Page 11 of You Were Invited
Sitting down in his overstuffed recliner, he scowled and watched through the sooty glass door as the orange, green, and blue fire curled and burned the paper along with the wood he’d chopped with his own hands.
four
Afew days later, Annie and Molly snuck over to Christopher’s. They grabbed her car. Even though he was home in the middle of the day, he didn’t seem to notice. Chris had been silent; either he was giving her the cold shoulder, or he was disappointingly unbothered that she’d run away from home.
The day after, Annie plunked her bags in her trunk. In the front seat, along with the keys to the cabin in Northgold, sat a list of instructions. She’d never paid attention when Molly’s dad had “opened” the winterized cabin, bringing it life out of hibernation. She was nervous she’d mess up or break a pipe, but was assured it was easy-peasy.
Morning sunshine lit up Molly’s messy bun from behind as they said goodbye in the driveway. “I hope you feel better.” She buried her hands in the armpits of her Icedogs sweatshirt.
Annie sighed. “I hope so, too.” She yawned.
Molly glanced over her shoulder. Inside the house, Bell poked her head through the curtains while standing on the back of the living room couch. When she blew a kiss, Bell immediately barked and bounced with excitement.
Princely had sent Annie three new article assignments. He’d also requested a mini bio, which would appear in the back of all “At the Root Level” issues going forward.
Her new title: Major Contributing Writer.
The entire magazine was a group effort, but the recognition gave her a much needed dose of the warm and fuzzies, as she again questioned whether or not she was barreling towards a burnout point. Leaning on sheer determination would have to be enough to keep her going.
“The forest air’ll clear your head,” Molly said when she turned back. “You’re gonna eat those words. Leave no crumbs for those other writers. Then you’ll be back to your old enthusiastic self before you know it!”
My old self?Annie stared into space, wondering what that even meant.
“Hun? Remember it only gets better.”
“I feel like I’m drifting. At loose ends…”
“Sometimes our intuition knows when a new beginning is coming before our hearts realize it.”
“I know.”
“Anyways...” Molly stepped away. “And if you don’t mind– can you ask the neighbor to restock our firewood? He knows how much we usually need. Trust me, you’ll know which one to ask.”
“Sure.” Annie wasn’t thrilled to talk to anyone, but it was the least she could do.
“Promise you’ll let me know when you get there?”
Smiling, Annie promised. “Love you.”
“Love ya, too.”
Northgold was roughly a two-hour drive from Fort Walton. Annie wanted to resume work no later than 2pm. She stopped in Libby for gas before hopping on the scenic byway. Clouds passed over the sun, creating alternating shadows and glowing patches on Lake Koocanusa. Many of the summery trees had yet to get their leaves, but the pine trees looked gorgeous. When she reached Northgold, she turned off Main Street and parkedin front of the only market in the unincorporated gold-rush era town.
Her heavy eyelids had made her wonder if she was going to nod off while driving.I need coffee…
Wearily, she opened a weather-worn glass store door that hadn’t been polished in years.
She picked up a red shopping basket and walked the aisles under the watchful blank stares of several trophy bucks hanging on the walls next to blue and purple nature photos that decades of sun had leached of color.
“Accchchch-toey!”
The clerk at the front counter gathered something godawful from the back of his throat. She walked by as he spit into a mason jar. Syrupy, spattered, snoose swill stained the glass black. He tucked it away beneath the counter.
Annie’s stomach hitched a pinch as she turned her attention back to shopping. She didn’t need much, but it was an ingrained habit to stop at Buckeye’s on the way up the mountain.
Her first time to Northgold with Molly and her family was in the fourth grade. Their trips had started out as treats—days at a time spent with her best friend outside of school…
But as they’d grown older, and Dad more difficult, the trips had become the escape their day-to-day school classes alone couldn’t fulfill.
