Tummy Turners (&) Curiouser and Curiouser | √

Nine

A young man and his wife were on a road trip to visit his mother. It was getting dark, so he decided to look for a place to stay overnight; they could finish the journey in the morning.

Just off the road, they saw a small house in the woods. So they stopped to ask if a room was available to rent. An elderly man and woman came to the door. It wasn't a motel, they said, but they would be glad to have them stay as their guests. They had plenty of room and would enjoy the company.

The old woman made coffee, brought out some cake, and the four of them talked for a while. Then the young couple were shown to a nice bedroom. They explained to the old couple that they wanted to pay them something for their kindness, but the old man insisted he would not accept money.

The young couple got up early next morning before their hosts had awakened. On a table near the front door,they left an envelope with some money in it for the room.

They went on to the next town,stopping at a restaurant for breakfast. When they told the owner where they had stayed, he was confused.
"That can't be,"he said. "That house burned to the ground ten years ago, the old man and woman who lived there died in the fire."

The young couple could not believe it. They went back to the house,only to find that indeed, it wasn't there. All they found was a burned out shell. They stared at the ruins trying to understand what had happened.

And strangest of all, in the rubble was a badly burned table and on it was the envelope they had left there that morning.