Chapter 5

Ellie awoke to a stiff and painful neck. She had drunkenly fallen asleep on her side without a pillow. Using every muscle in her face, she reluctantly pried her eyes open. The bright morning light obtrusively forcing itself into her eyes was unwelcome this early in the morning.

She had passed out on the sofa, her head resting next to Brittany’s thigh. She checked her watch and saw that it was 5:57 AM. She scrolled through her notifications and saw a $2,259 confirmation for the cabins.

“Brittany! We rented cabins last night?”

Brittany unconsciously flinched and adjusted the throw pillow under her head.

“BRITTANY” She exclaimed, grasping her friend by her bony hip and shaking.

“Whaaat?” Brittany groaned without opening her eyes.

“We rented cabins in Maine last night.”

Still attempting to fight off consciousness, Brittany’s morning voice crackled “Who cares? You need it!” She buried her face in her pillow.

“We spent over two thousand dollars on them.”

“You can afford it!”

“I’m getting a refund,” Ellie stated flatly.

Clearing her throat, Brittany sat up. She checked her watch. When she saw the time, nearly started crying. “You’re really gonna make me get up at six AM?” Ellie’s nose was buried in her phone at this point. After a beat passed with no response, Brittany continued; “don’t refund it. You need this!”

“I can’t refund it, anyway.” She replied, defeated.

“Then I guess we’ve got no choice, huh?” Brittany stood up, trying to summon the energy to be enthusiastic with a hangover. “Pack you fucking bag, girl! We’re heading to Maine.”

Their gaze met after a second… “where is Maine?” The asked in unison.

Ellie quickly searched New York City to Stoddard Maine. “It’s about an eight hour drive north east of here,” she relayed to Brittany.

Brittany asked her phone, “tell me about Stoddard, Maine.”

Her phone replied, “Stoddard, Maine is a town on the north west border of Waldo County, Maine. It has a population of 643 people. It was the last town in Waldo County to be incorporated in 1862 and was named after General Fredrick C. Stoddard who fought against the Confederate army in the American Civil War.”

Brittany looked at the search results, “well, there’s a brewery down the street from the cabins. And there’s a golf course the next town over,” she continued to scrutinize the information in the palm of her hand. “Not much in terms of night life.” She was finding it harder and harder to be enthusiastic.

Ansel fawned over his tomato plants. He delicately picked a few weeds out of the dirt. Over a few hours, he pounded stakes into the ground, each one meticulously spaced apart from the next. He attached a net to each stake. The net was to prevent an invasive species of beetle from killing the plants before they could bear fruit. He turned to his old Golden Retriever Pearl and asked "what do ya think, girl?"

Pearl cheerfully barked in response.

He looked at his watch, "4:30. Almost dinner time, then." Pearl's ears perked up. She looked up at her master, then towards the dining hall. "Let's go," he beckoned. Pearl stood and waited for Ansel to get to his feet. She fastidiously matched his pace as they headed for the hall. She knew Ansel needed her there.

Inside, he grabbed a scoop of dog food and filled Pearl's bowl. He fetched a pitcher of water from the counter and filled her water dish. She sat waiting patiently. "Okay," he said. She stood and gently started lapping up her kibble.

Ansel drew a frying pan from a lower cabinet and quickly spun the handle in his fist. He placed the pan on an induction cooktop and turned it on. A faint buzzing sound rung out from underneath the pan. He opened a chest freezer, removing a small glass container, and dropped into the pan a bundle of herbs suspended in an opaque cube of oil. It began to sizzle and crack as he rinsed a fresh green onion and potato ensuring to remove any dirt. He laid the veggies on a cutting board and began to chop. Dropping them into the pan as well, the sizzling intensified. A few slabs of bacon were close behind.

Pearl drank to her fill and then made her way to her bed. Ansel gently asked, "did you have a good supper?" He thought he saw her nod her head, then she laid down on her bed and crossed her paws.

The bacon was fully crisped, so he removed it to the cutting board and chopped it up as well. He allowed the potatoes a few more moments to fry and then placed the mix on his plate. He grabbed a glass full of locally-made sour cream and spread a dollop over the veggies. He topped the whole thing with the bacon, and retired to the table in the middle of the hall. He closed his eyes for a moment before scooping up a heaping forkful of potato.

Halfway through the meal, Pearl raised her head, then quickly stood at attention. She looked at Ansel who shrugged his shoulders, "who is it?"

Immediately, Pearl started barking. Ansel took one more bite of his meal before standing to look out the window. A lime green hatchback sedan with New York plates and one headlight out was careening down his private dirt path.

Ellie piloted her car down the gravel drive, speeding over a proud culvert and causing Brittany to be catapulted into the air. She had unbuckled her seatbelt at the start of the private way and soon regretted it. "Jesus. Could you slow down?" Brittany bristled.

Ellie laughed, "you unbuckled yourself. That's not my fault."

Ellie noticed the golden retriever rush out from the hall, howling her way towards the car. She put the car in park and then saw the man leave the hall.

She heard his voice over the car's engine, it boomed through the windows. "Pearly," he bellowed, "It's okay!" Ellie felt a flutter in her chest and was suddenly aware of how dry her mouth was.

She could see from where she had parked two cabins and four other buildings dotting the immediate landscape. The two largest buildings had solar panels on each roof. At the far end of the lot was a clearing. In it were another few rows of solar panels standing perpendicular to the ground, seemingly boxing in and a garden.

Ellie looked at Brittany. "Wow. This is beautiful, huh?" She had never seen so much green in her adult life.

Brittany didn't seem too thrilled.

Ellie got out of the car as the man approached. "Hi, I'm Ansel," he said with bright eyes and a smile emerging from his beard. "Welcome to Camp Sanctuary," he extended his arm towards Ellie for a handshake.

Ellie watched as his large hands approached, almost as if they were in slow motion. His mitts were weathered and stained by dirt. She noticed how warm his hand were as their hands met. He noticed that hers were cold. He was well over six feet tall with a wild beard. Wearing dark slacks and a plaid button-up shirt. A baseball cap belied a sandy, unkempt mane. His boots; old and clearly worn in.

"It's nice to meet you. Are you... Brittany?" He asked.

Ellie was speechless. Brittany noticed and spoke up, "no, I'm Brittany," she said. She looked her friend in the eyes with a stern look that unmistakably read say something to him.

"I'm Ellie," her voice shook.

"It's nice to meet you," he said. "Both of you." Ellie had yet to let go of his hand, which was not lost on him. "Can I help you girls with your bags?"

Brittany replied "sure," waiting for Ellie to open the trunk (which she failed to do). "Ellie... open the trunk."

"Right," she said, releasing Ansel's hand and fumbling for the key fob in her pocket. The car's hatch opened with a chirp and the hiss of hydraulics.

Ansel made his way to the rear of the car and grabbed two bags. He and Brittany struck up a conversation as they started carrying the bags to the cabin, Pearl at Ansel's side.

"Hey. Grab a bag!" Brittany shouted to Ellie.

About The Author:

B.E. Waites

B.E. Waites is a New England-based author. They're also a gamer and an amateur photographer. When they're not writing, they work in the public health sector.