Part 9

The entire social structure of the school was slowly shifting due to Krista's unrelenting positive attitude and willingness to reach out to others. The spirit of the school steadily shifted to one of cooperation and mutual respect. Those who didn't adapt quickly found themselves losing status. Most were smart enough to ride the wave of change and fit themselves in the new social norm.

As the excitement of the Halloween dance and raffle ticket sale soared, Krista unintentionally cemented her place as the most popular girl in the entire school. The snobbettes were growing accustomed to Krista. They were still amazed that she wasn't even trying to be popular, she was simply being Krista! Having the costumed dance in a barn sounded like fun. Their first inclination in learning it was being held in Krista' barn was not to go. They quickly realized if they snubbed the dance, people would only assume it was out of their jealousy of Krista, which in fact had been the truth. They understood boycotting the dance would only serve to further alienate them from their classmates so they smiled and made peace with Krista... even though she had never been against them.

Armed with photos and videos of the inside and outside of the barn, the dance committee set about figuring out how to decorate the barn for the Halloween Dance. They shot down the idea of doing a haunted house as the effort to do a haunting would take away from the dance. They instead opted for an un-crewed haunting done with props and lights. Corn shocks would be easy as Krista and Tony had already socked away a good supply. Bales of straw were available from the farm. There were four house type ceiling fans mounted on the main beams to keep the air circulating. Sheets of sheer white gauze suspended from the blades, when run at slow speed, would appear to be swarming circling ghosts as the lights were all below the fans and shining toward the floor. Spider webs would be stretched wherever possible and fake bats would be suspended.

A moonshine still would be set up to dispense punch. Among the snacks would be hot dogs the party goers could 'electrocute' by piercing the ends between two nails driven through parallel wooden planks. Throwing an old fashioned knife switch would add current to 'fry' the dog. Eyeballs would be made using mozzarella cheese ball hollowed out to insert a pimento stuffed olive. Witch's brooms would be made of a two inch strip of fruit roll cut into a fringe with one/quarter inch uncut belt, dampened then wrapped around the tip of a pretzel rod. Breadstick bones would be made by stretching the dough in the center leaving thicker ends and baking. Dip would be made of whipped cream cheese with raisins. Carrots cut to finger length with a slice of red bell pepper added for a fingernail. Irregularly shaped bits of soft brownies would be on a platter beneath a children's potty seat with a doll seated in position.

*****

As Dr. Olsen had thought, Jasmine was released Friday afternoon on October 19. By this point she could walk short distances without any assistance. She tired quickly but also recovered quickly. She had been sternly warned not to push herself into exhaustion or she could wind up back in in-patient rehab. The Spades and the Reeses had a quiet sit down welcome home dinner in their house.

*****

Laura and Dave finally had a chance to sit down with Betty. After a bit of denial, Betty broke down and laid out her financial issues. Even she hadn't realized how desperate her situation was until their questions forced her to look at everything together, something she'd avoided doing. At the rate her cash outflow outweighed her cash inflow, she'd be bankrupt before the year was out. The upshot was that arrangements were made to have Betty and Jimmy move into the residential wing of the B&B. Betty kept her job at the Harbor Inn, at least until the spring, and began assisting Laura with setting up the B&B. Betty knew where to get quality cleaning supplies at bargain prices and how to get quality bed linens and towels at good prices. By shutting down her house, Betty could save some money. By approaching the bank with her financial issues, Betty was able to work out a deal to put the house on the market. When it sold, the bank would issue a personal loan, co-signed by Dave and Laura, for the balance of mortgage the sale of the house didn't cover. Larry offered Jimmy an as needed job to help on the farm, going to steady hours once the farm was reorganized.

*****

Saturday was another football picnic day. Frank and Sarah stayed home to catch up on some work while Heather and the girls joined most of the rest of The Clan Wells Point headed to the game. The Titans were playing in the first round of the four team play-off for the Bayside Pop Warner League championship. Again Jasmine cheered on Jimmy while Krista cheered Tony. The Titans easily won to advance to the final league play-offs the following Sunday.

The Spades were measuring the docks and boat ramps as well as the canoe/kayak racks and the boat house. About mid-afternoon as they were working, a car pulled up to the parking round-about. A man and woman exited the car and looked around. Frank and Sarah headed over to them and introduced themselves then asked if they needed help.

"I'm Steven Campbell and this is my wife Cynthia," Steven spoke. "We were hoping to locate you."

"Well, you've found us," Frank smiled. "What can we do for you?"

"I'd like to meet my daughter-in-law and grandchildren," Cynthia stated softly. "My selfish arrogant son is Benny Reese."

Frank and Sarah were clearly surprised.

"I'd like to meet them and apologize for Benny's inexcusable actions," Cynthia continued. "We have no intentions of intruding on their lives, but we would like to be a part of their lives."

"We saw the news clip about Jasmine coming out of her coma," Steven stated. "Then we saw the interview with Harry Halls. That's when we realized we were watching our grandchildren. We had our lawyer do some legal research and a local private investigator made some discrete inquiries. We never knew Benny was living with Heather much less that he fathered three children before marrying her. Abandoning them like he did is inexcusable."

"When we confronted him, he denied he was the father," Steven declared. "Then when we told him we had copies of the marriage and birth certificates, he hung up the phone and has refused to answer any further calls. We've sent his current address and employer to the Talbot County DA. Unfortunately, he's living in Vancouver, British Columbia and teaching at the University of British Columbia. If Heather gets local child support authorization, British Columbia will enforce collection but the process takes two to four months. The other possibility is to have him face criminal charges and face extradition"

“Those are pretty harsh words coming from parents,” Sarah said. “But you sound sincere.”

"I can promise you we are VERY sincere,” Cynthia said. “Benny is being utterly selfish so we’re dealing with him using tough love. We've made reservations at a Motel in St. Michaels and if you and Heather approve, we plan to stay a week. We really do want to get to know our grandchildren."

"They're our grandchildren too," Sarah replied. "We adopted Heather last weekend and she and the children were baptized last Sunday."

"That's wonderful," Cynthia declared genuinely delighted. "We feel so guilty for what happened. If I had my self-center ingrate son here I'd kick his butt."

"I should have done that back when he was in high school," Steven groused. "But we were afraid of alienating him since I was his step-dad."

"Worrying about past should of done’s is depressing," Frank smiled. "We were the ones who reported the girls to Family services. Our intentions were good but what happened was just so horrendous we both took early retirement."

"Their situation just ate at us," Sarah said. "But our guilt led us to help Krista and her sisters. Krista is the most caring person we've ever met. She found and rescued an abused little girl. The girl is now in foster care with Krista's parents and is pending adoption. Krista remembered our guilt about the Reese family and started the ball rolling to reunite them."

"Krista is the transsexual who walked from Massachusetts with her sisters," Steven said. "The girl who killed the escaped murderer?"

"One and the same," Sarah declared. "We're neighbors to her family, they live just up the lane. Say, you haven't checked into the motel yet, have you?"

"Not yet," Steven explained. "We flew into Baltimore and rented a car, then came straight here."

"Let me make a quick phone call," Frank smiled as he pulled out his cell phone.

After a few rings, Frank spoke. "Laura, this is Frank. We have some unexpected visitors and were wondering if you have any rooms ready?"

"Great, I'll send them right over," he replied after listening to her response.

"If your investigation didn't reveal it, almost everything since turning off from SR 579 is part of The Clan Wells Point as Krista dubbed us," Frank declared. "We and the girls are part of the clan as is everyone who lives out here. Laura Scott, Krista's aunt, is setting up a bed and breakfast at the other end of this road. She has a room you can stay in. Just head back the way you came but cross Wells Point Lane, the B&B is at the other end of this lane. Once you get settled in, come on back here. Heather and the girls should be home by then."

"Thank you," Steven smiled. "I just hope the girls won't hate us."

"I can't see that happening," Sarah replied. "They are angry and upset Benny abandoned them but they don't hate him. I'm sure they'll be delighted to meet you."

With that the Campbells headed north to the Clan Wells Point B&B. Laura was waiting for them and greeted them warmly. Even though in the midst of renovations, the Campbells were impressed with the B&B layout and their room. The rate Laura quoted was only one third that of the motel. She explained the rate was low because they were the first customers and they were staying during renovations. After signing in at the register, the Campbells took their bags to the second floor room and called the motel to cancel their reservations.

An hour after they left, the Campbells were back at The Clan Wells Point Landing. Frank and Sarah showed them around the complex and explained their business intentions. The Campbells were clearly impressed.

The Expedition pulled into the cul-de-sac. The driver, Heather, exited as did the front passenger, Ivy, and the left side rear passenger, Holly. Heather opened the tailgate she'd popped open and reached inside to pull out a lightweight high strength Invacare manual wheelchair. Holly picked up the swing-away footrests and attached them to the chair as Ivy opened the right rear door and acted as a spotter as Jasmine carefully pivoted in her seat, then slid out to shakily stand on the gravel, left hand on the open car door and the right on Ivy's shoulder. Heather brought the wheelchair to Jasmine, who then carefully turned and sat in the chair.

By that time, the Spades and the Campbells were in the grass at the edge of the gravel round-about. As Heather pushed Jasmine towards them, Holly and Ivy skipped over to the Spades for hugs. Jasmine and Heather received hugs when they arrived.

"This is Steven and Cynthia Campbell," Frank introduced. "They've come from California to meet you. They learned about you from the TV broadcasts."

"It's nice to meet you," Heather politely greeted the smiling couple although she was a bit concerned about why anyone from California would make the long trip just to see them. What really puzzled her were the tears forming in the corners of Cynthia’s eyes. They were clearly tears of joy.

Sensing their mother's caution Holly and Ivy moved to stand protectively on either side of Jasmine.

Tears started rolling down Cynthia's cheeks. As she dabbed at them she tried to speak but nothing came out.

Steven slipped an arm around her shoulder. "First, we want to offer our deepest and most sincere apologies for how Benjamin has treated you. We never knew you existed or we would have taken care of you after he abandoned you. I'm Benny's stepfather and Cynthia is Benny's mother. We're here to meet our daughter-in-law and grandchildren."

Jasmine immediately grasped what he was saying. "You're dad's parents?"

The light's went on in Heather, Holly, and Ivy as Cynthia and Steven nodded their heads. In seconds Holly and Ivy were hugging their new grandparents. Heather and Jasmine moved forward and exchanged heart-felt hugs with them.

Steven explained in greater detail how they'd been kept in the dark about Benny's family and once more apologized for his abandonment of them.

"There's no need to apologize," Jasmine smiled up at them then grew serious. "You didn't know about us because daddy was ashamed of us. We got in his way and were not cultured enough to be allowed to mingle with his social circle."

"I'm afraid that's my fault," Cynthia guiltily replied. "When he was growing up I was in the so-called elite social circles and kept on him to behave in keeping with our social status. I've learned I was wrong. Social status is worthless if there isn't genuine compassion. After 9/11 I realized the country club social circle I was in was shallow. They made the appropriate gasps of horror and indignation and how the families of the casualties had to be hurting. When I suggested we collect funds to send to help those families they almost laughed at me. They said the government would take care of them. A week after the attacks, they had completely forgotten about it and went on living in their sordid world. I was appalled and stayed with them for another few weeks, but my eyes had been opened and I hated what they were and what I had become. When I volunteered to help the homeless near our area, I was ostracized by the so called elite. I didn't mind as by then I knew they were nothing but inconsequential snobs."

"Nearly the same occurred with me," Steven said. "At the country club I golfed and played cards with the elite of the business world. They too expressed horror at the 9/11 attacks but instead of helping, they sought ways to make money off the tragedy. They're behavior disgusted me. I hang on for a few weeks but soon simply stopped going. We didn't renew our membership for the new year. Since then I've been active in the local Habitat for Humanity. I'm quite good at soliciting donations of goods and materials from businesses and I'm not that bad a carpenter."

"When we first heard about you, I couldn't believe it when that judge said Benny was wanted for abandonment and child endangerment," Cynthia declared. "Since we never knew anything about you, we wondered if it could be a case of mistaken identity. We hired an investigative agency to track down all they could on you. When we received their report we realized it was our Benny who had treated you so poorly. When we called him he denied everything but when we told him we had the proof, he hung up the phone and has stopped taking our calls."

"I suggest you file for child support," Steven said. "He's teaching at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Their local government will enforce any payments you are awarded locally but it will take two to four months to process."

"Judge Watkins had the Talbot County DA file charges against Benny," Heather said. "Three counts of child endangerment and one count of felony neglect. Warrants for his arrest have been issued but so far they had not been able to track him down.

"That's good," Steven said as he pulled a Blackberry from his shirt pocket and opened an app. "We've done our research. According to the Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and Canada signed at Washington on December 3, 1971 and Agreement amending the treaty effected by exchange of notes signed at Washington on June 28 and July 9, 1974. Article 1 states that: Each contracting party agrees to extradite to the other, in the circumstances and subject to the conditions described in this treaty, persons found in it's territory who have been charged with, or convicted of any of the offenses covered by article 2 of this treaty, committed within the territory of the other, or outside thereof under the conditions specified in Article 3 (3) of this treaty. Article 2 - 1 states that: Persons shall be delivered up according to the provisions for this treaty for any of the offenses listed in the schedule annexed to this treaty, which is an integral part of this treaty provided these offenses are punishable by the laws of both contracting parties by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Number seven on the schedule of extraditional offences is: Willful non-support or willful abandonment of a minor when such minor is or is likely to be injured or his life is or is likely to be endangered. With all that happened to Jasmine, he should be able to be extradited and stand trial."

Heather asked Cynthia. "You'd send your own son to jail?"

"Yes," Cynthia declared. "If he's so pig headed he won't even acknowledge his marriage and children, he needs to be stopped. I certainly wouldn't want a man like that teaching anywhere. Spending some time in jail might prove beneficial. He needs a good slap to the side of his head and this might do it."

"I'll talk to Leroy tomorrow," Heather said. "He's a deputy sheriff."

With that they went inside the house and together they made a delicious evening meal and then consumed it, talking the entire time getting to know each other. They got along wonderfully. A call to Laura before they left alerted her to the Campbell's return to the B&B.

*****

The next morning, the Campbells joined the caravan to St. Luke's UMC Church in St. Michaels where they met the rest of the Clan Wells Point. The Campbells were pleasantly surprised to see how utterly feminine Krista and Kylie appeared. There was nothing in their demeanor to indicate they had ever been anything other than girls. The closeness and love of the Clan Wells Point was undeniable. The Campbells realized their daughter-in-law and grandchildren were in a good, safe place.

On Monday, with the information provided by the Campbells, the State Assistant DA Amanda Frost contacted the Royal Canadian mounted police about the arrest Warrants they had issued for the arrest of Benny Reese. The Talbot County Children's Services had already filed paperwork to get child support from Benny and that too was passed along.

The Campbells passed on the breakfast at the B&B instead deciding to enjoy breakfast with their new family. After bidding the girls goodbye as they headed off to school, they spent the day with Heather and the Spades. Steven and Cynthia really liked the laid-back down to earth attitude of the Spades and Heather. Even though they had stepped out of the elite society, they still had not assimilated into another social group. With The Clan Wells Point they felt at home. They realized much of their lives had been wasted by their desire to be members of elite society. They also realized how much they missed this part of the country. The Chesapeake Bay was a natural wonderland.

For her first day at school Jasmine rode with Pat and Krista, stopping to pick up Tony and Jimmy along the way. Everyone at the school was aware of the ordeal Jasmine had endured and warmly welcomed her. No one mentioned her short hair. She had already met quite a few of her classmates through the Pop Warner football games. Jimmy gallantly volunteered to be Jasmine's chauffeur as they moved from class to class. Jasmine easily slipped into the school routine and her friendship with Jimmy was growing. In his shy, timid way he was exactly the type of guy she needed to overcome the natural angst she’d developed after her rape.

The shell of Bill's new house was up and the exterior was finished off. The inside was studded out and the plumbing and electric was being roughed in. At the rate the crew was working, the house should be ready by the end of the month. Bill already spent the evenings sitting on the end of his new dock fishing.

With guests in the B&B, it was decided to hold off on any dusty remodeling work until the guests had left. Since there was still a lot of work to be done the project remained on schedule to be completed by Thanksgiving.

Kylie's tool trailer was taken down to the main farm where she worked on the tractors and other equipment. Most were running but needed tune-ups and general maintenance. The few items that needed major overhauls she tagged and made up parts lists. During the coming months she'd take them down to the barn to rebuild them so that by the spring all the equipment would be in tip-top working condition. Bill was amazed by her mechanical aptitude and knew without a doubt she and Larry would make a formidable couple. The farm would be in good hands long after he was gone.

With the Halloween Dance scheduled for Friday, Maps on how to get to the O'Brien barn were made and posted on the school bulletin boards. The dance committee and at least one adult faculty advisor came out each night to decorate the huge building. The DUWK was parked outside looking menacingly. Inside with help from Bill they set up the still, which had been his father's. Bill tweaked it a bit so it dispensed Mountain Dew Soda. The kids really liked the touch of realism. Tables were set up for the refreshments at the side of the still. Jasmine and Jimmy joined the decorating crew. Jaz had an eye for spacial coordination so she would have the decoration’s location tweaked for maximum effect.

The excitement at the school built all week as the decorating committee reported their progress each day. The response was so great the school felt obligated to remind the students that only students from their school and a date could attend any school sanctioned dance. Any date who was not a student in grades seven through twelve in another school had to be pre-approved. All who attended would have to present a current school photo ID or equivalent to get inside. The dance began at seven and no one would be permitted inside after eight. The music would end at eleven and the dance would close down by eleven thirty.

The main barn ran parallel to Wells Point Lane. It was forty feet wide and one hundred feet long with a twenty feet by twenty feet annex on the narrow eastern side. From the back of the barn was what had once been a concrete barn yard. On the east side twenty feet from the barn an open sided shed fifteen feet wide and seventy feet long ran parallel to the barn. Next to that but back fifty feet from the barn ran a second open sided shed twenty feet long and seventy feet long. The night of the dance there would be a full moon and the forecast called for warm clear skies. With the back doors of the barn open and with the night clear and starry, the entire barnyard could be used as a massive 7000 square feet massive dance floor. The site was large enough to accommodate every student and a guest plus chaperones.

To the west of the barn Robert arranged for ten port-a-potties. Half the teachers had agreed to be there as chaperones as did many parents. Leroy would attend in uniform to make sure things stayed under control. Pat would be the on-site nurse. Robert and Lisa as well as Larry and Kylie would be present as chaperones as they knew all the possible make-out spots. Jane would take the children down to the Spades for their own Halloween party and stay there until midnight. The Spades were more than willing to host the youngsters.

The night of the dance, signs were posted on SR579 directing students and chaperones onto Wells Point Lane. Larry had parked a tractor across each side lane with a big sign and arrow pointing in the direction of the O'Brien barn. There was enough room to drive past the tractor if the residents needed to get in or out. Where Wells Point lane entered the two hundred feet wide stip of forest before the O'Brien barn, several sheriffs deputies with a drug sniffing dog and local police set up a police sobriety checkpoint. Dr. Harris was there to check the student IDs and had a hand held clicker to tock off each participant. Each vehicle was given a quick search for alcohol and illegal drugs, a practice that occurred at every school dance. Those found with contraband were issued citations. The contraband was confiscated and sealed in evidence bags. Larry and Kylie were waiting on the other side of the forest and directed the vehicles into the nearby fields to park.

Of the school’s three hundred ninety one students, three hundred eighty three showed up and brought an additional one hundred twenty two guests for a total turn out of five hundred five, all of whom were costumed. This was the best attended dance in the school's history.

The school's stage crew set up and operated the DJ system for every dance and did so tonight. They were delighted with the open dance floor and ran wires to set up speakers all over the place. With such coverage, they would be able to keep the volume down so conversations could be held yet were loud enough to dance. The snacks and still were a hit as were the decorations. The smiles on the faces of the students and chaperones left no doubts the effort to hold the dance in the barn was a good one.

The music was audible across the fields and the kids were dancing as they walked up to the barn. Jimmy and Jaz volunteered to man the table just inside the front entrance to greet the kids and point out where everything was located. Jaz was costumed as Steven Hawking in her wheelchair with a fake computer and an actual voice synthesizer that people with tracheotomies used. Jimmy was dressed as a male nurse assisting the great scientist. Leroy stood behind Jaz in his uniform and smiled. The chaperones spread themselves about to keep an unobtrusive eye on things. The students and guests danced happily.

Freddy, Barney, Dwayne, and Phil had dressed as hunters in camouflage pants and coats. They got together right after school and began driving around in Freddy's 2005 Chevy Colorado 4-door crew cab pick-up truck taking pot shots at vehicles with their paint ball guns, drinking beer and smoking wacky weed. By the time of the dance, they were drunk and high. They finally found Wells Point Lane about 7:30 and tore down the gravel lane. They nearly lost it when the lane turned at Dougherty Lane and fish-tailed into the grass almost slamming into the small livestock barn. They all laughed and Freddy tore out of the grass back onto Wells Point Lane. They were up to seventy MPH when they saw the police road block. Slamming on the brakes they skidded sideways on the gravel into the field to stop just fifty feet short of the checkpoint.

Freddy jammed his foot on the accelerator and tore across the field onto the lane and then sped down the lane. The local police on the checkpoint jumped into their patrol car and gave pursuit. Again they almost lost it at the intersection with Dougherty Lane but continued picking up speed. With the police in pursuit with lights flashing and siren wailing, Freddy reached ninety MPH on the gravel lane. The car was bouncing wildly as Freddy struggled to stay on the gravel lane. Suddenly Wells Point lane ended where it met SR579, the Bozman Neavitt Road, at a sixty degree angle. Emerging from the uneven gravel onto the flat blacktop at ninety MPH was a mistake. The unyielding black top didn't allow a sliding skid the way gravel did.

The car slipped sideways and rolled three times before slamming into the trees on the opposite (western) side of SR579. Since none one was wearing seatbelts, they were all ejected during the rollovers. The pursuing police stopped broadside in the center of the road with their lights flashing to stop traffic. One officer called for EMTs, rescue and ambulance as well as back-up. The second officer jumped out to check the bodies strewn helter-skelter amongst the wreckage across the road and berm.

Freddy was the most seriously injured as his right foot became entangled in the steering wheel as he was flying out the door. Half in the vehicle and half out he rode through two rolls. The impact crushed and splintered both femurs and it was only when his right leg shredded at the massive injury that he was flung clear to land twenty feet from the wreck minus his right leg. The first officer out of the patrol car saw the blood spurting from the stump and ran over to apply a tourniquet.

Barney was the first to be ejected and had slammed into the blacktop after sailing at least thirty feet. His body laid motionless in a growing pool of blood. The first officer ran to him to discover a nasty compound fracture just above the elbow of his left arm that had severed an artery. He too applied a tourniquet.

Dwayne was lying on the berm about twenty feet south of the wreck. Semi-conscious and dazed, he was trying to get up. A motorist stopped by the police lights knelt by the boy and pushed him down telling him to lie still until the EMTS arrived.

Dr. Harris, hearing the reports through the radios of the officers still manning the check point, understood the victims were most likely students.

The EMTs from Tilgham Island and St. Michaels arrived nearly simultaneously with the fire rescue squads from each. The two EMTS from St. Michaels each grabbed two volunteer firefighters and split up to work on Freddy and Barney. The EMTs from Tilgham Island went to Dwayne as the officers and the other firefighters began to search the wreckage of the pick-up and the surrounding area to see if there were any other victims. Upon locating Freddy's severed leg still hanging from the steering wheel, they brought it to the EMTS.

The fire police, specially trained volunteers from the fire companies, set up on either side of the accident scene to stop and control traffic. They directed traffic onto the eastern berm of the road, one direction at a time. Several students who were late heading to the dance saw the accident but were unable to determine what had happened or who was involved as they were shepherded through the wreckage area.

The EMTs finally managed to get Dwayne coherent enough to answer questions, the first of which was how many people were in the pick-up truck. As soon as he told them four, they shouted out that there was a fourth victim somewhere.

The searchers had already combed the area but this time lined up shoulder to shoulder to sweep through again. Still they found no one. Then they spread out into the trees and searched in past the tree line fifty feet without finding a clue.

By this time the EMTs had summoned two medi-vac choppers. Freddy and his leg were the first to be airlifted to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Barney and his nearly severed arm went on the second to the same hospital. Dwayne was loaded onto an ambulance with one of the EMTs and rushed to Memorial Hospital at Easton.

At eight, when the dance admission deadline, Dr. Harris headed down to the accident scene.

The searchers were frustrated they couldn't find the fourth victim and wondered if they had been given wrong information. A wrecker was allowed in to winch the truck back to its wheels. The police had already gathered up twenty empty and dented full cans of beer. In the cab they found a zip-loc sandwich bag half full of marijuana and several half inch butts. Also found were three paint ball guns and boxes of paint balls. The volunteer firefighters began gathering up the shredded pieces of the wreck that were scattered all over and tossing them into the mangled back of the pick-up. It was at that point one of the men heard a soft call for help.

"Everybody, quiet," he shouted. "I just heard a call for help!"

At once all activity ceased as everyone stopped to listen.

"Heeeelllp..." a weak pain filled voice called.

Flashlights stabbed into the leafy boughs of the trees above the path the tumbling pick-up had followed. It only took a few seconds until they located the bloodied youth entrapped in broken branches about twenty feet above the ground, five feet above the lower limbs. Spotlights and ladders were brought and the EMTS and rescue personnel climbed up to check on Phil. They immediately saw both arms and at least one leg were broken. They also saw they could not extract him without causing more injury.

The EMTs began to bind his wounds as the police summoned two bucket trucks from Choptank Electric Cooperative. The local operations center was based in Saint Michaels but they had to call in drivers qualified in bucket operation. Meanwhile the EMTs splinted Phil's arms and legs and strapped him into place on a body board right around the limbs of the tree. As they awaited the utility trucks with buckets they began trimming away all tree limbs that might interfere with the operation of the buckets.

It took twenty minutes for the two bucket trucks to arrive. The fire fighters guided them into position. Once the trucks were secured, each driver/bucket operator with an EMT beside him raised the buckets to either end of the body board. Then they secured the body board to the edge of each bucket. Once secured, firefighters on a ladder cut the limbs. Once freed, the bucket operators lowered themselves down to the ground. One bucket would go down six inches, then the other matched the movement. When they were down, the firefighters used the jaws of life to hydraulically cut the extraneous limbs to make the mass more manageable. It took another twenty minutes to do this and get Phil loaded into the ambulance for transport to Memorial Hospital at Easton. It had taken an hour after they located Phil to get him on his way.

It was 10:30 until they had everything cleaned up, just as the first of the kids left the dance.

While all that was going on, the dance progressed and since everyone was having a great no one left. Most heard there had been an accident out on the Bozman Neavitt Road from the late arrivals but since the vehicle had been heading away from the dance, no one assumed the accident involved fellow students. The dance floor was always occupied and the snacks went down quickly and the lines to the port-a-potties were kept short by the quantity available. Most of the chaperones danced a few dances. Krista and Tony, dressed as Bonnie and Clyde, spent about half the night dancing having a ball. Even Jasmine danced two slow dances an hour apart. She clung to Jimmy for support and they didn't wander too far from her wheelchair, but it was a milestone in her recovery. Dr. Olsen would be pleasantly surprised by her successful effort to dance as it showed Jasmine’s willpower.

For many of the students, this was their first exposure to Kylie. The older students had known her as Kyle, a skinny, sissy boy but now she was a cute curvaceous girl who just melted into Larry as they danced. Several of the older girls were jealous that Kylie had snagged Larry. By the end of the night no one could doubt that Kylie was a girl and looking back they realized Kyle had never really been a boy.

James Ewell, a junior, six feet two, muscular two hundred twenty pound forward striker on the school's soccer team attended the party with his cousin, freshman Linda Sweeney. James wore his soccer kit and Linda her cheerleader uniform. James was too shy to ask anyone to the dance and probably would not have come if Linda hadn't begged him to take her. She wasn't allowed to date boys until she turned 15 and was not allowed to attend stag so James was the solution to her problem. James had been warned by his uncle to keep a close eye on Linda and to make sure she didn't dance with the same boy too often. James was accustomed to doing as he was told so meekly accepted the assigned task. The only thing that James ever insisted upon was that he be called James, not Jim or Jimmy. For the most part the kids at school and the teachers and coaches honored his choice of name. The only exceptions were his parents who insisted on calling him Jim or Jimmy which really angered and frustrated him.

James stood on the periphery of the dancers and watched. He wished he could get up the nerve to go out and dance, but he simply could not bring himself to ask a girl. Linda on the other hand had plenty of guys ask her to dance so James' chore of keeping her switching partners was a none issue. As the dance progressed, James became depressed and morose. But it wasn't until he saw Kylie dancing with Larry that his spirits really nose-dived. As he watched, Kylie was clearly all girl. That she had been a boy tore at his soul. The more he saw of her, the deeper his anger and frustration became. Like a moth to a flame, he began to follow Kylie. Why he was so depressingly fascinated with her was not a mystery to him. Why he continued to be mesmerized by her ate at his very being. All he wanted to do was run away and hide yet he couldn't stop following her.

It was Krista who finally noticed his funk. She pointed him out to Tony and he too instantly realized something was wrong. Together they began surreptitiously following James. It didn't take them long to figure out he was intent on Kylie, watching her every move and clearly becoming more upset with each passing moment.

A little before ten, James began to tremble. In obvious distress, he began backing away from Kylie while wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hands. When he reached the edge of the barn yard dance floor, he turned and slipped out into the darkness. Mystified by his behavior, Krista and Tony followed. When they left the light and sound of the dance they spotted him running off in the direction of Stevens Cove. The light of the full moon allowed fairly good vision and they could see James was desperately running across the small field as if he was fleeing a monster. Several times he tripped and fell only to instantly scramble to his feet and continue his hell bent for leather run.

*****