The Empire Read online

  The first fisherman replied, “Ah, no she weren’t.”

  Darcy looked at the bartender who was still chuckling. “You’re the only woman that’s been in here today.”

  “Huh, I always thought she was some drunken hallucination, but you ain’t pie-eyed.” Observed one of the old timers.

  The other old guy elbowed him in the ribs and said with a smirk. “See, I toldya. I weren’t hallucinatin’ that time.”

  “We don’t know that her name is Rosie, that’s just what we call her. People, well, mostly drunks—” the bartender looked at the old guy, “no offense,” the old guy nodded in acknowledgment. “—have seen her over the years. I’ve worked here ten years and never seen her.”

  Darcy sat there taking it all in. She guessed that her brain had exploded from the overload, because she didn’t even feel freaked out about the fact that they were telling her that she had just seen a ghost. She downed the rest of her drink and motioned for another. Nope. Not feelin’ a thing, her inner voice commented.

  The bartender quickly obliged. “Tell us about Rosie, and you’re drinks are on the house.”

  She found it odd that the tune of “Copacabana” started playing in her head. Clearly she was so off the rails, sanity was just a random dot on the horizon. There was nothing left to be done except to just embrace it. She took a deep drink and said, “Sit down boys, I’ll tell ya a tale.”

  CHAPTER sixteen

  She left Pete’s feeling sober as a church mouse, and inexplicably calm. She had regaled the bartender and his patrons with all the details about Rosie that she could remember. The old guy had chimed in and said that was just how he remembered her too. When she left they were still discussing when the last sighting had been, along with theories of who she was and why only some people could see her.

  It was almost one when she walked into the reception area at the SHS. Stella buzzed Ali to announce her.

  “Send her back, Stella!” Ali yelled from behind the double doors. Darcy didn’t wait for the formality of Stella opening the doors, she just headed back.

  She reached the big office doors just as they opened. “Whoa!” Ali said, taken aback. She stood there for a moment saying nothing.

  “What?”

  “Well, I was trying to find a nicer way than telling you that you look like hammered shit, but you look like hammered shit.”

  “Don’t sugar coat it, Al” Darcy said walking past her and heading straight for the couch.

  “Have you been drinking?”

  “Shut it!” Darcy glared.

  “Ooohhh...Dare I ask?” Ali said as she closed the doors and plopped down on one of the over-stuffed chairs.

  “I don’t even know where to begin.”

  “That good, eh?”

  “You don’t even know.”

  “Okay, start talkin’.”

  “Well just to give you—”

  “Did you and Eddie...you know.” she asked raising her eyebrows and giving her a suggestive look.

  “No! But that would have been less weird than what happened.”

  “Oh really?” Ali looked both intrigued and giddy waiting for juicy details.

  “Ugh, I don’t even know where to begin... It’s too much! It feels like my head is gonna explode...”

  “Start at the beginning.”

  Darcy took a deep breath. “Okay, highlights first.” She began to tick off the list of events. “So, there was Schooners and a mini high school reunion, including Will.”

  At the mention of Will’s name Ali held up her finger signaling Darcy to wait. She got up and went behind her desk and opened a cabinet, pulling out a bottle of Blanton’s and two glasses.

  “But that’s not even the tip of the iceburg. Wait—”

  Ali held up her finger again to silence her. She pressed the intercom on her desk for Stella.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m done for the day. Tell anyone who asks that I’m in a meeting and can’t be disturbed. Oh and we’re gonna need lunch, please. Two of the usual from the Wagon Wheel.”

  “Of course.”

  “Thanks Stella” She headed back over to the sitting area, poured two healthy drinks and sat down. “Now start at the beginning,” she said in a serious tone.

  By the time lunch arrived, Darcy had told her about Schooners; the mini reunion, and running into Will. She skipped over The Grand with Eddie, not quite ready to get into that, told her about being abducted by Barrett Sr. and started in on the showdown on the beach with Will when lunch arrived.

  “Oh my god! I’ve dreamt about these bacon cheeseburgers.” Darcy said opening up the styrofoam container. She wasted no time digging into her burger. She was famished. She and Ali had spent many Saturday afternoons going to lunch at the Wagon Wheel and then a matinee at The Empire. They always ordered the same thing, barbecue bacon cheeseburgers, shoestring fries and a Coca Cola. After scarfing down her burger, she continued. “It was bad, Ali. It was ugly and just stupid.”

  “Well it’s not like he didn’t have it coming.”

  “But after all these years, what was the point? But he wouldn’t let up and I couldn’t help it. I just snapped. I don’t know why...Maybe it was all the other peculiar shit piled on. I feel like I’m on sensory overload these days.”

  “You mean there’s more?”

  “Oh yeah. I haven’t gotten to the time travel or today’s revelation that apparently I can see dead people.”

  “What?! What do you mean, time travel? Dead people? Way to bury the lead—sheesh!”

  Darcy took her through the evening at The Grand and the walk around the grounds, step by step.

  “That is freaking bizarre man…Are you sure you didn’t just eat a bad clam or something? Or hit your head?”

  “No clams, and Eddie was there. He just thinks it’s a dream.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. When I opened my eyes, Eddie was asleep sitting beside me. At first I thought it was a dream, a really vivid dream, but then I found the bracelet.” Darcy raised her arm to show Ali the bracelet. She had slipped it back on when Eddie dropped her off and hadn’t taken it off since.

  “Unfriggin believable! How—” Ali reached out and touched the bracelet. “Holy crap! Where did you get this?”

  “A pirate from the parade gave it to me.”

  “I can’t—I don’t believe this! So Eddie was there and remembers the same thing?”

  “Exactly. Only he thinks it’s a dream.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him?”

  “What was I gonna say? Oh by the way, it wasn’t a dream, we actually did go back in time. He would freak! Well no, he probably wouldn’t believe it. I’m not sure I believe it, and I have proof!”

  “This is incredible! I can’t—what you’re telling me is mind blowing!”

  “So, you believe me?”

  “Of course I believe you! You couldn’t make this up.”

  “Gee thanks, I guess.”

  “Well you couldn’t. You’re not the best story teller and this one is a doozy! It’s just so, so freaking incredible! This opens up so many other possibilities.”

  Darcy sat in silence for a few minutes letting Ali soak up all that she had just heard. Ali was a bit of a sci-fi nerd, and conspiracy theorist, so the implications for what she had just heard were beyond exciting to her. This was the kind of stuff she always secretly hoped was real.

  “Ever heard of Rosie from Whistlin’ Pete’s?”

  “You saw her?” Ali looked stunned.

  “Uh huh. Today. Right before I came over here. Clear as day.”

  “Holy mother!” she looked like she had just won the lottery. “Why aren’t you more freaked out?!”

  “I dunno. I guess I’ve reached maximum capacity, with everything else. What’s one measly little ghost?”

  “What do they look like, ghosts I mean?”

  “She looked regular I guess. I mean she wasn’t what I think of as a ghost, all see through or something. She looked
solid to me. Like a regular person.”

  “Really? Huh.” Ali pondered that for a moment. Darcy could see that she had a million questions, and sooner or later she’d get to them all. “There’ve been stories circulating for years about Rosie, but I thought they were just drunken tales… What were you doing at Pete’s?”

  “Hiding out.”

  “From who or what?”

  “Everyone and everything. I just needed a quiet place to try and wrap my brain around all this.”

  “It’s a lot.” Ali agreed.

  “After the Will thing, I slept a little, but then my mind started back up so I came uptown to try and do the walk through at the Empire for Eddie, after the first attempt failed.”

  “Barrett, Sr.” Ali nodded in recognition.

  “Right.”

  “So you did the walk through?”

  “Eddie wanted me to. He said he’d take care of his grandfather.”

  “How’d it go?”

  “Fine, until I stumbled into some meeting. Ever heard of the Founding Society?”

  “I don’t think so... What happened?”

  “I’m in the upstairs theater and hear voices. I head downstairs into the big theater and there’s this meeting going on, just like in my dreams.”

  “Wait, you’ve dreamt about this meeting?”

  “Oh yeah, I haven’t told you about the dreams yet.”

  “Uh, no, you haven’t.” Ali looked astounded that there could be more to tell.

  “Yeah, I’ve been having these dreams for a few weeks about Shoreton. And my mother has been in them too.”

  “I get it about your mom, but what about Shoreton have you been dreaming of?”

  “Different things, different times... I don’t know. I don’t always remember, but the last couple I have, and now the one about the Empire has come true. I saw the meeting that was in my dreams today. Right down to the woman in charge.”

  “Okay, so now you’re having psychic dreams too?” Ali looked like her head was going to explode. She took a deep breath and exhaled trying to settle herself down. “Okay. One thing at a time. Tell me about this meeting.”

  “The woman in charge demanded to know what I was doing there. And she kind of threatened me. She said they were not pleased with what was happening with the town.

  “Who? Who wasn’t happy?”

  “Them. The Founding Society or whatever they are. I thought they were some historical reenactors because some of them were wearing...aw geez…”

  “What?”

  “Nope.” Darcy said shaking her head. “Unh-uh. I’m not going to freak out. I refuse to freak out.”

  “What!?”

  “They were dead people! All of them. The whole kit and kaboodle. That’s why they didn’t know who Eddie was. That’s why she talked kind of different. A meeting of dead people. I see dead people. ” Darcy downed the rest of her drink and reached over to pour herself another. Ali downed hers and pushed it towards Darcy for a refill.

  “Geezus” Ali was speechless as Darcy continued to work through everything they said.

  “They were at the cafe too.”

  “When?”

  “Since day one when I was there. There was this old guy that looked familiar. I still can’t place him but he was at the meeting too. And Saturday when Eddie and I went to breakfast, the place was packed, and then suddenly it wasn’t.”

  “They’re everywhere.” Ali said looking a little spooked. “Is there anybody with us now?” she whispered.

  “Don’t you think I’d tell you if there were?” she whispered back.

  “Oh, well yeah, I guess.” That seemed to make Ali feel better. “I’ve heard stories over the years of ghosts and weird stuff, but I thought it was just the ramblings of some of my more eccentric relatives and their friends. Aunt Ruth included.”

  “Is your Aunt Ruth around? Maybe she knows something about the Founding Society.”

  Ali paled at the question. “No…. Why do you ask?”

  “Well I saw her the last time I was here, in the archives, but I didn’t get a chance to say hello.”

  “Um, well, Aunt Ruth died about two years ago.”

  “Mother of pearl! Really?”

  “Yeah, that’s kinda when I got the job.”

  “Sorry...did I know that? How did I not know that? Am I going crazy?”

  “Maybe?” Ali said jokingly, looking over at Darcy, whose expression revealed that she was really concerned. Ali quickly changed her attitude to reassuring. “No. I’m just kidding. There’s gotta be an explanation for all of this. My mind is just reeling though. I can’t imagine living it!”

  “Yep.” Darcy couldn’t either, but she was living it. There was no getting away from that fact. It was all happening.

  “So, what do you think your mother has to do with all this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said that your mother has been in the dreams.”

  “Right, so, for the last several weeks I’ve been having these wild dreams about Shoreton and Mussel Ridge from the past and present. My mom’s been in all of them.” Ali was listening intently so Darcy continued. “I couldn’t always remember what they were about, but I knew they were about the town in some way.”

  “Okay, go on.”

  “Well, over the last several days I started having dreams about the Empire that I could kinda remember bits and pieces of, and the last couple I’ve had I’ve remembered more. I remembered the Founding meeting and that woman. Everything was the same, except in the meeting my mom and I were sitting up in the balcony. She kept trying to get me to hear something. And I got the feeling that we weren’t supposed to be there.”

  “What do you think your mom was trying to get you to hear?” Ali asked in all seriousness.

  “I don’t know... They were just dreams, they weren’t real. My brain made them up for a reason, but I’m not sure why.”

  “But your brain didn’t make them up, because you saw it in reality today.”

  “So you’re saying I have some sort of psychic ability?” Darcy snorted. “That’s insane!” Ali wasn’t laughing. “Come on! Really?”

  “Oh so, you’re okay with seeing dead people, and magical time travel, but having psychic dreams is somehow out of the realm of possibility?” It was Ali who snorted this time, not in laughter, but in disbelief, which struck Darcy as incredibly funny.

  “Don’t you snort at me!” Darcy said laughing and then accidentally snorted again herself which made her laugh harder.

  “This is serious!” Ali was not amused.

  “Serious?! Are you kidding me? This is fucking nuts!” A dam had broken and Darcy couldn’t hold it back, she was laughing uncontrollably.

  Ali glared at her. “Stop laughing! This is serious business!”

  Her indignation only made the laughing and snorting worse. The laughing had now turned into the hysterical, out of control, can barely breathe, rolling laughter that has a mind of it’s own.

  “Stop laughing!”

  Darcy’s face was now turning red. “I can’t” she wheezed. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as the laughing continued. “I can’t stop!” she said punching the couch with her fists as the laughter kept control of her.

  “What is going on with you? You’ve lost your ever loving mind!”

  Darcy howled, laughing harder and pointing at her. “Yep, I think I have! I’m completely nuts, loony, bonkers, cuckoo and it feels great!” She yell-laughed. This was highlighted with a few snorts and that was it, Ali lost it too.

  “No! I’m not gonna do this! Stop laughing!” Ali pleaded as waves of laughter rolled through her. She and Darcy’s laughter played against each other until it was spent.

  ***

  “God, I needed that.” Darcy was sprawled out against the couch. Her body felt like jello, and her mind had relaxed into a quiet mush. Ali was in a similar condition in her chair. After a moment she sat up and poured each of them another drink.

  “Wha
t the hell was that?” Ali asked taking a deep drink like it was a tall glass of water. She sputtered a bit at the end.

  “Who the hell knows, but I needed it.”

  “Damn…”

  Darcy sat up and took a drink. “Just another weird moment among many for me these days.”

  She looked relaxed. Less like hammered shit, Ali thought. Time to get back to business. “So these dreams...”

  Darcy shrugged. “All these things, Al, that have happened over the last few days are so fantastical. My logical brain says I should be freaked out, maybe even a little scared, you know? And seeing my mother in my dreams, talking to her like she’s still here, it feels real. But then I think, how is that possible?”

  “It is strange...but it’s happening Darce. You’re not crazy. This is happening.”

  “Okay, so what now?”

  “Do you think it’s all connected?”

  “It feels like it is.”

  “Well, we’re gonna figure all this out. Starting with the kid. Finding out who he is might give us some clues.” Ali said thinking aloud. “I don’t know about the whole time travel thing, but it seems like it’s got something to do with the Barrett’s and if Eddie’s in the middle of it, it probably isn’t good.”

  “He’s not all bad you know.”

  “Hmmm… I think the jury is still out on that one.”

  “Do you think you can figure out what this Founding Society is?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll have to dig around here and see if I can find something.”

  “So, has a Bishop always been town Historian?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “So that’s how you got this gig?”

  “Kinda. It’s sort of a complicated process, but the short of it is that I didn’t have to apply. It was more that I was appointed by my aunt.”

  “Is it what you wanted?”

  “Yeah, I think it is. I think it’s my calling.”

  “Well good. You know, your aunt used to scare the crap outta me.”

  “Ruth was a pip alright. Pretty much everyone was afraid her, including me.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah. I mean in later years, not so much, but when I was a kid, whoa!”