Lightning

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There was less than a mile to go before my final turn onto Rainbow Ridge and I was driving down a large hill into a wide valley.  I could see the turn-off at the bottom of the slope.  The sun had broken over the mountains, clearing the fog and warming the still-humid air.  I dialed my music down to a whisper, listening to the sounds of the birds and the faint bubbling of a nearby stream.

I turned off the pavement onto a winding dirt road.  On my right, I first passed a farm that appeared to specialize in chickens, cows and goats.  It was a small, old-fashioned place, with wooden fences, a barn that had been turned into a home and a small herd of beautiful, furry brown cows.

About a mile and a half up the street, a wooden sign painted “Floralia’s Produce” marked the stone-paved drive to my new home.  The driveway was lined with flowering trees and bushes; the smell was intoxicating.  After about a quarter of a mile, the trees opened to a large two-story farmhouse.  It was a pretty gray-blue with white trim.  A wrap-around porch surrounded the first story.  Sitting on the porch, enjoying an early morning pot of tea, were my sister and another woman, whom I could only assume was Aunt Floralia.  They stood when they saw me and Char waved as they descended the few steps to the walk.

I parked next to the red Jeep and Char opened my door before I could even turn off the engine, as impatient as ever.  It actually seemed to be getting worse with age.  I didn’t even want to think how rushed she would be after a few more centuries.  I slowly removed the key and unbuckled my seat belt.  The instant I was standing, Char was hugging me tightly.  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she exclaimed.  “I can’t wait for you to see our rooms!”  It must have been really good for her to show a level of giddiness that she normally teased me for exhibiting.

“Welcome, Zinnia,” Floralia said gently once I had been released from my sister’s grasp.

“Thank you, Lia,” I smiled as I hugged her.  She gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.  Lia was a pretty woman, probably supposed to look like a human in their late thirties.  But she carried herself like our mother and I was willing to bet she had spent at least a few millennia as a faerie.  She was just shorter than Char and I, but I still didn’t know my own height.  Her hair was a light blonde and went to the middle of her back in soft curls.  Her skin was fair, her eyes a medium brown with golden streaks.  It would not be difficult to convince people that she was Char’s aunt.

“Your mother said we should give her a call when you arrived.  Should we all head into the house?  I have all the paperwork ready in the dining room,” Lia suggested.

“That sounds great,” I replied as Char grabbed my hand and dragged me up the porch steps.  She poured me a cup of tea and handed it to me briskly before scooping up the other two cups and the pot.

“It’s green tea with dried apples,” Char pointed out.  “You’re going to love it.”

Lia ascended the steps smoothly and we followed her to the front door, which she held open for us before following us in.  “The dining room is the first doorway on the left,” she directed.  “Take a seat wherever you’re comfortable.  I’m just going to find my laptop and I’ll join you in a moment.”

The house was decorated in what I decided to call contemporary country.  The walls were faded shades found in nature: greens, blues and browns with splashes of yellows and pinks.  The floor and crown moldings were all bright white.  Char breezed past me into the dining room, setting down the flowery china she was carrying on the glass-covered cherry table.  The chairs were fully upholstered in sage green velvet.  She took a seat on one side of the table, and I slid carefully into the seat beside her and squeezed her hand under the table.