Meg
Meg walked around the house. The workmen were gone. She was alone. She had handed Fred the roll of bills and then insisted he count it for herself as well as for him. She knew it was there, but she wanted him to know as well. As she watched him she was suddenly struck by how innocent and child like he seemed. There was more to Fred Himes then anyone would ever know. She had asked for a tour around the house so he could show her what he had done. He explained about the double welding and that it would take a cutting torch for anyone to get inside. “So don’t lose your key or you will be sleeping in the yard.” He had suddenly become agitated when he said that. Strange. She turned back into the house then turned and watched him climb into his Toyota pick up. Man that big had no business in a little truck like that.
She checked her eBay sales and then frowned because there were none. Business was sure down for some reason. She clicked through to her store and then to the mark down manager. Of course she had to sign in again. Ebay was very careful about that. She selected several vinyls and then changed her mind and selected them all. She marked them 50% off, selected the start and end date and then clicked to save. That done she checked her emails. Nothing very interesting there. She wandered to the kitchen and stood at the sink. She really should fix some lunch, but suddenly the idea of eating alone brought tears to her eyes. Was this how the rest of her life would be? Eating alone, sleeping alone, walking alone? What was the point? She opened the refrigerator and picked out an apple. Then she grabbed a handful of Cheddar Cheese squares. She took her keys off the hook behind the door. At the clink of the keys, Daisy and Elvira appeared, fresh from a nap!
“Come on girls! Let’s go for a little walk up the mountain”. She picked her knap sack off the hook, put two bottles of water and an empty plastic sour cream tub inside. “ Got everything you ladies need, so let’s hit it!” She put the keys in her pocket, the knap sack over her shoulder, got a bottle of water for herself, and lastly took her walking stick down from over the door. It was a gift from Tom many years ago. It was very sturdy and had a hummingbird etched on the side with flowers. Very good for stabilizing herself as she walked and sturdy enough that she could defend herself if need be.
The dogs ran ahead and sniffed everything in sight. Of course they also had to mark their territory, because that is what dogs do. It was a beautiful day and while warm it had a cool breeze blowing down from the mountain. She picked a trail that looked sort of worn and the dogs immediately joined her. Birds flitted in the canopy overhead as they walked. Meg was always alert to the possibility of a timber rattler so she kept the dogs close.
Almost imperceptibly a change came over Meg. Her footsteps slowed and the dogs came closer. What was it? She could feel eyes on her. She turned around. Nothing. Daisy stopped and her hackles raised. She stared ahead into the underbrush. Meg stopped and strained her eyes. Nothing. No, wait, there was something. Something about that big Pine tree. The growth at the bottom of it was mashed down. Had a bear been here? Could very well have been. It was wilderness and there were bears. But the limbs had been removed. No, not removed. Only some of them. It looked like a ladder the way they were staggered. She stepped on the first one. Then up another one. One more. She could set up here and be quite alone. This branch made a nice broad setting place. She sat and turned. Her eyes fell on her farm. A cold feeling of dread settled over her. Was she the only one that knew about this place? She quickly scampered down the limbs again and when she reached the ground the dogs were staring at her quizzically.
She turned quickly and started back down the path. The dogs fell in step behind her and did not run and sniff. They could barely keep up with her. When she reached the edge of the clearing she stopped. She opened the knap sack and got the bowl and water. The dogs lapped greedily. Meg gave them each a piece of cheese and then ate the rest of the cheese and the apple. Her nerves began to relax and her mind began to clear. Maybe it was just the spell of the forest. She looked down the mountain. She could not see her farm from here. She looked up to see if she could see the tree she had climbed. No. She was going to need to delve into this a little further. Where did the trail lead? Was there a house up there? If so, who lived there? Who could she ask? Fred. Of course. He had been on this mountain for years. He would know.
She knew she needed to proceed with caution when she talked to Fred because he was one skittish little fellow. That was alright. She was just curious. Now how to get Fred to the house without alerting him. Of course! Now the only way anyone could get into her house was if they used the doggie door. It was in the wall going to the back yard. True her dogs were small and so was the doggie door, but it could be possible. She would have Fred build a metal cage that the dogs would exit into for their “personal needs”. She would have plenty of time to visit with him while that was being done. She glanced back over her shoulder as she hurried down the mountain. She could not shake the feeling that eyes were boring into her back.
When she reached the house she quickly entered and slammed the door behind her. With shaking hands she found Fred’s number, but before she dialed she took several deep breathes and composed herself. The phone rang several times before she finally gave up. She would try later. He did not seem to have an answering machine. After several hours, he answered. She explained her plan to him and he promised to come by the next morning. She smiled as she hung up the phone. Fred was so easy.
Meg walked around the house. The workmen were gone. She was alone. She had handed Fred the roll of bills and then insisted he count it for herself as well as for him. She knew it was there, but she wanted him to know as well. As she watched him she was suddenly struck by how innocent and child like he seemed. There was more to Fred Himes then anyone would ever know. She had asked for a tour around the house so he could show her what he had done. He explained about the double welding and that it would take a cutting torch for anyone to get inside. “So don’t lose your key or you will be sleeping in the yard.” He had suddenly become agitated when he said that. Strange. She turned back into the house then turned and watched him climb into his Toyota pick up. Man that big had no business in a little truck like that.
She checked her eBay sales and then frowned because there were none. Business was sure down for some reason. She clicked through to her store and then to the mark down manager. Of course she had to sign in again. Ebay was very careful about that. She selected several vinyls and then changed her mind and selected them all. She marked them 50% off, selected the start and end date and then clicked to save. That done she checked her emails. Nothing very interesting there. She wandered to the kitchen and stood at the sink. She really should fix some lunch, but suddenly the idea of eating alone brought tears to her eyes. Was this how the rest of her life would be? Eating alone, sleeping alone, walking alone? What was the point? She opened the refrigerator and picked out an apple. Then she grabbed a handful of Cheddar Cheese squares. She took her keys off the hook behind the door. At the clink of the keys, Daisy and Elvira appeared, fresh from a nap!
“Come on girls! Let’s go for a little walk up the mountain”. She picked her knap sack off the hook, put two bottles of water and an empty plastic sour cream tub inside. “ Got everything you ladies need, so let’s hit it!” She put the keys in her pocket, the knap sack over her shoulder, got a bottle of water for herself, and lastly took her walking stick down from over the door. It was a gift from Tom many years ago. It was very sturdy and had a hummingbird etched on the side with flowers. Very good for stabilizing herself as she walked and sturdy enough that she could defend herself if need be.
The dogs ran ahead and sniffed everything in sight. Of course they also had to mark their territory, because that is what dogs do. It was a beautiful day and while warm it had a cool breeze blowing down from the mountain. She picked a trail that looked sort of worn and the dogs immediately joined her. Birds flitted in the canopy overhead as they walked. Meg was always alert to the possibility of a timber rattler so she kept the dogs close.
Almost imperceptibly a change came over Meg. Her footsteps slowed and the dogs came closer. What was it? She could feel eyes on her. She turned around. Nothing. Daisy stopped and her hackles raised. She stared ahead into the underbrush. Meg stopped and strained her eyes. Nothing. No, wait, there was something. Something about that big Pine tree. The growth at the bottom of it was mashed down. Had a bear been here? Could very well have been. It was wilderness and there were bears. But the limbs had been removed. No, not removed. Only some of them. It looked like a ladder the way they were staggered. She stepped on the first one. Then up another one. One more. She could set up here and be quite alone. This branch made a nice broad setting place. She sat and turned. Her eyes fell on her farm. A cold feeling of dread settled over her. Was she the only one that knew about this place? She quickly scampered down the limbs again and when she reached the ground the dogs were staring at her quizzically.
She turned quickly and started back down the path. The dogs fell in step behind her and did not run and sniff. They could barely keep up with her. When she reached the edge of the clearing she stopped. She opened the knap sack and got the bowl and water. The dogs lapped greedily. Meg gave them each a piece of cheese and then ate the rest of the cheese and the apple. Her nerves began to relax and her mind began to clear. Maybe it was just the spell of the forest. She looked down the mountain. She could not see her farm from here. She looked up to see if she could see the tree she had climbed. No. She was going to need to delve into this a little further. Where did the trail lead? Was there a house up there? If so, who lived there? Who could she ask? Fred. Of course. He had been on this mountain for years. He would know.
She knew she needed to proceed with caution when she talked to Fred because he was one skittish little fellow. That was alright. She was just curious. Now how to get Fred to the house without alerting him. Of course! Now the only way anyone could get into her house was if they used the doggie door. It was in the wall going to the back yard. True her dogs were small and so was the doggie door, but it could be possible. She would have Fred build a metal cage that the dogs would exit into for their “personal needs”. She would have plenty of time to visit with him while that was being done. She glanced back over her shoulder as she hurried down the mountain. She could not shake the feeling that eyes were boring into her back.
When she reached the house she quickly entered and slammed the door behind her. With shaking hands she found Fred’s number, but before she dialed she took several deep breathes and composed herself. The phone rang several times before she finally gave up. She would try later. He did not seem to have an answering machine. After several hours, he answered. She explained her plan to him and he promised to come by the next morning. She smiled as she hung up the phone. Fred was so easy.
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