𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝙳 || Original Story

seven | help

It was all so quiet. So peaceful.

The window in the study was open, letting in a warm breeze and the smell of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers as well as the pleasant sound of twittering birds.

Well, it was study that wasn't quite a study. It was only an old, oaken desk, a few empty shelves amongst ones stacked with books, and draping, faded curtains. I had to take a chair from the set that came with the dining table to use since the desk didn't have one. I wondered what had happened to it.

Despite being here for only a week, I still had a lot to sort out. I'd been cleaning and rearranging ever since I'd arrived at Maplebrook. I thought that I'd have the day off from all of the mess, but then decided I might as well do as much as I could now, so that Old Farm looked more of a house than a tip. I didn't mind at all; it kept me busy, so I couldn't complain.

The study looked more like a library at first. Old books, leather-bound and tattered, filled the shelves, dust covering them like a grey blanket. As much as I loved them, they weren't mine and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, so I'd spent the morning boxing them up, carefully wrapping them in some old newspapers and then stacking them up in the far corner of the room.

It was unfortunate for me that the dust from the books had settled on my clothes, creating patches of almost-white against the dark blue of my shirt. I looked a mess.

It was, however, a nice change to wear something slightly more comfortable than I was used to. I'd usually wear a jumper over my shirt or even a waistcoat, but this morning was particularly warm, so it was a sensible decision to keep to minimum layers.

I was also wearing my reading glasses and I was glad of it because I'd found some interesting titles when rummaging through the books and I wouldn't be able to see them otherwise. A lot of copies were first editions and ranged from being battered to immaculately pristine. Obviously the farmer who lived here before me took great pride in keeping a select few books in their original condition. Perhaps he was planning on selling them, passing them down to his children or grandchildren, or maybe they were just his favourites.

As I was cleaning the shelves with a cloth that I'd found in the kitchen, the doorbell rang, its shrill cry echoing momentarily through the hallway. I stared in the direction of the hallway like a startled rabbit for a brief moment before taking off my glasses and placing them down on the desk. I then set about clambering over the boxes that were strewn on the floor to get out of the study and to head towards the front door.

I opened the door cautiously and was shocked to see Katelyn stood on the porch, holding a small tin in her hands. She was wearing a lovely cream-coloured dress that was decorated with tiny pink blossom flowers and paired with small heels that were an extremely pale shade of the pink on her dress. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but the honey-coloured waves still flowed loosely.

"Hello, Edgar," she beamed, handing me the tin. "These are for you. I made some biscuits and I thought I'd give some to you as a welcoming gift. I hope you like ginger nuts."

I opened my mouth to say my thanks, but stopped and nodded courteously instead. She either had an incredible intuition or was very fortunate where lucky guesses were concerned- ginger nuts were my favourite.

Katelyn's smile subtly turned lopsided. "I understand your predicament and just know that if you ever need anything, I'd be happy to help."

I nodded my thanks again and smiled.

"Your letter was somewhat moving," she continued. "About how you had to leave the city for personal reasons and how you find it difficult to interact with people. I couldn't imagine what you've been through, but you've done well in making it this far, I can tell you that."

I silently thanked her for being so understanding. Nobody was this kind to me upon first meetings. I was right to think of her as a potential friend.

"Look," she continued. "Don't feel obliged to say anything. I understand your apprehension and whenever you want to talk, I'm here... Anyway," she cut herself off to check her watch, "I'd best be off. My lunch break is about to end. You know how it is! Things to do, customers to see."

Katelyn turned to leave and in the spur of the moment, I reached out and grabbed her arm. She faced me with an intrigued and puzzled expression, eyebrows raised slightly, her expression softening into a gentle smile when I spoke.

"Th-Thank you," I uttered. "It m-means a l-lot."

"You're very welcome, Edgar. It's nice to hear your voice."

I stared for a moment, taken aback. "S-So, it doesn't p-put you off?"

"Why would it?"

Katelyn winked when she'd finished speaking and made her way back down the pathway, disappearing down the road. It was then in a moment of being starstruck that I saw a brown tabby cat jump down from the fence and pad over to me, glaring up with bright green, curious eyes as if to be behaving more like a begging puppy.

I gazed back and bent down to scratch it behind the ears before going back inside and retreating to the study to continue sorting out the endless array of books.

My heart was warm with joy at my encounter with Katelyn, even more so when I tucked into the biscuits she'd baked. They were better than any ginger nut I'd ever tasted before and it was a shame I didn't have more.

By the end of the day, as the sun set, the tin was empty and I was exhausted. I ended up falling asleep on the sofa in the living room with images of the local florist and her bright smile and radiating kindness imprinted in my mind...