Chapter 1
Rollin’ hills, green grasses, and trees off in the distance.
It was a view as unchanged from memory as it was from a few hours
down the road where she came from, but to Britney it was home.
All her life she’d lived out in the countryside, or at least
all she could remember. From the time she was a lil’ child, she
remembered the smell of the barn, and the sight of the endless fields
of crops. Even before she found herself taken in by the kindly
gentleman that was friends with her ma, before she passed on.
She was young then, only about eight or so, she reckoned, but her
ma passed away and she had nowhere to go. Except to stay with her
godfather, Mr. Drake.
An older man, tall and stern, he always had a smile for her,
treated her like his own. Though he already had one of his own too,
an older son. Damien.
As the truck took her on back to the Drake farm, she felt a chill
run up her spine thinking about the older boy. He’d left home
for the big city long before she was of age, always full of piss and
vinegar, as the elder Drake used ta say!
He was always a bit of a trouble maker, unlike her, and so when it
came time for her to move on out… she didn’t go to the
city. Nope! She made her way to the tiny lil’ community at the
heart of the farmlands, to work the diner there.
She missed working on a farm itself though, and always wanted to
return. Preferably if she found a nice man, a good, hearty farmer, to
settle down with, pop out as many kids as the harvest had wheat!
Well… not that many, but near to!
She’d never met the right man, even though plenty a fella
flirted with her across the counter, but then word came…
Old Mr. Drake passed away. And with him the closest thing Britney
had to family close by.
She hopped a ride on over with a co-worker who was on her way to
visit a relative. Cindy was a nice gal, though not too chatty, so the
ride was quiet. But that suited Britney just fine, she wanted to
think about the man who was near a father to her.
She recognized the area immediately, long before she saw the farm
house, even though the lands all looked near identical for hours of
driving.
“That’s the place,” Britney said, sadness and
excitement mingling. She’d missed the place, missed
farm-livin’.
Pulling up to the front drive, Cindy came to a stop and gave a
smile.
“Ya’ll sure you’re gonna be okay out here?”
She asked.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Britney said, taking her
bag in arms as she opened the door. “That lawyer fella said
we’d sort out the will real soon. And until then he told me
it’d be best if I tidied up and laid a claim to anything I want
to keep.”
Cindy was quiet for a moment before she nodded.
“Alright. You take care, Britney. I’ll see ya back at
work in a few days,” she said.
“Drive safe, Cindy.”
And with that, they parted ways, and the quiet of the farm was
soon Britney’s alone.
The farmhouse was a lovely old style, kinda Victorian with a
country vibe. It went back in the Drake family, and old Drake kept
meticulous, good care of it, and did his best to pass on the skills
and enthusiasm to do so to his son. Not that it panned out, with
Damien runnin’ off and all.
Britney soaked it all in, remembering the good years as she slung
her bag over her shoulder and sauntered on up.
It was another hot day in the country, and she wore her shorts and
plaid top, keepin’ it nice and breezy with her hair tied back
in a ponytail.
The animals were all taken off the farm, she was told, to be held
temporarily at another place, where they could be cared for until
matters could be sorted out. And though Britney worried there’d
be a lot of work to do, she found the place pretty neat, just as the
old Drake liked it.
She wandered around the halls and rooms, soaking it all up,
noticing how nothing had changed in all the years since she first
arrived. Well… except for the pictures of her. Elder Drake
really did treat her like one of the
Rollin’ hills, green grasses, and trees off in the distance.
It was a view as unchanged from memory as it was from a few hours
down the road where she came from, but to Britney it was home.
All her life she’d lived out in the countryside, or at least
all she could remember. From the time she was a lil’ child, she
remembered the smell of the barn, and the sight of the endless fields
of crops. Even before she found herself taken in by the kindly
gentleman that was friends with her ma, before she passed on.
She was young then, only about eight or so, she reckoned, but her
ma passed away and she had nowhere to go. Except to stay with her
godfather, Mr. Drake.
An older man, tall and stern, he always had a smile for her,
treated her like his own. Though he already had one of his own too,
an older son. Damien.
As the truck took her on back to the Drake farm, she felt a chill
run up her spine thinking about the older boy. He’d left home
for the big city long before she was of age, always full of piss and
vinegar, as the elder Drake used ta say!
He was always a bit of a trouble maker, unlike her, and so when it
came time for her to move on out… she didn’t go to the
city. Nope! She made her way to the tiny lil’ community at the
heart of the farmlands, to work the diner there.
She missed working on a farm itself though, and always wanted to
return. Preferably if she found a nice man, a good, hearty farmer, to
settle down with, pop out as many kids as the harvest had wheat!
Well… not that many, but near to!
She’d never met the right man, even though plenty a fella
flirted with her across the counter, but then word came…
Old Mr. Drake passed away. And with him the closest thing Britney
had to family close by.
She hopped a ride on over with a co-worker who was on her way to
visit a relative. Cindy was a nice gal, though not too chatty, so the
ride was quiet. But that suited Britney just fine, she wanted to
think about the man who was near a father to her.
She recognized the area immediately, long before she saw the farm
house, even though the lands all looked near identical for hours of
driving.
“That’s the place,” Britney said, sadness and
excitement mingling. She’d missed the place, missed
farm-livin’.
Pulling up to the front drive, Cindy came to a stop and gave a
smile.
“Ya’ll sure you’re gonna be okay out here?”
She asked.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” Britney said, taking her
bag in arms as she opened the door. “That lawyer fella said
we’d sort out the will real soon. And until then he told me
it’d be best if I tidied up and laid a claim to anything I want
to keep.”
Cindy was quiet for a moment before she nodded.
“Alright. You take care, Britney. I’ll see ya back at
work in a few days,” she said.
“Drive safe, Cindy.”
And with that, they parted ways, and the quiet of the farm was
soon Britney’s alone.
The farmhouse was a lovely old style, kinda Victorian with a
country vibe. It went back in the Drake family, and old Drake kept
meticulous, good care of it, and did his best to pass on the skills
and enthusiasm to do so to his son. Not that it panned out, with
Damien runnin’ off and all.
Britney soaked it all in, remembering the good years as she slung
her bag over her shoulder and sauntered on up.
It was another hot day in the country, and she wore her shorts and
plaid top, keepin’ it nice and breezy with her hair tied back
in a ponytail.
The animals were all taken off the farm, she was told, to be held
temporarily at another place, where they could be cared for until
matters could be sorted out. And though Britney worried there’d
be a lot of work to do, she found the place pretty neat, just as the
old Drake liked it.
She wandered around the halls and rooms, soaking it all up,
noticing how nothing had changed in all the years since she first
arrived. Well… except for the pictures of her. Elder Drake
really did treat her like one of the
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