๐พ๐ฌ๐ณ๐ช๐ถ๐ด๐ฌ.
The Appalachian woods await your arrival.
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โชย Now Playing: Mrs. Potato Head Melanie Martinez
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The gravel road narrowed to little more than a pale ribbon beneath the heavy canopy of oaks and poplars, twisting deeper into the Appalachian hills thanย youโdย expected it to go. By theย timeย the farmhouse finally came into view,ย youโdย almost convinced yourselfย youโdย missed the turn and wandered too far into the mountains.ย
It sat alone on a rise above the valley, weathered by years of rain, wind, and hard seasons. Thick ivy climbed the faded white siding and looped around the porch posts like fingers that had never quite let go. A broad wraparound porch enclosed the front of theย house,ย its boards worn smooth by countless footsteps. Two rocking chairs rested near the door, moving faintly in the afternoon breeze though no one sat in them.ย
You paused at the bottom of the steps and unfolded the letter again.ย
For the fifth time that day, you checked the address, comparingย the carefulย handwriting to the numbers nailed beside the front door.ย
Noย mistake.ย
Thisย wasย the place.ย
Itโdย seemed strange when the woman selling the books insisted you collect them in person. In her letter,ย sheโdย said she lived โa littleย waysย back in the mountains,โ and her directions had come by landmarks instead of roads and mile markers.ย Youโdย expected a small town,ย maybe aย general store or a post office where the exchange could be made quickly without a fuss.ย
Instead,ย youโdย found an old farmhouse tucked away from the rest of the world.ย
Itย wasnโtย unfriendly.ย
Itย wasnโtย unwelcoming, either.ย
It simply seemed toย wait.ย
A deep quiet settled over the property. No chickens scratched in theย yard,ย no cattle moved in the fields, and no voices drifted from inside. Even the cicadas seemed to hush as you stood there.ย
You drew in a slow breath, climbed the porch steps, and knocked.ย
One moment passed.ย
Then another.ย
At last, the door opened with a soft creak.ย
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โชย Now Playing: I Can't Decide Scissor Sisters
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"Well now,โ said the young woman standing there, her smile easy and warm, โthere you are, sugar.โย
Sheย couldnโtย have been much older than her mid-twenties. She wore a light cotton dress faded by many summers in the mountain sun, and it brushed her ankles as she shiftedย inย the doorway. Her long black hair hung looseย nearly toย her waist, tied only at the ends with a narrow ribbon. Kindness softened her face, but there was something about her that feltย old in aย wayย age aloneย couldnโtย explain, as if she belonged to the house as much as the beams and stone.ย
She stepped back and held the door open.ย
โCome on in.ย Donโtย you stand out there all afternoon.โย
Her voice carried the slow, musical drawl of the southern mountains, low and gentle enough to ease tension without trying.ย
โMy nameโs Sunday,โ she said. โShe andย her, ifย youย wasย wonderinโ.โย
A small laugh slipped from her, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behindย oneย ear.ย
โIย donโtย get near as many visitors as I once did, soย itโsย mighty nice to have company.โย
The scent of sweet tea drifted through the open doorway, joined by cinnamon, butter, and something warm and ripe, like peaches left to bake too long in the sun.ย
โAs for those books,โ she went on, nodding toward the kitchen, โIโveย got every one of them stacked neat on the counter, just like I promised.ย Iโveย beenย collectinโ them for years,ย mendinโ the torn ones,ย copyinโ the ones too far gone to save. Always thought good books ought to land in the hands of folksย whoโdย take care of โem.โย
Her smile softened.ย
โBut thereโs no hurry.โย
With a graceful motion, she gestured for you to step farther inside.ย
โSet a spell.ย Iโllย pour you a glass of sweet tea. And if that peach cobblerย finishesย upย beforeย youโreย ready to head home,ย Iโd be awful rude not to send you off with a slice.โย
Then, just for a second, something flickered across her face. It vanished so quickly youย mightโveย missed it ifย youย hadย blinked.ย
โOnly thing I ask,โ she said, her voice still kind, โis that you mind the house rules.ย Theyโreย plain enough, but they matter to me.โย
One hand rested against the weathered doorframe. Her smile returned, steady and welcoming, as though nothing strange had passed between you.ย
โWeโveย got all the time we need, honey.โย
โCome onย in, andย make yourself comfortable.โย
๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐บ๐ฌ ๐น๐ผ๐ณ๐ฌ๐บ
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๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ผ๐ฌ๐บ๐ป ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ถ๐ฒ
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๐ด๐ถ๐ซ๐ฌ๐น๐ต ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฌ๐บ๐ท๐ถ๐ต๐ซ๐ฌ๐ต๐ช๐ฌ
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๐ป๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ช๐น๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐น๐ถ๐จ๐ซ๐บ
โโโโโโโโ โโ ย โฑโโ โ โ โโโโโโโโย
Masterlist: The Guest Bookย
Published Works: The Finished Shelvesย
Works in Progress: The Writing Deskย
Short Drabbles: Little Fragmentsย
Social Media AUs: Modern Correspondenceย
Artwork and Sketches: The Drawing Roomย
Inbox Responses: Letters from Guestsย
Random Thoughts: Notes from the Porchย
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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work!ย
Likes,ย reblogs, comments, and feedback are always appreciated. If you notice any errors, inconsistencies, or mistakes, please feel free to let me know.ย
Thank you again for your support!ย
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