The Hunter, The Dragon And The Smokey Mountain Angel
Chapter 16

Julia awoke to the sound of blood pounding in her ears. She could feel her heart beating in her face even as her dreams retreated from memory.

In this dream, she was that boy again, the same kid from the high school who was hiding out in abandoned gun shops, dodging zombies as he and a few of his friends fled toward the Florida coast. But now, he had somehow grown larger than any man she had ever seen. He had flown faster than a rocket, across the Gulf of Mexico– through a hurricane to find those who were responsible for destroying his world and turning billions of people into zombies.

The thrill of flying several times the speed of sound, without a jet still had her pulse throbbing. She didn’t think she’d ever go past 30 mph without wings and a jetpack.

And there is something else about that boy, something about things inside him, something more… he was wearing…

The more Julia tried to recall the details the more the memory faded. This boy’s life had changed so much since she had last been in this dream and now there were huge gaps missing from his story. The mystery of what might be waiting on the off shore oilrig that he was heading for made her want to go back to sleep and find out what happened next.

The pounding sound came again and she looked at the front door. The door shook with the impacts of each beat.

Her naked form rose out of the sleeping bag. She was grateful that this was the last time she would have to sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

“I’m coming, let me put some clothes on–” Julia yelled toward the door but her voice was lost in the cacophony of the splintering wood and the door slamming into the wall. A tall muscular man in a brown and gray sheriff uniform filled the frame of her now broken front door.

Julia lowered herself to the floor and covered her breast with her hands.

“Put your hands up! Put your hands up! You’re under arrest for trespassing!” The sheriff yelled at her as he rushed into the foyer.

Julia raised her hands and lifted her chin. She spoke in a soft but commanding tone, “You are making a big mistake officer.”

“You have the right to remain silent.” The officer said as he took her by the wrist, spun her around and cuffed her other wrist.

Julia groaned as a shock of pain shot through her right arm then vanished. She said, “I own this house. You are the one trespassing.”

The officer paused for a brief second and glanced at her duffle bag and the sleeping bag in front of the smoldering fireplace. He said, “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

“I hope the truth is used in a court of law. I’m telling you the tru–.” Julia said but the officer started dragging her towards the front door. Pain ripped through her body like glass shattering then, just as quickly as it came it disappeared.

Julia said, “I own this house! At least let me get some clothes on before you show my bare ass to the whole world!”

The officer picked her up, tucked her under one arm and then carried her down the front porch steps.

She cried out in pain. She could feel the titanium rods straining against her bones, trying to keep everything in place. Then the pain stopped and she felt the cold morning air touch her skin.

Julia’s blood turned hot when she saw the real estate woman standing next to her Mercedes behind the sheriff’s patrol car. She smiled as the officer opened his back door and began stuffing Julia inside.

Jolts of pain shot through Julia’s back leg and arm and she screamed but then went silent as the pain melted away. Julia slowed her breathing and said, “I bought this house last night! Call the bank!”

“This girl is crazy!” The real estate woman said, “She lost her husband and son and now she wants a free ride!”

Julia was glad she was hand cuffed and an armed officer was standing over her because she would have just slapped that woman. Julia calmed herself, looked the officer in the eyes and said, “I am the Smokey Mountain Angel from TV. They paid me a lot of money last night to tell my story on I9 International. If you call the bank now and let me put on some clothes, like a decent person should, I won’t sue you.”

“That bitch needs to be in a padded room,” The real estate woman said.

The officer stared at Julia for a moment. He had missed the news last night but this morning he had seen a few clips from the interview. Everyone at the office was talking about her, the flying girl from Pigeon Forge. Then he remembered seeing the duffle bag on the floor. He shut the car door, walked inside and returned with her clothes.

He opened the car door and dropped the rest of her clothes on the rear seat before her. He looked at her again, and she raised her cuffed hands. He said, “I’m going to uncuff you. I want you to behave, put your clothes on and stay seated until I have dispatch confirm your story.”

Julia smiled and said, “Yes sir.” The officer uncuffed her and she started putting on her clothes. Julia said, “Sharron. She’s the lady who handled my account with Bank1 late last night!”

The sheriff turned away from her and spoken to the radio, “Susan, find out if Julia Anderson is the property owner at my present location. She says that she purchased this property late last night. The contact is Sharron. Then the sheriff walked away from the car and waited for the response.

Julia looked at the real estate woman and shook her head. The woman discretely lifted her middle finger and mouthed something Julia couldn’t read but she got the point, “You’re screwed.”

A few minutes later, the sheriff returned, opened the door and helped her out of the car. He said, “I’m sorry Ms. Anderson we had an eviction order on this house and it checked out yesterday.” He paused then added, “You were floating when I entered the property, weren’t you.”

“Yes officer. I’d like to get dressed for work. Would you mind escorting that woman off my property?”

The officer nodded. A small smile crossed his lips and he turned to the real estate lady and said, “It’s time you leave.”

“But... what just happened? I’m just trying to do my job officer. This–”

“If you don’t get in your car right now and drive away, you will be the one going to jail for trespassing. Do you understand me?”

The woman huffed, got in her card and drove away.

Julia shook her head when she opened her front broken door. She muttered, “Another door to fix.”

The officer turned his car around but stopped and rolled down his window and said, “I’m sorry for breaking your door. If you will allow me, I would like to come by later today and fix it for you.”

Julia’s eyebrows went up. She said, “Well considering that I’m almost broke again and I need a new bed, I’d appreciate it if you would fix the door.”

The officer smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll be here after my shift with a new lock and tools. And I am sorry for the confusion.”

Julia’s eyes softened. She said, “Thank you for checking one more time. I would have been real pissed if you brought be to jail naked.” Julia shook at the thought,

Not only would I’ve been known as the mystery–flying girl from Pigeon Forge but now I would be the naked flying pigeon girl.

The sheriff smiled as if he could hear her thoughts, tipped his hat and drove away.

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