Read Online Riley's Curse, A Moon's Glow Prequel by Christina Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Christina Smith
Ads: Link
so
much worse than I thought it would. I knew it would be hard to
leave my family, but with everything that happened last night, I
didn't realize the loneliness I would feel this morning. The quiet
was smothering. I wasn't use to it; my sisters never went long
without talking or singing. Their voices carried throughout the
whole house. You'd think I'd welcome the silence. You'd be
wrong.
Taking a few deep breaths to familiarize
myself with the new scent of dust and dirt, I sat up slowly and
looked around. The small bureau from my childhood was where I
remembered, under the tiny cubby hole of a window. A wooden shelf
held a few of my old books my mother had forgotten the last time we
had been here, just before Mary was born.
I stood up and reached for my favorite, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I thought I had lost it. I had read the
book many times, but never got tired of it. I blew the dust off the
cover and flipped through the pages. For the first time in
forty-eight hours, I smiled, remembering a time when I was a child,
lying outside under the large oak tree reading about Tom’s
adventures. I had no worries then. Monsters were an intriguing myth
to me and farthest from my life as possible. If only I could go
back to that time.
I closed the book with a thump, and coughed
as dust flew off the pages. With no one to keep me company, I
placed the book on the stand next to my small cot, I would read it
later.
Noticing the crate with my bedding beside the
doorway, I dug through it, choosing my favorites and made the bed.
Once that was done, I went out to the kitchen to find something to
eat.
The cabin was small but held everything I
needed, a kitchen that was just big enough for a table. A small
parlor with one settee and a chair, my father’s old desk sat under
the window. There was an outhouse about twenty feet from the cabin
and a small barn with stables.
I found the muffins my mother had packed for
me and gobbled them down. Now that I had some nourishment, it was
time to make this place more livable. I rolled up my sleeves and
got to work.
First item on the agenda was to air out the
cabin, it had been closed up for too long and the air was thick
with mildew. I opened windows, and swept away dust and cobwebs. Of
course with the windows opened, the sun was extremely bright.
Thankfully, my mother had sent some freshly laundered coverings. I
hung them up and stepped back, they reminded me of home, which made
me both lonesome and happy.
I unpacked everything and made a list of what
I would need when I went to town, which I decided to do the next
day. By noon, when the house was suitable, I started on the
outside. I let the horses out so they could graze on the grass. The
weeds were over grown and needed tending along the side of the
cabin.
By twilight, I had taken care of the grass,
weeds and had chopped enough wood for the next few days. I built a
fire and started to cook myself some venison and potatoes. I had
never cooked before, since my family had a house-maid, and my
mother loved to do it. But as a child I would sit in the kitchen
and watch her prepare our meals. For some reason, as I made my
food, I felt closer to my mother. If I closed my eyes, I could
picture her beside me peeling potatoes, and humming a tune. I
almost smelled her rose perfume. When I cut myself with the knife,
I was forced to open my eyes to the deserted kitchen. I busied
myself with the task at hand before the pain at losing my family
could return. I needed to accept my new life, and stop dwelling on
the past. Although I knew that was easier said than done.
After finishing my meal, I cleaned the
dishes. It took awhile to get the water out of the pump. It was
mostly air from lack of use.
When the sun started to slip in the sky, I
put the horses in the stables, giving them each a good
brushing.
Inside the cabin, I lit the lanterns and
settled down to read my old book. The only time I had spoken all
day was when I brushed the horses. It was so
much worse than I thought it would. I knew it would be hard to
leave my family, but with everything that happened last night, I
didn't realize the loneliness I would feel this morning. The quiet
was smothering. I wasn't use to it; my sisters never went long
without talking or singing. Their voices carried throughout the
whole house. You'd think I'd welcome the silence. You'd be
wrong.
Taking a few deep breaths to familiarize
myself with the new scent of dust and dirt, I sat up slowly and
looked around. The small bureau from my childhood was where I
remembered, under the tiny cubby hole of a window. A wooden shelf
held a few of my old books my mother had forgotten the last time we
had been here, just before Mary was born.
I stood up and reached for my favorite, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I thought I had lost it. I had read the
book many times, but never got tired of it. I blew the dust off the
cover and flipped through the pages. For the first time in
forty-eight hours, I smiled, remembering a time when I was a child,
lying outside under the large oak tree reading about Tom’s
adventures. I had no worries then. Monsters were an intriguing myth
to me and farthest from my life as possible. If only I could go
back to that time.
I closed the book with a thump, and coughed
as dust flew off the pages. With no one to keep me company, I
placed the book on the stand next to my small cot, I would read it
later.
Noticing the crate with my bedding beside the
doorway, I dug through it, choosing my favorites and made the bed.
Once that was done, I went out to the kitchen to find something to
eat.
The cabin was small but held everything I
needed, a kitchen that was just big enough for a table. A small
parlor with one settee and a chair, my father’s old desk sat under
the window. There was an outhouse about twenty feet from the cabin
and a small barn with stables.
I found the muffins my mother had packed for
me and gobbled them down. Now that I had some nourishment, it was
time to make this place more livable. I rolled up my sleeves and
got to work.
First item on the agenda was to air out the
cabin, it had been closed up for too long and the air was thick
with mildew. I opened windows, and swept away dust and cobwebs. Of
course with the windows opened, the sun was extremely bright.
Thankfully, my mother had sent some freshly laundered coverings. I
hung them up and stepped back, they reminded me of home, which made
me both lonesome and happy.
I unpacked everything and made a list of what
I would need when I went to town, which I decided to do the next
day. By noon, when the house was suitable, I started on the
outside. I let the horses out so they could graze on the grass. The
weeds were over grown and needed tending along the side of the
cabin.
By twilight, I had taken care of the grass,
weeds and had chopped enough wood for the next few days. I built a
fire and started to cook myself some venison and potatoes. I had
never cooked before, since my family had a house-maid, and my
mother loved to do it. But as a child I would sit in the kitchen
and watch her prepare our meals. For some reason, as I made my
food, I felt closer to my mother. If I closed my eyes, I could
picture her beside me peeling potatoes, and humming a tune. I
almost smelled her rose perfume. When I cut myself with the knife,
I was forced to open my eyes to the deserted kitchen. I busied
myself with the task at hand before the pain at losing my family
could return. I needed to accept my new life, and stop dwelling on
the past. Although I knew that was easier said than done.
After finishing my meal, I cleaned the
dishes. It took awhile to get the water out of the pump. It was
mostly air from lack of use.
When the sun started to slip in the sky, I
put the horses in the stables, giving them each a good
brushing.
Inside the cabin, I lit the lanterns and
settled down to read my old book. The only time I had spoken all
day was when I brushed the horses. It was so
Similar Books
