The Crinkled Page

By Carolynne Raymond

Embark on an extraordinary journey with Lark Phillips, a new mother whose life takes a thrilling turn in the realms of mystery and magic.

 

Lark's decision to step away from her full-time job and embrace the joys of motherhood leads her to share her passion for books with her six-month-old son, Westley. Their lives take an unexpected twist when an ancient book from Lark's inherited collection reveals its enigmatic secret. One evening, after putting Westley to bed, Lark notices something peculiar about the book. Could the pages be moving, or is it just a figment of her tired imagination? As events unfold, Lark's world is shattered, thrusting her into an unfamiliar and terrifying adventure. The old book holds the key to an incredible journey, unveiling mysteries and dangers she never fathomed.In a race against time, Lark must trust her instincts and navigate treacherous waters to keep her family safe. The challenges she faces are both riveting and inspiring, showcasing the strength and resilience of a determined mother on a mission.

 

Prepare for a spellbinding tale of magic, courage, and the unbreakable bonds of family. Will Lark overcome the unforeseen obstacles and bring her family home, or will sinister forces prevail? Dive into a world where every page turns with anticipation and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lady Maverick Publishing
• Release date: Mar 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201692841

Carolynne Raymond

I am a Wife, Mom and Science Fiction and Fantasy author. My novels under The Earth and Airus Series follows a couple of storylines on Earth and on the world of Airus. It has adventure, reincarnation, and love themes and includes time travel. I have non-fiction book, "Newbie Author - This Chick's Journey to Becoming a Self-Published Author". It is a journal of my experience with self-publishing. I have a children's book called, "What Does Teddy Do While You Are Away All Day". It is a story about routines and was inspired by my son's Teddy bear. I adore spending time with my husband and son. I love photography, painting, gardening, and writing. I enjoy reading fiction. My favorite genres are Fantasy, Romance & Sci-Fi, though I'll read other genres every so often. I enjoy and appreciate creativity. It is an escape. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a few other sites. I post about life, family, writing, and things that make me smile.

Book preview

Prologue

Her mother encouraged her from a young age to keep on going even when she got a bad grade, lost a game, or was facing the impossible. Jennifer is close with her mom. She has always listened to and valued her mom's advice even when Jennifer was living in New Jersey, because of Terry's work, which was far away from her mom, who lives in Ottawa. Jennifer kneels down on the worn carpet in front of a cardboard box and flips her straight dark brown hair over her shoulder so that it doesn’t fall in front. A year has passed since that day that changed her entire world. She remembers it like it was yesterday.

They had that day planned a week in advance. That morning they had all gotten up early. Terry had gone to Remi's room to wake him, which almost never happened because Remi was generally an early riser. Remi must have had a hard time falling asleep last night in anticipation of today. Jennifer could almost smell the breakfast she had made that morning of bacon, eggs, and French toast with homemade maple syrup, made from the trees at her mom's home in Canada. The maple syrup had been sent to her in one of her mom's care packages. They had planned around the weather knowing that today was going to be hot and sunny, perfect for a day at the beach.

After breakfast, they had driven a short distance to their destination and had parked the car near the boardwalk, knowing that today the shops would have their weekend sales on, in full swing. Jennifer, her husband, Terry, and their six-year-old son, Remi strolled down the boardwalk. Remi was always a few steps ahead, their little boy checking out all the different bins and display tables as quickly as he could in search of treasure. Jennifer and Terry soon catch up to Remi who has stopped in front of a display of second-hand books. He is looking through the pages of one. It makes Jennifer smile because Remi is curious about everything and doesn't let a pile of old books go unnoticed. Jennifer asks, What's that?

Remi flips the book closed, Terry brushes his hand through his own short, light brown hair, bends down and his dark blue eyes glance at the title reading, Under the Castle on the Hill

Jennifer doesn't recognize the title and asks, What's the author's name?

Remi’s green eyes meet his dad’s eyes. He hands the book to his dad and Terry looks, flipping through the first couple of pages, then he replies, It doesn't say.

Jennifer thinks it's curious but knows that sometimes these old books have pages torn out or perhaps this one was a part of a collection. The sales associate walks over and asks, Found something you like?

Terry is still bent down so that he is at eye level with his son and confirms with Remi, Do you want this book?

Remi says, Yes, the pictures are neat. Terry pats his head, touching Remi’s soft dark brown hair.

Terry nods to the sales associate and she makes the sale.

Not long after the three of them find a nice spot on the sand to lay their beach towels down and put up an umbrella. After spending some time in the ocean and then in the shade, under their umbrella, Jennifer wraps her colorful sarong over her black swimsuit and decides to walk back to the boardwalk to order some food for all of them. It's a silly thought, now that she thinks about this memory, she remembers breakfast but can't remember whether she had ordered them pizza, hotdogs, or hamburgers for lunch. Maybe because lunch with them never happened that day.

Time is a strange thing. Sometimes it feels like it's standing still and at other times it feels like it's flying by. This last year has been a mind-numbing blur. When Jennifer had returned with lunch to their spot in the sand, Terry and Remi were gone. At first, she thought that they may have walked over to one of the public restrooms or had gone back into the ocean to cool off, so she waited. She didn't know how long she had waited before she started to worry. Jennifer first asked the people sitting around her on the beach, when they last saw her lightly tanned husband, the lean man sporting blue swim shorts with short, light brown hair and her young son with short dark brown hair sporting blue swim shorts with sharks. They had seen them not long before Jennifer returned, explaining that they were resting in the shade, under the umbrella but they didn't see them leave. She had to do something besides wait, so she got up and asked the people sitting near to her again for help. They kindly agreed to hold onto her food and watch her things. Had she left the food alone on her family's own towels the seagulls would likely swoop in. Jennifer asked that if her son and husband returned, for them to pass the message that she was looking for them. She ran over to the public washrooms opened the men's washroom door and called out to Remi and Terry. Only a firm voice from a stall replied, Only John here honey! She then went into a few of the nearby restaurants, asking the servers if a man and boy came in recently. She circled back to the boardwalk retracing their steps from earlier in the day, wondering if Terry had gone back to make another purchase. No one in the shops could say they had seen them. Jennifer ran back to the shore and her green eyes scanned the horizon, looking for the pair in the water. She exhales, sees them, and starts running over to call them to the shore for lunch. When she got close enough, Jennifer realized that it wasn't Terry and Remi. Her hopes were dashed.

After that, she ran over to a lifeguard who then radioed others and soon it escalated into a search. Jennifer doesn't know exactly when it happened that day, but their disappearance was reported to the police.

Jennifer felt guilty that she hadn't realized sooner that they were really missing. She felt bad that she didn't know the last things that she had said to Terry and Remi. She felt horrible for making the suggestion of spending a day at the beach and she felt anger and hurt when the police had gotten her entire life so wrong. The police had suggested the possibility that Terry left with Remi to start a new life. Terry and Jennifer had always been close. She considered him to be not only her husband and the father of her only son, but she also considered Terry her best friend. Terry would never have just gotten up and left without a trace.

Jennifer had stayed in her home in New Jersey. It was the only home that Remi had known and the only place that he would know to come home to if he wasn't with his dad. She talked with the police almost daily, scanned all the daily news for a sign of her husband and son. She put up posters and made sure to replace those that had been damaged by the weather. Jennifer got involved in her local church, making connections with those in the community and kept Terry and Remi's missing persons story current.

Their disappearance was a mystery. No bodies were ever recovered from the water at the beach they had visited. Terry's personal belongings were never found and his cell phone, credit cards, and bank activity had all stopped on the day that they had gone. It didn't make any sense, but Jennifer held onto the hope that they would return.

A year had gone by. Three hundred and sixty-five days of keeping her outdoor lights on through the night and cooking for three in case they came home. She kept Terry's favorite TV shows saved so that when he returned, they could watch them together and she kept Remi's room clean for his return, only now, after all of those three hundred- and sixty-five-days, Jennifer has nothing but some cardboard boxes that contain their favorite belongings. Jennifer left these boxes to open until the end. She feels guilty for leaving her home in New Jersey and moving back to her hometown, even though her family and friends encouraged her that it was the best thing she could do for herself before she completely burned out. She would have stayed in New Jersey to keep her own family's home waiting for her husband and son to find their way back. Jennifer finally gave in to her mom's advice to move. She would have all the support of her family and friends to continue the search for Terry and Remi.

Jennifer tears the packers' tape from the top of the box and carefully folds open the cardboard to reveal its contents. There are a few of Remi's favorite stuffed animals and toys. She can smell him like he is right here. This will be Remi's room when he comes home. She can replace the old carpet in here and paint the walls. His new favorite color had been dark blue. She pushes the box over to the wall and opens another box. It is full of books and other toys.

Janice walks into the room. Jennifer stops going through the boxes to look up at her mom. Janice asks, Are these the last ones?

Yes, I was having a hard time bringing myself to open them.

Janice carefully sits down on the floor next to her daughter to get a better look at all the stuff. If the two of them were closer in age they could pass as sisters. Jennifer looks just like her, only Janice now has strands of grey blended into her dark brown hair and her green eyes always look tired even though she doesn’t feel it. She says, We can make a little corner for Remi's things right over there. Will you be bringing Terry's things to your room? Jennifer shrugs, Maybe some. I shouldn't have kept so much. He will probably want new clothes when he does return, and Remi has probably grown a couple of sizes.

Janice rests her wrinkled hand on Jennifer's shoulder. How about you keep the things that you think Remi would still want and for the stuff he's outgrown, fill up a box. Her mother helps her unpack and sort through Terry and Remi's things. As they sort through stuff Jennifer admits to her mom, I was able to clear away a lot of things before the movers came. I put things up online for sale, brought things to the church's charity sale, and even gave stuff away to the neighbors. This was the last of it and I just told the movers to pack everything."

It's okay Jen. You know not everyone could do as much as you have done and on your own for so long.

Jennifer nods, It feels like I have been on my own forever.

That's why I wanted you to come back. You have me, and all your friends here. Janice glances at the other box that Jennifer has just opened. Jennifer pulls out three beach towels, the ones they had that day, and under them is a book.

Janice reads the title from over her daughter's shoulder, Under the Castle on the Hill

These were the things we had at the beach the day they went missing.

Janice puts her hand to her thin lips and replies, Oh Jen, I didn't know you had held onto those things. Are you okay?

Yes, Jennifer puts the towels to the side and holds the book for a moment.

Janice asks, Was that book a gift from someone?

No, well not really. Remi had found it in one of the shops along the boardwalk and we bought it for him.

Are these things that you want to keep?

Jennifer thinks for a moment and shakes her head, Remi probably won't even remember this book. He only had it for a few hours. I have other things of his that I have kept, besides this is more of a bad reminder of everything that happened.

She hands the book along with the towels to her mom. Janice tosses them in a box that's intended to be taken away.

They finish sorting through the last of Remi and Terry's things, keeping some of Terry's clothes and Remi's toys. She left a white t-shirt of Terry's out and a pajama from when Remi was a baby for herself. The pajama takes her back to the time when he was so tiny. She loved how even back then her little baby boy looked just like her. His baby soft dark brown hair and his green eyes were her own features, and his ivory skin was so soft, and she could never kiss him enough. The T-shirt and pajama were things from her husband and son that she could hold onto for those days when she wasn't at her best. Janice didn't say a thing of her daughter's choice. When it came time to close up the box that they managed to fill, Jennifer admits, I hate to see this go to the trash.

Janice replies, My work will be trying to raise money for charity this fall. They do up an event that is sort of like a giant garage sale but in the atrium at work. I can bring this in.

Jennifer nods, It's mostly new stuff. I would like that.

Then consider it done!

Chapter 1

An egg mixed with a little coconut milk crackles in the skillet as it becomes an omelet. Lark places a couple of slices of lunch meat and a slice of cheese over the egg and turns off the burner. She reaches for a plate from the cupboard overhead. She removes the skillet from the burner, carefully transfers the omelet to her plate, and takes a seat at the kitchen table.

Lark often has this for breakfast. It's easy to make, easy on her stomach, and keeps her full for the majority of the morning. She takes a seat at the kitchen table while Westley is happy, bobbing up and down in his exersaucer. Todd shuffles into the kitchen, his bare feet making a sweeping sound on the tile floor as he approaches the coffee machine to pour himself a cup. After letting out a yawn, he asks, How was your sleep?

Lark wants to yawn now after seeing one escape her husband's lips, but she holds it in. She says, It was okay.

Todd takes a seat at the table across from Lark. He asks, Did Westley sleep through the night?

No, we were up just after midnight. I changed his diaper and brought him into bed with me to nurse him back to sleep.

Wow, I didn't hear you two at all.

Good because I was afraid, we woke you.

I must have been tired. He sips his coffee and asks, What are your plans for today?

Lark checks her phone, bringing up the playgroup schedule. There is a play date at the park later this morning. We will probably go as long as Westley is not napping during that time. I may do a load of laundry today and later go down with Westley during his afternoon nap. Just to catch up. She looks up through her lashes at Todd.

Todd nods, That makes total sense. You don't need to feel guilty about it.

Lark admits, I just feel like I miss out on the day.

Stop thinking about naps like that.

She sighs, Yes, I know.

Lark and Todd have breakfast together and as Todd is getting dressed for work, Lark makes Westley's bottles for the day and sits down in the living room to give him his first. When Lark first had Westley, it seemed that she had to decide whether to give Westley formula or decide to breastfeed only. An in-between of the two didn't seem like an option but after the first weeks of doctor appointments and weigh-ins, Westley wasn't gaining enough, and Lark was encouraged to switch to formula. Lark knew that Westley enjoyed breastfeeding and that it was easier for her than preparing bottles all the time, so she decided to give him both breastfeeding and formula. It was enough for Westley to meet his growth goals and now, at six months of age, he is doing just fine.

Todd packs his lunch and his laptop bag and puts them at the front door. He then sits with Lark and Westley in the living room for a few minutes before giving them each a hug and kiss goodbye for the day. This is the hardest part of the day for Todd when he has to leave. He wishes he could work from home all the time just to be with them, but the realities of work demand that he needs to go in most days because of meetings and to be onsite to help out.

Westley finishes his bottle. Lark hears the sound of air passing through the nipple and Westley lets go of it. Lark sits him up to burp, gently rubbing his tiny warm back. Her days often start out like this unless she was up with Westley multiple times in the night. If she was up a lot during the night, she will likely be asleep at this time, missing Todd completely. Today was off to a good start. She got to see Todd for a bit before he left for work.

Lark sets Westley on the floor in her living room with some toys for him to reach for and play with. She sits with him, naming colors and the body parts of some of the stuffed animals. She has Westley's full attention. Even though he doesn't say a single word it's as though he is studying everything, she is showing him.

After a while, she checks her watch. Todd had given it to her before they were married. The stainless-steel band and glass face are scratched but it still works and it's one of Lark's favorite gifts from him. If she doesn't start to get herself dressed and ready, she is going to miss the play date at the park.

She says to Westley, Let's go get ready. and picks her little infant up.

Most days were like this. After Todd left for work, they would play on the floor in the living room. Westley would sometimes nap mid-morning giving Lark time to either shower, tidy up or rest. Later on, they would either go to a playgroup in town or out for a walk or out to shop. In the afternoon Westley would nap again and then Todd would come home. They would all have dinner together, relax and hang out as a family with the TV on in the background and then after that, it would be time for bed.

Sometimes the days felt long and sometimes even tiresome, but this is what Lark and Todd had wanted and even though it was simple it was perfect.

Chapter 2

Even though Lark tries her best to stick to a routine for herself and Westley during the day, it still takes a toll because of the constant broken sleep. For Lark, she knew from hearing from her friends and family that raising a child would become her whole world. She was ready for it. Before Westley was born, Lark felt that in her situation she had no real purpose. She longed to be a mother but no one mentioned the physical strain it takes on the body. From breastfeeding to pumping to carrying a baby in your arms for hours at a time, because they don't want to be put down. The strain that you get in your hands from the many buttons and snaps from baby clothing that you have to fasten and unfasten multiple times throughout the day, no one ever tells you about that. It sounds silly because every action is little. Babies aren't big, pumping isn't hard. It is the constant repetitive motions during the day that makes skin tender and dry, wrists worn