Carcass, noun: The dead body of an animal; the trunk of an animal such as a cow, sheep, or pig, for cutting up as meat; the remains of a cooked bird after all the edible parts have been removed; the remains of something being discarded, dismembered, or worthless.
Geek, noun: An unfashionable or socially inept person; [usually with modifier] a knowledgeable and obsessive enthusiast; a carnival performer who performs wild or disgusting acts; verb: Engage in or discuss computer-related tasks obsessively or with great attention to technical detail; be or become extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialist or minority interest:
Slash, verb: Cut (something) with a violent sweeping movement, typically using a knife or sword; reduce (a price, quantity, etc.) greatly; noun: A cut made with a wide, sweeping stroke; a wound or gash made by a cut with a wide, sweeping stroke.
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This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.
The Gravel Pits-Part 9 -Conclusion
Just when she thought she might have lost him a hand
reached out from in front of her and grabbed her saying, “Found you.”
“Don’t panic it’s me Karl.” he said, “Are you okay
Kathleen? He didn’t harm you?”
“I have some bruises, but I’m okay.” she answered, “I'm so glad you're here.
Kathleen relaxed for a moment in Karl’s arms that he
put around her, but then she remembered the man was still out there.
“I saw his car parked in front of the Sulphur
springs, you weren’t in it and I saw him enter the woods so I assumed you were in
here. I slashed one of his tires, but he's the kind of geek to drive on it. We better get moving to my car before he gets here. My
car is that way,” Karl said pointing.
Kathleen heard a noise behind Karl and then saw the
man come into view. He swung a log at Karl’s head and then with the other hand
reached out to grab Kathleen but missed. As Karl fell down, Kathleen ducked,
grabbed a log herself with her other hand and swung it at the man connecting
with his head. The man’s head bled profusely and he dropped like a stone. Kathleen
bent over Karl and helped him up as he pointed the way to his car. Kathleen
dragged Karl to the car where he insisted she drive.
“I can’t. I don’t know how,” Kathleen protested.
“You can do this I can direct you, but I can’t see
well enough to drive. I’ve got double vision.”
Karl then showed her how to shift the gears and
drive before buckling himself and her into the car. Kathleen wanted to take him
to the hospital, but Karl insisted they go straight to his dad. Kathleen
floored the car driving as fast as she could to the police station, but it was
at least twenty miles away and it seemed like forever as she drove. she was terrified but she would not let this man catch them she decided as her adrenalin kicked in. Karl seemed
groggy and Kathleen kept talking to him to keep him awake. Just before they got
to the out skirts of London the man caught up to them and banged the back of
Karl’s dad’s car almost pushing them off the road. Kathleen kept the car steady
and headed towards the police station. Kathleen raced through the city with the
man on her tail. Finally turning into the police station driveway, the car disappeared. Kathleen
got out and took Karl into the police station.
“Can I help you?” asked the policeman at the desk.
Kathleen burst into tears and then still shaking,
she blurted through sobs, “I....kid ...”
“You’re not making sense miss. Did this boy hurt
you?”
Karl took Kathleen in his arms and let her cry into
his shoulder as he explained, “I’m Karl Ward, my dad works here.”
“Oh you’re Lieutenant Peter Ward’s boy,” the
policeman acknowledged.
“Yes, I am,” Karl replied.
“So what happened Karl? Can you tell me while I
summon your dad?”
“This is my friend Kathleen Jones. You have a BOLO
out on her. That weirdo that you look for, kidnapped her. You know the guy who
may have killed that girl Gina Waterstone? I spotted his car and I found
Kathleen running from him in the woods. He caught up with us and hit me on the
head but Kathleen saved me hitting him on smack dap on the head when he tried
to grab her again. Then we drove here and he followed,” Karl said.
“Your head bleeds.
I believe you both need to go to hospital. Now is the perp still out
there?”
“No, he took of once we turned into the station. But
he did hit the back of our car when we were on the highway outside of town.
There may be some paint scrapings you could get there,” Karl said and then
finishing he said, “My head hurts.”
“And here’s help right on cue,” the policeman said.
The ambulance attendants arrived and diagnosed the
Kathleen was in shock and said that Karl needed stitches and probably had a
concussion. They loaded the two teens up and into the ambulance.
“I’ll have your father meet you at the hospital
Karl,” the policeman promised.
The teens were seen almost immediately, though Kathleen
refused to be far from Karl; so they set him up in a bed near her with the
curtain drawn so they could examine her.
Great-Aunt Frieda arrived at the hospital a half an
hour after the ambulance and crying she said, “Thank, God you’re alive.”
After the tears and reunion took place, they
recommended an overnight stay for Kathleen because of shock. Karl’s father
arrived three hours later to find Karl sitting beside Kathleen’s bed holding
her hand his head sewn with twenty stitches.
“We got him. You’re safe,” Lieutenant Ward reassured
them.
“You got him dad?”
“I’m safe? He won’t get out on bail?” asked Kathleen
“No he won’t get out of jail. I’m afraid he’s dead.”
“Good! I'd like to kick his carcass, ” Karl exclaimed vehemently, “How did it
happen, anyway?”
“Karl!!”
“He hurt Kathleen. He would have raped and killed
her and he killed other women. He deserved to die, dad. you have to admit that,”
Karl insisted.
“No one deserves to die. Jail can be a terrible
punishment. He tried to get away, but he was trapped and when he got out of the
car he shot at us and my colleagues fired back. He died in a battle of
gunfire,” Lieutenant Ward explained.
“He can’t hurt me...”Kathleen said and then began to
cry again.
Karl went to her and hugged her again as the nurse
came in and told his father and Karl that they had to go.
“I’m not going home. Kathleen needs me,” Karl insisted.
“It’s very unusual and I better be able to trust you
young man. This young lady needs you for assurance only understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Karl replied politely.
“Fine then you can stay, but only if you lie down in
that bed there. You have a head injury and should rest. She’ll hear your
breathing and know you’re there. I’ll check you in a couple of hours,” the
nurse said.
Karl’s dad left smiling, reassured the teens were
going to be fine and went back to work. In the morning Kathleen was escorted
home by Karl and his father. Karl saw Kathleen to the door.
“Terri is anxious to see you, but dad said she had
to wait until tomorrow,” Karl stated.
“Thanks for coming to save me Karl,” Kathleen said.
“It’s nothing any boyfriend would have done. Besides
you could have saved yourself. You are so brave,” Karl insisted.
“Karl, are you my boyfriend now?” Kathleen asked
surprised.
“I’d like to be,” Karl said.
“Then it’s settled you’re my boyfriend,” Kathleen
claimed then kissed him gently on the cheek and said, “See you later, Karl.”
“See you later Kathleen,” Karl cried planting a soft
kiss on her lips and then leaving.
Kathleen danced as she came in the house, “My first
real kiss, because you can’t count Tommy Gunderson,” she called out to no one
and then said, “I have a boyfriend and he’s handsome and older. All the girls will
hate me. I love it!”
Then she giggled happily. Great-Aunt Frieda heard Kathleen’s
record player turn on and the song ‘And then he kissed me’ by the Crystal’s
come on full blast and sounds of Kathleen dancing around the room.
Great-Aunt Frieda went into the kitchen made
herself a cup of tea and took out a cookie from a batch she kept back from the
bake sale. Great-Aunt Frieda smiled, Kathleen sounded herself again after that
horrible kidnapping.She had come out of this with very little harm thank goodness. It had been a hairy situation but it was over.The boy Karl had finally declared himself. Karl was a
good boy brought up properly he wouldn’t take advantage of Kathleen. God had seen their family through this
tribulation and all was right with the world. She could relax for a while until
the next teenage drama, of course, hopefully not anytime soon.
Next on her
agenda making a fabulous picnic lunch for Kathleen; Karl and his family were
meeting them at the gravel pits for a swim and a picnic. Time to make peace
with the gravel pits and the terrible thing that almost happened nearby. They
could make some new happy memories for the all the teens Terri, Karl and
Kathleen. It would be a beautiful day the weather was perfect.
If she hurried she could just about make her German potato salad in time,
before she let Kathleen know about the picnic and swim.
The
End
©Sheilagh Lee September 17, 2014
