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  The Mountain Resort

  Second Edition Copyright © 2020 Bruce Allsman

  Published by Bruce Yeoh

  Book License Notes

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  The Mountain Resort

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  The Mountain Resort

  "What's that noise?" asked Jasmine Waters, turning to face Henry in the driver's seat beside her. The RV continued shuddering as it inched slowly up the steep road. Feeling the strain in the RV, she said, "Something is wrong."

  "We're going to be stranded," said Henry Waters. "This road is too steep."

  When the RV's engine sputtered and died, he steered to the side of the road. It rolled on and when it stopped, he pulled the handbrake to prevent it from slipping backward.

  "Do you think someone will come along soon?" she asked. "I don't want to be here all night." Daylight was retreating steadily. Surrounded by the wilderness, enveloped by trees on a narrow winding road in the mountains, this was clearly no place to park a RV, she thought.

  A few minutes later, Henry glanced at the side mirror, smiled, and said, "Help is on the way."

  Looking out at the side mirror, she saw a blue SUV climbing steadily up the narrow road below them. It overtook their RV, slowed down, pulled to the side, and stopped. There were three persons in the car: a man, a woman, and a child, a three-year-old girl with curly blond hair. The man was young, not more than thirty-five years old and the woman was young too, probably around thirty years old. She waved at them and the cute little girl waved back.

  The man got out of his SUV and came round to the window at Henry's side. Henry rolled down the window and explained his problem.

  "I'll go find help," the man said. "There's a resort a couple of miles up. I think it has an auto shop."

  "Great, we'll need a place to stay," Henry said.

  "We'll be staying there a couple of days," the man said. "It's a remote but pristine place. A sheriff friend I met the other day recommended it."

  "Thanks for the help," Henry said. "We'll see you at the motel."

  They waved goodbye when the SUV went off up the road. She wondered what resort the man was talking about and started checking the on-board navigation system.

  "I can't find the resort on the map," she told Henry.

  "It's probably a new place," Henry said. "Let's stay awhile."

  A hot bath in a real bathtub would be nice, she thought. Having being cooped up in this RV for too long, her psychic energy was seriously depleted.

  "I'd be grateful for a hot bath later," Henry said.

  "You too?" she said and smiled. "If they have a Jacuzzi, it'll be fantastic."

  "Divine," Henry said and reached out to kiss her.

  ***

  When dusk had just fallen, the steady chugs of a vehicle could be heard, and moments later powerful beams of spotlight streamed down from the road uphill. That must be the tow truck, she thought. There was a loud obscene honk, and she could discern an old tow truck coming down the road toward them. Henry gestured her to stay in their RV, and they waited for the tow truck to come closer.

  When the tow truck arrived, it stopped, turned about, and backed up, close to the front of their RV. Its door opened, a man climbed down, and walked up to them. He was a young Caucasian, dressed in blue overalls and dirty black boots. His large body frame, dark hair, and big hairy build made him look liked a bear.

  "Howdy, the name's Sean Cann," he drawled and nodded at them. "Will ya pop the hood?"

  Henry released the hood, and the young man inspected the RV for several minutes.

  "Need to tow this to the shop, just a few miles up the road," he told Henry.

  They got down from the RV.

  "Anything wrong?" Henry asked.

  "You'll need a part changed," the young man answered. "I ain't sure I got it. I'll need to check. You guys will need to ride with me."

  While Sean was preparing to tow the RV, she followed Henry down. He opened the tow truck's door and climbed into the front seat, next to the driver's seat. She climbed in after him and sat by the window, grateful that he was considerate enough not to let her sit next to that man. The tow truck stank of something rotten and she rolled down the window immediately.

  When Sean climbed into the driver's seat, he told Henry, "I'll need a few days to fix your RV. You guys could stay at the motel."

  Then he started the tow truck, its engine's roar loud when it began towing the RV, and he remained silent thereafter. They traveled uphill for another five minutes or so and then turned into a side road, going down a slope for a short distance before the road leveled off. When they rounded a bend, an archway to the resort came into view. It appeared to be an old wooden archway, its name long worn out. It could be some sort of hunting resort, Jasmine thought. Beyond the archway, a dense tree-lined gravel road led them deeper into the forest.

  After a couple of minutes, they arrived at a large clearing where a cluster of dark gray buildings sat in front of a hill slope. A big red flashing neon sign welcomed them to The Mountain Resort. When they passed the sign, she recognized the SUV they had seen earlier, parked in front of a long low building, the row of motel rooms.

  Just before reaching the row of motel rooms, Sean stopped his tow truck in front of an auto workshop, a tall hanger-like building with a wide sliding door. He got down and pointed at a building opposite, the front-end of the row of motel rooms.

  "Register over there," he told Henry.

  Jasmine glanced across and spotted the main building. Henry thanked Sean for his assistance and they got down from the tow truck. As soon as she was out, she stepped quickly away from the truck and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. Inside the smelly tow truck, she had almost wanted to throw up.

  "I'm gonna have to tow your RV inside," Sean told Henry. "If you need anything, let me know, I'll open the door for you."

  "Later is fine," Henry said. "I'll need to pack a bag of clothes and other stuff."

  "I'll see you later after you've checked in," Sean said and went ahead into the workshop.

  ***

  She followed Henry as he led her toward the main building. When they reached the front entrance, he pushed the knotty pine door open, and they stepped into a warm reception area. Three persons at a reception desk greeted them cheerfully. A middle-aged man called himself Gregory Cann, introduced his wife, Wilma and his teenage daughter, Daisy. Daisy smiled at Winnie and proceeded with their room registration.

  "Sean will fix your RV," Gregory told Henry. "My boy could fix anything. Meanwhile enjoy your stay here."

  "Also, we're having a barbecue this evenin'," Wilma told her. "We would be pleased if you and your husband could join us."

  "Thank you very much," she said. "We would love it."

  After their room registration was completed, Henry said, "We'll need to go back to our RV to pack some things."

  "See you guys later," Gregory said after handing to Henry their room's key.

  When they were out the front door, she said, "Henry, I don't feel comfortable staying here. There's something about these people. It bothers me."

  "What do you mean?" Henry asked. "Have you re-connected with your spirit guides?"

  "I'm not sure,"
she answered. "It was only a faint feeling, earlier at the reception desk."

  "You'll have to bear with it," Henry said. "We'll be stuck here a few days."

  When they reached the workshop, its door was wide open and Sean was inside busy tinkering away in a corner. In the RV, she packed some of their clothes and other necessities into one bag and Henry helped her carry it.

  They made their way toward the porch spanning the row of motel rooms. With their room's key in one hand and their bag in the other hand, Henry led her along the porch, going past each room's door. When they reached the third room, its door opened and a young couple with a child came out. It was the family in the SUV who had helped call for the tow truck earlier.

  The young couple smiled at them. "We were just coming out to explore this place," the man told Henry. "It looks bigger than expected."

  "So how long are you guys staying here?" Henry asked.

  "Well, a couple of days," he answered. "Good to get fresh air for a change."

  His wife smiled at Jasmine but didn't say anything while the child hid behind her mother, obviously shy of strangers.

  "So, we'll see you guys at the barbecue this evening?" the husband asked.

  "Sure, see you there," Henry answered.

  The young family bade them goodbye and went down the porch onto the gravel trail.

  Jasmine and Henry continued along the porch to their room, only three doors down. Henry opened the door and they stepped inside. After closing and locking the door, Henry put their bag down and as she had observed many times before, he would always go check out the bathroom first. Seconds later, he came out, smiling broadly.

  "It's clean, very clean in fact," he said cheerfully.

  "That's good," she said and glanced around the room. "Furniture appears well kept, although old."

  "I'm going to take a long hot shower and then nap for a while," Henry told her.

  "I'll go out and look around a bit," she said.

  "Come back soon, okay, I don't want to miss the barbecue," Henry said and began to unpack the bag.

  "Don't you worry," she said. "I won't be long."

  "You go on ahead," he said as he headed for the bathroom. "And take the key with you."

  She was eager to get a feel of the place, of the energy surrounding it. Furthermore, she was sick of being cooped up in the RV.

  ***

  She stepped out of the motel room, closed the door, and locked it. It was a quiet early evening, the late autumn air, cold and fresh with a slight breeze. Wafting in the breeze was a mélange of odors, of pine trees and other unidentifiable odors. Moving out from the porch onto the ground facing the parking lot, she looked around for a good vantage point and headed toward it.

  Trying to get an idea of the layout of her surroundings, she looked up at the North Star and took note of its position. In the east was the auto workshop, near the middle was the main building, and toward the west was the block of motel rooms. Behind the main building was another building. Beyond that, the dim evening light prevented her from seeing any farther. There could be other buildings but the farthest she could see was a narrow footpath between the workshop and the main building.

  While her gaze swept gradually and repeatedly over these various buildings, her head was like a buoy in a turbulent sea and she began to receive visions, all of which were blurry and dim. Her hands and legs trembled and the knots in her stomach tightened and relaxed spasmodically. These were the familiar signs but she had no idea why her spirit guides were trying to communicate with her.

  When her vision cleared, her attention was drawn to their RV, which was visible because the workshop's sliding door was wide open. A faint but sharp grinding sound seemed to emanate from somewhere within the workshop. There must be someone inside, she thought. Not wanting anyone to trespass into her private domain, she decided to go check on the RV. As she went nearer, the sharp grinding sound grew louder. Someone was using a sharpening tool and she wondered what he or she was doing.

  Upon reaching the front of the workshop, she recognized the dark hair and big hairy build. Sean Cann, bent over a machine tool, was busy sharpening knives. They looked like kitchen knives or meat cleavers, the kind used to chop meat. She plugged her fingers into her ears to protect them from the din. Somehow sensing her presence, Sean looked up, stared at her, and stopped the machine.

  "Ordered the part for your RV," he said. "It should arrive tomorrow at the earliest. I'll be going into town to get it."

  Thanking him for his help and not wanting to speak with him any further, she went over to the RV and checked the doors. They were all still locked. Noticing a large window on the rear wall, she went to it and looked out. A teenage girl of about sixteen, with long dark hair in a single pleat, dressed in a pair of dark blue overalls, was busy working in a vegetable garden. The garden was on a plot of land about the size of a football field behind the workshop. She remembered the name, Daisy Cann. She was with her parents at the reception desk when they checked in.

  Interested to know more about Daisy, Winnie left, thanking Sean on her way out, and went on the gravel footpath alongside the workshop. The plot of land was large enough to cultivate a variety of vegetables. There were even fruit trees. The footpath led her toward the girl who had noticed her arrival and had stood to welcome her.

  "Those are wonderful," she said, pointing to a wicker basket containing several large carrots the girl had just harvested. "I love vegetables."

  "Me too," Daisy Cann said.

  "Did you plant all these?" she asked, her hand waving across the field.

  "I'm the only gardener here," Daisy answered. "The only one who cares for vegetables and fruits, the others are carnivores."

  "Don't you eat meat too?" she asked. "Not even sometimes?"

  "No way, I'm a pure vegan," Daisy said.

  "Will you be at the barbecue later this evening?" she asked.

  "I'll be there but only for grilled potatoes and carrots," Daisy answered.

  Daisy's replies were too forceful, she thought. Why had her casual questions fueled so much emotional intensity, Jasmine wondered. It was as if Daisy was too deliberate in her speech. From where she stood in the garden, she could see the kitchen window on the opposite side and there was a face in the window. It was Wilma Cann, staring straight at them, and she turned quickly away from the gaze.

  "See you later, Daisy," she said, forcing a smile. Something wasn't right, she thought.

  She went back the narrow footpath, past the workshop, the main building, heading for the long row of motel rooms. While walking back toward her room, she wondered why Daisy had said all those things to her and why she used the word, carnivore.

  That question still bothered her when she reached the room. Opening the door, she stepped in and locked it, relieved to see Henry. He was in bed, snoring softly. The first thing she desired was to meditate, to calm down. It will also help her feel her emotions, to know whether her spirit guides have anything for her. That is, if she had regained her ability to communicate with them. It wasn't what it used to be, before the untimely demise of her dearly beloved mother six months ago.

  ***

  When she opened her eyes and got up from the bed, she glanced at her wristwatch. It was nearly seven in the evening. There was a knock at the door and Henry opened it. It was Sean. He came over to remind them about the barbecue, which would start at eight.

  After Sean left, she said to Henry, "We'll go but don't question me. Just follow my cue."

  "What cue?" Henry asked.

  "I've this feeling … from my spirit guides," she answered. "I'm not sure what to do but when the time comes, I'll know."

  "When the time comes, I'm going to eat some meat," Henry said. "Heck, I'm already hungry."

  A few minutes before eight, they left their room and walked toward the main building. Sean had told them to take the footpath between the motel rooms and the main building. The barbecue pit area was located behind the main building and the motel
rooms. She hadn't noticed the footpath earlier during her little excursion but Henry managed to find it. They turned into the footpath and followed it alongside the main building, reaching its end and then turning right to an open area, which was spacious like in a park with several log tables and benches. The primitive pit was afire and the smell of roast meat mixed with herbs and spices wafted over them.

  They were the last guests to arrive. Nearest to the pit, at the longest log table where Gregory and Wilma sat together at the head of the table, were two vacant seats near Daisy and Sean. She sat beside Daisy and Henry took the seat beside her. The group welcomed them. The family of three, the Davidson family--John, his wife, Susan, and their three-year-old daughter, Lisa, sat opposite them. Seated next to Henry was Bill, the local sheriff, a big man with a huge plate of meat. Already busy eating, he smiled at them and continued eating, without uttering a single word.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Waters, my Daisy told me you guys are vegans," Gregory said.

  "Yes … she's right," Jasmine said hesitantly, wondering why Daisy had told him that.

  "Here, have some grilled potatoes," Daisy said cheerfully and passed a plate over to them.

  Henry spooned some for her and for himself. He gave her an inquiring look and stared down at the grilled potatoes on his plate. Wondering what Daisy was up to, she glanced around the table. The rest were eating small chunks of grilled meat. They looked like pork, and there were no bones. That's strange, she thought.

  Gregory stood, called for everybody's attention, said a brief welcome to all guests, and raised his glass to propose a toast. When the toast was over, the table conversation continued. Daisy went around, replenishing their cups from a dark glass bottle. Gregory and Wilma did most of the talking with the sheriff who was loud and funny while the family of three was eating quietly. Daisy seemed to be focusing on them, explaining the special brew they had drunk, that she had brewed the liquor.

  Later, in their motel room, Henry said, "Why did Daisy say we are vegans?"