you.”
“Oh, and I almost forgot Mrs. Fisher. These coins are worth about thirty-five dollars apiece. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you by paying the twenty dollar face value.” And with that, Sam turned around and shuffled back across the clearing to his cabin. Allie watched him as he walked, and thought it odd that the old man, so shabbily dressed, could produce five shiny gold coins from his vest pocket as if it were small change.
The following morning as Ben was opening the screen porch door, he was surprised to see the monkey on the porch steps. The animal was clearly agitated, and as Ben made his way through the door the monkey snarled and streaked towards cabin six. Ben instinctively felt that something was wrong. When he got to the cabin he knocked on the door. No answer. Morris, now on the cabin roof was sneering at Ben, and was pacing back and forth the length of the cabin. Ben knocked again. Still no answer. He called, “Sam! Are you in there?”
No answer.
“Sam! Are you okay?”
Nothing.
Ben dropped the plate of food and ran back to the house. His parents were at the kitchen table eating their breakfast when he burst in. “I think there is something wrong with Sam! He isn’t answering his door. The monkey is freaking out.”
John grabbed the spare key to cabin six and made his way quickly across the clearing. Morris was still pacing back and forth atop the cabin and it shrieked at John as he knocked on the door.
“Sam, are you in there? Sam, this is John. I am going to open the door.”
John turned the key and opened the door. Morris shrieked as he ran through John’s legs and made a bee-line to the cabin bedroom. John called out once again to Sam. “Sam, are you all right? May I come in?”
John peered cautiously into the bedroom. Sam was laying on the bed with his back to John and the door. Morris was at the foot of the bed, still shrieking. John gently shook the old man’s shoulder, and through the pajamas John could feel that Sam was cold to the touch. He quickly felt the old man’s neck for a pulse and found none. He shuddered as he looked at Sam’s pallid face. Sam was dead.
John went to Allie and Sam who were waiting at the cabin door. His expression gave them the news even before he spoke; “Sam has passed on Allie. We need to call the sheriff.”
“Are you sure John?”
“Yes Allie, I’m positive. He has no pulse and he— is cold.”
Ben was shocked at the revelation of Sam’s passing, and he could think of nothing at all to say. His thoughts seemed to be in a state of slow-motion. His jaw felt as though it had unhinged, leaving his mouth dry. He sat down at the picnic table.
Allie fought back the urge to cry. She had really liked the old man. “I’ll go make the call John.” She headed for the main house as if she were in a dream.
Later that day, after the sheriff and the paramedics had gone, Allie and John began cleaning the cabin. It was then that they had found hiding under the bed, a package, neatly wrapped in plain brown butcher’s paper. Taped to the package was an envelope addressed to Allie Fisher. She opened the envelope, and read the hand-written note inside;
Dear Mrs. Fisher,
If you are reading this note, it means I have moved on down the road. I’ve never been one for long good-byes. This package contains the little project I have been keeping myself busy with this past week. Please pass it along to Ben with my warmest regards as a sort of thank-you.
All the best,
Sam
Allie was not sure what to think of the peculiar note. Apparently Sam had planned on leaving the resort, but had died in his sleep instead. The note gave her an odd feeling that somehow Sam might have known he was going to pass on, the note being a more permanent kind of good-bye. She put the thought out of her mind. “Don’t be silly Allie. Nobody can predict when they will die.” she thought to herself. She called to Ben from across the clearing.
“Ben, can you
“Oh, and I almost forgot Mrs. Fisher. These coins are worth about thirty-five dollars apiece. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you by paying the twenty dollar face value.” And with that, Sam turned around and shuffled back across the clearing to his cabin. Allie watched him as he walked, and thought it odd that the old man, so shabbily dressed, could produce five shiny gold coins from his vest pocket as if it were small change.
The following morning as Ben was opening the screen porch door, he was surprised to see the monkey on the porch steps. The animal was clearly agitated, and as Ben made his way through the door the monkey snarled and streaked towards cabin six. Ben instinctively felt that something was wrong. When he got to the cabin he knocked on the door. No answer. Morris, now on the cabin roof was sneering at Ben, and was pacing back and forth the length of the cabin. Ben knocked again. Still no answer. He called, “Sam! Are you in there?”
No answer.
“Sam! Are you okay?”
Nothing.
Ben dropped the plate of food and ran back to the house. His parents were at the kitchen table eating their breakfast when he burst in. “I think there is something wrong with Sam! He isn’t answering his door. The monkey is freaking out.”
John grabbed the spare key to cabin six and made his way quickly across the clearing. Morris was still pacing back and forth atop the cabin and it shrieked at John as he knocked on the door.
“Sam, are you in there? Sam, this is John. I am going to open the door.”
John turned the key and opened the door. Morris shrieked as he ran through John’s legs and made a bee-line to the cabin bedroom. John called out once again to Sam. “Sam, are you all right? May I come in?”
John peered cautiously into the bedroom. Sam was laying on the bed with his back to John and the door. Morris was at the foot of the bed, still shrieking. John gently shook the old man’s shoulder, and through the pajamas John could feel that Sam was cold to the touch. He quickly felt the old man’s neck for a pulse and found none. He shuddered as he looked at Sam’s pallid face. Sam was dead.
John went to Allie and Sam who were waiting at the cabin door. His expression gave them the news even before he spoke; “Sam has passed on Allie. We need to call the sheriff.”
“Are you sure John?”
“Yes Allie, I’m positive. He has no pulse and he— is cold.”
Ben was shocked at the revelation of Sam’s passing, and he could think of nothing at all to say. His thoughts seemed to be in a state of slow-motion. His jaw felt as though it had unhinged, leaving his mouth dry. He sat down at the picnic table.
Allie fought back the urge to cry. She had really liked the old man. “I’ll go make the call John.” She headed for the main house as if she were in a dream.
Later that day, after the sheriff and the paramedics had gone, Allie and John began cleaning the cabin. It was then that they had found hiding under the bed, a package, neatly wrapped in plain brown butcher’s paper. Taped to the package was an envelope addressed to Allie Fisher. She opened the envelope, and read the hand-written note inside;
Dear Mrs. Fisher,
If you are reading this note, it means I have moved on down the road. I’ve never been one for long good-byes. This package contains the little project I have been keeping myself busy with this past week. Please pass it along to Ben with my warmest regards as a sort of thank-you.
All the best,
Sam
Allie was not sure what to think of the peculiar note. Apparently Sam had planned on leaving the resort, but had died in his sleep instead. The note gave her an odd feeling that somehow Sam might have known he was going to pass on, the note being a more permanent kind of good-bye. She put the thought out of her mind. “Don’t be silly Allie. Nobody can predict when they will die.” she thought to herself. She called to Ben from across the clearing.
“Ben, can you
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