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It was situated on hundreds of acres of land. Papa Bennie had split it between strawberry fields and livestock, which were situated on the back of the property. In front of the house were gorgeous displays of flowers he’d kept up with in his free time.He’d told me his grand plans of adding different kinds of berries to increase his income in the warmer months.
I wish he’d gotten to do it. I’d loved the days when the farm was open to the public and people would pick their own berries.
I knew it would be different, but when I almost missed the driveway because I didn’t see the wooden sign that announced its location, I saw firsthand how things had changed.
Papa Bennie had painted that himself, as well as built all the payment stands we would sell berries from. The sign was gone, and the fields where people would park were overgrown.
At least the gravel driveway was in surprisingly good shape. I turned onto it, eyeing the white home situated on the top of the hill.
It didn’t look all that abandoned. The siding was in decent repair and the wraparound porch showed no age. No lights were on, and no cars were in the driveway, but the land was mowed and kept tidy.
My eyes swept over the rolling landscape and the clear skies. I parked and got out of the car, hearing nothing but the birds.
And when I took a deep breath, I smelled fresh air.
Holyshit,I’d missed this. The air was so clean, even with the animals close by. The sky was endless, dotted with clouds.
What would it be like to see this all the time? What was working in the fields like? Had Papa Bennie enjoyed seeing the sunset from his porch every night? Or had he come to resent it over time like Mom had?
I grabbed the key left in the letter from my pocket and approached the front door. It didn’t fit into the lock, but I’d been locked out of dorms a lot. Maybe age had warped it somehow.
I knew how to use a credit card to get in. When the door was loosened, I took a long breath, preparing myself for dust anddebris. I didn’t know if I could even sleep in the house tonight, but even my car felt better than anywhere near Trevor.
Slowly, the door opened, and instead of an abandoned mess like I’d expected, I walked into a fully furnished living room.
It was exactly like Papa Bennie had left it, though the furniture was newer. A three-seater couch under the bright window. A small TV on a nightstand. A few jackets around. The walls were painted a serene blue, with photos of the fields adorning the free spaces.
It looked like someone had just been heretoday.But that wasn’t possible. Surely, things would have aged. Surely, it should look worse than this.
Unless the magic of this townwasreal.
My thoughts were broken by the sound of footsteps, and I turned to the door to see a hulking figure staring at me.
All I could do was scream and grab the nearest weapon.
4
CAIN
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Kerry Winsor
The group is SO quiet. What’s up with that?
Comments:
Atticus Thompson: Simone got an A on her grad school final.
Kerry Winsor: That’s not news. We all knew she would. (Congrats, though.) What about Gabriel?
Kerry Winsor: Has nothing else happened? Really? No offense, Atticus, but the Facebook group has been DEAD. Can’t someone race down Main Street to give us something to talk about?
Jackie Anne: Do NOT wish that upon me. I need my beauty sleep in order to do your hair.
Kerry Winsor: Okay, fine. Maybe don’t race down Main Street. But can someone do something interesting?
Jade Clark: I could try to make my zombie candle again.