A Blue Mountain Memory

LIII

Two days later, Cora, Henry, Lee, and William arrived in Mount Baylin. Their train had rolled in during the early hours of the morning, just as the sun was beginning to peek above the skyline.

The carriage ride from the station to the town center had been a lot shorter than Cora remembered. Maybe the world was just smaller to her now that she had seen more of it.

Everything outside of town looked untouched. No trees had been cut down, no roads had been maintained, no buildings constructed. It was as though the landscape had frozen itself in time, waiting for Cora's return.

As her body rattled inside the carriage, holding William in her lap, fast asleep, Cora tried not to think of Elwood. She tried not to imagine his disappointment towards her silence. She was supposed to write him, but she had left his address tucked away in her bureau at home. She sent no word to inform him of her departure, so it was likely he would assume their friendship was over.

Cora's gaze wandered from the window to her husband sitting across from her. His eyes were fixed on their surrounding environment. He appeared fascinated, glowing with a youthful sense of wonder and amazement. Lee, on the other hand, who sat beside Henry, appeared sick. His face had grown pale, and his mouth turned down. He could not hide his distaste for their hometown, and only Cora knew exactly why.

The Davis siblings were about to venture back to their past in a town that they assumed would not have changed for the better– if at all. They were entering the abyss of their bygone agony, exposing themselves to uncomfortable reunions and hostile encounters. Yet they would have to keep Henry oblivious to the tension, creating distractions and maintaining a relaxed facade.

Soon, the buildings of the town center emerged just beyond Cora's view in the window. She should have felt her heart swell with excitement at the sight of her birthplace. Her limbs should have been aching to jump from the carriage and run across the meadow as she did so many years ago. But instead, Cora felt a wave of nausea wash over her body. She knew this trip was a mistake; she felt it in her bones. As the carriage rolled through town, Cora's brow furrowed curiously at the emptiness surrounding them. Not a soul was in sight. Although it was early in the morning, Cora was sure there should have been some people wandering about, getting ready to begin their day. But instead, the sidewalks remained vacant and the only sound that echoed between the buildings was the rattling of the carriage wheels. Cora's focus then shifted to the buildings themselves. For the most part, they all appeared the same... Only, they were now run-down and visibly decaying with each passing day.

Within moments, the carriage turned down a side road, leaving the image of Mount Baylin's crumbling town center out of Cora's view. The vehicle came to a stop before a grand house, tucked away in the trees– yet still a short walking distance from the main road. Cora recognized the house almost immediately. She went there only once in her life as a very young girl. Her visit had been church related, though she could not remember the exact reason... Yet the house's beautiful grandeur had stuck in her mind after all these years.

The carriage had brought them to the Call mansion.

"Henry?" Cora asked anxiously. "Is this where we'll be staying? I don't understand..."

"Yes, we're renting this home for the duration of our visit. Isn't it lovely?"

"Renting it?" Cora repeated in confusion.

"The house is owned by a Mr. Joyce; he purchases old homes such as this one then makes a profit renting them out to tourists. Sidney told me about him."

"Mr. Joyce?" Cora said quietly to herself, still not understanding why she would be staying in the Call home.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Henry asked, leaning forward.