Linked Through Time by Tornese Jessica

Author:Tornese, Jessica [Tornese, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Published: 2012-04-15T21:00:00+00:00

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I spent the whole next morning worrying if Travis would show. I knew the best thing for me would be to avoid any more relationships, but I couldn’t help thinking how sweet Travis was, how adorable his dimples looked when he smiled his goofy smile. It was pitiful, how easily I fell in and out of love, not that I loved Travis… yet. A guilty smile crept its way up to my cheeks and I blushed. Grateful no one was around to diagnose my lovesick thoughts, I immersed myself in the task for the day, hoping for any distraction.

Back and forth, I hauled firewood from the massive pile Grandpa had brought back from logging in the woods and stacked it into long, even rows in the basement. Miniature doors covered a small opening cut into the walls of the basement, offering me a shortcut to jump through and get inside. Beneath the house, in the dark, dank basement I shuffled wall to wall, stacking the wood from the uneven dirt floor to the eaves of the ceiling. The colossal cinder block wood stove in the center of the room stood as the house’s only source of heat. I knew the pile outside was only the beginning of what needed to be hauled to survive the frigid winter.

I wished desperately for some music to listen to – a little Usher, or Jay-Z, something with a beat that could make the workload easier. Every chore around the farm, when done long enough, became a mind-numbing task I completed like a robot. Grateful to Dean for taking my share of animal duty, I knew I had no right to complain. I wasn’t knee-deep in manure any more and I didn’t have to face the hulking cows or pigs. Still, I hadn’t made a dent in the pile outside and I had several splinters imbedded in my hands.

Poking my head through the opening in the wall, I squinted into the bright sunlight. The basement smelled damp and of mildew, and spiders darted through the piles of wood. I took my time crawling through the opening and walking across the field to load my arms with more wood. The less time I spent in the hole, the better.

Lurching under the weight of five pieces of firewood piled high in my arms, I screeched as a chicken entangled itself between my feet, scuttling out of the way at the last minute as the wood tumbled from my arms and landed with a thud on the ground. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I swore under my breath. Stupid brainless chicken. I ran at the chicken, waving my arms, causing it to squawk and flap its wings in protest. Clucking at me in dismay, it waddled away, leaving me to fume beside the scattered firewood.

Louise emerged on the path next to the family garden, her hair flying in disarray as she ran for the house. “Sarah! Sarah! Come quick!” she cried, her voice high and shrill.

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