The House in the Meadow

It was a perfect day for hiking. The cool spring day would only reach about 62 degrees. They’d been stomping through the woods for an hour when Kelsey stopped at a fork in the trail.

           “Which way do we go?” she asked her friend Rachel, who came up beside her.

           It was a narrow, dirt path that was poorly marked. A canopy of trees shaded them from the sun, which was playing peekaboo with the clouds.

           “I don’t see any markers,” Rachel told her, as she searched for the telltale blue dot.

           Kelsey pulled up her trail app on her phone, but they were deep enough into the woods that there was no signal.

           The cool breeze rustled the trees and made them zip up their spring jackets.

           “I hear a creek. Let’s go this way then,” Kelsey suggested, heading down a dip in the path to the right. They breathed in the metallic, earthy smell mixed with the scent of wildflowers.

           “It’s so good to be outside” Rachel commented, as they dodged tree roots and rocks in their path.

           “This is the best time of year,” Kelsey agreed, as she continued to look for the trail guides.

           “So, how’s the house hunting going?”

           “It’s not really going,” Kelsey admitted. “I just haven’t found a place that feels like home yet. My grandmother always said I would feel it in my bones, when I found the right place.”

           “Your grandmother was more intuitive than most people,” Rachel pointed out.

           “That’s true,” Kelsey laughed, aware of the void her grandmother had left.

           They came to a gurgling creek in the middle of their path, which halted their steps, as they searched for a way to cross.

           A few feet off the trail they found a series of rocks protruding from the creek following a path across like skipping rocks. Up ahead they could see an opening in the woods, like a meadow.

           “Hey, maybe we’ll see a road sign or something,” Rachel suggested. “Let’s go for it.”

           They quickly calculated the best way to hop the rocks with Rachel dashing ahead of Kelsey.

           “Hey, wait up!” Kelsey said, following right behind.

           Balancing on the toes of their shoes they bungled across the rocks with the grace of a lumbering bear.

           “Aww,” Kelsey cried, when her foot slid off the last rock and went into the water. “Whew!”

           They were invigorated by the beautiful day and the adrenaline rush from their sprint across the creek.

           “Oh, look a beach,” Kelsey pointed out, below the bank of the creek. “All we need is a chair and a book.”

           “I’m not lugging a chair out here,” Rachel stated.

           “But it’s so peaceful. It’s a great spot.” The sound and movement of the water always inspired Kelsey.  She felt at home in nature. There was too much suburbia in town where she lived.

           “Well, if this is the wrong way it’s still well-travelled,” Rachel remarked, of the well-worn path.

           They headed for the opening in the trees, hoping for a direction. The narrow path ascended and soon levelled out when they got to the clearing. Pink, blue, and yellow wildflowers dotted the grassy landscape with an old house set amongst it, which backed up to another line of trees.

           “There must be a road,” Kelsey decided, heading that way.

           By now they were lost from the trail and it would be a long hike back to the car if they didn’t find a shortcut.

           The house was an old Victorian, which had seen better days, but the setting was breathtaking. The wonky porch steps clearly needed some work, but the paint chipped porch seemed sturdy enough.

           “Let’s explore,” Kelsey said, leading the way. 

           The windows were still intact, but the lopsided shutters looked ready to fall. Kelsey tried the front door, but it was locked.

           They peered in through the front windows and determined the house was clearly abandoned, so they traipsed through the tall grass to the back door. With a little shove it opened easily enough.       

           “We are now officially trespassing,” Rachel pointed out.

           “But we’re not hurting anything,” Kelsey told her. “I just want to see the house. It must have been such a pretty place once.”

           The door opened onto cracked linoleum littered with debris and mouse droppings.

           “We are not alone,” Rachel joked, when a small mammal skittered across the floor. “I hope that was just a mouse.”

           It was a good-sized kitchen, but it was missing some cabinets, like someone started to renovate then stopped. The uneven floor creaked beneath their feet.

           “It’s chilly,” Kelsey remarked. The house had been shut up for some time. “I bet there are hardwood floors underneath here.”

           “You watch too many house renovations shows,” Rachel said. “You think you know things about a house, but a house like this has surprises. And maybe a few spirits too,” she added.

           “It’s so dark,” Kelsey said, throwing open one of the heavy curtains above the sink. Sunlight slithered in casting eerie shadows across the room. “Look at the trim around the door. You don’t get that kind of character in the newer houses.”

           They wandered through to the dining room with wainscotting and old wallpaper, faded and torn. “Look at that chandelier!” Kelsey pointed out.

           Kelsey threw open more curtains and a cloud of dust billowed in the air. Sunlight slashed through the room like spotlights with the dust lingering and dancing like bobbing gnats.

           “You’re going to make my allergies act up,” Rachel complained.

           “Just imagine what this place must have looked like.” Clearly Kelsey was seeing a vision that Rachel was not. The living room at the front of the house was dark. The porch blocked most of the sunlight, so the room was in shadows. An old chair sat alone in the corner with upholstery stuffing exposed. It looked like a bed for some living creature.

           “Let’s look upstairs,” Kelsey said, already stepping onto the dark wood steps.

           “If I fall through, I’m holding you accountable,” Rachel warned.

           “I don’t think you will. This house is solid. It has good bones.”

           There were 5 doorways at the top of the landing. Kelsey went to the left at the back of the house.  The windows were bare, and the sunlight filled the room with light. Kelsey circled the room in awe. 

           "This would make a great art studio,” she mentioned, looking out the window to the open meadow beyond. “So much natural light.”

           They explored every inch of the upstairs - looking in closets and little coves and cubbies but decided against checking out the narrow stairs that led to the attic. There were too many shadows lurking up there.

           “This was fun, but I’m starving. Let’s get out of here,” Rachel prodded.

           “Okay,” Kelsey said, reluctantly, her head full of ideas.

           They followed the old, gravel driveway, which was covered in weeds and tall grass, to the end - happy to see pavement.

           With better reception now, they determined their way back to the park. After it felt like they’d walked for hours, they came to another intersection.

           “I think I know where we are now,” Kelsey piped up. “I think this is Old Baltimore Road.”

           Soon after they began to see houses and eventually found another trail that led them back to their car, making one large loop.

           “So much for a shortcut,” Rachel said, leaning against the car while Kelsey unlocked it. “Let’s get some lunch.”

           “I’m in,” Kelsey agreed, her body tired after a good workout.

           Later that week, Kelsey took a drive out in the country trying to locate the old house by car. It had been on her mind ever since. Was she crazy to be thinking what she was thinking? The house needed a lot of work, but it had good vibes. She felt it in her bones.