Fiction - Novel Sample

8/13/2019 Fiction - Novel Sample

1/6

What Lies BelowGabriel Legend

One

THEY HAD FALLENin love with Havensport as soon as they had driven their !"#ro$ the #erry% and onto the s$all hal# &ir&le o# a road that led straight into the heart o# the little town'

(ete had been behind the wheel% loo)ing thro*gh the windshield at the bea*ti#*l store#ronts anda$a+ing view o# the (a&i#i& o&ean% ta)en in by the bea*ty that s*rro*nded the$' Havensport was on an

island o# the sa$e na$e near eattle% b*rsting to the sea$s with the town% whi&h had been &hartered

so$eti$e in the early ,-../s and then e0panded all the way *p to the borders o# the little island'1arrie had also been i$pressed' he had been wearing her white down &oat% +ipped *p hal#way

to )eep o*t the Winter &hill that the &ar windows and doors were )eeping at bay' he had one o# those

pin) bands in her hair 2 (ete &o*ld never re$e$ber what they were &alled 2 and she loo)ed

e0traordinarily pretty as the loo) o# $ild &*riosity grew into #*ll3blown a$a+e$ent' 45t/s li)e a toyvillage%6 she had $arveled' 4Li)e yo*/d see at one o# those hobby shops'6

(ete had to agree' The town was per#e&t% and i# it hadn/t been #or the presen&e o# people and

$oving &ars% it wo*ld have been easy to i$agine that the town was a per#e&tly &onstr*&ted $ovie set%and that the inviting signs and &olor#*l shops were 7*st one giant #a&ade to #ool the &a$era'

Tra##i& $oved slowly thro*gh the &ity street as they 7oined the line o# &ars &reeping thro*gh the

t*nnel o# shops and winter3b*ndled passers3by' Washington state was very &old in 8an*ary% andeveryone was dressed #or the &hill' (ete $ane*vered the !" into a par)ing spot in #ront o# a pastel

yellow and bl*e store that boasted 49:; 3


2/6

ebastian Hartley had a yo*ng da*ghter who had polio and had to *se a wheel&hair% and so the spa&io*s

ho$e was o*t#itted with $otori+ed &hair li#ts on the stairs% and vario*s other wheel&hair3#riendly

devi&es' (ete had as)ed abo*t b*ying the ho*se% b*t the realtor was only willing to rent it #or now% with

a one year lease and an option to b*y on&e the lease was it' Apparently% a&&ording to @r' Toole therealtor% this was to see i# (ete and the Hartley Ho*se 4got along with ea&h other'6

(ete got o*t o# the &ar and was i$$ediately blasted by i&y needles on his e0posed s)in' As he

&a*ght a gli$pse o# the wheel&hair in the rear o# the !"% a little twinge o# g*ilt str*&) again% &at&hingin his throat li)e a &hi&)en bone' He sla$$ed the door &losed and p*shed the l*$p ba&) down to where

it had been previo*sly% deep in the pit o# his sto$a&h' Gone% b*t not #orgotten'

5t had happened three $onths ago' They were attending a party 2 a #*ndraiser that was &leverlydisg*ised as a party a&t*ally' (ete had been designated the $otor3vehi&le3operator o# the evening% b*t

al&ohol was being handed o*t #ro$ every &orner o# the party and he was thirsty' 5t was the )ind o# thirst

that had gotten progressively worse over the past year when it &a$e to drin)ing% a deep desire to &at&ha b*++ #ro$ the ti$e he rolled o*t o# bed in the $orning% to the very late ho*rs 7*st be#ore'

1arrie had as)ed hi$ 2 politely b*t #ir$ly 2 not to drin) at this party so that she &o*ld' 1arrie

wasn/t $*&h o# a drin)er nor$ally% b*t she did o&&asionally li)e to ind*lge' Tonight was one o# those

o&&asions% and even thro*gh (ete had agreed% he didn/t thin) she/d $ind i# he had 7*st onedrin)'Bullshit, Petey. You know she would have minded plenty. That was the inner voi&e that he had

&o$e to thin) o# as Honest (etey' The voi&e that told the tr*th% even when no one else wo*ld' If she

hadn't been in a coma for five days and hadn't had the loss of use of her legs to think about, she wouldhave minded plenty. You just be thankful she doesn't know you were drinking at that party or she'd have

been gone like a fart in the wind. Besides, you didn't have just one drink, did you You never do.

B*t that wasn/t tr*e% was it? Not the part abo*t hi$ only having one drin)% be&a*se o# &o*rse hehad $ore than one drin)' @ore than #ive even' B*t the part abo*t her leaving hi$ wasn/t tr*e' Be&a*se

(ete tho*ght she did)now' 5# she hadn/t #ig*red it o*t #ro$ past e0perien&e% then she had to have seen

the al$ost &onstant g*ilt in his #a&e' He i$agined that it h*ng there li)e a Halloween $as)%

pro&lai$ing to everyone that he was a godda$n dr*n) who had p*t his wi#e in a wheel&hair'he hadn/t le#t hi$% and in #a&t was $*&h $ore dependent *pon hi$ #or basi& things li)e getting

o*t o# the &ar and going *pstairs' Also% he hadn/t #allen o## the wagon' That had been his sole$n

pro$ise to hi$sel# a#ter the a&&ident' Not one $ore beer' Not ever' o #ar% he had )ept his word tohi$sel# 2 #or the #irst ti$e in his li#e'

As (ete approa&hed the door% he reali+ed that he wasn/t s*re e0a&tly what a Haberdashery was'

He i$agined it to be so$e )ind o# shop that sold a little bit o# everything% with an&ient &lo&)s staring athi$ #ro$ atop their per&h on the highest shelves% and tables #*ll o# little $etal &ra&)er tins' A giant

8a&)3in3the3Bo0 $ight loo$ in one dar) &orner o# the shop% and the proprietor wo*ld be a bald%

wi+ened old $an with hal#3$oon glasses'A bell 7ingled as he p*shed the door open and he saw that a haberdashery was not an anti>*e

shop 2 an emporiumo# oddities 2 b*t instead was a very well lit store with glass &ases everywhere'

Wallets sat in rows li)e soldiers in (T line along the &o*nter top and wat&hes glittered #ro$ inside the

long% &o##in shaped &ases' @en/s &oats% 7a&)ets% shirts and ties were all &are#*lly pla&ed onto &ir&*larra&)s% ea&h arti&le o# e0a&tly the sa$e distan&e #ro$ the ite$s s*rro*nding it% li)e so$eone had ta)en a

r*ler and $eas*red the$' The inside o# the store was &ool% b*t not *n&o$#ortably so'

At least he had gotten one detail right #ro$ his own% i$agined% haberdashery' The &ler)% orperhaps the proprietor 2 (ete was betting on the latter 2 stepped o*t #ro$ an o##i&e behind the &o*nter

and p*shed *p his hal# $oon spe&ta&les' His head wasn/t &o$pletely bald% b*t the #ew stray strands o#

hair that were *p there didn/t &over $*&h' He was wearing a &har&oal gray s*it that had a yellowtriangle o# )er&hie# sti&)ing o*t o# the breast po&)et% $at&hing the tie'

The $an &lasped both o# his hands in #ront o# hi$ in so$e sort o# wel&o$e gest*re' 5t was )ind

o# a bow% or a $as&*line sort o# &*rtsy' 4How do yo* do?6


3/6

For a se&ond% (ete was &o$pletely &on#*sed by what the $an had as)ed hi$' 5t was s*&h a

#oreign phrase that his brain see$ed to have not a&t*ally re&ogni+ed it' He wanted to say%!ow do I do

whatB*t that wasn/t right' Then% his head &leared and he s$iled ba&) at the $an'

(ete introd*&ed hi$sel# to the !aberdasherian !aberdasher"proprietor' 45/$ (ete aines' 5wondered i# yo* &o*ld tell $e where @a0 Fin&h/s realty o##i&e is' 6

There was an al$ost i$per&eptible &hange in the $an/s eyes' (ete wo*ldn/t even have noti&ed it%

i# he hadn/t been staring into the$% al$ost hypnoti+ed the intensity he saw there' Finally% the proprietorspo)e' When he did his voi&e was pleasant eno*gh% b*t a little g*arded'

4*re' 5t right down the road apie&e% ne0t to the dr*gstore'6 The old proprietor pa*sed a

$o$ent% and #or a $o$ent (ete wasn/t s*re he was going to say anything else' Then he as)ed% 4Areyo* the #ol)s who are b*ying the Hartley Ho*se?6

(ete s$iled' 4Word gets aro*nd in a little town% eh?6

45t does%6 the $an said' He p*t o*t a hand' 45/$ a$' a$ 8en)ins' orry to be sti&)in/ $y nosein yo*r b*siness% b*t its a &*rio*s thing when so$eone b*ys so$ething with as $*&h history in it as the

Hartley Ho*se'6

4That/s o)ay%6 (ete said' 4We bo*ght it be&a*se% well% $y wi#e was in an a&&ident and lost the

*se o# her legs' The ho*se already had everything set *p #or a wheel&hair'6a$ 8en)ins nodded% tilting his head to the side )ind o# li)e a bird' He narrowed his eyes

slightly% and then as)ed a >*estion' 5t wasn/t a parti&*larly *n*s*al >*estion% b*t the way that he as)ed

was *n*s*al% al$ost as i# the answer was very i$portant% rather than 7*st so$ething one as)ed in&onversation'

(ete le#t the shop% $a)ing the bells ring on&e again as he p*shed o*t the door and into the &hilly

northwest air' He stood on the sidewal) *ntil a gap o# s*##i&ient si+e had opened in the steady strea$ o#&ars traveling down what he now )new was @ain treet% than)s to his dire&tions' He got ba&) into the

&ar and sla$$ed the door &losed% #eeling the heat wash over hi$ #ro$ the vents in the dashboard'

1arrie was loo)ing at hi$ e0pe&tantly' He waved the little yellow pie&e o# paper and nodded'

he grabbed his ar$ and pointed a&ross the street' 4(ete% loo) at the library' 5t loo)s 7*st li)e agingerbread ho*se or so$ething'6

He glan&ed where her #inger was pointing and saw a brown stand3alone b*ilding' 5t didn/t really

loo) li)e a gingerbread ho*se to (ete% b*t it was very *ni>*e% with dar) &ho&olate sh*tters on thewindows and a bright red door where a 1hrist$as wreath still h*ng' 4"ery &ool%6 he said'

He p*t the &ar in drive and glan&ed ba&) at the shop' Why had the $an loo)ed so relieved when

(ete told hi$ that he and 1arrie didn/t have any &hildren?

C C C C C

The realtor had pro$ised that they wo*ld adore the ho*se and the island% and the town

s*rro*nding it% and he wasn/t $ista)en' They loved the ho*se' They spent the #irst #ew days sleeping

and sitting on the #*rnit*re that had already been set *p% and eating at one o# the two lo&al diners intown 2 The 1heese Fa&tory and @ary/s Ho$etown Grill' The 1heese Fa&tory was a s$all pi++a 7oint%

spe&iali+ing in large sli&es o# pi++a that were dripping orange grease onto the &era$i& plates% served *p

by a pi$ply )id in a tee3shirt that said /We @a)e (i++a Yo*r Way at The 1heese Fa&tory=/ or a verylarge $an in a &he#/s &oat and ridi&*lo*s white hat that spo)e in a #a)e 5talian a&&ent' 4Yo*3a wanna

pi++a% eh?6 He had e0&lai$ed the #irst ti$e that (ete and 1arrie had eaten there% and whenever he saw

the$ a#ter that% he wo*ld &row 4yo*3a love $y pi++a=6 @ary/s Ho$etown Grill was $*&h pre#erred to


4/6

both o# the$ 2 not only be&a*se the #ood wasn/t soa)ed in orange grease% b*t also be&a*se the owner%

who$ $ost o# the patrons there &alled /@o$$a/ or /@o$$a @ary/ was as gen*ine as they &o$e% and

see$ed to wel&o$e the$ with the sa$e a$o*nt o# enth*sias$ that she wel&o$ed even her $ost loyal

&*sto$ers'They had their own #*rnit*re in be#ore a wee) had passed% arriving in a big yellow tr*&) with

We3@ove3! on the side in three #oot% red lettering' The Harley Ho*se was a $assive% sprawling

str*&t*re o# stone% bri&) and wood that &o*ld easily be seen #ro$ the botto$ o# the road' They were theonly ho*se in $iles on Bla&) 1anyon oad and the h*ge ho*se loo)ed sort o# li)e a s>*atting ogre that

had &li$bed to the top o# the hill' Al$ost everything was &o$pletely original' The #ront por&h was the

si+e o# their living roo$ in their apart$ent in eattle% with thi&) posts on ea&h &orner% intri&ately &arvedwith #at angels on p*##y &lo*ds' The stone path ran downward towards the bea&h% event*ally &o$ing

o*t on a do&) that see$ed old% b*t sa#e' (ete didn/t own a boat% b*t he was &ertainly &onsidering one

now that they had $oved in'The inside was as ,-th&ent*ry as the o*tside' The roo$s were $assive% li)e they were b*ilt #or

an entire platoon to *se the$ rather than 7*st one or two people' They had wor)ed with the realtor on

so$e o# the #*rnit*re% in&l*ding it into the pri&e o# the ho*se'

They were tr*ly settling in' (ete had his o##i&e set *p in one o# the s$aller o# the roo$s on the#irst #loor% and had beg*n wor)ing in earnest at his #reelan&e writing 7ob as soon as the internet had

been hoo)ed *p to the ho*se and the &able r*n thro*gh the walls and *pstairs' Apparently% the pla&e had

never had internet be#ore 2 or &able T" #or that $atter' (ete had as)ed who owned the ho*seprevio*sly% b*t the realtor was rather vag*e% saying only that it had been e$pty #or a long ti$e% and that

it was owned by a #inan&e &o$pany in @ilwa*)ee who wanted to sell the ho*se'

1arrie wasn/t able to drive% so she stayed at ho$e a lot $ore than he was *sed to' He wo*ldnor$ally wor) while she ran errands and did ho*sehold &hores% i# she wasn/t at wor)' Be#ore% when he

was still s*&)ing on the bottle% he wo*ld wait #or her to leave be#ore he wo*ld start drin)ing' He &o*ld

pretend to be sober #or a #ew ho*rs that way% and when she #inally noti&ed he was dr*n) and as)ed

what ti$e he started drin)ing 2 not really laying on a g*ilt trip b*t right on the verge o# it 2 he wo*ldtell her he started abo*t an ho*r prior to whenever she as)ed' 5t was a syste$ that he had gotten *sed to%

and he #o*nd hi$sel# listening #or the &ar &o$ing *p the drive% or the door sla$$ing *n&ons&io*sly%

even tho*gh he hadn/t had a drin) sin&e that night% and there were no hal#3#*ll bottles o# vod)a or r*nstashed behind the boo)shel# or in the sa#e'

He was thirsty tho*gh' He &o*ldn/t deny that' The *rge hit hi$ li)e a heat wave still% washing

over hi$ #ro$ head to toe% sending sha)es down the nerves o# his ar$s and legs% $a)ing his tong*eswell *p and dry o*t li)e a dead h*s) #ro$ a sna)e' There was no denying that he was thirsty' B*t what

stopped hi$ was when he wo*ld hear the so*nd o# 1arrie/s wheel&hair $oving a&ross the wood #loor%

$a)ing a whisha whisa whisha so*nd as she propelled hersel# #orward with her s$all ar$s'He &o*ld go to an A'A' $eeting% b*t he didn/t )now where they were o*t here% or even i# they

had any $eetings' 5t wasn/t li)e he &o*ld go *p to one o# the lo&als and as)'!ey, I'm Pete. I'm the new

lush in town. You know where the ## meeting is

He had dis&overed Al&oholi&s Anony$o*s in a bar in the seedy part o# eattle 7*st a day a#terthe a&&ident' 1arrie had not yet wo)en *p #ro$ her &o$a% and he was terri#ied that she wo*ldn/t' His

&ar was sitting in a 7*n)yard% &o$pletely totaled% his wi#e was lying in a hospital bed% in a &o$a that

she $ight never wa)e *p #ro$ and he was sitting in a bar on r*ge treet drin)ing whis)ey #ro$ abottle and listening to 1lay Wal)er sing abo*t how he was gonna live% la*gh and love on the 7*)ebo0'

He had loo)ed at the drin) in his hand and then *p at the bartender% a worn loo)ing $an in his

#i#ties and as)ed hi$% 4What i# 5 wanted to >*it this st*##? What wo*ld yo* tell $e to do'64Yo* bein/ serio*s?6 The $an had as)ed% slinging the bar towel that he had been *sing to r*b

i$aginary stains #ro$ the &o*nter top over his sho*lder' 4Yo* really wanna )now% or yo* 7*st being

#*nny?6


5/6

45/$ serio*s%6 (ete tried to say% b*t it &a$e o*t so*nding $ore li)e 45/$ sherr*ss6. He tried

again% and got the senten&e to &o$e o*t &learly' 45/$ serio*s' 5 really want to )now'6

The $an had given hi$ a phone n*$ber% s&ribbled on the ba&) o# a nap)in that said angaroo

Ale' !nderneath he had written#sk for Bill% b*t the phone n*$ber went to a g*y na$ed Han)' He)new e0a&tly why (ete was &alling however% when he as)ed #or Bill% still hal# dr*n)% and s*##ering

#ro$ a heada&he that #elt li)e a pillar had been driven into the side o# head' Han) had o##ered to pi&)

hi$ *p and ta)e hi$ to $eet so$e people' At #irst% in his hal# sober state% he had pi&t*red o# Han)delivering hi$ to the gates o# an asyl*$ where $en in white &oats waited ne0t to an a$b*lan&e last

*sed aro*nd ,9.% straight7a&)et in hand'

5nstead% Han) had ta)en hi$ to a s$all &o$$*nity &enter right in downtown eattle' On thedoor so$eone had s&rawled /Friends o# Bill Wel&o$e/ in bla&) $ar)er on a pie&e o# plain white paper'

5nside% #orty or so $en and a &o*ple o# wo$en were drin)ing &o##ee #ro$ tiny styro#oa$ &*ps and

&hatting' They too) a seat near the ba&) and so$eone started the $eeting' At #irst% (ete had been s*rethat this was so$e sort o# religio*s servi&e% parti&*larly when Han) p*lled a worn% bl*e boo) #ro$ his

po&)et with no writing on the &over' B*t he soon reali+ed that nothing religio*s was being said% and it

was nothing $ore than a gro*p o# people who had 2 at one point or another 2 been e0a&tly where (ete

was now% and the $eeting was all abo*t their stories% $any that were not dissi$ilar to his own'Han) had be&o$e his sponsor and he had vowed not to ever ta)e another drin)' He had gone

with Han) to the apart$ent% and while the n*rses were bathing his wi#e with a sponge and a #lesh

&olored pan o# soapy water% he threw o*t all o# the li>*or that he had stashed' He really &leaned ho*sewith Han)/s help' Even when (ete didn/t thin) there was any li>*or le#t in the ho*se% Han) wo*ld as) a

>*estion% and he wo*ld thin) o# another se&ret pla&e that he had stashed a bottle' A#terward% when all o#

the li>*or had been po*red into the sin)% and the e$pty bottles p*t into a large bla&) garbage bag thatHan) had o##ered to throw away so that 1arrie wo*ldn/t #ind it% he had h*gged hi$ and told hi$ to ta)e

it one day at a ti$e' 4One day at a ti$e% (ete'6 He had said' 4Hell% so$eti$es one hourat a ti$e'6

5t was on one o# those a#ternoons when (ete #elt the thirst &reeping *p on hi$% t*gging at hi$

li)e a s$all &hild who really% really want the toy in the shop window' He swigged @o*ntain Dew% andi$$ediately a#ter the li>*id rolled down his throat his tong*e dried o*t again% #eeling li)e a giant sand

&overed sl*g in his $o*th' He got *p #ro$ the des) where he had been writing an arti&le and loo)ed o*t

the window o# The Hartley Ho*se' He &o*ld barely see the roo#tops o# the town below% and beyondthat% the bl*e waters o# the (a&i#i&'

(ete wal)ed o*t o# the o##i&e and into the )it&hen' 1arrie had her wheel&hair p*lled *p to the

)it&hen table% going over a sta&) o# papers regarding the ho$e loan that they were now paying' heloo)ed *p and s$iled at hi$ as he entered' 4Hey% babe'6

He bent down and )issed her ne&)' 5t #elt good to )iss her 2 7*st to be near her% a&t*ally' he

s$elled ni&e% li)e the per#*$e that she *sed to wear be#ore they had gotten $arried' 4Hey% sweetthing'6

he giggled% li)e he hadn/t heard her do in years% and pretended to p*sh his head ba&)' 45/$

wor)ing here% $ister'6

He straightened s*ddenly% thin)ing abo*t all the ti$es he had done this in the past% his head&lo*ded by al&ohol' He had )issed her a tho*sand ti$es% thin)ing that he was disg*ising his dr*n)en

state so well% b*t she $*st have )nown he was dr*n)' Hell% she $*st havesmelledit on hi$' He p*lled

o*t a )it&hen &hair and sat down on it% ta)ing her hand #ro$ the table and &aressing it' 4Yo* li)e theho*se?6

he tilted her head' 45 love the ho*se' There is so $*&h spa&e% and it/s so lovely here'6 he

s$iled' 45 &an/t wait to plant a garden'6(ete #elt g*ilt &l*t&h at the inside o# his &hest s*ddenly' He #elt anger and terror in his throat li)e

bile% anger and g*ilt be&a*se he had not been able to resist drin)ing at that party% and at the other driver%

who had r*n the stop sign and T3boned the$% as well as at God #or letting it happen' 5t sho*ld have


6/6

been hi$ that &o*ldn/t wal)' 5t sho*ld have been hi$ and not her' 5t sho*ld have been #*&)ing anyone

b*t 1arrie% who had never wished har$ on anyone and wo*ldn/t even step on an inse&t i# she &o*ld help

it' He stood s*ddenly% and pi&)ed her *p #ro$ her wheel&hair% ta)ing spe&ial &are to slide her legs and

#eet o*t witho*t banging the$ against either the $etal o# the &hair or the tabletop' he s>*ealed as hepi&)ed her *p and he pressed his lips to hers% #eeling a r*sh o# s*dden l*st &o$e over hi$% repla&ing the

anger'

4Well%6 she said plainly' 4Now that yo* have $e% what are yo* going to do with $e?6(ete started towards the bedroo$' 4Well% sin&e 5 have yo* in $y &l*t&hes% and there is no

&han&e o# es&ape% 5 thin) 5/$ going to ta)e yo* *pstairs to bed'6

(ete re$e$bered all o# those nights when he had &li$bed into bed% ree)ing o# vod)a% or r*$% orwhatever the li>*or o# the day had been% atte$pting to $a)e love to wi#e' he had never &o$plained

then% and even now% when she wo*ld have been well within her rights to $a)e so$e sort o# s*btle 7ab

abo*t it now 2 how she was *sed to the dr*n) (ete 2 with breath s$elling o# al&ohol% she didn/t' 1arriewas above that and (ete was grate#*l'

They $ade love in the bedroo$ with the &*rtains open and the s*n going down thro*gh the

giant ,-th&ent*ry windows o# the Harley Ho*se' They $ade love *ntil they were both e0ha*sted and

then went at it again' @eanwhile% the o&ean waves lapped the bea&h 7*st a #ew h*ndred #eet away%&o$ing *p on the shore and retreating again li)e a &at atta&)ing a twig' 5# either one o# the$ had been

interested in loo)ing o*t the window at night#all% they $ight have seen the gray% $angled head o# the

dead wo$an% brea)ing the s*r#a&e and loo)ing towards the ho*se% then disappearing ba&) *nder thedar) water'

Documents

Fiction - Novel Sample