"Rowan left us but she is back now." The waitress pushed passed them and put Gabe's lunch down on the table with a clank of the plate. "There you go hunny."

Rowan stopped the waitress, "Hey, his lunch is on me."

"Sure thing. Yours is on its way too Rowan."

"Thanks Betty."

Rowan gave Gabe a sort of embarrassed shrug. "I grew up here but left. Back now to take care of some things. Place hasn't changed. Never does." She chuckled.

 

[DrStein]

Place hasn't changed. Never does.

The phrase seemed to reverberate in Gabe's head for a moment. Why did that sound so familiar? It was such a simple thing to say and must have been said of hundreds of small towns around the world. So why did it seem to ring so many bells now? He noticed Rowan looking at him like something was wrong and again shook his head to clear it. "Sorry. Just had the weirdest feeling of deja vu."

He sipped from the fresh mug of tea that had been brought out and cleared his throat. "I'm here on a... personal project, I guess. Some old family business I wanted to retrace."

 

[SandS13]

Rowan frowned. "Family business here?" That was an odd thing for him to say. Only the families here had family business. There weren't many 'outsiders' as they were often called.

"Ashcroft...Can't say I recognize the name. Now, I know that wouldn't be a thing anywhere else but here they trace family lines like religion. For instance, I can trace my family all the way back to the town founding. I am the first one to ever leave. They all marry into the other families. Heritage and tradition are sort of a big deal." Rowan gave him a lopsided smile.