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I don’t know about you, but I’m glad September is over. I won’t go into all the bad parts, just the good parts. We are caught up on all of the yard work, I’ve repotted eleven lemon trees I started from seed. Don’t ask me what I’m going to do with that many, I have no idea. I didn’t think they would all come up. I’m not a lemon fan, except for lemonade. I love lemonade. The only problem is I make it with 2-1/2 cups of sugar. I know, that’s where I’m getting my pounds. Can’t help it.  When I published Mist on Trinity River, I said I wasn’t writing another book. I would revamp When the Past Came Back and its sequel, then I would be done. The third book hit me in the head, and I’m on the seventeenth chapter. It has a lot of things going on, not just one main thing. I can’t wait for you to read Hidden Secrets. It’s a good one. Now, since it is Halloween month, I wrote a short creepy story. Let me know how you like it. Don’t forget to check out the new recipe after the story. It is such a great side dish. The Believers The howling wind whistled through the tall pines outside his window. The boy covered his head with his pillow. The noise only grew louder. He pressed his hands against his ears to shut out the whistling. “You can still hear me.” The voices had started. If he called out to his mother, she would come in screaming and slap him. If his father came, it would be worse. He would bring a belt. His belly growled. They didn’t like the way he looked at them and sent him to bed without dinner, again. Jason had called out to her several times in the past and each time was the same. Cold fingers inched their way under the covers and gripped Jason’s arm. He gasped. It tugged, pulling him to the edge. Jason tried to pull free from its grip. It had worked in the past. This time, the thing wasn’t letting go and kept pulling. “You aren’t real. I don’t believe,” Jason whimpered as his body slipped toward the edge of his bed. What should he do? The hand sent chills through him. He shivered, and tears clouded his blue eyes. A pungent odor penetrated his nostrils. His legs slipped over the edge of his bed. He opened his mouth to scream. No sound came. Jason tried again. Nothing. He used his other hand to try and pry the icy fingers from his arm. The thing grabbed his other arm, and with a yank, Jason hit the floor with a thud. “Mom, help.” He thought he called out, but the room was silent as he was drug across the floor. Jason had no way to stop his slow slide into the closet. The tiny closet was dark. Much darker than his bedroom. Once his feet cleared the door frame, the door closed with no sound. He tumbled down, down, down. The hole seemed to have no bottom. There was darkness. Nothing but darkness, then he saw the light. “I believe,” Jason cried. A knock sounded at Jason’s bedroom door. “Time to get up, Jason. Come on, you’ll miss the bus.” Jason’s mother stepped into the empty room. He wasn’t in bed or underneath. She opened the closet and looked inside; no Jason. “Jason. Where are you?” She searched the upstairs, downstairs, backyard, and front yard. Panic attacked her. He wasn’t there. “Where’s Jason?” His father came into the kitchen. His mother picked up the phone. “He’s not here. I’m calling the police.” That was ten years ago. They’ll never hear from their son again. He is in a place where they will never find him. A place where no one hits him or makes him go to bed without dinner. A place where hugs are mandatory. His parents will never see him grow up because they aren’t believers. *** Here’s the recipe I promised. It’s a keeper. Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes 4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 tablespoons flour 4 cups milk 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon salt & pepper to taste 3-pound peeled potatoes (sliced 1/8” rounds) 2 cups mozzarella 1 cup Parmesan Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in medium-sized pan. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. (about 1 minute) Whisk in flour and continue to cook while stirring for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, gradually whisk in 4 cups of milk, ¼ cup at a time. Bring to boil until it begins to thicken. Stir in bouillon, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Arrange ½ of potatoes in bottom of pan. Pour ½ of the cream mixture over top. Top with ½ of mozzarella and ½ of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Cover and bake until potatoes tender. I cooked mine for 1-1/2 hours. Next time, I will cook the potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes in water to soften them before baking.
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