Burning Ember

Chapter 2

After a restless night filled with tossing and nightmares, I awoke only marginally less weary than the day before. Nevertheless, I dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans, then called for a taxi. A brief ten-minute ride took me to Dover-Foxcroft, the closest town with a Walgreens among other handy establishments. It was quaint, with seemingly amiable residents. In the town's general store, I encountered Martha, an older lady with streaks of grey in her shoulder-length muddy blonde hair. Petite and pleasantly plump, her smile was incredibly warm. She managed the store, and as we conversed during my search for necessities, I inquired about their delivery services as it was one of the places I had found that did.

She nodded in affirmation, "Oh, yes, we offer delivery services, usually for the elderly, but it's my son who handles the deliveries."

Clasping my hands together in excitement, I said, "Wonderful, I was hoping to arrange something, maybe a weekly grocery delivery? I've recently moved here and haven't gotten a new car yet, so getting to town is a bit challenging," I elaborated while placing my basket on the checkout counter.

"Absolutely, dear. His delivery days are typically on Thursdays, and he accepts either cash or check. Here are the forms," she said, extending one towards me. "Simply enter a quantity in the box for each item you require. When he delivers, he'll provide a new form for the following week." Martha tallied up the items as she continued to explain. At the counter, I filled out the form with my choices, adding my name, address, and phone number at the top. After handing it back with thanks, I gathered my bags. The taxi driver was still parked and waiting outside when I came out. He opened the trunk and assisted with loading the bags before driving me back home.

Heaving the armful of bags up the porch steps, I managed to open the door and kick it shut behind me as I hauled them all to the kitchen table. Cleaning supplies, a few towels, and some food to hold me over for a few days until my groceries arrived. After putting everything away, I got to work.

A cellar was planted into the ground at the back of the house. It was small and dark with a dirt floor, and hardly enough room to stand up straight. But I found a worn broom inside among other things. Old jars of canned vegetables that were most likely foul, a few rakes and tools, and a rack that appeared to be meant for a shotgun or rifle. I took the broom back into the house and swept from room to room. Working my way from one floor to the next.

The second floor had a narrower set of stairs that led to the attic. Sun light cut through the rounded window in visible beams of dust that lingered in the air. Cobwebs covered the exposed wood rafters in the roof, and a stack of boxes that was piled in the corner. Propping the broom against the wall, I brushed my hands together, and walked toward the boxes. One was full of men's clothes. Plaid shirts, checkered button downs. Things that made me think of what my grandfather would wear. I set the box aside and dug through a few others. They were full of old photos, knick-knacks, and one of them held a set of silverware. The green tarnish that was on them suggested it was real silver.

To the left was a door made of plain wood, featuring a brass knob. As I opened the door, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Inside, a mannequin stood, draped with a dress frozen the midst of creation. To its right was a sewing table, and against the wall, bundles of fabric were piled in the rounded turret room that was bathed in light from windows on every side. Once I overcame my initial shock, mistaking the mannequin for something otherworldly, I stepped inside to explore. The room's height offered a panoramic view of the estate. Although the road was obscured by trees, I saw the driveway, the rear garden, the encroaching woods, and to the south, a cabin nestled among the trees, smoke winding from its chimney into the sky. Curiosity about the cabin's occupant flickered within me, but I dismissed it and resumed my cleaning.