Page 7 of Echo
I wished I’d thought about the possibility of the pantry being completely cleared out before going balls deep in the woods. I’d been hoping I wouldn’t have to waste money on food for a couple of days while I figured it out.
Plopping into the back seat, I took deep breaths in and out. I’d been doing that the entire ride here to motivate myself for what needed to be done. “Come on, Madison. You made it. Keep moving.”
Would it be so bad to just go lay down and sleep?
Not if you wake up at two in the morning hungry with no twenty-four-hour conveniences nearby.
Okay.
Let’s get it done.
A booming bark of alarm and a giant thump against glass made me jerk my head up. Ranger had ripped down the curtains and gotten behind the blinds. He glared past me, baring his teeth to a threat.
My heart lurched into my throat, making it hard to breathe. Last time he barked like that he broke a window and saved my life.
I jumped to my feet, looking for what he saw. Only to find that huge shadow slipping behind a tree again.
It was that fucking bear again, I’d bet. Or worse, a second bear.
I didn’t even know how one kept bears off of their property.
One problem at a time, Madison. Keep going.
Chapter 3:
Thetinytownwaslittle more than a village, and I wasn’t even convinced it was a formal town, considering there weren’t any markings on the GPS or city limit signs. I suspected it was more of a community run area.
But I found what I was looking for.
A large log cabin building, across from the two pump gas station, with a handwritten sign that said ‘grocery’ over the door. Part of me worried that the selection wasn’t going to be amazing, but hopefully it wasn’t costly. Gravel crunched under my feet as I approached.
The door made me think it would be more appropriate to knock. For all intents and purposes, the place resembled a residence. Right down to the pretty flowers in the window sill. But there was a sign in the window proclaiming‘come on in, we’re open’.
Two more deep breaths later, I gathered the courage to open the door without knocking. There were shelves around the room, filled with products. The older woman, dusting in the corner, smiled only to be startled when her pale gray eyes landed on me.
“I’m a customer,” I stuttered. Perhaps I should have knocked like I suspected.
She gestured to the room and went to stand by the register. Her eyes drilled into me, as I scanned the products on the shelves in the bright natural light. The place was pricier than I liked and didn’t have any broke-bitch essentials. There was fresh produce and milk, but the majority of the place was filled with non-food items like soap, medicine, and toilet paper.
The last major city was well over two hours away. This was probably more to cover any shortages or surprises between major grocery trips. Which explained the ugly pricing. It was a mountain version of a convenience store.
Fuck.
I chewed on my cheek. My money wouldn’t stretch the way I needed it to here. Not to mention all the perishables available meant another trip back sooner than I would like.
I could skimp on food, but I needed gas money for any travelling once I found a job. The bell jingled behind me, and I had the sense of the shop lady and the newcomer whispering about me.
It was always easy to tell when someone was talking shit about me; it made my nose itch.
“Oh!” A deep familiar male voice said. “That’s my new neighbor.”
When I turned, the man whose driveway I’d accidentally went down stood with a woman dressed in jeans and a floral apron with big, deep pockets. Something told me she wasn’t a waitress. The children I’d seen playing earlier poured into the grocery store, and I found the noise soothed my nerves.
“Hi there!” The woman waved enthusiastically.
“Hi.” I hesitated before waving back.
“She inherited Pearl’s place,” the man told the older woman standing behind the counter, and she slumped with relief.
