#3 The Barn

There are times when one needs to leave their comfort zone to grow and other times when one needs safety. Sometimes life doesn't care what you need and will move you anyway. This was true for Jared.

Jared scored a job at the nearby college as the department chair of business studies. He would begin teaching in the fall and work with a team of nine other faculty members to operate the department. He had a pleasant chat with the Dean just a few weeks prior and received the phone call to confirm the job. 

The position ameliorated some of his angst of moving into the family homestead but there was still enough about all of this to keep him up at night. He hadn't seen the place since he was a child and only remembered with some vagueness the surrounding greenery and rolling hills. He kept no recollection of the interior of the house or what else was on the property other than an old barn but even so, not with much detail.

He had coaxed and persuaded three friends with promises of pizza and beer to help with the move but only two of them showed. Ultimately, only one could follow the rented truck for help with unloading. It was a difficult ask, he knew, as the drive was about 100 miles. He didn't have much in the way of possessions which made the job easier but on this long day, it all felt overwhelming. The sun had long set when they moved the last of the items into the empty home and his helper needed to leave immediately. He was glad, truth be told. He was appreciative of his friends but it would be good to see this day come to an end.

Some of the items he dragged into the barn, which to his amazement was much larger than he had remembered. It was cavernous and at this time of day quite dark. An amplifier, speakers, a mixing board, several boxes of cords, microphones, lights, and other sound system paraphernalia. He dabbled with some success in a band and often worked events, a myriad of events, either with his bandmates or as a solo act. He needed to entertain on weekends to do what he loved during the week, teach.

With his last bit of energy for the day, he connected the various items as he had done hundreds of times before and found an electrical outlet just inside the door. Connecting his phone to a channel, he pressed play and turned up the volume. The barn, much to his delight, acted as a natural amplifier and caused the sound to move nicely, and cleanly throughout. Shocked by the exceptional tonal quality of this old place, he smiled as he lay on the floor staring up into the darkness. He wondered, while stretching his sore back if anyone would hear the music.

#2 The Hiding Place

The house was vacant for some time and having grown up in the neighborhood, she knew of the room in the back that contained a small kitchenette, a tiny bathroom, and just enough space for a cot and sleeping bag. It was part of the house rarely used by the elderly couple who once occupied the home. They used the main areas in the front of the house for living and the back room was rarely but occasionally given over to a guest when visiting for a night. Other than for guests, it was not much more than a storage area.

She knew of it and was quite adept at gaining entry on the nights when staying at her father's home was dangerous. She even felt that the prior occupants of the home would have approved of her temporary stays since she did little chores for them and had gotten to know their nature when they were alive. They were a sweet couple who wanted only the best for others. They treated her like a granddaughter. She felt in her heart they would not have minded had they known her situation.

Sometimes she would sleep under the stars near her home on warm summer evenings but when the weather threatened she used her hiding place for shelter. She felt protected there. If necessary, she thought, she could use the barn on the property but it was rather large, a bit drafty, and uninviting for just one person. The kitchenette plus cot was much cozier for a girl with nowhere else to go.

#1 The Music

In the evening they would determine a place to spend the night. They had several options depending on the weather, the time of year, and goals for the coming day.

On this night the weather was clear and balmy, a late summer warmth that lasts well into the night. They would be fine outside tonight. Jonathon constructed a fire even though one wasn't necessary and eventually, after a conversation summarizing the events of the day, one by one they dozed off.

At about midnight, they were awoken by music drifting downward from the homestead a couple of hundred yards away up the gradual slope that led to 8th Street. This home and barn, they knew hadn't been inhabited for a while yet there was a glimmer of yellow light emanating from the barn. It rolled gently downward to them as if to put them in a trance. Led Zeppelin's Kashmere? Without speaking to each other, they rose. George kicked dirt on an already smoldering fire and they made their way up to find out what was happening.