Echoes

Chapter 1

Leah Kendry drove down the small familiar dirt track, relieved to finally be at the end of her long journey. There, peeking out between the trees, in the early evening light, was her new home. However, rather than excitement, Leah felt her chest tighten and the tears burning her eyes as she parked her truck next to the porch. 

So many memories ran though her mind as she took in the rickety, hanging porch chair and the old, battered looking wind chimes. Physical reminders of so many happy memories, of trips to pop's cabin in the woods when he was home from deployment. Memories of relaxed, easy, evenings sat on that porch swing as they planned what adventures they would be embarking on the next day.

With a loud sigh, Leah stepped out of the truck and walked tentatively towards the porch. The knotted wooden door that her pops had built himself, looked just as it had done when she was last here, almost a year ago. Glancing down at the wooden slats that covered the crawl space under the porch, Leah counted five from the left and pushed the shrubs aside. A small flick moved the slat aside, allowing her to feel behind for the key, pops always left there for emergencies.

Leah stood in front of the door for way longer than was necessary, as she steadied her breath and prepared herself to go in. As she walked into the cabin, she stopped and glanced around the once welcoming and homely space. Everything was just as she remembered, as though time had stood still. 

Leah could practically hear her pops calling to her "Hey sweets, drop your bag and come give your old pop a hug". The bittersweet memory, brought on a flood of tears as she stood unable to move forward.

Stamping her feet and shaking her head to remove the painful emotions, Leah took a deep breath and walked into the main living area. Running through a well practised routine, she immediately set up the wood-burner and lit a fire, before heading out to the utility room to turn on the water pump and solar battery. 

Standing at the sink, she turned the taps and listened to the spluttering of water making it's way up through the plumbing, as she checked the old kettle for spiders. Once the water had run clear, she filled the kettle and set it on the old gas stove to boil.

It took a couple of trips to bring in her meagre possessions and groceries from the truck. Turning on the floor lamp, it's light and the glow from the wood burner, instantly made the cabin feel less empty. With groceries put away and a mug of coffee in hand, Leah sat at the small dining table and paused to take in the atmosphere. 

Picking up a small photo frame from the dresser beside the table, Leah glanced at the smiling faces of pops and her, taken about 10 years previously. A small chuckle escaped her as she remembered trying to persuade pops to take a selfie with her, on the porch, one summer's evening.

A notification on her phone, interrupted her reminiscing. It was a message from Captain Jacobs, an old friend of pops, asking if her move had gone well and to call him to arrange a meeting, when she had settled in. Leah sent back a quick text to say she'd just arrived and would be in touch soon. 

Captain Jacobs had approached her after pop's funeral and they'd met for coffee to share stories about pops and to discuss what her plans were going forward. When she'd explained her financial situation, the Captain didn't hesitate to throw her a lifeline, by offering to find her work on his base. Thinking back, it still felt so surreal, how quickly things had changed.

Her pops had been in the US army since leaving school, just like grandpa, and had worked his way up through the ranks. He'd transferred from the regular army, to Delta Force, and had commanded his own unit through numerous successful missions. He'd bought the cabin as a hunting hideaway for when he was off duty. He'd always said that it was his place of peace, away from the chaos and horrors of war, where he could decompress and unwind.