Birchwood Manor

BM24 Part 7

BM24 Part 7



“What happened?” asked Tim.

“You must of fell somehow and hit your head,” said Jodi.

“Were you there?”

“No one was there,” said Carl, “You went out to the generator on your own.”

“The gas...... why isn’t the generator running now?”

“We were more concerned with getting you to safety,” said Angela as she sat on the couch next to Doug.

“How did he get here?” said Tim.

“That’s what I would like to know,” said Jeff.

He tried to sit up but Carl pushed him gently back down.

“Lay still. You’ve got a pretty bad injury,” said Carl.

Jeff reached toward the metal shard but Carl caught his hand. Jeff leaned up just enough to see it protruding from his abdomen.

“Oh God.”

“It’s getting to be light out,” said Doug. “We should make more sandwiches and start brainstorming ways to get out of here.”

“I’ll do sandwiches,” said Jodi.

“I’ll help,” said Angela.

“No one outside of here knows you’re up here,” said Jeff. “I was just supposed to come back late on Monday.”


“Is there anyone expecting you back in town?” asked Doug.

“I live alone in my Grandma’s villa. I don’t know anyone. They said they wanted someone with no connections for this job so they chose me.”

“Who did? The van service?”

“Yeah, my boss Mr. Newman. He said just drive the van and keep my mouth shut.”

“How did you crash?” asked Angela.

“I don’t know really. I heard this pop noise, then I lost control.”

“Seems like somebody didn’t want any of us leaving ever,” said Tim.

“What makes you say that?” asked Carl.

“Just a gut feeling. “

“Sounds like there is more to that story,” said Doug.

They all got comfortable again where there sleeping bags were with a sandwich and a soda. “Interrogating each other is not going to get us closer to getting out of here,” said Carl.

“No. We need to start spouting ideas.”

“Jeff, you know the most about this place, or seem to. You play devil’s advocate and shoot down what we come up with.”

“I’ll tell you what I think at least.”

“What if someone walks until they get a cellphone signal?” said Angela.

“Too far. There is at least a fifty-mile radius around this place that is well known as a dead zone. No cellphones, no internet, no wi-fi, nothing.”

“I could do fifty miles,” said Carl.

“Even if you could, the terrain is treacherous with brambles and swamps around the manor. Plus, you would have to find a way through the iron fence that encircles the property.”

“So, walking out is not feasible and electronic device help isn’t on the menu either,” said Doug.

“What does that leave us? Any neighbors that we might get a signal to?”

“Hmmm. Maybe. There were the gate keepers that used to care for this place once upon a time. Had an old shack about twenty yards shy of the back gates. But like I said, trying to get there would be treacherous.”

“Maybe we can build a flare to signal someone. Or we can build a flame thrower to burn our way through the brambles and gate,” said Jeff.

After he said it, his eyes rolled back and his head lolled to one side before he passed out.

Angela checked him. “We need to cool him down, he’s burning up.”

“Do it slowly or you will send him into shock,” said Tim.

“I’ll get some more rags and cold water,” said Angela.