Easton Blossoms - Secret Room

Prompted by the sounds of a crying goat, Shelley and Deputy Jerry search for the hidden entrance to a forgotten room. Here's the beginning of the chapter entitled "Secret Room."

Shelley and Deputy Jerry stood side-by-side in their small kitchen in the Caretaker’s Cottage staring at the paneling on the wall. To get to the paneling they had moved both the refrigerator and stove into the dining area. The kitchen table now stood in the middle of the living room.

“I hope what’s behind there is worth this big mess,” Shelley said looking at the scrapes on the floor and the collection of dust bunnies where the stove and refrigerator had been.

“At least we’ll know what the paneling is hiding,” Deputy Jerry said, putting his arm around Shelley’s shoulder.

He took the hammer and awl from his tool box and climbed the ladder to reach the ceiling. Deputy Jerry gently tapped the putty covering the recessed nails so as not to damage the paneling. If there proved to be nothing behind it, they would need to put the paneling back on the wall.

“Can’t you just pull the nails out?” Shelley impatiently asked.

“The nails are covered with putty. I have to remove it first. It’s going pretty fast, so hold your horses,” he teased, aiming his exaggerated smile at her.

“Ok, but I feel like Jason; I want results now!” She said smiling in return.

The putty did prove to be old and brittle and in no time at all, the putty and nails were removed. Prying a putty knife along the edge of the paneling, Deputy Jerry slowly removed the paneling.

“Well, look at that,” Shelley said, as Deputy Jerry walked backwards in the kitchen while he carried the large sheet of paneling. He leaned the paneling next to the displaced refrigerator and turned around to finally see what the paneling had covered.

“There definitely is a doorway there. We’ll need to remove those planks,” he said.

“I’ll get a crowbar,” Shelley said, dashing past Deputy Jerry and out the front door.

He stood gawking at the front door as it momentarily opened again with Shelley holding the tire iron from her car. “Uh, Shelley. That’s not a crowbar.”

“I know that. I don’t even know where to find a crowbar, but this has a flat end. It’ll work just fine pulling out those planks,” she said, waving the tire iron around.

“Yep. You’re right. It should work just fine,” he said gently taking the tire iron from his wife before she accidently clobbered him with it. “You’re very resourceful. Quite a bit like your mother I would say."

“Since you have that goofy grin on your face, I assume you’re teasing me,” Shelley said raising an eyebrow in question.

“Of course, I am. Now, let’s get this doorway opened,” Deputy Jerry said as he applied the tire iron to the planks filling the doorway to what they hoped was the forgotten basement.

-o0o-

Easton Blossoms - A Cry In The Night

The angels are again looking for a missing goat. Here's an excerpt from the chapter entitled " A Cry In The Night."

The angels stood on the back porch of the Cottage and watched as Mr. Rosses and his men removed stumps. Tractors with a “fork” attachment approached each stump and inserted the forks under the shallow roots. Once the stump was uprooted it was pushed to the side and the forked tractor went on to the next stump. The removed stump left a crater in place of the tree.

“Some of those holes look deep,” Jason said standing on his toes to see into the nearest crater.

“They probably are, but we can’t go look until all the tractors are gone,” Eric said keeping an eye on both Jason and Jonathan. If they tried to dash into the field, he wasn’t sure if could stop them like he promised Aunt Marian.

“Do you hear anything?” Jonathan asked straining to hear a crying goat.

“No. I don’t hear anything. Let’s go look in the front. There’s no tractors up there,” Jason said running around the Cottage.

“Hey Jason, wait,” Eric yelled as Jonathan followed Jason.

“Brother, both of them are going to get us in trouble.” Eric muttered following his friends around the Cottage. When he finally caught up with them, Shelley was standing with them on the edge of the field as Jason and Jonathan both strained to see into the nearest crater.

“No you don’t,” Shelley said, grabbing an arm of each boy. “Stay right where you are, both of you.”

“We’re just looking Shelley,” Jason said turning to look sheepishly at Shelley.

“I tried to stop them,” Eric said out of breath as he approached his guilty looking friends.

“You can look all you want once the tractors are gone. Come on. I’ll walk you home. I want to visit with Honey and Cookie before Jerry gets home,” Shelley said, grabbing Jason’s arm again and pulling him behind her down the driveway.

“Hey, I’m coming,” he complained as he looked back at Jonathan and Eric who were both grinning at him as they followed Shelley across the street to the Sanders Ranch.

-o0o-