The Dark Secret - The Family Secrets - Chapter 20

This is another installment in my current long form serial, The Family Secrets.

The Family Secrets is the story about the DeMarco family and their two week annual vacation at the family lake house. Twenty plus family members bring several secrets along as they come together for this year's installment. The secrets will forever change their happy family although no one has any clue how.

At this point we know from previous chapters that the patriarch and matriarch's marriage is failing, the youngest child of theirs is unexpectantly pregnant, the oldest son has a very exciting secret he is keeping, but the biggest secret will devastate them all.

Bart and his father have a moment of truth where Bart shares one of the two major problems that is plaguing him. He hides the biggest, but realizes he must offer something to his father to remove his attention.

Brittany leads the girls in a rout against the guys in a"friendly" volleyball game.

Donald scanned the road as they rolled past the trees they had cleared from the road the previous day. He expected see Casey’s Mazda coupe parked somewhere off the side of the road. The diesel engine of his grandfather’s truck roared louder as Bart pushed the gas pedal father toward the floor to overcome the strain the large tractor provided as they moved up the gentle slope toward their objective.

Only empty shoulders met Donald’s search. He could hear Jack talking with Michelle in the back of the cab, which made him wish Casey was staying at the lake house with them also. He pulled off his sunglasses to rub them with a tissue to try to remove the left over dirt from the previous day. By the time he finished the previous day he was so tired he did not even realize he still had the sun glasses on.

“It doesn’t look like she is here yet,” Jack said.

“No.”

“I’m sure she will be here soon,” Jack said clamping his brother on both shoulders as he tried to be supportive.

“You know I meant what I said in my room,” Bart spoke. “Casey is very attractive.”

“Yes, she is.”

“She reminds me of your Aunt Carrie with her playfulness. We had a lot of fun when we dated.”

“I guess being a parent changes a lot of things, huh?’

“It can, if you let it.”

“Are we going to have enough room to unload?” Donald could see the beginning of the slide from where they were stopped. He also saw the object of his desire, Casey Ritter, sitting atop the rock pile, beaming at him.

“Is that really what is on your mind nephew?” Bart said with a grin. His answer was a door opening and shutting as Donald quickly exited the truck to make his way to the bottom of the pile where he looked up to greet Casey.

“I didn’t think so!” Bart said aloud.

“How did you get here?” Donald asked.

“My bicycle, it is parked over there next to the trees.”

“How is the view?”

“Better now,” Casey said.

“Oh boy, now they are getting sappy!” Jack said as he walked up to Donald’s side. He elbowed his brother in the ribs, and then turned to guide his uncle as he backed the trailer toward the slide pile.

“Leave them alone!” Michelle said.

“Of course,” Casey said turning to look back toward the lake, “the view is even nicer this way!”

Donald and Jack flanked the trailer when Bart stopped, unhooking the chains that held the Kubota tractor in place. Bart climbed aboard so he could start the machine to back it off to start the job. Casey still stood on the pile, surveying all the scenery below her. She saw a few boaters on the lake, including those pulling water skiers enjoying the smooth early morning water. She drew in the fresh air coming from the direction of the lake, letting it fill her lungs while she felt the full smile envelope her face.

The boys surveyed the scene to see what would be their best plan of action. The storm washed multiple sections of the trail away, so there were plenty of places to move the pile. The larger rocks would be the best choice for filling in the holes, so Donald climbed up on the side of the tractor to share his thoughts with Bart. Michelle joined Casey on her perch to look around at the damage from that vantage point.

Both girls noticed things they had not seen when they visited with the DeMarco’s a couple of days before, probably from either the storm or the different frame of reference. A particular change was over at the place where the secrets were dropped. It seemed there was a larger opening than they remembered. Between them and that area however, was a half dozen washed out ditches to be repaired. Until this task was done, access was non-existent.

Bart stopped the machine about an hour later to flag Donald down.

“Call Pop. We are going to need more large stone to finish this job. Ask him to round up someone with a dump trailer to haul it in.”

Donald pulled his phone out to follow his uncle’s instruction. It became clear when Bart began to work that the material needed had washed on down the slope. He would not have made this decision on his own and was glad Bart made the choice. His grandfather listened as he laid out the situation, and then promised to have something there within a couple of hours. He also said he would make a trip up when he got what they needed covered.

“It looks like we have some time,” Donald announced to the others. Bart continued to work with what was there, clearing the path while filling some eroded areas.

“I know something we can do,” Casey said. “There is something new at Secret Rock. We can find a way around to check it out while we wait.”

Casey led the expedition as they followed a footpath that certainly did not look to be purposely cut into the landscape. Someone used it sparingly as they traveled this attraction. For Michelle and Casey the goal was obvious, but the boys wondered what was different. What had Casey noticed that made her so interested in making this effort to get there?

The group found more slides around this rough path, which required them to exert more effort than they expected. All wondered how much winding they would have to do to get where they desired. Would they even be able to get to Secret Rock due to all the change in landscape?

“I think this is it,” Casey declared as they climbed a steep slope, clinging to saplings and bushes to aid their ascent.

The scene surprised all of them when they finished their climb to find a sizeable hole washed out where the small opening used to be at Secret Rock. Peering into this opening, they could see sunlight flooding the opening from below.

“It looks like storm opened it all the way!” Michelle proclaimed.

“This is totally cool!” Casey said with eyes as big as half dollars. “We should go exploring.”

Donald pulled his cell phone from his pocket to see his Uncle Bart’s number flash on the display.

“Hello.”

He shook his head while listening, but did not say very much.

“Okay, we were looking around up here. We will come back now.” Donald flipped the phone shut as he turned to look at the others to speak.

“The tractor has a problem. Uncle Bart wants us back over there to help him try to get it working again.”

“You go, we are going to go down in there,” Casey said.

“That s not a good idea,” Jack said. “We should all go together.”

“I think he is right, we would be safer if we all went together,” Donald said. He saw the immediate look of disappointment on Casey’s face, which made him want to immediately take the words back.

“I guess so,” Casey said grudgingly.

“We can come back this evening,” Donald offered. “We will bring the jet skis and come in the way we did with the boats.”

“I like that idea,” Michelle replied.

The thought of retracing the path they came did not appeal to any of them, but they saw little alternatives that promised any better. It was amazing how much change one storm could make in this landscape. There had been a tremendous amount of water accompany all the wind they had experienced. The trees testified to that, but this was filling in the story from the water’s power.

Bart had his foot up on a large boulder that was in a bind against the bucket of his loader. He told them how it shifted as he tried to move it the first time, lodging against two other big ones to foul the machine. The soft ground allowed the large cleated tractor tires to dig ditches as he tried to back away to compound the problem. Now the machine seemed be in too much of a bind to rescue with the tools they had.

“Maybe I can pull it out with the truck,” Bart thought aloud. He stared at the tractor while he studied the situation another time.

Once the trailer was out of his way Bart backed up to within a few feet of the tractor to attach the heavy chains from the metal tool box behind the cab. Donald threaded the chains through a piece of the frame, wrapping them several times before hooking them to another part to assure the chain was secure.

“You guys need to back away,” Bart warned them.

The large diesel engine belched out dark black smoke when Bart applied pressure to the gas pedal to rev the engine. When he released the clutch the truck lurched forward a little before the tires began to dig into the rocks underneath. The engine roared as Bart applied more pressure to the fuel pedal. Similar to the experience with the tractor, the truck continued to chew into the soft ground underneath.

“It’s not working,” Jack said.

“The ground is too soft,” Casey replied.

Bart stopped after just a few moments of this, because he feared burying the truck up if he did not.

“She is stuck now!” he said. “I need to go back to the lake house for more help. Maybe if I get some other tools I can shovel some rocks underneath and get more traction.”

“Is it okay if we stay?” Casey asked.

“Why would you?” Bart answered.

“There is an opening over where you drop the secrets," Michelle explained. “We want to explore.”

Bart’s face betrayed an emotion he had successfully hidden for so long he forgot it even existed. Fear was the best way to describe the look, but the four young people did not translate it that way, seeing something strange instead.

“NO!” Bart said so forcefully that everyone’s mouth dropped open. “You have no business poking around down in something like that. Your mother,” he said pointing at each child, even though he really meant his older sister “would kill me if I let you do that.”

“Uncle Bart, we are old enough to know what is safe,” Jack replied.

“I said NO!” Bart shouted. His voice was firm, showing he was not kidding around in the least.

“Okay,” Donald said holding his hands up in a manner of surrender to his demand.

“Let’s go back to the lake house. I don’t think I need you guys any more today.”

Carrie sat in the white porch swing with Elaine, watching the smaller kids enjoy another day playing in the lake. Her mood was so much lighter since the community supper the night before. Something said between her father-in-law and Bart made a tremendous difference in him. He had let her close last night; actually talking about something other than his job struggles. They had not fought for the first time in so long she could not remember.

“It was good to see Bart and Cyrus together like that,” Elaine said. “It has been too long since they have been able to talk.”

“Bart is just so private,” Carrie relied. “He can get really defensive before I realize it. I have to watch what I say. That is why we haven’t told either of you.”

“Told us what?” Elaine asked, knowing nothing of the conversation from the previous evening.

“About the job,” Carrie said turning to look at her.

“What job?” Elaine asked.

“Oh,” Carrie said, realizing Cyrus did not share the topic of their conversation.

“Carrie, what job?”

“I promised Bart not to say anything!” Carrie said as she looked at her mother-in-law with some concern.

“I am his mother,” Elaine said softly.

“Yes, but I have to live with him,” Carrie answered. She turned her gaze back toward the sounds of happy children, allowing Elaine to make up her own mind what exactly she meant. Elaine already had a good idea that their relationship was strained, no doubt due to Bart’s moodiness of late. She reached down to place her hand on Carrie’s, wanting to signal her willingness to let the issue rest. Her intention was to leave Carrie alone, but find time to quiz Bart or Cyrus. Ideally Bart would be the better alternative because she knew part of the reason he struggled.

Two of Carrie’s girls ran toward them, dripping from their recent exit from the lake. Elaine allowed this conversation to pass so she could concentrate on what the girls brought to show her and their mother.

Bart drove in silence back to the lake house. No one else would speak either, unsure what had brought out Bart’s harsh words. Nothing had occurred to cause it as far as they could tell, but for sure he was unhappy. C.J. met them in the driveway with the tools Bart suggested. He also agreed to replace the four younger members of the family, seeing the agitation in Bart.

“What was that about?” Casey asked.

“I don’t know,” Jack said.

“Can we ride the jet skis over now?” Michelle asked.

“Sure. We probably should just act like we are going for a ride,” Donald said. “I don’t know how mom would react if we explained ourselves.”

“We’ll meet you at the dock,” Casey said as they made their way to the house to change.

All the younger children got excited at the mere mention of the jet skis. Donald could see this was going to cause a delay in departure, but knew it might be better for them to assuage the masses with quick rides before they actually set out on their trip. His main concern was having enough time to go, explore and return before dark.

The second Jet Ski Cyrus secured from a neighbor made the task easier, as two to three of the younger cousins rode with either he or Jack on each trip out. Ninety minutes after they started, the mothers of the younger ones declared the joy rides to be finished, knowing the older ones had some type of trip in mind.

Another twenty minutes passed before they came in view of the place they could approach Secret Rock from the lake. More rock slides crowded the path they would use to get up to the attraction, but what caught their attention was the large opening Fifteen feet from the water’s edge. It was the end of the light they saw from the top. Carrie turned to nod with a smile to Michelle, who gave her thumbs up.

Donald learned something new about Casey this day. She was as adventuresome as anyone came. Her excitement shone through as she impatiently waited for him and Jack to secure the jet skis near the bank. She was eager to get into the opening to see what was there.

“I’m going to find your rock!” she grinned.

“Then I am getting yours!” he replied.

At the opening of the cave like structure there were still some pools of water. Donald pulled a small log from the outside to lie across the opening so they could walk in without having to splash through the water. There was a lot of light at this point, but it was sure to change as the day wore on. This knowledge caused them to move as quickly as possible up into the cave.

Some of their words echoed in the opening as they walked further toward where they expected the rocks with “secrets’ tied to them would be. It was not as spooky as some caves, because it was so open with plenty of light. It was clear that not the entire cave had been blocked before the storm because much of the walls were dry and unscarred as the place where they walked.

“This is bigger than it looked from above,” Casey said.

“Whiny, whiny” Donald snickered.

“I am not complaining! I am excited!” Casey told him.

“Surely we will reach the “secrets” soon,” Jack said.

“I’ll bet I know yours,” Michelle bragged.

Jack turned to look at her, hoping she really did.

“I see some,” Casey said as she was the first to climb over some larger rocks that seemed to accumulate in a narrow part of the way down.

She picked up a rock with damp paper on it to show the others.

“I am not sure we need to disturb these,” Donald said.

“Why not?” Casey asked. “Don’t tell me you think it will mess with the rock’s “power”.

“I just think this is a way people deal with things they cannot share.”

Michelle moved around the couple as they discussed their feelings about the philosophy of reading others mail. She noticed something odd to the left and moved closer to investigate. She was several feet from Jack looking at something that seemed familiar, but odd at the same time. A tree branch from a pine tree blocked her view, so she grabbed it and pulled it away to reveal something that made her scream loudly.

“What is it?” Jack said scrambling to her side.

“It’s a skeleton,” Casey said, her eyes wide as she morphed into her best forensic major mode.

“In a dress,” Donald added.

“An old dress,” Jack continued.

“I wonder how she got down here,” Michelle said, trying to regain her composure.

“There are fractures on her forehead,” Casey said. She was doing a systematic inventory as she had been taught in her classes. “It could mean she fell head first into here.”

“How?” There was no opening up there,” Donald said pointing towards the larger opening.

“There might have been when she fell,” Jack answered.

“Hey guys, is it possible?” Michelle began.

“Is what possible?” Donald asked.

“The missing girl…could this be Leila Paulson?”

“Guys, don’t touch anything!” Casey said in a tone that commanded everyone’s attention.

“Why,” Jack asked.

“Because this may be a crime scene!” Casey told them.