The Mud On Their Shoes - Conclusion

At last! The end of the story! (Or is it only the beginning...?)

Make sure you go back to the beginning and/or the middle before you read the end, but if you're ready...

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The Mud On Their Shoes - Conclusion
A side story to 'Sanctuary' - Book One in the Gilesian Trilogy

A muffled scream interrupted Maggie's distracted thoughts. The sound came from the room the other three disappeared into before she got distracted. She ran over into the twilight darkness.

Dwight fought weakly, powerless against all the plastic and tubing that encased him. He screamed a small, breathy scream.

“He’s conscious. That’s good! I’ll find the doctor and see if he can’t have something so he’s comfortable,” Bennie smiled and clapped the parents in an encouraging way on their shoulders as she ran out past Maggie.

Maggie kept a distance while his parents circled around him, talking to him, their hands caressing the gauze-covered arms.

He looked at her. Still screaming…he knew the truth. She could read his haunted eyes. No one fooling anybody here, bastard. I am so over you.

“Excuse me, little lady.”

Maggie whirled around to see a tall, grey-haired man in a blue suit. He held out a wallet with a badge inside.

“John Hoffman, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Looking for a Dwight Paulson?”

Police?

Maggie pointed. “He’s in here.”

Mr. Paulson looked up from the bed, and came running over. “My son is very injured, sir. He shouldn’t be disturbed.”

“I understand, Mr. – “

“Jose Paulson. I’m his father.”

“Mr. Paulson, I need to ask you some questions. Could you tell me what happened with your son today? There were several boys that came in with similar injuries from the same area today – pretty intense injuries. Was this a gang attack?”

“I was there…” Maggie piped in, and then all faces again turned to her.

Her sense of expectation rose. Her mind went blank. Why couldn’t she think of anything to say at perfect times like this??

John smiled, and the corners of her own mouth lifted in response. “Your name, m’lady?”

“Maggie Crain. Dwight and me…we’re kind of a thing...”

“What can you tell me about what went on over at Druid Hill?”

“Well…see, it was a joke…there was this girl. From school…”

Maggie’s eyebrows lifted in sudden realization. “No way…oh no you didn’t…”

She ran back down the hallway where she’d seen her. It was Crystal. She knew it.

At the perpendicular corner that went down another hallway, she saw only another empty bank of rooms.

If I ever see that conniving little ho-bag again…

“What’s wrong?”

The others had followed, not knowing where she was going.

Maggie looked around. She needed to tell them. Nothing else would hold them like a weird story. And it didn't get any weirder than that girl.

“They chased her – it was some kinda prank; no big deal. I didn’t wanna go in the park; I was wearing heels today. Not after the rain – all that mud. Neither did Kara, or Tricia. We went back to the Market to hang out – but we waited and waited. We went back to Druid Hill to look for them…and then there was blood. Broken branches…bodies…”

Maggie saw Dwight’s mom cover her mouth with a gloved hand. “I called an ambulance, I rode over with him. The nurse told me he wasn’t gonna make it…”

Bennie called to the group, still standing at the corner. “He’s talking! He’s calling for Maggie! Come see! Oh, this is good, so good…”

The group rushed back in Bennie’s direction.

Maggie’s heart burst in her chest. A lucky break for all of them. She knew she was lucky…didn’t she say so? And her man called out her name, in front of his parents and God and everyone…and she would answer…

Maggie wondered later, dozing in the chair next to Dwight’s bed in the hospital, what happened to that FBI agent. It was like he disappeared.

She would have been interested to see how he looked after them until they were gone, then pivoted to look down the hallway where Maggie had looked. Took a few steps to the right.

The sign on the first room to his right read ‘Staff Lounge’. He pulled the door open and moved forward slowly into the darkened room.

She would have been extra-interested to see what he saw next – a young girl with a brown ponytail who lay asleep, curled up on the couch, facing the back cushions. A mud-splattered leg, and a shoe covered with a white hospital footie, hung off the couch behind her.

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And with that, finally is the unveil of my daughter's picture of my lead character from 'Sanctuary', Crystal Hanson - the one you just read about, asleep on the couch in the break room. Ta-daaaa!