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“That sounds perfect. I like to bake but I’ve never made donuts.”
Silver flaps her hand, dismissing my concern. “It’s easy. I can teach you in a couple of shifts.”
We talk for a few more minutes and finish eating. Silver is easy to talk to, funny and a bit of a smartass. I like her immediately. Once the place clears out a little, Mona joins us again.
“You’re interested in the night job?”
“I am. For part time.”
“Can you follow directions?”
“Yes.”
“Can you fill in occasionally if our other girl calls in?”
“Sure. Any night, really.”
“Fifteen dollars an hour work for you?”
It’s more than I expected her to offer, to be honest, and the money isn’t important. “That sounds fine.”
“Great, we’ll try you out for a couple of weeks and see if it works out. I’ll have your tax paperwork for you when you start.” She regards Silver. “What night do you want to start training her?”
“Tomorrow?” Silver suggests, looking at me.
This has to be the easiest, fastest job search of my life. “I’ll be here.”
It’s nearly dark when I leave Lucky’s. With a stomach full of delicious food and a new job, I’m feeling good. I’ve accomplished a lot in the last couple of days.
The heat of the day fades into a muggy night, and I pull my hair up into a ponytail to get it off my sticky neck, then sit out on my porch to watch the light recede. Cicadas scream from the trees, overpowering the crickets that try their best to outdo them.
It’s strange how such a cacophony can somehow seem peaceful. The last of the glow has dissipated from the sky when a light draws my attention to the neighbor’s barn as the door opens. A moment later, the light goes out and Arlow walks between the barn and his house, disappearing into the graveyard.
Again? Silver said he keeps to himself and that the last tenants never even met him, so I doubt I have to worry, but why does he hang out in a graveyard at night? It’s so creepy.
My second night in the cabin is better than the first, mainly because I have a nice new bed to crawl into thanks to today’s delivery. With one of my favorite albums playing, I sink into my pillows. In a blink, night turns into day, and I’m squinting at the beam of sunlight sneaking in between my curtains.
Despite my good night’s sleep, I wake with a familiar rattly feeling, like electricity is coursing through me. It puts me onedge, but I’m not going to let it ruin my plans for today. I’m too eager to explore. Silver mentioned a creek. Undeterred by the heat, I fill my water bottle with ice water and set out to find it.
The trail through the woods isn’t hard to locate, but it clearly hasn’t seen many feet recently, judging by the overgrowth along the edges. Grass has started to crawl over the narrow dirt path. I take out my phone and check what direction my cabin is in on the compass just in case I lose the path or get turned around.
Stepping into the forest feels like entering another world. The temperature drops in the shade of the fragrant trees, cooling the sweat on my skin. The soft rustling of leaves is accompanied by the musical rise and fall of bird songs. My earbuds sit in my pocket, but there’s no desire to put them in as I’d planned. Instead, I soak in the murmur of the forest. My steps are languorous, allowing me time to take in my beautiful surroundings.
Not too far in, another trail splits off to the right. Pausing, I look around, ultimately deciding to keep heading straight. I’ll see where that branch leads another time. The forest is getting a little dimmer, taking on a hazy look. By the time I reach the creek that pushes the trees back from its borders, the sun has disappeared behind rolling clouds.
The creek is bigger than I expected, maybe twelve feet across. The water is unbelievably clear, and the sound it makes as it flows downstream is wonderful. After dipping my fingers in to feel how cool it is, I walk alongside it, just listening to its gurgly song.
It meanders, growing wide and shallow in some spots and more narrow and deeper in others. I’m not sure how long I’ve been walking, lost in my thoughts when I look up to see a small wooden footbridge.
What did Silver say was on the other side of the creek? An empty crop field, I think, and some more forest before the dropoff she warned me about. The soft thunk of my footsteps on the thick wooden planks frightens off a few birds from a nearby bush, startling me for a second and making me laugh at myself.
My fear that I’d be afraid in the woods is unfounded. From the second I walked onto the trail, my anxiety began to dissipate. I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in a long time.
It’s not an empty field that I find on the other side, but an overgrown copse of trees. A sweet smell wafts over, and I realize what it is before I get close enough to see the branches hanging low with fruit. A peach orchard. Or maybe it’s considered a grove with so few trees.
Long wild grass grows underfoot, and I’m careful to watch for snakes while approaching one of the trees. A few peaches decorate the ground as well, most being devoured by ants. What a waste. Peaches are delicious and they don’t get any fresher than this. A ripe peach comes easily off the branch when I pluck it.
My plan to walk back to the cliff can wait until my next walk. It’s so warm and muggy. Suddenly, sticking my feet in that cool creek and enjoying the peach sounds like the best thing in the world.
