new fiction

Hanna pulled the bright yellow bug to the side of the road and checked her gps once again. This was not a road; it was two ruts running through a wood. The gps still said turn here. Shrugging her shoulders, Hanna started the car and turned.
Bumping along the trail, she kept her eyes peeled for a simple cottage that was her new home. Once again she could not believe she had inherited a cottage and an annual income from an Aunt Tabby whose existence was a secret her mother took with her to the grave. Yet, it had come at the right moment to revive her after a bitter divorce which had also cost her job as a librarian in the small Kansas town which had been her lifelong home. Now she was the owner of a house in New England on the Atlantic coast near the Canadian border with an income which meant she no longer had to work plus an account to maintain the property.
The male voice of gps indicated another left turn which broke her thoughts as a break in the trees widened and a house came into view. It was two stories with attic dormer windows, built of stone.
Could this be the house? If so, it was not her idea of a stone cottage or the saltbox shingled home she expected. It sat near a cliff and the Atlantic could be seen and heard hitting the grey stone at the beach below. Hanna stopped the car and the gps announced ‘you are here”.
Hanna walked to the door. A brass next to the door read Seacliff cottage. Foundation laid in 1640. This was indeed her new home.
Hanna looked for the iron frog which held the house key and found it nearly hidden by the dried up sedum plantings. Lifting it she shook until the key fell into her hand and putting it in the lock opened the door to her new life. She expected cobwebs and dust as the lawyer had said Tabby had been ill for years, but the hall was pristine and furniture shone with recent polishing. Fresh flowers were in an aged crackled jug on the table and there was a note propped next to it.
Hanna,
Welcome to Sea Cliff. I am so glad that once again the house will live. My name is Mercy and I took the liberty of cleaning it and stocking the pantry and refrigerator once I knew you arrival date. Tabby taught me much about herbs and such and I feel I have repaid part of what I owe her by doing this.
I have also brought you a house cat as Seacliff always has had one and there seemed to be a mousey invasion in progress. She is a calico and oh by the way she is expecting. Seacliff kittens are always in demand in the village so relax.
The journals on the desk are the history of the house. I do hope you will read them. I will be over in a day or so to meet you.
Mercy Good.

Intrigued by the note and how this Mercy knew about her, Hanna was relieved not to have to hunt a grocer this first day. Another blessing was the house came fully furnished so no shopping until she wanted change and knew what it would be. Before she brought in her baggage, she decided to walk through her new home. The lower rooms were large and lit by windows and showed their older roots as each held a large fireplace and broad planked floors of yellow pine. The staircase to the upper floors was wider than normal in an older home so it had to been added later as had the upper story. Each of the bedchambers again had a fireplace, but the windows were larger and the glass no longer had blowers’ marks. Hanna felt she had to read the journals to know the history of the house. Finally approaching the attic door which she attempted to open, but it was locked. She made a mental note to ask this Mercy person for a key.
Dusk was falling when she went downstairs and went to the kitchen. The stainless steel appliances looked odd in a room that still had a spitted fireplace and a brick oven, but somehow the result was pleasant. A huge red ware bowl on the counter held apples of all colors, and the refrigerator was stocked with milk, water, sliced meat and cheese. Cupboards held cereals, spices, and other staples. Mercy had been efficient and Hanna was happy with the welcome the woman had prepared.
Leaning back against the counter Hanna relaxed as she ate a quick sandwich and waited for coffee to brew, she once again wondered how an unknown aunt had found her and provided for her. Life had not been easy the past year. Patrick her love of her life partner had not shared the idea of eternal faithfulness as she found out when she caught him on top of his married assistant principal who was on top of his wide administrator ‘s desk, and he was bitter, mean and resentful of her decision not to be satisfied with the status quo. Popular in their small Kansas town where he was a homegrown leader, she became an outcast and her teaching contract was not renewed by a school board whose head was Patrick’s uncle? She had managed to keep the bug and half the money from the house sale but six months later the money was low and no job was in sight. Facing an unknown future, the telephone call from her Aunt’s lawyer three weeks ago had been a ray of sunshine breaking the gloom on her life. Now she was here and ready to move on.
The sound of footfalls above her broke the reverie just as something jumped on her shoulder. A meow announced the arrival of the house cat who proceeded to wrap her warm body around Hanna’s neck for a few minutes before she flew to the floor to pace in front of Hanna. Mewling as she walked the cat wen from Hanna to the door and back again.
“What is it kitty? What do you want? Is something at the door?”
The mewling went higher in pitch and louder. Hanna went to the door and opened I, and a huge silver tabby waited there. Walking in the tabby called to the smaller calico and the cats began a dance of sorts rubbing an entwining tails while purring loudly. Hanna had to laugh at their antics until tabby sat infront of her as if to assess her.
“Okay , you are welcome here.” Hanna announced and the two cats took off in a game of tag me that seemed fated to cover the entire house. Still smiling Hanna went to get her baggage from her car. She stepped outside and was stopped by a large man at the door with her bags in hand. He walked into the house and turned.” You will be in the east room.” He announced and then went up the stairs. Hanna followed confused at this incident.
“Who are you? Why the east room ? I rather like the one with the windows to the south,”
“Owners always stay it the east room. It is the biggest.”
“ That makes sense ,but just who are you?”
“ Barid. I live in the guest house in the rear. Did they not tell you about me?”