CHAPTER 10
727 Words
Chapter 10: A Stranger’s Warning
The morning after the Harvest Festival was unusually quiet.
For the first time in days, Sunflower Café wasn’t filled with customers before sunrise.
Lena stretched her arms and smiled.
“I almost miss the chaos.”
Daniel looked up from sweeping the floor.
“Almost?”
She nodded.
“My feet are still sore.”
“I thought village girls were supposed to be tougher than that.”
She laughed.
“And I thought mysterious drifters weren’t supposed to joke.”
“I guess we’re both full of surprises.”
⸻
As the morning passed, a light breeze drifted through the open windows.
A few regular customers stopped by for coffee and breakfast.
Everything felt… peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The bell above the café door chimed.
A man in his late sixties stepped inside.
He wore a brown coat despite the warm weather and carried a worn leather satchel over one shoulder.
His silver hair was neatly combed, but his sharp eyes missed nothing.
“Good morning,” Lena greeted.
“What can I get for you?”
The man smiled politely.
“Just a cup of black coffee.”
Daniel looked up.
The moment their eyes met…
His heart skipped a beat.
The old man wasn’t from Maple Creek.
And somehow…
He seemed familiar.
⸻
The stranger chose a table in the far corner.
Instead of reading the menu, he quietly observed the café.
Lena brought him his coffee.
“There you go.”
“Thank you.”
She returned to the counter.
The old man waited until she was busy before looking at Daniel.
“Would you mind helping me outside for a moment?” he asked.
“I need assistance with something in my car.”
Daniel hesitated.
“I’ll be back,” he told Lena.
“Don’t disappear,” she teased.
“You still owe me dishes.”
He gave a small smile before following the stranger outside.
⸻
They walked a short distance away from the café.
The man’s warm expression disappeared.
“You’ve been difficult to find.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Samuel.”
“I’ve served your grandfather for over thirty years.”
Daniel’s body tensed.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“We had no choice.”
Samuel lowered his voice.
“The people hunting you are getting closer.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Samuel looked him straight in the eye.
“You don’t.”
“They already know you’re somewhere near Maple Creek.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
“How?”
“We don’t know.”
“But someone has been watching.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
Samuel reached into his satchel and handed Daniel a small envelope.
“Your grandfather asked me to give you this.”
Daniel didn’t take it immediately.
“He wants me to come back.”
“He wants you alive.”
⸻
Back inside the café, Lena glanced through the window.
She watched Daniel speaking to the stranger.
Neither of them looked relaxed.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
When Daniel finally returned, his smile looked forced.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He slipped the envelope into his jacket.
“Just someone asking for directions.”
Lena studied his face.
It was a lie.
She was certain of it.
But she simply nodded.
“If you say so.”
⸻
That afternoon, Samuel drove away from Maple Creek.
He checked his rearview mirror.
A black SUV was following him.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel.
“So…”
he murmured.
“They found me.”
The SUV suddenly accelerated.
Samuel pressed harder on the accelerator as the quiet country road turned into a desperate race.
Back at Sunflower Café, Daniel stood outside watching the distant road disappear beyond the hills.
His instincts screamed that something terrible was about to happen.
Then…
A loud explosion echoed across the valley.
BOOM!
The sound shook the village.
Birds burst into the sky.
Lena rushed outside.
“What was that?”
Daniel stared toward the rising column of black smoke in the distance.
His face turned pale.
Without another word…
He started running.
Lena hesitated for only a second before chasing after him.
Neither of them knew…
The peaceful days of Sunflower Café had just come to an end.
- Writer
