Page 162 of Valor

SHADOW OF THE MILL

Helena Smrcek

DiAnn, thank you for your kindness, love, and unwavering encouragement. Your strength and faith shine brightly, a testament to the grace of a strong woman of God.

CHAPTERONE

Northern Moravia, 2025

When the P.A.system announced her stop, Meghan Robins was glad to be finally rid of him—the fifty-something man who stared at her for most of the ride from Prague. She gathered her belongings and proceeded to the door. The Ostrava-Prague Express slowed down as it approached the station. A sign came into view a few short minutes later, spelling out the name of this small town. Under her breath, she tried to pronounceKrasna Hora. One glance over her shoulder assured her that the stranger had no intentions of getting off at this stop. The knots in her stomach slowly dissipated. Perhaps traveling alone for the first time made her a little paranoid, but Meghan was sure he took a picture of her with his smartphone. Had she been back in Toronto, nothing would have stopped her from walking up to him, demanding to see his device, and insisting he delete the picture of her. But this far from home and not speaking Czech, Meghan wasn’t as confident.

The train screeched to a stop, and she pressed the green button to her right. The door swished open. This was it. Her fingers subconsciously gripped the golden chain with a heart-shaped pendant her parents had given her as a graduation gift. It was inscribed with three simple words:God is Love.

Meghan puffed out her cheeks and stepped off the train into a foggy, damp June afternoon.

She made it. The sudden sense of relief surprised her. That was something to be proud of, but Meghan had no idea what to expect next. Her surprise inheritance was an enigma to her. What had Grandpa been thinking? She knew no one here. Meghan touched the red Griffin on the front of her white hoodie. Her fingers ran over the embroidered symbol of the University of Guelph, and she cracked a smile. Mom and Dad were so proud of her when she crossed the stage and received her diploma only four days earlier. She was supposed to be looking for a job, not traveling to a small town in an obscure corner of Europe in search of a dilapidated mill. At least, that was what Mom said when Meghan presented her decision to her parents. Dad took her side, saying that it was a good idea for Meghan to take a couple of weeks off after the finals. And who knew, maybe Fred fixed up the place. Mom laughed at that. Meghan decided to pray about her decision, and once she did, she knew. She needed to take this trip despite Mom’s reservations.

Her blond hair soaked up the drizzle as Meghan inhaled the mountain air. She would enjoy this adventure. The handle of her suitcase cut into her hand. She dropped the luggage. It landed on the wet pavement with a thud and startled the two pigeons waddling along the platform, searching for crumbs. Meghan’s skin prickled from the cold dampness. Her damp hair re-tied into a messy bun, she pulled on the UofG windbreaker Mom insisted she pack. This small town, nestled at the foot of a major mountain range, experienced rapid weather changes. Hence the weight of her suitcase. Summer didn’t always mean sunshine in this part of Europe.

Meghan took the phone from her crossover bag, ready to order an Uber. She looked up at the sign, carefully typing the town’s name into the search bar. Just as the train’s P.A. system announced that the doors were about to shut, Meghan looked up. A man stepped onto the platform. It was him. Meghan tightened the grip on her phone. What was the emergency number here? Why had she not known that?

He glanced her way, pushed his fedora lower on his forehead, and walked toward the closest exit. She snapped a picture of his retreating backside. Hopefully, she would never run into him again, but one could never be too safe. Feeling justified, she checked her screen and then clicked on her Uber app.

The sound of rushing feet startled her. A teenager ran up the platform stairs, gasping for breath. He repeatedly pressed the glowing green button next to the automated door, eager to board the train. The ear-piercing sound of the conductor’s whistle, followed by metal-on-metal scraping, made Meghan cringe. The train groaned to life and pulled out of the station.Meghan watched the last car fading into the distance, a sense of loneliness wrapping around her. She had visited this town only once. That had been fifteen years ago with Mom. This time, she was alone.

Meghan stifled a yawn. She’d planned to sleep on the overnight flight from Toronto to Prague, but a grumpy toddler sitting behind her had ensured that no one in her section dozed off for long. And once she noticed the man glancing her way on the train, she couldn’t close her eyes either.

The deserted platform added to her anxiety. She glanced across the tracks toward the train station’s main building. It had been rundown and dirty all those years ago. A little scary.Today, the bright yellow stucco façade decorated with ornate details looked much more welcoming.The building had been restored to its original 19th-century grandeur.

Meghan pulled up the luggage handle, readjusted her knapsack, and held onto the strap of her crossover bag.

God, I’m not sure this was a good idea. I should have listened to Mom. Get a lawyer to handle this. Please keep me safe. Help me sort this thing out. Fast.

Filling her lungs with a deep, calming breath, Meghan set out to meet the next phase of her journey. She spun around, searching the platform for an escalator that would take her to the underground passage leading to the main building. There wasn’t one, only two flights of stairs in front of her. Stopping halfway down the stairs, she took out her phone and checked the Uber app. No signal.

The luggage handle cut off the circulation to her fingers as Meghan descended into the brightly lit tunnel. The white tiles covering the walls seemed surprisingly clean, and much to her relief, the passage didn’t smell like dirty bathrooms. A large sign dangled off two wires right above her head, creaking in the draft. It pointed to the exit. There was no one around. The wheels of her suitcase rattled over the uneven concrete, the sound echoing off the walls. When she reached the next set of stairs leading to the main building, she let out a deep sigh.

“Let me help you.”

Meghan looked up, startled.

A tall man in his early thirties appeared as if from nowhere. He stood a few steps to her left, perhaps intentionally giving her a bit of space, but his outstretched hand seemed to be ready to grab the handle of her suitcase.

Was he planning to run away with her stuff? Grandpa used to warn her about people stealing anything they could get their hands on. But Grandpa always seemed to be a little paranoid. She glanced up the two flights of stairs looming in front of her, then back at the handsome stranger. Blue jeans, Adidas T-shirt, black hair swept off his forehead, Nike’s on his feet. Judging by his biceps, Megan deduced he must be a regular at some local gym. He didn’t look like a thief. What would a thief look like around here?

“Sure, thank you.”

The man’s smile reached his chocolate eyes. The man picked up her luggage and walked up the stairs. Briskly.

Was Grandpa right? And how had the guy known I wasn’t from here? And spoke English?

Her heart rate increased. Meghan sped up to keep up with him, a drop of sweat forming on her forehead.

At the top of the stairs, the stranger stopped. He set her suitcase down, waiting for her to catch up.

“Thank you,” she said, embarrassed at her dark thoughts that had turned this good Samaritan into a luggage thief.

“No problem.” He nodded curtly and walked away, taking long, confident strides.