Chapter 1

It had been a long eight-hour drive from the city. It went from his familiar dense buildings and busy streets to the interstate, then to smaller and dirtier roads. They were in the middle of nowhere, just a small one-road town was the closest to civilization he would see for the next two months. Jason and his mom fought for half of the journey before they both entered a silent cold war. This was happening, whether he wanted it or not.

It all started shortly after Jason ‘s dad was killed in a traffic accident. He retreated into himself and lost interest in school and his friends. His mom, racked with her own grief, thought that giving him space was the best solution. Unfortunately, as the years past, he never reconnected with the rest of the world. He just retreated inward, into a world of video games and anger. His mom could hear the profanity coming from his room at night. He was banned from several games, and had his accounts suspended numerous times.

Meanwhile, his previous strong grades slipped from A averages to barely C averages. He would miss class frequently and was barely awake when he did show up. He lost all interest in sports, his friends, and girls. He became a quiet ghost in the school, drifting from class to class. Rarely speaking to anyone. Guidance councillors tried to help and suggested therapy, his mother even tried it, but he was unwilling to open up to anyone. He barely graduated high school and had no ambitions on what to do with his future.

When his mother got offered a six-week research trip to Europe, she was hesitant to take it. Not wanting to leave him home alone, but her brother-in-law Bill offered to look after him for the whole summer. He thought maybe getting away from the city and breathing in the fresh air and hard work of the country might bring new life to him. Jason used to enjoy visiting the farm when he was younger, maybe something there will snap him out of it.

Finally, as they drove up the long dirt driveway of Uncle Bill’s farm, Jason resumed his protests. It wasn’t that he disliked his uncle or aunt, it was just that he couldn’t play his games due to poor internet and he was expected to help out around the property. That was fine when he was a kid, but he was eighteen now, he was old enough to look after himself and do what he wanted. This was going to be a horrible summer.

“Mom, why couldn’t I just stay home? I can take care of myself.”

“Oh yeah? What would you eat? Who would do your laundry? Besides, maybe this will be good for you.”

“I could eat pizza and I wouldn’t go outside so who would need clothes?”

“Gross, and who would pay for the pizza? You don’t have any money.”

“You should pay for it since you are abandoning me to vacation in Europe all summer.”

“I’m working, and that pay wouldn’t cover the usual bills and the cost of pizza every day. Just give this a try, please.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.”

“No, you don’t. Now be nice, we’re here.”

They pulled up next to the old white farmhouse. Bill and Caroline came out to greet them. They were always a jovial couple, in their mid forties, who were kind and caring but had a strong work ethic. They had to, they had very large property to maintain. They had a vegetable farm, a tree farm, and a small selection of animals and horses. They sold most of their goods at county fairs and farmer’s markets which helped keep the lights on.

They had one son Tommy, who had enlisted in the army to get an education. He was currently deployed somewhere in Asia, but he wouldn’t have leave till the fall. Bill and Caroline wanted a second child but were unable to conceive. It had been in Bill’s family for five generations, and after Bill’s brother died and Tommy left, they knew those days were numbered. They knew that Tommy wasn’t going to take over and that one day, they’d have to sell.

“Well look at what the cat dragged in, honey? Is that young man Jason? Hello Julie.”

“Hello Uncle Bill and Aunt Caroline.” Jason said in a dry monotone voice.

“Nah, don’t be that way! You’re gonna have a fun summer. Lots of sunshine and exercise, not that fake, stuff they sell you at the gym but real, honest workouts that put a smile on your face when you’re done.” Bill beamed, excited to have some help.

“Now Jason, we’ve got you all setup in Tommy’s room. There’s fresh sheets and a TV up there but it probably doesn’t get as many shows as you’re used to.” Caroline added.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna spend the night Julie? It’s a long drive back.”

“Thanks, but I’m actually headed straight to the airport. I got an early connector flight from the regional airport to Atlanta and then to Paris. I should get on the road.”

“Oh, alright then, we shouldn’t keep you. Safe travels and all that.” Said Bill.

“Let us know when you arrive, ok?” added Caroline, “We’ll take good care of Jason.”

“I’ll email you when I’ve landed, and I know you will. Come here Jason and give me a hug goodbye.”

Jason hesitantly approached his mother; Bill gave him a gentle nudge.

“I’ll talk to you soon, ok? I love you, but please behave. Goodbye.” Julie hugged her son; he barely raised his arms to hug her back.

“Goodbye mom. Enjoy Europe,” was all he said in return.

Julie waved goodbye and drove off, a cloud of dust was soon all they could see on the horizon until she was out of sight. They all headed inside, Jason lugging his suitcase like he was chained to a steel ball. Caroline took him upstairs to his room. It was covered in posters of old bands, movies, and bikini girls.

“You can redecorate if you want. I asked Tommy and he doesn’t mind, it’s all old stuff from when he was in high school.” Aunt Caroline said before looking like she was lost in a memory.

“Thanks, Aunt Caroline.”

“You must be tired from your trip, rest up and dinner will be ready at 6:00pm. Make sure to wash up first.”

“Ok, thank you.”

Jason looked around the room that was to be his home for the next few months. They had converted the attic into a loft bedroom. The ceiling slanted down on the sides but still had 6ft of clearance at the lowest point. It was much larger than his bedroom in their apartment. There were wood floors and trim, a couch and old TV, a couple of dressers, a closet, and the twin bed on the left side of the room. On the back wall, in the center, was a large window and a telescope.

He didn’t feel like unpacking so her just fell on the bed with a thud, looking up at the ceiling. What was he supposed to do for more than two months without his computer? Without his games? He was already bored, and he had just arrived. He shut his eyes and just laid there.

Suddenly, he awoke to a loud clanging sound coming from downstairs. “Dinner time!” he heard his aunt yell. He got up and went downstairs to stop the racket and get some food. He washed his hands as he passed by the washroom and headed for the dining table.

“I haven’t had a reason to ring that bell in a while, I missed that.” Aunt Caroline said.

“Sorry, I guess I fell asleep up there.”

“I understand, must have been tired from the drive. Dinner is roast beef, with mashed potatoes, carrots, and we have apple pie for dessert.”

“Looks great, dear.” Uncle Bill said, suddenly appearing at the screen door. They all sat down and started eating, the food was really good. Jason had not had a good homecooked meal in years. His mom was too busy working, or he was too busy playing stuff to eat anything. He had seconds and a large slice of pie.

Later that evening, before going to bed Uncle Bill went up to talk to Jason.

“Hey Jay, how are you settling in?”

“I miss my stuff at home.”

“I know, we may not have all the fancy gizmos you are used to, but we are happy you’re here.”

“Thanks, Uncle.”

“Now get some sleep, just cause you’re a guest doesn’t mean you get to skip out helping ‘round the farm. Ok? I gotta teach you to be a farmer. Lessons starts at 6:00am, so be ready.”

“Ugh, ok. Goodnight.” Jason said in an exasperated tone.

“Ok but watch your tone. Goodnight.” Uncle went downstairs and closed the door. Jason sat in the room, staring off into space. It was only 9:30, how was he supposed to get sleep now? He rummaged around the room just checking if there was anything interesting his cousin had left. All he found a few old Playboy magazines under the bed and an old video game console with a couple of retro games.

Jason looked through the window out onto the fields before him. It was certainly a different view from what he was used to. He liked the bustling streets and busy sidewalks of the city. The noise, the smells, and the weird people wandering around gave him a sense of comfort. He could just fade into a crowd, and no one would notice he was there, and he liked it that way. Here the only other house he could see was across his uncle’s driveway, across the road, almost a mile away. He could see the faint lights on in the distance. He looked up at the stars and wished he were anywhere else but here. He then gave up and went to bed to try to get some sleep.

The next couple of weeks were an exhaustive blur of learning, chores, pain, and sleep deprivation for Jason. He was woken up every morning before sunrise to feed, water, and clean the animal pens. Then breakfast, and then he was out in the fields checking and tending to the different vegetables they had growing. That was for most of the afternoon. The farm was an independently run farm, which meant they didn’t have to focus on one specific crop type. They grew a variety of vegetables and sold them when they became ripe.

The evenings were for resting or finishing random chores that didn’t get done during the day. Mending fences, repairing the tractor, and general barn maintenance. He was sore and exhausted when his head hit the pillow. He didn’t have to worry about not being able to sleep anymore.

As June was nearing a close and soon July would bring the hot summer heat, morning work became more important. They wanted to get as much done as possible before the heat became too strong. The afternoons started to become a chance to cool off and relax. They still had to make sure the irrigation system was watering the crops, but everything slowed down in the heat.

One afternoon, Bill suggested that Jason go off and explore the property. He had seen only 25% of their actual land, most of it was not developed into farmland. They had a large grove of trees behind the house that they sold for firewood, while replanting to have new growth in the future. Sustainable forestry they called. Jason was just told not to cross a roadway except the driveway in. Everything else was their property so if he got lost, the would be easy to find.

Jason set out with a backpack, a canteen of water, and some snacks. He brought his phone with him too, just in case he needed help. He set off into the trees to see if there was anything interesting in there. The land was rockier than he expected, lots of larger boulders and rocks. He suspected that’s the reason the area wasn’t ploughed over into farmland years ago. While most of the ground was covered in old leaves and ground cover vegetation, there were what looked like old trails leading through the growth, he figured it must be game trails from deer. He found an old stone fence in the tangle of trees and hopped over it. He followed that a while until he heard the sound of running water.

He tracked the source and found a small creek running through the small forest. It only looked a couple of feet deep, and a few feet across. It would be easy enough to cross if he desired but he figured he see the other side another day. He’d just follow it a while and see where it went, maybe cool off in it when he got too hot.

He wandered a short while as the creek ebbed and flowed around rock and small hills. It suddenly narrowed and disappeared behind some bushes and large boulders. Jason was curious, so he tried to go through, but they were too dense. He went around the long way around the rocks and found the trees and ground cover became dense, almost as if nature was trying to keep him out. Now even more curious, he walked along and found a very old path covered by shrubs. The vegetation thinned out just enough for him to get through and what he found surprised him.

It was a natural pond in a clearing, the water cascaded down a little waterfall about one foot into the pond. It looked five or six feet deep with soft grasses around the waters edge. It looked like a natural oasis, a hidden pool that very probably knew about. He walked the to the other end and that side also looked like it was sealed off. If it wasn’t natural, someone sure went to a lot of trouble to keep it hidden. He reached down and touched the water; it was nice and cool, so he scooped his hands into the clear liquid and splashed some on his face.

Jason looked at the time, it was 1:00 in the afternoon, so he figured he had some time to take a quick swim. He dropped his bag, took off his shirt and was about to take off his shoes and shorts when he heard rustling bushes from the other side of the creek. Jason quickly grabbed his stuff and hastily hid in the bushes by the exit in case he needed to take off. He figured it might be his uncle looking for him or it could be an animal, but he didn’t want to take the chance.

A figure emerged from the dark, dense brush on the other side of the creek. As it came into focus from the light of the clearing, it took a female form. She had long black hair, golden tanned skin, white t-shirt and jean shorts. She looked to be about the same age as him, but she was a little shorter, maybe 5’8”. When she fully stepped into the clearing, he could see how beautiful she was. Green eyes, small delicate nose, a small spattering of freckles on her face, and a glowing smile.