Giddings [✓]

Chapter 1 · Backyard Treasures

Dan rapped his knuckles loudly against the wooden door, backpack slung across one shoulder and a suitcase waiting at his feet. Half a minute later, the door creaked open and Jane appeared with a smile on her face. 

“Dan!” she exclaimed, “it’s so good to see you.”

“Hey, Mom,” Dan greeted, leaning over and giving Jane a heartfelt hug. 

“How was your flight from Austin?” Jane asked, moving out of the doorway so her son could bring his luggage inside. 

“Oh, it was fine,” Dan replied, coming inside. “A little turbulence coming into Denver, but that’s to be expected.”

“Right, well I’m glad you came back in one piece, for your mother’s sake,” she laughed. “Anyways, you know your way around. I’ll start making dinner while you get settled in, okay, Dan?”

“Thanks, Mom,” Dan nodded, then hauled his luggage up the stairs.

...

The next afternoon, Dan was outside in his mom’s backyard, preparing the area to be mowed. Mowing the lawn was one of the many things he did to help her out when he came to visit, knowing it was getting harder for her as the years went by. 

He approached the glass table resting in the grass, a couple of metal chairs pulled up to it. Dan moved the chairs, then began dragging the table to the edge of the yard when a flash of light brown caught his eye. 

Hidden almost completely within the grass was… a bark chip? He stooped down and picked it up, turning it over in his palm. One side had the letter I and the numeral 1 engraved on it. It was a game piece, that’s for sure, but from what game Dan didn’t know.

Curious now, he looked through the tall grass that desperately needed cutting and sure enough, found a second letter tile, this time a Z with the number 10 on it. He kept searching, but could not find any others. 

The tiles were dirty after laying for some unknown amount of time in his mom’s backyard, but still in surprisingly decent condition despite Colorado’s harsh weather. 

He shrugged, pocketed the two letters, then went to the garage to retrieve the lawnmower.