Page 4 of Calling Quarters

Part of me wanted to ask more. If he was one of their friends, he must know a lot about them, or at least who they were before they left. Maybe he knew why they left. But another part of me was screaming to get away from him. To take at least one of his warnings seriously and not trust him or anyone else. I decided to go with the latter, at least until I learned more about Beacon Grove and the people in it.

Speaking of which, where were all the people who lived here? We'd been parked for nearly fifteen minutes, and I still hadn't seen a single soul besides Officer Kyle. It was the middle of the day. Surely, someone had to have crossed our path by now.

Almost as if he had read my mind, he explained, “There's a town meeting in progress. They're held in the town's center on nice days. Gives everyone a breath of fresh air while they deal with any issues. They should be finishing up soon.”

I nodded my response, eager to be alone and begin exploring. It might be beneficial to see the town before any other nosey townsfolk could bother me again.

“I'll let you get to it.”

“Thank you for all your help,” I said, offering a tight smile.

“If you have any questions, feel free to holler. I'm always around.” He lowered his head, his face a little too close to mine as he whispered, “Don't forget what I said, Storie. Trust no one.”

With that, he slapped the top of my car and walked off. I pulled out of my spot and headed in the direction of the hotel; a heavy boulder of doubt now placed firmly in my stomach.

Chapter 3

Storie

Tabitha and her granddaughter came walking down the road shortly after I arrived at their hotel. I had been trying to pull up the map on my phone to figure out exactly where Beacon Grove was when I felt eyes on me.

Assuming it was them, I lifted my head and found the most intense man openly gaping at me. He stared as if he'd never seen another human before and his attention sent chills down my spine. He was tall and muscular, wearing a black t-shirt with the sleeves cut off to expose his toned arms. His golden skin practically glistened in the sun. Just as I'd grown uncomfortable enough to stand and leave, people began walking toward us down the street.

He noticed the incoming visitors at the same time and abruptly abandoned our stare-off. When he turned and left, he passed the old woman I assumed was Tabitha and her granddaughter on the way. They each avoided eye contact with him while he appeared to ignore their existence. The entire exchange was odd, given his curiosity toward me.

They didn't notice me waiting on the bench just beside their porch until they were unlocking the door, too focused on whatever whispered argument they were having.

“Oh, hi. Can we help you?” the young girl finally asked on a gasp as she assisted her grandmother over the threshold.

She had to be close to my age. Her red hair was tied back in a braid that hung below her butt. Light brown freckles littered her entire face.

“I'm looking to rent a room.”

The old woman swung her head around, finally offering her attention, and then stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

If Officer Kyle hadn't told me they were related, I never would have guessed. Tabitha's hair was completely white, the color drained out from old age, but her weathered skin was a light mocha color and her plump figure stood at least six inches shorter than the young girl. The only resemblance they shared were the odd shade of deep, dark green that their eyes pinned me with.

“You shouldn't be here,” her deep voice croaked.

Her granddaughter blanched, eyes widening in disbelief. “Grammy,” she warned, but was quickly dismissed by Tabitha. I watched her wilt under the old woman's warning stare.

I had no idea how to respond. Her cold glare chilled my entire body, sending an involuntary shiver through my limbs. She appeared to enjoy inciting that reaction from me, grunting out her disappointment with a smirk before she shook her head once, then turned her back on me and walked inside.

When we were alone, Blaire gestured for me to follow her into the office. She was cordial and overly polite to make up for her grandmother's crassness.

“I swear, she's losing her mind. She's been pulling cards like crazy and talking to herself more every day,” she rambled, mostly to herself while I awkwardly waited for her to hand over my room key.

“It's not a big deal.” I laughed, hoping that speaking the words into existence would make them true.

In reality, Tabitha's greeting scared me a little. She was the second person I'd come into contact with in a matter of hours who told me I shouldn't be here. It fed the doubt growing in the pit of my stomach, screaming at me that this trip was a mistake. I knew Aunt Ash would be upset at me if she were alive, but she was the main reason I was here.

Her death didn't make any sense. None of my family's untimely deaths did. While each one was slightly different, the similarities between them were what sent me on this rogue trip. I needed answers, and this was the one place they all had in common.

I had no choice but to explore it… right?

“Well, hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of your time here. Room seven is just that way, three doors down. Stop by if you need anything else."

My room was small and outdated. A queen size bed took up most of the floor space with two nightstands adorning either side. It narrowed into a little nook in the back with a small round table and single chair tucked beneath. The table butted against a buffet that held a microwave and old tube-style television. The bathroom was equally crowded, and the shower floor was stained with rust from the town's well water. The bedding, curtains, and towels all matched with a horrible pastel floral print.

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