Geojournal

Geojournal(Garrett Martin) The woods were still, and snapped cold by morning frost. The silence only broken by the crunch of Nick’s boots over fallen twigs laying on the trail. His GPS hung loosely from his neck, and rubbed against his orange vest. Nick had been walking for half an hour. He should be close to the cache. Nick looked down at his GPS.

The GPS showed Nick he was on the mark. He opened up a piece of paper that gave a description of the location. “A shady grove, a bushy bush, watch your step don’t fall on your tush.” Nick folded the paper back up and stuffed it in his pocket. He looked around for a moment. Nick spotted the grove to his left.

Nick started making his way to the grove. As he was looking at the grove he spotted the cache. Covered in brush, and the size of a bread box, Nick became of excited, and walked faster. The cold of the woods was no longer nipping his nose.

All the remained between himself and the cache was a downed tree. Nick began to cross it. As he did the tree cracked under his weight. It seemed the woods awoke at once as a loud thud filled the air. Birds squawked, squirrels chattered, and the crickets chirped. Nick was on the ground catching his breath. He laid on fibers of what were once a strong oak. Termites must have eaten the whole inside away.

Nick sat on his knees and brushed off the bits of wood and dirt that covered him. He looked to the log and gave a chuckle. As he was getting up, something caught his eye. A leather bound book, in a clear plastic bag was in the broken log. Nick pulled the bag out of the log, and took the book inside. It appears to be untouched by the termites.

He opened the book to see what was inside. As Nick began to read the words, his phone went off. It was his alarm. Telling Nick he needed to leave and go to work. He stuffed the book into his bag. Before taking off, Nick signed the log at the cache and made his way back to his car.
Seven A.M came quickly for Nick today. On the way back to his car he had many ideas of what could be in the book. Why was it hidden there, and who left it. All of these questions would have to wait until after work. He didn’t expect to have walked so far from his car. Being on time for work might be a struggle today.

The walk back seemed quicker. As he came to his car, he took of his bag, and untucked his shirt. He slipped his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car. Nick threw his bag, vest and his shirt in the car as quickly as possible. He grabbed a work shirt from his backseat, and put it on. A bright orange colored logo with the name BroodWich was over the heart.
Nick jumped in the car. In a fluid motion he buckled his seatbelt, and started the car. The drive wouldn’t be too long, but he didn’t want to be late. Leslie, his manager loved him like a son but didn’t put up with tardiness very well. If traffic went smooth, there wouldn’t be much to worry about.

‘The roads are always peaceful at 7:30 in the morning.’ Nick thought. In the back of his mind, he was still thinking of that book. During the ten minute drive he thought about what was inside. Why was it left there? Nick had so many questions.

Still a few minutes to spare before work starts. Leslie wouldn’t have to lay into him today. Nick got out of his car, locking it as he shut the door. He started towards the BroodWich. Half way to work, he stopped and felt compelled to grab the book. Nick went back. Unlocking the car and grabbing his bag. He made sure to lock it back up on his way to work.
With a minute to spare Nick stepped in the door, a cold stare was waiting for him. Leslie was upset with how close he was to being late. He noticed all of the chairs were already off the tables, and the caddies were set. Nick got a feeling; maybe he should have called in sick.

“Six years you have worked here. Six years you have been consistently late. Every morning it’s the same. I come in alone, and open the store. It doesn’t matter when I schedule you, you are always late. You know sometimes things need to change. I am about to my limit of your tardiness. I opened up the front of the house, you can open the back.” Leslie said as she threw a damp towel at him, and went to her office.

Nick followed. “I understand that you’re upset Leslie, I do. I know that I am late, a lot. But today I was on time at least?” He said jokingly trying to lighten the mood. Leslie didn’t seem to like that. “I do understand why you are upset, all joking aside. I am late a lot, true. However when I am here, I’m here. People love me, I make good sandwiches, and I get things done.”

“That is why it’s so difficult for me. I have been running this place for eight years now. You have worked here six. I have had employees come and go. You have had who knows how many managers. Have you ever once thought about being more?” She questioned.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be a manager. I like where I am at. I make enough for me. I have good hours, and I love my life. Why would I want to give that up?” Nick said
“Don’t you want to have a better car? Or own a house? You and I are good friends, and it bothers me to see you just wasting away. If you really are happy where you are, at least be on time to help me be happy for you too.” Leslie replied.
“I will try harder. I’m happy with my car, and I like to rent an apartment “Nick said. As he was walking away he stopped and opened his bag. “Check this out Leslie. I found this today. I was out looking for a cache. I was crossing a log. Well, the log broke on me. When I was getting up, this book was stuck inside. “He handed her the book.

Leslie took it and flipped through it. She rolled her eyes and handed it back. “Nick, I don’t need to read your diary. Just open the shop please.” Nick went to turn and Leslie threw something else his way. “By the way Nick, I’m making Jake a manager.”
He paused, then continued turning. This is what he had chosen. If he had pushed harder, or been on time more, maybe he would be the new manager. But no, it had to be Jake. He didn’t think too much on it before he continued on.

Nick put the book back in his bag. He went to his locker, where he placed the bag. He opened the shop as usual. He started the bread machines, and cut the meats. By the time the store was open, all the veggies were cut, and the meats were in their place. The bread was almost done, and the coffee brewed. All of the I’s dotted and the t’s crossed. The other employee showed up, on time, and the doors were open.

The other employee was Jake. His hair was neat and tidy. Shoes always clean. His clothes seemed to be always pressed. Everything seemed to frame his smug face in a way that always made Nick grit his teeth when talking to him. All of this Nick could look past. What really ground his beans was the fact that Jake was a human parrot. Every comment coming from Jakes mouth was a squawk in Nick’s ear.

The two worked steadily throughout the day. Leslie would check up on them and help with the making of the bread. Everything was going without a hitch. Then, a pompous woman with a large hat walked in. A look of pure discontent with the place filled her face. There is always one a day Nick said to himself. There is always once person who you just can’t make happy. This never stopped him from trying.

“Why hello there miss, welcome to BroodWich. Is this your first time here?” Nick greeted with a smile.
A quick snap came from her lips. “No, I’ve been here before.” She scanned the menu as she walked down the sandwich line.
“I’m glad to see you again!” He knew she was lying. “If you need any suggestions or when you are ready I’ll take you down here.” He said with a smile.
“We can make just about everything you could want.” A squawk came from Jake. This was met with a quick glare from Nick.

The brim of the big hat turned towards the two. “I am capable of deciding what I want to eat. After all I am the one who has to eat it, not you. “Nick’s blood began to boil as he looked at her with a smile. The woman was now at the other end of the line. “Very well, give me whole wheat with kale, turkey, mayonnaise, bacon, and ranch.”
‘As if the whole wheat will make this any healthier for you’ He thought to himself. Nick made the sandwich and brought it down the line. Nick wrapped the sandwich and passed it to Jake to ring her up. Nick went to wipe down the line when he heard the crinkle of the wrapper.
“I wanted sliced turkey, not chunks. What am I, a dog?” The woman said loudly in disgust. She shoved the sandwich back to Jake, and glared at Nick.
“Absolutely not Miss. You look like a smart, headstrong woman to me. The downside is that we do not have sliced turkey, only the chunks.” Nick said with a double edged tongue “Is there perhaps another meat you would like instead of turkey?”

An appalled look filled her face. “I need to watch my figure. I do not want another meat. I wanted turkey that was not made for an animal. Now I want a sandwich that has sliced turkey, or I want to talk to your manager.” The woman now glowing red and slapping her hand on the counter.
“Gladly Miss.” The smile on Nicks face grew even larger. He turned to Jake. “Jake, this lovely woman would like to have a word with you.”
“Ma’am, we do not have…” Jake was cut short by a hand held up. Only a big hat peeked around the woman’s stubby fingers.
“First, I just went through this with him, while you were standing right here. Second, I am not a Ma’am. How old do I look to you?” The woman’s head shook hard as she spoke. Any harder and the hat would take flight for sure.

Jake’s mouth just stood open as he was trying to put words in it. A quirky smile now filled Nick’s face. “I wouldn’t say past 35 for sure.” Nick said disarmingly. The woman’s hand dropped, and she turned to him. “I am being serious. Were you over by the mall yesterday?” Nick asked.
“I was, but I do not see what that has to do with this.” She answered with a confused look on her face.
“There was a fender bender out that way. The news said a young, knockout of a woman was a distraction to drivers at the mall entrance intersection. 3 cars damaged all together. I thought that might have been you.” Nick said as he walked his way down the line back to the woman. When he arrived he leaned on the counter. With sympathy in his voice, “I know this wasn’t what you were expecting. It has been a while since you were in last. Some things have changed. Trust me, try the sandwich. If you don’t like it, I’ll pay for your meal anywhere in the city.” A sparkle filled Nick’s eye.
A smile filled the woman’s face now. Her head sank and the big brim wobbled. The woman looked at Nick, and pointed. “You’re good, that is for sure. I will give this a try. I’m sorry about all of the trouble. I have had a really tough day.”
“We all have days like that. Don’t worry about it. I get the same way when I buy ice cream.” He chuckled. “By the way, what was your name? I’m Nick.” He said as he extended his hand.
“Daisy Delmont, nice to meet you. It has been a long time since I have been in here for about eight years or so. The place looks nice.” Daisy mentioned as she picked up her sandwich.

Daisy handed Jake the money due. As Daisy was putting her change in her purse, a cup was placed down beside her sandwich. A sticky note was on the cup. She looked at the note. A smiley face with writing under it saying ‘I hope this brightens your day.’ As Nick was pulling his hand back, Daisy grabbed his hand. She gave it a light but firm shake, and a grateful smile.
Daisy sat down by the window. And for the first time today she was able to enjoy the moment she was in. She didn’t need another sandwich, or her money back. Nick was right, she did like it. Such a simple thing and kind words made her day. After she was finished with the meal she sat and stared out the window and doodled on a napkin. Daisy became lost in thought.
It had been abo
ut an hour that Daisy just sat. Nick kept an eye on her as he helped other customers. The flow of the day was steady, and time seemed to zip by. After a while he noticed Daisy was getting up to leave. She slung her purse over her shoulder, and picked up her tray. The napkin she was doodling on seemed to float off of her tray and landed gently on the floor. She didn’t say goodbye, just left like every other customer.

At the end of Nick’s shift he went to sweep the dining room floor. During his sweep he came across the napkin that Daisy was doodling on. He picked it up. The napkin had what looked like a bunch of scribbles to him. Some circles with lines through them. And a square with a half circle inside of it. Nick didn’t think too much on it and continued sweeping.

Once Nick was done he grabbed his bag from his locker and headed for the back. He waved to Leslie on the way out. Nick put his bag over his shoulders and opened the back door. Now he can finally read that book and figure out what was so special about it. The day was more comfortable than it was when he went into work.

The leaves had just begun to change colors. Still vibrant greens mixed with a few deep reds and pale yellows. The wind was a little brisk, breaking the warm rays of the sun that felt god on his wavy brown hair. Nick was filled with a sensation of fulfillment as he walked to his car. Nick unlocked his car and climbed in, setting his bag in the passenger seat. The sun had toasted his car just slightly. Out of the breeze this was a nice treat.

Nick open up his bag and pulled out the book. A strong whirlwind of emotions filled up inside of himself. All day he had wanted to read the book. Even if it was a bunch of gibberish, he wanted to put the mystery out of his head. What if this was something that he wasn’t supposed to read? Maybe he should have just left the book. But then someone else may have picked up the book. Nick took a deep breath.

His fingertips rested on the worn, soft leather. Nick opened the book. On the inside cover was written, ‘Property of Chris Kelly.’ A few doodles and pen strokes were scattered around the name. One of the doodles Nick had noticed was a square with a half circle. This struck him as odd. He remembered the napkin that Daisy was drawing on earlier. Must have been a coincidence he thought. Nick turned to the first page.

‘Date: 25 March 2008.
First entry of my second journal and from the looks of things will be my last. The past winter had not been kind to me. In case I lose my last journal, I have been homeless for a year now. I tried to find a place to stay, but nothing permanent. Work has been only odd jobs and nothing stable. I spent the winter under the Elm Street Bridge, best bridge in the city as far as protection from the elements. There was another person who was staying there as well. Unfortunately the cold took her in early February.

I’m going to scout out an area by the river; hopefully I can find a spot that is away from the road and good for fishing. In writing this first page, see my tarp has a hole in it. I’ll have to go about getting another one.‘
Nick sat back in his seat. This seemed to be nothing more than the writing of some homeless person. Still, it seemed odd to him that the same symbol would be drawn by that woman and this guy. He doubted the two could have known each other. Nick told himself that this was probably just a coincidence. Still, he skimmed through the book some more.

‘Date: 15 July 2008
I knew that I should have just taken the money and run. Why didn’t I do that? After all the guy had no idea who I was. Now she is dead, and there isn’t anything more for me to do. I did exactly what he asked me to. Everything seemed simple enough. She didn’t seem like that good of a person. Maybe no one will miss her. I bet everyone hated her. I am going to have to move my camp. The jewelry that I took, I’ll put that in my stash. Someone needs to know. I’ll have to think of someone I can trust. Jasmin might help.”

Nick closed the book. He was blown away with what he had just read. This guy killed someone. Maybe he should turn the book over to the police. What if this was all just a lie. The journal might even be a lie. I bet this guy wasn’t even homeless. He could have been crazy. Nick through the book on top of his bag, and started up his car.

The rout home took Nick by the geocaching site he had visited before work. There were a few cop cars and an ambulance at the entrance of the woods. Nick felt his stomach drop. Things were a little too weird for him today. He continued on his way home. Maybe some news would be on the geo site.
It only took Nick a few more minutes to drive home. As he was pulling up to his apartment, he saw a man in the window. Nick could only see the back of his head. That was enough to make him keep driving. The driveway circled around. Nick parked on the other side of the parking lot. He could see the window and door from where he parked.

Nick slouched down in his seat, in hopes of not being seen. He pulled out his phone and called his friend Toni. The phone rang for what felt like an eternity to him. Finally she picked up.
“Hey Nick, what’s up?” She greeted him.
“Toni, this is going to sound odd. Someone is breaking into my house right now. I don’t know what to think. What do I do?” Nick was panicking.
“Whoa! What? Did you call the cops Nick? Don’t go in your place alone. What are you going to do? Oh gosh, I don’t know what to say!” Toni started to ramble.
“Good idea, I haven’t called the cops yet. I didn’t know what to do. Okay, stay by your phone. I’ll call you right back.” Nick said as he hung up the phone.
He dialed 911, watching the man while he waited. It didn’t take long for a dispatcher to pick up.
“911, how may I help?” The female dispatcher said.
“Someone is breaking into my house right now. I am in my car watching this guy.” Nick said in a panicked voice.
“I am going to need you to calm down sir. Do you know who is in your house?” She said in monotone voice.
“No, I don’t know who is in my house. That is why I’m calling.” Nick started to get upset at the woman.
“Where are you located sir.” The dispatcher said.
“I’m at 355 Oak Gnome rd. apt 1b” He said.
“Is anyone hurt?” She replied.
“Not that I know. When will the police be here?” Nick asked.
“I’m notifying an officer now, they should be there shortly. Is there anything else?” The dispatcher said.
“No, that’s it.” Nick said and hung up the phone, and called Toni back.
While the phone rang, the man inside of Nick’s apartment started to throw things around. Taking clothes out of drawers and dumping them on the floor. Toni picked up, but Nick was in awe of what he was seeing, that he forgot to respond. Books were thrown, and even ripped open a pillow. The man was searching for something that is for sure.
“NICK!” Toni shouted, trying to grab his attention.
“The guy is tearing my place apart! I just got off the phone with the 911. The woman said a few cops should be here soon.” Nick said.
“That’s good, so you can see the guy? Do you know him?” Toni asked.
“What? No I don’t know him. Why would I know the person ripping my house apart?” Nick became frustrated with her. “He’s going towards the living room.”
The stranger went deeper into the apartment where Nick could no longer see him. Toni and Nick stayed quiet on the phone until something else happened. A few minutes went by and the stranger came out. He was tall, and had a sandy blonde hair. He was wearing a leather jacket over what looked like a button up shirt to Nick. The stranger went to his car. It was a town car. The strange drove away.
“I still don’t see the cops. They should be here by now right?” Nick worried that no one was coming.
“I think so. Something like this the police should be pretty quick. When you were on the phone with 911, I saw on the news that there was a murder in the woods by your place. Maybe the cops are over there.” Toni assured Nick of the worst.
“I was just in those woods this morning before work.” Nick said.
“No! Nick, I want you to be honest with me. Did you kill someone?” Toni asked.
“What? Of course I didn’t kill anyone Toni. Who do you think that I am? After all these years, and you think that I would, or even could kill someone. Maybe it has to do with this book.” Nick questioned himself.
“What book? Did you take a book from a geo-cache today?” Toni asked.
“That’s the thing. While I was out doing the cache, I was crossing a log and it broke on me. When I was getting up, I found a book that was jammed inside of it.” Nick explained the book to Toni.
“Is there anything special about that book?” She asked.
“Well I didn’t think so at first. It starts off as just some ramblings of a homeless guy who lived under a bridge. Later on in the journal, the man says that he had murdered someone. I haven’t read much past that.” Nick felt comforted by being able to talk to someone about the finding.
“That is a lot to take in. Nick?” Toni asked for permission before she continued.
“Yeah?” He said.
“I’m glad you’re okay. After the cops come, give me a call. I can help you clean up.” Toni comforted him.
“Thanks. It’s been about 20 minutes now since I’ve called. They can’t be too much longer. I’ll give you call soon.” Nick said
“Thank you Nick, goodbye.” Toni said as she hung up the phone.

Once the cops did arrive Nick went to greet them. He parked his car in the closest space, and got out of his car. He started to walk towards the police officers. One of them was short with greasy hair coming from his cap. The second officer was taller with short hair. Nick waived and told them that he called them in.

The shorter officer put his hand on the butt of his pistol. The tall officer gave the smaller one a motion to stand down. The two men were fairly intimidation to Nick. He had never had many dealings with the police before. Nick was a little upset that it took them so long to come. He thought maybe they should have quicker times. Maybe the guy could have been caught.
“Where is the person breaking in?” The small officer said. Nick could see on his name plate it said SGT. Jones.
“He left about 30 minutes ago officer.” Nick said.
“What did he take?” The large officer questioned. His tag said SGT. Young.
“I haven’t been inside yet. I have been waiting for you guys, and just in case he came back.” Nick said.
The two officers looked at each other. Jones spoke up. “Well, I guess let’s have a look.”

The officers motioned to Nick to lead the way. He felt really uneasy about this. What if someone was still inside waiting? Nick walked up to his door and took a deep breathe. The door was still cracked open. He pushed it all the way open and walked in. SGT. Young waited at the door.
As Nick entered his living room, he could see everything was trashed. Couch cushions cut open, and papers thrown all over the place. All of his information lay on the carpet. Nothing looked stolen, as far as Nick could tell in all of the chaos. Every room in his two bedroom apartment was the same, even the kitchen. The stranger even pulled all of the food out of the fridge.

“Hey Jones, come here.” Sgt. Young yelled from the door.
The little officer left Nick and headed for the door. Nick continued to assess the damage, heading for the back of the apartment. His main bedroom was trashed. Who knows what this guy wanted. Nick could hear the two officers talking. The two were mentioning something about the door was fine, and that he might be making this all up. Nick went to the front to find out what the two were talking about.

“Is there a problem officer?” Nick asked.
“Yes there is. You see there isn’t any sign of a forced entry. Usually when someone breaks into a house, there are scratches around the key hole. Or the door frame is cracked. There is nothing like that here. Usually when we get calls like this it is because someone is trying to get some insurance money. I’m not saying that is the case here, but it usually is.” SGT. Young said.
“That is not what is going on here. I was watching the guy wreck my apartment from the other side of the parking lot.” Nick said. The cops had a way of making him feel guilty about the whole thing.
“We will need to get a description of the guy.” SGT Jones said.

Nick talked to the officers for some time. They questioned him a few times on what the stranger looked like. What kind of car it was, and what he remembers seeing. Nick was sweating during all of their questions. He did not like being on the spot like this. He did not think the cops believed him. After the questioning was over, the cops did a walk through.
“Alright sir, it looks like everything is fine now. We will put in a report and keep an eye out for the guy who did this. If there are any more problems, call us.” SGT Young said.

The two police officers travelled back to their car. Nick couldn’t help but to feel that his tax dollars had gone to waste. After all if the cops had their home broken into, they would want justice, or even some sort of action. Nick was only left with a broken home, and no answers.

He went into his living room. Papers and bits of couch cushion cluttered the floor. Nick found a patch near his sliding glass door that was clear of chaos. He sat down with his back against the glass. A disconnected stare filled his face. Looking on all of the damage, Nick soaked it all in. A few minutes went by of silence. Nick jumped as his phone started going off.
Toni was calling. Nick gave a defeated sigh, and then accepted the call. “Hey, the cops came and gone.” Nick said
“Okay, would you like me to come over now?” Toni asked.
“Yea, there is a lot of damage though.” Nick forewarning her.
“That’s okay; I’ll be over in a few minutes.” Toni said, before she hung up.

Nick got up and walked around his apartment. All of this damage for a little book. Now he really wanted to know what was so special about it. He made his way to the kitchen. Pickles and salad dressings covered the linoleum. A beer bottle was laid unbroken, Nick reached down for it. The culmination of condiments and bits of food dripped from the bottle as he picked it up. Nick twisted off the top and the beer erupted in a guesser of foam. He was done with the day at this point. He threw the cap on the floor among the rest of the debris.

He sat down on the ripped couch. Nick pulled out his phone and went to the geo-caching site. He needed to know if anything was posted about the find. Nick pulled up the find’s post. The message area was flooded with wishes and prayers. Nick went to the first page of posts. The second post was from a user with the nickname of Farm_Finder.
“I went here on my lunch break. I thought I would have been the first to find. Sadly BroodHunt got their first. The broken log was kind of a giveaway. Great find!” ~Uploaded via Mobile.

Nick thought this might be the girl Toni was talking about. He took a swig from his beer. Someone must really want this journal. What has he got into now? He thought of how simple his life was last week. How easy it was to wake up, go to work, find a geocache, or get a drink with Toni. Now it seems that has to change. By the time Nick had finished his beer, Toni was knocking on the door.

He was on his way to the door, as she let herself in. As he turned the corner he could see Toni gasping and putting her hands over her mouth to hide her shock. Even with her short brown hair falling in her face, it didn’t hide that her eyes were the size of billboards. Her big brown eyes filled with tears.

A tiny squeak came from behind her hands. “I’m so sorry Nick. Are you okay?”
A defeated Nick told her, “I’m fine. The cops did nothing for me. They said there are no signs of a forced entry and that maybe I had done this for insurance money. This has to be in connection with that journal. I have to find a way to get rid of this thing.”
“You think that guys coming back?” She asked.
“I haven’t thought about that. He might, I guess. I don’t know what to think right now. I feel a little numb about all of this.” He said.
“Let’s get out of here in case he does. Where do you want to go? I’ll drive us.” Toni said willing to help.
“Care to get a drink? I’m already one up on you. I’ll show you that journal, and blow off some steam.” He started to open up more.
“That sounds great. You should grab some clothes. You might not be able to come back here later.” Toni suggested.

Nick went to his room and grabbed a duffle bag. All of his clothes were on the floor. His system of dirty clothes on the floor and clean ones hung up, was no longer in place. Nick sorted through the clothes. At this point it didn’t matter to him if they were clean or dirty. Toni chimed in from time to time. Reminding Nick to grab a tooth brush, and his phone charger.

Nick’s bag was packed, and the two went to her car. He threw his bag in the back, and motioned for her to hang on a second. Nick went to his car to grab his geocaching bag and the journal. He packed the journal in the bag, and grabbed his vest from the back seat of his car. Nick closed his door and put on his orange vest. He was ready to go.

As Nick got into his car he had an odd feeling that this would be the last time he would be able to come home. He had no idea the adventure in front of him. Toni started the car; her radio was still on full blast. The radio pumping a mix she had made for work later that night. The two jumped and went for the radio. Mashing fingers they both turned off the radio. Nick gave a loud sigh, and shook his head. They both sat there for a moment, and burst into laughter. Toni pulled the car out of the parking spot, and off they went.