Cumberland (Not A Dream Book 1) Read online

  I slowly asked, “Yes, can I please speak to Mr.

  Bradford James?”

  She asked, “Who is speaking?”

  “This is his Granddaughter Milly James.”

  “Hold one second,” she paused and then said, “I am sorry. It is past our calling hours. Can you try again sometime between Monday and Friday during the times eight in the morning and four at night?”

  I sighed with a smile and said, “Yes, I will try later. What are your visiting hours?”

  “Same days, from nine in the morning to five at night.”

  I said, “Thank you,” and hung up.

  I sat back in my chair and pondered who to talk to. “Who should I talk to?” I paused, and then answered myself, “Olivia!”

  I looked at my phone and scrolled down to the bottom of my contact list to see her name highlighted. I pressed the call button once more, and again let the phone ring in my ear. A few seconds passed and Olivia answered, “Hello?”

  “Hey it’s me, Milly,” I said nervously.

  “Oh, hey, what is up with you? Did you go see your grandpa today?”

  I smiled and said, “Well, not exactly.”

  “Oh, I see. Would you like a ride next time?” she asked in a concerning tone.

  “Yeah, that would be great. But Carolyn is threatening me. She probably won’t let me graduate.”

  “You know Principle Jack Hall?”

  “Yeah, what about him?”

  “He is my dad, I will let him know.”

  “Thank you.”

  We said our goodbye’s and then hung up.

  Chapter Five

  The next couple of dreadful days passed by, and before I knew it, it was the day of graduation. I awoke with a smile. This day, was to be my day of freedom. I watched the sun rise through the tiny attic window. The golden glow of its arrival gave me hope.

  The days did not pass by slow at all. The day after I called Olivia, Holly and Molly broke all of the china plates Carolyn saved over the years. They placed my shoe at the scene and I was again grounded.

  Then after that day, Carolyn took my car away to the scrap yard. She told me, “I know your grandfather wants you to go to Cumberland. Don’t!”

  “Why?” I asked confused.

  “Just don’t,” she simply answered before walking away.

  I jumped out of bed, and went straight to my closet. I opened it up, and where my cap and gown were hanging, was no more than an empty spot on the hook. I frantically went through my closet looking for them. I didn’t find it. I continued my search throughout the house, and still did not find any traces of it.

  I wanted to check my car, but I did not feel like letting Carolyn have the opportunity to ruin my day any more than it already had. But I decided that no one can ruin this day for me. I checked outside despite my better judgment. I walked past the dining room, on my way out of the house, and Carolyn stopped me with asking, “Where are you going?”

  “I am going to check out in my car to see if I had left my cap and gown outside,” I answered bluntly.

  She pursed her lips. It looked as if she lost her hand in her folds when she placed her hand on her hip and said, “Fine.”

  I was about to walk out the door, but decided I should ask her a question that I had been dying to know the answer to. Why not? I questioned myself. I turned to see her still standing in the doorway of the house my father had built with his own two hands. She looks displaced here. So I hesitantly asked, “Why? Why did you marry my father? Why are you trying to keep me from Cumberland? You always told me that it was a fake place. But if it was as fake as you say it is, then why keep me from trying to prove my grandfathers’ sanity?”

  She did not respond with words. Her eyes seemed to turn cold and reluctant. I know something was up, I just don’t know what. After I checked my car from top to bottom, I ran up the stairs to check the linen closet.

  I ran into the twins on my way up and tried not to laugh at their coordinating outfits for graduation pictures, but a little bit of laughter escaped my mouth. The twins began to giggle at me as I searched the hallway closet. I looked at them and then continued my search. Holly asked me, “What are you looking for?” Then Molly chortled.

  “My graduation cap and gown. Do you know where it may be?” I asked sincerely.

  They giggled again. I tried to be as nice as possible and then I demanded to know, “Please tell me.”

  “Yes, we know,” she smirked.

  “We could tell you, but what is the fun in that?” Molly rhetorically asked.

  “How would you like it if I took your cap and gown?” I counter asked.

  “Mom! Milly is threatening to hide our cap and gown!” Holly and Molly yelled together.

  “I did not!” I defended.

  Carolyn stomped up the stairs and with a heaviness in her breath she said, “Milly do not threaten my daughters.”

  “They hid my cap and gown!” I yelled.

  “My daughters would not do such a thing,” she said.

  “Oh right, because they are so perfect,” I sarcastically stated.

  “They are!” she defended.

  “Well, if they are so perfect, then how come I am still virgin?”

  She looked at them, from what seemed to be her look of ‘you better tell me the truth now!’.

  I looked at my watch to see the time. Then I exclaimed, “Oh crap! I am going to miss the bus!”

  I grabbed my purse and ran outside to see the bus leaving. I knew it still had a few more stops before reaching the school, so I tried to run down a couple blocks to get there in time. But to my demise, the bus had been unusually fast today.

  I threw up my hands and growled at the sky, “Just my luck!”

  I took a seat on the curb of the road debating whether or not to call Carolyn. I decided to call her, despite my hatred for her right now, “Hey, I missed the bus. Can you give me a ride to school?”

  “Oh, sorry, I am already taking my girls to school,” she said before hanging up on me.

  “She must be taking a different route. I did not see her come this way,” I said to myself.

  I watched the ants on the ground and it reminded of when my grandpa told me how he rode on the back of a dragon that had the head of a dragon, wings like a bird, and a body of an ant. It made me wonder if I could the same, just with a thousand ants. I laughed at my own thoughts, and decided to walk to school.

  The sky started to get dark, and I looked up to see the dark clouds rolling in. I did not feel like getting my hair and make-up ruined, so I decided to bolt for school. I ran as fast as I could before the storm hit. I kept looking at my watch and seen it move faster than my feet.

  The clouds started to look heavier than ever. I felt as if I was in the race of my life. I kept running, and up behind I heard a car slow to a stop. I turned to see why, and noticed Mason. He came up beside me and rolled down his window. He leaned across the passenger seat and popped the door open, “Get in.”

  To me, it sounded more like a demand versus the polite way of saying, “Would you like a ride?” I let it pass, because I felt the sprinkle of rain begin. I quickly got in and said, “Thank you.”

  He just nodded in return. I stared out the window, listening to silence against the drops of rain. I could feel he was looking at me, so I turned to catch a glimpse of him stealing a glance of me.

  I smiled a little and asked, “What?”

  “Nothing,” he replied.

  “Oh,” I said discerningly.

  He sighed, and said, “Can I ask you a question?”

  I quickly turned to him and said with a smile, “Yeah, anything.”

  “Do you ever wonder if you were meant to do something meaningful in life?”

  “Yeah, all the time.”

  “I only ask because your face reminds me where my heart should be,” he smiled at me. I tightened my grip on the door handle, as he looked away from the road. He asked me, “Do you not trust my driving?”

&nb
sp; “No, I do. It is just; both of my parents were killed in car accidents.”

  His face softened, and he grabbed my hand closest to him, “You are safe with me.”

  Safe, I repeated in my head. To hear his voice say that made me forget the rain ever happened. His presence made it seem as if the world had just left us to stand together forever.

  “You are usually rude as hell to other people. Why are you nice to me?” I asked questionably.

  He just ignored the question and put the car in park. He then said, “We are here. Hurry up inside,” he reached his arm back. I felt nervous as he paused, inches from my face. I wanted to kiss him, and then he rose up a closed umbrella between us and grinned.

  I looked at the umbrella and asked, “Can we share this together?”

  “No.”

  “Oh,” I sadly said.

  He smiled bigger, “You can use it for the day. I wouldn’t want you get your hair and make-up messed up before graduation pictures.”

  “Thank you, but what about you?” I asked.

  “I don’t mind the rain.”

  “Well, thank you, again,” I smiled at him, knowing my face was blushing. So I quickly stepped out of the car before he could notice.

  I rushed inside the school, and walked fast to the auditorium. I almost tripped on my way up the stairs, trying to put the umbrella in my purse, but caught myself in time. I frantically looked for the rack of spare caps and gowns and found none. I thought to myself, I wonder how many people just didn’t feel like using their own so they used the schools. I highly doubt their twin step sisters hid theirs away.

  As I continued to search for a spare Olivia approached me, “Where is your cap and gown?”

  “Holly and Molly,” I plainly answered.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  I looked at her all dressed for graduation, and I knew she is set to go five people ahead of me. Principle Hall stepped up beside us and he asked, “Are you guys ready?” Principle looked at me, as if he were directing the question to me.

  “Yeah, as soon as I find a cap and gown.”

  He looked at me with a stern face and said, “Find one.”

  He walked away, and Olivia looked at me, “I noticed you got a ride from Mr. Perfect.”

  I knew she was referring to Mason, and said, “Yeah, he is really nice.”

  “Did you ask him about Cumberland?” she asked in almost a whisper.

  “No, I forgot.”

  “Anyways, I can help with your cap and gown dilemma.”

  I shook my head and asked, “How?”

  She answered with a grin, “When I go across, I will come back up and take mine off and give it to you.”

  I gave her a big hug and then heard her name get called by the principle. She whispered, “Wish me luck.” I nodded my head as she waved. I watched her accept her diploma and walk off the other way. I turned around to await her arrival and bumped into Mason.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologized. I reached in my purse and pulled out his umbrella, “Here.”

  He nodded his head and put his hand on mine, “I told you that you could use it today.”

  I nervously smiled, why am I smiling so much? He must think I am crazy or something, I thought to myself. Then Olivia came up and handed me her cap and gown and said, “Hurry you are next.”

  Mason walked on the stage, then left.

  “Okay,” I told her. Then I threw it on as fast as I could and awaited my name to be called. Principle Hall then announced, “Milly James.”

  I walked onto the stage and seen him staring at me questionably. I just put a smirk smile on my face and took my diploma. I looked out at the audience and seen everyone’s parents were there, and their family members. I felt tears in my eyes as I did not have one family member sitting in the chairs with the rest of the family members. I looked down, and then walked off the stage.

  My mothers’ family had not shown, because they once told me, “You look too much like your mother, and it is too painful to see you.” My fathers’ family had not shown, because Carolyn ran them off telling my father, “She and her daughters are the only family you need.”

  Chapter Six

  The graduation ended and I stood out in the hall. Many students had passed me in a rush to get home. I noticed Carolyn in outside talking to a bunch of men wearing black suits and Bluetooth earpieces. I looked closer and seen her look back at me. I saw her mouth, “Bye,” as she decided to come in.

  She walked up to me and asked, “Do you still plan to go to Cumberland?”

  I nodded and response and before she walked off, she stated, “Don’t get hurt,” with a raspy sound in her voice and a smile painted in her face. Olivia approached me and said, “Visiting hours is almost over, you need to go see your grandpa and show him your diploma.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed while I rubbed my forehead and yawned.

  “Getting old on me?” Olivia joked. I shrugged my shoulders and answered, “No, but someone we know is,” I answered while climbing in her truck.

  We were a couple of blocks away, and Olivia was texting on her phone. I told her shaking, “Please do not text while driving.”

  She laughed, “We will be fine.”

  I used a stern voice, “We will wreck.”

  “Oh, please!” she begged.

  “Haven’t you ever heard of Murphy’s Law?”

  “Yeah, I know. But have you ever heard of three quarter ton American-made steel truck with a lift kit and forty-two inch rims?”

  I giggled at her pompous attitude of her truck, “You are pretty sure of this truck, aren’t you?”

  She answered, “Yeah, this truck can handle anything.”

  She continued to look at me when we hit something in the road. I remembered seeing a glimpse of dark hair and then nothing. We raced out of the truck to see what she ran over and we didn’t find anything. We looked up to see if it were a bird, and all we seen was Mason standing by her tail gate. I was about to ask if he was okay, then he disappeared too quickly.

  “Did you just see that?” I asked Olivia, tugging on her sleeve. I looked up at her when she did not instantly respond, and saw her nodding in what seemed to be obvious shock.

  “We better go see your grandpa, and Mason better fix my dent,” she demanded.

  We quickly arrived at the retirement home and were taken into his room promptly. We entered slowly and he greeted us with, “Ahhh, Milly! How was graduation?”

  I pulled out my diploma and showed him my achievement. I noticed him hooked up to more machines than he was in the hospital. I said, “Graduation was fine, what is wrong?” I asked pointing at the machines.

  He coughed heavily while wheezing, and answered, “Just promise me something.”

  I leaned in closer and said, “Yes, anything.”

  “Read the book. Find my map. It will take you the safest route to arrive at Cumberland, no matter what happens to me,” he coughed more.

  “What are you saying?” I asked quietly.

  “You know exactly what I am saying,” he explained while staring me in the eyes.

  I didn’t want to leave him, not this sick. He is my world. I looked at Olivia, but the sadness caught my eyes and reflected onto hers. She turned away to cover the red in her face. He put his hand on mine as my hand rested on his chest.

  “I don’t want you to die,” I pleaded.

  “Death is just a new start,” he said with a smile.

  He began to whisper, and Olivia turned to walk closer to us, “Milly, there is something you need to know.”

  I matched his octave, “What is it?”

  He began to cough violently, and his heart monitor started to signal distress. The nurses rushed in and demanded we go. I yelled out, “Grandpa!” while still holding his hand. He told the nurses to wait one minute. They listened.

  “Milly, your parents are not dead. They never died. They are in Cumberland.”

  His hand slipped from mine as his monit
or flat lined. I whispered, “I love you.”

  The nurses covered him, from head to toe, with a white sheet. The nurses looked at me and said, “I am sorry for your loss, but you must go now.” I nodded in agreement.

  I made it outside, even though my sight became blurred with tears. I paced back and forth at the front entrance, and folded my arms across my chest. The sun shown bright on my skin, but mind became gloomy with dark clouds. I could feel my face tighten in disparity.

  I felt a hand grab my shoulder. Out of instinct, I grabbed the arm and threw the person without realizing who it was. Then, all of a sudden, I saw Olivia fly up and then she landed in a crouching position. “Oh my gosh! I am sorry, I didn’t know it was you,” I immediately apologized.

  “It is fine, it’s a good thing we were both trained for such activities,” she laughed.

  Despite her whimsical laughter, that would normally make me smile, my eyes became heavy with the warmth of sobbing Waterfalls. Olivia was quick to comfort me, “Milly, everything will be fine. We need to honor your grandpa’s wish. If he is telling the truth about your parents, we need to save them now. I will be by your side no matter what.”

  I hugged her tighter, and told her, “Thank you.”

  “But, we need to find the map first. Do you have any idea where it might be?” Olivia asked.

  “I think it might be in my fathers’ storage shed. He gave me the key to hold onto. Carolyn didn’t have a clue about it.”

  “Maybe there is a reason for that,” she stated.

  I lifted the key up, which was placed on my key chain and grinned, “Well, there is only one way to find out.”

  “See that cheered you up,” she grinned back.

  “Anything to help my dear old grandpa makes me happy.”

  The storage shed was number thirty-four. The numbers of each shed, in each row, were labeled on the doors with white paint. I remember my father bringing me here, but he would never let me in. He always told me, “When the time was right, you will see what it beholds.”

  Those words always made me ponder why. But I never questioned him. I trusted he knew what was best. But if he was so into Carolyn, it made me wonder why he neglected to inform her of such thing. It is just a storage shed, isn’t it?