The Journeys of John and Julia: Genesis (Book 1) ~Complete~

Line 37 / Part 1

Back at Fragrant Meadows Amelia led Sheriff Bob Browne and his deputy up the stairs to inspect Julia's room. At the top Amelia pointed to the room at the end of the hallway. In her panic Elizabeth had left the door wide open and even from the distance all three of them saw a bright neon-pink sticky note lying on the floor, dead center between the two doorjambs. Amelia made a quick step forward to pick it up but Bob's sharp "No!" let her stop dead in her tracks. He walked past the old woman. "This might be evidence."

His knees produced a cracking sound as if to complain that they needed to bend and hold the weight of the sheriff's massive frame while he looked closely at the note. His companions, straining their necks trying to get a peek at the piece of paper, were almost pounded by the soundwave flowing from the sheriff's deep belly laughter. He retrieved the note and, turning to face his deputy, noticed Elizabeth coming up the stairs. "See doll, Julia is at the tree house with John; it says so right here! Now you look, this is her handwriting, no?"

Elizabeth, clutching the fabric of her t-shirt with one hand as if to keep her rapidly beating heart from jumping out of her chest, took the sticky note from the sheriff.

"Yes, yes it is! I am so grateful! I don't know how I could miss it! Made you come out here for nothing," and with that she started to cry.

"It's bright enough that's for sure," Bob, jovially. "Now don't you cry! We're all happy Julia is safe. Maybe we can get another cup of coffee and a muffin while I call back Peter and then we'll be on our way. Ted you tell Gretchen to get in touch with Sarah Freeman, no need for her to worry either."

Even Amelia was so relieved she didn't think to scold her daughter for missing Julia's message. Almost shyly she offered, "Shouldn't we be calling Julia first? Just to be sure? Obviously the tree house has reception otherwise she could not have called her father."

"Yes, of course! I call her right away!" Elizabeth was already on the phone in the kitchen before the sheriffs and her mother made their first step down the stairs.

"What a far-out dream!" was John's comment as soon as Julia had finished telling him what had happened since they saw each other the day before. "I mean it sounds totally whacked but you know ever since my mom had this dream about our cat dying and then it did I believe in them." Not wanting to get into dangerous territory too fast after their reconciliation he quickly added, "I mean it's okay if you don't believe in psychic stuff. All I say is that getting information or lessons through dreams works for my mom. She says she even sometimes gets inspiration for her books. And I'm really happy that you're going to stay for the year!"

Back into the comfort zone of being with her oldest friend, Julia smiled. "Yeah, me too." Taking a sip of her water she added pensively, "You know, I think this experience might change my perspective on otherworldly stuff because dream or whatever, it is definitely too strange to be ignored. It was so real. I mean I can still feel this sense of bliss I had when I understood the part about finding your purpose in life. Not that I have the slightest idea where this was all coming from; it was like a door opened and all those words were gushing out. Even my voice sounded different." She laughed self-consciously. "Kellie would probably give me a lecture about how I was channeling the stuff from what she calls the higher self. Me! And I can remember every single detail about the speech I gave in regards to my crying! Never mind this greasy trucker's delight taste in my mouth!" She burped as if for emphasis. "Excuse me. Add my grandpa appearing out of nowhere and I haven't even told you about this creepy vision thing that happened back home! So with all of that I guess I'm about to become a believer!"