Bigfeet

BIGFEET

A NOVEL

BY

Patricia Donkers & Stephen J. Donkers

BIGFEET

Patricia Donkers & Stephen J. Donkers

Copy Right © 2014 Patricia Donkers

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design by Stephen J. Donkers

Image Courtesy of Wiki Commons

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental..

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

ISBN 978-0-9936505-1-2

Prologue

Cold water suddenly engulfed the woman and her eyes flew open to face the wall of liquid that surrounded her. As her body plunged deeper, her back suddenly hit the rocky bottom and she arched her spine forcing herself to propel upwards. Her face broke the surface and she greedily sucked the crisp night air into her lungs. Struggling to keep her head above the cold water, she realized her body was not moving in the way she needed it to. Her right arm and shoulder were not moving at all and there was an intense pain shooting out from her right hip area. Rolling onto her back, she managed to keep afloat. Turning her head to the left, she could see the shoreline and using her left arm and leg she slowly manoeuvred her way over to it. Finally, her hand touched the lake bottom and she turned her body onto her left side and dragged herself onto the beach. Exhausted from the effort, she rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. She felt herself start to shake as the cool night airbrushed up against her wet body. As her breathing slowed, she became more aware of the pain emanating from the whole length of her left side. Her tongue rolled around in her mouth, as she tasted the warm, salty blood that rose from deep inside her. It was as if she was awaking from a nightmare. The wet, sandy ground she laid on told her she was not dreaming. As she tried to pull herself up, she cried aloud as immense pain shot through her whole body. Where was she? What happened? Panic was beginning to overtake her and her breathing became laboured again. She tried to calm herself, desperately trying to clear her mind enough to remember how she came to be alone, hurt and in the lake. Her car. She was in her car driving. She squeezed her eyes shut and moaned aloud as a wave of pain travelled down her leg. 'No, I was walking', she thought as the pain, for the moment, subsided. 'I wasn't in the car I was walking...walking to...to...' She searched her mind but could not remember. The pain started coming in waves, intensifying with every breath and every move she made. She closed her eyes, trying to recall as much as she could. She had been walking to the bridge. It was something she did every evening but tonight she had left her home just as it was becoming dark. A telephone conversation just as she finished dinner had delayed her departure. At first she hesitated, unsure if she wanted to walk along the road just as it was getting dark outside but she knew she’d miss the exercise is she didn’t. Finally deciding she would work up to a jog, she left her house and headed in the direction of the bridge.

The noises surrounding her interrupted the woman’s thoughts. She recognized the chorus of frogs and insects all around her. 'I need to get help,' she thought. She stayed still and tried to listen to what was around her to give her a clue as to her location. Maybe she was near town or a house or a cottage. She remembered she had been walking to the bridge so she must have fallen into Whitemore Lake but where on the shoreline had she come out? Turning her head to the east, she could see the dark outline of a section of the bridge. She was not too far from help, she realized. Perhaps someone would be walking across it or a car would be travelling with the car windows down. Taking as deep a breath as she could manage, she called out as loud as she could, Help... Help me. She listened for a response. All was eerily quiet; even the frogs stopped their croaking. H... help... help me...somebody... please. I’m near the water. Pl...please. Suddenly to her right she heard a rustling in the bushes. I'm over here, she called. I’m on the shore. Thank God you heard m... Her words caught in her throat as she heard the low growl. Her eyes grew as she tried to pierce the darkness to see what was there. She could hear small branches snapping against the weight of an unknown walking closer to her. Biting her lower lip against the pain, she frantically patted the ground around her, identifying the objects by feel. Small pebbles, broken shells, wet grass, twigs. Finally, her hand closed around the object she had been searching. A large stone. The growl came again, sounding closer this time. She turned her head to the noise, her eyes trying to pierce through the black shadows. Rustling, growling, twigs snapping and suddenly a large faceless shape emerged from the trees and rushed toward her. She lifted her head from the sand and threw the stone at the advancing figure. Her satisfaction at hearing it hit her target with a loud thud was short lived as it leapt on top of her.

CHAPTER 1

The small aluminum fishing boat sat nearly a hundred yards from the shore. The glassy, placid water held the craft such that Jim Shaw was able to fish in view of the cottage he was staying at without an anchor. The early hour of the morning, when the night creatures retired and before the busyness of day, was quiet and serene. Jim looked over at the cottage, imagining his wife was there making a fresh pot of coffee for his return. He pictured her wearing one of his plain white t-shirts and her favourite plaid boy shorts. In spite of the early hour, she would have a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her blue eyes as she began cooking breakfast. He sighed and turned his head from the peaceful scene. Of course, his wife was not there. The sharp tugging on his fishing line brought his thoughts back to his task. He quickly jerked the rod back and slowly reeled the fish in. The trout wiggled to free itself as Jim grabbed its body and pried the hook from its mouth. His dog, his tail wagging, sniffed at the fish and then looked at Jim as if approving of its size.

Fried trout for breakfast, Moby, he said, placing the fish into his bag. Maybe we should try for one more. He baited the hook with a worm, brought his arms over his head, and cast the line out into the deep water. It landed with a soft splash and Jim gently moved the line. A shriek from the far shore alerted his dog and his ears perked up as he turned to face the direction of the eerie call. Jim scanned the shore as he heard another odd screech. What the hell was that? he asked aloud. His dog now stood up in the boat, his full attention on the far shore. It did not sound like a person or any animal he had ever heard before. After several minutes of silence, Jim became aware of his seclusion and he decided to head back to the cottage.

#

Wayne Ferguson was jolted awake by the piercing cry of his two-year-old daughter. He grabbed the pillow from his wife's side of the bed and placed it over his face to muffle the noise. Suddenly the alarm clock rang and he groaned and fumbled around until he had located it and turned it off. Deciding he could not put the day off any longer, Wayne sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He shuffled his way over to bathroom and stepped into the shower. The warm water woke him up but he still lamented at the day to come. Finally dressed in his black polyester pants and blue t-shirt with the 'Baines' name on the chest, Wayne stepped into the hallway. This led to the small living room and from there to the smaller kitchen. A counter, broken up by a stove and sink ran the length of the room, turning the corner to end at the refrigerator. Beside this was the side door, which led out to the driveway. Shoes littered in one corner of the room and a wall coat rack hung above it to accommodate the assortment of outerwear. In the other corner sat a round table and four chairs. Squeezed between a chair and the coat rack was a high chair.

Jenny stood by the stove, a toddler on her hip and a spatula stirring scrambled eggs. She was dressed in an over-sized red t-shirt and cotton pajama pants with her long straight blond hair, hastily tied in a ponytail.

What's all the crying about Jae? Wayne asked coming over and giving the girl a kiss.

Your son took her juice, Jenny said. And her name is Jaelynn. You keep calling her Jae and she won't answer to anything else.

Excuse me, Jaelynn, Wayne said addressing his daughter with a smirk. He sat down at the table with his coffee. I’ve been calling her Jae since she was born. I told you right from the start I didn’t want to name her Jaelynn. It's too long.

Are you going to start with me first thing? It's a beautiful name. She placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of him. Besides, I let you name your son and I got to name our daughter.

Good thing, or who knows what kinda name you would've given him, Wayne said. He looked across the table at his five-year-old son, spooning eggs into his mouth. Maybe your mom would’ve given you a name like Goobers or Cuddlebunnie or maybe Sparky.

I want to be called Captain Awesome, the boy laughed, delighted by the attention his father was giving him.

Captain Awesome! Now, that's a cool name, Wayne said, laughing with his son.

Okay, okay, Jenny interrupted them. Max, you get your backpack and put a hoodie on. It's cool out this morning. Hurry up now, your bus will be here any minute. Max quickly got ready just as the school bus stopped in front of their driveway.

Learn a lot today, buddy, Wayne called after him as he fled through the door.

Jenny put Jaelynn in the high chair and sat a small plastic bowl of scrambled eggs in front of her. She poured herself a cup of coffee and wiggled her way into a chair opposite Wayne. Her large middle made it difficult to sit up to the table. Whew, she sighed. Thank God Max started in full time school. I'm tired already. I don't know how I'll get through the day.

How's our baby girl today? Wayne asked nodding toward her protruding mid section.

Active, Jenny replied rubbing her stomach. Too active. She kept me awake since well before dawn. This one is going to be trouble.

Just anxious to join the family, I guess, Wayne said.

Speaking of joining the family, when are you going to talk to Ricky about a raise? With this one coming in less than three months, we need to start getting prepared. You know, buying diapers, another crib, and we need another stroller. Not to mention the new addition. When we bought this house, you promised you'd build an extension with a larger living room and another bedroom. Then we can extend this kitchen into the existing living room and I can have some room to move around in here.

I know, I know, Wayne grumbled as he stuffed the last of his eggs in his mouth. I remember what our plans are but we hadn't counted on how expensive two and soon three kids are. Not to mention all the household bills that keeps coming in. We're barely getting by.

That’s all the more reason for you to ask for a raise. You are only making seventeen dollars an hour. Maybe you should look for another job. We need one that pays better.

Where? Where in Pinewood Bay would that be? You know this town doesn’t have much to offer in decent employment. Wayne got up from the table and walked toward the door, hitting his hip on the corner of the counter. Shit! he mumbled under his breath. Look, I'm doing the best that I can. I'll talk to Ricky if you want but don't get your hopes up. A car horn sounded in the driveway. He grabbed his lunch bag from the counter and headed out the door.

A beat up blue Ford Taurus sat in the driveway; the driver anxiously tapped the steering wheel as he waited for Wayne to get in. Although the same age of twenty-seven, they could not have looked any different. Eddie Dobbs' face was a picture of sharp angles. His deep-set brown eyes, long thin nose and pointed chin suited his tall, skinny frame. Wayne Ferguson’s stubby nose and large wide hazel eyes sat comfortably on his baby face. His stocky build was proportional to his average height.

We'll just make it in time this morning, Eddie said looking through his stringy black hair. I slept in. I was watching the UFC fight on T.V. last night. Did you catch any of it?

No, Wayne said curtly and turned to look out the window.

Something going on? Eddie asked timidly. Everything okay with the family?

Yeah, everything's great, replied Wayne sullenly. After several minutes of listening to rock n’ roll music on the radio he turned to Eddie. You don't know how good you got it. You come and go as you please, you spend your pay on whatever you want and you got nobody nagging you for more money. More money, more money. That’s all I ever hear these days. I bust my balls everyday at that stupid store and Jenny doesn't appreciate it.

Oh, I don't think that's true, Eddie said. She's just, ya know, all emotional from being pregnant.

What the hell do you know about it? Wayne growled shaking his head. You are such a dumbass. Forget it. We're here now anyway, he said nodding toward the large yellow brick building. They drove past the large 'Baines Department Store' sign, above the front door, to park around the back of the building.

Baines Department store was located on the very edge of town. Originally, it had been on the main street close to the lake, sandwiched between the diner and the drugstore. Andrew Baines had started the business over one hundred years ago as the emporium for Pinewood Bay. Over the years and generations of ownership, its size had expanded and finally a new building was built on a large tract of land about thirty years ago. It supplied all manner of goods from furniture, clothing, home and auto repair, hobby items and even groceries. It was now one of the largest employers in the town. Pinewood Bay had a population close to ten thousand people. It sat on the south shore of Whitemore Lake in northern Ontario being an hour and a half drive from North Bay. At its beginning, the residents of Pinewood Bay prospered with jobs in and related to the local calcite mine. Later, after the mine closed, tourism in the form of cottagers, hunters, fishermen and campers kept the economy going but Pinewood Bay saw many of its residents leave for better paying jobs elsewhere. The people, who stayed, stayed for the lifestyle and family connections.

Wayne and Eddie each signed in with their swipe cards, put their lunches in the staff room refrigerator and separated to their different departments. Eddie worked in shipping and receiving and Wayne was supervisor of the food department. Both of them had started working at the store while still in high school and after graduation, they stayed on as full time employees. Eddie liked his job well enough. Generally, Mondays and Thursdays were his busiest days when the new shipments came in. Jeff Connors was his supervisor and he was a decent guy. Sometimes after the lunch hour, he could get surly or he would sneak off to have a nap. This came as the result of the multiple beers he always consumed during lunch. Everyone knew he had a stash of beer in the trunk of his car but Eddie never confronted him on it.

Wayne had grown to detest his job over the years. When he was younger, he had not minded it but over the years, he developed a loathing for it. He was smart enough to know it was not the job itself but the fact that he could not leave it if he wanted to. He needed the paycheque and there were not many other places to work in town. The loathing really took hold after the promotion of Ricky Ronaldson to store assistant manager. Wayne had been blessed with the physical looks that, while they did not set him above the average, they did not offend anyone either. During high school, he had been athletic and fit and enjoyed a place with a popular group of friends. Ricky had been one the unfortunate ones. Tall and gangly, his features appeared too large for his face. His glasses and acne only added to the bleak picture that was his adolescence. While Wayne had not been his worst tormentor, that distinction belonged to a muscular meathead named Terry, he had had his fair share of participation. It was just enough to keep the attention of the hard hitters away from him. After high school, Ricky had gone away to college to study business and Wayne had kept working at Baines. Several years passed and Ricky moved back to take a supervisor position at the store. Wayne barely recognized him after not seeing him for so long. Since his years away from Pinewood Bay, Ricky had filled out his height of six feet, two inches, with a muscular and toned body. The glasses were gone and now replaced with contacts and his skin had a clear and healthy glow. Wayne had not been happy with his triumphant return. He remembered the crush Ricky had had on Jenny back in high school. Wayne used to laugh at Ricky’s pathetic attempts to get her to notice him. In the end, Wayne had won Jenny’s heart, as he knew he would, but Ricky’s career success brought about feelings of self-doubt in Wayne. After Ricky’s promotion to store assistant manager, a position that Wayne had applied to, he really wanted to wipe his perfect smile full of clean white teeth from his face. However, he could not do it. He had a family to support and until he could figure out another way to earn money, he was stuck where he was.

Wayne walked along the food aisles checking for shortages when he turned down the frozen food section and ran into the front end of the grocery cart pushed by Gary Knowles. Wayne stopped in front of it and made a point to look from Gary's feet up to the top of his head. Gary stood just under seven feet tall and Wayne enjoyed reminding him of this fact whenever he saw him.

Morning, big guy, he sang out. How's the weather way up there in the clouds?

Oh, ha ha. You are so funny, Gary said, rolling his eyes. He bent his head down slightly to stare Wayne directly in the face. And stop with the stupid names.

Oh, come on, Wayne replied smirking and giving Gary's right arm a light punch. Take a friggin' joke.

I've been taking your jokes since we were in school together. I, at least, have grown up.

Yeah, you grew up alright, laughed Wayne. Gary took a step toward him and Wayne threw his hands up. Okay. Jeez. Loosen up, big guy. Maybe there’s a lack of oxygen way up in the clouds where your head is.

Yeah, whatever, Gary said as he pushed his cart past Wayne. Just leave me alone to finish my shopping so I can get out of here.

Wayne watched Gary walk down the aisle and turn down another aisle until he was out of sight. As he turned around, he saw Richard Ronaldson walking toward him.

Yo, Ricky, Wayne said. Just the guy I want to talk to.

Ricky stopped in front of Wayne and tapped his nametag with his finger. It's Richard, he ordered. The name is Richard. How many times do I have to remind you of that?

Wayne resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yeah, yeah, right, he said. You'll always be Ricky to me.

Not at work, Ricky insisted. Here, I am Richard, or Mr. Ronaldson.

Okay, whatever, Wayne said. Look, I'm just wondering about a raise.

A raise? Ricky said. You know store policy. Raises are given out after the first quarter of the New Year. You would've gotten one just six months ago.

Yeah, if you call what I got a raise. I need another one. Something decent.

We all could use another one, but as I just said, store policy states raises are given after the first quarter of the New Year. He noticed Wayne narrow his lips and clench his fists. I'm sorry. Mr. Thompson is very firm on the issue of raises.

What if I went and asked him myself? Wayne asked.

That won't do you any good. Besides, he's away until next week and while he's gone, I'm the store manager. Of course, when he returns you can try your luck but I can assure you he won't budge on that issue and neither will I.

Ricky, this is such bullshit. You know it and I know it.

Let me be crystal clear here; I will not be giving you any raise. Period.

Wayne grinded his teeth and this let out a breath. Fine, he said as he turned around and began to walk away.

How is Jenny these days, Wayne? Ricky called out.

Huh? What did you ask? Wayne replied as he stopped and turned back to Ricky.

Jenny, how is she? I hear she’s about to have baby number three.

Yeah, in a few months. And Jenny’s just fine, Ricky. What's it to you?

Wayne, you don't need to get defensive. I’m just wondering how she is. We did all go through school together.

"And I said she's fine.