Moonstone Promises

Chapter 2

After a few hours of work Zoey stood up and heaved a tired sigh as she kicked the last of the boxes at the door. She didn't want to look at another cardboard box for the rest of her life. Looking around the room she felt a sense of satisfaction settle over her. It was done. This strange room felt a little more her own with her pictures on top of the dresser. There were just a few more books that wouldn't quite fit on the bookshelves that her grandmother had stored in the walk-in closet for her. After searching for a place to put them she finally found what looked to be a drawer underneath the window seat. Kneeling down she gave it a gentle tug, but nothing happened. 'Hmm, I wonder if it's just stuck.' She pondered as she gave it another sharp pull. Still nothing. With a frown she tilted her head to the side; was it locked? She'd have to remember to ask her grandmother about that later. Hopping up off the floor she set the stack of books next to her laptop on the desk. The silver numbers on the debit card caught her attention as her brows furrowed in confusion once more. It was nothing more than a small chunk of plastic, and yet it seemed to be occupying more of her thoughts than she would like. Snatching it up off of the desk she put it in the back of her wallet. 'There. Out of sight, out of mind.'

A chirp came from her phone, pulling her from her thoughts. Clicking on the message icon she saw that it was from Cleo. "So sorry, but I had to run down to the cafe to take care of some business. If you get bored and don't want to be at the house alone anymore you could go and explore the town a bit. If you'd like we can have dinner at the cafe. I might be here kind of late. So sorry that I had to leave on your first day here. Let me know if you need anything at all. Love you. -Grams." Reading over the message Zoey quickly sent out a reply, the sound of the keypad on her Iphone louder than she remembered it being in the quiet room. Suddenly the house felt too empty knowing that she was here alone. It was unfamiliar, and felt like the walls were closing in on her. Maybe getting out and exploring the town would be a good thing. It certainly couldn't hurt to get the lay of the land. Having decided to head out she grabbed her jacket and shoved her phone back into her back pocket before bounding down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Just as she was about to walk out the door her phone chirped at her again, Pausing with her hand over the door knob she pulled it out to find another message from Cleo telling her where her house key was and to make she locked up. "That was convenient." She chuckled as she plucked the small silver key off of the table next to the door.

Walking down the road she passed a small park out in the corner, it didn't look it it was used much. An air of neglect clung to the slightly rusted squeaking swings that rocked back and forth with the gentle breeze. The sun dipped behind large grey clouds as the once gentle breeze became a ferocious howling wind. Her hair whipped around, blinding her for a moment before it settled down almost as soon as it started. Zoey looked around, her dark brows furrowed in confusion. That was strange. Shaking her head she shoved her hands into the pocket of her jacket and kept walking. Obviously it wasn't like someone could've created that wind. That wasn't possible. It must've been a fluke of nature or something. She tried to convince herself of this as she made her way down small winding roads. As she walked the hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end; almost as if charged by static electricity. She looked around again, the feeling of being watched ever present. Yet she couldn't see anyone behind her. She was one as far as she could see. With her hands gripping her keys a little tighter she quickened her pace to make it to one of the larger main roads. Once on the main road surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the shops a huff of relief escaped her lips. The butterflies that had been fighting to be free of her stomach seemed to disappear along with the feeling of being watched.

Now that she had a chance to get a good look at the town she was struck once again by just how cute it was. Like something straight out of a postcard. Large trees lined the road, their branches thick with red and orange leaves, while the ground also was scattered with the same leaves. The crisp October air was mild, which wasn't too surprising given they were in Virginia. Her hands relaxed in her pocket, her palm stinging slightly and she knew there would be an imprint of her keys in her palm if she looked. Her feet moved as if they knew exactly where she was going, like they'd walked these roads a thousand times. Before she knew it she found herself in front of a large brick building.The plaque outside read "Ashmore House" and there was a rope gate in front of the door. With a puzzled look on her face Zoey walked up to the plaque and read that it was the original house of the founders Zacharia and Rose Ashmore.