The Final Shortcut Read Free Page A

parties over the years. Word traveled fast in the hills that those in their teens and twenties were all welcome. By nightfall the night of the party, dozens of youths crowded in for some dancing, drinking and smoking. It was here that Martin met the girl that would change his life forever.
    Ellen Hicks was just over five feet tall, blond hair and aqua green eyes that melted Martin at the first glance. She was almost fourteen and he was seventeen. But it wasn’t unusual among mountain folk to start young. They talked and laughed for hours before stealing away to his truck to be alone. With the first kiss they were hopelessly in love. From that night on they were inseparable. Within two weeks he proposed, all with her family’s blessing.
    After a quick, simple wedding, she moved into the Baumann home. A few short months later she announced she was pregnant. Almost immediately Martin became the protective father figure. He insisted that she not drink or smoke until after the baby was born. It was during the seventh month that she began to have severe headaches and heart palpitations. The local GP, Doctor Ray, told her to take it easy, stay off her feet and she would be fine. He felt it was her young age that was causing her troubles, but the baby was fine. He couldn’t bear to tell them his fears that she may not carry to the full term. He thought it best to ease their minds than to worry them anymore than necessary. He was an old-fashioned country doctor and didn’t put much stock in modern drugs. He was sure that rest and relaxation would serve them just fine. Ellen took the advice and took to her bed for the next three weeks. She began to feel somewhat better, though she never told Martin how weak she felt.
    Two weeks before Christmas, Ellen decided to sneak a few joints and a little moonshine for a private celebration. While he was away shopping for Christmas she went out on the back porch to catch a buzz. She would be able to see his truck coming in plenty of time to get back inside and cover her tracks. The shine burned a little going down, but not too bad. The joint tasted very good even though it made her gag a little. The second toke was even easier. By the time she had gotten through the first half, it was already having the desired effect. The shine tasted better the second time and she could already feel it working on her brain. She began to feel very high, very quickly and she realized how much she had missed smoking. By the time she lit the second joint she was singing her favorite tune and strolling around the porch. She took a big gulp of the shine and it hit her stomach like a sucker punch... Her head began to throb and she felt like she may pass out. She stumbled into the banister and fell down the three steps to the ground. The last thing she remembered was the bile rising in her throat.
    Martin found her lying on her side in a muddy puddle of sweat and vomit, barely breathing and very pale. Without wasting a second he scooped her up in his arms and loaded her in the truck for a dash to the hospital. One huge disadvantage of living like a recluse in the back woods was the availability of rescue services. She could be dead before an ambulance could find their secluded farm. So as he sped over the dirt roads, he did the next best thing. He called on the CB radio for his childhood pal Sheriff Stokes. Who was able to catch up to them and escort them to the hospital twenty-six miles away. Ellen had stopped breathing before they arrived and her pallor was very gray. The emergency room was thankfully not crowded and the staff was able to revive her after many long agonizing minutes. She didn’t wake up but she was stabilizing and they were able to hear two heartbeats. Martin fell to his knees as the rush of emotions and relief overtook him. He began to cry and he swore that he would never leave her side again.
    “She’s gonna be all right Marty,” Clyde Stokes said as he put his arm around him and helped him