Three Eleven Thirteen

Chapter Thirty-Two

Pat Carson, Alberta, Canada. 

thanks for the inspiration

Chapter Thirty-Two

The drive to Marley's farm was nerve-wracking. I found myself whispering comfort words to Ellie, not sure if he needed to hear them or not. He even turned to me once and said, "I am under control."  

I didn't want to take any chances. 

"Just know," I say to him, "That Marley seems like a really nice guy. He wants to help us, and that is what he's doing, so he is absolutely no threat at all, alright?"

"I understand."

"Do you?"

He blinked at me the black in his eyes slowly dissipating, "I do."

And I decided to trust him, because there isn't any other option, and because I really, really wish I could trust him without overthinking it.

The truck pulls down a dirt road that led through a large field before a farmhouse came into view. There were cows in the pasture, and still crops in the field despite the storm last night.

When the truck came to a stop, I hopped out the back, and Ellie followed right behind me.

Marley exited the truck and came up to us with a warm smile. "You two survive the ride?"

I nod to him, "It wasn't so bad."

"Glad to hear it." He said, and moved towards the direction of the house, "House is a bit of a mess." He says with a clear of his throat, "Hope ya don't mind, I don't usually get visitors this time of the day."

I smile, "Trust me, I prefer a messy house over a clean one." And it was the truth.

He begins to walk up the pathway to the house, and I follow him. Ellie immediately grabs my sleeve, and I try to be quiet as I whisper, "What's wrong?"

"He is lying."

"What?"

"I."

"I don't understand." I shrug off his hand from my sleeve, "What are you talking about? I? What does that mean?"

"I."

I give him a confused look but was unable to say anything as Marley piped, "Everything alright?" He was standing by the door of his house, staring at the both of us as if we were the oddest pair he's ever seen. I don't really blame him.

"Yeah." I quickly reply, "Sorry, it's, uhh, been a long two days." I rush up the pathway, and Ellie follows, never moving an inch away from me, no matter how quickly I walk.

We enter the house and I was taken back by just how cluttered it was. It wasn't messy as he stated, it was just full of things. Many things, bookshelves were full of different statues, and ornaments, and books and tiny figurines filled up every corner and crevis of the house. The walls were blanketed in different paintings, and pictures, all of opposing scenery and settings. Nothing matched in the house, but it incongruously worked.

"I enjoy antiquing." Marley confessed, "Always did have a soft spot for the old days."

"I can tell." I say, noticing an old crate of empty soda bottles that definitely dated back before my own father was born. "Some of this stuff looks like it'll fall apart any moment."

"That's because some of this stuff has been around since the 1800's." He walked over to a large, iron rusted hook that hung on the wall. It looked heavy, and bigger than both mine and Ellie's hands put together. "This here is a mine shaft hook, dating back to 1812. I look at it occasionally and mull over its history. A fascinating time it was." He moved to a table that had a wooden box of tools all wrapped in separate cloths. He grabbed one and unfolded the cloth, presenting the item in front of me, "This here is a carpenter's socket," I had no idea what a carpenter's socket is, but it looked like a knife, but with a flat tip. "Some of the furniture in this house was carved by this tool."