Sara Came Back

By Belinda Fristoe Vaughn

Austin Edmund cant sleep. Hes haunted by nightmares of a man in a dark hat and a little girl, calling him home. His daughter refers to the dark figure in his dreams as the boogeyman, and shes seen the little girl, too. Austin wonders how that could be possibleare people capable of sharing the same dream?but hes distracted when he receives an invite to head home to Alabama to help his parents fix up the old family cabin.

Austin takes his wife, Paige, and their daughter, Beth Ann, back home to Decatur, where they get the chance to rekindle their connection to Austins parents, Floyd and Opal. Plus, with Austins experience as an architect and Paiges as a remodeler, the log cabin will soon be livable again. Austin is excited at the prospect, and he scoffs at the silly idea that the cabin is haunted. After all, ghosts arent real.

Beth Ann is visited by the young girl from Austins dreams. Her name is Sara, and she travels with a dog named Maya. The Edmunds soon realize that Sara isnt a playmate; shes a restless ghost, and shes struggling to protect them from a vengeful character known as Judas. Judas preys on dreams, and he wreaks havoc in their minds. Soon, the line between dream and reality becomes blurred, and Sara is the Edmunds only hope of staying alive and staying sane.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475913897

Belinda Fristoe Vaughn

Belinda Fristoe Vaughn is from Decatur, Alabama, and this is her first book. She is a wife, mother of two, and grandmother of two.

Book preview

Sara Came Back

Belinda Fristoe Vaughn

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Sara Came Back

Copyright © 2012 by Belinda Fristoe Vaughn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-1391-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-1390-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-1389-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012907265

iUniverse rev. date: 4/13/2012

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 1

"AUSTIN, said a small voice. COME HOME NOW. I NEED YOUR HELP. THERE IS A BAD MAN THAT IS AFTER YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILY. YOU ARE NOT SAFE. YOU NEED TO STOP HIM. AUSTIN, COME HOME. PLEASE.

Austin sat up in the bed and looked around the room. He didn’t see anything or anyone other then his wife Paige who was facing the other side of the bed and still fast asleep. Man, I need to stop eating before I go to bed, said Austin sitting on the side of the bed. That dream seemed so real. But what did it mean? What did she mean to come home? I am already home. He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face trying to figure out his dream. That is when he noticed the small muddy foot prints beside his bed. Paige wake up, I think there is someone in the house. Paige, he whispered again.

Paige turned her head to face Austin. "WHAT DID YOU SAY MY LOVE," said the voice looking at Austin and laughing a wicked laugh? It wasn’t his wife Paige. It was a black figure that had cowboy hat on. He slowly raised his head and looked deep into Austin’s eyes. The black figure tore away the covers and jumped to his feet on the bed. "YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME BOY. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILY ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME."

Austin jumped off the bed and stumbled to his feet. He ran out of the room as fast as he could, only to be stopped in his tracks. What the, he said looking around? He wasn’t standing in his house anymore or in the hallway. It was the old log cabin that sat on his gramps land in Alabama. Oh God, said Austin. What is going on? This can’t be real. He rested on the side of the wooden table to think, but his thoughts were interrupted. He started to smell something. It was something burning. He slowly turned around to look. There by the fireplace were two old people sitting in rocking chairs. They were not talking. The old lady was rocking back and forth while knitting a scarf or something. While the old man loaded a pipe and was staring off into the fireplace. They both looked so sad. Austin ran to the front door to get away but it was locked. He tugged and tugged but the door wouldn’t give. Man, said Austin leaning up against the door. He looked up at the loft and back down at the old couple sitting there still not paying any attention to him. Austin ran to the loft steps and started climbing. That is when he realized his hands were wet and it had a strong iron order. He stopped climbing and turned his one hand over to see what was on it. Austin could see it was blood. Blood was all over the stairs. It was all over him now. "Ahhhh," said Austin, in horror and lost his grip on the steps and fell to the bottom of the cabin floor. He laid there for a minute trying to gather his thoughts. He tried to get up but he was in pain. That is when he noticed that it was dark again and the old couple were gone. THUD came a sound from the upstairs loft. Austin looked up at loft with his heart inside his throat. He seen the black figure standing on the edge of the loft looking down at him.

I’m coming for you boy and your family. Fear me now, said the voice! "I will kill every last one of you! The black figure looked up from under his hat and pointed to Austin who was on the floor. Then jumped down from the top of the loft. Austin rolled away in time to see the black figure land where he had just been.

Austin, wake up, said Paige, tapping him on his shoulders over and over. "You’re having a bad dream again.

AHHHH, screamed Austin who was on the floor still kicking and hitting the air.

Austin. Hey, wake up, said Paige. You had another bad dream sweetie. But it’s okay now. It’s me, Paige your wife. Look at me."

Austin opened up his eyes and looked at Paige.

You were having another bad dream. This makes two weeks in a row that you have been having these dreams, said Paige. I’m really starting to worry about you.

Man, these nightmares that I am having, are becoming more realistic. It is the same dream each time. The same black figure with the same little girl who starts the dream off by telling me that I need to come home. She is warning me about something. Now the black figure is trying to kill me. He jumped off the top of the cabin loft at me while I was on the ground. I found the strength to move out his way. I guess that is when I fell off the bed, said Austin, breathing heavy. He leaned back against the wall and tried gathering his thoughts.

It’s alright sweetie. Here, I will help you up," said Paige extending her hand out to Austin so he could get up from the floor.

I’m going to go and jump in the shower and clear my head. Maybe the hot water will make me relax, said Austin. Go back to sleep and I will be out in a little while. And sweetheart, I am sorry for waking you up again. I know these dreams are not only keeping me awake but it’s keeping you awake too. He kissed Paige on the lips and headed to the bathroom.

Paige smiled at him and laid back down so she could go back to sleep.

Austin turned on the light in the bathroom and slowly shut the door behind him. He walked over to the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. Man you need to get a grip on yourself, he said, in a whisper trying not to disturb Paige again. "You know these are only dreams. They aren’t real. The black figure is not real. The little girl isn’t real either. He lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly. For a minute he stood there trying to make sense of all these nightmares that he was having. Without looking back into the mirror he walked away and got into the shower.

The black figure was in the mirror looking at Austin from the other side. IT HAS ONLY BEGUN, he said, smiling and showing his blackened and rotted teeth.

Austin opened up the shower door to see if Paige had come into the bathroom. But there was no one there. He was alone. So he stuck his head back into the shower and started laughing to himself. Man you have to start getting some sleep. You are hearing things now, said Austin. After a while he shut off the water and grabbed for his towel to dry off. He put his clothes back on and gently opened the bathroom door, trying not to make a sound. He went and checked on Paige to see if she was still awake, but she was sound asleep. Well I guess I will just go downstairs and watch a little TV get a snack and maybe get some sleep before I have to get up and go to work, thought Austin walking out of the bedroom and downstairs. He turned on the TV and walked into the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal. Count Chocula, or Wheat cheks? Count Chocula sounds good. Austin grabbed the milk, a bowl and a spoon and headed back into the living room. He flipped on the TV and flipped through the channels. Nothing is ever on when you want to watch something," he said, and flipped some more. Something caught his eye and Austin flipped back to the channel. A man was talking but Austin couldn’t make out who the figure was. It said the food network channel but it wasn’t a clear picture. Was it Bobby Flay or Michael Symon? He couldn’t tell. He grabbed up the controller to turn it up so he could hear what they were saying. But there wasn’t anything on that channel but snow or ant races. he asked himself out loud? He reached for the controller to turn up the volume.

YOU ARE MINE NOW BOY, said the voice on the T.V. I’M GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. DO YOU HEAR ME BOY? I’M COMING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. The black figure reached through the T. V. making Austin jump back to the back of the couch with his feet underneath him. He spilled his cereal all over the place but he wasn’t worried about it. He was scared shitless. He couldn’t speak or run. He was frozen.

The black figure laughed at Austin as he vanished back into the T.V.

Austin not taking his eyes off the T.V. felt around for the controller that was lying beside him. He hurriedly fumbled for the off and on button, trying to turn off the T.V. Once off, Austin just sat on the couch in shock.

Daddy, daddy, wake up, said Beth Ann pulling on her daddy’s arm. Get up sleepy head. Mommy said, if you don’t get up now, you will be late for work. Daddy, she said again pulling with all her might.

Austin opened up his eyes and took in a deep breath and scurried to sit up. What the? Where am I, he said in a mumble? He looked at Beth Ann with wide eyes.

Daddy. Did I scare you, said Beth Ann, laughing?

Austin gathered his thoughts and looked at the T.V. then looked down at Beth Ann, his five year old beautiful daughter. You did scare daddy, said Austin. But I am awake. So go and tell your mommy.

Come on daddy. Mommy is making us breakfast, and I don’t think she knows what she is doing. Something smells like it has already burned, said Beth Ann grabbing her daddy by the arm and trying to get him to get up.

Oh no, mommy is in the kitchen. We can’t have that. Let’s go and chase her out before she burns something else. Lead the way, said Austin running into the kitchen with Beth Ann by his side. What are you doing in the kitchen, sweetheart," asked Austin, laughing? He looked up at Paige, but Paige wasn’t alone. The black figure was standing beside his wife. He looked at Austin and started laughing. Austin stopped dead in his tracks and fell back into the wall. He couldn’t breath again and he couldn’t move. Austin was wide eyed.

Honey, are you alright? Austin, look at me, said Paige running over to his side.

Austin looked at Paige and then looked beyond her. The black figure was gone. He stood up and rubbed his face.

Are you alright, honey, asked Paige?

Yeah. Yeah, I am fine. I thought I saw something and it just startled me, said Austin.

Beth Ann stood there looking at her daddy. Then something caught her little eye. She turned around and looked. Beth Ann smiled and gave a little hand wave. Then she turned back to her daddy and mommy who were still standing there, trying to make sense at what just had happened. "Daddy you are going to be alright. The boogyman won’t hurt you. He just wants to scare you.

Austin looked at Beth Ann who was sheepishly smiling at him. "Thank you sweetie. But how did you know that I seen the boogyman?

Because the little girl told me, daddy. She told me that he is a mean man and we need to be careful. He doesn’t like us, daddy, said Beth Ann. With that she turned around and walked back into the living room to watch TV.

What was that all about, asked Paige scratching her head?

I have no clue, said Austin. He didn’t want to tell Paige, that Beth Ann was right. He had seen the boogyman. But how did Beth Ann know?

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Chapter 2

Paige who is a restorer and a historian came home early from work. She threw herself on the couch. God, I am so glad that this day is over and I am finally back at home. The people that I am working for are really eccentric. Hell they can’t even get along with each other. It makes me and my employee’s want to pull our hair our, said Paige rolling her eyes. But it is the start of the weekend which makes me feel oh so much better. I don’t have to worry about the Peterson’s until Monday. And oh yeah, your daughter Beth Ann is spending the night with Kimi her best friend so we have the whole house to ourselves. Paige started crawling towards Austin who was sitting on the recliner listening. "Why don’t we both go upstairs take a shower, order some Chinese food, and order a movie on pay preview?

Sounds good to me, said Austin smiling.

Well would you order the Chinese food, asked Paige undressing and heading upstairs? I am going to get in the shower and get cleaned up.

I can do that. I am also going to call our daughter and tell her goodnight, said Austin. He picked up the phone and ordered the Chinese food and then called his daughter, Beth Ann. Alright the food is on it’s way and Beth Ann is having a blast. They are making cookies.

Why are you yelling, asked Paige laughing.

Austin turned around and looked at Paige. I thought you were still in the shower.

I was. Now it’s your turn, said Paige kissing Austin on the lips, smiling. I left you some hot water. Now hurry up, so we can eat. I am starving.

Listen for the doorbell, said Austin as he turned around and headed to the bathroom. I will be out in a flash. He turned on the bathroom light, but hesitated a little bit about entering. He remembered what he had heard while in the shower early this morning.

Austin, are you okay, asked Paige looking into the bathroom? Hell I know I haven’t cleaned it. But it’s not that bad in there.

Austin turned around and smiled at Paige. I am fine.

Well there is our food. Now hurry up and get a shower, said Paige pushing Austin into the bathroom. She raced downstairs to answer the door for the delivery person. She paid for the food and headed back upstairs with the wine and the beer in hand. "YOU GOT MAIL," announced the computer, as she reached the bedroom. Sounds like the movie with Tom hanks and Meg Ryan. YOU GOT MAIL, she said sitting down at the computer. Austin, I am going to open up your email. Your parents have sent you something and there are photo’s attached to it.

Now why are you yelling, asked Austin who came out in just a towel?"

Paige turned around and laughed. I thought you were still in the shower that is why I was yelling. But did you hear me? You’re parents sent us some photos.

Let me see, said Austin anxious to see the photos. "Oh man, it’s photos of my gramps and grams house. Doesn’t look like Mother Nature has been kind to their house.

Well you have to consider, no one has lived out there for years. And no one has taken care of their place, said Paige.

What does my mom say about these photos, asked Austin?

"Your mom said that they are taking these photos and sending them to their son the architect and their daughter in law who is a re modeler. They are going to be living out there and they are needing some help from us. They sold their house in the city and they are living in an apartment for right now. They want us to come and help them out. They know it’s going to be a lot of work but it will be worth while when everything is finished.

Something caught Austin’s eyes. Get up for a minute, he asked Paige, politely.

In one of the old photos he could see the old log cabin. The old log cabin that he was standing in last night in his nightmare. But it wasn’t standing. It was just a pile of rubble.

Paige looked up at Austin to see his expression on his face. Honey, are you alright? You look like you have just seen a ghost. She turned and faced the computer to see what Austin’s eyes were fixed on.

Austin pointed to the background, where part of the old log cabin was standing. "I was there last night. I was standing in the middle of that house. That’s where the black figure was and two old people that I have never seen before appeared to me.

Yeah, well sweetheart, like you said. They appeared to you in your dream. It wasn’t real, said Paige.

Austin smiled but didn’t take his eyes off the old cabin.

I think your parents are wanting us to come home, said Paige. "And I think we should do it. We can visit with all our friends and family that we left behind since we moved here to New York. I think getting away from here for awhile would do you some good. No more nightmares. No more stress, and you probably would get some good needed rest. Oh let’s do it, Austin. Let’s go home for a little while.

Austin looked at Paige. "You are serious, aren’t you?

I am serious, said Paige.

What about our jobs here, asked Austin?

"Well, your partner Andrew can handle things here for you while you are gone. And Pam can handle things here for me.

Austin turned back to the computer. Let’s do it then, said Austin. "Let’s just get on a plane tomorrow and head back to Alabama.

Paige jumped up and down. Oh thank you sweetie.

While you are there on the computer, email your mother back and tell them we will be there sometime tomorrow. We can leave early and be there early, said Paige.

Hey, look at this, sweetheart, said Austin pointing to the computer screen. Do you see a little girl standing by the fireplace? You can see right through her and her dog.

Paige leaned in closer to get a better look. "I’ll be damned. I do see her, and there’s a dog standing right beside her. Shes pointing at something, it looks like and she’s not alone either. It looks like a dog standing right beside her.

She looks like she belongs on the set of Little House on the Prairie,said Austin."Did my mom say anything about her?

Paige scrolled up and back down. Nope she did not say anything about her.

Well it might be a double exposure, said Austin. Or worst case scenario, she and the dog could be a ghost. And she is pointing at you Paige, because she want’s you. Look at the dog, it looks like it is staring right at you.

Oh, shut up, snapped Paige. "That’s not funny.

You know, as a young kid, while staying out at my grandparents, I thought there were ghosts out there. The sounds outside my door at night and the sounds at night on the land. Makes you wonder, said Austin. I asked my grandparents in the morning but they would just look at each other and smile. Something to do with the house settling and screech owls in the woods trying to get their food for the night. That was their explanation.

Maybe the creaking of the floor was by your grandparents, going upstairs to check on you or something, said Paige.

"Well that was the strange part about it. They never came upstairs for anything. I was the only one that stayed up there. I did ask them about the sounds around my door that night, but they would just look at each other and then one would tell me it was my imagination. That I had to be dreaming. But never to worry my little head about it. But Paige, it was the look that they gave each other. It was like I touched a nerve with them. I finally stopped asking them. Because I knew I would never get a straight answer. I think they knew but they were not about to tell me anything. It just gave me an eerie feeling.

"Well then who do you think it was? Did you ever get out of your bed to see?

Are you kidding me, said Austin? I was only seven years old and the worlds biggest chicken. My ass stayed in the bed and under all the covers from head to toe.

Are you kidding me, asked Paige? I think I would have had to seen who it was.

No seriously, the sounds happened every night and even when I got older the foot steps still could be heard every night. Just like clock work but I wasn’t that scared anymore. I thought if it was anyone that was going to hurt me, they would have already done so. And what is so funny is that my friends stayed with me on weekends. They actually heard the footsteps outside the door. But none of them had the balls to open up the door and look out, said Austin, laughing. Oh yeah, there were times that I actually thought someone had touched my feet when I sailed through the air to get in the bed. The touch was so cold.

I’m getting goose bumps, said Paige rubbing her arms.

Well the next morning I would forget all about the sounds and the coldness that had touched my feet. I would bounce out of the bed, get dressed, and head downstairs to find my grandparents, which both were in the kitchen waiting on me to come downstairs. Grams would be making pancakes and my gramps would be sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Gramp’s would say, Well you better eat good because we are going to have a busy day. He wouldn’t put the newspaper down and look at me, he would say this behind the newspaper. " I would smile and say, that I couldn’t wait. Then gram’s would go on to say, Well I am going to pack you fellows a bag lunch and then when you come back Austin, I will have some chocolate chip cookies waiting on you with a bottle of Pepto.

Why a bottle of Pepto, asked Paige, wrinkling her nose up?

Because I would eat all the chocolate chip cookies in one sitting and then I would have a stomach ache. So my grams would always give me Pepto so I would feel better, said Austin laughing and rubbing his stomach. She would always warn me about eating all the chocolate chip cookies all in one setting but I wouldn’t listen. They were too good to stop on one or two.

Then what, asked Paige?

My grandfather and I would then head out to the fields to plow them up. Even though I was 15 years old and couldn’t drive, my gramps would let me drive the old cranker tractor. I had so much fun driving that old thing, said Austin lying back on the bed. After all the farming was done, we would head to the dam and go fishing. Sitting on the flat bottom boat, my gramps and I would talk about everything. I used to love listening to his old stories. Those were the good ole’ days," said Austin taking a drink of his beer. Then my grams got really sick. My folks were there everyday to help me and gramps take care of her. The fishing trips stopped, because he wouldn’t leave her side. She ended up dying and in her casket, I placed a chocolate chip cookie in her hand with a bottle of Pepto Bismol lying beside her. I actually made the cookies all by myself with her recipe that my gramps had given me, but I know they were not as good as hers. Austin looked at the computer and then back at Paige. I knew deep down in my heart my gramps would soon follow her. He could not live without my grams and he told everyone that, when grams got sick. They always said that they would die together, holding each others hand. He was so devoted to her and he loved her with all his heart. They say once you have been married for as long as they had been, one can’t live without the other. But he lived on. My summer vacations would consist of me and some of my good buddies going out to the land and doing some fishing with my gramps. We would all chip in and help him do all the land work first. I started living with my gramps just so I could help him out or take care of him. All my buddies started calling my grandfather, gramps. He loved it too. Later on, I think it was three years after my grams had passed away my gramps was diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. That was really rough on me. He would tell me to call 911 because grams was missing and he couldn’t find her.