Fantasy Farmstead: Modern Benton Cove (Finished)

Spring

Note: This story has been completed an Exists as a downloadable PDF on my website
https://rcdaviswrites.com/2020/04/12/fantasy-farmstead-modern-benton-cove/

"Well... Fuck"

Jay lowered his eyes for one more look at the photograph in his hand. The cabin in the picture appeared just like he remembered it. A small, but cozy two room wood cabin with red cedar siding and blue shutters sitting in a small yard of emerald green grass and clover. His arm fell down to his side and he soaked in another good look at the structure. Soft green lawn was now a fifteen year old new-growth forest, all thorny pioneering brambles and low quality softwoods. The cedar siding was broken apart and falling off. The windows were shattered. A shutter swayed in the breeze, threatening to fall to the ground in reunion with its twin. The roof sunk inward slightly and a tree stuck out of the entryway as if greeting the outside world with a wave of its branches.

"Grandpa... You haven't been here in a while have you?" Letting his bag slip off his shoulder and land in the brush, Jay fished out his phone. "At least I get reception out here." He mumbled, pulling up the internet. "Benton Cove Resort, closed for another week and there are no other hotels in this town. Of course there aren't any other hotels in this town. I should have bought a car, but then I'd need a licence." He looked around and considered his options. The city was a two hour bus ride away and it wouldn't be back until tomorrow. There was no place in town to stay the night and he didn't have a tent. The delivery truck wouldn't show up until tomorrow. Best bet was to walk the mile back to Benton Cove and see if their general store that claimed to have everything actually had everything.

Jay snapped a picture of the cabin and sent it to his mom. "Photograph was old. Place needs a match. I'll be fine though. Love you."

***

Lilly slouched on her stool with her back against the corner wall that seperated the cash register from the rest of the Holton's General Store. It was pretty much the perfect spot. She could sit here and look at anything she wanted on her cell phone. Nothing bad, just slightly ecchi manga that was too much effort to explain if Megan started asking questions. Currently she was catching up on one called 'My New Neighbor, Her Cousin, and the Kitchen Chef' because the naming convention for manga was insane.

"Lil." Whispered Megan. Lilly didn't hear her.

"Lil." She whispered again, only slightly louder.

"Lilly!" Megan hissed as quietly as possible.

"Hmm?" Lilly responded. Looking up with her eyes, but otherwise not moving.

The older woman pointed a boney finger down one of the aisles. Lilly leaned forward to get a look at what had her boss so excited. At the far end of the outdoors section was a man. This was wholly unremarkable. She had known someone was in the store for the last five minutes. She didn't recognize him, but she could only see the back of the guy's head. Lilly turned back to Megan. "What?"

"Watch." Megan insisted.

Lilly leaned forward again and watched the mundane situation while wondering what Megan was on about. The man turned to look down at some canvas tarps and Lilly didn't recognize him. She didn't recognize him. The two women made excited gestures at each other as the mundane and unremarkable quickly became the most interesting thing to happen in town since the last wave of tourists during the Fall Festival.

Lilly straightened up as the stranger approached the counter. He was a tall, young, and handsome man with an average build, short brown hair, a beard that looked like it was well trimmed and kept short, the most perfect nose, and gorgeous coal black eyes. He wore a dark grey hoodie and beige cargo pants. Lilly pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face which almost immediately returned to its previous position.