Читать книгу A Place Called Paradise - Honey Perkel - Страница 12

As Lulu made her way towards Broadway, she passed dozens of old beach houses that must have seen one hundred summers come and go. They’d survived treacherous winter storms and baked under the boiling summer sun, were painted and scraped and painted again in order to attract the yearly tourists. Their sprawling front porches were laden with pots of geraniums and nasturtiums, American flags, and white wicker lawn chairs. Small town, USA.

Each house was fronted by a thick, green lawn and bountiful blooms. Picturesque. Perfect. Gardens that never die. She knew all about this phenomenon. Bernard had described everything.

The warm sea air touched Lulu’s face and ran through her hair as she made her way along the wide boardwalk. Passersby smiled their morning greeting, walked their dogs, and pushed baby strollers. A Norman Rockwell scene.

Down on the beach, joggers ran up the shoreline. Kites flew. No one knew of the terrors that lurked below the surface of the town, the ocean, even in the air they breathed. No one knew that the beach town was on the brink of disaster.

Seaside was famous for its Turnaround at the west end of Broadway, perched above the stretch of beach. Cars and pedestrians circled the drive and made their way back down the main drag, past souvenir shops and candy stores. Kite, ice cream, and t-shirt stores. Miniature golf and bumper cars. Trendy cafe´s, dusty antique shops, and book stores. Lulu smelled doughnuts, popcorn, and salt air as she walked through town. Milling with the people. Locals. Tourists. One could hardly tell them apart.

As she walked, Lulu reflected on what had happened the night before. The black form in the mirror, the flash storm, and the fact that Halley Bee denied knowing about it. There was a lot she didn’t know about the girl, about everything. There was so much to work out in her mind, and she couldn’t do any of it without discussing the matter with Bernard.

Strolling through town, Lulu moved in and out of the shops. The storefronts were old, but most appeared freshly painted and in good shape. Business for the main street was brisk. Soon school would be out and families would flock to the beach en masse. The danger that was encroaching on Seaside, whatever it might be, would multiply ten-fold with hundreds of out-of-towners.

After awhile, Lulu decided to make her way back towards the cove. She was getting hungry. Turning left onto the south prom, she glanced over her shoulder and what she saw made her gasp in horror. Broadway, busiest of the tourist and business streets lay crippled! In ruins! Bodies were strewn haphazardly outside the crumbled shops. Dust and debris was thick upon crushed cars and sidewalks. Lulu choked from the stench of doom.

It’s not real! she told herself. It can’t be real! Someone wanted her to see this.

Was this a prediction for the future? Lulu closed her eyes, trying to clear the horrendous vision from her sight. She hiccuped.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that the town had been restored; healthy, happy people were going about their morning business. Tourists were banging their bumper cars into one another and squealing with delight. She heard cars tooting their horns and chatty shoppers making their way up and down the street. Normal. The ocean breeze played with her hair once more, innocently tossing it across her brow. Lulu took a deep breath and relaxed.