Dear Diary,

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Dear Diary,

It’s me, Rachel. Well Mom and I arrived in Persephone Pointe today. It’s a small town, sort of like that small fishing village right outside of London we stayed in last summer. This is where Mom grew up. The house is huge and the room they gave me makes all of the other rooms I’ve ever had look miniscule; even the room I had when Mom was married to the Duke. Mom used to tell stories about this place and of her childhood here. She loves this town and this house and she really loves her Daddy. I used to ask her why she stayed away for so long, but she always changed the subject. When we arrived, there was a big party going on to welcome home my Grandfather. Mom never said where he’d been, but wherever it was, he was gone for awhile. It was great to meet him, even though Mom says I spent lots of time with him when I was a baby. I don’t remember that, but it’s so good to have a Granddaddy. He returned home with a new wife. She’s very pretty, but I could tell that this new marriage really threw everybody for a loop. Her name is Jory and she is much younger than Granddaddy, and to be honest, she’s much younger than my Mom! I don’t think Mom or the rest of the family, from what I could tell, was too thrilled by his choice for a bride...

"So what are the two of you talking about?" Asks Sumner DeLongpre to his new wife Jory and his son Thad. Sumner doesn’t know it, but Thad and Jory were involved at one time.

"We’re just getting acquainted darling. Just getting acquainted," responds Jory. She walks over to her new husband and takes his arm. Thad watches the two of them together.

"So Daddy, what did Katie have to say?" Asks Thad.

"She was in and out of consciousness, but Brian assured me that she’s on the road to recovery," says Sumner.

"That’s wonderful news darling," says Jory.

"We’ll come back in the morning and I’ll introduce you to her. You two are going to be the best of friends, I just know it," says Sumner.

"Just one big happy family," interjects Thad.

"Yes. One big happy family," repeats Sumner.

"I like the sound of that darling," says Jory. She then looks at Thad, not saying a word, but her eyes speaking volumes.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" Thad asks Sumner.

"It’s a long story — I’m sure you’d much rather hear about something else," says Jory trying to change the subject.

"I will tell you Son, it was one of the happiest days of my life, when I met this little lady." Sumner pulls Jory closer to him. Jory smiles an awkward smile and Thad suddenly feel very uncomfortable.

"Well when Katie’s A-OK, we’ll all have to sit down and learn all about the newest DeLongpre," says Thad.

"There’s really not that much to learn," says Jory.

"Oh, I wouldn’t say that, I’m sure there’s lots about you that we’d all find fascinating," says Thad pointedly.

"Well that’s going to have to wait. Right now, I’m going to get this little lady home," says Sumner.

"Home," says Jory.

"Well, I’m going to hang out here to see Katie, before I go anywhere," says Thad.

"All right," says Sumner. "Are you ready to go Mrs. DeLongpre?"

"Yes," says Jory.

"Goodnight Daddy. Goodnight Jory," says Thad. Jory turns and nods. She and Sumner walk down the corridor leaving Thad alone.

"This is unbelievable. This is just too unfricking believable," says Thad.

It seems like Mom and I walked into this firestorm of craziness, when we stepped off that helicopter. Not only did my Grandfather introduce his new bride to everyone, but also my Aunt Katherine was in a car accident. My Mom never really talked about her brothers and sister that much. She’d mention some things that she and Uncle August did as children, but didn’t talk about Uncle Thad or Aunt Katherine at all. There are pictures of Aunt Katherine all over the mansion. There was this great article on Katherine and her engagement to this handsome guy named Porter in one of my Mom’s magazines. I can’t wait to meet her. I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to like her a lot. She seems like she has it all together, like she has all of the answers. I hope we’ll be close.

Porter Dandridge is by Katherine’s bedside. He’s holding her hand and rubbing her temples. Occasionally he’ll kiss her hand. Porter feels as though a 1000-pound weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He loves his fiancée more than anything else in the world and couldn’t even begin to imagine a life without her.
Porter has loved Katherine for years and is counting the moments until their wedding. "I am so glad that you’re going to be okay. I have been so worried about you," says Porter.
Katherine is drifting in and out of consciousness, but she knows her fiancée is there. A nurse walks into the room.
"Hello," she says.
"Hi," says Porter.
"Are you all right?" The Nurse asks.
"I am now," he says looking at Katherine.
"Well I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but we've got to end her visitation for the day. She really needs to get some rest," says the Nurse.
"Can’t I spend the night?"
"Not in her room," says the Nurse.
"What about the waiting area?"
"I don't think that'd be a problem."
"Can I have a few more minutes?"
"Two," says the Nurse.
"All right." The Nurse looks at her watch, and then goes about checking the various machines hooked up to Katherine.
"I love you and I’ll be here be right outside all night. If you need me, just yell and I’ll come a running!" Porter kisses her hand, then kisses her forehead. "I love you."
Porter leaves the room. He sees Thad thumbing through a magazine and goes over to him.
"Hey."
"Hey, does this mean I can see Katie now?" Thad asks.
"Nurse Ratchet has cut off visitation," says Porter.
"I can’t see her?"
"In the morning," says Porter.
"Damn. Is she okay?"
"Getting there,"
"Well you wanna go?"
"I’m gonna crash here."
"Where?"
"Right here on this comfy couch," says Porter.
"Are you sure?"
"I want to be here in the morning when she wakes up," says Porter. "But, you go on ahead and come back in the morning. I’ll be here."
"You really do love my sister, don’t you?"
"More than anything in this world."
"You’re lucky," says Thad.
"Don’t fret mon frere, there’s a woman out there for you too," says Porter. "Hell she’s probably closer than you think."
"You don’t know the half it my friend -- you don't know the half of it," says Thad.

My Mom’s twin brother August is married to Meredith. They have four kids, but they’re away, so that makes me the youngest person in the house. Uncle August and Aunt Meredith are going to have another baby in a couple of months. I haven’t really spent enough time with them to know what they’re about, but I would assume that if they’ve got four kids with another one on the way, they must be very happy. That’s definitely a new concept, a happy marriage. Mom hasn’t exactly been lucky in the marriage department. Maybe she can learn a thing or two or three from Uncle August and Aunt Meredith.

August walks into his and Meredith’s bedroom. Meredith is getting ready for bed. She is brushing her hair. Many thoughts are running through her head, including the telephone call she received hours earlier and the little tete et tete between August and Jennifer Origen that she witnessed a few moments earlier. The scene bothered her. Not only did she have to deal with the information she learned from that mysterious telephone call, but also now, she has to deal with Jennifer Origen re-entering her husband’s life.
"How is Katherine doing?" Meredith Asks.
"Daddy called from the car, she’s going to be all right," says August.
"I thought you were going to the Medical Center to see her?"
"I was, but then I got sidetracked," says August.
"Sidetracked?"
"Yeah, with everything that is going on down at the pond."
"Is that all?"
"I can’t believe everything’s that happened."
"Did the medical examiner give you any clues about the body?"
"It’s going to take some time. Besides it’s probably just some hobo who wandered back there and fell in."
"Have the caterers cleaned up?"
"Almost."
"Is Jennifer Origen still here?"
"I don’t know, I haven’t seen her since earlier today," lies August.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Well I’m going to go get ready for bed — lot of stuff to do in the morning." August walks into the room’s adjoining bathroom and shuts the door behind him. Meredith gets up from the table, sits the brush down, and walks over to the window, where the last remaining workers are clearing the lawn of all traces of Sumner’s welcome home party.
"Is it that easy to lie to me August? She’s back in your life for all of five hours and, already, you’re lying. Well that is just unacceptable and I’m going to make certain that it doesn’t happen again."

I want Mom to be happy and I hope being here in Persephone Pointe will bring her the happiness she’s been looking for. She hasn’t been back to Persephone Pointe since before I was born, which I never really understood, but learned never to ask about. There’s a lot about my Mom that I don’t understand, a lot of head scratching stuff, but I love her and just want her to be happy. I’m not sure why after all these years, Mom has decided to come back here. This town seems a little sedate, compared to all of the other places we’ve lived. Maybe she wanted to come back because this is where she grew up. Who knows? As long as we are together that’s all that really matters, I guess.

Jory and Pamela have arrived back at the estate. They get out of Sumner’s Range Rover and enter the house. Before they go in, they stop to kiss. Sumner then lifts his new bride and carries her over the threshold; both of them giggling like adolescents. Neither one of them notices that Pamela is standing in the shadows and watching them. Pamela is sipping a drink.
"Well it looks like the gold-digger has the blushing bride role down pat. Well enjoy while it lasts honey, your days of wedded bliss are numbered," says Pamela.

I don’t know what his name is, but he has these eyes that you can get lost in. He has blonde hair, he’s tall, and he has these really strong arms. When he put his arms around me, I felt safe and protected. I wonder if he’s from Persephone Pointe. I wonder what his name is. Tomorrow, I’ll ask around to see if I can find out who he is and I’ll thank him for being so nice to me. I bet he’s totally popular and plays sports. I wonder if he has a girlfriend. Guys that hot, always have girlfriends. She’s probably a cheerleader, has gigantic boobs, and is dumb as dust. I hope she knows how lucky she is. She has to know. I don’t even know him, and I can tell that he’s something special. It’s just a feeling I get, a feeling I’ve never gotten before.

Briggs and Ian arrive at Ryan Blaisdelle’s party. The music is loud and everyone seems to be having a good time. The minute they get out of Ian’s car, April Richards and Samantha Arlington spot them and run over to the two boys.
"We thought you guys were never going to get here," says April.
"We had to return my Mom’s van," says Briggs.
"We heard about the dead body. What was it like?" Asks Samantha.
"Sam that’s gross," says April.
"I know it’s gross, but haven’t you ever heard of morbid curiosity?" Sam asks.
"It was pretty bad," says Ian.
"Well why don’t we take you over to the bar," says April.
"Sounds good to me," says Ian.
"Me too, " says Sam. The four begin walking towards the house. Ian notices that his friend has started acting strange.
"Are you okay?" Ian asks Briggs.
"I’m sorry, I just started thinking about that girl. She was so upset. I hope she has someone to take care of her tonight. I hope she’s not alone," says Briggs.
"Her family’s probably with her. She’s not alone Brig," says Ian.
"I hope not," he says.
"What are you boys talking about?" Sam asks.
"Boy stuff?" April says.
"You could say that," says Ian.
"Well as long as you aren’t talking about other girls," laughs Sam.

Well I’m going to go to sleep now. I hope I don’t dream about dead bodies. In the morning, I’ll call Daddy to let him know that we arrived safely. I’ll also try to find out who that boy is and thank him for being so nice. Well here I am Diary, in Persephone Pointe, in this big house with strangers that I just happen to be related to. This is all going to be very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Good Night Diary, until tomorrow….

Join us again Tomorrow for the Continuing Story of Persephone Pointe.

PERSEPHONE POINTE

Is a Presentation of

January First Productions