Most Precious Collection

By Heather Robbins

Madison Palmer, along with her 5-year-old daughter Sophie, is hoping to escape her past life in the city and make a fresh start in the quiet little town of Port Belle. She moves into her cousin’s century-old Victorian rental house on the outskirts of town. The townsfolk give the house a wide berth, for there is something not quite right about the old place – “Has a bad history,” the locals say. It isn’t long before strange things start happening. The house, like Madison, carries a secret – a tragic secret that is slowly revealed, and chaos and tragedy are once again alive within its walls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jul 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781643789538

Heather Robbins

Heather Robbins lived on the Canada prairies for most of her adult life, and like many parents, spent her winters taking her son to and from hockey practices and games. The early, frozen mornings, driving to small town hockey rinks were made bearable by seeing the enthusiasm and love of the game in her young son. Her son's experiences in playing in all those games inspired Heather to write a little story, highlighting the activities in the dressing room, as well as on the ice, and touching on the love and support of hockey parents. Heather now enjoys watching her grandchildren play minor hockey, and again is able to experience the love of the game through the eyes of children.

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About the Author

This is the first novel written by Heather Robbins. She has also written an inspirational book titled The Wisdom of Wildflowers, as well as a children’s book titled The Hockey Game. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, and continues to write.

Copyright Information ©

Heather Robbins (2021)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Robbins, Heather

Most Precious Collection

ISBN 9781643789521 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781643789538 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021911809

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Chapter 1

The glow from faded yellow headlights penetrated the black, soggy sky, highlighting a deserted stretch of highway that snakes its way through the dense Cambrian forest. A silver Ford Taurus speeds through the night, its headlights swallowed up in a veil of darkness just a few yards in front of the car. Windshield wipers drag limply across the glass, uttering out a faint thud each time they change directions and labor back across to the other side. Between each pass of the cracked rubber blades, rain dots the windshield like a sprinkling of sugar before it is wiped clean again.

The radio drones out popular pop songs, interspersed by a D.J.’s ramblings who was a little too hyped up on caffeine. Madison Palmer, oblivious to the music, strains to see into the darkness; her hazel eyes aching from the tension of staring into a hollow blackness for the last couple of hours.

The stormy slate sky is uninviting and seemingly resentful of the headlights piercing deep into its dark soul. Lightning flashes in the distance, illuminating for a brief second the outline of jagged evergreen trees that hug the side of the road. Madison instinctively glances into the rear-view mirror, checking on her sleeping daughter in the back seat.

We’re almost there, she whispers, even though she knows the sleeping child does not hear her.

Almost there.

Soon they would be at her cousin’s vacant rental house. Soon she would be able to put the past behind her and embark on her new life. A life where she is free from suspicion, free from prying eyes. A life where she can be herself, away from the judgment and disapproving looks of others.

Madison’s thoughts drift into the past, like a retreating tide back to where it had lived before, and settled on the last few months of her life in the city. She was suffocating there. Her job at the university cafeteria had weighed heavy upon her, squeezing out all the joy and laughter that she once had, and leaving in its wake a bleak void; a hollowness that was amplified by each second ticking away on the grimy clock tacked to the cafeteria wall, each one pounding and echoing inside her skull.

Throngs of students and professors passed by her every day; all of them grating her nerves like sandpaper on a sunburn. The cafeteria was bursting at the seams from the number of people crammed into it. Where the hell did everybody come from? And the noise—Jesus, the constant noise. The volume assaulted Madison’s ears day after day, sending a caustic spike into her brain with the clanging of each dish and aluminum tray. The air was thick as paste from the endless thunder of voices, the screeching and yelling, the scraping and banging; all of it bouncing off the greasy olive-green walls and choking out any chance of having a single, uninterrupted thought.

Madison’s ears picked up everything, and yet she heard nothing. She was drowning. Drowning in the noise, in the heat, and in the sweat. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t feel. Light from the cold florescent bulbs overhead bore down onto the frenzied hungry mass, giving everyone’s skin a sickly green hue.

Wearisome conversations of academia were occasionally interrupted with baneful talk of weekend parties and new cell phone apps. Madison didn’t care. She would just smile and nod like she understood and gave a damn. Smile and nod like a trained seal, except there was never a reward for this performance. She just endured it day after day, smiling and nodding. Her head ached constantly and her eyes radiated a web of red lines reaching out from their hazel centers, giving her the look of just having had a good cry. But Madison never cried, not outwardly anyway. She held everything inside. Inside it was safe. Inside she did not have to explain or rationalize her thoughts and feelings to anyone, and expose herself to judgment and ridicule. She protected her tears, her thoughts, and her feelings, holding them close to her as a mother does with her newborn.

And so no one knew of the daily hammering her soul endured as she stood behind the stainless counter, smiling and nodding and handling the cafeteria food.

Madison hated it. She hated the university campus and all who existed there. She knew that was wrong. She was taught never to hate others; to always try to look at the goodness and light. As much as these lessons had been drilled into her while growing up, she still fell into the hole of resentment. A hole that was dug by her own self-loathing and disappointment.

She had once been a student there. One amongst the herd of fresh faces lumbering from classroom to classroom, heavy books in her arms and a tattered backpack slung over her shoulder. Her studies in pre-med were grueling. Endless hours reading and writing, attending lectures, and listening to professors drone on and on about molecular compounds and cell membranes. The intense study schedule wore her down. Each day another piece of her was stripped away, like a tree in autumn that would lose its foliage until there were no leaves left to fall, and the tree is left cold and bare and vulnerable to the biting November winds. Madison struggled to stay on top of her studies as her energy and spirit withered away like the leaves on the tree.

It hadn’t always been that way though. Everything was very exciting in the beginning. She would be the first one in her family to study medicine, and she was determined to succeed and make a difference in the world. She wanted to study mental illness and help those that struggle with it. But the course load she took on was insane, and it was not long before she felt completely stripped bare and consumed by fatigue. She stopped sleeping and eating. She did not want to see or speak to anyone. Even getting up in the morning was a monumental task; and one that she did not always accomplish.

The stress of everything was bearing down hard and something had to give. She needed a break before she completely withered and died. That break came to her one night at an impromptu party that was being held just down the hall from her tiny apartment.

Come on, doc, it’ll be fun, her good-natured neighbor, Ellie, cajoled her. Just come for an hour, then you can go back to your books.

Madison reluctantly agreed and tentatively walked down the hall toward the party.

She was nervous. Meeting new people made her uncomfortable. She had always been shy and had it not been for the efforts of a few of her peers, she would not have any friends at all. But this night, Madison needed a distraction. She needed to decompress.

The partygoers were crammed into the small apartment at the end of the hall. Madison squeezed herself through the crowd and into the galley kitchen. The room was heavy with rock music, happy chatter, and gray cigarette smoke. The smell of beer and acrid sweat hung in the air, clinging to everyone’s clothes and hair. Ellie made her way over to Madison, a blue plastic cup in her hand with frothy golden beer sloshing up and over the sides.

Here ya go, doc. Drink up and relax, Ellie yelled over the noise.

Madison took the cup from her friend and smiled, Thanks, Ellie, she yelled back. She raised the cup up to her mouth and drew the cold beer in past her parched lips. The coldness bit the back of her throat as she swallowed, making her wince from the stabbing pain, but it felt good.

There’s someone I want you to meet, Ellie winked as she spoke, and grabbing Madison’s hand, drew her through the mass of bodies, out of the kitchen and into a less crowded hallway. Two young men were leaning against the wall, engaged in what looked like a very serious discussion. Ellie seemed oblivious to the social etiquette of not barging into other people’s conversations and poked the taller of the two men in the middle of his back. He jumped and spun around, his facial expression mixed with surprise and annoyance. Upon seeing Ellie though, his face softened and he gave her a wide grin.

Hey, you, he said, his smile widening and revealing a dimple in each cheek. It’s been a long time. What the hell have you been up to?

Up to no good if you believe my parents. Ellie replied, But otherwise I’m keeping busy. Still working at the mall.

Ahhh, drag.

Yea, don’t I know it. Hey, I want you to meet my friend. This is Madison.

The young man’s eyes moved from Ellie over to Madison who had been standing awkwardly behind her friend.

Madison, Ellie announced, this is Martin Sawyer. An ugly son of a bitch, but a nice guy.

Hey, watch it, Martin replied as his eyes swept over Madison. Seemingly pleased with what he was seeing, he extended his hand and grasped hers, giving it a slight squeeze. Madison could feel her face flushing, and she secretly admonished herself for acting like a stupid little school girl. Martin was tall, with an angular jaw, and strong Roman nose. His tousled, dirty blond hair made him look even taller than his 6'3" frame, and his blue eyes were almost terrifying in their intensity.

Hi, Madison, was all Martin said.

Hello. Nice to meet you, she replied, her heart giving little leaps as she stared up at the good looking guy holding her hand. Ellie looked from Martin to Madison and back again, Well, my job is done. Have fun you two, she called over her shoulder as she retreated out of the hallway.

An awkward few seconds passed between Martin and Madison. Finally, Martin spoke, So, how do you know Ellie?

Uh, well we met at the little grocery store on the corner; you know the one with the striped awning and filthy windows? Martin nodded.

We got to talking and found out we had gone to the same high school a few years back, but she was a year ahead of me, so we never really knew each other then. What about you?

Martin looked down to the ground and shifted his weight to his other leg.

Ellie used to date my little brother. They were together for over a year, then my brother joined the army and went off for training. Not long after that, he was sent overseas on a peacekeeping tour of duty. My parents are exceedingly proud of him. Me, not so much.

Martin laughed at his last statement, one of those insincere, forced laughs that usually cover the pain that grips at one’s heart. Madison sensed the subject of his family would not be a welcome conversation, so quickly changed course.

So, Martin, what is it that you do?

Martin’s beaming smile returned and his intense blue eyes sparkled from behind dark lashes.

Aw, I do a bit of this, a bit of that. I work in sales mostly, he said, winking at her again. What about you, Madison, what keeps you busy?

Busy—yes, I’m pretty busy. I’m studying medicine at M.U. I pretty much spend all my time either in class or studying. I’m pretty boring if I’m honest. This is the first party I’ve been to in ages. I’m usually just too exhausted to even think about going out, Madison was rambling now and she knew it. Martin continued to smile at her, his eyes drawing her in like a fisherman reeling in his exhausted prey.

I might have a solution to that, he said as he pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight. Come with me.

Madison followed Martin out of the hallway and zig-zagged through the crowd in the living room. They stepped out of the open patio door that led to a large balcony overlooking the busy street below. The smell of burnt grass hung in the air as they walked past a handful of people talking low and smoking their cigarettes. Martin reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside were several small white tubes of paper, twisted at each end. Madison knew right away what they were. She had never smoked marijuana before, but almost everyone she knew her age were either regular users or had at least tried it. She remembered watching her cousin Kevin one evening roll and light up a joint. She had declined his offer to roll one for her, preferring to just sit and watch him smoke.

Martin thrust one of the twisted ends of a small joint between his lips and flicked a plastic lighter until its blue flame sputtered to life. Madison watched every move Martin made, completely captivated by this unpolished, rugged man. He closed his eyes and drew in a long, slow breath, sucking the yellowish-white smoke deep into his lungs. After several seconds, he opened his eyes, exhaled, and again winked at Madison as he passed the joint to her. She put the twisted end between her lips as Martin had done, the damp coolness from his saliva still clinging to the paper. She drew in a deep breath, but immediately coughed; her throat and lungs constricting and rejecting the smoke. Martin only laughed and fished out another joint from the plastic bag. Madison took a few more draws from the joint, her coughing subsiding with each drag. She closed her eyes, and soon let herself slip away from the noises and smells that were coming from the party inside the apartment. She had never felt this way before. At that moment in time, nothing seemed to matter. Every muscle in her body loosened and she slowly sank to the floor of the balcony. The crushing, invisible weight that she always carried was slowly disappearing. She could breathe again, and for the first time in a very long time, she actually felt joy.

And so began a new chapter in Madison’s life. That night, the party, the marijuana, and Martin—she wanted more. She wanted to again feel her mind and body loosen into a comfortable fog. Her grueling school schedule was still there, but suddenly the work did not seem as all-consuming as it had been before. She slept soundly again, and her appetite improved. Madison was back in the game. Back into life and able to function.

Not surprisingly Martin became her supplier, and Madison found herself thinking about him all the time. Every available space between her near-constant studying was filled with thoughts of Martin and the contents of the plastic bag tucked discreetly away in his coat pocket.

They would meet often. Most times in the back parking lot at the university, away from curious eyes and whispers. Madison had a small allowance for sundry living expenses, and these funds were soon earmarked for Martin. And when she was short of cash to pay for her fix, he was more than happy to accept sex. Before long, Madison found she could not get through the day without the marijuana. She needed it to keep herself going, and she needed Martin. She watched him intently as he sat beside her in the car, his hair tousled and his blue eyes shining. Every time he winked at her she felt her heart give a little flutter. He was not a good prospect for a boyfriend, but she didn’t care. Every girl should date a bad boy, and Martin was hers. She wanted to believe that they were in a serious relationship; that Martin cared for her and she would be the one that would lift him up from his world of drugs and self-destruction. She would save him and he would be so grateful and love her for it. Her life funneled inward to where all she thought and talked about was the glorious future they were going to have together. She even found herself perusing bridal and home renovation magazines, allowing her imagination to dive into a fantasy world of weddings, new homes, and happy families.

Martin had other ideas. He did not want to be tied down. Madison was a cute girl, but when she started talking of a possible future together, he knew it was time to get out. Things were getting messy. He tried repeatedly to tell her that their arrangement was just one of supplier and customer, nothing more. The sex was great, but Madison was not the only bird singing on his stage. Madison just would not listen. The harder he tried to push her away, the more she pursued him. She clung to him like a baby animal clinging to its mother, crying and making scenes in public each time he turned away. He changed his cell phone number and blocked her emails. He eventually moved to another part of the city—someplace where he would not run into her.

Madison was completely crushed by this rebuttal. She had let herself believe that she and Martin had something special. She kept thinking back to when they met and how his attentions seemed so genuine and true. But, despite her efforts, the situation never changed, and after a few weeks of getting the cold shoulder, she came to the embarrassing realization that she had been nothing more to him than an easy sale.

Forget about him, Ellie consoled her. I told you he was a jerk.

Madison was grateful for her friend’s support, but the pain and humiliation of the rejection still made her want to run away and hide. She wanted to be numb, to be buried under a foot of insulating snow; not be discovered until the following spring. Martin had been a mistake, and she would try and forget about him. Ellie already helped her find an alternate source of marijuana, but as much as Madison tried to move on and erase what had happened in the past, reality yanked her right back again. The past was not done with her yet.

A month after Martin left, Madison discovered she was pregnant. She would now have a constant reminder of the man who rejected her; a reminder of her irresponsibility and foolishness. She considered ending the pregnancy. She had plans for her future and they did not include raising a kid on her own. How could she complete medical school with a baby to look after? She was barely able to look after herself. But, as much as she tried to convince herself that terminating the pregnancy was the best avenue, she could not bring herself to pick up the phone and make an appointment for an abortion. There was something stopping her; a little voice in her head whispering that this was a lifeline. This baby would become Madison’s new purpose, and they would grow in life together. To hell with Martin and all the others. She would make her own little family, and never again be abandoned and alone.

Madison stopped smoking and drinking, and tried her best to focus on her studies while her precious future grew inside her. Despite her renewed optimism, things only got harder. Morning sickness descended on her like a sticky, putrid haze. Most days she was so nauseous she did not want to move, and the insomnia returned with a vengeance. Each day flowed into the next, a swirling black soup of time with no beginnings or endings, just meaningless hours mashed together, thick and never-ending. She was sick all the time, and her head and back ached constantly.

On a particularly cold day in March, Madison collapsed in the atrium at the university while she was trying to choke down a coffee. She was rushed to the nearby hospital and diagnosed with exhaustion. The doctor ordered her to rest, pointing out Madison’s grueling school schedule was putting her and the baby at risk. She had to stop and take care of herself.

Madison’s academic life came to an end. She spent the rest of her pregnancy at home in her dingy apartment, with only her friend, Ellie, to check in on her, and occasionally her cousin, Kevin.

Sophie was born six months later on a smoky September day, and soon thereafter, Madison found a job in the university cafeteria, serving insipid, lukewarm meals to the vacuous masses of students. Serving all those people whose dreams were going to come true, and whose futures looked bright and promising. Although Madison found herself resenting each and every one of them, it did not come anywhere close to the self-loathing she had for herself. How could she have let this happen?

Things were not much better at home. Her daughter was in daycare, which ate up over half of Madison’s paycheck. Rent and food took up the rest. As much as she loved her baby, she found it difficult to care for the little one. Sophie spent far too much time in her crib and playpen, as Madison was just too exhausted to provide anything more than the bare essentials. The guilt over her poor mothering skills only added to her emotional pain.

Every day the stress of everything ate away at her fragile soul, and piece by piece, her energy was again stripped away, leaving her physically, mentally, and emotionally bankrupt. To add to her worries, her apartment was oppressive and cold, and was again being fumigated