Connections Jan 2015 | Page 8

Copyright ©2014 Susanne Leist

Chapter 1
Linda Bennett was walking home
from her bookstore in thepicturesque
town of Oasis, daydreaming about the
beautiful fall weather in northern Florida.
The leaves were turning those intriguing
shades of orange and red. The trees
were beginning to shed their multihued
leaves that blew around in the warm
breeze. She loved the coastline of
Florida, where each season brought with
it a wide range of colors and foliage in the
midst of mildly changing temperatures.
She strolled down Main Street, past
the quaint shops and the grassy town
park. Spread out before her was the treelined walkway that ran parallel to the
pristine white-sand beach. Behind her,
Main Street continued inland to include a
gas station/auto body shop, a large town
hall, a grocery store, and the sheriff’s
office. Farther inland and accessible only
through narrow and winding side roads,
were the charming bed and breakfast and
the run-down, deserted mansion.
Adjacent to the park stood the Oasis
Hotel, which fronted the beach with its
large pool, cabana, and poolside bar.
Nestled farther south along the beach
was the colorful fishing village with its
pretty marina for docking its small fleet of
fishing boats.

Scattered in the small hills behind
the hotel were the homes of the
town’s residents. The tree-lined
country lanes showcased these large
houses with their sloping lawns, all
prettily wrapped up in white picket
fences.
The large hill behind town, or what
Floridians consider to be a mountain,
held the extravagant homes of the
town’s original residents. These
palatial homes were concealed
behind tall trees, thick bushes, and
metal gates. The older residents were
very wealthy and kept to themselves.
At night these homes woke up—
as if from a long sleep during the day
—to loud music, laughter, and colorful
lights. Fancy cars and limousines
dropped off guests along the long,
hidden driveways. Linda had never
been invited to the private parties,
which she knew were being held
behind the huge policed gates.
She heard loud voices and
laughter coming from the direction of
her apartment complex. It was the
sound of her friends who lived in her
building. It wasn’t one building, but
two lines of apartments with curving
stairways descending from second
floor balconies—right into the sand.
Linda removed her shoes to walk