"Come on honey, it can't be that bad, not really." Jebidiah tried to lighten the severity of the situation but Bethany wasn't having any of it.
"It's true Jebidiah, it is really true! What are we going to do?"
"Calm down my love, just calm down. You are hyperventilating. Let us or me read the article first and see what it says. If we can prevent it, we will and if not, we can always go back to my time and follow your grandfather's instructions to the letter." Jebidiah's voice remained calm outwardly while inside he was shaking and fearful himself but tried to be strong for his Beth.
Bethany smoothed the newspaper against her now drawn up knees and began to read aloud.
Engaged Couple in Horrific Tragedy
The Van Meter Times ~ September 20, 2014
At 10:15am yesterday morning, a Dodge Charger driven by Bethany Clayton, age 19, along with her fianc? and passenger, Jebidiah Cole, age 25, allegedly intentionally swerved suddenly into oncoming traffic and hit a semi tractor head on, killing them both instantly. The charger was crushed, along with its occupants from the force of the crash.
Witnesses to the crash say Clayton was driving along the interstate just fine when she suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic and made a beeline for the semi. The witnesses feel that the couple may have made a suicide pact. No one will know for sure until the investigation by the Iowa Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation is complete.
What we do know at this point in time is that when law enforcement and medical personnel arrived on scene, it was incredibly horrific for all present. Miss Bethany Clayton's body was crushed beyond recognition and had been decapitated. Her head found several yards away was frozen in absolute terror. Her passenger, Jebidiah Cole's body had not only been crushed and decapitated it had also been severed at the waist. Local fire departments in the area had to use the jaws of life to fully extract the remains of the bodies of the young couple from the smashed remains of their car.
The Clayton family is expectedly shocked and deep in grief. Miss Clayton was the only family that Jebidiah has here. They have asked us to let everyone know that there will not be a visitation service but the funeral for both Bethany and Jebidiah will be held at the local Van Meter High School on Saturday at 9:00am with the burial services to follow at the pioneer cemetery, Old Clayton Cemetery, where they will be laid to rest with their ancestors near the base of the dancing couple outside of town.
At the end of the article, Bethany could not stop shaking. She'd just read about her and Jebidiah's deaths, the most horrific deaths imaginable to her at least. "What....what are we going to do Jebidiah? I am afraid to die and in such a horrific way is inconceivable! I love you more than anything in this life but, I can't lose you again, not like that!" Bethany screamed hysterically while being unable to stop shaking, even with Jebidiah holding tightly onto her and trying to calm her down. She wrapped her eyes around his waist tightly and was afraid to let go as the article fluttered to the floor.
"I think we have no choice but to do what your grandfather suggested in his mother's journal. It's our only chance to be together, to have a future together sweetheart. It's entirely up to you my love as I said before. I will forever be eternally grateful to God for having placed you in my life, the amount of time does not matter. Each day is a blessing to me with you. This time with you has been the greatest blessing I have ever been given and I will never regret a single moment of it. I am not worried my love whether we die now or later in life, we will have all of eternity together in the Lord's eternal paradise. There, we will never again be separated from each other." Jebidiah kissed her sweet smelling forehead then used two fingers and lifted her chin to his and kissed her passionately with all of the love contained within himself. He showed her by deed and action what words cannot convey.
Later, lying in Jebidiah's arms, Bethany made what she considered to be the most selfish decision of her life and asked God's forgiveness for it. "Jebidiah?"
"Yes, my love?"
"I've made up my mind. I will need you to keep Grandmother's journal safe for me in your duster please."
"We are going to do this then?" Jebidiah asked, afraid to believe and yet understanding exactly how much she was about to give up.
"God forgive me, but I refuse to lose you and lose the chance at a life with you, a long and wonderful life. If that means giving up all modern conveniences and even my own family then God forgive me but so be it." Bethany declared wholeheartedly and yet with the most insecure vulnerability she'd ever trusted anyone enough to see.
"We have one month until our time is up. We need to prepare and silently read the last entry in Clarice's journal. I am sure in your own way, you'll want to say goodbye to your family here as well." Jebidiah said, with great understanding and empathy.
"I do, but it will only make it harder. When we leave here, we won't be back, I have a feeling. I only plan to purchase and bring my own journals and writing utensils and the photos of my family and the one of us with me to remember this life by. I will secure them in your other duster that I still have here. I can only pray that we awake in your time and in your room in the hotel so we don't scare anyone." Bethany said sadly, filled with extreme guilt over what she had decided to do but also knew it was the only choice she could make under the circumstances.
Chapter Five ~ Meeting the Dark One
THE NEXT DAY, Jebidiah dressed in his gunslinger outfit complete with its gun belt. He had Mariana's journal hidden in his duster along with their engagement photos and a few other keepsakes, just in case. Bethany wore Mariana's old dress with Jebidiah's other duster. the inside pockets are full with the few things she wished to bring back to the past to hold onto for the rest of her days. they are both ready to finish this as Bethany hid a letter to her family under her pillow and prayed they would find it, before anything happened to them or they ceased to exist.
Bethany once again, held tightly onto Jebidiah and Clarice's journal both as she opens the journal to its last entry from Daniel, not knowing what will happen to them once this is done.
August 2, 1973
Dearest Bethany,
If you are reading this last entry, my sweet great granddaughter, then you have chose the dark and dangerous path with the most reward at the end. The only path you can take under the circumstances if you want to end the dark curse upon our family. Now, I won't lollygag around and waste your time. You need to follow my directions to a T, especially if you want this to work.
The first thing you need to do is go out to the old abandoned Platt Fire Brick and Tile company's factory northwest of town. Directly behind it is a black stone angel. It was placed by me as a memorial stone for my mother. Directly below it is the boarded up entrance to the mine. You will need to break through then go down the ladder walkway to the lowest point of the mine where the veil between worlds is thinnest. You, as a traveler will feel it in your bones when you have reached the right place.
Once there, have Clarice's journal opened to the proper entries. He won't be able to resist his narcissism and will want to read the entries. He has absolutely no idea about the travelers so keep it that way. You will need to call him out by calling him, "The Magnificent, all knowing dark one." It will pull him and him alone out of the eighth realm and through the veil and it will appeal to him along with the fact that you are a very beautiful woman as well as Clarice's direct descendant. She was and still is in a way, her favorite female, the only one who ever called upon him and fell in love with him. It will endear him to you. Do not be afraid of him, he will not hurt you, but you have to pretend to be enthralled by him no matter what he looks like or the putrid scent he will be giving off and it will gag you but you have to fight against it or all is lost.
Stay true to your path and show him the journal entry mother wrote. The dark one doesn't need to read it aloud for it to work, only read it for himself and as I said, he won't be able to resist it. Once he has read it, he will disappear back to his soul mate, my mother, in the
past at her room in the asylum.
Once the dark one disappears, grab the journal and run like hell back out of that mine shaft and get somewhere safe so that his mate can't get to you. Get back to the hotel and back up to your room as quickly as possible. I have spelled the room to keep your presence there a secret.
Once back in the room, as I said the window of time for you both to cross back will be very limited so waste no time in reading the entry in Mariana's journal, the first one right after the hotel was built. Read it aloud then hold onto your soul mate as tightly as you can and immediately put yourselves to sleep. If you have done everything right, when you next awaken, you will both be in Jebidiah's room in the hotel back in the past and everyone else will see you and believe you are real, no longer a ghost and for him, it will be as if he never left.
If anyone asks, Bethany is Jebidiah's wife from back east in Indiana and she just arrived during the night to surprise him and that is all there is to it. Oh, one final thing Bethany, absolutely do not, either of you, read the journal to the dark one or you will be trapped in the past with him! Make any excuse you have to! If you are convincing enough, it won't be a problem and you will have eternity at Jebidiah's side.
Your Grandfather Daniel Clayton
"Ok. So, I guess we drive out to the abandoned mine and pay a visit to the dark one. Is there anything my love that you would like to do before we go back?" Jebidiah asked full of determination to get this done right and yet full of love and empathy for his beautiful wife.
"Not really, what about you honey?" Bethany asked and suddenly felt years older than her age.
"To be honest, I would love one last big mac, fries and a shake before we go, if you really wouldn't mind? Jebidiah commented offhandedly. Bethany's musical laugh burst from her lips. Leave it to Jebidiah to make her laugh.
"Yes love, let's go and get some big macs and fries. It will be a wonderful last meal for us. We better get our supplies as well for breaking into the mine. It's time to meet the dark one."
After their shopping and the best fast food meal either had ever eaten, Bethany drove them to the abandoned mine. And there, they broke through the rotten boards sealing up the old mine. the half-stair, half-walkway was right where Daniel said it was and they began to descend into the very belly of Hell itself.
After Bethany and Jebidiah descended into the mine's belly for what seemed like hours when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. an overwhelming putrid stench burned her nostrils, her gut clenched fearfully, and she felt the veil right before her. It was the strangest thing she'd ever felt, part of her in this word and part of her in the next. It was an incredibly intense and surreal experience for her to deal with while she called on the dark one.
Moment later, the dark one appeared before her. Bethany flinched ever so slightly and the dark one felt he imagined it. "Why have you summoned me here woman? Do we know each other?" He asked in confusion.
"Oh magnificent, awesome dark one, I apologize for interrupting your rest. You knew my great-great grandmother Clarice Clayton well. She said so many fantastic things about you in her journal that I have here. Of course, there are a couple of entries that are of a more explicit and sensual nature. They are better suited for your eyes alone, handsome." Bethany whispered seductively as she made her eyes shine with the same love and desire that she'd only even shown to Jebidiah.
"Please forgive me, I am being very rude in my delight to meet you. My name is Bethany and this is my brother Jebidiah."
At the sound of his name, Jebidiah bowed very deeply and whispered, "It is my honor to meet you, most worshipped dark one."
"You are both pleasing to me. Please tell me, my beautiful female that I would love to have as my own lover, Clarice's written words, do you have them? I shall like to read of my legendary prowess for myself please. I am certainly pleased that you have come all the way down here to bring me such a gift and wish to meet me in person." The dark one's voice resonated in both Bethany and Jebidiah's minds.
"Yes, lord. Here it is and these are the entries I could not bring myself to read, for the reasons I stated, magnificent lord." Bethany cooed and handed the journal to the dark one. He read the first few sensual lines and let out a seductive laugh as he read on.
After she heard that deeply seductive laugh, Bethany momentarily lost herself even as she understood grandmother Clarice's fascination with him. Only one laugh and he had her insides turned into molten lava that needed to be appeased to cool back down.
As the Dark One looked at Bethany in heated desire then, in complete shock as she began to rapidly disappear, Bethany leapt toward him. She wanted him with all of her being at that moment and would have been trapped in Clarice's past forever. Jebidiah acted in the nick of time when he wrapped his arms around her waist and used all the strength he possessed and pulled his wife back away from the dark one before he touched her.
After the dark one disappeared, Clarice's journal fell to the ground and Bethany fell to the floor after it. She screamed and sobbed that she wanted him back until a blood curdling shriek from beyond the veil pierced and bloodied her ears.
Jebidiah swept up Clarice's journal, tucked it back into his duster next to Mariana's then swept Bethany off her feet and over his shoulder as he ran as fast as his feet could carry him back up and out of the mine. It felt like it took three hours when in reality, it only took thirty minutes. He ran to the car with Bethany, strapped her in as fast as he could and drove to the old hotel in such a way that it would have made any famous race driver proud.
After Jebidiah pulled in front of the hotel, he carried a struggling Bethany up to his room and knew that time was running out so did the only thing sure to bring her out of whatever place she'd disappeared to. He slapped Bethany's face, hard. The smack of palm against cheekbone reverberated around the room.
Bethany collapsed upon the bed and held her hand to her cheek. She was shocked that her husband had slapped her for no reason. She stared at him in shock as he dropped to his knees before her and begged her forgiveness.
"What happened? Didn't we go to the mine? I swear we were there. Why did you slap me, Jebidiah?" Bethany asked, confused.
"Sweetheart, we are back from the mine. You gave Clarice's journal to the dark one but he somehow entranced you and tried to drag you to the past with him. I got to you just in time and brought you back here love. We have very little time left to get back to my era. You need to read Mariana's journal so we can go to sleep and travel back in time." Jebidiah said and still felt a tremendous amount of remorse for having raised a hand to his sweet wife.
"I believe and trust you, my loving husband. Thank you for saving and protecting me from him. He must have done something to my mind to make me forget everything until now. Let's get on the bed and read the journal in quick order Jebidiah and then get some rest." Bethany whispered to her husband as she climbed weakly and fully clothed onto her bed in his old room in the hotel where he joined her. She said a small prayer asking her family and her Lord for forgiveness. She read the two entries from Mariana's journal, snuggled tightly against her Jebidiah, and then fell fast asleep. He followed her to sleep and right into the past.
Epilogue
"GOOD MORNING, MY LOVE. How are you feeling on this fine morning?"
"I am feeling wonderful and very blessed although, I can't speak for our darling twins, Daphne and Daniel." Bethany joked and smiled then, pulled her husband in close for a very passionate kiss. their newborn twins were asleep in their cradles made by their Grandfather Daniel Wright. Bethany Clayton was no more. She had become Beth Cole, wife of Jebidiah Cole when they had returned to 1869 exactly to the second that they had left.
My questions asked were easily answered with Daniel's help. For example, Jebidiah and I married while he was a US Marshall. He left me behind until he knew the small town of Tracy later changed to Van Meter was safe for his loving wife. Grandfather Daniel backed up Jebidiah's story as did his new wife. No one ever questioned it and were
allowed to live our lives in peace.
With Daniel's help, the town still took down the Outlaw Gang. Everyone in Van Meter at the time and in times to come had remained a tight knit community. Everyone always helped one another in times of need.
Bethany and Jebidiah became rich with their futuristic inventions. They went on to have ten children, four boys and six girls that they loved and cherished deeply. Bethany lived to be one hundred and two years of age.
Jebidiah lived to be one hundred and ten years of age. All their lives, Bethany hid her journals from her children and grandchildren. She only shared them with Jebidiah and often reflected on her engagement photos as well as the most cherished photo of her parents, sister, herself and Jebidiah taken in the future. She wrote about each person in her family and about their lives, people who no longer existed not since Daniel Smite Clayton committed suicide at the young age of twelve when his mother Clarice was killed by the doctor who performed a lobotomy and electroshock therapy on her, ranting and raving about her dark lover coming to her room at night.
Bethany and Jebidiah lived a wealthy life due to hard work and dedication to their pursuits. They also lived a life full of love and devotion to each other and to their children. Their only constant fear was that one of their children would end up being a traveler yet the fear faded with time.
When Jebidiah died after an exceptionally long life, their ten children and families buried him next to his true love at the foot of the statue of the dancing couple. The children were the only residents in Van Meter who knew the statues were of their children.
Bethany (Clayton) Cole's series of six journals containing all their secrets, had been found two years after her death by her eldest daughter Daphne who had the pleasure of reading the surreal tale without consequences. they details in great depth Bethany's whole journey from reading Mariana's journal to the end of her life. the only thing missing was any mention of the dark one who had been renamed Damien by Bethany.