SCENE 5
Gazing out at the sea, Victoria Winters stood well back from the edge of Widow's Hill. The cliff took on a different aura during the day than the sinister feel it had at night. The view of the water was breathtaking. Still, she had a hard time forgetting that Josette Collins, the woman from two centuries ago that resembled her so much, had died on this very spot.
"David," she called to the boy, who was lagging behind, "Hurry up. You have to see this beautiful view."
David emerged slowly from the woods. His mood, light at the beginning of the outing, had deteriorated. He was filled with a sense of dread, a nervousness he couldn't explain. He hung back at the edge of the clearing.
"Come on, David." Vicki shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. "Look, there's a ship way out there on the horizon. It seems pretty big. I wonder where it's going." She took a quick glance at her watch. It was almost three o'clock. Laura should be here any minute.
The boy took a hesitant step forward. Something scared him, but he didn't know what. He certainly trusted Miss Winters. He gathered up his courage and walked to her side.
Just as he reached her, a voice came from behind them. "Why, hello, Vicki. What a surprise to run into you here."
Vicki turned around and smiled. Laura had 'accidentally' run into them on their walk - just as she and Laura had planned that morning. "Mrs. Collins, how nice to see you." She walked over to Laura, keeping up the pretense that their meeting was a surprise. "It was such a lovely day, David and I decided to take a walk."
Laura's gaze slid past Vicki to focus on the young boy. "Hello, David. It's good to see you. I've missed you, you know."
Vicki noticed how Laura's face lit up as she saw her child. Her thoughts drifted again to her own parents - the parents she never knew. Had they ever looked at her like that before they abandoned her? It occurred to Vicki that the return of David's absent mother had stirred up memories she thought she had reconciled long ago. Her life without a family hadn't tormented her in years, but now…
A muffled gasp from Laura brought Vicki back to reality, and she saw the woman's face had gone pale. Turning, Vicki understood why, and fought down her own urge to scream. Apparently, David had not lost his strange fear of his mother, judging by the look on his face. He seemed to want to get away, but Vicki and Laura stood between him and the woods. So he was backing away from them, oblivious to the fact that he was getting perilously close to the edge of the cliff.
Laura began slowly walking along the outskirts of the clearing, talking softly to her son. "It's alright, David. There's nothing to be afraid of." Her path kept her a good distance from the boy, yet giving him a clear path to the woods. More concerned with his safety than his reaction to her, Laura was making sure he could escape without going over the cliff.
It was a good plan, Vicki realized. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. David was so caught up in his fear that instead of taking the open escape route, he continued backing away from Laura, traversing the edge of the cliff. He was still dangerously close to the brink.
Laura continued trying to calm David enough to get him out of danger. Vicki felt helpless, but knew that anything she did might startle the boy and send him plummeting to the rocks below. Better to let Mrs. Collins handle it as best she could. She could see that Laura was fighting to stay calm, but the strain of worry showed on her face as she continued to circle.
Then it happened. David's foot hit a loose rock, sending a shower of dirt and pebbles down the cliff. Laura's control snapped, and she cried, "David!" as she lunged to catch her son.
Her panic was unnecessary; David hadn't even lost his balance. At the sight of his mother running toward him, he bolted for the woods. He was safe, but Laura wasn't so lucky. In her haste, she tripped on a rock. Her momentum carried her over the cliff.
"Mrs. Collins!" Vicki screamed in horror as she ran to the edge. She saw Laura had been able to grab onto an outcropping of rock and was hanging on for her life. Vicki quickly fastened her own hands around Laura's wrists and tried to pull her up. She strained as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough. "Help me!" she called, praying someone was close enough to hear. "Please, somebody, help me!"
Vicki took a deep breath and pulled again. Laura tried to get a foothold on the side of the cliff, but there was no way to get any purchase. All she succeeded in doing was to swing helplessly, risking her tenuous hold on the rock. The small whimpers that issued from her mouth made Vicki even more frantic, and she renewed her cries for help.
She risked a quick glance over her shoulder to see if there was a sign of anyone. Standing at the edge of the clearing was David; he hadn't run as far as she thought. "David, come help me!" Maybe their combined strength could bring Laura to safety.
But David didn't come. Looking back again, Vicki saw the boy still standing where he had been, staring blankly at the scene in front of him.
Desperately, she called to him again. "David! Please! If you don't help me, your mother is going to die!" Vicki felt her grip start to slide. "She's slipping! David, you have to help me!"
Tears streamed from Victoria Winters' eyes as she struggled to keep hold. She longed to get a better grip on Laura's arms, but if she let go for even an instant, Mrs. Collins might fall. If only David would help her…
Then the boy was at her side. He leaned down and put his small hands around Laura's left wrist. Confident she was now secure, Vicki used both hands on Laura's other arm. Slowly, the two of them were able to pull the woman safely to solid ground.
Laura lay on the grass for a few moments, catching her breath after the ordeal. She looked up to see her son's brown eyes gazing down at her. "David! Oh, David, you saved my life," she said joyously, and pulled him into her embrace.
Vicki thought she caught a flash of something odd in Laura's eyes - triumph? - but figured it must be her imagination. She smiled at the tender reconciliation of mother and child.
