Bound by Shadows

Chapter 10

Jocelyn jolted awake, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. Her heart pounded in her chest as the remnants of the nightmare still lingered in her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the fear that had gripped her in her sleep.

As she glanced around her dimly lit bedroom, as though searching for the threat that had disturbed her sleep, her eyes fell upon the closet door. Although she couldn’t see the wall covered with newspaper cuttings and photographs that represented her relentless pursuit of the truth, she knew it was there and a shudder ran through her body.

She hadn’t had a nightmare this bad in months, but studying that wall in the afternoon had obviously brought everything back. “Damn it!” That was definitely going to cause her another sleepless night she couldn’t afford.

Unfortunately, the kitchen was cleaner than a hospital surgical room. She could walk over to her mother’s cottage and clean the woman’s kitchen, she mused before shaking her head, knowing perfectly well that Priscilla wouldn’t appreciate it when she returned home from the hospital.

However, it dawned on her that her awakening was not solely caused by the nightmare. In fact, she had never woken from the torturous dreams before they reached the very end. This time, she had woken up before the fire even started.

“So, what woke me up?” Jocelyn’s eyes narrowed as she listened intently. The house was shrouded in silence, save for the soft groans of an old farmhouse. She couldn’t hear the boys calling, so she safely assumed they were still asleep.

The boys’ room was on the other side of the house next to her sisters. Sometimes, it felt too far because she wanted them next to her, like right now. But unless she wanted to give up the master bedroom and take the guest room, she was stuck with the living room and kitchen separating her from her sons.

Suddenly, the urge to check on the boys grew. She just wanted to make sure they were indeed sleeping peacefully.

A quick look at the clock on her phone told her it was just past two in the morning. Even earlier than she had woken up the night before. Jocelyn groaned. This wasn’t good. She will be looking like an eighty-year-old hag soon if she didn’t sleep soon and none of her sisters or mother would let her have peace if she did.

Perhaps she didn’t need to check on the boys. Everything was fine. Her sisters were right next to them. If something was wrong, surely one of them would hear.

Jocelyn closed her eyes again, determined to grab a few more hours of sleep. But then she heard it—a faint sound from outside the house, like a distant crackling she couldn’t have mistaken for anything else.

For a second, she thought she was still dreaming. Very vividly. But then her instincts kicked in, and without hesitation, she jumped out of bed and hurried to the window. Her heart sank as she saw the red and orange glow in the distance, the flickering dance of flames casting an eerie light over their wheat field.

“Fire!” Jocelyn shouted, bursting out of her room and calling for her sisters. Before remembering, Daphne was at her boyfriend’s place for the night. Only Diane was home and the woman emerged from her room dressed in her pajamas and barefoot, eyes wide with alarm.

Without hesitation, they grabbed the shotguns they kept hidden in the kitchen, and together; they rushed outside toward the fire.

They ran side by side until they passed the barn. Sweat trickled down Jocelyn's back despite the chilly night air. Her muscles cramped in protest of the sudden workout. And her lungs burned.

Finally, they reached the wheat field and came to a breathless halt. The north side of the wheat field was engulfed in flames. The fire licked greedily at the dry stalks, sending smoke spiraling into the night sky. Panic threatened to consume them as they watched their family’s livelihood turn to ashes just weeks before harvest.

“We need to do something!” Diane cried out, her voice choked with emotion.

Jocelyn’s mind raced. What could they do? The wheat was dry and perfect to feed the fire. However, she knew they had to act quickly if they didn’t want to lose more than just the wheat field. “Switch on the sprinklers! We’ll try to put it out before it spreads.”

Jocelyn ran to the nearest access to their water source, turning it on as Diane ran back to the control panel in the barn. In a matter of minutes, they had the sprinklers on and fighting the hungry flames.

Aided by the breeze, the fire was moving toward the field of green beans. But wet soil and fresh crop in that field acted as a barrier, preventing the fire from spreading further, and soon the sprinklers doused down the last of the flames.

As the darkness of the night returned, exhaustion and frustration washed over the sisters. Jocelyn walked over to the burned and now wet field and crouched. Her hand picked up some of the residue.

“Do you think this was an accident?” Diane asked behind her.

Jocelyn shook her head. “Not unless someone just happened to throw a lit cigarette in the field for kicks.” During the day when their part-time hired help was around, she could have seen it as a possibility. After all, not everyone had been blessed with common sense. But not in the middle of the night when no one was around. Jocelyn brought her hand to her nose and took a whiff. “I think I can smell petrol.”

“So not an accident,” Diane spat in anger. The woman flipped the safety on the shotgun and looked around in the dark.

Jocelyn stood up and dusted her hand. “No. I think this was a warning.” She was almost sure of it. Someone wanted them to stop digging into the death of Rolf and Terence. To abandon their quest for the truth.

But as Jocelyn stood side by side with her sister, watching the remnants of the fire smolder, a fierce determination washed over her. She couldn’t back down. Not now. This fire had only fueled her resolve.

“We can’t let them scare us,” Jocelyn said, her voice steady despite the fear lingering in her heart. “We owe it to Rolf and Terence. To find out what really happened that night.”

Diane nodded, her jaw set in determination. “You don’t need to convince me. You know I am in this all the way. We will get them. The truth will eventually come out.”

Jocelyn nodded in the dark and gave the field a last glance. There was nothing they could do about it tonight. Tomorrow, they would count their losses and see what could be salvaged.

“Let’s get back to the house. The boys are alone,” she reminded her sister as she turned around. Suddenly eager to make sure whoever had set the field on fire hadn’t sneaked into the house to harm her boys.

Diane fell in step next to her and lifted a set of keys from her pocket. “I locked the door when we ran out.”

A small smile tugged at Jocelyn’s lips. She could always count on Diane to think clearly, even in the face of chaos. “Thank you.”