A light breeze sashays through the trees in the small rural town of Rockvale. Voices echo on the wind as light sparkles and fizzles out before the eyes of astonished residents, like the sparklers you find at firework stands, only dancing and short-lived. Whispers of voices, unclear and fading made understanding impossible and only added to the confusion unraveling throughout the streets and homes of the small rural town. It was just after dusk, the evening was young, and just as fast as it had started it was over. Or so they thought…
Chapter One
Earlier that same day over on East 3rd street, Jerry Adams, the real estate broker for Monroe Realty was finalizing the paperwork on the Old Rockvale Inn, the larger of the only two hotels in town. Monroe Realty was the only business left in operation in a row of five office spaces located on the right of the far end of the Oaktree lined 3rd street. It had been five months since the office had sold a property. The commission on this sale would help the depleting funds in the savings account. Jerry grew up and fell in love in this town. He was raising his children here as he had been. Jerry loved this town; It was his home.
The bell on the office door jingled as the Chief of the Rockvale Police Department walked in. Chief Treadwell came to the real estate office to have coffee with Jerry every day, but this day, his curiosity brought him in earlier. Standing up, Jerry introduces Mr. Raskin to Chief Treadwell; the man’s anxiety did not go unnoticed. “What’s got you in so early Tread?” Standing up heads to the coffee pot to get water out of the back to start their morning coffee. “Non For me, Thanks’” said Mr. Raskins sitting back down.
Mr. Raskin exhaled deeply as he signed the final line of the deed. Things were working out smoothly. He was afraid things would be difficult and take more effort than it had turned out to be thus far. This was the beginning of a long-awaited new life. The decision was made of necessity, certainly not by choice. It would be a tedious task to get the old place up and running again without unwanted attention. Unhappy for being alone in this strange place, Mr. Raskin knew it was not yet safe to bring his family here, too risky.
Standing up and heading for the door, Mr. Raskins turned and asked where he needed to go to get the utilities turned on. Jerry told him they would take care of everything at the city hall, all the utility offices were in the same building over on main street. Tipping his hat, he walked out the door as the bell jingled behind him; little sparkles fizzled and a chill rand down the Chief’s spine and caused Jerry to spill water all over the counter as he poured water in the coffee maker.
Tread sat in the guest chair at the front of Jerry’s desk until Jerry returned carrying two steaming cups of coffee. Ignoring what just happened both men chalked it up to their imagination not saying a word. “So, you finally leased a property, I see,” said Treadwell. “Better than that, Mr. Raskins just purchased the Old Rockvale Inn, lock stock and barrel. He paid in full by certified bank check. I can’t imagine him making a go of it in this dying town. Say’s he has a large family—say’s the place is big enough for everyone with enough rooms left to rent out for income.” Jerry explained. The pair sat in quiet contemplation, wondering what it was about the man that gave them the heebie-jeebies. Neither mentioning what they had witnessed.
Leaving the city hall, Raskins stopped at the second of the only two hotels in town, that is still operational, it would be the only choice for Raskins a place to stay during the time it would take to get the house livable that came with the property he had purchased. No one had lived there for some time and it needed work before “The Family” could move in. After checking into one of the efficiency rooms at the Serenity Inn, Raskins asked the clerk if he had the local paper so that he could see if anyone had posted an ad looking for work. He would also have to place an advertisement looking for help. Travis the clerk and owner of Serenity Inn told Mr. Raskins that the town's newspaper had gone out of business a few years back, however, the city’s website had help wanted ad’s listed, and that he could post a notice on the notice boards around town. Most public places had one near their entrance. Travis handed Raskins his room key and as their hands met a very odd electrical tingle went up Travis’s arm, which he rote off as part of his hangover.
Travis took over the Serenity when his parents retired to Texas. Travis now forty years old has never married and chose the “bachelor life” is the only child of the Landry’s. The Landry’s are among the town’s original families., They had owned the grocery on main street for generations until big box stores and killed off the Mom and Pop businesses in small towns across America. The building has been sitting empty for over twenty years, but the Serenity was still turning a profit. Travis went back to reading the latest paperback from his favorite fiction author. Travis dreamed of being published successfully someday if he ever actually finished one of the many he had started. Looking up and out the window, Travis saw Raskins walking toward Lucy’s Diner. Travis’s phone rang…
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