Over The River and Through The Woods

"-To grandmother's house we go-" Chelsea sang as they traveled through moving shadows and fading light. Then her smile faded. "Seven years." She exclaimed with awe as the road turned to dirt beneath the wheels. Trees sprung up high above them like impenetrable emerald walls as they made their way across the old wooden bridge and deeper into the woods.

"Crap. Lost internet." Charlotte slammed her cell phone down onto her lap and glared out the window. To her, the trees looked like prison bars, blocking the rest of the world out; and the deeper they traveled into those woods, the more imprisoned she felt.

"No internet out here, remember?" Her mother reminded her. "No service either. But I think it'll be good for you to take a break from it. And Grandma has a phone that you can use if you need to call me." Chelsea made the final turn onto a long and windy dirt road, and suddenly, her expression grew dark. "Speaking of which... If you need me, I mean really need me, don't hesitate to call... You hear me?"

"Yeah Mom, I'll be fine." Charlotte sighed.

"I mean it." Chelsea pushed on. "Grandma can get a little cranky sometimes. I think she's getting Alzheimer's. Just... Watch her hair. It changes colors with her mood... Promise me you'll call if you need me, okay? I won't be too far away that I can't come to you... You hear me?"

"Hmmm?" Charlotte turned to Chelsea as if she hadn't been listening. "Oh, yeah Mom, I promise... And if she's as bad as you say, why are you leaving me alone with her?"

"I don't have anywhere else to take you. You can't come to the convention with me since it's employees only. And besides, it's been seven years and it'll be good for you to spend some time together. I'll be back tomorrow and we'll all have some of Grandma's famous strawberry tea together." She smiled. "And who knows, we might stay longer if I end up with a job here."

"Great." Charlotte grumbled sarcastically, crossing her arms. She was sixteen, and hadn't seen her grandmother since she was nine. All she wanted to do was hang out with her friends back home. She didn't even want to spend the weekend away from them; much less, the rest of her teenage years.

"Listen honey, I know it's rough, but we can't afford to send her to a home yet, and if her mind is as bad as I think it is, someone will need to look after her." Chelsea flipped the turn signal on as she turned into the driveway, even though there were no other cars in sight. "So in addition to getting reacquainted, your job is to evaluate just how bad off she is... Whether she needs to be looked after or not... Can you do that?"

"Sure. Fine." Charlotte reluctantly agreed as she watched her grandmother's house fade into view. It was a cute little cabin with brown walls and green shutters, but what really caught her attention was the garden in front of the house. The flowers and plants seemed to have taken over since they were last there seven years earlier. Green mixed with vibrant purples and reds as the colors trailed the walkway, hanging over it like overgrown trees.

"Oh, and she said she would need help with the garden." Chelsea remembered as she parked the car. "I can definitely see what she meant now." She leaned forward a bit, her dark eyes gazing through the windshield and up at the tall greenery. "You might want to wait until tomorrow so I can help too... Remember. Call me if you need me." She turned to Charlotte to make sure she heard her.

"Yeah, yeah. I will."

"Alright. Ready?" Chelsea painted on a smile.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Charlotte sighed, and they got out of the car, heading to the trunk to get her backpack. As she flung it on her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of her grandmother coming out to greet them. She was seventy-two, but she didn't look that old. Her light gray hair was pulled back into a loose bun, and a goofy smile was plastered to her pale face.