Page 8 of Creed
“I guess it’s true what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. All these years traveling to foreign places has given me a new perspective on my home country, and I’d like a chance to explore it better.”
“Mmhm.” She didn’t sound convinced. “Well, whatever your reason, I guess we can make it work. But once you commit to this, you can’t change your mind at the last minute and decide you want to go somewhere else. So, I’ll ask you one more time. Are you sure?”
Was I sure?
Absolutely not. But I was doing it anyway.
“Of course,” I said. “When am I ever not sure?”
“Do I need to remind you about the llama incident?”
Of course she would bring that up. To make a long story short, I’d basically tried to pet a llama when I shouldn’t have, and nearly lost a finger for my troubles. There was a three-inch-long scar running down the side of my hand as a permanent reminder.
“This isn’t going to be anything like the llama incident.”
“And what makes you so sure?”
“Well, for one, there definitely won’t be any llamas involved.”
I heard her sigh on the other end of the line, and if I had to guess, she was probably rolling her eyes at me as well.
“Fine. Give me the details and I’ll file the request for your next project.”
I immediately started to tell her about my plan, but she cut me off before I could get two words out.
“Tomorrow. It’s the middle of the night and I’m not subjecting myself to any more of your insanity than I have to. Good night.”
I laughed at her aggrieved tone, and kept going even after the line went dead.
That was that. Once Helen put in the request there was no going back. She was a great editor, but she was also a hard-ass who refused to bend for anyone. It helped to keep me on target, and now her efficiency was going to ensure that I couldn’t chicken out from meeting with Creed.
It was going to be the first time in years I saw the man face to face. Although I considered him a friend, I usually avoided being around him for fear of losing control and doing something I would regret.
Now, with a new hope rekindled in my heart, I was planning on isolating myself in the mountains with him. Even I could recognize that it was a recipe for disaster, and probably just going to result in getting my heart broken, but I had to at least try. I’d regret it the rest of my life if I didn’t.
“Fuck,” I groaned one last time as I collapsed onto my couch. “These next few weeks are going to be... interesting.”
I must be a masochist. That was the only explanation for why I insisted on torturing myself.
A week later,I was packed up and driving out to a town called Emberwood to meet Creed. It took longer than I expected. My rental car was uncomfortable to drive in the way that all unfamiliar cars are. Plus, the mountain back roads were particularly confusing, and I got lost three times on the way.
“This can’t be right,” I muttered as I slowly guided my car down the dirt road. “This is just... trees. This is a forest. I haven’t passed another building for miles. I don’t think I’m even in Emberwood anymore.”
The sun was going to set soon. There were no streetlights out on these back roads. For now, there was still enough light to see by, but once the sun went down it was going to get really dark.
I was just debating if I should turn around and find a place to stay back in town for the night, when a small turnoff with a sign next to it caught my eye.
The numbers on the sign matched the address Creed had given me. I had no idea if I was even on the right road, but it was the only lead I had.
The road I turned onto was even more obscure than the one I left behind. It barely even counted as a road, more like a footpath. If it weren’t for the sign of fresh tire tracks, I would have turned around. Assuming I even could turn around on the narrow road on the edge of the mountain, that is.
It took another five minutes of driving before the endless tunnel of trees finally opened onto level land.
I immediately knew I was in the right place. Everything was exactly as Creed had described. There were two log cabin style houses, that apparently his friend Brody had built by hand, along with several other structures including a workshop, chicken coop, and a few other buildings I didn’t know the purpose for. One of the houses was surrounded by an extensive garden, right next to a huge pit in the ground. Reflective orange tape had been strung around the hole, warning people to stay away from it.
My curiosity was piqued. Creed had told me the story of the hidden tunnel under their property that had collapsed, but I would have to find an opportunity to see if for myself.
Caution tape be damned. I had never let a “keep out” sign prevent me from going where I wanted to.
