Audrey put her foot to the accelerator. ‘What on earth was I thinking?’ she said aloud, the tone of her voice sounding insipid to her ears as it dissipated into the fabric of the empty passenger seats. She stole a glance at the old house retreating in the rearview mirror, just as a breeze rustled through the onion weeds protruding through the wire fence, their flowers bidding her a cheery farewell.
She’d been driving past it on her way back to the ferry and something about it had made her stop. It wasn’t enchantment—the right light, a sunny day full of potential and optimism. Instead, it was cold, and grey, the sort of Sunday afternoon that sometimes resulted in a hefty dose of melancholy. But she’d gotten out of the car, had stepped onto the house’s sinking verandah, inspected boards and
