Nightmare into Fantasy- Part 8

The ranch was a 30 minute walk through mostly fields. He knew if he ran, he could make it there in 20. “You have 30 minutes”, kept ringing through his head. He couldn’t lose his family. Well maybe his parents, they were old but not Tanya. That day she flipped him, changed everything. Gone were his days of fear, loss, and despair.

She was the eye of his storms. Whenever the swells of life’s storms would form, she was always there, centering the chaos and providing him with perspective. And in that perspective he found meaning. In some cases her words pointed him in the right direction, in others, they were what he needed to hear to change course. He saw his future, it was always with her.

Time is on Our Side

Like a shot he took off toward the ranch. He had no time to spare. This was not just about her life. There was no turning back, if she died, his life was forfeit as well. But just as quickly as he had taken off, Anthony stood there motionless, observing in peculiar silence. He wore a “what are you doing?” look as Parker’s sprint slowed to a jog, then a trot, then a slow walk.

Parker turned to his stationary friend, “Guy we have to go!” He couldn’t understand what the hesitation was. This was literally a life or death situation and he just stood there. “This isn’t the time to fuck around.”

“If we drive, it’ll take five minutes. Why do you want to ruin your brand new suit, running through fields? Think of the blisters those new shoes will give you. You haven’t even broken them in.”

“My family’s lives are on the line and you’re concerned about fucking clothes?” To be fair though, five minutes was a better option than 20, so Anthony had a point. His anger and desperation dissipated. This saga was almost over.

Written in DNA

They walked back to the car and got in. Before starting it, Anthony received a message. It was from the lab. The blood and finger had finally been analyzed. Anthony opened the message to receive the dire news. He didn’t know how to tell Parker.

He sat there holding his phone for a few moments. Inhaling deeply, Anthony added to Parker’s anxiety. “I just got the results back from the lab partner,” he said, trying to sound conciliatory, “the finger matched Tanya and the blood matched everyone. I’m sorry dude.”

Parker had already resigned himself to these results. That still didn’t prevent them from weighing on him. “I already knew, man. This just confirmed it.” He was so downtrodden.

Anthony knew he could end this all with a word. The secret he had been carrying around with him since the night Parker’s family had been taken. But that would ruin everything. He didn’t know if their friendship would survive, when what he knew was finally revealed.

The five minute car ride felt like an eternity of silence, Parker saddled with grief, Anthony burdened by guilt. One way or another, everything was about to change. As they pulled into view of the ranch, Parker was still haunted by images of the blood and Tanya’s finger (now confirmed).

Anthony pulled to a stop in front of the house. The car hadn’t even stopped before Parker jumped out of the car and bolted toward the back of the house, toward destiny. Anthony followed Parker through the house. This past chapter of Parker’s life had read like a Song of Ice and Fire chapter. Tons of betrayal, jealous rivals, fierce battles, bittersweet victories, dreams of hope, and some flaccid male nudity. This next dagger though, would hurt the worst.

As Anthony exited the backdoor to the patio which overlooked the path that led up the hill to the pear tree, he found Parker sitting on the back step, eyes transfixed on the tree. “I thought you’d be there by now,” he noted, lowering himself to sit beside his friend. “Not like you’re short on time,” Anthony said while glancing at the time, “you still have 19 minutes.”

“I don’t know if I can do it,” Parker vocalized, putting his voice to his feelings. For nearly two days he was forced to endure uncertain agony. How badly was she hurt? What kind of toll would this take on her? On them? Could he take seeing her swaying lifeless, next to his lifeless parents? “I feel like if she’s gone, I will be too. I don’t think I could take that pain Anthony.”

“To be honest dude, I don’t think you could either.” Shocked, Parker looked to the man who would be his best man if circumstances were different. “My job is to manage tragedy. You have already lost a lot in your life Parker but now is not the time to stop. Your family is right over there on that hill,” he said, extending his finger toward the hill with the pear tree. “And you can save them simply by walking over there. Your story can have a happy ending buddy and that’s not necessarily something everyone gets to say. Let’s stop this pity party. Let’s go see our family.”

“Thank you brother. You’ve always been there for me. I know that was you with the university hearing. When I lost Dakota. This shit over the past couple of days. You’ve kept me here. You and Tanya. I wouldn’t be alive without you man.”

Anthony got off the step and pulled Parker to his feet. The walk to the pear tree was slow but it wasn’t the scene Parker expected. Where was his family? No chairs, no ropes, no people. It was early evening and the sun was painting the sky with a beautiful mosaic of colours in its wake. The noises of the night tuned their instruments readying themselves for their nightly symphony. Other than that it was eerily quiet.

With the weight of the past couple of days, Parker found the climb up the hill exhausting. Anxiety flooded through his body. Tension mounting with every step and when they reached the top… there she was.

Everything Happens for a Reason

She was as radiant as the day she had tossed him into those lockers. The gown exacerbated her natural elegance and grace. The waning light danced across her face producing a seductive array of shadows that drew in Parker. “Hi Parker, glad you finally made it,” her voice floated gently across the air.

He didn’t even notice the others gathered around the base of the tree as he strode over to her. He couldn’t believe his eyes. She was flawless. No bruises, no cuts, 10 fingers. Wait, what? 10 fingers? No, that can’t be right. Then he saw them. His parents and her parents and Jacob and Evy and everyone was dressed for a wedding.

“What the fuck is going on?” Parker hesitantly urged. She still has all her fingers. How is that possible with the report Anthony got back? And his parents… what about all the blood? They looked so happy, his mom was glowing. Nothing makes sense!!! “How is this possible?” Tanya could tell from his questions and the bewildered look in his eyes that Parker’s head was about to explode.

She held both of his hands in hers and instructed him, “Parker, look into my eyes and take some deep breaths.” She could feel him calming down but confusion still swirled in his eyes and so she began. “Babe, you are my world. From the moment you tried to take my coffee, you’ve shown me kindness, loyalty, and honesty. We have shared laughs and tears, successes and challenges. Every time I doubted my path you guided me back to where I needed to be, next to you as we build our family. But for months now, you have frustrated the fuck outta me!”

“I’ve frustrated you?” Parker asked, beginning to realize what was happening.

“Yes! Who fakes tying their shoe 12 times. REALLY?! TWELVE FUCKING TIMES!!! Shit, it's not like we hadn’t talked about marriage before that. You even wanted to elope when we went to Vegas that one trip.” Parker glanced over at Tanya’s father who had darkened a few shades and was no longer smiling and laughing with the same mirth as before. “I’ve been giving you all kinds of signs. Even Anthony hasn’t convinced you to pull the trigger. That’s why we had to do this.”

“I still don’t understand.” Parker stammered. “The blood, the finger… the bodies in the tree. How did you do any of this?”

“I’m months away from becoming a doctor, Parker. I have access to cadavers for study purposes. They don’t generally care if a finger goes missing, a liver or kidney is a different story. Most of the blood in the house was fake but you would have figured that out if you hadn’t panicked after seeing the finger.”

“But what about the lab analysis?” Parker countered. “How did Anthony fake that?”

“I didn’t have to buddy.” Anthony said as he stepped up beside Parker and patted him on the shoulder. “You didn’t even ask to see my phone.”

“But the investigation?” Parker was piecing the deceit together, treachery upon devious treachery.

“That was fake too.” Tanya consoled Parker. “How else were we supposed to set this up with you hanging around the house? You were never going to willingly leave this place so we had to manufacture a reason why you would.”

“Why involve Jacob?”

“Where else were we going to find a custom tailored suit in under 10 hours?” Anthony responded. “You guys may have fallen out but this man has had your back more than you would know. Since Dakota passed, you lived with this notion that you don’t deserve love. Well you do my friend and that’s why we’re here.”

Parker’s eyes were fixed on Tanya’s now, “Pain isn’t all life has to offer Parker. As you can see, love and joy surround you. It’s with you even in your darkest moments, when you feel most alone. So I’m here, with our family, ready to pronounce my love, to those here and above. Parker, will you marry me here tonight?”

“So let me get this straight, you and Anthony kidnapped you and my parents, sent me to face down Jacob, tricked me into believing you had lost a finger and Anthony had been hospitalized and forced me back to the place where I lost a best friend? Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, the pastry blackout. All so we could get married?”

“Well, yeah!” Tanya exclaimed. “For faking me out a dozen times. This was well earned.”

Parker’s glare shifted between the two of them several times before he spoke, “You two are fucking sick. What did you even get out of this Anthony?”

“That’s easy partner… my best friend, marrying his soulmate and a new member for my fantasy league!”

“Buddy, I said I was too busy.” Parker replied, fatigued by what he was just put through.

“Not you jackass! You’re wife!” He stated pointing to Tanya, who had both her thumbs up. “I have one spot left. You in?”

“I hate you both…” He claimed before declaring his vows and eternal commitment to his wife.