Curtis and Carol ... Update: Big Picture
. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50167142311_7a59455592_k.jpg Curtis Stevens Update When we left off with Curtis, he and Susan had just failed the 112 Day Challenge. More importantly ......
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Paradise Lost … And Found
Curtis, recently released from jail, took no time getting out of Bridgeport.
Roaming the roads was nice, but he knew he would have to find a place to settle sooner or later.
He was caught off guard being released earlier than expected and with little warning …
He wasn’t going to get caught short again, let the money run out, and still have no idea where he was going to settle in.
Twinbrook
As he made his way across the country …
he stopped at places that might present an opportunity to establish a new beginning.
Twinbrook was the first such location he came across, and thought was worth a look.
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Mystery Meat
Early in the morning, he started getting that gnawing feeling in his gut.
As usual he figured fishing for some breakfast would probably take care of business.
He found a quiet spot in the salt marshes around Twinbrook and gave it try.
Unfortunately, although he had some luck, he figured a burger in town might taste a little better.
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One Word … ‘Charming’
After a quick bite … Curtis headed to the City Square.
He was immediately taken by how nice the park was, and took the opportunity to meet a few people.
Twinbrook looked like it just may be a great opportunity, fishing still questionable …
But a once seasoned hobo like Curtis, knew you didn’t jump train and set up camp at the first stop.
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Moonlight Falls
After a few nights under the stars, and days of smoked fish …
Curtis thought it was time for another burger and a look around a town.
While still on the outskirts of Moonlight Falls, he noticed a Fortune Teller out by a lake.
How fortuitous … What damage could it do?
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Halloween in June
About an hour, and 28 bucks into a session with the fortune teller …
Curtis figured a cheap bottle of nasty nectar,
would probably have more benefit that supporting the gypsy’s crack habit.
He was heading into town when he came across an interesting sight.
Curtis met this sweet young lady named Marigold …
Who seemed to be trying out, what he could only assume was some sort of elaborate Halloween Costume.
Anyway, not being too impolite, and trying to snatch the wings off her back to get a better look,
Curtis moved on to see what else the town had to offer.
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Give and Take
When he got to the center of town, Curtis had a brilliant idea.
If he was going to get fleeced by the gypsy, he might as well try to recoup his losses.
Picking up a few guitar skills during the Challenge, he played for tips.
It wasn’t long and a fella named Mike Nix dropped more change on him than he had spent in town.
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Moonlight Falls vs Jail
Curtis spent the rest of the afternoon talking to folks around the park.
He met quite a few people, including the Swains and Hoppcrafts.
Still … He had an uneasy feeling about the place.
It crossed his mind at one point that his fellow inmates in jail were a less suspicious bunch than this crowd.
He scratched Moonlight Falls off the list, and hit the road again … Before Dark … ?
Riverview
A few days and miles of rolling farmland after Moonlight Falls …
Curtis rolled into Riverview.
Things looked promising from the start when he cam across a fish hatchery.
If nothing else … Lunch was going to be easy enough to come by.
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Curtis came across a public pool in the business district and met Mags and Robert Newbie.
Mags was okay, but Robert and their son Bob were a bit stressed and distracted over their phones.
Constantly checking for updates and not necessarily liking what they found.
For some strange reason, he got the impression that Riverview, might be a ‘little town trying to play big’.
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Dang the Tourists
Not ready to write Riverview off, Curtis headed to Plaza Park to try and meet a few more folks.
Playing for tips was a decent ice breaker, and he had a chance to meet Mr. Bagley and Trigger Broke.
He also managed to introduce himself to several tourists,
including Mr. Amoit from France and Giza from Egypt.
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Nothing was really wrong with Riverview, but it was missing something … A feeling that kept gnawing at Curtis.
To the Coast
After a few weeks and many miles on the road, Curtis noticed he was running out of options
and land for that matter.
No matter how good he was at fixing the bike … It wasn’t sprouting wings to fly to China.
He still had a place called Sunset Valley on the short list, but it was on the coast.
Trying to stay upbeat, he was happy to find a beautiful little town when he arrived.
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Something Is Missing
Although he couldn’t imagine a more pristine little town ...
Somethings was still a little ‘off’ with his new find.
Perhaps is was the fact that at noon on Sunday the town square was dead as a doornail.
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Struggling with his thoughts and that creeping feeling again, Curtis was becoming frustrated.
In attempts to shake things loose, he had heard the beach in Sunset Valley was awesome.
He headed over to the beach to check things out, but it was quiet for the most part when he arrived.
Curtis found himself at the water’s edge, standing like a statue mirroring the Lighthouse in the bay.
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Sea to Sea
Curtis had come this far … Crossed the country.
He wondered if he needed to plan a loop back and catch Dragon Valley or Appaloosas Plains.
They weren’t on his short list … But options.
It was then he noticed that more than anything else, he was exhausted.
He decided to swim for a bit then take a nap … Maybe hold off on making any harsh decisions.
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What’s That Noise
Curtis was drifting in and out of his nap on the beach, when he was startled by the noise.
Gaining full consciousness, he figured out it was his phone ringing.
In a weird and surprising way, dread welled up inside him.
Inmates weren’t allowed phones in lock-up, and his hadn’t rang since he got out.
He had been avoiding the world, avoiding old ties, and simply ‘out of contact’.
He intentionally forced himself not to look at the caller ID, in hopes of not passing on the call.
He hit the accept button, said “hello” … And was soon jerked back into the world.
Nicholas Riverhawk
”Hey Curtis … What’s up jailbird?”
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Curtis
”Nick, my brother … I would recognize that voice anytime.
What’s up with you?”
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Curtis and Nicholas traded small talk catching up, then Nicholas got to the point of the call.
Nicholas
”So, what I was calling about Curtis …
I know this young lady from University, and we are still pretty tight friends.
She has a birthday coming up, and I was online searching for something to get her.
I remembered she is just a fan of your books.”
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Nicholas Continues
”Man, I was getting ready to ditch that thought seeing as she has already read everything you have written …
When I remembered you would be getting out of lock-up soon.
‘Boots Under the Bed’ is her favorite … And I have a first edition copy myself.
It would be pretty cheesy to give her a secondhand book she has already read …
Except if maybe the author, whom I just happen to know …
Wrote a little note in it and singed it.
Look … No pressure, you’ll probably be busy …
But I can drop it to ya in the mail and maybe get it back in time if you’re cool with that.
Wadda ya say … Help a brother out?”
There is an uneasy silence on Curtis’ end … and Nicholas begins to wonder if Curtis is still online.
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Houston … We Got A Problem
While Nicholas was waiting on the other end … Curtis was about to passout.
The sound of Nick’s voice made an immediate connection to the hole he had in his gut.
Uncommon for Curtis, the floodgates opened, and he struggled with gaining composure.
He tried to suck it up, but his voice still cracked when he finally got back to Nicholas.
Curtis
”Nick … I don’t know which one of us is doing more to help the other brother out.
I got a better idea … Instead of worrying about the mail,
I’ll be in Hidden Springs in a couple of days, and we can take care of that in person.
But hey … Kind of keep it on the down-low.
We may grab a couple of drinks at Varg’s, or whatever, but I don’t want a scene.”
Nicholas
”Dang dude … That’s just fantastic.
She’ll be thrilled to get the book with your added touch.
And look … I get ya … No party, maybe we can just hang out.
It’ll be great seeing ya again and catching up”
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Home
Curtis and Nicholas talked a short while before hanging up …
But Curtis was distracted and already thinking what was to come.
He had pushed thoughts of Hidden Springs down and failed to recognize some significance.
Hidden Spring was nice and welcoming, but it was also where Curtis had discovered who he could be.
It’s where he had turned the corner, and for better or worse.
opened a new chapter on what had been a miserable beginning.
Although it had gotten busier, Curtis was oblivious to the beach around him.
Sure, Sunset Valley was like Mayberry on steroids …
But Curtis was planning on heading Home … And getting back connected to life.
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To Be Continued …
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