Having loaded all my personal belongings I turned my mind to food, which was necessary for survival. I stocked up by shopping at every retail outlet I came across on my way out of the city… mostly canned and packaged goods, literally filling the box of the truck. Fresh or frozen items were out, since I didn’t know if the cottage had suitable storage for such things. Extra toiletries and cleaning supplies filled the remaining space in the back seat, tucked safely under the quilt. Anything that would be needed along the way was on the front seat beside my backpack. Finally, I added a good supply of battery-powered LED lights, since I figured the cottage probably didn’t have electricity after being empty for the last six years.
Then, on an afterthought, I added packages of vegetable seed. I seemed to remember Aunt Tilly once saying that the soil was excellent for growing things up there. It would give me something to do since I had no idea how long I might be up there. Not that I had any farming experience but how hard could it be?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
May 2020, Five Days Later…
It was late evening when I drove into Second Eden. Aunt Tilly had said it was the fifth cottage on the left and I found it easily enough. It was facing the street, door and two windows on the lower floor. An old-fashioned porch, complete with rails, ran the length of the front. There were dormer windows on each side of the second floor which I assumed were the bedroom windows. No peeling paint that I could see. It looked a bit desolate and lonely, but that would change as I got settled in.
When I stepped out of the truck, the night air was cool and fresh, just like it always was in the mountains. I breathed deeply. It was so quiet I could almost hear my heart beating. Oh, I could get used to this… quiet surroundings and clean fresh air.
And I sincerely hoped the place was habitable and would provide the sanctuary I had come for. I also hoped it wasn’t crawling with bugs after being empty for so long. I didn’t really want to sleep in the truck again tonight. I stuck the key in the lock and turned it. Surprisingly, the lock wasn’t seized up and the door opened with only the faintest squeak of unused hinges. Vaseline would take care of that in the morning.
I stepped inside and flicked the light switch… nothing… something else to deal with tomorrow. I switched on my big light and looked around… dust sheets covered the living room furniture and the table in the kitchen – dining room area. About eight feet from the front door a staircase separated these two ground floor areas. Pretty good so far… Tentatively, I began to climb the stairs, hearing several creaks by the time I reached the top, which was to be expected, I guess.
