The Unsuspected Guest

Chapter One

Sarah stood at the end of the pier, looking out at the slowly fading sun. She had driven all day in a loaded down car to reach Pleasant Valley and she had finally made it. Just in time to see a beautiful sunset disappear on the water's horizon. Her brown hair blew around her in the wind and a salty mist gently sprayed. She held something in her hands, an urn, tightly clutched to her chest. Her eyes, puffy from crying, were closed. A small smile formed on her lips.

"We made it, Jack," she whispered, her voice shaking.

They had always talked about moving to Pleasant Valley and had even put their house up for sale for the big move. A fresh start, Jack had called it. They were going to buy a house big enough for the family they always wanted. It had been 6 months since she heard his voice, touched his face, saw his body lying there to be claimed. The memory of it brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes and she greeted them with a sigh.

"Hello?" Asked a firm voice from behind her.

Sarah spun around, almost dropping the urn, and saw a short woman with frilly blonde hair. She was older, maybe in her 60s, with permanent worry lines were etched on her face. Her eyes were squinted behind a pair of small glasses, studying the crying woman in front of her. Her gaze dropped to the urn in the woman's arms and her features softened, shoulders relaxing.

"Hey. I'm so sorry. I just arrived and had to see the view before I checked in. I've been driving all day and wanted to stretch and see the water and take it all in as much as I could," Sarah blubbered, wiping away the tears.

"Oh child, you're perfectly fine. Welcome to Pleasant Valley," the woman replied in a soft voice.

Sarah smiled, shifted the urn to her left arm and extended her right hand out.

"I'm Sarah," she said, shaking the woman's rough hand.

"Annabeth," the woman replied. "But everyone calls me Anne."

"Nice to meet you, Anne," Sarah said, slowly walking towards the road, hip to hip with the woman. "If you don't mind me asking, do you know where I could find 1871 River Road?"

Anne stopped in her tracks and looked at Sarah, who had continued walking, oblivious to the sudden stop."You're the new owner of RiverView Farms?" Anne asked.

Sarah realized Anne had stopped walking and stopped herself. She looked back at the woman, surprised.

"Farm?" She asked. "No. No, I bought a cottage on River Road."

"Oh, Honey," the woman smiled, ushering her towards a rusty tan truck parked behind a silver Nissan Altima. "There is only one place on River Road, and that is Riverview Farms. I can take you there if you would like for me to."

Sarah smiled, uncertain of what she had just got herself into. She purchased a cottage, not a farm. A nice stone cottage on a hill overlooking a beautiful pond. The realtor nor the ad said absolutely anything about a farm. There definitely was a mistake and she knew it.

"I would love to follow you," she replied, climbing into her Altima.

The woman nodded and slowly pulled herself into the pickup. The truck started with a groan and rattling escaped from it as it pulled out and past Sarah. She started her car with a quick push of a button, gently sat the urn down in the passenger floorboard, and followed the slow pickup. The road abruptly changed from asphalt to cobblestone as they entered the town of Pleasant Valley. This had to be downtown, as shops lined both sides of the cobblestone road. Beautiful streetlamps brightly lit up the street as darkness quickly settled over the town. There was a rumble in the distance and the smell of fresh rain fell over them.

The memory of that night filled her head, invading her thoughts with visions she would rather not endure. A simple smell brought back the pounding rain on the front windshield, the screeching of tires on unseen pavement, bright lights coming directly for her. Jack had thrown his arm out, pushing her back into the seat as far as she could go. Her own arms had folded over on her stomach, trying to protect the outcome of their love for one another.

A blinking light caught her attention and jolted her from her thoughts. Sarah blinked, trying to push away the images and focus on the road. She didn't know where they were. The road was pavement again and the shops were well behind them, a distant light in the rearview. The truck was slowing down in front of her, the left turn signal blinking. So that is what pulled her out of her trance. She, too, flipped her turn signal on and they turned onto a dirt road. Her car lights caught the reflection of a beautiful wood and stone arched sign that stretched above the road, reading "RiverView Farms". The road was fenced on both sides, leading out into darkness. Lights shown in front of the truck and a gorgeous stone house came into view. This was the house she purchased; the photos of the outside matched up perfectly. The ground turned to cement pavement as the two vehicles pulled up in the front of the cottage. The truck came to a stop and Sarah pulled up behind it, turned off her car, and slowly climbed out. Black iron lamp posts lined the front, giving a beautiful soft glow to the front of the house. A stone barrier bordered a beautiful rose garden on each side of the front door, showing off the polished stone walkway.

"Welcome to RiverView Farms," Anne said, gesturing towards the house. 

She twisted the door handle, opening the door into darkness.