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Escape to Big Fork Lake

By Mary L. Ball

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Escape to Big Fork Lake
Chapter One
Sam stepped away from his embrace and took a deep breath. The musky scent of his cologne danced delightfully around her nose. Her entire being longed to hang on to the peace that spread within her every time she was with him. Nevertheless, she knew it wouldn’t last. “Goodbye, Bo, I’ll see you next year.”
Bo lingered beside his car door. As he stood in the parking lot of the sandwich shop, he studied Sam’s face intently. He longed to make her understand him better. Perhaps if he lived closer, then things would be different.
Reluctantly, he opened the door to his vehicle. “Samantha, I really hate to go, but four hours is a long drive and I should get on the road. I really enjoyed the time we spent together.”
A grin formed on her face, although she didn’t like her formal name. Bo would use it sometimes. Gently, she scolded, “Now Bo, you know I want to be called Sam.”
She watched him silently, mentally tracing the lines on his sun-kissed face. A sigh rode on her breath. “I’ll see you the same place next year, Bo.”
His brake lights glared as he turned the key in the ignition. Then, with a roar of the engine, he pulled into the heavy traffic and out of her life—at least for another year.
Sam crossed the street. Frustrated, she kicked at a stone and fussed silently. Again, she had forgotten to get his phone number.
The time they spent together was such a few short hours. She was happy just being with her good friend and reluctant to break the spell with questions of his other life.
She shuddered and pulled her jacket close. The cold, stiff wind seeped into her bones and numbed her skin.
Sam paid no attention as it billowed and tossed her hair across her face.
Walking faster, she rounded the corner to her apartment. She did recall Bo was a widower and he commented about living somewhere in Alabama.

 


One year later...

Sam sat at Baker’s Sandwich shop and stared out the window. Since she last talked to Bo, so much had happened in her life. She couldn’t wait to see him. If anyone could help her, she felt in her heart Bo would.
Her mind drifted back as she recalled the day she met him.
She’d taken a late lunch because of a big sale at the book store. When she walked across the street into Baker’s Sandwich Shop and sat down at the counter to order a salad, the man seated beside her instantly drew her attention. Although he was older, something about him stood out. She couldn’t understand why, but somehow his presence created a sense of serenity.
The slightly gray-haired man stopped eating and smiled at her. Just the glow on his face lifted her spirits. When he turned toward her, it was as if he knew what was in her heart. Intrigued by him, she smiled.
He nodded and said hello. Then he told her his name was Bo and that he was in Atlanta for the restaurant convention.
The next thing she realized, she was talking to him as if they’d known each other for years. That day when she left Baker’s, she knew in her heart Bo was a special person.
When he asked her to meet him at the same place the following year, she eagerly agreed.
Sam shook off the memory and huffed out a sigh as disillusionment settled heavy on her shoulders. It only added to the cloud of despair that already covered her. She desperately needed to talk to Bo.
Sam was still upset about yesterday. She’d visited the police station and complained about her neighbor Rob in the hopes they would help her.
The officer apologized, saying until her neighbor actually outright threatened to do her bodily harm, there just wasn’t much they could do.
The policeman did tell her that if he attempted to force himself on her then she could charge him with harassment or assault and take out a restraining order.
She still didn’t understand how a few simple dates could get her in so much trouble.
Sam rubbed the wrinkled lines of frustration on her forehead as she glanced at her wristwatch again and took one last sip of coffee. Apparently, Bo wasn’t coming this year. The past hour, she had sat in this chair and waited on him. In all the years, he had never stood her up, but it appeared today he was a no-show. Slowly, she made her way to the counter and paid for her coffee.
Hurriedly, she trekked down the sidewalk and counted off the few blocks to the aged three-story apartment building she called home.
Funny, she couldn’t remember what had drawn her to this old building that always needed upgrades. The entryway doors were aged and didn’t even have peepholes in them. Small things like that she now realized were important.
Sam nervously looked around, then slipped her key in the lock and opened the door. Desperation rose in her throat and threatened to choke her. She needed to get a job so she could break free of the situation that threatened to consume her life.
Three months had passed since Tuttle Books sold to another bookstore and as a result several of the employees lost their jobs, hers included.
At first, she’d thought this was just a setback, but now the situation really caused her worry. Her money was dwindling away and any luxuries she may have wanted simply would wait.
Sam sat down on the side of her bed and took off her shoes. The fuzzy carpet tickled the bottom of her feet as she pulled on the loose strings with her toes.
For now, she was living on her savings and unemployment, something that made moving anywhere else impossible.
Sam’s chest squeezed, her body tightened. She needed to find a job. She wondered what would happen if she didn’t move and move quickly.
Staying here only added to the chance that she might get hurt.
Rob had turned into a nightmare with his constant badgering. His actions seemed to worsen with each day.
She stretched out in her bed as thoughts of the past couple months circled in her mind.
At first, Rob seemed to be a nice guy. They would talk when they passed each other in the hall or he’d start a conversation with her when they were both in the laundry room. After a while, she agreed to go out with him.
Sam tossed and pulled on her covers as she relived those times.
By their fifth date, she realized he was unstable. Oh, he seemed all right on the surface, but she soon learned he was a heavy drinker and alcohol brought out a dark, mean side of him.
She still cringed in remembrance of their last date. They went to Dante’s Restaurant and unbeknownst to her, he’d started drinking beforehand. By the time the waiter brought the meal, he was becoming loud and belligerent.
The manager approached their table and told them to leave. That was the night she decided to end any pending relationship.
Standing there in front of the restaurant, she informed Rob she didn’t want to go out with him anymore and to please not call her or ask her out again.
Since that night, he’d verbally taunted her and called her apartment at odd hours just to hang up. Of course, she couldn’t prove the breather on the other end of the receiver was him. He made sure not to say anything over the phone, but in her heart she knew it was Rob.
Turning over, Sam shoved her hand under her pillow, determined to will her negative thoughts away.


Abruptly awoken, she jumped, sitting up with a jolt. The booming noise echoed through her apartment. It was drums beating—no, it was banging.
Turning her head, she blinked and tried to focus on the numbers on her clock that sat on her nightstand. What in the world was going on? It wasn’t even seven o’clock in the morning.
The thumping increased rapidly. She pulled on her bedroom shoes while the commotion frantically persisted.
Reality struck and she swallowed hard. She knew who lurked behind the door. Even so, she would force herself to answer it. She didn’t want the racket to wake Ms. West, the landlady. It was just too early in the morning and the old woman always blamed her for causing trouble. For some reason, she thought Sam encouraged Rob. Since he was her nephew, she refused to believe anything bad about him.
Forcing her feet to move, Sam willed herself to the entryway. She paused at the threshold then mustered the courage to open the door.
With a stiff back and a hard breath, Sam braced herself for what was to come. She cracked the door as far as the safety latched allowed.
Even through the small opening, she witnessed his cold rigid expression and knew nothing good lay behind those eyes.
Her only defense was to sound brave and stand firm.
Sam hesitated and forced down the familiar smothering sensation that filled her each time she confronted him. She had to be careful, like walking on eggs. She never knew what kind of ugly slurs he would spit or if he might try to force himself on her. Some of the remarks he threw...she definitely needed to keep her guard up. Sam feared the kinds of things he might be capable of doing.
Snarling, Rob gritted his teeth like an animal. He glared at Sam through bloodshot eyes from the drinking binge he had clearly been on. “Sam, let me in. We’ve played this game long enough. You need to realize...we belong together.”
Sam shook her head and silently hoped he didn’t hear the hammering of her heart. With forced bravery, she hid the weakness in her eyes.
She willed her emotions to stay in control. With a bold stance, she voiced her opinion to his statement of claim. “Rob, I told you there will never be anything between us. Just go away and leave me alone.”
She reacted quickly before he put his hand or foot into the small opening and closed the door.
Rob slammed his fist against the hard wood, striking the door as he slurred out obscenities. The last words she heard were, “If I can’t have you, no one will.”
That final statement chilled her more than the wind outside.
She rubbed her goose-bumped arms and inhaled a deep breath as her quivering legs led her toward the kitchen.
Things were escalating. Sam remembered what the police said, which only made the situation worse. Did she want to hang around and wait to be hurt by this man?
No, she had to find a job. Then she would move out of this apartment and away from Rob as quickly as she could.
Back in her bedroom, Sam mentally calmed her shaking hands. She refused to let him get to her—somehow, she would find a way to end this. The answer to her problems was for her to find a job, that’s all.
She paused putting on her lipstick and stared at the reflection that shined back at her from the mirror. Other than the occasional inner turmoil she faced, she didn’t look too bad. Her hair could use a trim, but maybe she would let it grow for a while.
She was determined and optimistic that this would be the day she found employment. She quickly applied the final touch to her lips.
A scraping noise sounded in the hallway and her heart skipped.
She jumped and lipstick trailed its mark down her cheek.
Throwing down the tube, she spoke to her reflection. “Oh, what the heck! Look what I’ve done!” With a jittery hand, Sam harshly scrubbed at the pinkish line and wiped the smear off the side of her face.
All the while, she wondered how much longer she could take Rob’s craziness. Over the weeks, his persistence had grown and he’d become harder to avoid.


After making certain no one was in the hallway, she quickly headed down the steps, determined to find employment.
Sam walked the city blocks and concentrated on checking out the job listings she circled in the newspaper.
As the day wore on, she watched the clouds move over the sun and noticed the gray in the sky.
Somehow, the changing weather seemed to make the day even drearier than she hoped. Pretty, clear skies always seem to put things in a better light.
Sam read her notes again and checked the addresses. With all her working experience in either retail or clerical, she felt certain she could find a job opening somewhere that would suit her.
Before crossing the street, she glanced at the front of a Mexican restaurant. A bittersweet memory flashed back to her. She remembered her days in high school and how she worked at a pizza place to make extra money. Cooking was not her first choice, but maybe she should check the local restaurants around town. Anything would work for now so she could move out of her place.
Hurrying to her appointments, Sam decided she would start thinking about food service.
The wind kicked up and whirled Sam’s clothes. Grabbing her skirt, she rushed toward her last appointment. She hoped this interview would turn out better than the others.


Hours later, Sam unlocked the door to her apartment thinking about her last interview. Maybe the printing shop would call tomorrow. She did think the interview went exceptionally well and she certainly could answer phones and file.
As she tossed her jacket on the back of a chair, she glanced around her small living room. Even with the satisfaction of scheduling another interview, anxiety teetered, ready to choke her as if a hand slowly squeezing her throat.
Returning home should have been a retreat to peace, not a place where she didn’t know from one minute to the next what would happen. It seemed her nerves jumped with every little sound.
Walking over to her small desk, she checked her messages. All she heard was the landlady’s voice with a reminder that her rent was due.
A clap of thunder snapped her back to the present.
Her ears tuned to the raindrops that now pounded in a constant flow and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. At least she’d made it home before the rain began to fall.
Going into her kitchen, Sam pulled out a frozen pizza and smiled. For as long as she could remember, she liked pizza—even the store bought kind put a little zip in her spirit. A glimmer of hope sparked from somewhere deep within.
Putting her food in the oven to cook, Sam walked into the living room and turned on the television newscast. For some strange reason, the evening news seemed to lift her spirits. She supposed the newscast reminded her that everyone in the world faced problems and put hers in better perspective. At least she hadn’t been shot or contracted some deadly disease.
Sam relaxed on her couch. Thinking back through the day, at least something productive happened. That put her in a better mood. Nothing would take away her newfound peace, not tonight anyway. The buzzing from the oven timer brought her attention back to the present and her meal that waited.


Taking a quick glance at the pizza pan on the table, she threw out a disgusted look. Mentally, she counted off the four slices she had eaten. With a shake of her head, she picked up the pizza pan, promising herself to take it to the kitchen later and half-heartedly dropping the round tin on the coffee table. Contented, she listened to a comedy on television while her eyes moved to the calendar that hung on the wall.
Tomorrow would be the third week of February. Somehow, deep in her heart the impression formed—this year her life would get better.
The last sound she heard as she drifted into a deep sleep was laughter coming from the portable box on her TV stand.

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