Triggered

By Bertha Beltran

Triggered is about false events in a young woman's life that are not real but she reacts to them as they were.
She can see, smell, feel in those events however when she asks for help there is no proof of those events. Her attempt to figure out what is happening to her ends up working in her favor when she uncovers a field of human remains.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669853930

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Bertha Beltran.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 11/16/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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1

It was 6:00 a.m. on a Monday, and Alicia was getting ready for work. She put her hair in a ponytail and added hairspray to keep it in place. She didn’t need makeup, but she liked wearing red lipstick. She had worn it almost all her life—well, not all her life, but since age fifteen. That’s pretty close. Some people were good at wearing eyeliner or eyeshadow, but she’s a pro at wearing lipstick—even putting it on without a mirror. Business casual is what’s required for work, and having to pick something to wear every morning was not her favorite thing. She would rather they move to wear a standard uniform. With her bag, keys, and coffee cup in her hand, she walked outside. The morning dew gave away a crisp smell in the air. It smelled like a freshly watered lawn. Looking at her truck in disappointment, she let her head drop back and sighed. Awe, man, I just got it washed. All this space and you poop on my truck, she said, waving her hands around to show the space. It was such a large surprise the birds had left, as if on purpose. Alicia opened the door and a light at the bottom turned on, shadowing the word YUKON on the concrete. That was one of her favorite features of her ride. The other was that her husband had surprised her with a new stereo system and surround sound. She placed her things in the truck, her coffee cup in the holder, and her phone on blue tooth set to her favorite music. Today she was listening to country music, some new, but most of it classic country. As she closed the door, a flock of birds flew away as if startled. They swooshed down close to her windshield one by one then upward, disappearing into the sky. Shaking her head, she backed out of her driveway, drove to the end of the street, and made a left turn on a two-lane road. Of course, five miles over wouldn’t hurt anyone, she thought to herself, looking at the usually posted speed limit sign of 35 mph. Approaching the end of the road on the left is the same baseball field she passes by daily.

During wintertime, the grass always looks wet from the dew, and the dirt on the diamond looks dry and dark. On really cold days, the tips of grass have that silver sheen to them as if they were coated with ice. It wasn’t cold enough for that yet. This time there was something different on the field. She slowed down, trying to discern what was there. She squinted her eyes to focus better, but what she was seeing couldn’t be. Trying to take a closer look, she waited for the oncoming cars and once it was clear, she turned left into the parking lot of the Double Diamond Little League Baseball Field. Driving a few feet forward toward the largest field, she parked her car, not worrying if she was parked correctly. There weren’t any cars there at that time in the morning anyway. She got out in a hurry and there she saw it, a body on the field, in plain sight. With an opened mouth, she slowly walked closer to the body. The grass crunching under her feet was all she could hear. As she came closer, she put her hand over her mouth. Why didn’t anyone else stop? I can’t be the only person who saw this. A woman was just lying there face down. Her hair was long and dark with a few highlights. It looked tangled at the ends and matted in other spots. She was unable to make out the woman’s face, as most of it was covered by tangled hair. The woman was wearing a white jean jacket that had grass stains and dirt from the field, denim blue jeans, and Nike white shoes, which matched the jacket with similar stains. The woman’s hands were blue and her nails a darker shade of the same color. There was a gold watch and a ring on the left hand. The latter indicated she was married or engaged. Although there wasn’t a purse near the body, Alicia didn’t know if this was a robbery gone wrong. The woman was still wearing her jewelry, and Alicia had watched enough Chicago PD episodes to know that a thief would take everything. But someone acting like a thief would just fake a robbery. Alicia was taken back. There wasn’t an odor to this body either. Remembering that time she took the trash out and found an opossum dead in the trash, she could smell that thing from a mile away. She made sure Antonio took out the trash every time after that. Whoever this woman was she didn’t smell. Standing there, Alicia could smell the wetness of the field. The mixture of baseballs, sweat, and cut grass was also in the air. She could smell the cold, if that made sense. There was no movement from the woman. She was so still, almost frozen, but that couldn’t be. If she had died overnight or been murdered, where was the blood or fluids? The weather in Texas was never cold enough to freeze a person. Well, almost never. For sure, it wasn’t cold enough last night or this morning. The weird thing was no one else had stopped to see if this woman was all right. No one was curious about the woman lying lifeless in a large field in plain view. Those who drove past the field could see it from the road, but the view wasn’t great. The view was much better in the direction Alicia was coming from. Still, there were a few cars that were in front of her, and no one stopped. Alicia looked around at the field. Maybe someone was watching. There wasn’t a note or drag marks or blood. Alicia wasn’t an expert on crime scenes, but the body didn’t just appear, right? She would have seen footprints or something, but there weren’t any signs. Alicia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and looked at the body. Well, I am not imagining this. Who would do this to a person—a woman, someone’s daughter, or a sister? She stood there and asked herself, What should I do? Should I flip the woman over or search her pockets for an ID? There was nothing around the body to identify her. A few moments after just staring at the body, saying a silent prayer for her soul, Alicia pulled her phone from her back pocket and made the call.

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2

911, what is your emergency? Alicia heard on the other end.

I am calling to report a woman’s body at the Double Diamond Little League Baseball Field. Well, she looks dead. She is not moving or breathing, she reported.

I am sending help right away. In the meantime, are you able to find a pulse? the operator asked in a calm tone.

She is face down. I’d have to move her hair and maybe her head to find a pulse? Alicia said.

Then leave things just the way they are. It’s better if you wait for help. They should be there soon.

She put her phone back in her pocket and walked over to her truck and waited inside. She was thankful that it was still warm. About ten minutes later, she heard the wails of the police sirens and an ambulance. The police car parked what would have been three parking spaces if she parked between the lines. The ambulance parked a lot closer to get to the injured woman as soon as they could. She watched two officers get out of the patrol car. They walked toward her and gave her a nod as they walked past her window. The EMTs ran by to get to the woman that was lying on the cold wet field as soon as possible. Maybe they could still save her life. Alicia waited in her truck, typing a text to her boss, stating she would be running late. As soon as she hit Send, an officer knocked on her window. The tinted window moved downward slowly but only enough to hear the officer speaking to her. He asked her to get out of her vehicle.

Hello, I’m Officer Johnson. What is your name? he asked in a rough but calm voice.

Alicia DeVilla, she replied with slight nervousness.

Are you the one that made the call? he asked.

Yes, she replied quickly.

You mentioned you saw a body on the field. Is that this field? he said, pointing to the only field they could see clearly from the parking lot.

Yes, why? she said, concern showing in her voice.

Alicia, there is no one on the field. Are you sure about what you saw? When did you notice the body was on the field? He sounded bored.

I saw the body from the road, and I turned in to take a better look, she said, almost speed-walking to the field to show the officer exactly what she saw. She noticed that the other officer and the EMTs were staring at her. She looked toward where she had seen the body face down just moments ago, but the body was gone. Alicia looked over toward the ambulance, then at the gurney. No one was there. She even scouted the other fields. Just a field of grass was seen. Confused, she brought her hands to her head and kept looking. As she tried to explain what happened, the words wouldn’t come out. After a few deep breaths, she tried again.

There was a body right here. It was a woman with long hair. I couldn’t see her face because she was face down. Her voice was slightly louder than normal. She kept telling her story to the officer. He listened, as did the others around her. She gave him details of what the woman was wearing, such as the colors of her shoes and jacket, and even described her jewelry. How is this possible? Her voice was shaky.

Officer Johnson heard her story, then he mentioned to Alicia he wanted to check her vitals. You seem a little shaken by this experience, the officer said, motioning for an EMT to come closer. Alicia watched the officer with disdain. Her vision was forced to the EMT, who ran over to her immediately.

Mornin’, ma’am. I’m Mike. Are you currently taking any medications?

No, she replied, offended.

Please look straight ahead. Alicia crossed her arms and did as she was told. Mike swung the light from one eye to the other. She squinted as soon as the light hit her eyes and heard Mike say, Equal and reactive. Mike also told her, her blood pressure was slightly elevated, but he had chalked it up to her unexpected experience. Alicia saw that he nodded at Officer Johnson and left.

Alicia stared at them as they drove out of the parking lot. Officer Johnson had been talking to her, but she was just staring straight ahead. He had to snap his fingers in her face to get her back to earth. Startled, she focused back on the policemen in front of her. The other officer just stood there staring at her. He didn’t say a word, but he looked at her with sympathy. Alicia had seen that look before. She moved her eyes over to Officer Johnson. He looked upset. I am not sure what is going on here. Calling 911 and making a false report is a crime. However, I am going to let this one slide. I suggest you be on your way and be careful.

Not having the words, she nodded her head in agreement and watched him walk away. He had a limp that she hadn’t seen earlier, and he leaned a little to the right when he walked. He looked to be in his midsixties. The back of his neck was red. His hair was a dirty blond. His uniform told a different story. The outline of his wallet was seen imprinted on the right back pocket. He probably didn’t like shopping for new uniforms or couldn’t. Alicia saw him get into the driver’s seat. He brought a cup up to his mouth and looked at her as he closed the door. The other officer was about twenty years younger, tall, lean, and looked like he worked out. He was clean-shaven, and his uniform was clean and crisp, like just out of the bag. He wore his full uniform, including the police cap. No other officer wore the patrol cap, but this officer seemed to wear it with pride. He looked her way, tipped his cap, then jumped into the passenger side and closed the door. She waited in her truck until they left. Frustrated, she rested her head on the steering wheel and tried to focus. Bewildered, she couldn’t explain what just happened, not even to herself. How dare they make me look like a liar and a criminal? She was sure they also thought she was crazy. Alicia sucked in her teeth and with new determination, decided to stick with her story. She was positive about what she saw, and no one could tell her differently. As far as what happened to the body, who knew? It disappeared into thin air.

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3

She arrived at the small printing company where she worked. She didn’t mention a word to anyone about what had happened and blamed her alarm clock for being late. Alicia had been working at Prints Depot since she was a senior in high school, long enough that she could run the business herself. As a senior she was working after school, mostly making deliveries of prints the local school needed or other companies around town. Once she graduated, she was offered a full-time position with an increase in salary. She knew more about printing, paper, ink, laminates, and more than anyone else. She trained the new hires, and she even fired an employee or two. That was the worst thing about working there. The first employee she fired had accused Don of unwanted attention. It wasn’t sexual harassment, according to her. But it was some of the things he said. Karen had asked Alicia why she had been working at the simple printing company for a man who wasn’t worth the dirt under his shoes. Alicia was genuinely offended by Karen’s comments. There wasn’t any weight to her words, and Don wasn’t that type of man. Alicia walked into Don’s office early one morning and told Don she was going to fire Karen. She knew Don wasn’t aware of the comments that were being said against him. The surprise on his face said it all. Alicia was adamant about not letting Karen keep her job. She was afraid that Keren would include employees in her devious lies. No one deserved that kind of drama. Don gave Alicia the go-ahead, citing negative attitudes were not allowed in the workplace. As soon as Karen walked in, Alicia spoke with her and sent her out. The entire office agreed with that decision, and the best part was that Alicia fired her.

Alicia was a social butterfly and they loved that about her. Well, that’s what most of her coworkers told her. The ten-year romance with her job was her career. It was never her intention to be there that long, but she had gotten comfortable and liked the people she worked with. She worked with one of her best friends. They had known each other since middle school and had gotten into trouble together many times. Sofia was a little taller than Alicia. Her hair was short and trendy. She had brown eyes and a crooked nose from a fight in high school. Sofia had had surgery to fix it and it looked much better now, but still not the same. When Alicia was getting married, Sofia was there to help her with the plans and was a bridesmaid. Her family had catered the event. They were very good at making brisket and fajitas on the barbecue pit, and they offered that as a wedding gift.

Alicia had been married less than ten years to Antonio DeVilla. They attended the same high school and had been together since. He was exactly what she wanted in a man. His six-foot-four-inch frame let her wear heels without having to be taller than him. His lean medium build but not too muscular body made her feel safe. At the beginning of their relationship, she didn’t put much thought into his height and build. They had attended a football game together in high school. When they arrived at the event, they took their seats on the bleachers. Antonio left to get drinks from the concession after asking her what she wanted to drink. Alicia was having a hard time keeping another guy from putting the moves on her. She let the creep know she had a boyfriend, but he didn’t listen. She then threatened she would do damage to his family jewels. The guy laughed the threat off and grabbed her arm. Alicia pushed him off with her free arm without much effort. When she looked at him, Antonio had already pulled him off. He threw him to the ground and beat him senselessly. The guy was left on the ground and Antonio came over to Alicia and held her in his arms. School security was suddenly there. They questioned Antonio and a few of the students who witnessed what happened. Alicia learned two things that day. She knew at that moment that she would always be safe. The second was that Antonio never backed down from anyone. She was still in love with him. He still made a T-shirt look good in her eyes. He kept his hair shaved short, which look great on him. He was hardworking and ambitious.

She was also his type, he told her all the time. She was of average height and not too tall. Her dark wavy hair hung around her shoulders. It framed her face just right. According to Antonio, her best feature was her eyes. She could get her way every time she gave him a certain look. She knew he loved it. Alicia thought Antonio was lying when he told her that her eyes were her best feature. She was sure it was either her breast or her butt. Antonio had been a handyman since high school and made good money doing so. He was particularly good at it, and most of his clients were from the small neighborhood they lived in. Someone always needed their plumbing snaked or stove fixed, and he was the right man for the job. Alicia wanted to go to college and get a degree in something but didn’t know what field. She was never interested in long-study careers like medicine or law. She didn’t have any interest in science or fashion. She was okay with whatever she could get that would help pay the bills. Antonio always said he would follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a handyman too.

Luca, the older son, at eight years old, with his big brown eyes and long lashes, was always an attention-getter. Everywhere he went, people—women mostly—stopped to praise his eyes. He was also taller than most kids his age. Alicia was sure he was going to be as tall as his dad. Luca liked playing outdoors most of the time. Getting down and dirty was his number one priority. The second was climbing a large oak tree in the backyard. Every day Luca had a new way to climb that tree, and Alicia was impressed each time.

Andres, at five years old, had dark eyes and light brown hair. People could easily get lost in the depth of those eyes. After looking at family albums on both sides, they couldn’t figure out whose eyes Andres had inherited. So far, his were the only dark eyes in the family, Alicia was constantly being told how beautiful Andres’ eyes were. Remembering back to the weekend they went to the beach. A lot of people had commented about Andres’ eyes. He had gotten