The Story


John Bethea 12/06/2006	Stepping from the truck she groaned as her stiff body uncoiled from the small cramped cabin. Tired, but happy with the realization that she had finally broken free from the 'going nowhere and nowhere to go' life that she had been living back in Denver. For three long years she had worked in the 'mile-high city' in a series of fleeting, forgotten jobs that kept her warm and fed but never allowing her to escape the plain old Millie that she had carried with her from Rives Junction. That was all behind her now, she realized. Today was Christmas and she was home now. Goodbye Denver and hello Rives Junction. Smiling at some long forgotten thoughts about her early years growing up in RJ, as she and her friends used to call Rives Junction, she started walking past the dilapidated train station, long abandoned since the trains had stopped coming. Like the train station, all the other buildings in town had the same weary look of weathered resignation that spoke of not much past and no real future. That's why I left, she thought, there was just no future here for me. Maybe no future, but her family was here and God, how she had missed them.

Richard Edwards 12/06/2006	A lot of memories flooded back the moment she came upon the family house. Some good. Some that are better left forgotten. Some that only she knew. Millie closed her eyes and breathed in the chilly air. One thing was clear – she returned to the old farmhouse for a reason. You see, the deepest parts of her were linked to this place. Linked to things like the summer days swimming in Hidden Pond. Muggy nights so rich with the serenade of crickets and bullfrogs she could barely hear Russ' whispers. Playing hide-and-seek with Emily and Sarah in the hay barn. And, of course, the part she left behind at carved rock ...

Max Berger 12/06/2006	Carved rock, you see, was where she met that first and final someone that sparked her heart. They don’t speak anymore, but they think, thoughtfully, of each other from time to time. He was a rustic cow herder from crystal canyon that had a panache for drinking scotch from the bottle. But what stirred Millies memory were the campfires, the rustling water, and the snowy evenings camping in the mountains surrounding Crystal Canyon. Millie wished they would last forever, but times changed, seasons changed and people changed and they no longer speak. Maybe this is the holiday season Millie will pick up the phone, maybe not. But one thing is for sure….

Chad Peterson 12/06/2006	he’s gone, but not forgotten. The love they shared will last forever, or until Millie finds that next special someone. Millie proceeded through the train station, out the front door and out the driveway entrance only to find her childhood friend Gladys. Gladys was from Point Junction, the ritzy area. The house she lived in was an arts and crafts bungalow designed by a local architect. Gladys tended to be somewhat conservative and didn’t play well with the other kids when we were young. Those horned-rimmed glasses with flowered dresses always made for fun with the other kids. Millie loved her anyway and tried to include her. Gladys did so, always with resistance. When Millie approached Gladys there was some trepidation because of the years that had past. When recognized each other, there was a tearful hug and heartfelt reunion. They discussed how the town had changed over the years and agreed to meet for coffee before Millie left town. They both agreed….

David Evett 12/06/2006	It had started so innocently. She'd walked across the street from the downtown building that housed her office toward the nearby Starbucks to get some coffee. Five days before Christmas, late afternoon. The city's holiday decorations, red and white plastic bells with lights inside, were bright against a dark sky, from which snow had just started to fall--no accumulation yet, but the streets glistened, and the big, soft flakes stood out like little stars on the coats of the passers-by. She had seen the beggar before, a white guy, late thirties or early forties, in shabby denim with a filthy sheepskin vest and a ragged military cap. Always before, however, she had passed him by. This time, moved perhaps by the sound of the Salvation Army bell from the doorway of the department store down the block, she pulled a couple of dollars from her wallet and dropped them into his cup. He looked at her with brilliant blue eyes, smiled, winked, then suddenly drew a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and thrust it into her hand.

Jeff 12/06/2006	You see, Millie was the mother of three young boys. The boys were staying with Grandma while Millie was visiting her husband in the hospital half way across the country. For sure her husband would be ok but, Christmas this year was split between her small boys and her husband. Her husband was wounded in Germany while fighting in the Great War; the boys would be of great help on the farm. Family was what was on her mind and she admired her boys willingness to help. She missed them terribly.

Nel Boose 12/06/2006	that it had been too long since they last saw eachother. When Millie left Rives Junction, the friends that were once so familiar to her and were such an important part of her life had somehow become very distant memories. With the exception of Gladys, she had virtually lost track of them all. James, Suanne, "Schmitty", Ron, Kasie--all of them were now missing from her life. And now, walking across the cobblestone parking lot underneath a falling snow, Millie began to feel a sense of loneliness. She imagined her homecoming would be different than this. She hoped, at the very least, that her father would have been at the station to greet her. That was her hope.

jack cottrell 12/06/2006	Millie was born in Maple Valley but it had been 22 years since she had made it back to her home town. Her life had taken many twists and turns.....and now she was finally back where she came from. It all started out when Millie decided it was time to "go out on her own". She packed her bags got onto a bus and headed off to New York City.

sir sicko 12/06/2006	She took one step into the chilly nite and Splat a semi flattened her ugly face.

Emma 12/06/2006	At least, that's what it felt like when she left the bus station and was assaulted by the noise and confusion of the big city. New York City was a long way from "normal" for a a girl from a small town. But she had made it: started small, found a shoebox-sized apartment, got a job, did the audition thing, and finally, finally! a break. And now she was back where she started, looking eye-to-eye at the beggar with the brilliant blue eyes. The paper he handed her was warm and softened, as if it had been in his pocket for ages. She was about to say something when the bells rang again and the magic was broken. He turned away and she opened the paper in her hand. It said....

dee 12/06/2006	The soft crinkled not ended with, "Meet me at the house on Christmas Eve. I'll be waiting for you, clean, shaven, and very anxious.

Ann Latson 12/06/2006	Caught completely off guard, Millie's heart paused between beats. Catching her breath and clutching the note tightly she looked back up to question the begger but he was gone. Anxiously she glanced up and down the street but he had vanished.

Henry 12/07/2006	"Wait! Wait! Come back!", she cried out. But only the echoes of her voice answered. Confused and desperate for something to eat, Millie made her way around the corner to her favorite place to eat growing up, Stan's Restaurant. Stan's was just about the best Rives Junction had to offer when it came to getting a real meal and a real drink. Growing up, every Friday Millie's Dad would take the entire family down to Stan's for their County-Famous-All-You-Can-Eat-Fish-Fry. How she wished the rest of her family could be with her now. She walked inside and not much had changed. The smells, the tin ceiling, the Old Style beer signs, the old pictures of logging days gone by and, of course, Mary Lou was behind the bar. "Millie, my girl, is that you?" "Sure is, Ms. Mary Lou!" "I'll be damn....", Mary Lou muttered. "Great seeing you girl, what can I get ya?' "Just a beer and a menu". And a pack of Camel Light's." Mary Lou dusted off a glass and pulled Millie a beer. "We never thought we'd see you back in these parts." "Me neither", Millie quipped. "Good to be home though. Rives is still good ole Rives from the looks of it. Except for the Starbucks, of course." "Yeah, things around here don't change much. You said Camel Lights?" "Please...and fast." Millie felt comfort for the first time in a long time. She began to feel like she was home. Like why coming back was making sense. Like maybe there was some light at the end of a never-ending tunnel. A familiar hand then came across her shoulder. She knew the hand. She knew it well. "Need a light?"

Jamie Todd 12/07/2006	It was, of course, Sam, the rustic cow herder. In front of him was the familiar scotch. Only now, it was neatly served in a class. From the look of him, the smaller vessel had not translated to a smaller amount. For all of his good characteristics, this was one demon he seemed unable to shake. "Still smoking those damn thing?" he slurred. "Well, not until I got back to this place. Something about the old place brings out the old ways." "Been out to Carved Rock yet?" he managed. "Not yet. Looks like I won't be heading out there anytime soon either", she added with a twinge of sadness. Well, some questions are apparently better left unanswered. With a quick glance back at Sam and one final drag on her Camel Light, she decided that maybe the ways of the past are best left in the past after all. She stubbed out the cigarette, finished off the beer and decided it was time to get to her childhood home. She had so many unanswered questions, and now she wondered if she wanted them answered at all.

Annie Anderson 12/07/2006	She began to walk slowly towards her old home with a growing feeling of trepidation; did she really want to see what had become of the place where she grew up-- that held so many memories for her? Lost in her thoughts she didn't see the glow until she was almost there. As she looked up to where her old house used to be she couldn't believe her eyes. The house was gone!! In its place stood a late 80's model trailer decorated in the most gaudy, over-the-top "Griswaldesque" Christmas decorations her eyes had ever beheld. In front of this monstrosity, the slimmest pickings of incredibly sad christmas trees were stacked haphazardly against one another. And as Millie looked further up the drive she saw a sign that read "Gaylord Ofpine Christmas Tree Farm".

jamie 12/07/2006	After reading those familiar words, she couldn't help but to drown herself by the memories left behind of her childhood. As she stood, losing herself in each word, visions of stories from her past filled her memories....... the hours and hours of hide and seek...noting how she had a nack for that, how no one could ever find her deep in those evergreens.Her first kiss from Billy, always believing he was the one she would sure be marrying, and ..........that story......... the stories of a man ,that taughted her as a child, that it was said to believed he lived deep with in the farm. Stories that would later warn the children of ever returning to this nature's funland.... "What a minute" she says, suddenly breaking her own thoughts. She notices something from a distance. A faint shimmering light, within the swaying branches, twinkling like a lonely distant star ....."It can't be"

Nick 12/07/2006	You see, boys and girls, Millie was what is known in certain circles as a Manly girl. In fact, only very boring and very stupid people actually called her Millie. She was known as "The Fist of Justice", or just "Fist" to all others. When you are older, I will be able to tell you how she earned this Manly name...

Henry 12/07/2006	The light came closer, the roar grew louder. The ground began to shake, as did Millie's heart. The 1972 baby blue Harley Davidson came to a stop in front of her. The steam from the exhaust hid his face but she knew who it was. As Manly as some folks thought Millie was, no one was as manly as...

DOD 12/07/2006	Ok, I won't keep you in suspense. Back in those days, everyone who played sports at Manly U. was referred to as a 'Manly Girl." After all, they had won more lacosse titles than Lewiston and Grand Gorge combined! And with Millie at left defense, and filling the role of team 'enforcer', Manly shut out Stoller in the "Fist's" last game as a senior. Scholarship offers came pouring in. Of course, Millie chose

Chad Peterson 12/07/2006	not to go to college. After long discussions with her parents, Millie decided to take some time off and travel to Guam. She worked on her tan and as a bank teller before deciding to run basketball camps in Maple Valley. That's when her life changed and disease struck. Unfortunately, Millie came down with...

Fiona 12/07/2006	"Wait a minute...It can't be...." were her last thoughts before Millie's head started to pound. She needed to sit down a minute and review. (Millie had always believed there were important moments in each person's life where it was just a good idea to take stock of who they really were, where they'd come from, and how they'd gotten to this spot. NOW seemed like one of those times....) What Millie knew for certain was that Rives Junction was the hometown she'd left behind 22 years ago, at the age of 19, to seek fame and fortune in New York City. Until tonight, back in Rives Junction, she hadn't seen her old friend Gladys or Sam, the rustic cow herd and her first love, since the day she boarded the bus for the Big Apple. A lot had happened in 22 years, including the birth of her three sons. The first was conceived on a casting director's couch in NYC, but he was almost 21 now and serving in an unjust war overseas. Her second was fathered by a boyfriend she'd met after leaving NYC for Detroit. He belonged to this strange family who just loved giving everyone knicknames, hence "Fist", but thank god she was back in Rives Junction where no one had ever heard of her referred to by this moniker. Here she could just be good old Millie again. Her son from this relationship had received a scholarship to the prestigious Interlochen school for gifted young musicians in northern Michigan and he lived there full-time. Her third son was fathered by a man she was briefly married to during her last three years in Denver, and she thought it better to leave him there for the time being with his father and new step-mother. But now that she was back in Rives junction, having received the note from the beggar with the brilliant blue eyes ("Meet me at the house on Christmas Eve. I'll be waiting for you, clean, shaven, and very anxious....")she felt very certain that the faint shimmering light, within the swaying branches, must be him waiting for her as promised. Afterall, whoever he was, he knew that the fact that the old farmhouse was gone, replaced by the late 80's model trailer, would be a shock to her. So that was Millie's life in a nutshell, up to this point. She felt much better having summed up THE STORY OF HER LIFE for herself, and now it was time to walk into those trees and discover the identity of the mysterious beggar....

Terence Reuben 12/07/2006	The city was larger than she had remembered, and noisier too! This was definitely no Maple Valley. There were people everywhere... all minding their own business; moving along as if no one else mattered. All those days dreaming of being in the big city; those sleepless nights imagining a different life had been just a pipe dream. Until the day she finally got the courage to leave. Suddenly all the things she hated the most about Maple Valley, she now missed the most. Would she ever fit in? Was she having second thoughts? Maybe she should never have come! But then she remembered why she had to come...

Melissa 12/07/2006	She wasn't sure how it had ever left your mind. It was all she had thought about since she had gotten the call...the call from the Rives Junction police department saying her parent's car had been found abandoned on the shoulder of Highway 7 just outside of town. The officer told her that they had no leads and that no one had heard from her parents in over a week and wondered if she had been in contact with them or had any idea of might have happened. The next day she packed what little she had and started her journey back to Rives Junction....

PlayCold 12/08/2006	----- CHAPTER II ----- "Millie, I knew I'd find you here," Marty said as he got off his motorcycle. "God, Marty, so good to see you." Millie ran up and held her brother tight. Her hands clung to his leather in fear and desperation. Marty might have been younger than Millie but he always felt safe to her. Secure. "I've missed you so much, Marty....Any word from the Police? Anything?", Millie begged. "Nothing, they don't know anymore than we do. I just talked to Bill down at the station and they're thinking of having to call in the FBI or something. They have no leads. Just Mom and Dad's empty car. No clues, nothing. God damn Nothing," Marty's voice scared and fleeting. "How can this all be? It's Mom and Dad...they don't just disappear in the middle of some road in the middle of fricken' nowhere Butte County!" Marty leaned his arms against the chrome of the Harley, trying not to cry. Millie rested her head against his back, comforting the brother she hadn't seen in all these years. How could this all be she thought? Was it real? A dream? A cruel joke? "When's the last time you saw Mom and Dad?," Millie asked. "I guess it was a couple days ago when I stopped by to use their washer and dryer. Everything seemed normal. Mom was in the kitchen cooking and Dad was in the TV room ignoring her. Like every other day. I did my thing, had some dinner with them and left." Millie looked to the starry sky, "What now, Marty? What now?"

Dr. Kim 12/08/2006	"Where, where, I don't see a cow." said Marty. "Not cow," said Millie quizically. "I said NOW" her decibel level growing with each syllable. "I'm sorry" replied Marty. "It's my eustachian tubes. stuffed like Thanksgiving turkey. Can't hear a damn thing. I've been to three different doctors and given three different medications. Nothing has worked so far." "I've heard about this, this, ah, what you call choir...practor over in Westland who fixes all kinds of weird stuff like this. I want to make the pilgrimage to his office but, but, I..." "Don't have the money?" Millie said filling in the pregnant pause. "Yeah, I was kinda hopin' you could spot me the $15 he charges for a few weeks. You know, until I can get my hearing back and return to my job as a clinical psychologist. I've been trying to fake it 'til my last patient said he wanted to kill himself. I thought he said ""thrill"" and I said: go ahead I'd love to watch." Millie reached in her purse handed him a twenty and said.....

jamie 12/08/2006	A heavy sound of a pounding heart echoed deep with in this chilled humane cavity, as his breathe accented each beat from the stillness of the air.He has his eyes locked onto every words escaping their mouths... He waits... as Marty and Millie have know idea, within the evergreens , someone has become a part of their lives.

bodie and stella 12/08/2006	How long would it be before they would be aware of his presence or the impact he would have on their future. But wait, what was that flash of light!

LaVerne 12/09/2006	"Shhh...Don't scream," their dad said as he walked out of the trees. "You two won't believe what has happened!" Millie and Marty stood their stunned but relieved as they looked in disbelief and wonder at their father. But quickly the question came to both of their minds..."where is mom?"

Fiona 12/09/2006	"Come back into the shelter of the trees with me, kids. I've got a lot to tell you and not much time," their father said. Millie and Marty followed him back into the Christmas tree forest where he had lit a small fire, had two thermoses of hot black coffee, and a few ancient, grey military-issue wool blankets. "First, your other is fine, but she's not here. She's actually in hiding--and so am I. Kids, your mom and I have found ourselves in a certain situation which has forced us to enter the Witness Proctection Program. Millie, that was me in town this morning disguised as the beggar who handed you the note. I'd heard through some mighty strange channels that you'd been seen headed this way from Denver a few days ago and I knew you'd show up back in Rives mighty confused. It was the only way I could think of to get you to the site of our old home and let you know what'd happened to us--to all of us. Millie and Marty, you two are in great danger.

Mona 12/09/2006	"But, Dad, the beggar who handed me the note had brilliant blue eyes, and yours are brown!" Millie blurted, realizing only too late that under the current circumstances this was completely irrelevent. "Ah, colored contacts. All part of my new identity," her father explained. The facts started connecting themselves like so many dots in Marty's brain. "So that's why your car was found abandoned and you and Mom seemed to simply disappear into thin air. It was all a ruse to allow you to slip away into your new lives and your new identities!" "Now you're catching on, Son. But fortunately I'd discovered through some very strange channels that Millie had been seen leaving Denver headed back towards Rives Junction a few days ago. That gave me time to cook up my plan for making contact with her, without being seen, before she'd kicked around town for too many days and met an undesirable fate. You see, even the local officials haven't been let in on the truth of our disappearance. They're being kept busy chasing false leads by the feds while we make a clean get away. There are a few loose ends that aren't tied up yet though, and that's what I'll need both of you to help me with before we can all truly start over."

Joe Leigh 12/09/2006	Millie and Marty huddled together, staring at their father through the firelight. “Of course, Dad, anything. You know that,” said Marty. Millie shivered, partly from the cold and partly from a fear, deep in her gut. But family was family, and she would be there when they needed her. She shivered once more, then squared her shoulders to hear whatever was next. Her father began, “Last year, in August, a man appeared at our front door while your mother and I were having breakfast. It was a hot, humid morning, even at that early hour, and I was about to leave for the mine. I swung open the screen and, without introduction he asked, ‘Mr. Andrews, when’s the last time you spoke with Clive McGillicutty?’” “Who’s Clive McGillicutty?” interrupted Marty. “Clive was someone I had known years and years ago, we began together as geologists down in Texas. He moved on to work with the diamond mines, and I came up here to be with your mother.” Her father sighed heavily. “We haven’t spoken in years, last I heard he was working in South Africa, consulting with DeBeers in Johannesburg. The man at the front door informed me that Clive had been found dead a few days previously, and my name was on a piece of paper in his pants pocket.” Millie felt as if someone had kicked her in the gut. “Why?” blurted Marty. “I have no idea,” his father replied wearily. “But I know it has something do to with a diamond. And not just any diamond. A diamond bigger than the Millennium Diamond. I’ve been running from the South Africans, and trying to figure out myself two things: why my name was on that paper and where that new diamond has gone. “That’s where you two come in. The DeBeers people, are, as you can imagine, extremely unhappy with their ‘misplaced’ gem, and while the government believes in my innocence I am no longer safe at home. You may not be either. You need to help me, and quickly. Here’s what I’ve found so far….” Millie shivered again. For all that life had handed her, nothing had prepared her for this kind of Christmas Day. Her father continued…

Joe Leigh 12/09/2006	(A picture of the Millennium Star Diamond)

Henry 12/10/2006	"Yesterday I went to the library and Googled 'Clive McGillicutty'. Out from his pocket he pulled a folded piece of paper with a listing of search results. "I don't really understand how to use all this Google stuff but I did find one piece of information that I found interesting." He pointed his cold and dirty finger to the fourth result: WWW.SOUTHAFRICANNEWSPAPER.COM \| CURRENT EVENTS \| NEWS southafricannewspaper.com. - Clive McGillicutty, Consultant with DeBeer's, suspected of murdering two mine workers is missing... www.availabledomainnamesearch.com/ domains/south+african.html - 102k - Supplemental "Looks like Clive was in trouble of some kind", Marty said. Millie leaned back to rest her back on the cold, hardened ground. The Big Dipper was hanging in the lower northern sky, like it had when she was a child. If only life was easy now as it was then.

Craig Law 12/10/2006	Marty was overwhelmed with feelings. What should he do? How could he help? Should he just walk away? At that point, he decided to do the only thing that he felt right. “Dad, Why was your name on a piece of papaer in his pocket?” Marty interjected “Look, I have no idea. For now though, I just need to find a way out of this mess,” his father added “I’m scared,” Millie Exclaimed “Ok, then. We’re going to need to divide and conquer if we’re ever going to figure this thing out. God knows the police won’t help us.” Marty said. “Dad, you need to get back into hiding. You’re a target just talking to us at this point. Just then the Millie noticed police flashlights in the distance. And they were walking towards Dad, Millie and Marty with caution and their hands on their weapons. “Dad, you need to go,” Marty pushed. “Millie, you need to hide for a bit then try and find somewhere to research Clive McGuilicutty. We’ll link back up at 7:00 tomorrow morning at the Starbucks.” “I’m scared,” Millie said. "Don't be, we'll make it through this," Marty said confidently One of the police officers recognized Marty and started to run towards them. “Go Now,” Marty exclaimed. Off the three of them ran. Dad ran deeper Christmas tree forrest, Millie ran out of the woods and down the street and Marty into the nearest alley with the police officers following him.

Bill Scroggins 12/10/2006	Chapter III The police chased Marty down the alley, over a fence and across the slippery street. Closing in on an intersection, Marty needed to think fast of a way to break free from the law if he was ever going to help his family. The police were gaining on him. Just then, Marty noticed the Starbucks approaching quickly. He entered the dooryway where he was greeted with the friendly smell of a Pumpkin Spice Latte that he loved soo much. Unfortunately he didn’t have time to spend enjoying a Latte as he headed into the bathroom where locked the door behind him. Two of the three police officers had followed him into the Starbucks and proceeded to pound on the door. Marty thought to said to himself, "think fast". Just then he opened the window, pushed himself out and landed on the wet, concrete pavement outside the window. He was greeted by the third police officer, Dectective Stark. The officer shoved him up against the wall and lost his footing on the wet, icy pavement only to fall to the ground. Marty was off again down the alley where he headed up the firescape of the towns old furniture warehouse. Detective Stark, close behind and the other two officers 50 feet behind him again in pursuit. Marty shimmied up to the fourth floor and into the window of the strange building. He locked the window behind him in hopes of putting some separation between him and the officers.

Fagan 12/10/2006	Marty quickly scampered into the building and made it down to the first floor. At this point the police were making their way in the window. He quickly opened a window in one of the offices on the far side of the building and disappeared into the night.

Lisa 12/11/2006	He continued to run until his legs could no longer carry him. He could hear the heavy breathing and footsteps trampling behind him. He fell into a heap and covered his face with his hands - ready to face the...

Henry-A-Go-Go 12/11/2006	Down the street Millie was running faster and faster and faster. Her worn boots like bobsleds on a river of ice, her exhale like that of a steam engine. She bolted around corner, through the back alley, across the AuSable River Bridge, up the hill to the edge of downtown, close to the train station. She spotted an abandoned rail car and made one final sprint for it. Millie hurled herself into the box car slamming the rusted door shut behind her. Safe -- at least for now. She lied on the floor of the car, collapsed, gasping for breathe. Moonlight filtered through the rusted ceiling like a disco ball. From her pocket she withdrew her lighter and lit an old pile of newspapers in the corner. The warmth, if only temporary, felt good. Millie slid her hand into her pocket and grabbed her cell phone. Her thumbs, shaken and cold, stumbled across the numbers until she had placed the call. There was a ring at the other end and then a voice. "Uncle Devon, it's me. Millie. your niece Millie." "I know it's been a long time. We need your help!," Millie's voice cracking and on the verge of hysterics. "I'm in town... at the train yard... and I need you! Dad and Marty are in trouble and I've lost them! Please... I need your help!"

Nel 12/12/2006	Millie began to feel the walls of the car closing in on her. Her phone trembled in her hand as she pleaded for help. On the other end there was silence. She felt herself sinking into a raging panic. Her chest tightened; she struggled to catch her breath; she could feel the blood race through her veins. The light around her dimmed and she closed her eyes. She woke to the smell of cigarette smoke and the smack of a cue ball. In front of her was a full ashtray and a half empty bottle of beer. She lifted her head, brushed her bangs to the side and stretched her neck. "Well look who's up!" shouted Mary Lou from the other end of the bar. Dazed and confused, Millie said, "I just had the wierdest..." "Your brother is on his way for ya!" said Mary Lou as she wiped down the bar. Just then the door to Stan's flew open and in came Marty. "Feliz Navidad!" he exclaimed as he brushed off the cold. He was a regular at Stan's. Millie shook her head at the sight of her younger brother as he made his way through the hoards of townies. He gave a hearty slap on the back to Sam, who at this point, was three sheets to the wind. Marty collapsed on the stool next to Millie. "Hey sis! I hear ya need a lift." "I'm not drunk you moron, I just feel asleep. Listen to this..." "Gotta light?" blurted Marty. Annoyed, Millie reached in her pocket for a book of matches. She pulled the book from her pocket, along with the note from the beggar. Millie threw the book on the bar top and looked up at the Anheuser Busch clock above the bar. It was 9:13pm.

Jack Maynard 12/12/2006	Still shaken from the dream Milly spun around a looked for old familar faces in the crowd. Thru the smoke she thought she recognized a few. Although it was great to finally see her younger brother Marty after nearly two years, she felt like she needed space. Her hope in coming back at Christmas time was to reconnect with her childhood and family. Marty had already began talking to friends and she again felt alone as she had whenever they were together in a crowd. She excused herself abruptly and went outside into the crisp evening. She walked accross the steet to a park that was blanketed by snow that was continuing to fall. The lights of the steets were shinning thru the big flakes and she thought, finally it feels like Christmas and home. She realized that she had the note from the beggar in her hand and found a street light to read it.

Jack Maynard 12/12/2006	She read the old wrinkeled paper and was shocked that it was written by her Uncle Jack. Angel diamonds from the sky Thru the city lights they fly Bringing magic to the night I'm walking in my Chrismas Children at the window sill Noses touch feel the chill Close their eyes and off they go To my fairy land of snow Miracles are in the wind Christmas trees sway and bend Prayers are heard and candles glow Thru my quiet world of snow I'm as rich as I can be Filled with love, joy and peace How does Heaven always know When its time to send the snow She walked back into the bar even more determined to find the true meaning of Christmas.

PMS7524 12/12/2006	Millie made her way back into the bar. Marty was becoming more and more like the old Marty she remembered; too afraid to grow up, too afraid to be an adult. She sat next to him at the table, the table full of Rives Junction guys home for the holiday. Same old jokes, same old stories, she thought. Millie felt something, that feeling she was being watched. She looked over her shoulder and in the corner was a striking man; hair as blond as sand, eyes like blue diamonds. Arrested in a stare, the stranger got up and made his way over to Millie. "Mind if I join you?", he politely asked. "No. No. Have a seat" Millie held her hand out. "I'm Millie." Their hands met. His hand warm, but leathered. "I'm Clive."

Emma 12/13/2006	The bartender asked, "What'll ya have?" and Clive responded smoothly, "I'll have whatever you have on draft. And a Jameson's." Millie stood by, clearly confused. "But..." Millie stammered. "You're.... you're...." she continued. "Alive?" he smiled again. That smile. "Yes, and where's my father? And what are you doing here?" "Some mighty bad men are out to get your father. It was me who called you to come back from Denver. When you saw your dad earlier tonight, he was right on many things, but not all of them. It's not me they're after. It's him."

Rudolph 12/14/2006	For Millie, the line between life and dream had always been blurred. When did reality end and the dream begin? And vice-versa. As a child it was something she never really thought about. Now, so much different. What did the dreams mean? Were they real? Was any of this real? "Millie. Listen to me," Clive demanded. "We need to help yor Dad -- and I fear now your Mom. Your Dad got involved with a deal gone bad and he made some really, really bad decisions. He got greedy. Not somethng you want to do when the stakes are high. Not in our business." Millie starred at Clive, her eyes fixed. "Clive, not only do I not know anything about what the hell you are talking about, I don't even know my parents anymore. I haven't been in contact with them for years -- at least not 'til now," Millie smurked. "When I was in New York, I too got mixed-up with a bad crowd. Made bad decisions. But it was drugs. It was sex. I lost my life... I was vunerable. I was young. I was lost." "Mille, I had no idea. Paul never told me about what happened to you. About your relationship with him." "Of course he didn't!" Mille recoiled. Millie collected herself, talking the shot of Jameson. "Listen, Clive, or whoever you are, my parents turned their back on me when I needed them most. They couldn't handle the fact their perfect little daughter was a drug-addict, sleeping with a different guy every night. Can you imagine how that felt? How it still feels?" Tears were now streaming down Millie's face. Clive wiped the tears from Millie. His heart wanting to reach out to her. A cold wind blew into the bar as the door opened with a slow pace. It was the homeless man she knew from the street; looking intent, he found Millie and approached she and Clive. His eyes icy, tired, old. Clive stood, defensive. "Can I help you?" "I'm suppose to give the girl this." The vagrant from his pocket pulled a folded piece of paper and handed it to Millie. Millie read it--gasping. YOUR FATHER IS ALIVE. FOR HOW LONG IS UP TO YOU. DELIVER WHAT IS OURS AND HE LIVES. RIVES JUNCTION THEATER--TOMORROW--BLOOD DIAMOND 3:45 SHOWING. Time was running out...

Rudolph 12/14/2006	CHAPTER IV

Karin 12/14/2006	Just then, the room went black. Someone tipped over a glass, and in the back of the room, a girl squealed, "Get your hands back where they belong, Wayne." There was a click, a hum, and the emergency light came on over the bar, illuminating everything in an orange glow. "Nothing to worry about, folks," announced Mary Lou. "The snow probably took a line out somewhere, but our generator just kicked on." She leaned over to Millie and said, "You might want to stick around. It's going to be awfully dark in town without the streetlights." Millie nodded and started to fold up the note. Then startled, she smoothed out the creases and took a closer look. In the orange glow of the light, two words stood out. The note now read: DELIVER BLOOD

Emma 12/15/2006	Millie looked about anxiously, to see if anyone else had seen her reaction. Though she couldn’t see him, she felt Clive’s presence behind her. It was as if the lack of electricity was just another reason to celebrate in this small town. The volume in the room went back up — way up — and everyone returned to their merrymaking. Stay? Go? Millie’s mind was racing in a thousand directions. She turned to Clive. “Let’s get out of here.” =-=-=-=-=-=-=- Outside in the snow, Millie stuffed her mittens on her hands and Clive buttoned his coat up to the very top. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a rusted 1956 Dodge pickup faded a very, very dull red. The got in and started to drive away. The truck rumbled through town, creaking and warming up none-too-quickly. The drove down the main street, passing the local seed and feed, diner, a few shabby clothing and shoe stores, the post office, the druggist, the bakery, its neon lights blinking on and off, even though the store had been closed all of Christmas day. “Hell of a holiday, huh?” Millie muttered. “Your dad…” Clive began but Millie cut him off immediately. “What is going on here?” Millie exploded. “My dad had spent his life in Rives Junction, my mom is a housewife, for God’s sake!” Clive began again, “Your dad came to visit me in Sierra Leone, not South Africa. About 18 months ago. Have you ever heard of the Revolutionary United Front?”

Kate 12/15/2006	Mille tried to hide her surprise. How could Clive possibly know about the Revolutionary United Front? She remembered her father's stories, the way he crafted his words and spun fantasies of life on the road, of knights and warlords, of imaginary battles between imaginary lands. One of those stories, her favorite, was about a man who gathered an underground army of misfits, those who had dropped out of society and everyday life for reasons they were afraid to tell. When Mille asked her father what the army was called -- for every army had a name -- he said they were known as the Revolutionary United Front. Millie's head was spinning as the truck moved along the snow-packed streets. She was afraid to look at Clive, afraid he would see a sign of recognition in her face. Could the Revolutionary United Front be real and not just a made-up bedtime story told to little girls with wild imaginations? What she said next could either betray her father, or help spare his life.

Henry 12/16/2006	A silence fell over the truck. "Yes. I've heard of it. Once. When Dad was telling one of his stories." "It was no story," Clive answered, lighting a cigarette. Clive took in a deep drag, exhaling with force, the smoke filled the truck like a deep fog. "Your father and I throughout our careers had from time-to-time done consulting work on the side for Debeer's. It was easy money for us. DeBeer's didn't buy a lot of diamonds from the U.S., but when they did, Paul and I knew the best brokers for DeBeer's to work with. Happy with the work we were doing here, DeBeer's wanted us in Africa. Financially, it was a deal we couldn't resist. But, your father didn't want to leave your Mom and he also had concerns about safety over there. I, on the other hand, had nothing to lose and went over there, starting in South Africa for the first year and then being transferred to Sierra Leone. Which, by the way, was not the smartes decision I ever made." MIllie cracked the window of the truck, the fresh air stinging her face. "That's where I first came in contact with the Revolutionary United Front. The RUF started back in the early 90's as a revolt against a corrupt government. In theory, a good idea. But, like everything in Africa, the insurgents are just as corrupt as the corruption they are fighting. They sent the country into anarchy that has remained ever since. They rule with torture, killings, mutilations--men, women, children, anything that breathes in that country is soon dead. And where they get their money to fuel their campaign is diamonds. The country for all it's despair is lavishly rich with diamonds. It's a terrible irony. DeBeer's got into Sierra Leone early on, like in the 50's. However, with diamonds fueling these atrocities and genocide, they were forced under international pressue to cease formal operations in the 90's; hoping that in return the country would come to some kind of peace and then use their natural resources for economic development. Not so, of course. Not in that hell of a place." The truck rambled down Stephan's Bridge Road, the icy roads keeping Clive's attention. They hit a rut in the road forcing Millie to fall against Clive's broad shoulder. She could have moved away from him -- she didn't. She liked the safety. "DeBeer's was out of Sierra Leone, but they were still getting diamonds out of there one way or another. Some ways legal, most not. A lot of smuggling and black market. Given the powerful resources DeBeer's has, they were still very much in Sierra Leone. I found myself spending a lot of time helping to negotiate some of the transactions. It was scary work. I never had to deal directly with the RUF, but I knew they were involved. Especially on this one deal in particular -- the deal of all deals." "You've heard of the Millenium Diamond, Millie?" "Yes, I think I saw it on the news a couple years ago," Millie answered. "Isn't it the world's biggest diamond?" "777 carat's to be exact. Well, the Millenium Diamond actually has a twin sister that few know about. It was--and simply is-- known as 'Royal Blood'. A diamond as red as blood, more beautiful and exotic than any diamond ever discovered. It's not as large as the Millenium Diamond, but the few that have seen it think it is far more precious. I'd agree. So did DeBeer's; they wanted it... at any price. I knew this deal was going to be big, big and dangerous enough that with the RUF involved, I needed your father's help. I finally convinced him to come to Sierra Leone and he, against his better judgement, came. He was the one guy I trusted to get the RUF to hand it over--for a heavy, heavy price, of course. For months we worked under the darkest of covers brokering a deal with the RUF. God, they were scum. Ruthless. We had our own security provided to us by DeBeer's, so, that was of some help. But many times our lives were in certain danger. If not all the time. We were close to a final deal when all hell broke loose. The CIA entered the picture. Not for the diamonds however; they were more interested in busting up the RUF's ability to funnel money to terrorism in Somalia, as well as Chad and Niger. It was a god damn mess." "CIA?" Millie asked. "Yep. C-I-God damn A," Clive mumbled. "The CIA first tried negotiating with the RUF and that, of course, went no where. God, they are bloody idiots. So, they switched to force; undercover strikes to take out key RUF heads. Well, one of the heads they took out was the General Myuhb. The problem with that was Myuhb had the Royal Blood Diamond. When the RUF found his bullet riddled body they didn't find the Royal Blood Diamond. It had vanished. Reports than surfaced within the RUF that your father was the last person to be with contact with General Myhub before the CIA killed him. Which, was actually true. But, your father never was handed the diamond. The RUF didn't believe that and sent every scum-breathing-low-life in that country to find your Dad. He was the most wanted man in Sierra Leone and Millie, that's not something you ever want in life." Millie chuckled, a nervous chuckle. Her thoughts frozen as she learned of her father's danger. His past. His life she never knew. "Your Dad's a smart guy. He knew the only way out was with help from the CIA. I helped keep your Dad safe, hidden, until the CIA could extract him. Your Dad had too much information, too much useful for the CIA to pass up. He knew they'd do whatever it took to get him out of that hell and back home. The CIA agreed and within 24 hours your Dad was on a C-130 headed back to the USA. First class. All for the names of every contact he knew within the RUF. I left soon after that as well. Just too dangerous of a situation. No money was worth that. I was done with DeBeer's. Everything." Clive paused, reflecting, looking at the stars. He then turned to Millie with his hardened, steel eyes. "Millie, The Royal Blood Diamond is still missing and the RUF I suspect--and know--thinks your Dad either has or knows who has the diamond. The U.S. government has been able to protect your Dad somewhat, but you know how your Dad is. He has trouble keeping his head down. Always has. The RUF will do whatever it takes to get that diamond back. " The truck came to a bend in the road and Clive turned onto a forgotten winding lane, covered with fresh snow, light as cotton. It'd been a lifetime since Millie had been back to this place. And the life of her father now depended on what she knew was here...

Henry 12/16/2006	Clive and Millie's father, Paul; Sierra Leone, 2004.

Harper 12/18/2006	Clive McGillicutty of course wasn't being completely honest with Millie. He learned when his first, second, fourth, seventh and eighth wives left him that dishonesty with the women in his life wasn't the wisest strategy for him. But he just couldn't stop himself. Especially with Millie, he just couldn't control himself. He always was doing or saying something that he would later regret. Like that night 22 years ago, when he was still just a casting director and he shared a night of intimacy with the young Millie. Or the six times over the next 10 years when he changed jobs and addresses just so he could stay near her. Or like the night seven years ago when he joined the CIA just so he could be closer to her father. Or like the night last year when he had total facial reconstruction so he could follow her every move undetected. Now he had her exactly where he wanted her. In the middle of nowhere. With no one around. Just 100 yards away from that Carved Rock she was always gushing about. Now his plans could be brought to fruition. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. Nothing except . . .

ab⚈mb 12/18/2006	resort to the only thing he really knew how to do best... interpretive dance. Yes, dancing was a secret passion and, as Clive understood it, a strong form of emotional communication. He also found it to be theraputic at times, however, this was not one of those times. Still, he danced. Reaching in to a fanny pack he carried with him most all the time, he pulled from it a leotard. Not just any leotard either. This was one from his youth. More specifically his angst ridden adolescence. A time of self discovery and experimentation. A time of ridicule and inner torment. A time that would ultimately lead to the extreme measures of co-dpendance and unusually tight leotards he has found himself in now. While struggling to dance his way in to these leotards fitted for a man half his size, it occured to him Millie would not see or interpret this performance in the intended way and, furthermore, he was unable to actually pull the leotard up any further. His efforts had cuased him extreme fatigue, not to mention a moment of pure shame and humility even in his solitude. So it was with this that he collapsed on to a bed of dead pine needles wearing nothing more than a half donned leotard and a pair of men's athletic underpants. Clive was cold but slept none the less amongst the trees, trusting them to forever keep his moment of weakness to themselves until a cool morning breeze might blow it away forever. Morning came, and with it a strong breeze. Clive's privates, along with the rest of his body, were nearly useless from the hypothermia. We was weak. To weak to peel off the leotard and dress himself properly. We was rigid and unable to even unzip his fanny pack which he had dropped only a few feet away the night before. Too embarrased to call for help and to weak to make it to shelter he slipped in to a cold, dark coma and dreamt of his last visit to Equador where he had mastered the Lambada - the forbidden dance.

ab⚈mb 12/18/2006	Clive, young and free.

ab⚈mb 12/18/2006	...in his original virgin white leotard

ab⚈mb 12/18/2006	...in the original virgin white leotard. He was just seventeen.

Charles Clyde 12/18/2006	Millie was restless about the conversation that had transpired with Clive, she had many more questions that needed answers. Clive had pirouette away from the cabin the night before and she knew the harsh winter night had taken its toll on his body. Millie ventured out into the wilderness not sure if she would find Clive dead or alive, and having only a broken trail of leaps and twirls in the snow to use as guidance. Hours had passed and she was still on the trail, where could be? She questioned. “How long can this guy keep this up, I didn’t know they did interpretive dance to 'War and Peace'" She muttered. Just as she was about to call of the search she heard a faint chorus of "Queen of Hearts" in the distance. Only the lyrics were completely misconstrued. Playing with the queen of hearts, Knowing it ain't really smart Al Roker ain't the only mule who'll wear anything thats blue. Millie knew dementia had set in and rushed towards the warbling shell of shattered masculinity. She found he had burned the leotard for heat hours ago, and the sight was not pretty. She dragged his lifeless body back to the cabin, the trip back was considerably shorter as Clive's dance routines were mainly big circles and he was only about 25 yards from the cabin the whole time. Back at the cabin she had revived Clive with a mainline of Jameson’s to the aorta. There is one thing I must know, Millie demanded. Who blew my fathers cover with the R.U.F? Clive buried his head in his hands, "The Company sold him out" whispered Clive. "Your Father used to communicate with the operatives in Sierra Leone through guest appearances on "Wheel of Fortune". Only one producer on the show was connected with the operation. Pat didn’t know, Vanna didn’t know....it was perfect. Perfect until some little hiccup in Merv Griffins logistical rules for the game show nearly cost your father his life. This is how it played out; your father got the answers to the puzzles where the prize was a vacation and only to those puzzles. Wherever the trip sent your father was where an operation was under way. This went on for years, until the catch phrase from Die Hard was the clue for a trip to Uganda. The answer was Yippee ka Ye, Mother Fu#@$*. Paul knew the answer, but he selected Y as one of the answers to a spin and he had no money in his bank. Pat Sajack tried to tell him he had to buy the Y as a vowel, but he didn’t have the $250.00 needed for the vowel. The next contestant went to solve the puzzle and your father missed the trip to Uganda. What I'm not telling you is what the assignment in the African hotbed was meant to achieve." ………

weezie 12/19/2006	Millie was beyond confused at this point. What was Clive talking about? Is he really tellling the truth or has the tightness from his leotard taken it's toll? She wants so badly to know the secrets from so long ago, to feel safe, to find out if her father is really alive or dead. Where is this diamond? What does the CIA want from her father and is she in danger?

John Baker 12/19/2006	Upon exiting the truck she realized how blessed she was that the old man came by when he did. He drove by just as she had boken through the ice and pulled her out. Millie pondered the the event, then thought why did I have the bad luck to end up in a truck with no heat.

g bomb 12/19/2006	----CHAPTER IV---- December 25th. Not the Christmas morning Millie had in mind as she wiped her swollen eyes after what couldn't have been more than a 2 hour sleep. It was early, the sun had not risen yet. Clive was also beginning to wake, his leotard fashioned as a scarf to shield off the cold cabin. "Clive, do you know for sure Dad didn't have the The Royal Blood Diamond?" Millie confronted. "Of course he didn't. Some RUF thug surely got it somehow." "Do you have proof?" "I have your Dad's word. Given the situation he would not about lie," Clive answered. Clive moved close to Millie on the couch, his leotard tickling Millie's skin. "Millie, the diamond is in Africa. I'm sure of it." "Clive, you said very few people knew of this diamond. Sure the RUF might have it. Maybe even the CIA has it. But....I don't know...something doesn't feel right." Millie rose from the couch to peer out the fogged windows of the cabin, the Christmas light beginning to dawn in the eastern horizon. She leaned against the wall, looking with intensity at the rotted carpet, and then, directly at Clive. "My Dad is a good, honest man. This I know. Even if he was a an a**hole to his only daughter when she needed him most. I hate him for it. But, I know deep in his heart he is a good man," Millie spoke with confidence. Millie continued, "I had a dream once of a dashing man. He was strong, adventerous, daring. He was intriguing. Mysterious. Alluring. He was easy to open yourself up to and in return, he gave you a glimpse into his soul. This man was also a friend of my Dad's and they were great friends. Blood friends, in a way. This man caused my Dad much pain; broke his trust, chaising after his own greed. My Dad's life was in danger because of it. Even my Mom's. It was...was..." "Millie, such a vivid, horrible dream you had. So awful." "Clive, I am beginning to wonder if the dream was real. And I am beginning to wonder if you...you...have...The Royal Bloooo...!" Millie's heart beginng to race with her realization. She gasped for air, clasping her hands over her mouth. Terrified, she lunged towards the front door, towards safety....

Buck Feeny 12/20/2006	As she rushed, she brushed against the fireplace where the stockings were hung with care -- and she knocked one akilter. Falling off of it's hook, it skittered to the floor with multiple 'klunks'. Clive and Millie stopped in their tracks. Since when did a stocking klunk? They tiptoed over to the crumpled Christmas decoration. Millie, exhibiting courage under fire, clearly a manly trait, poked open the end with a Bic pen, keeping a full arm's length away. Clive gently grabbed the stocking by the toe, lifted it up in the air and out fell a heavy bright object -- the chrome hood ornament from a Diamond Reo diesel truck. Since when is a clue not a clue? Or is it a clue? It's up to one of you?

Henry 12/21/2006	Diamond Reo Diesel Truck

Henry 12/21/2006	Clive grabbed the heavy ornament, sharing it with Millie. "This is a hood ornament from a Reo truck. Your Dad and I drove around Sierra Leone in a Reo, they're very common over there. Sure not common in Rives Junction though. Your Dad must have been here recently. At least we can hope he was." "Here? Why?" Mille questioned. "We're running out of time, Millie. And clues. Maybe we should go to the police and feds." No options seemed good to Millie. All of it still seemed so unreal, so surreal. She still didn't trust Clive, but the knight in leotard was all she had at this point. "Let's get out of here, Millie. C'mon." The two left the house and just as the door was closing a thunderous crash came from the cellar of the house. "I better get my gun out of the truck Mille..."

JC 12/21/2006	Yes - guns firing. Noise and chaos fill the air. And three run outside. Millie jumps, Clive leaps. Engine roars, bullets fly round. The third one is new. The third one, in red Leaps in the truck bed as it Backs up out the drive. White beard, red shirt and A sack, filled with who-knows-what? He sticks his head through The open window And says to Clive and she: “I have the diamond with me.�?

Ann S. 12/21/2006	It wasn't Santa at the door, although the white beard and red suit would lead one to think that. It was her brother Marty in a cheap rent-a-Santa suit! Millie gasped * "Marty you scared us silly! What's going on?" Millie looked on in amazement at Clive and Marty as she realized they both had guns drawn pointed at the other. Without taking his eyes off of Clive, Marty said briskly, "Millie, step out of the truck, Clive's not who you think he is, and he wants the diamond for himself. He's the one who's after dad." "Come now Millie, you know that's not true, your father is my best friend and you and Marty are like the children I never had." said Clive smoothly. What to do? Who to trust, there was only one thing she could do, she....

Highland Group 12/22/2006	----EPILOGUE---- It wasn't until later in life--much later--that Millie was ever able to speak of what happened that day, that one Christmas Day in Rives Junction. And the only people she ever told were her grandchildren; every Christmas Eve, before they were off to bed. It'd become a Christmas tradition unlike any other in many ways. "Tell us again! Tell us again, Grandma Millie!" Drew, Mari, Jasper, Payton, Kennedy, Ethan, Maddie, Amhelia and Isaac would scream. "Please! Just once more!" "No, no, no, my little elves. Only once a year, and only to you do I tell this special Christmas story. And I only tell it to good girls and boys who believe in Christmas. Now, kiss your granmother good-night and off to bed you scoot. Santa will be here soon!" Her grandchildren huddled around her, each kissing Millie on the cheek, then, scurrying up the stairs with stumbles and giggles. The house now quiet, peaceful, there was still one more tradition for Millie to do. She walked to the blue-spruce Christmas tree, finding the sturdiest branch she could. Millie slid her had into the pocket of her robe, from which she revealed one more ornament; an ornament as red as blood, as beautiful as any star in the sky. She hung the ornament on the tree, the room lighting up as the diamond-light danced across the walls in crimson, violets and gold. Stepping back, Millie thought of Rives Junction, Carved Rock, growing old, her parents, family and a life she was -- in the end -- terribly thankful for. Her life, once hard and a burden, was now rich with happiness and devotion. "Honey, have you seen that red wrapping paper?" Clive asked with frustration from the kitchen. "Yes, Honey, I know where it is. I'll get it for you." Millie chuckled. She leaned into the tree, kissing the glistening diamond. "Merry Christmas, Dad." Millie whispered.