I Monstrum

Chapter 19 - 5 Years Later

      Knock! Knock! Knock! ...

      Knock! Knock! Knock! ...

      "Sir, it doesn't look like anyone is home."

      "Just be patient, Mister Debarron. Knock again."

      Knock! Knock! Knock! ...

      "I don't like it sir. It's too... quiet."

      "Of course it's quiet! This is the country and these are country folk. They don't rush to their doors. If there's anyone here, they'll take their sweet time to answer. They know their house isn't on fire."

      The door slowly creaked open and an older man somewhere in his 60's said, "Howdy, how kin I help yeh?" He smiled and the crinkles at the outside corners of both eyes deepened.

      "Hello Mister Fenton, sir. General..."

      "That's okay Mister Debarron, I'll take it from here... Hello Mister Fenton. My name is Jeremy Orwell, but you can call me Jerry...

      "An yer... a General?"

      "Yes, but..."

      "Why would a General want to come ere an talk teh me?"

      "Well, I must say it is a pleasure to meet you, but we..."

      "Yew, wanna talk teh Samantha, meh daughter and meh son-in-law, Steve."

      "Yes, that is exactly what we would like to do."

      "Why b'y? Dey no longer work for deh military." He looked at them sternly, "Now, don't yeh be bringin em back into yer fold! Come in, come in. I'll call em on deh radio... Der ote in a bote fishin, so y'll ave teh wait fer dem teh come back."

      "Okay, thanks!"

      Debarron looked at him and shook his head.

      "Let's go in like he says, Mister Debarron."

      "But sir, is it..."

      "Just do it..."

      "Okay sir, "I'll go first to make sure it's safe."

      "General Orwell rolled his eyes. "Debarron, in this place, it's more dangerous in the city than out here in the country. As I said, these are country folk, they are hospitable, peaceable, but to the point, in the things they say. My uncle was from the east coast. So just trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

      "If you say so, sir."

      They walked into a small porch with a large freezer off to the right. They passed through another doorway and were looking at a pantry. Off to left was another door, but to the right was the doorway to the kitchen. They stood in the kitchen and waited. Almost everything in the kitchen was old. From the counter top, to the refrigerator, to the electric stove. The kitchen opened up onto the living-room. In a central location was an antique wood stove with a white enameled surface. The kind that used to be manufactured hundreds of years ago, in the mid 20th century. There was an amazing fireplace with many various types of stone embedded in the cement. A fireplace a geologist might dream up. Above the fireplace, a set of large moose horns were mounted. To support the second story, a large beam had been roughly carved, sanded and shellacked.

      "This place is..."

      "Rustic."

      "Uh sir, I was going to say...old"