Domed Judgment

Chapter 1

“Where’s mom?” The question echoed back at me from the surrounding wooded hills.

I stood on our deck, overlooking the last fifty feet of our gravel driveway, using my pinky fingernail like a piece of chewing gum. I stopped chewing my nails to the quick about a month ago. I wasn't going to start now. My whole life was on the line. Where was mom? She was an integral part of the plan.

I can't believe she would forget. It’s the biggest night of my life, homecoming. Mom was supposed to get off work at lunch time. Then together, we were to "do" lunch, getting my hair and nails done at Lavina's, the best salon, in Franklin. Arriving at Marcella's around four, Mom would talk with Mrs. Holbrook while Marcella and I went up stairs for girl talk, getting dressed and applying the appropriate accessories. Darris and Landon were to pick us up at five thirty for dinner out then to watch the Rebels’ football game against Shelbyville Eagles continuing on to the most important festivities of the evening. 

Looking at my phone for the hundredth time in the last two hours, it read 2 p.m. and still no mom. No calls, no text. The phone was acting weird. It had power. It said I had service. But I couldn't dial anyone. Not Mom, not dad, not Marcella. Nobody. Nada. Nothing. Even the time seemed off. Not sure how but just off. I paced. Where was she? 

For the first time, I wished I had forced myself to deal with my fear of driving. I could have driven myself to mom's office or better yet to Lavina's. Was it too late to call Anna to catch a ride back to Franklin? Anna was a senior running for Homecoming queen and lived a mile west of Old Hillsboro Road in a small subdivision off Highway 96. She gave me a ride home early from school. 

Opening my phone, it didn't matter what button I pushed. Nothing worked. I was tempted to throw it off the balcony, when I remembered the house phone. Sounds strange, but I haven't used it since mom and dad gave me a cell. I think I must have been eight or so at the time. 

Jazzy, our rescue Yorkie, sat watching me at the French doors. I raced towards him, startling him. He growled at me.

"Shut up, you stupid dog! Can't you see I'm desperate?" I said. We weren't exactly buddies liked I had hoped when I talked mom and dad into getting him for me, although, mom had become his best friend.

I raced through the house looking for the phone. Nobody ever called us on it. Everyone used our cell phones. What did it even look like?

Mom's housekeeping left a lot to be desired. She worked full time as an account in Franklin about fifteen minutes away. Franklin, a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, was our families’ city. It's fairly small as cities go. It’s status as the county seat, accounted for it having almost everything we needed, mom and dad's jobs, my high school, shopping, church, and entertainment.

I started moving the old newspaper's on the end table. Dust flew. No luck. Where else would you put a phone? I wandered into the kitchen. There on the unused built in desk partially covered by unused cookbooks poke the antenna of a big black/silver phone. Must be it. 

Searching the face of the phone, dust smeared to read buttons so like and yet completely different than my cell phone. How did one turn it on? Where was mom's preset phone number? Dad's?

Tires crunched on the gravel driveway screeching to a stop. The sound gave me hope that it was mom. Jazzy started barking.

"Crap!" I screamed. Jazzy had an excited yapping bark for mom. This was a warning type. Who was here?

"Mazie, are you still here?" Anna's voice quivered as she yelled to me standing in front of her late model maroon car.

"Yeah!" I called as I ran through the open French doors onto the deck. I slid to a stop after catching a glimpse of Anna's face. "What's wrong?"