A Mysterious Drawing (Sam/Maggie/Carolyn/Joe)

Sam Evans sat on the sofa in his cottage with his head in his hands. It was mid-morning and he'd barely accomplished a thing. He figured his daughter might be home for lunch soon, mostly to check up on him.

Sighing, he went into the kitchen to reheat some of the coffee that Maggie had made early that morning. Drinking it and staring out the window, he thought he heard her in the living room. "I wonder why she's back so early," he thought. Walking into the living room, he could see no one but noticed some movement in the corner by his paintings. Setting the cup down, he rubbed his eyes to clear them of the misty shape he imagined he saw.

"I don't remember leaving anything on that work table," he thought. "I'm sure I cleared that off yesterday afternoon."

Wandering over to look, he saw a quaint looking sketch of a woman who looked like she was from another time. Sam hadn't done the drawing and he was sure it wasn't there earlier. "Either I'm losing my mind," he said outloud to the room, "Or my daughter has suddenly taken up sketching." Checking to see if the door was locked, he was almost certain that the sketch hadn't been there twenty minutes before.

Maggie had a grand time at lunch with her boy friend Joe Haskell. They met up with Carolyn Stoddard at the Blue Whale Tavern. Conversations of local gossip continued for hours. Maggie and Joe eventually left the tavern because she was anxious to get back home to to check up on him tell her father of events that have occurred.
When they made it back, they found that the door was locked. Finding it strange when Maggie unlocked the door, she had a sense of concern. She went to Sam who was sitting on the chair. “Are you alright Pop?”

"Yes Maggie, I'm all right! Why are you always asking me?" Sam hadn't meant to snap at his daughter. "I'm sorry, Maggie. I guess my nerves are a bit on edge.....mmmmm.....guess I'm beginning to imagine things."

He abruptly grabbed the sketch from the coffee table where he'd been pondering it. "Look at this, Maggie. Have you ever seen this before? It just appeared out of nowhere on my work table while I was in the kitchen drinking coffee. Out of nowhere, I tell you!"

Sam went over to pour himself a drink. "This is the sort of thing that happens up in that mansion on the hill, not here Maggie. Where did this come from?"

"Are you sure you didn't draw this and then just forget about it?" Joe asked without thinking. Then he saw the look on Maggie's fathers face. "Sorry, Sam. I was just kidding. It's a bad joke, I know."

Changing the subject he said, "Well it's a good sketch. She looks somehow familiar except for the old-fashioned hair and clothes."

Joe plopped down in the chair and turned to look at Maggie. "Honey, do you know anything about this sketch your Dad's asking about?"

Maggie was handed the sketch, “Why, I haven’t seen this before. It is a rather unusual sketch, however it’s very good. How could a sketch just appear Pop?” She goes to view his other works, “perhaps you purchased the sketch awhile back.” Maggie goes to look at the sketch again. “Are you sure you didn’t do it Pop it looks like it’s one of yours.

"Maggie, I told you that I didn't do it! I've never seen it before. It just appeared on that work table while I was in the kitchen. The work table I cleared off yesterday!" Sam was jabbing his finger towards the table and talking loudly. He rubbed his hand over the top of his balding head and then noticed the frown on Joe's face.

"I'm sorry Maggie. I didn't mean to yell. It's been quite awhile since I've purchased the work of another artist. That's all we need is more art around here." Sam was trying to lighten the mood after his outburst. He sighed.

"I didn't tell you that it felt like someone was in here while I was in the kitchen. I thought you'd come home and then when I came into the room I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye...it was like a misty shape."

He looked at the faces of his daughter and her boyfriend. "I know, I know, you think the old man's nuts."

Carolyn Stoddard had arrived on this nice evening at the Blue Whale, only to find Maggie and Joe. They saw her, and maybe out of just plain niceness asked her to join them. Carolyn didn't want to skip a chance to gossip about the town, among other things, so decided to take up their offer. The three of them talked for a while, until Maggie decided it was time to leave, so she could check in on her father. So, leaving Carolyn alone at the Blue Whale, Joe and Maggie happily left.

About 5 minuets later, Carolyn glanced down at the floor by her table. "Oh no," she thought, as she reached down to pick up a beautiful diamond earring. "Looks like Maggie must have dropped this." Since she didn't want to spend anymore time alone around a bunch of old drunks, Carolyn slipped the earring into her purse and headed out of the Blue Whale.

On the drive to the Evan's Cottage, Carolyn thought about what she planned to do when she got home. She hadn't quite decided on a plan by the time she arrived at the cottage and walked to the front door. Noticing the charming flowers around, Carolyn knocked on the door.

Joe was fond of Sam but didn't like to him hear snap and be abrupt with Maggie. He didn't quite know what to make of Sam's story about sketches appearing out of nowhere and misty visions. He felt awkward and went over to the window near the front door so as to be looking around as though he could find some evidence or a clue.
He was closest to the door when the knocking came. "I'll get it Maggie, shall I?" he asked and saw her nod.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Carolyn Stoddard. "Oh, hi Carolyn. What brings you here? Come on in."

Carolyn was as equally surprised to see Joe, as he was her. Of course, Joe was Maggie's boyfriend, so she was unsure why she was surprised. Giving him a quick glance, Carolyn slid past Joe and made eye contact with Maggie. Carolyn could tell that Maggie had a look of question on her face; probably wondering what she was doing at her house.

"Hey Maggie. After you left the Blue Whale, I found this earring on the floor. I guessed that it was yours, and figured that I better bring it to you as soon as possible." Carolyn makes a quick glance at Sam before handing the earring to Maggie. "Well, I guess that I ought to be going now," Carolyn said, turning to make contact with Joe.

Surprised by this, Maggie Felt her ear was without an earring; “Oh my Carolyn thank you so much for finding it!” she takes the earring from her and puts it back on. “It was my mothers. Maggie passes a smile to Joe then turns back to Carolyn. Thanks again Carolyn.
Maggie then finds herself looking at the mysterious sketch. Apparently, there was something about it that didn’t agree with Maggie. Carolyn before you go, do you happen to know who this woman is in this sketch. She grabs the sketch from Sam and passes it to her.

Carolyn turns back to face Maggie, and receives the sketch. She studies it for a bit, and then answers. "No, Maggie I have never seen her before. She is rather pretty though, don't you think."

Thinking nothing more of it, Carolyn hands the sketch back to Maggie, and once again, decides to leave. But, just as she turns to go up the stairs and out the door, she thinks she sees a strange mystical illusion forming in the corner, and her face changes to fear.

"Carolyn, what's wrong?" Joe asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Joe looked around awkwardly. "Here Carolyn, you'd better sit down." He looked at Maggie for some guidance.
"Man, one person gets spooked about something around here and before you know it everyone is getting nervous. There's probably a logical explanation for the drawing, but Carolyn, what happened?"

Joe shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for someone else to say something.

Carolyn didn't believe what she just had seen, and felt awkward having Joe trying to comfort her. She followed his gestures and took a seat on the sofa. Still highly alarmed at what she just say, she began to tell them.

"Well, as I turned to go," she started, while staring directly at Joe, "I saw something in the corner." She then turns to focus on Sam, who looked at her as if she was either losing her mind, or he had seen the same thing too. "I'm not sure what it was, or even if it was my imagination," Carolyn said, starting to grow hysterical and impatient.

"No no, now don't get upset Carolyn. I saw something like that too earlier this morning." Sam said. "I felt something in the room, saw movement out of the corner of my eye and I'm sure I saw a misty shape."

"Here, why don't you have a glass of brandy unless you want some of this stuff I'm drinking." Sam looked around and then said,"Hmmm..well, I guess we don't have any brandy but you're welcome to some of this."

When Carolyn didn't respond, he went on, "You know, stuff like this has happened before around here and everyone says oh, it was nothing and it was just your imagination. Then before you know it something bizarre is happening! Something strange and unnatural! I've seen it time and time again!" Sam realized he'd been shouting again and took a deep breath. "I don't think it was your imagination Carolyn."

"You actually seen the same thing too, Mr. Evans?", Carolyn asked, still sitting wide eyed on the sofa. "Even still," she thought, "how likely is it that what a drunk has saw is anything remotely close to what I've just witnessed?"

She then got up and started to pace the room. "Well, do you know what it was, Mr. Evans? I think it's all a little too weird for me." She then went over to inspect the area of the room of where the essence had been at, and was quite disappointed that she too didn't find anything left behind. "Still not unlikely that I imagined it," she thought to herself.

Joe was feeling restless and wanted nothing more than to get out of there. "Look...Maggie...Sam....uhhh..Carolyn, we can't know for sure if there was something in here or not. All we can do is wait and see if anything else happens." He picked up the sketch. "Now this is real. If she were dressed in fancier clothes and jewelry, you might find that she looks like someone in one of those portrait books you have up at Collinwood, Carolyn."

Joe looked at Maggie. "I need to get back into town to drop something off at the post office for Mr. Collins. We can figure this out later."

He picked up something off the floor near the work table. "Maggie, you're losing everything today. First your earring and now this locket." He examined it more carefully. "Why does it have the initials M. D. engraved on it? Your initials are M. E."

Everything that has happened so far with the mysterious sketch and now Carolyn seeing things seemed to startle Maggie. She was handed the locket that was found on the floor, “This is pretty Joe but it’s not mine. I wonder where it came from. M.D. hmm she thought. “I don’t know anyone by those initials.” Maggie goes to Carolyn, “Have you seen this locket before?”

Carolyn was ever so anxious to leave the Evan's cottage. "I just came to return an earring, not for all this," she thought. But, she knew that Maggie probably would like it if she stayed for a bit longer, so Carolyn went over and took the locket from Maggie.

"It's quite a charming little thing isn't it! But no, I'm sorry Maggie, I have never seen this before." Carolyn handed the locket back to Maggie, but then something came to her. "Wait, yes, I have seen this locket before," Carolyn says, "I saw it in that sketch that you just showed me!" Carolyn went over and grabbed the sketch, then handed it to Maggie.

“What!” she said with a surprise, Maggie went to the sketch of the woman and sure enough when comparing the two lockets they were the same. “Oh my, this is very strange.” Maggie then quickly gave the locket and sketch to the others to compare for themselves and seem they all agreed it was the same.

Maggie then said, “I think it would be best Carolyn if you did take both the locket and sketch, perhaps showing it to Mrs. Stoddard she could uncover who this woman is.” She then gave the locket and sketch to Carolyn. “I hope we can get this strange mystery sorted.”

"If you think that it is best," Carolyn said while receiving the items, "then I will show this to my mother. I'm not sure if she'll be able to identify the sketch, but I guess that it is worth a try."

She then, once again, heads towards the door thinking that any second she would be stopped. Relieved, she opened the door and exited the cottage into the splendid night air. Her idea of a perfect evening was far from the task at hand, but something inside her made her want to help out.

~End Scene~