Bound By Nature [ A NaNoWriMo Novel]

Chapter Three

That afternoon, my life became so spiced up it seemed it would never calm back down.

It was November 30, and my entire life was changed by one fortunate mistake.

Third and fourth block were uneventful- third block was a free period that I spent in the library trying not to check out the cute guy on his laptop at one table, and fourth block was US Government, which I had with Kale as well. We spent the time flirting, of course- it seemed like we'd be doing a lot of flirting over time. I'm not really used to flirting, but this guy made it so easy- he didn't even compare to El Stupido from back in Albany, he was that much better already.

Leaves scuttled across the mostly empty street while I walked, embarrassed, frustrated, and tired, away from the car that had broken down and toward where I thought home might be. I'd only lived here a week- only had the car for a week- and already, this. Shoot me, please, someone. I sighed and pressed on while heavy clouds parted overhead, at least granting me sunlight, thankfully. One good thing to happen since school got out.

A car pulled up next to me- a smooth dark green Cadillac- and rolled down the window while cruising. My heart was thumping heavily in my chest and every nerve was a livewire, tense and ready to go at one wrong word. My eyes landed on a man I'd never seen before in my life- mid-forties, thick bushy brown mustache, balding top of his head, graying hair, and deepset eyes that seemed to be taking in every detail of my body. I gulped heavily.

"Um, do you need something?" I tried cautiously and a wicked grin rose the corners of his lips and creased his eyebrows.

"Yes, ma'am, I do. I've got a stash in the back of my car here, and you seem pretty miserable, like you might need to escape life for a while. Hundred bucks and it's all yours." If he's trying to be persuasive, he's failing, he's just being a creep.

"Not interested, not enough money, not enough reason. Stash of what, anyway?" I said quickly, arms across my chest and walking faster now. At least he's not trying to put me in the back of his car.

"The good stuff- ganja, the magic herb, greens, the healthy plant..." He continued on and my eyes widened.

"You're trying to sell me drugs?!" I exclaimed. He nodded, wicked grin still in place, looking every bit like a cartoon bad guy, just without the leather jacket. This guy had on a peacoat, of all things. I took one more look at him and then took off running down the side of the road.

"Hey, wait!"

I ignored his yells and tore off, edging away from the side of the road. A thin strip of pines was just ahead and I dashed into it and through the pines, out into a field of tall, untamed grass and weeds, wild rosebushes and other plants growing. I jumped through the thick foliage to the most interesting structure- a tin shack that seemed for all intents and purposes to have been claimed by the plantlife. A door hung off its hinges and vines creeped over the entirety of the building. A tiny patch of sand was partially covered in front of the hanging door by worn away, moldy bits of doormat.

The floorboards creaked beneath me as I stepped into the shack-like structure, my breath fogging in the crisp November air. The musty smell of nursing homes combined with the distinguished odor of rotting wood filled the air around me. With considerable caution, I stepped forward once more, the wood emitting another loud groan to echo around the structure. I heard a slight crack and stepped back, and began scanning the area around me.

Dust motes filled the few beams of sunlight that fell through gaping holes in the tin roof. A door was to my right, leading to another room, and in this one I could see faded patterns on linoleum in one corner, a falling-apart kitchen setting resting on the linoleum. A table with a broken leg sat in a lopsided heap with two toppled-over chairs. A molding yellow-and-green couch rested against one wall, surprisingly still standing, though it had gashes in the cushions. Most intriguing, though, was the dark wooden box stowed away beneath the couch. Curiosity filled me and I began to move forward, heading closer to the box. I ignored the creaks and groans of the floorboards as I approached the couch.