TWIN PEAKS: THE BIRDWATCHER
by Charlotte Nightstar
(Right after Leland's death)
CHAPTER 1
THE OWLS ARE NOT AS THEY SEEM
In his room at the Great Northern Hotel, Cooper lies motionless on the bed. His eyes are fixed on the ceiling as if deep in thought and he is drenched wearing the same suit he wore at the police station.
His mind replays the event that had just happened at the police station: He is sitting on the floor with Leland lying in his arms. He is telling him to keep going toward the light as he holds him. Leland tells him that he sees his daughter Laura and then he enters the light, leaving this world behind. As Cooper holds on to Leland's lifeless body, he closes his eyes. The water spraying from the ceiling stops. He watches over him for a few moments before finally resting his body gently on the floor and getting up. He exits the room without looking at Sherriff Truman and Albert Rosenfield. He needed time to think.
Now he lays on his bed doing just that. And as he does this, an image suddenly enters his mind. The giant he dreamed of before is staring down at him on the bed. He says something that he had said to Cooper once before in a dream:
"The owls are not as they seem."
The image of the giant slowly fades. For the first time, Cooper blinks and moves his arms to help him sit on the bed. He runs his fingers through his wet, dark hair and finally enters the bathroom.
Cooper exits the bathroom with dry hair and wearing pajamas. He goes to the phone and dials a number as he brings the phone to his ear. He waits patiently for the other line to pick up. The agent speaks with utmost certainty when the person finally picks up the call.
"Harry, meet me at the diner tomorrow morning at 8 sharp. I know how we will be able to find BOB."
He then puts down the phone and goes to bed. After turning off the lights, Cooper lies on the bed again staring up at the ceiling, deep in thought of all that happened a few moments ago.
CHAPTER 2
FIRST, BREAKFAST
Shelly Johnson, the waitress, goes to Cooper and Sheriff Truman's table with a fresh pot of coffee in hand.
"Good morning, Agent Cooper." She nods to the sheriff, "Sheriff."
"Good morning, Shelly," says Cooper with a smile. Sheriff Truman says the same with a grin.
After she pours each of their mugs with coffee, Cooper and the sheriff grin at her with gratitude. She nods to them with a smile before attending to other customers to serve their coffee.
Cooper takes a sip of his coffee and closes his eyes as he takes the taste of it in. Sheriff Truman watches him. He hasn't touched his coffee. He wants to know what Cooper has to discuss with him.
"So over the phone last night, you told me you might know something about how to catch this bastard."
Cooper opens his eyes and looks at him.
"I said 'I know', Harry. I never said 'might'."
"Okay. So what's the plan?"
With seriousness in his eyes, Cooper leans closer to the sheriff as if he's about to tell him a really dark secret. The sheriff can't help but lean closer to know what the agent is about to say.
"There is someone I know in the woods this very moment. In the same woods where this being lurks as one of its inhabitants. A creature who watches our every move and we can sense it."
"What is this creature?" asked the sheriff.
"Remember the three clues that the giant gave me?"
"Yes. He told you 'There's a man in a smiling bag', 'The owls aren't what they seem', and 'without chemicals, he points'."
Cooper smiles and nods.
"Exactly. This one clue, 'the owls are not as they seem', tells me that BOB takes the form of an owl when he's in this world outside a human host."
The sheriff thinks about this.
"So what are we supposed to do? Capture every owl in town until we find the right one?"
Agent Cooper smiles and shakes his head.
"No. I know just the way. But, before we get into that, we ought to have some breakfast before we go to the woods. We both know we can't go without a full stomach."
He leans back in his seat now and takes another sip of his coffee. He sees Shelly coming to them with plates of breakfast for the two of them. Once the breakfast is served, Cooper gives Shelly one of his warming smiles and thanks her. Sheriff Truman does the same, but as Shelly turns her back to go toward the counter, he watches Cooper strangely as he is digging into his breakfast. He's very curious about what Cooper is up to.
He then looks down at his plate and coffee. He finally takes the first sip of his morning coffee.
CHAPTER 3
WHERE EVIL EYES LURK
A slight breeze blows through the leaves of the tall and mighty trees that belong to the woods of Twin Peaks. The sound of birds fills the air on the dreary and cloudy day as Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman stroll through the woods.
The sheriff glances at the agent from the corner of his eyes, curious.
Cooper looks up at the trees, then at their revealing roots where there are some deep burrows that could fit a person. He whistles through each burrow, but, each time there is no response in return. Cooper then looks at a stack of flat rocks that now catch his utmost attention. He goes to it and kneels down for a closer look. With great intrigue, he examines the stack of rocks as if it means something to him. Something important.
"What is it, Coop?" he asked, standing beside the kneeling Cooper.
"This is a landmark. There'll be more to lead us to where she could be."
"She? Who's she?"
"Follow me, and keep your voice down. Any intrusion of a voice can disrupt her focus."
Cooper gets up to his feet and begins searching the ground for more 'landmarks'. Sheriff Truman follows and obeys the agent's command.
They find another landmark in front of the very huge trunk of a pine tree. Cooper doesn't kneel down to look at it this time. He stops, looks at it as if it were a compass, and goes to the left passing the tree. The sheriff keeps following him until they approach the next landmark a few feet away.
The third and final 'landmark' they come upon is not a stack of rocks at all. It's now a standing twig with a blue ribbon tied to its tip. Cooper smiles at this. He looks to Sheriff Truman, who is looking at him questioningly and nods.
"She's here," he whispers. He puts a finger to his mouth as if to keep the sheriff from speaking. The sheriff nods.
Cooper looks up at the cloudy sky and, to the sheriff's surprise, whistles the tune of a nightingale. Then, there is a whistle of the same bird in response.
A smile creeps onto Cooper's face after he hears this.
"What's this about, Coop?" Sheriff Truman asks, now unable to contain his voice and curiosity.
"You'll see," is all Cooper can say.
Then, there is the sound of footsteps walking toward them. The sheriff looks around searching for the approacher but they are nowhere to be seen. The footsteps are heard coming closer and closer until...
A pair of female human hands suddenly appear from a ghost-like state onto Agent Cooper's shoulders. Cooper smiles upon feeling these hands. He turns nonchalantly to meet their owner.
She is a beautiful petite woman with olive-colored skin, long flowing dark brown hair, dark brown eyes that can look deep into your soul, and a smile that can brighten the heart of anyone it is revealed to. She is also dressed in a black button-up shirt, a dark brown leather trench coat, and dark trousers. She also wears a belt having a medium-sized silver buckle that looks like a rose with a strange inscription written across it.
She smiles at Cooper now and embraces him as Sheriff Truman looks at her with shock, surprise, and wonder. And maybe even the slightest attraction.
After departing from the warm embrace, Cooper looks at the sheriff and introduces him to this mystery woman.
"Harry, I would like you to meet Agent Cheryll Preslocke, a dear dear friend and fellow associate of mine. She watches the woods for anything unnatural. If there's anything, she's the one to know."
Sheriff Truman extends a hand to the female agent for her to shake it. She does.
"It's nice to meet you, Sheriff."
The sheriff nods with a smile. "It's nice to meet you too. How come no one has seen you here before?"
Preslocke smiles. "I make sure no one knows I'm anywhere. The only ones who do are those who are unwanted or those who know me well."
She sweetly looks at Cooper, who gives her a charming grin in response. Sheriff Truman nods at the answer, but then a dark question escapes his lips.
"When you say 'those who are unwanted' do you mean those like... BOB?"
Upon hearing the name, Preslocke's smile fades and so does Cooper's grin. Preslocke looks downcast before finally nodding.
"I've been tracking him for a long time," she says.
"And any luck?" asks the sheriff.
Cooper raises an eyebrow at him but then looks curiously at Preslocke for her answer.
"I sensed his presence, dark and murderous in the dawn, and I know he sensed mine. And then, this morning, I felt his presence disappear. As if he went to some 'other place'."
"Felt? You a psychic or something?"
She nods. "You can say that. Come, follow me. I have something to show you both."
She walks away. Sheriff Truman looks at Cooper, who nods. He puts a finger to his lips at the sheriff and whispers.
"As she walks, you mustn't speak unless she speaks to you. As I said before, any intrusion of a voice will disrupt her focus."
The sheriff nods. Then, they follow after Preslocke as carefully as to not disturb her focus.
They soon arrive at a river. Preslocke leads them to a little cave on the river bank. A cave that looks ancient and mysterious.
Sheriff Truman stops Cooper and whispers to him.
"Of all the times I've been on this river, I've never seen that cave. Ever."
Cooper smiles and whispers back. "That's because this cave wasn't meant for your eyes until now."
He continues following Preslocke into the cave. Sheriff Truman thinks about this and, after a brief hesitation, follows the agent into the dark cave. Once they all enter, the entrance of the cave disappears into thin air.
CHAPTER 4
SLEEPER'S VISIONS
The cave's darkness soon vanishes with the click of Preslocke's flashlight. The light reveals the cave's walls. To Cooper's and Sheriff Truman's surprise, there are ancient drawings on the walls. Drawings of the woods and town of Twin Peaks and the dark creatures that lurk it at night.
There is one big drawing of a Great Horned Owl with other owls surrounding it as if it were their leader. Hovering above the head of this owl is a nude man with long gray hair and pale eyes - a resemblance to BOB.
Cooper is beyond in awe of all this.
"How did you find this cave, Cheryll?"
"I felt it," she answered.
Sheriff Truman looks at Cooper strangely after hearing her response.
"How and where did you get her?"
Cooper chuckles. "That's classified, Harry. She's one in a billion."
"You don't say."
Preslocke is now fixing up her paintbrushes and organic paints that rest on the floor. She puts them all in a pack so they don't get stomped on by the two men.
"I drew something every time I fell asleep."
"You sleep here? In this cave?" Cooper asked.
"Yes," she nods, "Every night an hour before dawn I retire here to sleep and draw visions on the walls," she says.
"Hmmm... Interesting."
Sheriff Truman is trying to make sense of all the drawings.
"What do you get from all of this, Coop?"
Cooper doesn't say anything. He just keeps examining the art displayed before his eyes.
"From this one," he points to the Great Horned Owl with its followers and BOB hovering over its head. "BOB is the king of the nightlife here in Twin Peaks. All the owls are under his command."
"So he's the Great Horned Owl?"
"Exactly," Cooper responds. "He uses all other owls as spies."
Preslocke now stands with them, looking at the same drawing. In her hands is a file. She hands it to Cooper, who graciously accepts it.
"These are the drawings I took of some of the birds I've talked to. And I've written down all the conversations I had with them word by word," she tells him. Cooper nods and opens the file. As Cooper reads and flips through the pages, the sheriff looks at Preslocke funnily.
"You talk to birds too?"
Preslocke chuckles. "Sheriff, I'm capable of many things. Many things that no one in this world can fathom. Not even you."
She smiles at him. The sheriff can't help but smile back. His attention then turns to Cooper who is reading the file with great intrigue.
"The Varied Thrush told you that he saw a spy looking through my window a couple of nights ago, overhearing me talking to my tape recorder..." he flips a page, "He's seen the same spy following me whenever I'm out and about from the Hotel, the diner, and the police station." He flips another page. "And this morning a golden-crowned sparrow told you that he's seen BOB leave the police station at 6:38 am," he looks at Preslocke, "The same time Leland Palmer was killed."
He reads more, flipping more pages. He isn't satisfied with what he's reading.
"None of them you interrogated followed BOB and the spy to find their whereabouts. Why is that?" He looks at Preslocke with the question.
"They know better than to go to places they shouldn't. That's the impulse of all nature. Even I fear the 'Other Place'," she says with a hint of guilt.
Cooper and Sheriff Truman look at each other. The sheriff shrugs as if to agree with her. Cooper frowns, looks at the file one more time, and then closes it up. He sighs with disappointment.
"Well... I thought this would be more helpful for us. I guess I was wrong."
Preslocke senses his disappointment and doesn't like it. She goes to him and gently rubs her hand on his arm as if to rub his disappointment away.
"My visions before the dawn might show you the 'Other Place' when the time comes. I know I'll eventually see and draw it."
Cooper looks at her and smiles. He feels better with Preslocke's sharing of a sudden optimistic boost.
"I suppose you will."
He looks at the paintings on the walls one more time.
"Come back to town and stay with me for a while. Things have gotten a little out of hand these days. You can share my room at the Great Northern Hotel. You'll love it there."
Preslocke nods. "Thank you, Dale."
Cooper returns the file to her and she takes it gladly to put it in her painting bag. She slings the bag over her shoulder and is now ready to go.
Sheriff Truman looks at the walls again. "I would've gotten my camera if I knew about this beforehand."
Preslocke chuckles. "Don't worry. I already did."
The sheriff raises an eyebrow as she passes him for the cave entrance. He looks at Cooper with a silly grin, which Cooper smiles and shakes his head. He pats him on the back and they both follow Preslocke to the cave entrance that re-opens before them.
CHAPTER 5
THE SPY AT THE WINDOW
Cooper now speaks to his tape recorder as Preslocke is in the bathroom taking a shower. He sits on the foot of the bed, wearing his tank top and boxers with the recorder close to his lips.
"Diane, it is 9:46 pm and I'm now accompanied in my hotel room by Agent Preslocke, who I know you are very well acquainted with from previous cases you've covered over the years. Right now she is showering while I'm here sitting on the bed to tell you about today's events. Sheriff Truman and I met with Agent Preslocke in the woods this morning and she led us to the cave where she sleeps and draws her visions every day an hour before dawn. I know you always found her methods strange, but I tell you those methods have been the most effective during this investigation. What she drew on those cave walls explained much of what goes on in the woods and the town of Twin Peaks itself. Somehow, this town and its woods are the center of darkness that leads to another realm or realms. BOB, from what Agent Preslocke sensed this morning, has disappeared into one of those realms that she calls the Other Place. A place she fears as most of the creatures of the woods do, except for the owls. One of the visions she drew, was an owl, a Great Horned Owl, and it had BOB hovering over its head as other owls behind them seemed like they were following him as a leader. I believe this means BOB has command over the owls of this territory and is using them as his spies. According to one of the birds Agent Preslocke interrogated, an owl was at my hotel room window a couple of nights ago listening in to my report to you. I'm now curious, is that spy at my window right this very minute?"
He gets up from the bed and goes to the window. He opens it and then, immediately after, an owl flies off into the night. Cooper watches the owl until it disappears from a long distance. He speaks to the tape recorder again.
"My curiosity served me well, Diane. There was a spy that very minute."
He then shuts the window and closes the curtains. He goes to the bed and gets in between the sheets. Once he's comfortable, he speaks to his tape recorder one last time for the day.
"Well... that's all for the day. Will see what visions Agent Preslocke sees and draws tomorrow at dawn. She'll be setting up her easels, paints, and brushes after she's finished with her shower. Now I'm going to get some sleep to prepare for tomorrow's further investigation. Good night."
He stops the recorder and lays it on the bedside table.
The shower stops running. Cooper closes his eyes for a moment, but then opens them in a flash and gets out of bed. He sets up the many easels on their stands and then digs into Preslocke's painting bag to set out all the brushes and paints for her to arrange herself.
Preslocke exits the bathroom wearing a robe over pajamas and her hair wrapped up in a towel. She smiles at Cooper after seeing what he's done for her.
"I knew you couldn't help yourself, Dale."
Cooper can't help but chuckle. He goes to her and gently touches her cheek affectionately.
"You know how much I love your methods. I'll always do this whenever we're together."
Preslocke smiles again. "You've always been the most supportive of me." She puts her arms around his neck and looks deeply into his eyes. "It's been a while since we've last seen each other. I really missed you."
"I can't say I didn't miss you either," Cooper says with a smile. "When's the last time you've actually stayed in a hotel instead of the woods?"
"About a few months ago actually. I don't like staying out in the winter. Too cold for my powers to function most effectively."
She removes her arms from Cooper and begins arranging her paints and brushes for her pre-dawn routine. Cooper watches her with intrigue.
After she's done, she takes off the hair towel to let her damp hair breathe. She then takes off her robe, revealing herself wearing Cooper's pajamas from the night before. The pajamas are a bit too big for her, but she doesn't seem to care. Cooper notices this and smiles.
"I knew you couldn't help yourself, Cheryll."
Preslocke smiles back. "You know how much I love your pajamas. I'll always wear them to bed whenever we're together."
They both laugh. Then, after exchanging a kiss on the cheek, they get into bed together. They lay very close as if to cuddle. Cooper turns off the lights and puts his arms around Preslocke as he rests his chin comfortably onto her damp hair. They both exhale deeply and close their eyes to sleep.
CHAPTER 6
THE VISIONS AT DAWN
An hour before dawn came, Cooper didn't stir from his slumber when Preslocke got out of bed. Her eyes remained closed as she approached her easels and began to draw and paint her visions of the day. She worked with ease and peacefulness without any pause until the hour ended.
The light of dawn soon peeked through the window's curtains. Preslocke's eyes opened upon its arrival and the first thing she saw was her new paintings. She seems emotionless looking at them. She then looks at Cooper who is still sleeping. She grins lovingly at him before returning her paintbrushes and paints to her special bag. Then, she turns all the easels with their backs facing the bed so Cooper can't see what she painted when he wakes up. To check to see if everything of hers is in order, she stands in front of the bed and, after a nod of satisfaction, gets right into bed and cuddles next to Cooper. This wakes him as she rests her head on his shoulder. He smiles.
"You woke me..." He kisses her head and breathes in the scent of her hair. Preslocke grins with closed eyes.
"You can rest some more if you like. I lost an hour sleeping next to you," she says lazily. Cooper's eyes then land on the back-turned easels.
"What did you draw this time?" He attempts to get up but Preslocke forces him down playfully. She shakes her head at him.
"Don't start the day so fast, Agent Cooper. We've got all morning."
She rests her head on his shoulder again and closes her eyes. Cooper, with slight irritation in his eyes, reluctantly stays in bed with her. His irritation soon disappears and he's now smiling as he runs his fingers through Preslocke's hair.
"You have some nerve keeping me under restrain like this, you know that?"
Prelocke chuckles. "And you let me."
Cooper plants another kiss on her head. "Of course. How could I not?"
He closes his eyes and begins to fall asleep again. Before he losses consciousness, he murmurs. "We can stay in bed an hour longer..." And then he drifts to sleep.
Everything is peaceful until there is an unwelcome knock at the door, making Cooper's eyes flash open from their brief second of slumber.
Preslocke groans annoyed upon hearing the knock. "No, not now..."
Cooper gently moves her from his body and gets out of bed. He grabs the robe Prelocke wore the night before and puts it on as he walks to the door.
He opens the door.
It's Sheriff Truman.
"Well, you're bright and early, Harry," says Cooper. "Come in."
The sheriff enters. "I couldn't help it, Coop. The hour before dawn just ended and I was overly eager to see what your fellow agent has to show us today."
Then his eyes immediately land on the painted easels that face him.
"I can't blame you. I was the same way before she decided to force me to stay in bed with her for another hour." Cooper laughs as he closes the door When he turns to the sheriff, his attention is on the easels as well.
Prelocke notices and groans again. Reluctantly, she gets out of bed and goes to them.
One of the paintings features a strange being located as if it were in pure darkness. The being is eyeless and looks human-like but not at the same time. In the second painting, that same being begins to vomit a bright light, and, on the next easel, this vomit results in the birth of a man with long gray hair. A man that looks like the evil entity BOB. Then... the final painting is way different than the others. It's the Red Room, with its zig-zagged designed floor, comfy sofa and chairs, and draped red curtains that surround the room. Laura Palmer, dressed in a gorgeous black dress, sits on the sofa looking out as if she is looking at Cooper.
Cooper and Sheriff Truman are baffled by these paintings.
"By God, Cheryll... This is..." Cooper can't speak the rest of his sentence.
"Something," Sheriff Truman finishes him.
Preslocke doesn't say anything. She just looks at the painting, emotionless as she did when she first opened her eyes and takes a deep deep breath.
Cooper keeps his eyes on the paintings as he puts an arm around her. "This will definitely help us."
She nods and then goes into the bathroom, leaving Cooper and Sheriff Truman alone with her visions.
"This is truly something, Coop," says the sheriff. "Way more than I expected."
He looks at Cooper. Speechless, Cooper just stares at the paintings uncertain what to say.
"Want to get some breakfast now?" Sheriff Truman asks to snap him out of his trance. Cooper didn't seem to hear him. His eyes are glued to the paintings as if really interpreting them.
Preslocke exits the bathroom, now dressed in her yesterday's wear, except for the trench coat and belt. She goes to Cooper and pats him on the back, snapping him out of his trance. He looks at her. She grins.
"Let's get some breakfast."
Cooper nods and goes to the bathroom to change into his suit and tie. Preslocke turns to Sheriff Truman with a look of annoyance.
"Cooper and I 'were' having a peaceful morning until you showed up."
The sheriff looks downcast.
"Sorry, Agent..." he guiltily can't remember her last name.
"Preslocke. Agent Preslocke," she finishes him and the sheriff nods.
"What can I do to make it up to you?"
Preslocke thinks about it and quickly comes up with a fair answer. "You let me and Agent Cooper have our breakfast in peace. He'll attend to business as usual after we're finished."
"Okay. I'll just leave you two be." He leaves the room. Once the door is shut, Preslocke looks at the paintings to examine them herself alone. Cooper exits the bathroom, well-groomed and dressed. He hovers over her and puts his hands on her shoulders.
"May I say you outdid yourself again, Agent Preslocke?" he asks with pure sincerity. Preslocke chuckles.
"Let's go and get that breakfast shall we?"
Cooper laughs. "Of course." He opens the door for her with a smile. "Lady's first."
Preslocke smiles back at him and exits the room. Cooper follows her, closing the door behind him.
CHAPTER 7
THE ANGEL AT BREAKFAST AND COFFEE
At the Great Northern Hotel, Cooper and Preslocke are drinking coffee together at their table as they wait for their breakfast to be served. They are deeply engaged in their conversation when Audrey Horne, dressed gorgeously in a tight sweater and plaid skirt as always, enters the room. It doesn't take her long to look their way.
She doesn't know whether to greet Cooper or not when she sees him chatting away with Preslocke. Then, Cooper's eyes suddenly notice her like a sore thumb in a crowd and he doesn't hesitate to charmingly smile and wave her over. He gets up from his seat as she walks over to the couple with a smile. Once she approaches them, she kisses Cooper lightly on the cheek.
"Good morning, Agent Cooper," she says to him with another smile.
Cooper nods. "Good morning, Audrey."
Preslocke, still seated in her chair, looks at Audrey up and down in awe as if she's seeing an angel. Audrey doesn't notice. Her eyes are entirely focused on Cooper.
"Audrey, I would like you to meet Agent Preslocke, a fellow associate of mine," he looks to Preslocke, "Cheryll, this is--"
"I'm aware of Miss Horne," says Preslocke abruptly.
Audrey's eyes now look at Preslocke. She's taken very much by surprise.
"How so?" she asks curiously.
Preslocke smiles. "A little bird told me. Nice to meet you."
She extends a hand for her to shake. Audrey hesitates. She looks at Cooper, who grins at her with a nod of encouragement and then returns her bright eyes to Preslocke and her waiting hand. She finally shakes it with a smile.
"Likewise, Agent Preslocke."
She and Audrey smile at each other. Cooper sits back in his seat and sips his coffee as he watches the two women. A waitress comes to the table with Cooper's and Preslocke's breakfast of eggs, bacon, and buttered toast and places the plates in front of them.
"A refill?" asks the waitress referring to their coffee.
Both Cooper and Preslocke shake their heads with a grin. The waitress nods with a smile and attends to another customer.
Audrey takes a seat at their table, which is to Preslocke's dismay for a peaceful breakfast with her F.B.I. partner. But Cooper doesn't seem bothered by Audrey's carefree behavior. He just sips his coffee and begins digging into his breakfast as if nothing matters. Even though Preslocke thought she kept her feelings well hidden, it was not the case with Audrey Horne. To her surprise, Audrey immediately picked up on her slight distress.
And she doesn't really care.
"What's the agenda today, Agent Cooper?" she asks with a sparkle in her eyes.
Cooper takes another sip of his coffee to clean his mouth of his breakfast before responding.
"Sheriff Truman and Agent Preslocke and I are heading back to the woods in about an hour from now. See what we can find out there."
"What is it you think you'll find?"
Cooper shrugs. "I don't know. But hopefully, there'll be something out there we can work with to solve this case."
"We might be out at night too. That's when things get even more interesting," says Preslocke before sipping her coffee.
Audrey looks at her strangely. "What do you mean when you say that?"
"Night is the most active time of day for crime and unnatural events to occur, especially when it comes to the witching hour. The answers might very well be easily shown to us when darkness returns. But we can't guarantee tonight for certain."
Preslocke takes a bite of her bacon after ending her explanation. Audrey is intrigued by what she's heard.
"Should I be suspicious every time I hear the shutters of my bedroom window creaking in the middle of the night, Agent Preslocke?" she smiles at the humor of her question.
Preslocke chuckles. "Well, it depends. If your window shutters creak at the same time every night, I might be suspicious if I were you."
Cooper grins as he sees Audrey really thinking about this in a troubled manner. Preslocke smiles at her and shakes her head with a chuckle.
"I'm just kidding, Audrey. Please forgive me if that thought frightened you."
Audrey's troubled expression immediately turns to sunshine when she smiles at Preslocke. She nods to accept her apology.
"That's alright. But it really got me thinking for a moment."
Cooper grins at her reassuringly. "It's always wise to be suspicious of the night. You'll never know what it'll bring."
Audrey nods as she takes in Cooper's words of advice. She then looks to Preslocke again with wonder in her eyes.
"So what is your purpose in the case, Agent Preslocke?"
Preslocke is crunching on her buttered toast when she asks the question. She takes a sip of her coffee to swallow the toast down.
"I'm afraid that's highly classified, Miss Horne."
"Agent Preslocke is just here to overlook some things for me and then she's on her way." Cooper is trying to keep Audrey's curiosity at bay. He doesn't want her to know who Preslocke truly is.
Audrey nods but doesn't reveal that she's not satisfied with both of their answers. She finds Preslocke too mysterious for some reason, especially with her and Cooper's lack of disclosure about her involvement in the case.
"I guess I better get to class." She turns to Preslocke. "It was nice meeting you, Agent Preslocke."
"Likewise." Preslocke grins at her. Audrey looks at Cooper one more time and smiles at him. Cooper smiles back and then Audrey gets up and exits the room.
Preslocke notices Cooper watching Audrey leave.
"She's very curious, I might say," she says before biting into more buttered toast.
Cooper looks at her and chuckles. "Isn't that the case with every young woman?"
He sips his coffee as Preslocke chuckles at his response.
******
Audrey sits in history class next to Donna Hayward, who is very concentrated on what is being written on the board by their teacher. She is still thinking of Agent Preslocke and can't help but be a bit distracted. She looks at Donna curiously. Then at the clock. Lunchtime at the cafeteria was coming very soon, and Audrey is very desperate to share her suspicions with someone she knows she can trust.
******
At one of the tables in the cafeteria, Donna is eating her lunch alone when Audrey approaches her with a food tray.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asks.
Donna looks up at her and nods with a grin. "Of course."
Audrey takes a seat across from her. She's about to eat her lunch, but, instead, she leans a little closer to Donna as if to tell her something no one else should hear.
"I talked with Agent Cooper this morning. He was with a woman. Agent Preslocke. There's something about her that I find... suspicious."
"Oh?" Donna says curiously. She leans closer to Audrey to learn more.
"She already knew who I was without Agent Cooper even saying my name when he introduced us."
Donna is intrigued. "Did she?"
Audrey nods. "Uh-uh. And... I sensed that she was keeping something to herself. Something that she and only Agent Cooper know."
"I'm not surprised. There are some things you shouldn't know about other agents."
Audrey looks at her curiously. "Why?"
"Getting your nose into an agent's background is a messy business. If they don't want to reveal themselves personally, then it might be for the best. Especially if another agent like Agent Cooper finds it necessary. If I were you, I wouldn't be getting my nose dirty in something I shouldn't."
Donna continues eating. She doesn't seem at all intrigued by Audrey's case on Agent Cheryll Preslocke. Audrey understands her point-of-view of the subject and starts forking her lunch. She sighs.
"I guess I'm being paranoid."
"Or you're just trying to make sure she doesn't win Agent Cooper's heart before you can." She smiles, knowing Audrey's adorable reaction. Audrey rolls her eyes with a smile and a giggle.
"Oh please!"
They both laugh.
"But seriously, if you're going to investigate this Agent Preslocke, I suggest you be very careful. Agents of the FBI or any other agency are not meant to be messed with."
Audrey gives her an understanding nod, but Donna knows better by looking into her bright mischievous eyes. She knows Audrey intends to investigate Preslocke with or without her warning, and she doesn't want her to get into any trouble by either getting caught or leaving behind a noticeable trace. She continues digging into her lunch without revealing her thoughts and later intentions.
CHAPTER 8
IN THE LIGHT OF THE WOODS
Cooper and Preslocke are setting up camp in the middle of the woods along with Sheriff Truman and Deputy Hawk. Two separate tents are made and a few safe feet in front of them is a circle of rocks for the campfire. Cooper is tending their tent as Preslocke is on high alert for any strange senses.
"Could you pass over those sleeping bags, please?" he asks her from within the tent.
Preslocke snaps out of her alertness and gets the sleeping bags from both of their backpacks. She hands them to Cooper, who graciously takes them from her hand with a murmured thank you.
Cooper soon exits the tent. He is dressed not in his usual FBI agent attire. He's now wearing a plaid shirt with a warm vest and a pair of hiking pants and boots. Very handsome man in the woods who appears nothing like an agent at all. He looks at Preslocke who is now picking up their backpacks and putting them into the tent.
"I'm going to get some wood for the fire tonight," she tells him upon exiting the tent.
Cooper nods to her with a smile. "Okay. Be careful."
Preslocke smiles at him adoringly. "I've been out in areas such as this waaay more than you, Agent Cooper. It should be me telling you to be careful."
Her fellow agent can't help but to chuckle and smile again. She's got a point.
"Then, I wish you to be careful just the same," he responds with a mix of love and care. Preslocke smiles and gently touches his cheek before moving away from him slowly and then turning her back to walk deep into the woods.
Cooper watches her as she goes. He does not notice Sheriff Truman approaching his side.
"How long has this been going on?" he asks knowingly with a smile, as Cooper did when he suspected him with Josie Packard on his second day of investigation in Twin Peaks.
Cooper snaps out of his trance and looks at the sheriff with an 'alright-you-got-me-back!' smile.
"We're only partners against crime, Harry. Nothing more."
Sheriff Truman only nods with that same smile. "Uh-uh. That's not what I saw from the body language."
Chuckling, Cooper pats him on the back and gets back to work on the tent. The sheriff chuckles in response and then brings his attention to Preslocke who is far off now almost a speck in the distance. He's really curious about what she is sensing.
******
A few miles from camp, Agent Preslocke keeps to her exceptional senses. She awaits any sizable or insignificant detection of anything out of the ordinary as she keeps strolling through the woods, sometimes stopping for a more thorough sense.
Examining a few ancient Douglas firs around her, her eyes carefully glance up at the branches, down each thick sturdy trunk, and finally to their protruding roots in the ground.
She finds nothing out of the ordinary.
She continues walking until a swift shadow flies past her from above and catches her attention. She pauses her stride and closes her eyes as if deeply sensing the mysterious shadow. She moves her head slowly and carefully in the direction of the shadow until it finally rests somewhere still above the ground. Once she's there, she opens her eyes. Right then she sees something out of the ordinary a few feet from where she stands.
A Great Horned Owl perched tall and proud on a fir branch.
It stares down at her very sinisterly. So sinister, that Preslocke moves a few steps back with a look of slight fear in her eyes. Her back bumps into the trunk of the fir tree behind her but she doesn't notice. She keeps her eyes focused directly on the owl. The owl does the same to her. Their deep eye connection soon links them to a telepathic conversation unheard by anyone except Preslocke.
"I know who you are," the owl says to her, with each word sounding slow and increasingly sinister as if they are a sentence of its own.
Preslocke swallows her fear and takes a couple of steps toward the owl. Her eyes are no longer fearful. They are firey with hate knowing the evil within the gorgeous yet deceitful creature.
"I know who you are," she replies. She sounds brave and confident. She might have grinned a bit after she said it. She wants this being, who she suspects to be no other than BOB himself, to know she's not one to mess with.
"There's nothing you can say or do to change me, BOB. I know you all too well from MIKE. Your innards rot and your mind reeks with death. Everywhere you wander, evil follows, and with every kill pain and sorrow settle your hunger and satisfy you. Your only purpose in this town is to bring it tears. I know there is nothing I can say or do to change you. Nor will any other force like the one that saved MIKE, God bless his soul. But I do know what I can do... I know you intend to kill again and I will stop you."
Silence mixed with the sounds of the woods takes over the conversation... Until it is horrifically disturbed by an evil laugh that fills the woods inside and out. But it doesn't to the normal human ear. It's only to Preslocke's and Nature's knowledge and it has in no doubt shaken them both with shock and terror. Preslocke is about to step away but she doesn't. She stands her ground and keeps her eyes on BOB.
"I'll catch you in my death bag. I will kill again..." are the only and final haunting words exchanged by BOB. He flaps his wings as if for take-off and then, with great wicked intention, attempts to swoop at Preslocke! In defense, Preslocke quickly opens up a part of her shirt to reveal her left shoulder to the owl. On it is a dark tattooed marking - the same marking on Cooper's ring that has two peaks surrounding a central diamond. And seen dangling from around her neck is a silver cross necklace.
BOB sees this but doesn't stop. He's unafraid of the mark and the cross to Preslocke's horror and dismay. He swoops and scratches her cheek with his vicious sharp claws, making her fall to the ground and quickly cover the wound he inflicted on her. No scream escapes from her lips. Not even the tiniest sound of agony or fright. BOB, with his claws now freshly painted red with Preslocke's blood, flies away deep into the woods, squawking as if wickedly laughing at his feat.
Once he is far far away, Preslocke slowly sits up on the ground while still holding onto her wound. She grimaces in bitter pain and involuntary tears stream down her face from the agony. She lifts her hand from her face and looks at it. Fresh blood covers her palm and fingers and some of it slowly runs down her arm. She trembles seeing this. The gouges in her cheek are very deep to scar and blood oozes profusely from each individual claw mark.
Preslocke looks to where the owl disappeared far off in the woods. She sneers. Her delicate brown eyes are even more filled with anger, hatred, and the hunger for revenge.
She covers her wound and gets up. She heads back to camp.
CHAPTER 9
MEANWHILE, AT THE GREAT NORTHERN
Now also dressed in a dark trench coat and has a dark leather purse over her shoulder, Audrey nonchalantly walks down the hall of hotel rooms. She stops at the door of Cooper's hotel room, puts an ear to it to check if the room has any unexpected occupants, and then departs it a few inches from the door's surface. She questions herself on what she's about to do. Then, after a smiling carefree shrug, she takes a lockpick from her jacket pocket and begins unlocking the door. She frequently looks around to make sure nobody catches her in the act. Once she's successfully unlocked the door, she enters cautiously and softly closes the door.
The hotel room is empty until after she enters. Her back against the door, her first glance lands on the paintings Preslocke made that early morning that faces the door. She's very curious and can't help but to come closer to them for a better look.
Her dazzling blue eyes brighten with intrigue and wonder as she looks at every detail of the paintings. In the final painting, she holds her breath with surprise when she sees Laura Palmer, in her elegant black dress, sitting on a sofa in the Red Room. She lightly brushes a finger on Laura's image as if to feel if it is real. A mix of awe and confusion has taken over her emotions completely.
After a few moments, her attention unwillingly moves elsewhere. She goes to the bed and sees Preslocke's trench coat laying unattended. She can't help herself now. She begins searching each pocket for anything that could satisfy her investigation, but after turning each one of them out, she finds nothing but her own disappointment and Preslocke's F.B.I. badge. She sighs. Then, she notices something silver under the coat... a buckle. She lifts and drapes the trench coat over her arm to reveal Preslocke's shiny black leather belt with the silver rose-shaped buckle.
Audrey nearly drops the coat while being so entranced by the beauty of the buckle. She slowly picks it up and brings it closer to her face. She tries to make out the unintelligible yet mysterious inscription written across the rose but she just can't. She carefully sets the trench coat on the bed and digs into her bag. Now handling her camera, she takes pictures of the belt buckle from many angles before returning the camera and its freshly-taken photos into her purse. She then turns the belt over. Her bright eyes widen as she gasps with intrigue looking at the back of the buckle.
On it are two mysterious engraved symbols. The first one is of two identical peaks, similar to that of Cooper's ring and Preslocke's shoulder tattoo. The second one is hovering over the center space of the twin peaks and is a small feminine humanlike figure. It has an eagle's proud wings on its outstretched arms, a tree's young roots hanging from below its pointed feet, and a glowing bright-blue dot on its left breast.
Audrey is most intrigued by the latter symbol. She gently brushes a finger over the body but then... panic fills her mind when something unexpected happens. As she was brushing over the glowing dot with the light touch of her soft skin, it was automatically pressed...
The dot was actually a button!!
Suddenly, a small door opens on the figure's head. Nothing happens for some time. Audrey's heart rate accelerates with every second that passes as she stares at the opening, waiting for anything to happen. Her finger slowly, but trembling, closes the door gently.
Another minute passes.
Nothing happens.
Audrey calms herself slowly with a sigh of relief, satisfied that nothing really happened to easily reveal her investigation. She takes her camera out again and photographs the new symbols she discovered on the buckle. After returning the camera and the fresh photos to her bag, she places the belt onto the bed exactly as it was before and then sets the trench coat back over it. The tampered scene looks as if nothing was meddled with.
She goes to the door, but before she opens it, she turns to double-check the room. Her eyes immediately land on the paintings again. Once more, she digs for her camera and then snaps a pic of each painting as more evidence of her 'unusual' findings.
Her eyes can't help but stare at the final painting with Laura in it after snapping the pic. She slowly approaches it and brushes a soft delicate finger on Laura's face. Why is there a painting of Laura in Cooper's hotel room? This question lingers in her bright and curious eyes. She bites her lower lip and then slowly moves back to the door while still eyeing the painting. She opens the door and, with the same slowness, closes it to block her view of the painting.
Once the door is shut, she turns to walk down the hall when something catches her by surprise...
Donna Hayward is leaning a shoulder against the wall, smoking a cigarette as she watches Audrey. She exhales the smoke through her nose. Her eyes are focused on her mischievous friend.
Audrey looks at Cooper's door and then back at Donna. She does a little grin as she approaches her.
"Knew you'd be here first thing after class," says Donna right before she takes another puff of her cigarette. She digs into her pocket and offers Audrey a cigarette from the pack.
"You wanna light?"
Audrey nods and gets herself a cigarette. Once she puts it between her lips, Donna takes out her lighter and gives her a light. Audrey inhales the cigarette and exhales with relief. She's less tense now after the incident in Cooper's hotel room.
"Let's get out of here," she tells Donna. Together they walk down the hall and exit the Great Northern Hotel to the Hayward car.
Perched on the roof of the Great Northern entrance, a gorgeous Northern Pygmy Owl watches as the two women drive off in a carefree manner. It flaps its wings and then flies off to the woods in a hurry.
CHAPTER 10
THE OPPOSITE OF NORTHWEST
At camp, Preslocke sits on a log while holding a bloodied towel to her wounded cheek. Her eyes are closed and she's very connected to the world around her. Very much in peaceful bliss, despite the horror she experienced from BOB not too long ago.
Cooper is now approaching her with a bucket of river water in hand and a fresh towel draped over his shoulder. Preslocke senses his presence and immediately opens her eyes. She smiles as he comes closer. Cooper smiles back, charmingly as always, and sits next to her on the log. After setting the bucket in front of them, he touches her compressing hand while giving her a look saying 'Let me take care of it for you'. Preslocke, with little hesitation, lets him. He examines the wound carefully... Very carefully with full concentration and seriousness.
Preslocke remains connected to their surroundings. She's not at peace here and Cooper can sense it. He knows that what she's feeling isn't good, but he keeps on a straight face as he takes a rag from the water bucket, wrings it out, and then places the rag gently onto Preslocke's wounds. With such gentleness and care, he washes away the dried blood that paint her cheek.
Preslocke doesn't express any pain. She only clenches her fist tightly onto her knee, so tight that her knuckles bulge and turn white as if in rage.
Cooper notices this as well. Preslocke may not willingly express her anger through words and emotion, but she can never fool him when it comes to certain behaviors revealed from the subconscious.
"Do you know where the owl went after he attacked you?" he asks her while washing her cheek.
"Southwest."
Preslocke suddenly turns her gaze to where she came from in the woods. Cooper looks in the same direction with wonder. What is she looking at?
"Are you sure?"
Preslocke nods.
"I'm very sure." She then snaps out of her gaze to look into his steely blue eyes that now look deep into hers. She smiles. "You know better than to question my sense of direction."
Cooper chuckles with a grin. He rinses the rag in the bucket and then returns to cleaning her wounds.
"You know what the opposite of southwest is, Dale?" Preslocke asks him.
Cooper is curious why she's asking such an obvious question, but he's too concentrated on what he's doing that he just answers the question anyway.
"Northwest."
She raises a playful eyebrow.
"You sure?"
Cooper chuckles again, but this time with a playful glare.
"Yes I'm sure," then with seriousness. "Why do you ask?"
"In history, there was this legislation made in 1787 called the Northwest Ordinance. It established that all of the Northwest Territory of the U.S. would receive the same rights and liberties as those of the 13 colonies already present."
Cooper is rinsing the rag again after hearing this. Too curious now, he decides to let the rag soak in the bucket. He sits up and looks directly at Preslocke, his wet hands resting on his knees, paying more attention to what else Preslocke is about to say.
"I'm aware of that legislation. Why does it matter?"
"Well, BOB flew southwest, the complete opposite of northwest. Northwest resembles freedom and peace, while the Southwest resembles incarceration and unrest."
She pauses to look into Cooper's eyes, who is now very curious to know once again what she's getting at.
"I think Southwest is where we have to go to find BOB."
From a distance, Sherriff Truman and Deputy Hawk are watching them. Cooper and Preslocke are staring at each other, their mouths not moving.
Truman looks at his wristwatch with a cheerful grin.
"Hmmm... how long do you think they've been staring at each other? Two or three minutes?"
Hawk shakes his head with a grin. "I can't blame them."
He digs into his backpack and takes out a little cloth bag. He then walks over to Cooper and Preslocke.
Once he has approached, he taps Cooper on the shoulder, who is strangely oblivious of his presence and has his attention fully on Preslocke.
Preslocke looks at Hawk with a greeting smile as Cooper continues to stare at her very intently. Hawk grins at her, and then at Cooper.
Preslocke returns looking at her fellow agent and, with a snap of her fingers above her knee, Cooper refrains from his trance-like stare. He finally looks up at Hawk.
With a strange grin, Hawk hands him the bag.
"Willow bark. For the pain."
Cooper looks at the bag and graciously accepts it. Slowly he opens the bag. He then puts the opening to his nose and inhales deeply. With closed eyes, he sighs with enjoyment at the scent of fresh willow bark. Preslocke grins and touches his shoulder with a sudden glee and enthusiasm.
Hawk is now smiling at this scene.
"From over there, we thought love was in the air with you two just staring at each other."
Cooper's eyes then flash open with surprise at Hawk's comment. He looks to Sheriff Truman, who stands with his back leaning against a Douglas fir, waving with a goofy smile.
Preslocke chuckles. Cooper shakes his head with a grin and begins taking some of the bark from within the bag. Carefully, he rubs them on Preslocke's cheek. What actually happened between him and Preslocke was a moment when they spoke without moving mouths in the presence of others--- a power Preslocke is capable of to talk privately in public, especially with Cooper.
Hawk backs away and returns to Truman. Both of them continue to stare at Cooper and Preslocke as if suspecting something steamy to happen.
CHAPTER 11
MIDNIGHT CHOICE
Now it's dark.
The warmth from the campfire lingers in the forest's pine-scented air. It's delightful and refreshing. Cooper, Truman, and Hawk are happily sitting by the campfire chatting about the day and about what's about to go down tonight. Preslocke, on the other hand, is in her and Cooper's tent, lying face up on her sleeping bag trying to relax. The campfire snaps and crackles outside and its orangey blaze keeps the tent lit without the battery-operated lantern.
Cooper once again expresses his love for the smell of pine needles and Preslocke can't help but to hear and chuckle. She could never get enough of his many adorable enthusiasms, whether it came to nature, a cup of coffee at a diner, or a jelly donut at the FBI headquarters or at a random police station. The man knew how to make her smile as he did to others, but in a way, he seemed to have made her smile a lot more deep down inside.
Then, suddenly, her happiness gained by Cooper disappears. She's now expressionless and deep in thought. And the feeling of uneasiness, the same feeling she had previously experienced after the attack by BOB, returns to her mind.
She deeply inhales the air while staring into nothingness, and holds it in for a while until she finally exhales in a forced and stressed manner. She then touches her wounded cheek. A bandage, thick and white, covers and protects the marks viciously inflicted by BOB's razor-sharp talons. Feeling the bandage's material quite obsessively, she then stops with her finger resting on one of the corners.
The sound of duct tape being ripped off of one's skin from within the tent startles Cooper out of his enjoyment of fire and company. He immediately gets up from his chair and goes to the tent he shares with Preslocke. He unzips the flap and opens it.
He pokes his head into the tent. He is surprised by what he sees.
Preslocke has ripped her bandage off and her wounds are completely healed!! There is scar tissue from where the claw marks were of course, but her cheek looks well taken care of by Cooper's disinfecting efforts and Hawk's willow bark treatment.
She holds the bandage and shows it to him. They exchange a moment of looking deep into their eyes before Preslocke gives him a sweet grin that warms his heart. Affectionately, Cooper grins at her in return. She gets up from her sleeping bag and goes to him, letting him softly touch her healed cheek. Cooper then makes way for her to exit the tent, and watches her from behind as she goes toward the campfire.
After pouring himself another cup of steamy hot coffee, Sherriff Truman looks at her and smiles, but then... he notices her cheek. His smile fades to utter shock. How did she heal so quickly? Deputy Hawk looks at her as well and is mystified but is not as shocked as Truman. He only nods at her.
Preslocke throws the bandage into the fire, and together, she, Cooper, Truman, and Hawk, watch it being consumed by the flames. Once the bandage is blackened and slowly burning away, the calling of an owl, so sinister, is heard by all of them from deep into the woods.
"It's BOB," says Preslocke, with her jaw set and eyes focused on the call's direction. She turns to the others.
"Once we go in, we can't avoid being seen. He will follow us and attack at his own will. You're safe here at camp if you don't wish to spend the rest of tonight deep within. Until the dawn, you can not return to this very place or to town."
After a brief moment of silence, Cooper goes to stand by Preslocke's side with an air of confidence and determination. He is willing to undertake anything as always, no matter the risks that lie ahead. And he would never let Preslocke face danger alone.
Hawk looks to the dark woods, sensing a pair of eyes watching them... owl eyes that belong to no other than the villainous BOB. Hawk does not shed a single ounce of fear of the dark presence that remains off to the distance of the camp. His face only reveals a look of determination. Determination to do whatever it took to end this darkness that has taken away one of the dearest joys of Twin Peaks. He looks to Preslocke again and goes to her, leaving Truman on his own to think of his own position in this.
The Sherriff stares at Preslocke with uncertainty and slight distrust. It was obvious in his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hide it. But then, he finally directs his eyes to Cooper. Only he could motivate him to follow someone else into danger. If Cooper hadn't been present, his intention of following Preslocke into the dark wood would have been a very thin chance, unless it had benefited to save Cooper's life if that scenario ever arose. But even then, he might not have followed her either.
Cooper can see these thoughts running through Truman's mind as he looks at him, and Truman knew. The only thing Cooper reassured him through the language of his eyes was that he trusted Preslocke, maybe even more than his own self, and that he should do just the same. It meant that much, no matter how strange and suspicious Preslocke really was to him. And besides, Hawk, who he always knew had the respectable sense of knowing who to trust, didn't seem to care or have any issues with her whatsoever. Through Cooper and Hawk, he gave Preslocke his full trust and respect, and his determined will to protect her from any danger ahead.
After enjoying a final sip of his coffee, hoping it won't be his last, he sets his mug down next to the blazing campfire. He gets up from his chair to stand by Cooper's side. Cooper nods at him with a smile and puts a hand on his broad shoulder.
"Glad to have you with us, Harry."
Truman could only grin. He looks to Preslocke, who grins back at him with a nod of relief and respect. For sure, Truman knew from this that she could be like Cooper in many more obvious ways than one.
CHAPTER 12
THE HEARTFELT DISCOVERY
Meanwhile, Audrey and Donna are having a sleepover in Audrey's bedroom. Both are laying on the bed smoking their cigarettes as they study the photos Audrey took earlier at the Great Northern Hotel.
Audrey is still mesmerized by Agent Preslocke's painting of Laura Palmer. For some strange reason, seeing Laura in that room with the red curtains and the zigzag flooring gave her a slight sense of terror in her heart and soul. She didn't know why. But aside from the terror, there was also great fascination. A risky fascination for that matter. It was also impossible for her not to wonder if Donna felt the same after seeing the photo, with her being closer to Laura and more sensitive to her passing.
Looking at the photos with unnoticeable intrigue, Donna just flicks the ash of her cigarette into the ashtray resting on the bed. She takes another puff and exhales through her nose. Holding the photo of Preslocke's rose-shaped belt buckle, she tries to decipher the inscription written across it. She can't seem to make it out. She then flips to the photo of the strange symbol on the back of the buckle.
"Looks like a nymph-like being."
She puffs on her cigarette again and blows the smoke through her nose directly at the photo. Right then, something strange happened that shocked both her and Audrey...
The blue dot on the nymph-like being's breast started glowing and flickering through the smoke... as if it were really in their presence!! The flickering seemed to have been in the rhythm of an actual heartbeat. Donna notices this right away and begins putting her intuition to the test. She reveals a wristwatch from beneath her sleeve and waits for the second hand to hit the hour. Then, she stared at the blue dot and counted each flicker until the second hand hit 60 seconds. Her theory was proven correct and she looks at Audrey with a look of victory in her eyes.
"That dot must be monitoring Agent Preslocke's heart rate," she says. "Seems normal at the moment."
Audrey nods. 'He's safe', she thought of Agent Cooper, who she knew was with Agent Preslocke this very minute in Ghostwood Forest.
The cigarette smoke dissipates and the blue dot returns to normal in the photo. No longer a glowing orb. Motionless as if dead.
Audrey puffs on her cigarette and exhales the smoke to the photo again to once again reignite the blue dot's repetitive flicker and glow.
Then, a thought occurs to her...
Preslocke's belt buckle in Cooper's hotel room!!
She turns to Donna with a look of desperation.
"We have to get that belt!"
Donna looks at her as if she's crazy. "You're joking, right? You just got away with it the first time and you were lucky because I was the one who caught you in the act. Now you want to do it again?"
Mischief is clearly in Audrey's eyes when she looks at her for a response. The mischief is even in her smile and it surprises Donna. Enough to make her worry about what her friend is capable of in terms of getting into too much danger. But she knew deep down inside that no matter what she said, Audrey was going to do this anyway with or without her. She had no choice but to help her. And in her mind, all she could think of was hopefully, hopefully, the two of them won't get caught.
******
Cooper's hotel room door opens.
As silent as a pair of sleuths, Audrey and Donna enter and close the door carefully to not wake the occupants of the other rooms.
The sound of a light switch is soon heard in the pitch-blackness of the room, and light takes over. Donna, at the switch, looks about cautiously, hoping not to leave any evidence of their unwelcome presence behind.
Audrey goes toward the bed without hesitation. After retrieving the belt from underneath Preslocke's trenchcoat, she turns the belt's buckle over. She examines the blue dot on the nymph being symbol's heart. It's dead of any signs of glow or flicker.
She looks to Donna.
"Got any more cigarettes?"
Donna nods and looks about the room. "Yes. But we can't do it here. In here, Cooper will find out the slightest smell of a cigarette when he returns."
Audrey nods in agreement. She goes back to the door, ready to return to her family's residence.
Donna makes sure to turn off the light and close the door as they both exit the bedroom with the belt in Audrey's possession.
CHAPTER 13
THE PATH INTO FURTHER DARKNESS
The further they went, the darker it became.
Flashlights could barely penetrate the never-ending veil of darkness that surround them. Not even the full moon, which seemed so bright a light shining on the Earth and through the trees, could reveal their path before them.
Preslocke leads the group with Hawk right beside her, and Cooper and Truman right behind them. All are silent. The only sounds that could be heard are the snapping twigs and crunching leaves from their heavy footsteps, and the creaking Douglas firs as the breeze, light and peaceful, blows through their delicate limbs.
Then suddenly...
The powerful wings of a big bird in flight can be heard coming toward them in the darkness.
Preslocke raises a halting hand. Everyone stops in their tracks.
By the time everyone stops and listens, the sound of those perilous wings has already faded. Cooper looks at Preslocke, concerned by her look of worry and fear.
"What is it?" he asks her. Preslocke looks at the path in front of her. Hawk has his eyes fixed in the same direction as if sensing something that bothers him. He puts a hand on the handle of his pistol, making Truman and Cooper do the same.
"He's near," Preslocke looks at Cooper. "We're near."
She's the only one without a pistol. The only weapons she has are those of the armed men who follow her. Having a weapon was against her temperament for she loved nature and those that inhabited it, even the Great Horned Owl of the nefarious BOB. And to use a weapon against BOB, especially a pistol, would only hinder him, not kill him, and killing the owl would only be a bodily vessel lost to him. He would always seek out and take on another host. Whether it be an owl or a human.
She takes the first step and walks on the unseeable path. Once she disappears into the darkness, the others have no choice but to follow her. To lose her would be utter chaos for they knew the darkness of this wood was very capable of making its victims go separate ways.
"STOP!!!"
In immediate alarm and fright from Preslocke's shouting command, Cooper, Truman, and Hawk stop in their tracks as they are now right behind her...
CHAPTER 14
THE REAL THING
Walking down the lonely sidewalk, Audrey and Donna stop in front of the Palmer house.
"Why are we stopping here?" asks Donna, who tries to act like everything is normal to anyone who might be watching in the neighborhood.
Audrey smiles and opens a hand toward her.
"The cigarette, please."
Donna just looks at her for a while and then digs into her purse for a cigarette. She places it gently onto Audrey's hand of silk. Audrey puts it to her mouth while looking at the back of Preslocke's belt buckle. Donna brings out her lighter and sets it at the cigarette's end.
With a single flick, the flame immediately lights the cigarette. Audrey inhales the smoke and blows it from her nose to the belt buckle.
The blue dot glows and flickers once again, this time for the real show. Audrey looks at Donna with hyped excitement, but Donna's eyes are deeply fixed on the dot. She notices something wrong.
She reveals her wristwatch and, as she did before, waits for the second hand to hit the hour and then counts in her mind the rhythmic beats of the flickering of the dot.
She isn't happy with what she discovers. Audrey can immediately see it in her eyes.
"What is it?"
Donna looks at her troubled.
"I think they're in trouble."
The cigarette smoke dissipates from the belt when Audrey looks at it again. Without hesitation, she puffs on her cigarette and blows it at the buckle again. She had to see the rhythm for herself.
The flicker of the dot is very hyped as if the heart has gained a heap of adrenaline due to sudden fear.
To Donna's surprise, Audrey runs off in the direction they already passed, frantic and not wasting any time.
"Wait!" Donna attempts to run after her, knowing Audrey would easily get lost in the woods if not stopped.
******
Deputy Andy Brennan is driving by in his police car with Lucy Moran sitting in the passenger seat. They are heading home together when something catches Lucy's eye.
"Andy? Is that Donna and Audrey?"
Andy looks to see what Lucy sees: Audrey running frantically on the sidewalk in the opposite direction they are driving, and Donna is chasing after her. A curious scene worthy of checking out immediately.
He pulls the car over and both he and Lucy exit to catch up with Audrey and Donna.
"Stop!" ejaculates Lucy as she struggles to run after them in her high heels.
She looks at Andy. He's already far ahead of her and getting closer.
In sheer frustration, she takes off her heels and continues running barefoot. Her pace picks up faster now. Faster than Andy as she speeds past him and is able to get in front of Audrey. She grabs her, hindering her pursuit of the dark wood to Cooper's rescue, and holds her against herself as Donna helps by holding Audrey from behind.
Andy is still trying to catch up as they handle a struggling and screaming Audrey.
"Let me go!! They're in trouble!! HE's in trouble!!" Audrey cries hysterically into Lucy's shoulder.
"It's okay, Audrey. Everything is okay," Lucy says in a soothing manner. But, unfortunately, this does not calm Audrey nor stop her from screaming.
"No!! They're in trouble!! Let me go before it's too late to save them!!"
Lucy looks at Donna as if asking 'What's this about?' Donna doesn't respond. She just holds Audrey and rubs her arms gently as she does so as they continue to wait for Andy.
Once Andy approaches them, he is totally out of breath and panting very heavily. He grips his thighs to balance himself from near exhaustion.
"Oh God... I need to work out more."
He looks up at Donna, Audrey, and Lucy. Audrey is crying helplessly. Andy straightens his posture and changes his attitude to a concerned-deputy-manner.
"What's wrong, Audrey?"
No response. Audrey only keeps crying and doesn't look at him. It is uncertain if she even heard him. The only thing that was certain was that she was very desperate to get out of the grip of the two women.
Knowing Audrey wasn't going to answer, she turns slightly to him.
"Agent Cooper, Agent Preslocke, Sheriff Truman, and Deputy Hawk are in trouble. This belt, that belongs to Agent Preslocke, seems to say so."
She attempts to gently grab the belt from Audrey's grasp. Audrey is willing as she keeps crying into Lucy's shoulder.
Andy accepts the belt from her and examines its rose-shaped buckle. He sees the inscription but can't make it out.
"Turn it around," Donna tells him. "The blue dot is like the heartbeat of Agent Preslocke."
Andy does this. He is greatly intrigued by the symbol with the blue dot, but he sees nothing in terms of 'heartbeat' that catches his eye. He looks at Donna confused.
"Smoke. You need smoke to see it. There are a few cigarettes left in my purse."
Andy, though still confused, gets a cigarette from Donna's purse and lights it. After a hesitant puff, he blows the smoke at the buckle.
The blue dot begins to glow and flicker as it had done several times to Audrey and Donna, but this time it's ten times brighter and more hyper than before.
A blue flashing cloud of smoke lingers in the still air to everyone's astonishment, except Audrey who refuses to leave Lucy's shoulder.
Mesmerized, Andy can't help but gently brush the dot with his finger. But then...
The little door at the nymph-like figure's head opens immediately upon his gentle touch!! Just as it did to Audrey earlier that day.
This frightens Andy, almost making him jump out of his own skin.
He looks up to find Donna and Lucy watching him with curiosity beaming in their eyes. His fear is undeniably obvious, especially with his whole body shaking. He looks at the dot again, this time he slowly, very slowly, brings his finger away from the dot.
The blue cloud of smoke fades with the incoming breeze, but nothing else happens after the opening of that mysterious little door.
Then, something catches Lucy's eye.
From the deeper shadows of the night, a gorgeous Northern Pygmy Owl flies into view. Audrey suddenly senses its presence and looks up at it from Lucy's shoulder. She's relieved seeing it and, along with Donna, Andy, and Lucy, watches it as it flies past them.
Audrey turns to Andy.
"We have to follow it before it's too late. It'll lead us to them."
Andy looks at her. He nods.
Without hesitation, everyone gets in Andy's police car and Andy, the driver, backs the car up and starts following the owl before it is too far away.
CHAPTER 15
PREY OF THE TALONS
Preslocke and the others are looking down at something very strange and eerie.
A very dark, wide, and deep hole is before them. Preslocke and Hawk are most affected by its evil presence.
"What is this to you?" Cooper asks Preslocke. He's very concerned about what they've gotten themselves into.
Preslocke looks at him with eyes filled with intense fear.
"A trap."
Then, the sinister calling of the Great Horned Owl is heard. Everyone looks and points their flashlights up to see it coming toward them. Cooper's light flickers due to the dying battery, making the sight of BOB's flight toward them more sinister and menacing. Its sharp and deadly talons are ready to attack. And it has only one particular target.
It's flying directly toward Preslocke!!
Preslocke checks for her belt, but she realizes in a panic that she has forgotten it back in the Great Northern Hotel.
Cooper, Truman, and Hawk take out their pistols and start shooting at BOB the Owl but miss every time as it dodges their bullets.
Cooper refills his magazine and aims at the owl. He fires!!
He missed, but... not really.
Another owl had come into view at the moment and unfortunately, it received the unpredictable bullet. It was supposed to fight off BOB, but now it was robbed of its very purpose.
"NOOOoooo!!!" Preslocke screams. Everyone looks at her alarmed, especially Cooper.
But she doesn't look back. She just keeps her eyes on BOB as the others keep shooting at it, still failing to hit their mark.
"Oh, Dweller!! Please forgive him for he meant nothing to hurt one of your own. Do help him. He's the only one who can help you under your guidance."
Everyone else looks at her puzzled over her strange words.
When BOB is so very close to clawing Preslocke, Cooper immediately tries to shield Preslocke from BOB's attack, but Preslocke pushes him aside with such force that he falls to the ground. He is nearly unconscious.
Preslocke bravely looks at BOB and lifts her hands in defense of her face. BOB's talons stab gracefully into her hands. They poke through the flesh of her palms to the other side, and blood gushes from the impact. Preslocke screams out in agony and, throughout the woods, her scream carries on.
To everyone's shock, BOB lifts Preslocke up with his talons tightly gripping her punctured hands and flies her over the dark hole.
Preslocke doesn't shout for help. She just looks at the group, just in time for Cooper to move to his side and gaze up to see her going into the depths of darkness. Love and tears are in her eyes. Cooper tries to get up but can't. He grimaces in pain from the fall he took.
Preslocke, for his sake, says her final words to him.
"You'll save me, Dale. Remember: Only you can see the signs. Never ignore or they will win."
And then, BOB flies both Preslocke and himself into the dark hole.
"Cherylllll!!" Cooper shouts as he outstretches a hand toward her. But he can't reach her. With strain and bitter pain, he gets up and starts going toward the hole. Truman and Hawk are speechless from what they are witnessing this very minute.
They too go toward the hole, but to their hopelessness and dismay, the hole had completely disappeared upon BOB and Preslocke's entrance. In its place is only the ground of the woods of broken twigs, dried leaves, rocks, and moist dirt.
Cooper starts digging the ground, hoping that it wasn't too late to find it. Truman and Hawk look at each other and shake their heads with pity at Cooper's refusal of not being able to rescue Preslocke.
Suddenly...
The sound of commotion in the woods is heard coming toward them. This startles both Truman and Hawk. They draw their pistols in the direction it was coming from.
"Don't shoot!!"
To both their surprise, the voice belonged to no other than Deputy Andy Brennan. Their flashlights shine on the fearful deputy's face... and on Lucy, Donna, and Audrey who are behind him.
Audrey sees Cooper and runs to him frantically with relief and tears of joy.
"Thank God you're safe!!" she says to him.
She brings him into a tight embrace. Cooper doesn't seem to acknowledge the hug or even her presence. He only feels pain in his heart and the rest of his aching body. He just stares at the ground where the hole previously was. Sadness and distraughtness are in his eyes.
CHAPTER 16
THE NEXT DAY...
It is mid-morning now. A very unpeaceful one indeed as the sound of machinery invades the sounds of all nature and life in Ghostwood forest.
The ground where the hole once was is being dug by the digging crew. The pile of moist dirt beside the hole being made is high and thick, and they still haven't uncovered the cave-like hole as of yet.
Agent Cooper, Sheriff Truman, Deputy Hawk, Deputy Brennan, Lucy, Donna, and Audrey look on as they are drinking their cups of fresh hot coffee. Well... everyone except Cooper, who keeps the steamy mug in his grasp but doesn't drink from it. His eyes look tired as they are fixed on the hole being dug.
Truman notices this.
"It's getting cold," he tells him as he sips his.
After a few seconds, he snaps out of his trance and looks at him as if to say 'Huh?'
"Your coffee, Coop. It's getting cold and you haven't drank a sip."
Cooper then looks down at the coffee mug that steams before him. It is black as midnight on a moonless night, just the way he likes it, but he has no appeal to drink it. Not now. Probably not ever until Preslocke is found alive and well. He is not only not himself, but feeling the returned emotions he had felt not so long ago.
He gives it to Truman who accepts it while questioning his unusual motive.
"I'm not in the mood for it. You have it. I can't have it go to waste."
Then he walks off into the Ghostwood back to Twin Peaks.
"Where are you going?" Truman calls out to him.
Cooper turns to face him and sees the entire group looking at him with wonder and worry.
"Back to my hotel room. I need rest before I collapse. I'll see you later, Harry."
He carries on walking away.
Truman, Hawk, and Andy look at each other saddened and not knowing what to do next.
Audrey is about to follow Cooper in hopes of comforting him, but Donna stops her. She shakes her head at her, revealing her disapproval of the act, knowing Cooper wasn't one who liked to be comforted. Especially now with his distraught state of mind.
As he walks further and further away, Cooper then sees the Northern Pygmy owl on the ground, hopping toward him as if drawn to him in a very trusting way. One of its wings is shot with dried blood on the feathers.
Cooper pities it, but, at the same time, questions it as to what species of owl it is. He kneels down on one knee and lets it hop into his welcoming hands. Once it does, he examines the bird. It looks at him hopeful yet with a shared sadness in his eyes. It seemed to have been close to Preslocke as Cooper was, and this saddens Cooper even more.
'A Northern Pygmy Owl', he thought to himself, sadness aside. 'This owl is only awake in the daytime. Why was it out during the night?' he wondered.
He looks deep into its eyes, hoping it would tell him, but it only stares and coos lovingly at him. For the first time since yesterday morning, a delightful smile comes across Cooper's tired face. He places the owl carefully inside his trenchcoat and carries on walking toward the exit of the woods and into the town of Twin Peaks for the Great Northern Hotel.
CHAPTER 17
ONE MONTH LATER...
In his hotel room, Cooper has the owl perched on his arm. The owl looks up at him with love and respect. While gently petting its head, Cooper smiles as they look deep into each other's eyes. It is obvious they had built a close bond after the tragic and unexpected loss of Preslocke. Something really Cooper needed to cope with and carry on his duties in finding BOB with each passing day since.
The owl's wing with the bullet wound is all cleaned up and healed, making it look ready for flying action. It is even more ready when the owl started flapping both its wings happily in preparation for flight.
Seeing this with joy, Cooper approaches the window and opens it. A light cool breeze consisting of the sweet scent of pine needles enters the room like a gentle ocean wave on a shore. Cooper closes his eyes as he takes in his favorite scent of the morning. And, without hesitation, the owl hops onto the window sill, stretches out its wings, and takes off without a farewell.
Cooper watches it for a while until it disappears in the distance. He is not at all saddened by the parting, for he knew this isn't really a parting to begin with. It is only a fresh start on Cooper's behalf. He no longer mourns for Preslocke, whose body was never found, nor was the hole. All he wants to do now was try and end this darkness that dwells so cruelly in the town.
He goes to the bed, picks up his recorder, and flicks it on.
"Diane, today I feel anew with the morning. I'm smelling the sweetest scent of pine needles in the air and it lightened my heart. Just as much as that owl I picked up the day after Agent Preslocke's disappearance. I'm no longer mourning loss, for I know with or without me, Preslocke's a fighter beyond words. And if she has already perished, I know she died with great honor. But if she's still alive, I pray one of these days that she'll return in one piece. You and I, and the entire Bureau, of course, know what she's capable of. And we'll all miss her til she resurfaces."
He stops the recording to pause and swallow his acceptance of Preslocke. He knew he had no choice but to let her go, for he knew Preslocke would've been displeased if he didn't already. He continues the recording again.
"The owl in question has been released. I know this is not the end between him and I. Him coming to Preslocke's rescue is something of a sign of another force at work here. A force I'm very much aware of for I have witnessed it numerous times in the Bureau. I'll see to it that whatever this force shows me, I'll use it to my advantage to end the darkness that plagues this town once and for all. Now I'm going to take a nice hot shower and go downstairs to have some breakfast. I could really use a damn good cup of coffee."
And with that, he enters the bathroom for that desired refreshment after a nice hot shower.
******
Meanwhile, the Northern Pygmy owl flies through the Douglas firs of Ghostwood until it reaches a spot that is open but surrounded by trees.
A whirlpool suddenly appears in the sky with the colors of white and dark blue. With each swift whirl, it resembles the mixing of two paints and it is truly an awe-striking sight. The force of wind is like that of a tornado but that doesn't bring fear to the owl as it flies toward it. Nor hinder it.
Without second thoughts, the owl flies into the whirlpool and is closed in upon its entrance. The whirlpool disappears into thin air.
The owl is now in another dimension... another wood more heavenly and desirable, despite seeming the same as Ghostwood with its tall Douglas firs, the delightful smell of pine needles, and the light cool breeze that travels through the trees. There is even the sound of a roaring river nearby. Little patches of snow are on the ground here and there, but the temperature in this dimension is not cold. The sun still shines, but it is a bright blue, instead of the familiar yellow fireball that shines in the previous dimension. The color is so similar to that of the symbol of the Blue Rose Task Force that Cooper is involved in. And yet somehow, this sun has an eerie presence that is completely unexplainable.
Off to the distance is a flawless light-skinned woman wearing a white trench coat with the unmistakable blue rose pendant, white trousers, and white high heels as she stands watching the scenery before her. Her long smooth and dark hair gently moves with the breeze, and her blue eyes are striking to look at. A true beauty to behold.
She hears the owl's flight coming toward her and has her arm ready for him to perch. Once the owl has perched, they look into each other's eyes. Seeing the owl's healed wing, she smiles warmly. She raises her arm so that the side of the owl's head is close to her lips. Then, she begins whispering into its ear, just like Laura Palmer did to Cooper in his dream so many nights before.
THE END... FOR NOW
©2023 Nightstar/TwinPeakFanficNovels
No comments:
Post a Comment