The Augurs

By Ann Werner

Something is happening to the people of New Hope. Months after surviving the Red Scourge, some citizens awaken to find they possess psychic abilities. They share the same strange premonition but have no idea what it means. A woman is on the way. But who is she? And what is drawing her to New Hope? When a trader brings Michaela Robinson to town, their questions are partly answered. She tells them something is coming. Something bad. She doesn't know what it is but feels the psychic abilities that have suddenly appeared will be necessary to meet the struggle ahead.

Soon after, an old enemy returns and a girl goes missing.

Now New Hope must grapple with finding her without the benefit of modern technology. Will their fledgling psychic power be enough? Or is she lost to them forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Werner
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798887226385

Ann Werner

A woman always in search of experience, Ann Werner has sampled a wide range of occupations: waitress, radio advertising sales, copywriter, voiceover work, cemetery plot sales (she thought it was a dead-end job), event coordinator, packaging design, and wine consultant, to name just a few. She also worked as a professional actor, best known for her portrayal of Eliana, maid to the evil Dimera family on the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives. An avid reader, she always had a passion for writing and released her first novel THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR in 2000. Since then she has been busy on her other projects, which include two non-fiction books she compiled with daughter and business partner, Kimberley A. Johnson: THE VIRGIN DIARIES and AIN'T NO SUNSHINE: MEN REVEAL THE PAIN OF HEARTBREAK. In the past several years, Ann also penned three other novels: DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES, CRAZY and COOPER'S GROVE as well as two short stories: THE CHEMTRAIL CONSPIRACY and A VIEW FROM THE MEADOW. Her most recent novel, THE MELT (Book One of the After the Apocalypse), includes the first two chapters of Book Two of the series in her upcoming release, THE AUGURS. She is busy at work on her next novel.

Book preview

Rina woke to the staccato tempo of sleet battering the bedroom window. Her first thought upon being dragged from slumber was Not again! This was the third time she’d awakened with the urgent need to pee. What was going on? She’d always been able to sleep through the night, and now she felt like a waterworks. It was so annoying. Grabbing the robe at the foot of the bed, she wrapped it around herself while Ethan snored quietly, unaware of his wife’s discomfort.

On her way to the bathroom, she stubbed her toe and let out a strangled expletive. Shivering in the cold, she settled herself on the toilet to empty her bladder. Still half asleep, she closed her eyes and waited to finish when a hazy image appeared in front of her. It was a woman, and she was in a hurry. She wore a heavy overcoat against the blustery March wind, and her long skirt swirled around scuffed boots. Rina could swear she heard the tap of the cane the woman held as she made her way down a country road. The woman was saying something, but before Rina could discern her words, the image faded.

Unbidden, a name popped into Rina’s mind, and without thinking, she uttered it aloud. Michaela.

Her drowsiness sidelined by the strange vision, she stared at the ceiling for a long while after returning to bed and wondered what the vision meant. This wasn’t the first time. Lately, she’d been having strange experiences she couldn’t explain. Weird thoughts, wisps of visions that flew by so quickly she couldn’t catch them, although nothing like she’d just seen in the bathroom. It unsettled her.

She hadn’t mentioned them to Ethan or to anyone else.

~~

That same night, Tanya awoke in the middle of the night. When Elvin woke up at the same instant, she thought it might be because of her sudden movement and intake of breath.

I just had the strangest dream, she said to her husband.

Me too, he answered.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she turned on the bedside lamp. There was a woman. It couldn’t really see her face, but she was older and walking with a cane. She kept saying, ‘I’m on my way.’

Elvin’s eyes widened in shock, and he could barely squeak out his words. What?

His strong reaction made no sense. I said…

I know what you said, but I can’t believe it.

Why not?

I had exactly the same dream.

~~

Sarah Jenkins felt out of sorts. For the past several days she hadn’t slept well. She’d wake up in the middle of the night feeling like she was missing something but could never figure out what that something was. She and Daniel were getting serious, and she wondered if that was the source of her insomnia. After all, they were young, and people might tell them they were too immature to commit to a life together. The thought had crossed her mind more than once. Every time it did, she tossed it out and reminded herself this wasn’t the world they’d left behind. It was a new world with new rules, although those rules had yet to be solidified. Still, she was aware that she’d just turned sixteen and he was just shy of nineteen. Maybe they were too young. Maybe in time they would come to regret an action taken too quickly. Those thoughts plagued her mind on those sleepless nights. But it didn’t feel like those sudden, unexplained bouts of wakefulness had anything to do with Daniel. There was something there; something that whooshed through her brain before she could catch it. There was a sound: a tap, tap, tap she couldn’t identify.

~~

Carleen Simmons and Artie Bennett had combined their households. Jimmy had grown fond of Carleen during his adopted dad’s courtship with her and was the one who suggested to Artie that Carleen would make a good mom. Besides, Jimmy liked Carleen’s house much better than the small apartment over Artie’s shop. There was a tire swing hanging from the tree in the back yard and plenty of room to run and play with his friends. He even liked the little altar in the living room, with all the candles, plants, bells, and mysterious things that piqued the imagination of an eleven-year-old boy.

This morning, Jimmy was impatient to get to school. He didn’t tell anyone, but he had a crush on Rebecca Patel, a girl who had recently arrived in New Hope. He knew most boys his age thought girls were icky, so he kept his crush to himself, but Rebecca was different. She had beautiful skin, sort of like the color of that caramel leather his dad had back at the shop, and her hair was long, silky, and dark. To Jimmy, she looked like a princess out of a Disney movie. Today, he would give her a gift.

Can I take one of those cupcakes you made, Miss Carleen?

I packed one in your lunch.

Oh, I figured you would, but…can I have a spare?

Carleen smiled. She knew all about Rebecca, having been alerted to Jimmy’s rather transparent infatuation by Tanya. The temptation to tell him she knew about his feelings for the girl was strong, but she didn’t want to embarrass him, so she wrapped up a second cupcake and deposited it in his lunch pail.

Thanks! He grabbed the pail and made for the door.

Jimmy! Button your coat, wrap that scarf around your neck, and wear your hat! It’s cold and windy outside.

He did as she asked and bolted out the door.

A young man in love, Artie observed over his cup of herbal tea.

Yeah, until the next girl, Carleen poured herself a second cup and sat across from him.

After downing the last of his tea, Artie got up, planted a kiss on her cheek, and said, I gotta head out. Harold Collins is coming this morning to pick up his kids’ coats. They’re growing like weeds. In exchange, we’re getting some of Betsy’s blueberry jam, a slab of venison, and some of Harold’s signature white lightning.

That’ll warm our insides! She got up and returned his kiss.

After he left, she sat at the table and absentmindedly stirred the tea in her cup, the strange occurrence from last night playing through her mind. She almost woke Artie when it happened, but then felt nervous about telling him. She’d heard a woman’s voice. Memories of Barker and his claim of God speaking to him had stopped her. Besides, she’d probably just dreamed it and thought she heard a woman saying I’m on my way. But it didn’t feel like a dream. She’d been awakened by that voice. She was sure of it. But there had been no one there, so it must have been a dream.

Shaking off the unease the memory raised, she finished her tea, got up, washed and dried the breakfast dishes, then bundled up and headed to her job as the town librarian.

~~

After a boring day with little to do, Deputy Sheriff Will Rhodes arrived on Coral Piccinini’s doorstep. They weren’t exactly a couple yet, but their relationship was headed in that direction. She’d invited him for dinner, and although he felt reticent about confiding in her, he needed a sounding board. Once inside the warm and cozy house, he had second thoughts. Would she think he was nuts?

You seem a bit distracted, Coral observed over dessert. Rough day?

Will let out a low chuckle. Not exactly. Uneventful to the point of monotony is more like it. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. New Hope isn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal activity. But I’ll be glad when warmer weather gets here and there’s more to do. I’m anxious to get started on the water pipeline project, but the weather hasn’t been conducive to that kind of work.

She nodded and picked at her finger. I know what you mean, I’ve been going a little stir crazy myself. I think maybe that’s why… She stopped and looked away.

That’s why what?

She shook her head. It’s nothing

Coral, what?

Reluctantly, she answered. I keep getting this feeling that something or someone is coming. I can’t describe it.

Now Will was on full alert.

It’s this feeling in my gut, you know? She continued, I’ve never experienced anything like it before. It’s like a premonition. But I don’t believe in that sort of thing.

Taking a deep breath, Will blurted, You’re not alone.

~~

The late afternoon sun was no competition for the stiff wind howling down the mountainside. Rina pedaled as fast as she could, partly to warm up and partly because she was afraid and excited at the same time. Parking her bike on the walk, she scaled the stairs to Mariko and Duke’s front porch and knocked on the door.

Rina! What a nice surprise! Come in and get out of the cold.

Rina followed Mariko into the living room, where a fire roared in the stone fireplace. She leaned down and let the heat dispel the bone-chilling cold of a West Virginia winter. Oh, that feels so good!

Is everything okay? Mariko asked. Or is this a social visit?

It’s always good to see you, Mariko, but this is more of a professional visit.

You’re not feeling well?

I’m fine.

What can I do for you?

Well, a couple of things. First, I can’t stop peeing. I mean, I can stop, but I’m just going way more than usual, and I don’t know if it means anything. I always sleep through the night. Always. But lately, I’ve been waking up two, three, sometimes four times. It’s annoying.

"Any other problems?

I’m tired a lot. But I think that’s because I wake up so often. I feel a little nauseous too. Not like I’m going to throw up, but just unsettled. And my breasts hurt. Especially in this cold! It feels almost like pins sticking me.

Mariko tapped her finger against her nose and nodded her head. Anything else?

Rina shrugged. Just generally uncomfortable.

Mariko smiled. Doesn’t sound like there’s anything wrong with you. Well, there is something, but it’s nothing to fear. I think you’re pregnant. You have all the symptoms. I have some pregnancy tests. We can do this right now if you want.

Rina breathed a sigh of relief tinged with worry about the future. I thought that might be it. I wasn’t sure. Yes, let’s do the test.

While they waited for the results, Rina debated whether to confide in Mariko. Her need to talk to someone about her strange experience won. This is really weird, but last night I had a vision. That’s the only way I can describe it. I was in the bathroom - of course! And suddenly, this image appeared in front of me.

What kind of image?

It was a woman, all bundled up against the cold. She had a cane. She was hurrying along a road, and she was saying something. I couldn’t hear her, but her lips were moving. I don’t know if I was still dreaming, even though I was awake, or if I was hallucinating. I don’t know if it’s related to all those other symptoms, but it freaked me out.

At that, Mariko’s expression shifted to unease.

What? What are you thinking? Is something wrong with me? Rina’s heartbeat ratcheted up. Do you think it has anything to do with the Red Scourge?

Mariko held up her hand. No. Seeing that woman has nothing to do with being pregnant. You’re the second person today who’s been here with a tale of a strange experience. Betsy Collins came to me this morning, all upset because she thought she was going insane. She told me she kept hearing a woman’s voice saying she was on the way.

What?

She was really upset. So much so that she didn’t even tell Harold about it.

What the hell is going on?

There’s more. Mariko took a deep breath. The same thing happened to me.

Two

On the way home, Rina vacillated between terror and excitement at the prospect of being pregnant. She’d been dreading this day ever since the world changed. Now her dream of motherhood was coming true, but all the fears that had driven her to keep the truth from Ethan about taking birth control flooded back. She felt mildly ill and wondered if it was stress, or morning sickness, or maybe both. Coupled with the vision she’d had, which was troubling enough, she thought it might be both.

Upon entering the house, she went straight to her journal and recorded what Mariko told her regarding the experiences she and Betsy shared. Recalling the vision she’d had when she and Ethan had gone into the shelter, the dream she’d had about tainted water, and her recent unexplained occurrences, she was now convinced something was coming. That woman was coming. She’d seen her in that middle-of-the-night vision. Mariko and Betsy had heard her. But what did it mean? And who was she? Suddenly, the name Michaela surfaced in her mind. She’d forgotten that she’d given voice to it last night. A chill wracked her that had nothing to do with the gusty wind outside her window.

She finished her journal entry and wondered if she, Mariko, and Betsy were the only ones, or if others in town had had similar experiences. Time would tell.

In the meantime, even though she still harbored fears about her impending motherhood, she knew Ethan would be thrilled. She resolved to ignore her angst and prepare a celebratory dinner to surprise him when he came home.

~~

Oh man! That smells good! A blast of cold air followed Ethan when he walked into the house.

After shedding his gloves, coat, hat, and scarf, he came into the kitchen where the table was set with their best dishes.

What’s the occasion? he asked. Are we expecting company?

No. Just us. She opened the oven to check on the nicely browned roast chicken.

Peeking inside the oven, Ethan spied another of his favorites. You made the root vegetable whatever you call it! I love that!

"It’s just called roasted root vegetables, Ethan, and I know how much you like it. I also fixed some green beans—canned by moi, I might add—because I know they’re your faves as well."

Did you do something horrible you don’t want me to know about?

Rina laughed. I can’t make my wonderful husband his favorite meal without being suspected of misdeeds?

You’re making me nervous, Rina.

She laughed again.

So what’s the occasion?

She took the chicken from the oven and turned to him. Why don’t you go wash up? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Just have to make the gravy.

For a minute, he stood there and stared at her, wondering what she was hiding, because he knew she was hiding something.

She waved her fingers at him. Shoo!

When he returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, dinner was on the table and a folded paper, tied with a pink and blue bow was on his plate. Rina sat in her chair across the table from his, hands folded, an expectant look on her face.

He seated himself and picked up the paper. What’s this?

It’s an anniversary present.

What anniversary? As I recall, we were married in September.

It’s been a year since we arrived here in New Hope.

He blew out a breath. Wow. It never occurred to me. But yeah, we got here the end of March last year. It doesn’t seem like that long, but at the same time, it feels like we’ve been here forever.

 I wanted to mark the occasion, but I had no idea how to do it. It seems that nature has come up with the solution.

What does that mean?

Open it!

Brow wrinkled, he shot her a look, pulled the ribbon loose, and unfolded the paper. His eyes widened, and he looked across the table at her, then back at the paper in his hand.

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

I have a gift

to give to you.

I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.

So we’ll just have to wait

Until November.

I’m sorry it doesn’t rhyme.

He jumped up from his chair and lifted Rina from hers, hugging her tight. That’s the best poem EVER! He crushed her to him and planted kisses all over her face and neck.

~~

After dinner, while they tidied the kitchen, Rina shared her middle of the night vision with Ethan and told him about Mariko’s revelation.

I don’t know what’s going on, Ethan, but something is happening. Has anything odd happened to you?

He shook his head. What do you think it means?

I don’t know, but I’m convinced the woman—Michaela—is on her way here. I don’t know why. This is…I can’t explain. I don’t know how I know her name, but I do. I don’t know why I saw her, but I did. And I believe that Mariko and Betsy heard her.

I don’t understand.

Neither do I.

Well, he said and put the last of the dishes away, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Three

The day was unusually hot for mid-May, but that didn’t stop the people of New Hope from getting outside and preparing the ground for the gardens that would provide sustenance for the town during the cold winter months. For the most part, the women in town labored in the gardens while some of the men worked on building a water delivery system from the spring located near the entrance to the Appalachian Trail above the town. As usual, Coral Piccinini was among the men. Her work on installing the solar panels prompted Duke Naylor, who had coordinated the water delivery project, to tap her as his second in command. She and the other workers were the first people to see the horse-drawn wagon loaded with supplies traveling along the road into town. Most were merely curious, while others had a different reaction.

Coral, along with Will Rhodes, Elvin Streeter, and Daniel Walden all stopped what they were doing at the same time, their eyes turning to the strangers heading into their midst. Rather than apprehension, they felt a pull to something familiar, although they didn’t register what that familiarity was. As if in a trance, they all looked at each other and then back at the slow-moving wagon.

Duke! Coral called out. Something’s up. I’ll be back.

Before Duke could answer, she was followed by Elvin, Daniel, and Will. Together, they headed down the trail into town. On the way, they were joined by Carlene, Mariko, Betsy, Rina, Sarah, and Tanya. All wore the same expression on their faces: puzzlement at why they felt compelled to abandon their tasks and expectation of whatever led them to do so. Only those who’d been working on the mountain overlooking the town knew there was a wagon on the way, yet all of them lined up on the road and waited. Soon, the wagon came into view.

As it drew closer, recognition rippled through the group.

It’s her! Tanya whispered.

Michaela, Rina said.

The wagon pulled up and the driver, a grizzled man with a scraggly beard, climbed down from the driver’s seat, then helped the woman who sat next to him disembark. Taking off the hat he wore to protect him from the late spring sun, he introduced himself.

Hello folks. Name’s John Harcourt. I’m a trader out of Buffalo, New York. This here is Miz Robinson.

Michaela Robinson, the woman echoed. Mr. Harcourt found me and was good enough to give me a lift after I injured myself on the way here. I stepped on a rock, it tilted, I went down, and my ankle was sprained so bad that my leg all the way up to my knee was black and blue. Couldn’t put any weight on it for over two weeks and even then…well, let’s just say he’s been a blessing. I meant to get here sooner.

I’ve been traveling up and down the eastern states, looking for communities that formed after the Red Scourge. Harcourt said. I figured we can all do ourselves a favor and share the bounty from our different parts of the country. Got a wagon full of stuff I’d like to barter with you good folks. Wouldn’t have known about you, tucked away in this little neck of the woods, but for Miz Robinson here.

His words hardly registered as all eyes were on Michaela. A moment of silence passed.

Finally, Will broke the spell. Welcome to New Hope. He turned to his group. Let’s take them to The Roadhouse. I’ll ring the bell to alert the town. Turning his attention to Michaela, he said, And we can get acquainted with Miz Robinson.

Please, call me Michaela.

~~

In the life before the Red Scourge, Michaela Robinson had been a psychology professor at the University of Portland, Maine. Her classes always filled early, and the waiting list to get in was long. She loved investigating the human mind, but she was also fascinated by the unexplained or little understood aspects of human consciousness. Even more than her regular psychology classes, her no-credit class in parapsychology filled up at warp speed.

Normally, she festooned herself in wild, bright colors to match her outgoing personality, but her long journey on the road had resulted in a thick layer of dust and grime over tattered clothing now more suited for a garbage bin. Her scuffed boots were worn through at the soles, and the coat she’d wrapped herself in to protect her from the cold of winter was little more than a rag after serving as mattress and blanket so many nights in the wilderness. But the cane with the cloisonné handle was none the worse for wear.

While the townspeople congregated around Harcourt, the recipients of Michaela’s psychic messages gathered around her at a table in a back corner of The Roadhouse. They spoke in hushed tones, afraid if others heard them, the same fears that had plagued them would cause distrust among their neighbors.

She sat calmly and gratefully drank a cool glass of tea while they peppered her with questions.

Where do you come from?

How did you know about this place?

How did you get into my head?

Why did you come here?

Can you tell the future?

Are you a telepath?

What’s going on? Are we in danger?

After their questions were exhausted, she leaned back in her chair, the weariness of her long journey evident on her face. There’s only one question I can answer with certainty. I’m from Portland, Maine. She went on to relate her experience as a professor at the University. As for the rest, I can only say that up until recently I’ve had a few of what could be construed as psychic experiences. I always wrote them off as coincidence, until one day I had an experience that opened my mind. It’s when I became interested in parapsychology and decided to teach a class. I found the more I delved into it the more open I was, and the more open I was the more frequently I would have what I began to recognize as psychic experiences. But still, it was nothing like what’s happened in recent months. I don’t know why, but I suspect the absence of communications media has awakened something dormant in me. For all I know maybe in all mankind. The fact that you were able to connect with me on a psychic level only cements my belief that there are untapped powers at our disposal.

But are we in danger? Rina asked. Why the urgency—the ‘I’m coming’ message?

"I can’t answer that with any specificity. I do know something’s coming. I don’t know what it is, or when it will arrive, but I feel that whenever it does get