GOD LAUGHS LAST, pt. 3

"Mommy! Mommy!" Beanie cried as she ran into my arms, face white as a sheet and tears streaming down her face.

"Where were you? Didn't I tell you to stay on the porch?"

"But, Mommy, there were men! Mean men! One of them tried to feed me to the rape bird!"

"Men? Here? What kind of bird?"

"The rape bird. Mommy. The bird that eats little girls! Duh."

"Where did you see the men?" I asked, kneeling and rubbing her back to calm her down.

"They were near the water. I splashed them with the hose."

"You went around the back of the cottage? I told you to stay on the porch, Beans."

"Sorry. I wanted to play with the hose."

"What did these men say to you?"

"One of them was yelling about finding his wallet and he was real happy because now they wouldn't go to prison. What's a prison?"

"That's where bad people go. Why were they going to prison?" I asked, wondering just what sort of conversation my little eavesdropper overheard.

"They threw a dead chick in the lake. Why would they throw a chicken in the lake?"

The blood rushed from my head and I held onto the porch railing to keep from fainting. Katie! Was Katie in danger too? How did Beanie get away from them and where were they now? Or was it another one of Beanie's fantastic stories in which she was the princess?

"Were there really men near the water, Beans? Pinky promise to me you aren't telling a story."

"I promise, Mommy! Nobody ever believes me," she sulked.

I immediately hit Katie's number on speed dial. "Hey kiddo, it's Mommy. Can you give your phone to an adult, right now?"

"Why? The only adult is Jeff and he's lifeguarding."

"That's okay. Let me talk with him-- now."

"Hey, Karol, what's up?" Jeff answered.

"Beans and I are out at Cottage #3. She thinks she overheard two men talking about killing someone and throwing her body in the lake. I'll call 911, but they'll take forever to get here. Beanie and I are on our way to camp, but I don't know if these guys are real or.."

"Another fun story?" he finished for me.

"I don't want them following us if Beanie didn't imagine it. Can you or Mike or someone come out and meet us on the road to the cottages?"

"Sure. I'll get a bunch of guys and we'll meet you on Lakeshore Drive. Stay calm-- we've got your back."

I hurriedly hustled Beanie into the van, leaving behind her toys, which she pitched a fit about. When I pulled onto the road I checked as far as I could down to the dead-end to see any sign of another vehicle or the men she told me about.

"Mommy! Barbie and my ponies! We have to get them."

"No, Baby. I believe you about the men and we have to get away from here now."

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Um, two men just threatened my little girl on Lakeshore Drive off route 15 at the Godfrey's cottages-- number 3."

"What did these men look like, ma'am?"

"I don't. I don't know. Wait."

"Beanie, what did these men look like?"

"Um, one had hair like mine."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, my daughter said one had red hair."

"Did she see a vehicle?"

"No. Please. Can you just send someone here before they figure out I'm calling you?"

"We're short today because of a house fire. Someone will respond in half an hour. I'm sorry. Are you still in danger?"

"No. No. Not right now. We're going back to Camp Honey Pot on route 15."

"All right. We will send them there first."

'click'

I began to drive down the ten-mile-long, dilapidated old logging road, thankful that Jeff and the Honey Pot staff would meet us along the way.

Beanie, sitting backward in her seat, like I warned her not to, began screaming hysterically, "Mommy! Mommy! The men. The men are following us. It's them. I know it is!"

A big dark Truck appeared in my rearview mirror, seeming to get bigger every second, as it closed the gap between us. The van was old and run down, so we only used it to haul cleaning supplies. It barely passed inspection last time. We bounced and rattled down the road as the big truck gained on us, roaring down Lakeshore Drive.