Chapter 1

August 16th, 2015

I woke up at around six o’clock, as per usual, my eyes uncomfortably full of sleep. I sat up and habitually rubbed my eyes clean. I looked down at myself. I was still quite tall compared to a lot of people. I still had my somewhat pale skin from not getting out as much as I used to, though I’m still well built because I try to keep in shape. I still have my short silver-grey hair at the young age of twenty-four spiked up from the hair-gel I used yesterday. Yep, I was awake and alive.

Looking again, I irritably stared at the monstrosity that was my apartment. Its floors covered in dirty clothes, used plates, empty take out bags, and other inconveniences that would make walking about a pain. The bathroom looked much similar, save the plates and take out bags and add some toiletries. The apartment walls looked very bare compared to the rest of the apartment with not so much as a picture to cover its exposed surface.

Though I didn’t notice much of this. I had already started showering and getting ready for work, another long, aggravating, loathsome day at work. Which is why in the back of my mind I wondered why I was even hurrying along right now. Its not like I had a case to investigate right now. I could take my time and enjoy the warm water that I was standing under. Maybe try to think about life.

But by then the thought was already pushed further back in my mind because I was already eating breakfast and out the door. I internally debated whether or not to take the car to work instead of walking like I usually do. Eventually I gave in and decided to take the car to get to work faster.

What am I doing? I have, like, thirty minutes before the office even opens. I literally have nothing to do. I had hurried right along at home and now I was sitting in my car like an idiot. With literally nowhere to go and nothing to do, I sat there. BORED out of my mind. That is, until I got a call on my phone.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hey Tell, it’s Charles,” Charles answered sounding a bit frantic.

Charles, after the case from two years ago, had nowhere to go to. His grandparents were all dead, his real parents didn’t have brothers or sisters so no aunts or uncles, and no one his parents knew would take him in. Keegan felt sympathy and requested to adopt Charles. It was an endearing moment for Keegan and Charles, Charles because he had nowhere to go and actually liked Keegan and Keegan because he gets pretty lonely with all his failed attempts at popping the question. Charles, having finished up school, helps at the firm when he can. It’s no wonder he’s up this early.

“Hey what’s up?” I asked, concern in my voice.

“I got good news,” He started, “Guess where I was accepted for college?”

“I dunno, where?” I asked, knowing full well that he probably got accepted into the University of Michigan. He went there for a tour and since then, he always talks about them during the day. So much, in fact, I know the complete roster for their football team from 2000 to today.

“U OF M!” He yelled in the most ecstatic tone. I reeled the phone back from my ear. He sometimes forgets that he’s deaf in one ear now and uses hearing aids for the other because of that gunshot. He tends to yell a lot now.

“Whoa, settle down! I mean, that’s great news and all, but your yelling,” I said rubbing my headache that would obviously get worse as the day goes on.

“Sorry! It’s just so awesome; I had to tell you now. Keegan says get to the firm as fast as you can. He has news too,” He said, still a bit loud. “I’ll see ya soon!” Charles said and hung up.

I perked up a bit. Now I didn’t have to look like some idiot sitting alone in their car at 6:20 in the morning. I could get to work. I put the car in drive and started on my way towards the firm.

I finally got to the Watkins Defense Law Firm of Cambridge, Massachusetts and pulled into the parking lot. It took me what seemed like forever, even though I got there five minutes earlier than I usually do. Getting out of the car, I see the short, skinny, long-brown hair, and hoodie wearing Charles waving me down at the front door. I walk over and ask, “What’s up?”

“Not much, but Keegan still wants to see you,” He said loudly.

“’K then. Are you going to be staying here to help out today?” I asked as I opened the door to the firm.

“Probably not. You’ll see why soon!” He exclaimed as he ran past me. That couldn’t be good. Either we had a case or I was doing something with Charles. And if anything, it was probably both. Keegan just teases me like that.

I walked into the lobby and past the secretary’s desk, which was devoid of any activity. She obviously wasn’t here yet. But why wouldn’t she? It was about 6:30 according to my piece of crap watch.

I kept walking through the back door of the lobby and entered the pigsty that was out office. Sure, the carpet was clean, but there were documents and evidence EVERYWHERE. With all this time off, I’m surprised and clueless as to why we didn’t do anything about it.

Heck, with all the papers, I almost missed Keegan, who was typing something on his laptop. Now that I got a good look at him, though, he looked like he lived in Orlando, Florida instead of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had short, spiked, and bleached hair. He also looked naturally tan on his head and face, but I couldn’t tell on the rest of his body. When he stood, he stood a bit shorter than me at 6’3’’. He was fairly skinny and wasn’t really built, but he always goes running. Maybe he has a lot of stamina?

As I got closer, he looked up and smiled. He spoke in a naturally raspy voice, “Morning, Tell. How goes it?”

I grunted and that’s all he needed.

“So Charles told you about his college, correct?” He asked going back to work on his laptop.

“Yeah, and he said you have something to ask of me. Is that correct?” I asked back.

He slowly nodded and replied, “That I do. It’s a favor I have to ask.”

Well, crap.

He closed his laptop and looked at me, his face showing complete seriousness. He started, “You know, I went to U of M for my undergrad. It’s a great school in a great state, and I know Charles will love it.”

“Continue.” I mused trying to see what he was getting at and how the hell he looks like a Floridian if he lived in Michigan and Massachusetts, the two coldest places I have ever heard of.

“The school year at U of M starts very soon, in three weeks from today actually. But there’s a problem. I just got a case. Someone has to take Charles to Michigan to see him off,” He continued as my eyes widened in horror.

“No. There is no way on this Earth you can make me drive from here to Ann Arbor!” I retorted.

“Oh, come on! You of all people could use the break from work. Not only that, but Charles specifically recommended you,” he added. Playing the guilt card are we?

“But you’re his father. You should be the one to see him off. Besides, I can take the case,” I said, lying. There was no way I could take my own case. Unfortunately, Keegan knew that.

“Yeah, but you have no experience by yourself in the courtroom. Besides, I’m his adopted father. You’re the one who saved his life!” He reasoned. Touché.

I sighed, knowing I couldn’t beat the inevitable and Keegan smiled. I HATE when he’s right.

“Be ready by seven. And don’t worry about it. You’ll stop at many good places. Getting there is half the fun y’know,” He smirked, knowing full well that’s the part I despise. And if you haven’t figured that out by now, I wonder why you’re even following this series of events. I like getting to wherever I’m going fast and with time to spare. “Besides,” He added, “I have some other business to attend to as well.”

“What, another girlfriend? That’s your reason for sending me?” I remarked snidely.

He sighed and went back to work on his laptop. I got him with a stab to the heart, and I God, it felt good! But it didn’t last long. I had just agreed to take Charles to Michigan. Well, I guess I had better get my stuff together because it seems like we were leaving today. No wonder I was here so early.

My thoughts were interrupted by a maize and blue monstrosity running up to me and asking, “So did you say yes? Are you gonna take me up to Ann Arbor?”

I put on my best smile and answered, “Yep, I’m taking you up north to wolverine country. I imagine your ready to go at moments notice?”

“Yep!” He replied. “I have everything ready, from shirts to towels.”

“Alright, I’ll be back as soon as I can. We’ll leave then, alright?” I said sounding a bit stern.

Charles picked up on that and saluted me and yelled, “YES SIR!”

As he walked back to wherever he goes during the morning and I rolled my eyes. Not knowing HOW the hell I got into this, I made my way back to the lobby and to my car. I checked my piece of crap watch again to see the time. 6:30.

Wait. It was 6:30 like five minutes ago. I flicked my watch in annoyance and it sprang forward to 6:37 and I shook my head in disgust. I hate this watch with a passion and I don’t know why I haven’t gotten a new one. But it’s probably because it still works. Well, sort of.

I got in my car and made my way back to my apartment. Time to get the necessities I guess. I used the time in the car to make a mental checklist. I would need at least a weeks worth of shirts, pants, boxers, PJ pants (don’t judge me), and one nice getup. In case I have to look presentable. I’ll also need toiletries and maybe two towels to keep my hygiene up.

As soon as I got home, I checked the time again. 6:45. At least my piece of crap watch was working. I went up to my room and opened the door. Finding the toiletries would be easy. Look on the bathroom floor, doi. Toothbrush and paste, hair-gel and brush, shampoo and dove (for men of course), deodorant, razor and shaving cream, two towels and a face cloth. Check.

Now for some clothes, I thought. I decided to grab a bunch of random t-shirts and some pants not even so much as looking to see what I was grabbing. I got some PJ pants and shirts for a comfy nights sleep, some socks to keep my feet warm in the inevitable Michigan cold, my Adidas shoes, and, of course, one nice getup in case I have to look nice. I got a white button-up with black pants, a black blazer, black dress shoes, and a red tie for that exact purpose.

When I felt ready, I got my suitcase and toiletries and put them in the trunk of my car and started on my way back. I checked the time at 6:48 and nodded in satisfaction. I got in and out of the room in three minutes. Perfect time. I kept up that optimistic mood all the way back to the firm… or at least tried. I still knew I had to go all the way up to Michigan to just see Charles off. I know I should be happy for him, but I still think I have better things to do with my time than to babysit Charles.

I arrived at the firm at 6:55 after a vigorous flicking on my piece of crap watch. I got out of the car and took my last good look at the firm for what I thought was going to be two weeks. I looked at the door next to see Charles and Keegan waiting for me. Keegan yelled, “You ready to go?”

I sighed mentally but ‘happily’ replied, “I’m ready when he’s ready.”

Keegan nodded and gave Charles a father’s embrace before sending him my way. He looked sad and excited at the same time and I put my arm on his shoulder. I then said, “Hey, I know you have a reason to be nervous, excited, happy, sad, and all sorts of emotions. But this is your freshman year in college. It’s your time and I’m proud to be taking you. So come on. We’ve got to get going if you want to have a little fun after you buy your books,”

He nodded and put his bags into the trunk and back seats of my car. I was about to get in myself when I heard Keegan yell, “Hey Tell!”

I turned towards him and listened for what he was going to say. He looked like he was struggling to find the right words until he finally slumped over and said with a crack in his voice, “Take care of him, alright?”

I, too, stopped what I was doing and struggled to find the right words. I looked into the car and saw Charles looking ready to go. I smiled and looked back up and said, “Sure thing, Keegan.”

With one final wave I got in my car and looked towards Charles. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Did I ever say how much I love your car?”

Why wouldn’t he? It was an orange 2015 Camaro with black hockey stripes and a raised spoiler. What? I may have a piece of crap watch and an apartment, which I’m trying to save up to move out of, but being an attorney has its perks. And money is one of them. It’s to bad its automatic transmission instead of a stick shift. Then I could have a LOT of fun.

“Be good and I might let you touch the steering wheel,” I teased. He punched me in the shoulder and I smiled. Maybe I’ll let him drive it. He won’t be able to bring a car to college until he’s twenty-one, I could cut him some slack.

Nah.

I started up the engine and backed out of my parking spot. With a honk directed towards Keegan, and Charles giving him one last wave, we were off and running.

***

Out on the open road, Charles would talk about what Ann Arbor was like for a while and I would give my opinion at some points, but other than that the ride was pretty quiet.

“…And State Street is probably the real main street of college-town, Ann Arbor.”

“Really? That’s ironic considering Michigan State is one of their bitter rivals, from what you say.”

“That’s true… It’s weird isn’t it?”

It was talk like this that continued for a while. But by the time we were near the New York state border, it was silent. And it was only… hold on… 7:34. Piece of crap…

“Tell?” Charles asked.

“Hmm?” I subconsciously replied.

“How was your undergrad college?”

I chuckled, both in reminiscence and embarrassment. College. What a life. I fell like it was ages ago… even though it was no more than maybe five years ago. “Well, Charles,” I started, “When I went to college, I was trying to become a broadcaster. I was interested in the media so I went…”

“… To Mizzou?” He asked.

“That was a good guess, but no. I went to Northwestern University. Home of…”

“The Wildcats,” Charles finished.

“You know your Big Ten,” I remarked, “Anyway, I met a lot of my friends freshman year, so this is the year you make or break it, but theirs no pressure. It’s easy to meet people,” I said but then wondered aloud, “What do you want to do for a job?”

He gave me a serious look and said, “Law. Criminal Law,” he looked out in the distance and continued, “I never told you guys, but when you both pitched in to save my life, I knew right then and there what I wanted to be. I want to be there for the people who have no one. I want to defend the innocent, accuse the guilty, find the truth.”

I remained silent as he talked, half expecting the answer.

“That’s why I chose U of M. Its law school is only behind Ivy League colleges. And I’m just going to U of M for my undergrad! That way it’ll look good on my résumé for Harvard,” He said as a faint smile crept up my face at the word ‘Harvard’.

“Be that as it may,” I started, “Your worrying to much. I think you should just let what happens happen. U of M is a great school, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that you’re planning too much. I didn’t even think of law school until my senior year. Sure, my broadcasting skills helped in my public speaking, but that’s just it. Life throws all sorts of crap at you, and you have to adjust. Who knows?” I said pausing for dramatic effect, “You might make a good College counselor.”

“What’s a college counselor?” He asked.

“Someone very knowledgeable about colleges and helps others to find the right one,” I answered and chuckled to myself at his clueless look. I knew from just his past answers that colleges are something he knows a lot about.

The ride through New York was as quiet as the ride through Massachusetts. No talking from either of us. Which gave me more concentration with the a-holes on the highway that tried out-dragging my Camaro.

I weaved in and out of traffic trying to get to our destination faster. I don’t know why I did, though; it wasn’t even nine o’clock. But my car reflected my attitude and I wanted to get to Michigan as fast as possible. So, I passed the time racing all the Mustangs, Ferraris, and Porsches that were silly enough to follow me.

After a while we arrived in Pennsylvania and stopped at a rest area. Mostly just to stretch our legs and eat a snack. I checked the time as we ate. 10:30. After a vigorous flicking, it sprung way ahead to 10:57. Almost eleven. We were making good time. Charles had brought a map back and we set out to plan our path to Michigan.

“Well, we can go south-west towards Ohio or straight on through Canada from here. The latter option saves a bit of time,” I started.

“True, but I kinda… sorta… wanna… see your old college too,” Charles replied trying not to keep eye contact with me.

“Nope,” I said sternly, “Keegan said to get you to Ann Arbor and that’s what I’ll do. Were not going to northern Chicago just to see my old college.  You have somewhere to be.”

“But just for a day! Besides, you even packed for a whole week! Why not slow down a bit and enjoy getting there instead of just getting there and doing nothing?”

“I don’t know how you knew I packed for a week, but it’s for just in case. I want to get you there as fast as possible and got home as fast as possible. Your lucky I’m letting us stop right here.”

“Kill-a-joy,” Charles mumbled and stormed back to the car. I just shrugged and continued to eat my snack. As soon as I was done, I got up and entered the car too. I started it up and we were on our way. Realizing I didn’t bring my passport, I was forced to take the long way through Ohio after Pennsylvania, much to my chagrin and Charles delight.

“I’m telling you it’s an awesome idea!” Charles said, “Now we can go T.P. Ohio State!”

“Whoa there cowboy! We don’t need that much advertisement, especially if it’s negative. Do it when your drunk with your soon to be roommates. It’ll be much easier and more natural feeling,” I replied a bit anxious he didn’t hear me.

“…Maybe even egg a few… Huh? Did you say something?”

Of course he didn't.

The ride through Pennsylvania was a much longer ride than New York. It was a bit bigger of a state though, so it was to be expected. However, it was also a bit louder than said ride through New York, which got me a bit annoyed. Charles tends to speak more loudly and hear much less when he gets a bit excited. I suppose it’s also to be expected due to that gunshot, but still…

I decided to ignore most of it, only speaking if Charles said something of interest, which he did later.

“Hey Tell, what time is it?”

I looked at my piece of crap watch to check the time. 3:00. I God! Where did the time go?

“About three,” I replied.

“Jeez. Just how long is it from Ann Arbor to home?” Charles asked a bit irritated.

“About a twelve hour drive. Not counting the rest stops and restaurants we stop at,” I answered not fazed the slightest, “Why? Can’t stand the journey there anymore?”

“Very funny. I’m not falling for your witchcraft. You can’t make me,” Charles replied even more irritated than before.

“What? I’m just trying to teach you the proper way of living,” I said also sounding a bit irritated.

“Oh, and what way is that? Get to where you have to go as fast as possible and for the rest of the time sit in your car waiting for nothing?” He retorted.

Ouch.

“I don’t know how you knew that, but my personal life will not be dragged into this argument,” I said feeling my cheeks heat up.

“What do you mean? YOU’RE the one who started this!” Charles near yelled.

“Here’s an idea, how about we don’t talk for the rest of the trip? How does that sound?” I retorted.

He didn’t reply. He was staring out the window into the sky. Good.

The rest of the ride was rode literally in silence. No one talked for the next two hours until we reached Ohio. I was the first to speak.

“Look’s like we couldn’t tackle the whole trip in one go. We’re going to have to stop in Columbus,” I started.

I heard an audible gasp from Charles and he replied, “Never! I would rather die than stay in buckeye territory for even an hour.”

“You’re kidding, right? There’s no way we can reach Michigan before…” I paused before looking at my watch, “…8:30. Its seven now.”

“Then I’ll walk to Ann Arbor. I refuse to stay in such a filthy, disgusting area,” He replied looking back out the window.

I sighed giving up the issue. Even though I was exhausted, I could go for another hour maybe.

“Fine,” I replied, wondering when the hell I was going to get a backbone.

Charles let out a contented sigh and I let out an annoyed one. I didn’t think I could take the tension anymore. It was thick enough to cut with a knife and I wouldn’t be surprised if I had choked on it anytime soon. That’s probably why I listened to his demand.

But alas, Charles had convinced me to keep going to Michigan and that’s what I was going to do, even if he did something stupid involving ‘Michigan pride’ and got me killed.

I didn’t know exactly how to get to Michigan from this point, so I pulled over and took out our map. It seemed as if it was a straight shot on the highway from here to southeast Michigan, which was near Ann Arbor. Though we probably couldn’t stop in Ann Arbor, we could stay in a city nearby for the night.

“Alright Charles, here’s what we’re going to do,” I started, “We’re going to drive for an hour and whatever city is at the closest exit after that hour is where we’ll stop, even if it’s not Ann Arbor. Got it?”

“Fine, whatever you want,” Charles replied bitterly.

I nodded, put the car back into drive and made my way towards the highway on-ramp. After flicking my watch, I saw that we had taken about five minutes to stop and look at the map, so that was five minutes off our drive time.

But I don’t think either of us noticed. We rode in silence for another agonizing hour in the car at a speedy pace. So speedy, that Ann Arbor was only about fifteen miles away from where we were.

“Good news Charles,” I said, “We might actually make it to Ann Arbor tonight.”

“Maybe not,” He replied pointing ahead to where there were flashing police cars and policemen walking aimlessly about. That couldn’t be good.

We were soon stopped by a police officer that was farther away from the rest of the police who motioned for me to open my window. When I did, he asked, “Where are you two headed?”

“To Ann Arbor,” I replied.

“I’m sorry, sir,” The police man started, “but the highway to Ann Arbor is closed because of an automobile accident. You two are going to have to go around it through this nearby town at this exit,” He said pointing to a dark, forested road that had ‘detour’ signs all around it.

“Alright, thank you officer,” I finished and rolled up my window. It would seem that we found our town to stay the night at, and after checking the time at 8:00, it seemed that we couldn’t make Ann Arbor in one go.

“Sorry Charles,” I said, “It looks like we’re stopping here tonight. We couldn’t make Ann Arbor in one shot.”

“It’s fine,” Charles said, not looking at me.

I shrugged as I put my car into drive again and made my way towards the detour. As we entered though, the road seemed to get rougher and the trees thicker with beautiful autumn colors more vivid than ever. It was strange. It seemed that civilization was left behind at that detour marker and we were making our way into something out of a fairy tale. There were no signs. There were no other cars. There were no electric wires. Nothing. Just forest.

Just when I thought that the police were pulling some kind of prank, I saw a worn sign on the side of the road. Getting a bit closer, I read its contents aloud, “Welcome to Equine Michigan, the hidden, modern landmark in Michigan history. Population: 1020.”

“This is where we have to stop?” Charles asked a bit confused by the signs introduction to the town that lay ahead.

“It is. We’ll have to stay in this town,” I answered, “Don’t worry. We’ll stay the night here and when morning comes, we’ll leave for Ann Arbor.”

“That’s all fine and nice and whatever, but what did that sign mean? It was a bit confusing,” Charles asked back.

“I’m not sure, but I’m just as confused as you are. I don’t see how anything can be modern out here.”

“Neither can I. And what did it mean by ‘hidden’?”

“I’m still not sure, but my guess is that this a small little town that usually gets passed on the highway because Ann Arbor is fifteen miles from here. Plus the forest trees might accidentally cover the entrance to the town and why are you talking to me? I thought you were mad at me,” I said.

“N-no reason,” Charles stuttered, “I’m just wondering that’s all.”

“More like scared clueless, am I right?” I teased.

“NO!” He yelled, “I’m just wondering!”

‘Right’ I thought as I continued driving.

After maybe a minute longer, something happened to the forest trees. On the left of us, we noticed the trees were much smaller and much tamer than the large, wild trees of the forest.

“What’s up with those little trees? They’re all in neat rows, they can’t be wild,” Charles asked.  I too noticed that the little trees were neatly arranged in long rows. They all seemed to have small red spots in the leaves as well… oh!

“Well that’s because those trees are a part of an orchard of sorts, maybe a cherry or apple orchard. I can’t tell from here,” I answered feeling satisfied for solving a little mystery.

“Does that mean we’re close to the city? Equine was it?” Charles asked.

“It must. What reason can you come up with for having an orchard in the middle of a nowhere forest?” I asked back, “A scary one at that…”

“Sh-shut up Tell! I told you I’m not scared of this forest!” Charles said with a bit of fluster.

I chuckled at his obvious discomfort as I continued along the orchard’s side. It seemed very large from our angle of view. It took us a good two minutes to even get past the first part of the orchard. And by first part, I mean that there was a large red barn between the orchard we just passed and the next orchard that was beyond the farm. The second orchard also seemed to have red spots in the leaves, but they were bigger than the first orchards set of trees. That must mean that the back orchard did indeed have cherries and the front orchard has apples. I can’t think of any other fruits that grow on trees and are red.

“Geez, it’s still going. How big is this orchard?” Charles asked stretching out his window and over the car roof to get a better view.

“Get back in here! And I don’t know. Why do you care?” I said.

“Because the people in that orchard might be the only civilization in this god-forsaken forest!” he exclaimed.

“So you admit that this forest is scary?” I said nonchalantly.

“Of course I… Wait a minute, NO! How many times do I have to tell you? This forest isn’t scary!” Charles said, even more flustered than before, causing me to laugh like a hyena.

“Don’t worry; your secret is safe with… Hey… Look there!” I said pointing ahead.

In the direction I was pointing, a town had started to form. As we drove closer, we noticed some of the houses and buildings take shape. To our surprise, they seemed quite modern, despite the fact that it was located in the middle of nowhere. The houses, from what I could see, were mostly two-story houses with simple, white sidings and different colored shutters. But as we got closer, I noticed some log-cabins, obviously drawing from the nearby forest. This was certainly an interesting town already, and we haven’t even arrived yet.

When we finally did arrive, we saw a lot of people walking around. It seemed as if tonight was a busy night in Equine and everyone was happily walking and making conversation with everyone they passed. Why were so many people walking around a suburban area? It wasn’t like there were very many stores in the suburbs. But it was then that I realized that no one was passing me in a car. There weren’t ANY cars.

“Do you feel out of place right now, Charles?” I asked.

“Yeah, I feel as if I should be walking right now. I don’t see any cars in any of these driveways,” Charles answered pointing to a few houses to prove his statement. He was right as I saw many empty driveways and garages. So much for being a modern town, they didn’t even have cars!

We continued down the street and made our way to the center of the town, only to see even more people walking around and enjoying themselves, but now we saw cars as well. We seemed to be in a downtown sort of area with a movie theatre, cafes, an arcade, grocery stores, and other necessities. Including…

“Hey, is that…? It is! Hey Tell,” Charles said, “Can you drop me off at that health resort?” He asked pointing to a one story white building with green neon palm trees flashing and grabbing people’s attention.

“Really? A spa? What’re you going to do, get a facial?” I asked, wondering why the hell he would want to go into a spa.

“Because I need to relax, and you need to find a hotel. Its win-win,” He reasoned his body already halfway out the car door.

I thought for a few seconds and said, “Well… I guess…” But I was rudely interrupted by Charles climbing out of the car and yelling back, “Thanks, Tell! You’re the best! I’ll see you in about fifteen minutes!”

Before I could even reply, Charles was already in the spa. I God, how did he move so fast?

No matter. I had stopped in the middle of the street for long enough and the guy behind me looked a bit impatient. I took my foot off the brake and started to look around for a hotel. I didn’t think it would be in the downtown area due to the cramped feeling of this stretch of street. I was right, having driven through the entire street.

I continued to look around in nearby suburban areas along with smaller business areas, continuing to see people walking around or towards the downtown area. But despite my best efforts, I couldn’t seem to find a hotel. I was about to give up when I noticed the orchard from earlier. I saw its entrance, but I couldn’t see its name on the sign due to the fact that there were no lights around except for one that wasn’t strong enough to light up the sign. I looked towards the light source and saw the words on a light up sign say, ‘Equine Hotel’. Wait… Hotel?

I shook my head to make sure I was seeing right and pumped my fist in satisfaction. I finally found the freaking hotel after… hold on (stupid watch)… half an hour!

Half an hour?! I was late for picking up Charles! I started hurrying towards the hotel, and just about tripping out of the car when I arrived, I quickly ran inside to check-in a room.

“Hello sir! Welcome to the Equine hotel! How may I help you?” The front desk man said in an enthusiastic tone.

“Yeah, hi. I need a room for two and fast. Do you have anything available?” I asked frantically.

“Erm… Yes we do sir. Do you have any preferences?” He asked politely.

“As long as there are two separate beds, yes. So how much does it cost?”

“Let’s see… about thirty dollars a night,” He finished.

“Great, here’s my card. I’ll pay when I get back,” I said rushing out the door leaving the worker a bit confused.

I ran back to my car, started it up, put it in drive, and made my way quickly towards the spa Charles was at. When I finally arrived, I noticed Charles wasn’t anywhere around the spa.

‘Where the hell is he? He said it would take fifteen minutes?’ I thought to myself.

After an agonizing fifteen minutes of waiting though, Charles finally exited the spa looking as frazzled as ever.

“Charles! What have you been doing that takes forty-five minutes as opposed to the fifteen you said you would take?” I asked a bit angry at having to waste thirty minutes of my life.

“I was buying this little pouch and its contents,” He answered nonchalantly as he held out a little black pouch.

“Well I don’t know what’s in it, nor do I care, but we need to get to sleep. I’m exhausted and you must be too,” I replied rubbing my aching temples.

“Aww, alright. But we gotta come out here again sometime. I had a blast and met a few people already,” He replied almost too happily.

“Well, maybe sometime later, but not this week. You have to get to Ann Arbor. Now come on, we need some sleep.”

I turned the car around using a nearby parking lot and made my way back to the hotel, both of us yawning the entire way. When we arrived, the front desk man said, “Welcome back sirs. I have your room taken care of and a receipt as of right now is right here to prove I didn’t try to swindle you out of any extra money.”

“What service. Thanks a lot,” I said back as I picked up my credit card, my key card, and the receipt. I gave them to Charles and told him to find the room while I went to the car to get our overnight bags. I went up to our room to see Charles already laying down trying to get comfortable in his bed. He didn’t even put some kind of sleepwear on and neither did I. I dropped the bags, collapsed on my bed, pulled the covers over me, and just about passed out.

The situation is heavily stacked in my favor. I’m here at my source of money. It’s MY source of money. Not theirs. It’s rightfully mine. I deserve it the most. Not this hillbilly line.

Yes. All I have to do is drive them out of here. I have all the supplies. I have the plan. I’ve checked for all miscalculations in my plan and it should all end perfectly in my favor. It has to work. IT HAS TO.

Yes, in this moment, I know what I must do. I must set fire to this land. This wretched land. I had it in my grasps until that hillbilly species made it their own. They don’t deserve it. It’s mine.

Yes, the fire starts now. I have my lighter, my fuel source, my plan. It all starts… now.

Yes, the fire is now started. It has started nicely. Nothing can stop me now.

What?! What was that, a government plane?! What is it doing here? It will ruin my plan! I must escape my fortune for now.

But wait. A girl. A little girl is watching me. She saw me execute my plan. Now she will ruin it all! Unless…

Yes, if she has been in this orchard for as long as she has, she must have developed something by now. I must use it to my advantage.

Got you little girl! Now I make sure you don’t see the shine of my fortune ever! It is time for your opportune death. The orchard was your weakness, and my strength! NO ONE CAN STOP ME! NO ONE!

I woke up in a cold sweat. No… scratch that, a blazing sweat. My shirt was soaked to my skin and my bed as moist as a sponge. Why was I sweating so much?

I got up to check the hotel room temperature to see that the air conditioning was on full blast. Well then why was it so hot in here?

I deeply inhaled through my nose in a started sigh only to pick up a strange scent. Smoke. Burning wood. A bar-b-q?

No. There was a bright orange glow coming from outside and I knew exactly what was going on as my heart skipped a beat.

“Fire…”