Fresh Mountain Start

1

The car bumped gently on a large crack in the barely maintained road, shaking John out of his sleep. Gary, in the driver seat beside him, was humming along to the radio, filling in the tune when the heavy storm caused the signal to drop. The mountains loomed ahead of them, lit up like dark teeth by flashes of lightning as the storm rumbled its approach.

'You were snoring,' Gary said. 'You kept time with the song though, so I didn't wake you.'

'How far now?' He stretched as best he could in the cramped seat, banging his hand off the boxes shoved into the back.

'Not far,' Gary said. 'We passed through the village a few minutes back. The moving van was parked up down there.'

'Do you think they've already been up to the house?' John asked.

'Might be because of the rain,' Gary answered. 'Mud slides and falling rocks are things that happen up in the mountains, right?'

'They haven't messaged,' John said, glancing briefly at the lack of notifications on his phone.

'I don't know, you're the one in touch with them.'

'No, I'm not asking, I'm telling,' John said.

'Maybe they got lost.'

'Should we go back down? Maybe it's not safe-'

'Oh don't start. You said you'd give this a chance, John. We haven't even got there and you want to go back-'

'I didn't say anything, I'm just worried about driving in this-'

'Do you think we should go back down?'

'I don't know Gary, you're the one driving,' John said.

There was a long pause as Gary stared at the road ahead. Then he shrugged.

'It's too tight a road to turn on. And besides, we're nearly there. We might as well carry on now, right?'

'And my bladder feels like it's getting ready to burst,' John said.

'Maybe the movers were just worried about the rain. I didn't see any roadsigns or anything about problems, though.'

'Let's call when we get there,' John said. 'It's around the next corner, right?'

'Right. Yeah, think so. Look, there's the wall.'

The mountainside was covered in dense forest, elms and oaks and pines creeping right up to the edge of the road, roots threatening to break up the asphalt and reclaim the cleared land. Everywhere they looked it was the same. Rank upon rank of dark, deep trunks- except ahead, there on the right, a small gap in the trees, and a roughly built stone wall, just about illuminated by their headlights.

As the car turned in to the small copse, the house slunk out of the darkness. Ancient wooden walls were suddenly in view, artificial light shining on them for what John imagined must have been the first time in years. The light bounced and flickered as the car trundled through the mud and rocks and deep puddles of water, until they were as close to the front door as they could get. They jumped out and ran to the shelter of the large awning that hung over the porch, Gary fumbling in his pocket for the keys. The door opened with a horrible creak, and then they were inside.

Their first view of their new home.

'This is it,' Gary said, shutting the front door and smiling.

'This is it,' John said, flicking at the lightswitch.

'Electric and water is coming tomorrow, remember?'

'Ah,' John said.

That was probably for the best. If he was able to see what his nose could smell, he might have insisted Gary drive them back down the mountain that instant. The stench of decaying wood, of damp and mould and animal was so strong that he opened the front door again to try and get some fresh air.

'I'm going to do a quick check up the stairs and make sure nothing has been damaged since the last time we were out here.'

'The last time WE were out here?'

'Check the bedroom is clean and everything,' Gary continued, ignoring him. 'You remember where the toilet is?'

'Halfway down the mountain, by the looks of things,' John said.

'Don't start. I'll be up in the bedroom. Come find me when you're done.'

'I'm only going for a piss,' John said.

'Well, find me when you're done,' Gary repeated.

He turned, and turned on the torch on his phone to light his way. He took the stairs slowly, and John listened to the threatening creaks and cracks as they took his weight for a few moments before his bladder reminded him of its needs. He copied Gary with the phone torch, and made his way across the creaking, rotting floorboards, glancing over at the dust filed room that would be the living room, and in to the mould covered room that would be the kitchen, before opening the door below the stairs that was the downstairs toilet.

He closed the door behind him and sighed.

This was it. What they'd invested all their money in.

This was home, like it or not.