The Mysteries Of Baker Town

Part 3: The Neighbor and The Boy

I turn the corner of the cabin to find an old red cooler a few feet ahead of me. I start towards the cooler and open the dusty lid. As I bend down in reach of a coco-cola, I get a weird feeling that someone is watching me. I quickly turn around, my back against the cabin, to see a man's face appear in the window from the cabin next to me. It is a male, probably in his 40's. Brown hair and a grey button up T- shirt. His cabin looks more like an old shelter. My heart jumps and I stand perfectly still, as if he hasn't spotted me. I don't want to strike up conversation with this man. But I have a strange feeling deep down that I can trust this new neighbor. I push that thought away as quickly as it comes to the surface. I take a shallow breath, grab the soda, and start walking back to the front of the cabin. But before I can get there, a deep gentle voice stops me in my tracks.

"Hey there. Haven't seen you around... you new to town?"

I can't ignore him any longer so I turn my body slowly toward's his direction. I grip the cold soda hanging from my hand and look down at my dusty converse. 

"Yeah", was all that seemed to escape my cracked lips and make its way out into the air around me.

The man kind of giggles.

"How long are you staying?"

Could this man not take a hint? I did not want to talk to him. I barely knew him for Christ's sake. 

"Two months. Or something like that."

"Well I'm Jeremy. Jeremy Walter's. I'm just next door if you ever need me for anything."

"Thank you. I'm Annika. I'm here with my dad, Daniel."

Silence. Jeremy looks at me with slanted smile.

"Hey Jeremy-"

I hear a boy. The boy sounds as if he's around my age. The man named Jeremy looks over his shoulder and down a dark hallway.

"Just one moment Annika."

He walks a couple steps and is now out of the window frame where all I can see is a brown darkness. I hear a couple of exchanged mumbles, but not enough to make out what the words are. The boy I had heard moments earlier steps into the light. I can make out a long tan face, green eyes, and thick brown hair. He smile's. Just a smile is all it takes for me to fall almost completely in love with this mysterious boy. I wait. Unable to move- I want this moment to last forever.

"Annika! Where's that soda?!"

The boy disappears from the window as quickly as he appeared. I'm left alone.

"Coming Dad!"

I rush to the front of the cabin with the face of the mystery boy still in my mind.