The Old Mill

Jane had been preparing for this assignment for nearly a year. She’d spent countless hours pouring through historical books; Internet search engines, along with various other points of reference locating the most eye-catching of the old mills she could find. Some were so well preserved; it was as if time itself had stood still, they were celebrities in their own right… toiling endlessly, converting farmer’s grain into useful products. Others, time had not been so kind to. While still radiant in some spiritual way, they were nothing more than a resting place for rodents & pigeons.

Photography was Jane’s gig & she was good at it! Jane was so excited about this trip she could hardly control the energy within her. After long countless hours, validation was finally going to transpire. This specific photo shoot would produce a 2010 calendar, available in stores nation wide by late 2009. This project was a highlight of her career. There was only one other shoot that she had embraced with as much zing as this one; it was the ghost town series, where hundreds of her photographs were poured through until twenty of them made the top cut & found their way into a publication that had dedicated a series of article on ghost towns of the past. That too had been a fun adventure, but the old mills would probably top that one by a long shot. The serenity of the mill settings alone had moved her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

There was one mill in particular that possessed her. Time and again she found herself looking at pictures of it, imagining herself on the banks of the creek just below the mill where water was cascading down a series of diminutive natural falls. Vibrant evidence of autumn on every living shrub & tree; all the while a cool morning mist kissed her face, & softened the view. What an imposing success of perfection this particular mill was, accompanied with a surreal backdrop of beauty. She could get lost in a place like that. She was determined to find the owner, and place a handsome bid on the property. She had prearranged for that specific mill to be the last one on her list to be photographed, and the one she would unknowingly spend the most time at.

Jane had made a new name for herself, and once again she’d outsmarted her captors. Yes, the old mill was a place she could rest her spirit, and go undetected, hopefully forever. She would own that old mill no matter what it took, after all she was the lottery winner.


[edit on 12/9/2008 by jensouth31]

Misty rain turned to lofty rainbows as he made his way down through the woods, oblivious to the wet leaves and branches brushing against him.
The fresh air smelled clean and pure. He arrived at the paved road and
walked across to the other side, where his mailbox stood silently, like a
sentinel against motion. Opening the door, he reached in and took out his
mail, grimacing as he saw still another postcard from his realtor mixed in
with the monthly bills. Another offer to buy the mill ! How many times
would he have to tell them before they understood that he had no
intention whatsoever of selling it ! At any price !

Johnathan closed the mailbox and headed back up the mountain. His home
now consisted of a compact, three-story A-Frame that overlooked the mill
and creek below, but it was quite similar to an old silo he had once lived
in, that he had re-modeled and upgraded with the most modern technology
available. Retirement held no excitement for him. He kept himself busy
with continued improvements because it was as close to enjoyment as he
could get lately, and because he could afford it. He was quite wealthy, but
money played no part in his quest for solitude. The A-Frame overlooked
the mill but could not be seen from it, as it was nestled comfortably among
the trees and leaves. If happiness was wanting nothing, he was pretty darn
close. If he didn't think of her sometimes , he'd probably be there.

Jane was a full two weeks into her trip. She had hoped to be further along, but some unfortunate weather came along and created some delays photographing a number of the old mills. The last one in particular, had delayed her three full days! Finally, the clouds departed if only briefly and some rays of sunshine came forth producing a remarkable picture that would earn her well. Obviously money wasn’t the object; it was the traveling to and fro that kept her from being located. That suited her best given the situation. She’d rather die that be kept behind closed doors…even if it was for her own protection. This new gig kept her moving around which was much safer than staying idle. It had been almost two years now since she had escaped.

Jane’s cell phone rang & rang as she fumbled through her purse trying to find it. Damn it! She’d missed the call. She was sure it was the realtors, hopefully with good news. She listened to the voice mail, instantly she was annoyed! “Oh- this guy wants to play hard ball does he?” she said audibly shaking her head. Immediately, Jane pulled off the side of the road & called the realtor back.

“What do you mean he doesn’t want to sell? Everybody has a price! Call him back right now! Find out what it’s going to take for me to get that old mill. I want it.”

“But, Ms. Jane…”

“Don’t – But - Ms. Jane me! I’ve already told you there will be a handsome… Pardon me – cough- did I say handsome? Let me rephrase that one…there will be a grotesquely, Gi-normous gratuity in it for you! Everybody has his or her price! Find out what his price is.” Jane sputtered…

“Ms. Jane. Honestly, he’s very abrupt and to the point! He does not want to sell the Mill, what more can I do?” the realtor pleaded.

“Let me remind you Sir- Even Judas betrayed his Lord for thirty shekels of silver! He has a price, trust me. Now go find out what it is, or I’ll find somebody else who will. Good Day Sir!” Jane said sarcastically as she snapped her phone shut.

That mill, Jane simply had to have it! It reminded her of him. “That’s something Jonathan would buy and live in.” She chuckled thinking about the Silo. She missed him, but he wasn’t in the cards for her. It wasn’t safe for Jonathan to attach himself to her in any way. Her life was unpredictable, always on the run, trying to hang on to some crumb of a normal existence. Yep, he was better off without her, however it didn’t change her mind about wanting that mill. It was the kind of place Jonathan would like. She hoped he was happy and healthy.

Another letter was from SPOOM, also wondering if he might consider
selling the property or officially going historic. He was in no hurry to do
anything about the property. He liked it here.
A woman had come into his life awhile back, unsettling him and captivating
him at the same time. She had disappeared and so had his passion. After
what seemed like a short lifetime, he had given up searching for her and
moved north, finding this place along-side the Lewis river, just a stone's
throw from Mt. Adams. An old grist and saw mill that was virtually
forgotten. It was upstream from the famous Cedar Creek Grist Mill, about
six miles to be exact. He wondered how something so remote could
generate so much interest. Somehow his secret had gotten out .
Woodland, Washington was twenty-some miles away, the biggest liitle town
around. Trout Valley Lake twenty miles in the other direction. He was a
"Washingtonian" now. That made him smile. Then it made him laugh. Yes,
he was a beaver booster now !

Jane was about a half hour outside of Smithville, Tennessee when an emergency broadcast came over the radio station she was listening to. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning. Jane was sick! All she wanted to do was get to Evins mill, even though she didn’t know why? She was pretty indecisive about photographing that specific mill. It looked a little too industrialized, maybe too modern, perhaps lacking the rustic appeal she was going for. Her gut was telling her not to bother stopping for this three story brick mill, yet some of the research proved that the Mill was photogenic in it’s own way, being dependent on surrounding foliage of course.

Evins wasn’t the original mill; the first mill on site had been built in 1837, but had been destroyed by a flood in 1905. Evins mill had been construct a short distance from the first, but hadn’t been operation since WWII. Jane decided she was too close not to stop; really, she didn’t have anything to lose either way… why not? When Jane pulled up, she found the mill site rather scenic with all the fall colors in the background, however the weather conditions were reproachful. She would check into a room and flip a coin in the morning. There was certainly enough history behind Evins mill to make it interesting; a nice little caption could be place on the calendar with the depiction. OK, fair enough, she would sleep on this before moving on to the next mill. The Inn at Evins Mill boasted to have a superb breakfast. That’d be a great way to start her tomorrow!

Hurricane Mill was another that Jane thought lacked rank for an interesting photo; her intention was not to demean any of the old mills, yet it was what it was. It was a huge red mill with the water wheel semi visible, yet for the most part it was obstructed from view behind a concrete casing which took away from the integrity that was needed to make the final cut. In Jane’s minds, the wheel itself played a huge role in the actual representation itself. It would be an illustration that lacked presentation. It had been some year’s back, but she’d actually seen this mill up close. It’s on Loretta Lynn’s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee along with a motor cross track that people compete in regional matches for the opportunity to go once a year and race on a national level in which Loretta Lynn is the host.

Now Lindsey Mill, yes….that one was eye pleasing. Jane wouldn’t leave Tennessee without getting some shots of that one!

Jonathan walked over to the elevator and rode it down to the first floor.
As the doors closed quietly behind him he thought suddenly of her, . . .
but then it was gone. He passed through a door that led to the greenhouse
and one of his new hobbies. He now grew lilacs and tulips for show. At last
year's Hulda Klager festival he had earned "honorable mention" with two
of his entries. Not bad for a novice ! While visiting Woodland two years ago
he got caught up in the "down-to-earth" goodness of the growing festival
and began to collect and grow lilacs and tulips here in his fortress of
solitude. The flowers gave him great satisfaction when they bloomed.
Absent-mindedly, he trimmed and watered as he walked on through to the
door that led outside.
He walked downhill to the mill, admiringly taking in its rustic appearance.
From the outside it looked like what it used to be, an old mill, forgotten
and abandoned. But he knew otherwise. If one were to look very closely,
they'd see that the giant paddle-wheel had been painstakingly re-done.
Its wood was uncracked and solid, and the axle greased for silent motion.
Patching had been finished on the entire building for months now but
because no new coat of paint had been applied, the quaint picture of the
old mill remained. Ivy grew on all sides of the mill, adding to the peaceful
vista. Jonathan went to the main door, then turned right and walked
around to the side of the building where another door, however obscure,
admitted him immediately.
This was his pride and joy !
His eyes made a 360-degree check of the room before he turned the light
on. Then, his power station came to life. He had adapted the mill so that
it would generate all of its own electricity, and the electricity for his house
up above. Basically he was self-sufficient. During heavy weather he
could generate and store power in three giant battery-generators, enough
to last for months. Computer screens lined one wall, telephones and radios
another. The wheel also provided power to a small machine shop complete
with drill press, lathe, table saw, and band saw.
When the weather turned bad, he'd be ready.

That night Jonathan sat out on his third-floor patio and sipped a good glass
of Red Rose'. Looking out over the land he reflected on why someone
mght want to buy this property out from under him. Surely they had no
idea of the improvements he'd made. Maybe it was just a lark. Maybe
some rich old geezer that "just had to have" more of what they wanted.
He dismissed it and got up to re-fill his wine glass just as the telephone
rang.
"Mr. Rivers ?" "Jonathan Rivers?"
"Yes, this is Jonathan Rivers, may I help you ?"
"Yes Mr. Rivers, we believe you can help us. My name is Sgt. Tom Landon,
and I'm with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, just outside of Smithville,
Tennessee. Sir, we have a Jane-Doe down here that needs some help. She
was involved in a serious traffic accident caused by a recent tornado that
passed through here yesterday. Unfortunately, she has lost all memory of
who she is and where she was going. In her car, what's left of it, we found
your name and phone number on a scrap piece of paper. Mr. Rivers, are
you her realtor ?"
"No, I'm sorry, but I'm not her realtor. I haven't the faintest idea who she
could be."
"Mr. Rivers, does the word "mill" hold any significance for you?"
A lightbulb went on in Jonathan's head. This must be the person trying to
buy his property and can't take no for an answer. She must've gotten his
number from his realtor ! Now was the time to find out for sure !
"Sgt. Landon, I'm not her realtor but I may know who she is. Could you
send an e-mail picture of her ? It might help."
"Sure, we can do that, and when you get the e-mail give me a call back.
I'll put all the necessary information in the e-mail. And thank you for
trying to help. Good night sir."

Jonathan laughed to himself after hanging the phone up. Now he'd get a
chance to see just who this old bitty was. Probably had a silver spoon still
stuck in her mouth from eighty years ago. He pictured her as old, and
mean, and very very rich. Not the sort he'd mingle with for sure.
He waited for the e-mail.

When the e-mail came he opened the attachment . . . . .and almost fell
out of his chair. It was her, Jennifer ! There were scratches and bruises
on her face but it was definitely her !

What were the chances ? Well, if she needed help, even if she didn't
realize it, he'd help her. And with no memory . . . .hmmm . . . .hmmm . .
the possibilities !

He called the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

"Yes sir, I couldn't believe it either when I saw the picture, but she really
is my long lost step-sister ! She disappeared a couple of years ago and I
haven't heard from her at all. She used to live with me and do house-
cleaning in lieu of rent. Yes, yes I have some pictures of her that I'll bring
along so you can see for yourself. Any other relatives ? No, no there's just
the two of us left. Okay, I'll be down there tomorrow. Thank you."

Hours later Jonathan completed the doctoring of a dozen pictures with
Jennifer's features changing in all of them. In some she looked younger,
in others she looked about how she was now, minus the bruises. Some of
the pictures he had originally taken, others had been taken by curios
surveillance teams when they were following her. He forged a birth
certificate and other personal information, then sat back and finished off
his glass of wine.

Tomorrow should be fun. He laughed to himself as he remembered a
movie called "Overboard". It starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and
was about some woman who had lost her memory too. He laughed again.

Basically it had gone as he thought it would. He had flown down to
Tennessee and presented the paperwork to Sgt. Landon, who, after
inspecting it closely, had turned The Jane-Doe over to his custody. He had
decided to drive back after learning that she might still have a slight
concussion. As he drove he looked across at her and took pleasure in her
smile. She wasn't apprehensive with him in the least. As a matter of fact
she seemed quite at ease. Her voice was soft and cool, her eyes were
clear and bright . . . . .

Jane didn’t have the foggiest idea where they were going? She met her brother today & thought maybe they were taking a trip cross-country. The scenery was beautiful, and her brother appeared reasonably nice. Jonathan had asked her about her accident, and she told him she didn’t recall what had happened but she supposed a tree had fallen on her car. Jane wasn’t even sure that was her car! Where did that car come from? The belongings that had been in the car, such as clothing & make-up were all pretty things, things she would probably have chosen had she bought them; they all fit her so she gladly took them.
“Where did you say we were going again?” Jane questioned.

“Washington State, that’s where we live,” Jonathan said smiling as he drove.

“I’m hungry can we get something to eat? I’m not sure I have any money on me, but I’ll gladly pay you back when I get some. What did you say your name was again?” Jane looked puzzled. “I didn’t know I had a long lost brother! Thank you for coming to get me. Do I have a mother too?”

"No, I'm afraid all we have is each other", Jonathan answered.

They stopped and ate, and later got rooms for the night. The next day
they were on the road again. Another long drive ended at a motel just over
the state-line into Oregon. Jane seemed to adjust better to her surround-
ings now, as if she had been here before. Only one room was left and
they took it. It had two full-sized beds, a small kitchenette, and a stocked
bar. Both of them were exhausted and glad that the long day was over.
Jonathan went out to get some ice while Jane took a shower. Just his luck,
the ice machine had an "out-of-order" sign on it, saying please use the
machine downstairs. Twenty minutes later Jonathan let himself back into
the room, only to find Jane standing there with nothing more on than a
skimpy towel, combing her hair.
"Don't you think you'd better put some clothes on Jane", he rasped.
"What difference does it make anyway Jonathan, we're brother and sister,
we've probably seen each other naked hundreds of times or maybe we
took baths together . . .I can't remember anything anyhow?!!"
"Just do it, please", he asked quietly. He suddenly realized that this wasn't
going as smoothly as it should be. He remembered Jennifer and her
confident manner. It had intriqued him. This was not Jennifer though, this
was Jane. He couldn't see taking advantage of her like this. He shouldn't
have stuck his nose into this business. He needed a drink. Now ! And a
cold shower !

Jonathan didn't drink hard liquor very often but he found some cognac in
the bar and poured two glasses, handing one to Jane. He sipped it slowly
and felt the liquor burn his throat and warm his stomach. Jane had put on
a soft white robe and slippers, compliments of the establishment, and he
suddenly felt safer and more relaxed now. They sat side by side on the
couch, measuring each other's mood. Jane smiled and said, "My big
brother to the rescue !" " Whoopee !"
"You needed some help, I was there. No big deal !"
"So what kind of person am I Jon ?" "What do I do for a living ?"
"You're a great woman Jane. You're kind and you're brave."
"What do you mean brave ?"
"I, ah, well I mean that you're not afraid to take on a challenge or two."

She took a big sip of cognac and closed her eyes. "Am I a good sister?"

"Yes, you've been a wonderful sister. My life is better when you're around."

"Why did I leave Jonathan ?"

"I don't know babe. I don't know."

She took another sip, her eyes still closed. The glass was empty.
"Do I have a lover Jon ?"

He hesitated, then said, "I sure hope you do Sis, you deserve one."

When no more questions came he realized she had fallen asleep.

Fifteen minutes passed before he roused himself up off the couch, picked
her up, carried her over to the nearest bed, and tucked her in. A brief
glimpse of too much leg reminded him that hey, this was his sister !

He poured a smaller glass of cognac and sat alone in the dark. His cell
phone vibrated and he answered quietly. It was Sgt. Landon. Besides the
tree branch that had totaled Jane's car, further investigation revealed three
bullet holes in the car that had gone unnoticed until they had taken the
vehicle to impound. "Does your sister have some bad enemies ?"
"I don't know sir. Not as far as I know. This is not good."

"No Jonathan, it's not good at all. We'll be in touch."

The next morning they sat together in the motel's restaurant, sipping a
deliciously tasty latte' and making small talk. Jonathan asked, "Jane, do
you remember anything about your accident ?" "Was anyone else
involved ?"
Slowly she answered both questions. "I don't remember what happened to
cause the accident. The police asked me if it was the tornado but I don't
even remember that. I awoke when someone tried to pull me from the
car, but my seatbelt wouldn't open. They left when another car arrived, . .
I think it was the police. I passed out again but woke up in the ambulance
as they were bandaging my head. That's all I remember."

"Do you have any serious problems or enemies Jane ?"

"I don't know Jon. I feel like something isn't right, but I can't remember !"

After a full breakfast, they left on the last leg of their trip to Woodland, Wa.

The warm sunshine that had blessed them this far suddenly left, replaced
with steady rain. Onward they drove, headed north to Jonathan's. As they
drove out of Oregon Jane seemed to become anxious again. He left her
alone to her own thoughts. Two hours later they pulled into the old mill's
driveway. Jane jumped out of the car and hollered "I know this place. I
know this place !" "Jonathan, I know this place!"
"Easy girl", he said, "calm down. It'll come to you eventually."
"I'm just happy I recognize this place. I feel I'm getting closer to knowing."

They drove up and around to the A-Frame in the back, parking the rental
car outside. As one the security cameras followed their walk to the front
door. Jonathan opened a small metal box by the doorbell and twisted a
key. Immediately the cameras panned off and began their sweeps again.
The front door whooshed open and in they went. The elevator took them
up to the third floor, where Jonathan showed Jane her room. "I don't
recognize any of this Jon but the mill, now the mill I recognized. I may
need your help finding my way around at first."
"I'll be here if you need me. Now go freshen up."

Down the road a ways, a white SUV pulled over close to the river, it's
tracking screen now blank. Two men inside waited for the screen to light
up , but it remained empty. They realized that the rental had been parked
and shut off. Somewhere close.

Jane washed her face, put her pajamas on and since her bed looked so inviting, she couldn’t resist lying down for a few minutes to rest, then quickly drifted off to sleep without a care in the world. Jonathan went to check on her when she hadn’t return from the bedroom, seeing that she had fallen asleep; he covered her, kissed her on the brow and turned out the lamp. He had prepared something for the two of them for dinner, and now considering his companion was dead to the world, Jonathan dined alone. After dinner, Jonathan poured himself a glass of red wine as well as taking in a few minutes of the six o’clock news. Exhausted himself from all the driving, he locked up the house, made sure his gun was loaded & turned in early. He lay in bed tossing & turning unable to sleep, hearing over and over in his head Sergeant Landon’s words “Three bullet holes in the car…three bullet holes in the car” the very thought of it made him sick, but he knew it was starting all over again.

Jonathan pushed back his covers deciding that he needed to make a quick surveillance around the house just to be sure all was safe. That’s when he heard Jennifer scream, “They’ve come for me! Help me!! they’ve come for me!” Jonathan ran to the bedroom as fast as he could, finding Jennifer trembling.

“Who has come for you?” Jonathan demanded.

“I don’t know who! I just know they’re here.” Jane was shaking as if she’d had a nightmare.

Jonathan asked her if she remembered anything? To which she shook her head no, but he knew that the sixth sense she had about her was still employed. Jonathan stood up; paced back & forth a few times before ripping his hands through his hair trying to come up with a plan…

Early the next morning Jonathan called Enterprise and asked them to pick
up the rental. Nine o'clock sharp. Then he went to make breakfast for the
two of them. Jane was up and pouring hot coffee into two mugs when he
brought out the food from the kitchen. Poached eggs on toast, covered
with a generous scoop of country gravy. Chilled applesauce and a small
sweet roll added balance. He picked up his coffee and tapped the mug
against Jane's. "Good morning to ya Lassy !"
"Same to you Jon, and thanks for checking on me last night."

Halfway through breakfast it began to snow. Light flurries, but snow never-
the-less. They talked again about Jane's "sixth sense". She, as Jane, didn't
remember having it for too long. But Jonathan remembered when as
"Jennifer", her sixth sense had helped her out of difficult situations, had
helped both of them escape, actually. He didn't say anything else about it,
but he would be just a bit more on the alert, just in case she was right,
again.

At 09:00 the rental company showed up to retrieve the car. One of them
came to the door and Jonathan let him in. He handed over the keys and
signed a Master-Card charge slip, also giving a $20.00 cash tip to the guy.
Smiling, the rental guy said goodbye and went out to start the car. As both
vehicles drove away, the snow flurries turned to snowflakes. The ground
was turning white, though slowly. Jonathan walked over to the glass door
overlooking the mill and watched the snowflakes land. Looking down the
hill, he could see the two vehicles that just left arrive at the highway in
front of the mill. He watched as both turned right, heading east over the
bridge. He was just about to turn away when the rental car exploded into a
huge ball of fire, knocking the car following it of the road and into the
ditch !
"What the hell . . .?, he asked aloud. As he watched, a white SUV pulled up
beside the second car, its lights flashing, and two men got out and ran over
to the driver, who appeared to be injured from Jon's vantage point. He saw
one of the men point up towards his A-Frame and nod his head. The other
pulled out a gun and shot the driver twice. Instantly Jonathan called for
Jane. "Jane, get ready, we're going to have uninvited guests shortly !"

Jonathan was in and out of his room in a heartbeat, then on his way down
to the first floor. As the elevator doors opened he saw the white SUV
sitting right out front, its motor running, the vapor from the tailpipe rising
up through the thickening snow fall like hot white smoke. He thought he
saw only one individual in the vehicle and this was confirmed immediately
when a head, hand, and gun suddenly appeared from the side of the door.
He shot through the glass, catching him in the throat, and the guy went
down. Opening the door, Jonathan put another bullet through the guy's
heart before leaping over him and running towards the SUV. The SUV
backed up suddenly and tore out of the driveway, skidding awkwardly.
Jonathan let it go, unimpeded.

He returned to the house, went into the garage, and started the Jeep. He
found an old blanket and took it out to where the dead man lay on the
front sidewalk. Spreading the blanket wide open, he rolled the dead man
unceremoniously until he was completely covered in the blanket. He went
back to the garage and backed the Jeep out, making sure the door closed
behind him. Then he got out again and went to get the dead guy, carrying
him over to the Jeep and throwing him into the back seat. He drove down
the driveway to the intersection with the highway, and turned right. At the
bridge, he saw what was left of his rental car, (small pieces really), and the
other car that had crashed into the ditch. He stopped, got the dead guy out
of the back seat, and carried him over to the car. With one throw, holding
on to the edge of the blanket, he deposited the stiff right beside the
passenger door. He grabbed up the blanket, turned, and went back to the
Jeep. He drove home. It was snowing heavier now.

After putting the Jeep back into the garage, Jonathan grabbed a hose and
washed all the blood off of the sidewalk, the front door, and wall. He was
actually surprised the water in the hose hadn't frozen yet. Cleaning done,
he locked up and took the elevator up to the third floor, where it was nice
and warm, and homey. He poured a glass of red wine and walked over to
the glass door, watching the incredible snowfall. It was really coming down.
If his calculations were correct, by this time tomorrow, they should have
about 18 inches of newly fallen snow. Enough to bring a white christmas.
Enough to cover the wreckage down there, and the two dead bodies, for
awhile anyway. If it kept on snowing, that would be better yet.

[edit on 19-12-2008 by SIEGE]

She came up behind him silently, but his senses were working overtime.
Without turning around, he acknowledged her presence by asking her a
question, "What the hell kind of trouble are you in ?"

"I don't know Jon, I really don't know."

"I just had to kill a man because of you."

"Isn't that what brothers are for ?"

"And that's another thing. I'm not your damn brother. I should've told you
before now. I'm just a guy that knew you when you were somebody else.
It started as a joke and now it's out of hand."

She was quiet for a moment, then asked, "The who are you, you bastard?"

"I am Jonathan. That is the truth. But you are not Jane. You were a Jane-
Doe in Tennessee but I recognized you immediately. You're Jennifer !"

He finally turned to face her, only to see her hit the floor like a ragdoll.
She had fainted !

When she came out of her fainting spell, she sat on the floor for a minute then went into the kitchen & made herself some hot tea.

“I’m going to be very candid with you Jonathan. When the police found me in the situation I was in with the accident & all in Tennessee, I was sure my cover was blown. I had to buy myself some time, so I played victim to amnesia. I would have quite literally bet a million dollars that the US government was coming for me!” Jennifer stated, “Then when you showed up out of the blue claiming to be my brother- so I thought what the hell…GO with It Jen until you can get to a safe place again!” She stopped & looked at Jonathan, he looked pissed, used, and hurt, but he sat quietly & let her finish what she had to say.

“My intension wasn’t to use you, I had no idea you would be the one coming for me, so I played along with the amnesia until I could slip away. Jeepers Jon, I don’t want to endanger your life, I’ve kept away from you on purpose even though I care for you deeply. I’m not a safe person to be around; there are people that clearly want to kill me. Have you ever heard of Psychic Warfare Programs?” Jon said nothing…

“Well, have you? I’m the product of such a program. I cannot tell you bits and pieces of things that I’d like to tell you, but some of the things I know are so horrible that I’ve been on the run for years. My handler would like to protect me while I do our government a service, while foreign administrations seek to have me killed.” Sighing she went on “My ability is so… acutely fine tuned,” tears started to stream down her face, “that I’m not ever going to have a normal life, so I run! I run away because I don’t want to do this anymore.”

She stood up and walked to the bedroom where she had been sleeping and packed her bag. I have to leave now. They know where I am....

It all fit. It all came together now for him. Her finding this mill. Finding him.
He had been searching for her, but she had "seen" him somehow. Found
him without really knowing. She was a genuine RV'er ! The stories about
her were all true ! He remembered this lottery lady like it was yesterday.
He had gone undercover to expose her as a rip-off artist but had been
unable to come up with a single piece of evidence showing that she had
manipulated the numbers. To make matters worse, he had fallen for her
like a rock. She had intrigued him and delighted him to the point of failure,
his failure. He lost his sense of duty. Duty to bring her in. And then she
had disappeared.
He followed her into the bedroom and said, "You can't leave right now. It's
snowing way too hard and you wouldn't get very far. Wait until the storm is
over and I'll help you go, okay ?" She looked at him and nodded yes,
saying nothing. Together they went out to the kitchen to re-fill their hot
teas.
As they sat through the afternoon and talked, that old feeling of desire
came back to Jonathan. He was taken with her power. Finally, he asked
her to show him, if she could. Reluctantly she agreed. She led him over to
the couch and asked him to lie down and close his eyes. She sat down
beside him, putting her hands on each side of his head, and told him to
relax and try to picture in his mind, . .complete blankness. He did so.

At first there was nothing . . .and then it came, in waves, one after
another. He saw places, many many different places. He saw people.
He saw crying, intense crying. He glimpsed horrors that sickened him. His
body began to tremble. He felt fear. He shook, out of control shaking. It
was then that she removed her hands from his temples, and the visions
stopped. Jennifer got up and walked over to the door, watching the snow
fall silently. He joined her two minutes later. He reached down and took
her hand in his and pulling it in to his chest, he sighed "DAMN !".

Later that night he listened quietly as she told him how receptive he was.
"Normally I couldn't just show someone Jonathan. You happen to be a very
high receptive. If I didn't know better I'd say you have a little PSI yourself
Jonathan."
"Maybe I do, maybe I do somewhat", he answered. "Tell me something
Jen, are you receptive ?"
"Oh yes, it comes with the territory."
"Then let me test you. Come over here and lie down, and close your eyes.
Think of nothing."
He put his hands on both sides of her head and closed his eyes too.
"Now tell me Jen, what am I thinking ?"

At first she lay perfectly still. She could feel the REM begin under her
eyelids. Then she began to move ever so slowly, side to side. Her
breathing became more rapid as she moved. Her lips parted and a long
"oooh" came out, followed by another "ooooh". Jonathan kept his hands
softly on her temples as she rocked back and forth. "Oooooooooooh my".
"Ooooooooooooooh my goddd !" "OoooooooooooooooooooooooooH !"

Jonathan removed his hands. Instantly her eyes were open, looking into
his. "I read your mind Jonathan, I read your mind !"

"You certainly did", he laughed, "you certainly did !" And then he was
rolling onto the floor, laughing so hard tears rolled down his face. He was
yelling "Oooooooooh, ooooooooooooooh my, ooooooooooooooooooooh",
and laughing and crying in between moans. Jennifer rolled off the couch,
on top of him, and began to smack him repeatedly, trying to get him to
shut up, but soon she was laughing too. He kissed her and she intentionally
murmured "ooooooh". That got him laughing again. Then he did the same
to her, and she couldn't stop laughing either. He loved this woman.