Burned to a Crisp

by K A Miltimore

  “My advice to you is still the same. I would be honest with Mel and tell her everything. You’ve only known her a few days and there is nothing to rush into or any big decisions to make. But start your friendship honestly and you can’t go wrong from there. At least that is what I think. Take it for what it is worth.” Hedy returned to her bowl, hoping that she hadn’t overstepped her bounds with Ana; the young woman was hard to read. She had made her fair share of mistakes over the years and she only wanted to help someone else avoid them, if she could.

  Ana brought her empty cup to the sink and gave Hedy a small hug. “Thank you. I’ll think about what you said. Maybe I’ll take a walk and wait for Mel to finish her test. I do my best thinking outside.” Ana left the room and she felt lighter in her heart than she had in some time.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The ruckus started outside before the banana bread was even out of the oven. Hedy could hear Darro’s voice all the way in the kitchen, though she couldn’t make out the words. She found herself at the front door just as Bren was coming down the stairs.

  “What’s happening?” Bren had sprinted down from his bedroom, pulling on his shoe as he took the last step.

  “Not sure, I just hear Darro yelling about something.” Hedy opened the front door and the volume of the noise doubled. Both Darro and Mr. Jeffries were in a full-throated yelling match.

  “You just ripped out my rose bushes! Those are my property!” Jeffries was screaming from the sidewalk, shaking his fist at Darro, who still had one of the rose bushes in his hand.

  “You’re off your head, old man! Those bushes are on this side of your fence. They have nothing to do with you!” Darro gave the bush a shake for good measure.

  “The fence isn’t the property line, you oaf. I actually own three feet to the west of the fence, which is exactly where those bushes were planted. Those bushes have been there for fifteen years!”

  “You are daft! What makes you think the property on the other side of the damn fence belongs to you? Why the hell would there be a fence that wasn’t on the line? And they are just a couple of natty old rose bushes, covered in fungus and blight.” Darro roared again, giving the bush a toss into the back of his truck. Hedy and Bren reached the pair and narrowly avoided a face full of thorns.

  “Hold on, what is this all about? What’s with all the shouting?” Hedy looked from one red face to the other.

  “This man has stolen my property. He removed those rose bushes, and they are mine. You’ve no right to take my property.” Mr. Jeffries nearly spat at Hedy as he spoke.

  “Mr. Jeffries, those are not your rose bushes. They are on my side of the property line. You can see the fence quite clearly…”

  “As I told this imbecile, that fence doesn’t mark the property. The previous owner of your house put it up twelve years ago, when I wasn’t living at home. I left it up because she was an old woman and didn’t have the means to take it down and build a new one in the proper place. I certainly wasn’t going to pay for a new fence, so I left it alone. But those are my bushes!”

  “If your property laws are anything like California, it’s adverse possession; I hate to tell you this but by leaving the fence in place for all these years, you’ve given the land to Ms. Leckermaul.” Bren tried to keep the smile out of his voice but he didn’t do a very good job.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jeffries eyed the thin man with contempt.

  “By failing to claim back the land, you have relinquished your right to it. You’ve lost those three feet due to being too cheap to replace the fence. Those rose bushes and every other plant along that fence belongs to her.”

  Jeffries let out a roar of disbelief and frustration. “You are a liar! You and that white-haired whore.” Bren started to make a move toward Jeffries, but Hedy stopped him.

  “Come on, both of you. He’s obviously unbalanced. Mr. Jeffries, if you come on to my property again, I will call the police. You are not welcome. Come on, Darro, Bren, let’s go.” The three of them left the old man shaking with rage on the sidewalk.

  “You’ll hear from my lawyer. This isn’t over!”

  “Ah, go boil your head, you old git.” Darro called back over his shoulder. “I have some more roses to rip up.”

  ✽✽✽

  True to her word, Anahita had indeed walked to wait for Mel to finish her test at the high school. She had taken her time, strolling the streets, with the tidy bungalows and turn of the 20th century two story houses. The yards were large and full of the remnants of summer. Ana admired the sprawling lawns, the fields of green that you would never see in her part of Iran. Lawns seemed like such an American ideal - a large patch of green that required maintenance, money and time to keep up, but often was only enjoyed through the front window or driving by. It was rare to see families out on their lawns, at least in Ana’s experience so far. It was something they kept up rather than enjoyed. She wondered why.

  The high school wasn’t that long of a walk from Hedy’s shop, so Ana arrived at the campus after a little bit. She had no idea how long Mel would be or even what classroom she might be in but she thought the chances were good that if she waited out front, near the commons area, Mel might see her waiting there. In any event, she was enjoying being outside.

  Students were milling about, some wearing sweatshirts emblazoned with a cartoon hornet, a few wandering around in football jerseys and cheer uniforms. Ana hadn’t attended a high school and she found the whole display rather bizarre. She wondered if perhaps the most common use of a high school was to help the students understand that there would be those who were popular, and those who were not, and where exactly each person fit on that sliding scale. It was a depressing thought, really, and Ana shook it from her mind. From the little that Mel had shared about her school experience, she guessed that she was closer to the unpopular side of the scale, which Ana couldn’t begin to understand. Mel was smart and funny and talented. If someone like that wasn’t popular, there was something wrong with the whole system. Mel was unlike anyone she had ever known.

  Ana perched on a bench near the front doors and watched the students coming and going, wishing she had brought a book with her to look less conspicuous. Ana stood out, even when she was doing her best to fly under the radar. Several of the boys wearing football jerseys gave her a look and seemed to be asking themselves who she might be. She noticed a woman with long reddish hair walking away from the school, and she seemed familiar somehow. Maybe she had seen her that night at City Hall. There was something about her that seemed off, but she was too far away for Ana to get a clearer view. A loud buzzer sounded, distracting her, and that seemed to signal a change because the students began to hurry toward the building. Ana was relieved to see the boys head away from her. The woman was gone.

  “Waiting for someone?” The voice spoke from behind her and she turned with a start. It was a man, in what looked like a security guard uniform.

  “Oh yes, yes I am.” The guard walked around the front of the bench so he was looking down on Ana.

  “Who are you waiting for?” His voice sounded suspicious even as his square face looked blank.

  “Her name is Mel. Mel Stevenson.” The guard took out a notepad and jotted something down.

  “And what is she to you, exactly?” The guard waited, his pen hovering above the pad.

  “Excuse me, but I’m not sure why you are asking me questions. I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m just sitting here waiting.” Ana’s voice was polite but she felt irritation rising in her stomach. The guard made a slight clicking noise with his tongue.

  “Look, we have the safety of our students to think about and if some stranger, someone who doesn’t belong, is sitting outside of the school, I have an obligation to investigate.” He clicked his tongue again, looking down at Ana with narrowing eyes.

  “Well, as I’ve said, I am just waiting for Mel. If my being here is a problem, I can go wait across the street, on a public bench.” Ana tried to sta
nd up but the guard was standing just a little too close to allow that.

  “Why don’t we head into the office and we can call the police station. If you are just here waiting for your friend, then there is no reason not to check in with them, right?” The guard reached down and grabbed onto Ana’s wrist.

  “Hey, what is going on here?” Ana heard the shout of Mel’s voice and she turned her head to see her running up to the bench.

  “Do you know this person, Melanie?” The guard said her full name with a bit more emphasis than was required.

  “Yes, Stuart, I do know her. Let go. Jesus, go find something useful to do and leave people alone.” Stuart released her hand and backed away from the pair.

  “I’m just doing my job, watching out for strangers. If she pulled out some kind of weapon, you’d be thanking me.” His eyes were back on the seated figure of Ana.

  “How’s your application for the police academy going, Stuart? Third time's a charm.” Mel took Ana by the arm and led her away from the bench.

  “Does Mark know about your ‘friend’?” Stuart shouted toward the girls as he stomped back toward the school office.

  “Don’t pay any attention to Stuart. He’s a friend of my older brother, Mark, and he graduated four years ago but he can’t seem to get anything going beyond harassing people at school,” she paused and then said with a smile, “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought I would wait for you to finish your test. I didn’t know it would cause such a problem.” Ana sounded far away as she spoke. “Is it a crime to just sit on a bench here?”

  “No, hey, you didn’t do anything wrong. I am glad you came, really. Stuart is just a jerk. He thinks he is important and he couldn’t be less so. Don’t let him freak you out. I’m sure he seemed scary, but everything is OK, really.” Mel gave another smile and tried to make Ana feel better. The last thing she would want would be for Ana to regret coming to see her. Ana’s face softened and she took Mel by the arm, turning left down the sidewalk back toward the house.

  “I don’t know about this town. So far, I’ve seen some of the ugliest behavior I’ve encountered in this country.”

  “It’s crazy, I know. I was born in this town and I don’t remember it ever being like this. It used to be an easy-going place. I promise, we aren’t all like Stuart.”

  “Thank goodness for that.” The girls laughed and continued strolling back toward Hedy’s house. Ana had a few blocks to decide if she was going to be honest with Mel and tell her everything while she still had the courage.

  “Ana, I know you aren’t going to be here for long but I just wanted you to know how much it has meant to me that I have met you. I’ve never met anyone like you, anyone it’s like I’ve known my whole life even though we just met. I know that sounds crazy, sorry.” Mel had blurted her thoughts out and she instantly regretted it. Ana was nice certainly, but this was taking things too far.

  Ana stopped and Mel let go of her arm, turning to face her.

  “Please don’t apologize. As you say, it has only been a short while but I too feel very comfortable with you. It’s because I consider you a friend that I feel I have to be honest with you about who I am, about what I am.” She felt her throat tighten up as she tried to speak, afraid equally that her words would stick in her throat or be spoken out loud.

  “What do you mean ‘what you are’?” The buzzer at the school rang again in the distance.

  “You’ve had a crazy week, meeting me, talking with animals…” the girls both laughed, “…and of course the fires. It’s probably too much too soon to tell you this, but I’m not like other girls you have met. I’m quite different actually.” Ana wanted to keep walking, to not have to look Mel in the eyes as she spoke but it would be too awkward to pass by Mel who blocked the path.

  “Mel, you are smart. No doubt you’ve sensed that Hedy’s house is a bit different. That strange things seem to be centered there, yes?” Mel nodded her head slowly. “OK, well, that isn’t a coincidence. Hedy plays host to travelers who need a place to stay, travelers who might have a difficult time staying in hotels or other traditional places.” Mel still looked confused and Ana took a deep breath.

  “Just spit it out, Ana. What are you trying to tell me?”

  “Mel, I’m not strictly human. I’m what is called an undine. I’m a water elemental.” She said it. The words were in the air and they couldn’t be taken back. The silence that met them was painful.

  “What does that mean? Are you some kind of mermaid? I don’t understand.” Mel was blinking at Ana, trying to see whatever it was that Ana was trying to tell her but failing. Her voice sounded a bit panicked.

  “No, I’m not a mermaid, though that’s not far from the truth of it. Elementals like me are tied to the water, we need it to survive. It is hard to explain but trust me when I tell you that I may be different but I’m still like you, that we can still be friends.” Ana should have rehearsed her explanation better. She was fumbling around, trying to make herself sound less different, less of something to be feared and it ended up sounded clumsy.

  Mel looked at Ana, still confused and not really understanding what Ana meant. She thought she should be afraid, to back away from a person who maybe wasn’t really a person. Maybe somewhere in her brain she was afraid, but all she could focus on was that this news didn’t really matter. She knew who Ana really was.

  “Ana, I don’t care. I don’t care if you are a water elemental, or from Iran, or really a talking cat. I don’t care. You are exactly what you are meant to be and everything about that is fine with me.” Mel leaned toward Ana and before either of them knew what was happening, Mel gave her a quick kiss, the first either had ever had. The girls walked hand in hand in silence all the way back to Hedy’s shop, both deep in their own thoughts and lost in their moment of happiness.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The door to the fruit cellar had a bad case of English ivy; the invasive vines partially obscuring the dark green door. Bren and Hedy were unobserved by Darro, who was making plans for the dead tree on the other side of the yard.

  “We should take care of this while Darro is busy. The less who know, the better.” Bren had made the suggestion as they entered the house post-rager with Mr. Jeffries and Hedy had agreed. There was no interior access to the cellar; they would have to move the box in sight of the street.

  “Let me get a plastic bag to put the box inside.” Hedy had earlier brought the box downstairs and stashed it under the dining room table, hiding it under the flounce of the lace tablecloth. She had already placed the box inside a pillow case, and now she found a large black garbage bag and she tucked it inside, before tying it shut. That should keep out any curious bugs or vermin, at least, she hoped. She had wondered if keeping the box in the cellar was the right decision but if Lyssa came back to search the house, it was safer in there.

  Bren and Hedy came back out and down to the side of the house, with Bren carrying the box under his arm. The good news was that this side of the house was not in view of Mr. Jeffries’ home; they could both imagine that he was still frothing at the mouth, watching Darro work in the yard and encroach on his property.

  The fruit cellar had an old rusted chain and lock, which Bren was able to remove after a moment of warming up the iron with his palm, which was good because Hedy didn’t have the key. It fell loosely into the ivy and Hedy pulled open the door, releasing the stale scent of damp earth, spider egg sacs and musty corners. No one had been in this cellar in years.

  With her flashlight turned on, she stepped gingerly into the cellar, making sure she stomped her foot as she went down each stair. Whatever might be living down here was given full warning of their entrance. The gray light from the open door spilled in but much of the cellar was still in darkness. After a moment, Bren found a chain and gave it a tug, filling the space with dull yellow light.

  “Well, that’s handy.” Hedy almost preferred the darkness. The light made very clear the layers of cobwebs and fil
thy old canning jars that lined the shelves.

  “Here, there’s a cubby hole under this shelf, back in the corner. The box should fit perfectly.” Bren took the crate from under his arm and nestled it into the hole; it just barely fit. He took a remnant of cardboard and placed it in front of the box.

  “Ok, that should do it. This would be the last place anyone would look.” Bren and Hedy gladly stepped back up the steps and into the light, quickly shutting the green door behind them. From her apron pocket, Hedy pulled out a new padlock and placed it on the old iron latch. She hoped no one would notice it.

  “I doubt the lock would keep anyone out if they were determined but it might keep casual lookyloos away.” Hedy dusted her hands against her apron and headed back toward the front of the house. Neither of them happened to notice the reddish tail peeking out of the English ivy.

  ✽✽✽

  The afternoon was a busy one. Mel and Ana had returned, looking for all the world like it was the best day of their lives. They sat at Mel’s table, sipping tea and talking with their heads together. Hedy didn’t mean to watch them so closely but she hardly left the counter, with the influx of customers. Even if Halloween was three weeks away, word had gotten out about the quirky bake shop on Griffin avenue with the foxtail donuts and the yeti paw treats. Apparently, the local newspaper, the Enumclaw Courier-Herald, found the shop interesting because they sent a reporter to interview Hedy for a feature they were planning to run in the Halloween edition of the paper.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, in between customers?” The man they sent to interview her was young, hardly older than Mel it seemed to Hedy.