Sweet Charlotte

「 twenty: silent answers 」

From what Seth could uncover from a phone book in a public booth, the Carson family had only one house in the area — as Seth had been told — it was an old cottage bordering the town. From what Seth could remember Charlotte telling him, they used to be a farming family and owned acres of land left and right all over New York. As they all grew older, and as times changed, they dropped the farm and switched to cottage living to keep the family tradition — large plots of land with older country houses.

So, when the two of them pulled up and parked at a dingy, blue cottage in the middle of a vast amount of open land, it was about what Seth had expected.

Their extensive front yard was littered in bushes, shrubs, small patches of flowers, and a wide array of freshly kept grass. Every edge of the property was lined by trees, as were the other houses on the edge of town. These houses, apparently, were primarily used by farmers. If it wasn't farm land these people were sitting on, it was the simple cottage lifestyle.

Seth said nothing as he killed the engine, snapped off his seat belt, and exited the car. Willow urgently followed, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she swung her door shut.

The front walk that led up to the house felt excessive at best, but they both knew it was the classic 'farm country house' look Mara's family loved. Also included in the aesthetic was the feeling of seclusion and eeriness, as when Seth rang the doorbell and the two waited on the rickety porch, they weren't expecting the worry to escape the voice behind the door.

"Hello?" The front door squealed open, leaving the thin screen door as the barrier between them and the middle-aged woman on the other side. She wore jeans, a white t-shirt, and a sweater with her hair messily braided to one side. Willow and Seth smiled peacefully.

"Sorry to bother you ma'am," Seth said, rubbing his hands together to hide his nerves. "We're looking for Mrs. Carson?" Seth realized on the short drive over that the only member of Mara's family that he knew the name of was Mara's mother's. "She definitely doesn't live there anymore." He'd said. "Her and Mara moved to Brighton after her Dad passed away." Willow had assured him that asking for her, though, was a surefire way to learn the connection of whoever currently owned the place. From what Seth could remember, there's no way Mara's family would've handed off the place to someone not in the bloodline. Someone with a deep, immediate connection to Mara's family would've owned the land — and that was all they needed.

The woman gave an understanding smile, her nervous exterior relaxing as she pulled open the screen. "Oh, that's my sister, Mary. I'm Annie, her sister." She extended a hand and Seth gratefully took it. "What can I do for you two?" She asked, her country accent bouncy as she offered the same hand to Willow.

Willow took it with a gracious smile. "That means you know Mara?"

Annie beamed, adjusting the stringy blonde braid on her right shoulder. "Oh yeah, I love that sweetheart."

"You two are close?" She asked.

"Fairly." Annie crossed her arms and pulled her pastel purple sweater closer. "Can I ask how you two know her?"

Seth offered another smile. "I'm Seth, Charlotte's brother. Her best friend?"

Annie beamed hearing the name and waved her hand. "Oh, you don't need to explain. I know Charlotte well."

"Really?" Willow asked.

"Oh yes. Mara brought Charlotte to everything she could when they were little." She let out a nostalgic chuckle. "Not too much when they got older. After Mara's father passed away and I inherited the place, the two of them didn't come down here much." She gave a breathy chuckle. "Their childhood play places must've not been as fun."