The Smartphone Saga: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signals

Chapter 5: Acquainted

Outside the City of Stalt was a mountain. This mountain was once mighty, with a single snow-crowned peak and verdant forests below. Within the peak was a- well it hardly matters anymore. It's gone now. Now the mountain has two peaks and a near-perfect crescent shape between them, as if someone had taken a bite out of the middle. The Twin Peaks Mountains serve as a reminder of an epoch of lost history, in which earth-shattering displays of power shaped the world itself. And even the mountain was fading like the era that formed it. One peak was crumbling slightly, spilling rubble down the east side. At the base of that crescent curve was a lake, and on the south side of that lake was a house.

To call it a house would be ambitious. It was a dream, and like dreams the house was confused and unfinished yet unmistakably grand. That dream had been a Manor, a fortress of wealth in the shape of a fat upside-down 'U'. Abandoned before it could reach infancy, forsaken before it could stand at all. Years had turned the bare construction site furry with weeds, the low walls peaking above chest-high grasses. Occasional cellar openings lay filled with water and mosquitos like forgotten buckets. Around the middle several walls stood above the rest in stony stubbornness, the only eye-level remnant of aspirations once cherished.

Following a floating light, Clara and Petra led Jasson through the foundations and into the high-walled section. After a few turns they arrived at a large opening with a curtain over it and tarps pulled tight above for a roof. It was more stone than home, but Jasson could see that a lot of effort had been put in.

I thought that they had been in Stalt for a while, Jasson thought, but this feels...new? More like unfinished.

"Welcome to our home," Clara said, "It's not much, but it's enough."

"Ah," Jasson said, "this is where you're staying? It's...nice."

Petra snorted behind Jasson.

"It has a great view," Clara said, holding aside the curtain that served as their door, "and it's never stuffy in the summer."

Clara said that like it was a cheerful line she'd practiced, one of those little lies you tell yourself and others. Like how it was fine that your car was dented and dirty because that means it won't get stolen. Or how you enjoy seeing your toes poke through your shoes because it meant you got your money's worth out of them. Silver linings painted on the rusted and worn, making them glint like new. At least from a distance.

"Thanks" Jasson looked up at 'the view' before ducking inside, "That was a few more miles than I anticipated and I have to say, I'm not sure this was worth the walk."

"Yes it was," Petra said, "For you at least."

Unsure of what to make of that, Jasson looked around the room. It was a large kitchen, with several wood stoves along one wall and a couple of suspiciously modern-looking sinks. There was a table on the stove side of the room and two other doors leading out, one of which was boarded up. The other half of the room had a pile of supplies on the floor and a couple of mattresses against the wall, as well as another door that had been boarded up.

"I know that it's not much," Clara said, "But we keep the beds made and the table filled with food. We're making progress."

"It's a pittance," Petra said, "I'd be ashamed to show you but I doubt that you care. Then again we will be eating standing up since we don't have any chairs. I'll understand if you complain after fainting from that."

"What?" Jasson said, "Why would I faint??"

"Well the walk was so far," Petra said, mocking tone grating on Jasson, "I wouldn't want to push your delicate constitution. Maybe you'll have to take the meal in bed."