Freeing Lost Souls (The Family Tree Series Book 1) Read online

  I hear a truck coming up the drive, blasting music. I can just make out Metallica’s “One” playing as they drive by, the end of the song where the guitars are doing their thing. I smile because that happens to be one of my favorite songs from my high school days. I continue to gaze at the sky as the truck drives by. After a while, the same truck drives away like a bat out of hell. As it whizzes by, I notice that it is Benny’s truck from earlier. Bruce must be back from the doctor. I wonder how he is.

  Buc finds a ball and brings it over to me so I can throw it for him. I toss the ball for him several times before a chill runs down my spine. The temperature must be dropping. When Buc barks and runs for the fence, I look over to where he is running and see Bruce standing with crutches and a boot at the gate. “Hey, Sarah, I thought that was you.”

  “I thought that truck that came by looked familiar. How are you doing? What did the doctor say?”

  Bruce makes his way over to the bench where I’m sitting. “May I?” He points to the seat.

  “Of course.”

  “I’ve sprained my ankle pretty bad. So, I’m stuck in this cool boot for at least a week or so. It will make driving hard to do for a while. But they have me on pain meds, and I’ll be back to myself in no time. Hey, thanks again for your help earlier. I really do appreciate it. I owe you one.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s all good! I’m glad it’s just a sprain and not a break. Been there, done both, and they both equally suck.”

  “Yeah, it was a pretty stupid move. But don’t listen to Benny. I’m not that clumsy.” I laugh. “So are you all settled in from your move?” Buc has now started to bring Bruce the ball to toss so he can play fetch. Crazy dog!

  “Yup, I’m all in and settled. I don’t have much since I move around a lot, so moving is no big deal.”

  “Why do you move so much?”

  “I’m an artist, so I go where the work is. Besides, I get bored staying in one place too long. Nothing has really made me want to settle into one place yet.” I shrug.

  “Huh, well, maybe your job here will stretch out so we can show you a good reason to stay.” He smiles and bumps my shoulder with his. It’s funny; I feel very comfortable with him. It’s nice to have a friend in a new place.

  We sit watching Buc run around like a nut. Once he finishes being a crazy dog, he comes over and sits in front of me. “Well, looks like he’s finally done playing, so I guess we will turn in for the night.”

  “Yeah, I think the painkillers are making me a bit more tired than I thought they would,” he replies after a big yawn. We walk back to the building together in a comfortable silence.

  “Why don’t you let me know when you feel well enough to do a car tour? I don’t mind driving.”

  “How about we see how I feel in the morning? Since I won’t be driving, I should be fine.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want you to overdo on my account. I’ll give you call in the morning, but please, if you don’t feel up to it, tell me. We can do it anytime. I have time; I’m not going anywhere.” I smile at him.

  “I hope not.” He gives me a strange smile in return. “I’m just down the hall in loft C, so if you need anything let me know.”

  “I will. I’m in A, but I guess since you live here you already knew that.”

  “Yeah, thanks again, and I’ll talk to you in the morning. Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  Buc and I make it back into the loft where the drawing still haunts me. Who is this soldier? And why has he crept into my drawing? No reason to dwell on it now.

  I get ready for bed and crawl in with my laptop to check for emails. I see an email from the genealogist.

  ___________________________

  From: Teresa Parker

  Subject: Re: Genealogist help

  Date: September 11, 2015 12:00pm

  To: Sarah Finny

  Hello, Ms. Finny,

  I have received your email and I would love to help you.

  If you don’t mind giving me the following information. Once I get

  that from you, I can get started.

  Your full birth name and birth date.

  Your father’s full birth name and birth date.

  Your mother’s full birth name and birth date.

  The same info for both sets of grandparents.

  I hope you are finding Gettysburg to your liking. I look forward to

  meeting you at some point.

  Best,

  Teresa Parker

  ___________________________

  From: Sarah Finny

  Subject: Re: Genealogist help

  Date: September 11, 2015 10:00pm

  To: Teresa Parker

  Ms. Parker,

  Thanks for getting back to me so fast. Below is the info you requested.

  Is there a charge for your services? I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

  My full name: Sarah Elizabeth Finny Birth: February 28, 1975

  My father: Randal Michael Finny Birth: August 30, 1951

  Father’s parents: Jason Michael Finny Birth: September 16, 1937

  Mary Elizabeth Smith Birth: June 16, 1936

  My mother: DiAnne Mary Benton Birth: September 2, 1950

  Mother’s parents: Nathaniel Marcus Benton Birth: April 24, 1934

  Maggie May Jones Birth: May 22, 1935

  Let me know if you need anything else from me.

  Best,

  Sarah Finny

  ___________________________

  After sending my reply I shut down my computer, turn off the light, and lie down to close my eyes. All I can think of is the man in my drawing and the Wheatfield. I think I need to spend more time in that area to clear it all up. The faster I do that, the faster I can show the Historical Society some work.

  Chapter 6

  My alarm goes off at six a.m. I roll out of bed and jump in the shower. The hot water is comforting. I didn’t sleep well. As I wash my long brown hair, I begin to think about the soldier I drew and the Wheatfield. I need to get back out there soon. But I’ll decide where to go after I call Bruce. When finish showering I dry my hair and pull on a pair of jean shorts and an Imagine Dragons T-shirt.

  Of course I didn’t ask what time is too early to call when I talked to Bruce last night, so I kill some time reading the paper while drinking coffee. Buc barks just before there’s a knock at the door. I answer it, and Bruce is standing, well, leaning, on his crutch. “Good morning,” he says.

  “Good morning. Please come in. I was going to call, but I didn’t want to wake you if you were able to sleep in.” He looks fresh from the shower, his hair still a bit damp. Wow, he smells really good. He’s wearing a crisp white T-shirt and dark blue sweats.

  “That was nice of you. I’m an early riser, so you could’ve called me at six, and I would’ve been up. I usually go jogging at that time, but with my bummed ankle, that won’t be happening anytime soon.”

  “I’m sure. How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Much better. I slept like a rock. Those pain pills knocked me out. I didn’t take any this morning, and so far there isn’t much pain as long as I don’t stand for too long.”

  “Oh, please sit. I’m sorry. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “Yes, please. Black is fine.” He sits at the table while I pour some coffee for us. “So, you up for a tour? Not much I can do today but sit.”

  “I would love that. Have you eaten yet?”

  “No. We could go to the diner in town. They have decent food.”

  “That sounds great. I ate there yesterday and it was pretty good. I love Flo. She reminds me—”

  Bruce interrupts me and adds, “Let me guess, she reminds you of Flo from the TV show ‘Alice’.”

  “Yes!”

  “Yeah, she gets that a lot. She thinks it’s funny. Did you see the cook?”

  “Please, don’t tell me he looks like Mel?”

  “Sure does. It’s like a ‘Twilight Zo
ne’ episode in which all of the old TV stars from diners work at that place. Crazy, huh?”

  “That’s an understatement.” I laugh.

  As I join him at the table, I notice that he’s looking in the direction of the living room and my art supplies. It’s a bit messy since I got pissed that I couldn’t figure out how I went from drawing a scenic picture to a portrait. “Sorry, I should’ve cleaned up a bit,” I explain as I get up to straighten things.

  “No, please don’t clean. That’s not what I was looking at. Did you draw the soldier?” He gets up and joins me next to the drawing.

  “Yes, this is what I drew when I was out in the Wheatfield. Sometimes when I draw, my eyes and hands take over without my seeming to be involved. It was to be a scenic picture, not this,” I explain, disappointed.

  “It’s great, but why didn’t you finish the face?”

  “I’m not sure. I got up to eat lunch, and when I came back, this was what I had drawn. It happens with me sometime. It’s kooky, I know.”

  “Would be interesting to see who he is.”

  “Trust me, I wish I knew. Are you ready to go?” I want to get off this subject and get some food. I’m still pissed at myself for not doing the job I came here to do.

  “You know, if you would like, Sally down the hall is a dog sitter. We could see if she’s around to take Buc, so he doesn’t get bored in the car all day.”

  “Sure, if she’s available. I know he would appreciate it.” We walk down the hall, with Buc following to loft B. Bruce knocks and a skinny woman with unruly red hair answers the door.

  “Hey, Bruce, what’s up? What the hell did you do to your foot?” she asks as she looks down and sees the boot and crutches.

  “Hey, Sally, I tripped on a rock. This is our new neighbor in A, Sarah.”

  “Hi, Sarah. Nice to meet you. I thought I saw someone moving in. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I’m going to take Sarah out on a tour, and we wondered if you could watch her dog, Buc, while we are gone?”

  “Sure, I’d love to. What kind of dog is he?” I step aside and Buc walks over to her. “OMG, I love Goldens! Of course I’ll watch him. I may never give him back!” she announces as she squats down and pets him on the head. “Hi, Buc, I’m Sally. Want to go outside and play?” Buc is in love. He wags his tail and looks at me for permission.

  “Yes, Buc, you can go play. Be good. Thanks, Sally, and it’s nice to meet you.”

  Sally runs back inside and comes out with a bag of dog toys, shuts her door, and starts down the hall. “It was nice meeting you, too. Have fun exploring, and don’t worry about Buc. I’ll have him worn out by the time you get home.”

  “I guess we should be on our way,” Bruce suggests as he gestures toward the exit of the lofts.

  “Guess so. She must really like dogs.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t get out much.” We laugh as we make it outside. We see Buc and Sally chasing each other in the dog park. I’m glad she’s one of our neighbors. If Buc is happy, then I may use her a lot while I’m here. Sometimes it would be easier to work without him underfoot all the time.

  We make it to the Jeep and settle in. Flo’s diner is not too far, so we make it there in no time and take a booth by the window. Flo takes our orders and heads back to the kitchen. From this table, I have a good view of the kitchen, and sure enough, the cook looks just like Mel. How strange. I laugh and shake my head.

  “What?” Bruce asks.

  “I just saw the cook. This is so bizarre.”

  “Yeah, but as far as I know, they are the only two look-a-likes here. And I haven’t noticed any other strange things like this in town, so it’s not so bad.”

  Flo returns with our breakfast and drops it off before she’s off to take the next order. “So, where do we start in this driving tour?” I inquire.

  “Since you will be working here, I think we will start at the Visitor Center. It’s an easy landmark to remember. From there, we can go to Cemetery Hill and then work our way from there.”

  “Sounds like a plan. So you said you were born and raised here. Why have you stayed?” I ask because I’m curious and to make conversation while we eat. I find he’s not only easy on the eyes, but he is easy to be around. I haven’t dated in a long time, mainly because I don’t stick around long enough. But I can see starting up something with him at some point.

  “Let’s see, my family has been here in Gettysburg for as long as I can remember. And our ancestors were here during the war. We had a lot of family fighting on the Union side. I guess it just feels like home. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve traveled a lot. Been all over the states and even made it to England once. Just nothing has ever appealed to me, I guess. How about you? Why have you never stayed anywhere?”

  “God, feels like traveling is all I’ve ever done. You name it, I’ve most likely been there. I never stay more than a year or two in any one place. The job takes me all over.”

  “Have you ever thought about settling down?”

  “Every once in a while, I do. But for one reason or another I just don’t feel it. But I must say, I like Gettysburg so far. This has been the only time I’ve felt pulled to any one place.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Ever since I was a little girl, my dad would tell me stories about Gettysburg. We never had a chance to visit as a family, but he’d been here a few times when he was a kid. ‘We have Civil War blood,’ he used to tell me. Mr. Banks has put me in touch with a genealogist here. I’m having her work on my line to see where they were during the war and when they fought. I know a lot about this place. Its history is unbelievable; so much has happened. As soon as I crossed over into Gettysburg, it’s bizarre but I could almost feel it all. The loss,” I declare, embarrassed. I’ve never talked so much to one person all at once in a really long time.

  “Don’t be sorry. Trust me, I know what you mean about feeling it. I’ve been all over these battlefields, and I feel it, too. Some places more than others. The Wheatfield has always been a place where I’ve felt the strangest.”

  “I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one, then. It was overwhelming at first, but I think I’m starting to get used to it.”

  We finish our meal and wait for Flo to bring our check. He wouldn’t let me pay for the meal, even with me insisting.

  “Just think of it as payback for saving my life.”

  “I don’t think I actually saved your life,” I add as we move to the Jeep. “I’m sure you would have made it home at some point.”

  “I’m glad it was you that I found. I like you, Sarah, and I think we’re going to be good friends.” He holds my door open for me before hobbling around and getting into the passenger side of the Jeep.

  I drive us off toward the Visitor Center to start our tour.

  Chapter 7

  As we drive Bruce points out places to pull over, and he explains what happened in each spot, along with offering information about the memorials that litter the sites. Each of them is different and depicts what happened in the area. Bruce is in his element here.

  We stop at the top of a hill, get out of the car, and walk a bit through some trees. When we come out he tells me, “This is Little Round Top. From here you can see a lot of the other battlefields.” He points down the hill, “That is where we were yesterday, the Wheatfield.” He points out a few other battlefields off in the distance.

  The view from up here is wonderful; you can see so far. All the places we’ve stopped at look a little bit different. In this spot there are boulders, large and small. This would have been a good hiding place for either side. The Union side was the one to get to it first. It is said that this place was the turning point for the entire Civil War. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the twentieth Maine Infantry Regiment was marvelous as he led the Union army. His regiment kept the Confederates from crossing over to where the Union held strong.

  With each stop we make, we get closer to the Wheatfield. I feel as if it’s pulling me
forward. It’s so strange.

  “It’s fascinating how this land all looks untouched. Most places I’ve been to, nothing looks the same as it once did in the past. Strip malls and houses would’ve been put all over this place if it were anywhere else.” Maybe that is what’s drawing me to these places.

  “Yeah, the city has done a lot to preserve itself. People try to come in and build, but they never get very far. It’s all a historical landmark. That’s another reason why I stay here. It all looks like it did back in the day. Not much has changed. Even the buildings from the past have only been refurbished. It really is incredible.”

  “I could stay up here all day.”

  “I know what you mean.” We sit on a rock for a while longer, enjoying the peace and quiet and looking out over the valley. The weather is perfect and so is the company. It really is shocking how comfortable I feel with him. Sitting here not talking just feels normal, not awkward like it is with some people.

  Bruce looks at his watch and comments, “It’s getting pretty late. Should we move on to the next location, or would you like to go back to the lofts?”

  “We could do a few more stops, unless you’re tired, of course. Are you in any pain?” I ask because when he stands I see him grimace a bit.

  “I’m a bit sore. But I think I can handle a few more stops.”

  “We can always come back out another time. I’m not in any hurry.”

  “All right, then why don’t we go back? I could use a pain pill. I should’ve brought them with me. So much for being ‘Mr. Macho’.” We both laugh.

  “It’s fine, really. I’m sure Sally and Buc could use a break.” We make it back to the Jeep and start back toward the lofts.

  “I bet they will still be outside playing.” He grins.

  “Really? If that’s the case, Buc will pass out as soon as he gets inside.” I laugh.