Archives at Zinester: Starfish: How Loren Became a Missing Person, Loren Moore & Carol Roach. Starfish:. Writing

CAROL WRITES;

Something had to be wrong she just knew it. Loren Moore was nowhere to be found. Carol started writing to him when she he stopped sending in stories for Storytime Tapestry. This was just not like Loren, if Carol could count on anybody she could count on the chief. She emailed Bob Johnston of Starfish, he had not heard from Loren in about a week. She emailed Kathy Baker and Pamela Jenkins. Only to get emails back that they had not heard from him in about a week either. Where was he? What could have happened? Surely someone should have heard from him by now.

LOREN WRITES;

JOHNNIE WAS WRITING A STORY ON THE COMPUTER AND HAD BEEN AT IT ALL DAY. I EVEN HAD TO FIX MY OWN SUPPER. AFTER I FINISHED EATING I WENT INTO MY OFFICE AND JOHNNIE WAS STILL GOING AFTER IT. I PEEKED OVER HER SHOULDER AND SAW SHE WAS ON PAGE 42. I ASKED HER HOW MUCH LONGER WAS IT GOING TO BE BEFORE SHE WAS THROUGH WITH HER STORY.

???I DON??儺 KNOW LOREN. I THINK I??儁 ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH IT.??? MAN ALL DAY AND I STILL HAVEN??儺 CHECKED MY EMAIL! WELL I MIGHT AS WELL GO WATCH TV FOR A WHILE.

AFTER THE 10:00 O??僂LOCK NEWS I LOOKED IN ON JOHNNIE AND SHE WAS STILL POUNDING THE KEY BOARD. ???DON??儺 FORGET THE GREAT GRAND KIDS WILL BE HERE TOMORROW. I??儁 GOING TO BED, GOOD NIGHT.??? ???UM HA??? IS ALL I GOT OUT OF HER SO I WENT TO BED.

THE NEXT MORNING RIGHT AFTER BREAKFAST OUR GRAND DAUGHTER AND HER TWO KIDS RANG THE DOOR BELL. JOHNNIE WAS STILL IN BED BUT NOT FOR LONG. CHIVONA AND DENNIS RAN INTO HER BED ROOM AND JUMPED UP ON HER BED. ???GET UP GRENMAM, GET UP. WE WANT TO PLAY.???

WELL WHEN THE GREAT GRAND KIDS ARE HERE I DON??儺 TURN ON MY COMPUTER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PLAY GAMES ON IT AND EVERY TIME THEY DO THEY MANAGE TO MESS SOMETHING UP. THEY WERE GOING TO BE HERE FOR TWO DAYS.

AFTER SUPPER ON THE SECOND DAY AMANDA AND THE KIDS WENT HOME. I WAS SO TIRED BECAUSE I DIDN??儺 GET MY AFTERNOON REST I WENT TO BED. BESIDES I HAD TO GET UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING TO GO TO THE EYE DOCTOR. MY APPOINTMENT WAS AT 8:00 O??僂LOCK. (I ALL WAYS SAY EYE DOCTOR BECAUSE I CAN??儺 SPELL THAT LONG NAME FOR AN EYE DOCTOR.)

THIS IS MY ANNUAL COMPLETE EXAMINATION AND THAT MEANS I??儉L GET MY EYES DILATED. WHEN I COME OUT OF THE DOCTORS OFFICE, JOHNNIE HAS TO HOLD ONTO MY ARM AND LEAD ME TO THE CAR. WITH ME EYES DILATED, I CAN??儺 SEE A THING IN THIS BRIGHT SUN LIGHT. MY DOCTOR TELLS ME IT WILL WEAR OFF IN A COUPLE OF HOURS AND I??儉L BE ABLE TO SEE AGAIN. BUT I KNOW BETTER. IT WILL BE IN THE MORNING BEFORE I CAN SEE AGAIN.

SO ANOTHER DAY AND NIGHT WITHOUT ANY COMPUTER. NOW I??儁 REALLY GETTING ANTSY. I WONDER IF I??儁 PREDESTINED NEVER TO USE MY COMPUTER AGAIN.

DURING THE NIGHT A THUNDER STORM BLOWS UP AND KNOCKS OUR ELECTRICITY OFF. THE WIND HAS BLOWN DOWN SOME TREES THAT FELL ACROSS THE ELECTRIC LINES. THE POWER COMPANY SENDS PEOPLE AROUND TO TELL US THERE WON??儺 BE ANY POWER FOR TWO DAYS. BY NOW I??儼E CHEWED MY FINGER NAILS OFF UP TO MY ELBOW!

THAT EVENING I??儁 SETTING OUT ON THE FRONT PORCH WITH LITTLE FOX BECAUSE IT??儡 SO HOT IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. I WASN??儺 PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO LITTLE FOX AND SHE GOES WANDERING OFF SOMEWHERE. IN A LITTLE WHILE SHE COMES BACK AND SITS DOWN NEXT TO ME.

I ABSENT MINDEDLY REACHED DOWN AND SCRATCH HER BEHIND THE EARS. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED A PIECE OF PAPER UNDER HER COLLIER. WHEN I PULLED IT OUT, I SAW IT HAD WRITING ON IT. IT SAID, ???THIS IS YOUR NEIGHBOR, JAMES, CHECKING IN BY DOG MAIL!???

WOW, MY NEIGHBOR MUST BE HAVING WITHDRAWAL PAINS TOO. MISERY LOVES COMPANY AND HERE CAME JAMES FOR A CONFLAB. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW HOT IT WAS AND WHEN THE POWER WOULD BE BACK ON. WE TALKED UNTIL IT GOT DARK AND THE MOSQUITOES RAN US INDOORS.

WHEN THE POWER DID COME BACK ON THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TO TURN ON MY COMPUTER AND CHECK MY EMAIL. BOY! WAS I SNOWED UNDER. I HAD 143 EMAILS STACKED UP AND WAITING FOR ME.

CAROL WRITES;

Loren proceeds to read his email deciphering which ones he should read first. He sees emails from the storytime gang. One came in from Bob Johnston, 2 from Pamela Jenkins, 5 from Kathy Baker, and there was even one from George Waters Ojeigbe asking him of his where abouts and won't he write more Deer Rifle Stories. There are about 7 or 8 from Carol, but he never did get around to reading them.

For just as he was about ready to read his first email, he heard a crash of thunder and the power went out simultaneously. He called for Johnnie to see if she was alright but he didn't hear a thing. The doors and windows were rattling with the sound of the fierce winds. Little Fox was whining and whimpering at the front door. She apparently wanted to get outside fast. But why Loren thought, Little Fox is afraid of heavy rain. Loren yells at Little Fox to settle down. First he must find Johnnie to see if she is okay. However, it was pretty difficult moving around in the dark. He did not have a flashlight handy, and he couldn't remember where he put the candles. Johnnie was the one that always took care of those things.

"Johnnie, Johnnie answer me" he yells, "where are you. Let me know that you are alright".

Still no word from Johnnie.

Loren is getting worried now. He cannot see. He cannot find his wife as he roams from room to room clinging to the walls and stumbling over furniture that blocks his way.

Loren mumbles under his breath, "What the heck good was it to have an eye exam when I can't see a darn thing anyhow".

He then shouts out in desperation, "for the love of God Johnnie answer me please".

Still the house remains silent except for whining and yelping coming from Little Fox. It then occurs to Loren that perhaps Johnny has been locked outside and that is what Little Fox is trying to tell him.

LOREN WRITES;

I FINALLY MAKE MY WAY TO THE FRONT DOOR AND OPEN IT. WHEN I PUSHED THE STORM DOOR OPEN I SEE JOHNNIE SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF THE FRONT PORCH WITH HER BACK AGAINST THE WALL OF THE HOUSE. ???WHY DIDN??儺 YOU ANSWER THE DOOR BELL???? SHE ASKED THROUGH CLINCHED TEETH. ???JOHNNIE THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF AGAIN. THE DOOR BELL DOESN??儺 WORK.???

???WELL DIDN??儺 YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING???? ???JOHNNIE ALL I HEARD WAS THE THUNDER. LITTLE FOX MUCH HAVE HEARD YOU BECAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO OPEN THE DOOR.??? JOHNNIE THREW HER ARMS AROUND LITTLE FOX??儡 NECK AND GAVE HER A BIG HUG. ???HEY DON??儺 I GET A HUG ALSO. I??儁 THE ONE THAT OPENED THE DOOR.???

JUST THEN THE ELECTRICITY CAME BACK ON. JOHNNIE TOLD LITTLE FOX, ???COME ON LITTLE FOX, LET??儡 GO IN THE KITCHEN AND I??儉L GIVE YOU A MILK BONE.??? ???WELL IF YOU WON??儺 GIVE ME A HUG, WILL YOU GIVE ME A MILK BONE????

JOHNNIE IGNORED LOREN SO HE WENT BACK TO HIS COMPUTER.

CAROL WRITES;

But when he turned it on, it would not work. The system must have crashed during the last power outage. Loren was beside himself. He had not had a chance to response to one single email that evening and he knew that people were starting to get worried about him. Oh well he thought I have had enough excitement for one day. I will just go to bed and think of a way to get word out about what is happening to the storytime gang tomorrow. I might just give Kathy Baker a call.

Loren stopped by Johnnie's bedroom to say good night but Johnnie was still mad at him. She turned her head away so Loren quietly left without saying another word. He knew all would be forgiven by the morning. Johnnie was just tired and cranky.

The next morning Johnnie got up extra early. She was sorry that she treated Loren so badly the night before so she decided that she would surprise him with his favorite breakfast and even serve it in bed.

What a surprise she got when she went into his room and he was not there. As a matter of fact, his bed had not been slept in at all. She called and there was no answer. Was this old fool getting her back for given him the scare of his life the night before? Nah, Loren wouldn't do that she thought. She looked all over the house but neither he nor Little Fox was in the house at all. She looked outside and saw the toolbox on the porch, it looked like Loren was trying to fix the door so that it would not jam close anymore but he was no where to be found. She waited awhile and then called the neighbours to see if he was over there way. One of them said he had seen Loren much earlier in the morning talking a walk with Little Fox. Loren just said he couldn't sleep and felt like having the exercise as it might help him sleep better later on. That was the last he saw of him. In fact that was the last anyone had seen of him all day.

Meanwhile, Carol was getting worried it was now 9 days since she had heard from Loren and she did not know what was going on at all. She emailed Kathy Baker and asked her if she could give Loren and Johnnie a call just to see if everything was okay. Kathy agreed to do it after dinner when she had some time to herself. Kathy had guests over, and was cooking up a storm not to mention that her new puppy Hank was giving her a fit. She may as well have a newborn on her hands she thought.

But true to form after dinner she did call the Moore household. Kathy was not prepared for what she found. Kathy was greated by a very frantic Johnnie on the telephone. Johnnie explained how nobody had heard from Loren all day, he and Little Fox went for a walk long before she got up that morning. Johnnie explained how Loren had locked her out in the storm and she had been upset with him but was going to make it up to him in the morning and that was when she found out he was gone. She said to Kathy that she thought the old fool may have been really hurt by her actions and decided to leave home for good.

Kathy tried to calm her down. Kathy asked did Loren take any clothes or anything to make it look like he was leaving home and if so did he leave a note or something to that effect.

"No note, no clothes, but he did take the box of milkbones with him and I noticed he had made himself a peanut butter sandwich because he didnt clean up his crumbs very well but that is it", She said.

Well he can't be far Kathy said or he would have taken with him more than he did. Wait until his usual bedtime and if he is not home by then you are going to have to call the authorities. I will call you tommorrow for any news.

Kathy alerted Carol and the storytime gang and they all put out a prayer for Loren's save return.

The next morning bright and early Kathy called Johnnie again only to find out that Loren was no where to be found. Johnny had alerted the authorities and since it was 24 hours since he was last seen he was now considered a missing person, and I guess Little Fox was considered a missing non-person or accomplish in crime.

Loren writes:

CAROL EMAILED KATHY AND SAID,??? I CAN??儺 STAND IT ANY LONGER. I??儁 COMING TO TEXAS AND HELP JOHNNIE LOOK FOR LOREN. CAN YOU PICK ME UP AT D/FW???? SHE SENT A COPY TO PAM ALSO. IT WASN??儺 BUT JUST A FEW MINUTES THAT THEY BOTH GOT AN EMAIL FROM PAM SAYING SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN FROM HENRYETTA AND SHE WOULD MEET THEM AT JOHNNIES HOUSE.

THAT EVENING THEY WERE ALL THREE AT JOHNNIES HOUSE. JOHNNIE TOLD THEM SHE WOULD FIX SOMETHING FOR SUPPER. BUT ALL THREE OF THEM SAID THEY WEREN??儺 HUNGRY AND NOT TO BOTHER. ???WELL AT LEAST COME SIT DOWN AT THE KITCHEN TABLE AND HAVE A PIECE OF MY CHOCOLATE CAKE.??? ???OH YES JOHNNIE I??儉L HAVE A PIECE OF YOUR FAMOUS CHOCOLATE??? SAID PAM. THE OTHER TWO SAID THEY WOULD TOO. PAM HAD A GLASS OF MILK WITH HER CAKE. CAROL HAD A CUP OF HOT TEA WITH HERS. KATHY HAD A CUP OF COFFEE WITH HER CAKE AND JOHNNIE HAD A GLASS OF ICE TEA.

SO THEY ALL FOUR SAT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE AND WHILE THEY ATE THEIR CAKE, TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO TO FIND LOREN.

CAROL WRITES;

Johnnie was starting to get really jittery every time she heard the phone or the doorbell ring. The three ladies agreed that if Johnnie didn't get some sleep she was going to collapse from exhaustion.

Kathy devised a plan where she and Carol would head down by the lake to see if Loren could be around there. She had already been down that way before with Loren and it would not be a problem to find it again. Pamela elected to stay with Johnnie while Johnnie tried to sleep.

Pam would answer the phone and in between phone calls from all the neighbors and friends she would start telephoning the bus company, train station, and even the nearest airport. After that she would try all the hospitals and shelters around the area to see if a missing person; a homeless looking man, and his dog showed up. Later when Johnny awoke they would find a way to tell the rest of the family. Johnnie didn't want the kids to know about it just yet she was too upset and she didn't want to worry them.

However, she broke down and cried from relief when she found Kathy, Carol, and Pamela at her door.

Meanwhile, Kathy and Carol head out the door to start their trek. Half way to the lake they are met with a road block. The county Sheriff and his deputy have surrounded the area and won't let the ladies pass.

Carol looks like she is about to cry as no amount of explaining will change the mind of these men of the law. But Kathy won't take no for answer. She pushes her way in front of Carol and nudges the sheriff on the shoulder.

"Get out of the way Mr. before I kick you where the sun don't shine. My friend is missing and you and the entire US army is not gonna stop us from going down to the lake. Our friend may be out there and if he is there we are aiming to find him with or without your help".

"Oh God thought Carol, I am here with a crazy woman, I am a Canadian, and I am going to be hauled off to a Texas Jail. Texas law is ruthless. They will lock me up and throw away the key. I will never see Canada again. What in the name of life did I get myself into!

After what seemed to be an eternity brought on by a staring match between Kathy and the Sheriff, the Sheriff says " is that so, ma am".

"It sure is" says Kathy.

"And another thing Sheriff, have you ever messed with a menopausal Texan woman before?

" I sure have" responded the Sheriff, I have one at home".

"Boys, let the ladies through, I don't know so much about the one with the funny accent but the spunky Texas beauty here is reckon to find him long before we do".

Loren Writes:

(WHAT REALLY HAPPENED) ???THERE THE DOOR IS FIXED, LITTLE FOX. LET??儡 GO FOR A WALK.??? THEY WALKED THE FEW BLOCKS TO HIS FISHING BUDDIES HOUSE. JUST AS HE GOT THERE PAT WAS BACKING OUT OF HIS DRIVE WAY IN HIS PICKUP. HE HAD HIS BOAT HOOKED TO HIS TRUCK AND IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GOING FISHING.

???HEY PAT, WHERE YOU GOING???? ???OH HI LOREN I??儁 ON MY WAY TO CADDO LAKE FOR A FEW DAYS. YOU WANT TO GO WITH ME???? ???SURE??? AND LITTLE FOX AND LOREN CLIMBED INTO PATS PICKUP AND THEY WERE OFF TO CADDO. ???I CAN CALL JOHNNIE AND LET HER KNOW WHERE I AM WHEN WE GET TO THE LAKE.???

WHEN THEY GOT TO CADDO, THE FIRST THING THEY DID WAS LAUNCH THE BOAT AND GO SET OUT SOME LIMB LINES. THEY WERE BAITING THEM AS THEY TIED THEM TO A LIMB. AFTER THEY SET OUT 25 LINES THEY WENT BACK TO THE FIRST ONES AND SAW THEY ALREADY HAD SOME FISH.

THEY SPENT THE NEXT FOUR HOURS TAKING FISH OFF AND REBAITING THE HOOKS. FINALLY THE ACTION SLOWED DOWN AND THEY CAME IN TO CAMP. THEY CLEANED THEIR FISH AND HAD SOMETHING TO EAT. THEN THEY LAID DOWN AND TOOK A NAP. LOREN FORGOT ABOUT CALLING JOHNNIE.

LOREN AND PAT SPENT A WEEK AT CADDO FISHING AND HAD A GOOD TIME. THEN THEY LOADED UP AND STARTED HOME. AS THEY WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY TOWARD HOME, A CAR PASSED THEM GOING THE OTHER WAY. ???WOW LOREN, DID YOU SEE THAT CAR? IT MUST HAVE BEEN GOING 80 OR 90 MILES PER HOUR.??? ???YELL PAT I SAW THAT CAR AND I KNOW THAT WILD EYED LADY DRIVING IT. HER NAME IS KATHY BAKER, AND BOY IS SHE WEIRD. I DIDN??儺 KNOW THE WOMAN RIDING WITH HER BUT SHE MUST BE CRAZY TO RIDE WITH KATHY.???

WHEN PAT AND LOREN GOT BACK TO ARLINGTON, PAT DROPPED LOREN AND LITTLE FOX OFF AT LOREN??儡 HOUSE AND DROVE ON TO HIS OWN HOME. LOREN WALKED UP THE SIDEWALK TO THE FRONT PORCH, OPENED THE STORM DOOR AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. ???SHOOT LITTLE FOX, IT??儡 LOCKED AND I DON??儺 HAVE MY KEY.???

LOREN RANG THE DOOR BELL AND IN JUST A FEW SECONDS PAMELA JENKINS OPENED THE DOOR. ???WELL HI PAM, IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WERE COMING FOR A VISIT, I WOULD HAVE COME HOME EARLIER.???

LITTLE FOX RAN AROUND IN CIRCLES AROUND PAM??儡 FEET YAPPING JOYFULLY. THEN FELL OVER ON HER BACK FOR PAM TO SCRATCH HER TUMMY.

CAROL WRITES;

The real end of the story is that when Loren got home he was met by four angry women all wanting to know where he had been. Carol and Pamela had to hold Kathy down because she was going to.... but that is a whole nother story for a different time.

THE END

Loren Moore and Carol Roach